Posttranscriptional regulation of gene activity has been a somewhat neglected subject in developmental genetics. With the discovery of RNA-mediated silencing mechanisms, however, insights into how targeted transcript inactivation integrates with developmental processes have changed radically. The number of studies in zebrafish that take advantage of techniques to manipulate the activity of microRNAs (miRNAs)--a group of short, noncoding RNAs that suppress translation of target genes--is on a steady rise, and the studies are starting to provide unique insights into the diversity of developmental processes that are controlled by transcript inhibition. Here I review recent studies in the zebrafish that demonstrate roles for miRNAs in the fine-tuning of neural crest cell migration, regulation of neural Hox gene expression, and regeneration after tissue amputation. New discoveries on the involvement of miRNAs in regulating red blood cell maturation also shed light on how miRNA gene activity itself is controlled. Because experimental suppression of single miRNAs often results in surprisingly specific phenotypes, it will have to be considered whether novel mutants identified in genetic screens should also be assayed for lesions in miRNA genes or their target sequences, rather than in protein-coding genes alone.


Few French cardinals left important traces in the form of architectural patronage in Rome during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a period characterised by the alternation of times of strong tension between the French kings and the Papacy, and phases of political harmony. French cardinals' relations with Rome reflected such a changeable contingent political situation: their position was extremely delicate because they owed obedience to the pope, as princes of the church, and to their king, as French nobles and bishops. Generally, their engagement was projected more towards France, typically in the areas of family influence, than towards Rome. Nevertheless, some French cardinals, such as Guillaume d'Estouteville, Jean Jouffroy, Jean de Bilheres, and Jean Du Bellay, were well established in Rome, participating in cultural life and artistic production. Analysing their architectural patronage helps to evaluate if they were agents of the King of France aiming to promote, in part by supporting art and architecture, royal policy at the papal court, or if they were driven by personal ambitions. Comparing these men with the patronage of Thomas Leroy—not a cardinal, but a Breton-prelate established in Rome where he undertook a brilliant career in the Curia—permits us to place the conduct of cardinals in a more general context, and to verify if it was different from that of other French resident prelates.


Abstract. River ice is a common occurrence in cold climate hydrological systems. The annual cycle of river ice formation, growth, decay and clearance can include low flows and ice jams, as well as mid-winter and spring break-up events. Reports and associated data on river ice occurrence are often limited to site and season-specific studies. Within Canada, the National Hydrometric Program (NHP) operates a network of gauging stations with water level as the primary measured variable to derive discharge. In the late 1990s, the Water Science and Technology Directorate of Environment and Climate Change Canada initiated a long-term effort to compile, archive and extract river ice related information from NHP hydrometric records. This data article describes the original research data set produced by this near 20-year effort: the Canadian River Ice Database (CRID). The CRID holds almost 73,000 variables from a network of 196 NHP stations throughout Canada that were in operation within the period 1894 to 2015. Over 100,000 paper and digital files were reviewed representing 10,378 station-years of active operation. The task of compiling this database involved manual extraction and input of more than 460,000 data entries on water level, discharge, date, time and data quality rating. Guidelines on the data extraction, rating procedure and challenges are provided. At each location, a time series of up to 15 variables specific to the occurrence of freeze-up and winter-low events, mid-winter break-up, ice thickness, spring break-up and maximum open-water level were compiled. This database follows up on several earlier efforts to compile information on river ice, which are summarized herein, and expands the scope and detail for use in Canadian river ice research and applications. Following the Government of Canada Open Data initiative, this original river ice data set is available at: https://doi.org/10.18164/c21e1852-ba8e-44af-bc13-48eeedfcf2f4 (de Rham et al., 2020).


Accurate traffic speed prediction is an important and challenging topic for transportation planning. Previous studies on traffic speed prediction predominately used spatio-temporal and context features for prediction. However, they have not made good use of the impact of urban traffic incidents. In this work, we aim to make use of the information of urban incidents to achieve a better prediction of traffic speed. Our incident-driven prediction framework consists of three processes. First, we propose a critical incident discovery method to discover urban traffic incidents with high impact on traffic speed. Second, we design a binary classifier, which uses deep learning methods to extract the latent incident impact features from the middle layer of the classifier. Combining above methods, we propose a Deep Incident-Aware Graph Convolutional Network (DIGC-Net) to effectively incorporate urban traffic incident, spatio-temporal, periodic and context features for traffic speed prediction. We conduct experiments on two real-world urban traffic datasets of San Francisco and New York City. The results demonstrate the superior performance of our model compare to the competing benchmarks.


Over the last 30 years, a number of secure processor architectures have been proposed to protect software integrity and confidentiality during its distribution and execution. In such architectures, encryption (together with integrity checking) is used extensively, on any data leaving a defined secure boundary.In this paper, we show how encryption can be achieved at the instruction level using a stream cipher. Thus encryption is more lightweight and efficient, and is maintained deeper in the memory hierarchy than the natural off-chip boundary considered in most research works. It requires the control flow graph to be used and modified as part of the off-line encryption process, but thanks to the LLVM framework, it can be integrated easily in a compiler pipeline, and be completely transparent to the programmer.We also describe hardware modifications needed to support this encryption method, the latter were added to a 32 bit MIPS soft core. The synthesis performed on a Altera Cyclone V FPGA shows that encryption requires 26% of extra logic, while slowing-down execution time by an average of 48% in the best setting.


Do Culture Related Factors Influence Students' Critical Thinking Use? Emmanuel Manalo Waseda University Takashi Kusumi Kyoto University Masuo Koyasu Kyoto University Yasushi Michita University of the Ryukyus Yuko Tanaka Stevens Institute of Technology Abstract: This study examined whether culture related factors influence university students' critical thinking use. The participants were 363 students from Kyoto and Okinawa in Japan, and Auckland in New Zealand. They com- pleted a questionnaire assessing critical thinking use, study self-efficacy, adherence to authority, regulatory mode (assessment/locomotion), and self-construal (independence/ interdependence). Critical thinking was found to corre- late with self-efficacy, locomotion, and independence. The Auckland group scored higher than both Japanese groups in these factors. In contrast, the Okinawa group scored higher than the other two groups in adherence to authority and interdependence. Compared to either or both Japanese groups, the Auckland students also scored higher in the following critical thinking measures: objectivity in writing, logical thinking, and reliance on evidence. A hypothesis is proposed that self-construal is linked to regulatory mode and self-efficacy, and these in turn are linked to critical thinking use. The result of structural equation modeling supports this hypothesis.


The majority of human tumors express mutant forms of p53 at high levels, promoting gain of oncogenic functions and correlating with disease progression, resistance to therapy and unfavorable prognosis. p53 mutant accumulation in tumors is attributed to the ability to evade degradation by the proteasome, the only currently recognized machinery for p53 disruption. We report here that glucose restriction (GR) induces p53 mutant deacetylation, routing it for degradation via autophagy. Depletion of p53 leads, in turn, to robust autophagic activation and to cell death, while expression of degradation-defective mutant p53 blocks autophagy and enables survival to GR. Furthermore, we found that a carbohydrate-free dietetic regimen that lowers the fasting glucose levels blunts p53 mutant expression and oncogenic activity relative to a normal diet in several animal model systems. These findings indicate that the stability of mutant forms of p53 is influenced by the levels of glucose and by dietetic habits. They also unravel the existence of an inhibitory loop between autophagy and mutant p53 that can be exploited therapeutically.


Habitat selection by colonizing organisms is an important factor in determining species abundance and community dynamics at multiple spatial scales. Many organisms select habitat patches based on intrinsic patch quality, but patches exist in complex landscapes linked by dispersal and colonization, forming metapopulations and metacommunities. Perceived patch quality can be influenced by neighbouring patches through spatial contagion, wherein perceived quality of one patch can extend beyond its borders and either increase or decrease the colonization of neighbouring patches and localities. These spatially explicit colonization dynamics can result in habitat compression, wherein more colonists occupy a patch or locality than in the absence of spatial context dependence. Previous work on contagion/compression focused primarily on the role of predators in driving colonization patterns. Our goal was to determine whether resource abundance can drive multi-scale colonization dynamics of aquatic beetles through the processes of contagion and compression in naturally colonized experimental pools. We established two levels (high/low quality) of within-patch resource abundances (leaf litter) using an experimental landscape of mesocosms, and assayed colonization by 35 species of aquatic beetles. Patches were arranged in localities (sets of two patches), which consisted of a combination of two patch-level resource levels in a 2 × 2 factorial design, allowing us to assay colonization at both locality and patch levels. We demonstrate that patterns of species abundance and richness of colonizing aquatic beetles are determined by patch quality and context-dependent processes at multiple spatial scales. Localities that consisted of at least one high-quality patch were colonized at equivalent rates that were higher than localities containing only low-quality patches, displaying regional reward contagion. In localities that consisted of one high- and one low-quality patch, reward contagion produced by higher leaf litter levels resulted in greater abundance of beetles in such localities, which then compressed into the highest quality patches. Our results provide further support for the critical roles of habitat selection and spatial context, particularly the quality of neighbouring habitat patches, in generating patterns of species abundances and community structure across landscapes.


Significant premiums can be realized in producing and marketing cattle through natural beef programs. However, if not executed with caution, the premiums can be quickly replaced with losses. "Natural" has been one of the hottest buzz words in feeder cattle sales over the last several years. The challenge is to make sure that everyone defines the term "natural" the same way. The "never-ever" programs seem to have been adapted as the industry's gold standard. This standard requires natural cattle to "never-ever" have been given antibiotics or hormones of any kind from birth to harvest. Thus if you treat a calf for scours with an antibiotic, that calf cannot be represented as "natural". It's important to note that for most natural beef programs products such as Rumensin® and Bovatec® are considered antibiotics while MGA is also disallowed since it is a hormone. Remember, VACCINES ARE NOT ANTIBIOTICS and have a significant negative impact on the value of natural cattle if NOT used. Any producer has the ability to produce and market natural cattle. The key element that has kept a vast number of ranches from participating in the natural market is their failure to identify and record calves that have been treated with antibiotics due to sickness within a group of otherwise "naturally" managed cattle. This unique identity can be anything such as an ear mark, special tag, tag #; etc, along as treated cattle and natural cattle can be identified and separated for market differentiation. Many ranches already choose not to implant their calves but then fail to identify and record the calves they have treated with therapeutic antibiotics. In these cases, simple record keeping would allow the ranch to access the natural market with their calves. But, what is the ranch giving up if they quit implanting? You will get multiple answers for many different reasons, however the most common answers is "I don't know for sure". Everybody will say "pounds" but not many will know how many pounds for their specific operation.


Software product lines can be implemented with different techniques. Those techniques can be grouped into annotation-based and composition-based approaches, with complementary strengths and weaknesses. A combination seems useful to utilize benefits of both groups but using two techniques in parallel may cause new problems. To our knowledge, there is no approach that integrates composition into an annotation-based approach or vice versa. We propose the use of an extended preprocessor to introduce physical separation of concerns similar to feature-oriented programming. In this paper, we i) present a preliminary implementation that integrates composition into annotation, ii) analyse its benefits and shortcomings, and iii) discuss implementation and tooling. Overall, we enable developers to keep on using familiar preprocessors but also to benefit from composition. Finally, we show the potential of our approach.


While deep neural networks have achieved remarkable success in various computer vision tasks, they often fail to generalize to new domains and subtle variations of input images. Several defenses have been proposed to improve the robustness against these variations. However, current defenses can only withstand the specific attack used in training, and the models often remain vulnerable to other input variations. Moreover, these methods often degrade performance of the model on clean images and do not generalize to out-of-domain samples. In this paper we present Generative Adversarial Training, an approach to simultaneously improve the model's generalization to the test set and out-of-domain samples as well as its robustness to unseen adversarial attacks. Instead of altering a low-level pre-defined aspect of images, we generate a spectrum of low-level, mid-level and high-level changes using generative models with a disentangled latent space. Adversarial training with these examples enable the model to withstand a wide range of attacks by observing a variety of input alterations during training. We show that our approach not only improves performance of the model on clean images and out-of-domain samples but also makes it robust against unforeseen attacks and outperforms prior work. We validate effectiveness of our method by demonstrating results on various tasks such as classification, segmentation and object detection.


A set of discrete data (xk, f (xk)) (k = 1, 2, , m) may be fitted in any lp norm by a nonlinear form derived from a function g (L) of a linear form L = L(x). Such a nonlinear approximation problem may under appropriate conditions be (asymptotically) replaced by the fitting of g-1 (f) by L in any lp norm with respect to a weight function w = g (g-1 (f)). In practice this direct method can yield very good results, sometimes coming close to a best approximation. However, to ensure a near-best approximation, by using an iterative procedure based on fitting L, two algorithms are proposed in the l2 norm - one already established by Mason and Upton (1989) and one completely new, based on minimising the two algorithms and multiplicative combinations of errors, respectively. For a general g we prove they converge locally and linearly with small constants. Moreover it is established that they converge to different (nonlinear) Galerkin type approximations, the first based on making the explicit error f - g (L) orthogonal to a set of functions forming a basis for L, and the second based on making the implicit error * w(g-1 (f) - L) orthogonal to such a basis. Finally, and mainly for comparison purposes, the well known Gauss-Newton algorithm is adopted for the determination of a best (nonlinear) approximation. Illustrative problems are tackled and numerical results show how effective all of the algorithms can be. To add a further novel feature, L is here chosen throughout to be a radial basis function (RBF), and, as far as we are aware, this is one of the first successful uses of a (nonlinear) function of an RBF as an approximation form in data fitting. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in Kansas based on inventories conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Northern Research Station. For annual inventory years 2001-2013, the sample length was equal to 5 years. Beginning in 2014, the cycle length was changed to 7 years. For the 2015 inventory, estimates for current variables such as area, volume, and biomass are based on 8,732 field plot samples collected from 2010-2015. Change variables, such as net growth, removals, and mortality, are based on 8,682samples collected in 2004-2010 and resampled in 2010-2015. Estimates from earlier annual and periodic inventories are shown for comparison. See Bechtold and Patterson (2005) and O'Connell et al. (2014) for definitions and technical details. Sampling errors and error bars shown in tables and figures in this report represent 68 percent confidence intervals.


Introduction and brief Description of Mine During the fall of 1902 the officers of the Mine Developing Company of Cleveland presented the geological department of Case School of Applied Science with several vein sections and specimens of high grade silver ore from their California mine in Colorado. The writer has obtained most of his information concerning the mine from the officials of the company, whom he wishes to thank for both information and specimens. The California mine, formerly known as the Bell property, is situated on Glacier mountain, about 3 miles from Montezuma, Summit county, Colorado. The ore occurs in a fissure vein having a dip of approximately 30 degrees to the northwest and a strike which varies from 30 to 50 degrees northeast and southwest. The country rock is a coarsely foliated granitic gneiss in which the biotite has altered to chlorite minerals near the vein; this alteration was . . .


Aims. We study the buoyant rise of magnetic flux tubes in a stratified layer over a range of Reynolds numbers (25 < Re < 2600) by means of numerical simulations. Special emphasis is placed on studying the fragmentation of the rising tube, its trailing wake and the formation of a vortex street in the high-Reynolds number regime. Furthermore, we evaluate the relevance of the thin flux tube approximation with regard to describing the evolution of magnetic flux tubes in the simulations. Methods. We used the FLASH code, which has an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) algorithm, thus allowing the simulations to be carried out at high Reynolds numbers. Results. The evolution of the magnetic flux tube and its wake depends on the Reynolds number. At Re up to a few hundred, the wake consists of two counter-rotating vortex rolls. At higher Re, the vortex rolls break up and the shedding of flux into the wake occurs in a more intermittent fashion. The amount of flux retained by the central portion of the tube increases with the field line twist (in agreement with previous literature) and with Re. The time evolution of the twist is compatible with a homologous expansion of the tube. The motion of the central portion of the tube in the simulations is very well described by the thin flux tube model whenever the effects of flux loss or vortex forces can be neglected. If the flux tube has an initial net vorticity, it undergoes asymmetric vortex shedding. In this case, the lift force accelerates the tube in such a way that an oscillatory horizontal motion is super-imposed on the vertical rise of the tube, which leaves behind a vortex street. This last result is in accordance with previous simulations reported in the literature, which were carried out at lower Reynolds number.


This report provides a summary of the UK weather and climate through the calendar year 2021, alongside the historical context for a number of essential climate variables. This is the eighth in a series of annual "State of the UK Climate" publications and an update to the 2020 report (Kendon et al., 2021). It provides an accessible, authoritative and up‐to‐date assessment of UK climate trends, variations and extremes based on the most up‐to‐date observational datasets of climate quality.


The focus of the Paradise project (D. DeWitt et al., 194; J. Patel et al., 1997) is to design and implement a scalable database system capable of storing and processing massive data sets such as those produced by NASA's EOSDIS project. The paper describes extensions to Paradise to handle the execution of queries involving collections of satellite images stored on tertiary storage. Several modifications were made to Paradise in order to make the execution of such queries both transparent to the user and efficient. First, the Paradise storage engine (the SHORE storage manager) was extended to support tertiary storage using a log structured organization for tape volumes. Second, the Paradise query processing engine was modified to incorporate a number of novel mechanisms including query pre execution, object abstraction, cache conscious tape scheduling, and query batching. A performance evaluation on a working prototype demonstrates that, together, these techniques can provide a dramatic improvement over more traditional approaches to the management of data stored on tape.


Five-membered azaheterocycles,
mostly suffered from various synthetic problems, hold a special status in pharmaceutical chemistry and life science. Here, based on green chemistry, a highly efficient
and remarkably regioselective photoreaction was developed under mild conditions
for constructing fused five-membered azaheterocycles with aggregation-induced emission
(AIE) characteristics. After
the photoreaction, one of the most noteworthy optical features is the abruptly increased
emission induced by UV irradiation. Making use of this, fluorescent photopatterns were readily
fabricated in solution and solid support with improved signal-to-background
ratio. Due to the excellent biocompatibility and unique chemical structure of
the azaheterocycles, selective mitochondria-targeted
cancer cell recognition was realized at an ultralow dye concentration. Notably,
an unusual photoamplification effect and an exceptional anti-photobleaching phenomenon
were observed thanks to the occurrence of the photoreaction. It is not
only the first time that fused five-membered azaheterocyclic AIE luminogen was synthesized
quantitatively via an unconventionally yet highly regioselective photoreaction, but also the first
attempt to combat photobleaching problem by the photoamplification effect.


Following the largest peasant revolution in history, Russia's urban-based Bolshevik regime was faced with a monumental task; to peacefully "modernize" and eventually "socialize" the peasants in the countryside surrounding Russia's cities. To accomplish this, the Bolshevik leadership created the People's Commissariat of Agriculture (Narkomzem), which would eventually employ 70,000 workers. This commissariat was particularly important, both because of massive famine and because peasants composed the majority of Russia's population; it was also regarded as one of the most moderate state agencies because of its nonviolent approach to rural transformation. Working from recently opened historical archives James Heinzen presents a balanced, through examination of the political social, and cultural dilemmas present in the Bolsheviks' strategy for modernizing of the peasantry. He especially focuses on the state employees charged with no less than a complete transformation of an entire class of people. Heinzen ultimately shows how disputes among those involved in this plan - from the government, to Communist leaders, to the peasants themselves - led to the shuttering of the Commissariat of Agriculture and to Stalin's cataclysmic 1929 collectivization of agriculture.


This small scale exploratory study examined the Post Graduate International student experience in a UK Higher Education Institution. The study was conducted by interviewing students and asking them about the initial experience on arrival in the UK, what there experience was like in the early weeks of the FTMBA programme, the issues they faced and the participants to the study were asked what factors supported the transitions made. Five students took part in the study using a semi structured interview process. The country of origin of the participants were India, Jordon and Australia. Generally, participants to the study, experienced some degree of acculturative stress in making the transition required to the UK way of learning. Participants, where English was not their first language, did appear to experience a greater level of acculturative stress. In order to prepare these students to be graduates of the 21st Century a range of employability measures were suggested by the participants such as work placements, internships, paid or unpaid and the opportunity to develop good UK work ethics


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this report is to describe clinical pattern, EEG, outcome and differential diagnosis in severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We report 13 cases initially diagnosed of SMEI and selected according to the following criteria: first seizure between 1 and 12 months of life, frequent seizures resistant to antiepileptic drugs, no previous personal history of disease, normal psychomotor development before the first seizure and normal EEG, CT scanning and laboratory analyses at the beginning. CT and/or MRI were performed in 13 cases, arteriography in 2 patients, MR spectroscopic imaging in 1 child and SPECT in 3 cases. Quantification of enzymatic activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain was made in 5 patients.

RESULTS
Only 8 cases were finally diagnosed of SMEI according to ILAE definition. In two cases, seizures were finally controlled with antiepileptic treatment and EEG abnormalities disappeared. Three patients showed other findings: mesiotemporal sclerosis, angiitis diffusely involving CNS and mitochondrial cytopathy with deficiency of the complex IV.

CONCLUSIONS
Although diagnosis of SMEI, based on clinical manifestations, is suspected in most cases from the first year of life, final diagnosis should not be confirmed until steady state, when polymorphous seizures occur. Even then, differential diagnosis should be made with other disorders. Perhaps, further studies should be performed in order to identify and eliminate another etiology.


Reprints of the original articles abstracted in TEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL are often available from the publishers. Otherwise, it may be possible to secure copies of the periodicals. A list of periodicals, the abbreviations used in references to articles, and the addresses of publishers of English language publications was given on page 22 of the January, 1945, issue. Orders should be sent direct to the publishers. Photostat negatives of articles abstracted will be furnished to members of the Institute at a cost of 15 cents per page for pages not exceeding 7 inches in width and 25 cents per page for larger sizes up to 11½ x 14 inches. Postage will be added. Microfilm copies and paper enlargements of microfilm may be obtained from: Microfilms Inc., 313 N. First St., Ann Arbor, Mich.; New York Public Library, New York, N. Y.; Yale University Library, New Haven, Conn.; Harvard University Library, Cambridge, Mass.; and Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. Translations may also be obtained from the above sources.


Recent studies have demonstrated that lysine acetylation of histones is crucial for nucleotide excision repair (NER) by relaxing the chromatin structure, which facilitates the recruitment of repair factors. However, few studies have focused on the contribution of histone deacetylases (HDAC) to NER. Here, we found that histone H3 Lys14 (H3K14) was deacetylated by HDAC3 after UV irradiation. Depletion of HDAC3 caused defects in cyclobutene pyrimidine dimer excision and sensitized cells to UV irradiation. HDAC3-depleted cells had impaired unscheduled DNA synthesis, but not recovery of RNA synthesis, which indicates that HDAC3 was required for global genome NER. Moreover, xeroderma pigmentosum, complementation group C (XPC) accumulation at the local UV-irradiated area was attenuated in HDAC3-depleted cells. In addition to the delay of XPC accumulation at DNA damage sites, XPC ubiquitylation was inhibited in HDAC3-depleted cells. These results suggest that the deacetylation of histone H3K14 by HDAC3 after UV irradiation contributes to XPC recruitment to DNA lesions to promote global genome NER. Implications: Involvement of histone deacetylation for XPC accumulation after UV irradiation indicates conversion of chromatin structure is essential for nucleotide excision repair in human cancer cells.


In recent years hypergraphs have emerged as a powerful tool to study systems with multi-body interactions which cannot be trivially reduced to pairs. While highly structured methods to generate synthetic data have proved fundamental for the standardized evaluation of algorithms and the statistical study of real-world networked data, these are scarcely available in the context of hypergraphs. Here we propose a flexible and efficient framework for the generation of hypergraphs with many nodes and large hyperedges, which allows specifying general community structures and tune different local statistics. We illustrate how to use our model to sample synthetic data with desired features (assortative or disassortative communities, mixed or hard community assignments, etc.), analyze community detection algorithms, and generate hypergraphs structurally similar to real-world data. Overcoming previous limitations on the generation of synthetic hypergraphs, our work constitutes a substantial advancement in the statistical modeling of higher-order systems.


This master thesis studies the possible pathways to support military vehicles and ground troops with electrical power a more efficient way, than the present solution. Present energy solution is based on generation of electrical power from internal combustion engines and/or stored energy in batteries. The usage of the vehicles engine for generation of electricity in static positions, results in several disadvantages on a modern battlefield. The batteries specific energy increase every year, but the soldier's energy need has increased even faster, resulting in a problematic weight load for the dismounted soldier. In the thesis several new or improved solutions are investigated. The solutions are based on technology available today or within the next decade (2020) and selected on the basis of military criteria. A flexible model has been made in an energy simulating program capable to simulate a number of different energy configurations based on future electrical power consumption. Modelling and simulation of the soldiers power system has been recommended by earlier studies [10], but similar models have not been found by the author. The simulation results reveal that improvements of soldiers' energy solution are feasible. By implementing new or better batteries in the current energy system, considerable improvement can be achieved. Introduction of fuel cells based on methanol fuel starts to become mature, and can result in several advantages on the battlefield. Solar harvesting can give an additional energy supply, but depend highly on insolation and available time for harvesting.


BACKGROUND
Cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common chronic nerve entrapment of the upper extremity, yet both diagnosis and staging of the severity of the progression of the disease rely mostly on the keen observation and interpretation of clinical signs and symptoms. To be valid, a staging system must correlate well with the known pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic nerve compression, have objective parameters available to quantify differing degrees of sensory and motor dysfunction, and finally must allow different therapeutic consequences.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
In this study we have prospectively evaluated 44 patients who presented with the clinical diagnosis of cubital tunnel syndrome. Quantitative Sensory Testing was performed using a computer-assisted testing system (Sensory-Management Services L. L. C., Baltimore). Classic two-point discrimination, one point pressure threshold, pinch and grip strength were measured. Progression of disease was staged according to the gradual loss of sensory and motor function. After an average of 15 months postoperatively, ulnar nerve function was re-evaluated using the same parameters and outcome measured with the modified Bishop rating scale.

RESULTS
The results of this study indicate that 100 % of patients in the moderate group had a good and excellent outcome, whereas only 74 % of the severe group were rated as good and excellent with 17 % moderate and 9 % poor outcome.


Lack of time for teaching science in traditional classroom placements in the United States has led some science teacher educators to provide practice teaching time for elementary education students in informal science settings. The purposes of this study were to describe the culture of one science methods course taught in conjunction with a K–7 summer science camp and explore how the science teaching identities of three case-study students developed in this culture. Theoretical frameworks included situated learning (J. S. Brown, A. Collins, & P. Duguid, 1989), professional identity development (M. B. Brewer & W. Gardner, 1996), and a pragmatic approach to constructivist learning theory (P. Cobb, 1994). An ethnographic study was used to determine meaning from the participants' points of view. Results indicated that preservice teacher autonomy, peer collaboration, and close relationships with children were key features of the culture of the methods course. One case-study participant with an initial identity who favored a constructivist approach found opportunities to try out this approach and learn how it might be implemented. The second case-study student began the course with only a vague sense of her own science identity and tended to adopt identity elements similar to those of peers in her group. The third case-study student appeared to experience less dissonance between her initial science teacher identity and other possible identities, enhancing her disposition to meet the needs of all diverse children.


Objectives: To evaluate the acceptance of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices (PPIUCD) among the inhabitants of Assiut governorate, Egypt and to study the factors that influence this acceptance. Subjects and Methods: Contraceptive counseling was given to 3,541 clients: 1,880 and 1,661 during the antenatal visits and postpartum hospitalization, respectively. Acceptors during antenatal counseling were to receive IUCDs via postplacental insertion in the case of vaginal delivery or transcesarean insertion in case of abdominal delivery. The clients who refused PPIUCD and chose interval IUCD insertion were referred to the Family Planning Clinic after the end of puerperium. Among postpartum counselees, PPIUCD acceptors received predischarge insertion within 48 h of delivery and the interval IUCD were referred to have IUCD inserted after the end of puerperium. The acceptance rate of both PPIUCD and interval IUCD and the percentage of actual insertions were recorded. The causes of both acceptance and refusal were also recorded. Results: Of the 3,541 clients, 1,024 (28.9%) accepted the use of IUCD after delivery. Acceptance was approximately the same during antenal and postpartum counseling: 26.4 and 31.8%, respectively. Verbal acceptance was higher among women with formal education than among illiterate women. Planning another pregnancy in the near future, preference for another contraceptive method, namely lactational infertility, and complications from previous use of IUCD were the most common reasons for refusing the use of IUCD. Of the 1,024 verbal acceptors, only 243 (23.7%) had the actual insertion of IUCD. Conclusion: Both the acceptance and actual insertion of IUCD were low probably because the use of IUCD is a new concept in the community. For these women, the only opportunity to receive information about contraceptives is during childbirth when they are in contact with medical personnel. Hence, it is suggested that family planning should be integrated with maternal and child-care services in order to effectively promote the use of contraceptive devices in these women who otherwise would not seek the use of such a device.


Abstract The present paper discusses studies related to the preparation of a hydrogeological model of groundwater flow and nitrate transport in an area where a precision farming system is applied. Components of water balance were determined using the UnSat Suite Plus software (HELP model), while the average infiltration rate calculated for the study area equalled 20 per cent. The Visual MODFLOW software was used for the purpose of modelling in the saturated zone. Hydrogeological parameters of the model layers, inclusive of hydraulic conductivity, were defined on the basis of results of column tests that were carried out under laboratory conditions (column experiment). Related to the dose of mineral nitrogen used in precision fertilisation (80 kg N/ha), scenarios of the spread of nitrates in the soil-water environment were worked out. The absolute residual mean error calculated for nitrate concentrations obtained from laboratory and modelling studies equalled 0.188 mg/L, the standard error of the estimate equalling 0.116 mg/L. Results obtained were shown graphically in the form of hydroisohypse maps and nitrate isolines. Conclusions were drawn regarding the possibility of using numerical modelling techniques in predicting transport and fate of nitrates from fertilisers applied in precision agriculture systems.


As alarming scientific predictions crystallize into the realities of today's climate crisis, tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest find themselves on the front lines of a global assault launched by the fossil fuel industry. Encouraged by President Trump's declaration of intent to unleash $50 trillion of America's domestic fossil fuels, corporations push for massive expansion of the nation's fossil fuel infrastructure—even as the world races towards irrevocable climate thresholds. The unprecedented onslaught hinges on the Pacific Northwest as a key link in a global market scheme. The coastal region sits as a proposed industrial gateway for huge export facilities transporting coal, oil, and natural gas from interior lands of the United States to Asian markets. Carbon emissions projected from the proposed fossil fuel development would inflict irreparable damage on the planet's climate system. More imminently, transport of dirty and explosive fossil fuels poses a grave and present threat to both tribal and non-Indian local communities, as demonstrated by the sudden derailment and horrific explosion of a Union Pacific oil train carrying Bakken oil through Mosier, Oregon in June, 2016. Across the region, citizens rise in protest to defeat these proposals in local, state, and federal permit processes, forming a growing resistance called the "Thin Green Line." In significant ways, tribes have emerged as key players and powerful leaders in this resistance, staunchly defending the homelands they have inhabited since time immemorial and inspiring the grassroots coalitions to stand behind a "None Shall Pass" blockade of fossil fuels. As the region's original sovereigns and present day co-trustees of essential natural resources, tribes hold several key legal levers that may arrest these fossil fuel infrastructure projects, both on and off their reservations. Tribal legal mechanisms onreservation fall into two areas: 1) property rights that may provide the basis for tribes to refuse or restrict rights-of-way access across their reservations; and 2) the authority to regulate dangerous activities on their own lands. Off the reservation, tribes are positioned to assert the federal indian trust responsibility and tribal treaty fishing rights in a complex matrix of federal, state, and local permitting schemes. The existing case law and statutory landscape surrounding all of these legal mechanisms are complicated and interwoven. This article highlights strategic legal avenues available to tribes in both onand off-reservation contexts. Building on case studies of successful tribal resistance, this article presents analysis for tribal advocates with an ultimate aim to support native nations in their unified efforts to stop fossil fuel trafficking across the Pacific Northwest. Recommended Citation Wood, Mary Christina (2018) "Tribal Tools & Legal Levers for Halting Fossil Fuel Transport & Exports Through the Pacific Northwest," American Indian Law Journal: Vol. 7 : Iss. 1 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/ailj/vol7/iss1/5  Download


The main effect of elite universities is a sharp social selection. At Universities like Harvard or the ENA in France, where the elites are educated and formed, the great majority of the Students carne from the upper classes. Though there will be no elite universities like Harvard in Germany for the next decades the discussion about it have serious effects. It accelerates and standardizes the processes of change at the German universities. Through the introduction of entrance examinations and tuition fees and the concentration of the public funds on a few universities a strong hierarchy of universities with a sharp social selection at the top will be established in the next 10 years.


A single-frequency wideband chirp sounder designed and implemented at UMIST was modified to carry out simultaneous measurements at the uplink and downlink frequencies of the UMTS bands. Measurements in the dense urban environment of Manchester city centre were carried out using both a trolley and a van, and power delay profiles were obtained over the two 60 MHz channels allocated for the frequency-division duplex links. Small-scale characterisation is determined from scattering functions and from power delay profiles. Both functions showed differences in the multipath structure between the two channels. Scattering functions with both sparse scattering and dense scattering were detected. The effects of moving vehicles on a stationary user are also presented. These results are preceded by a presentation of the sounder architecture and various back-to-back tests demonstrating its performance capabilities. These include linearity tests with multiple tones, and ambiguity functions of the two frequency bands.


We tested some implications of Wills' (1981) downward comparison interpretation of ingroup bias in the minimal intergroup paradigm. Based on a self-enhancement interpretation of ingroup bias, we predicted that subjects who expected to succeed on a task for dispositional reasons and subsequently failed would be most threatened by the feedback and hence, would engage in downward social comparison strategies. The results did not support the self-enhancement interpretation, but a number of interesting findings emerged. First, downward social comparison involving favorable comparisons of the ingroup relative to the outgroup was pervasive and not mediated by self-esteem. Second, ingroup bias was greatest when individuals' outcomes were consistent with their expectations; ingroup bias was mitigated when subjects received feedback that was inconsistent with their expectations. Third, although low self-esteem subjects rated members of the outgroup more negatively than did high self-esteem subjects, high self-esteem subjects engaged in more downward social comparison by enhancing the self relative to both members of the outgroup and their own ingroup. Finally, self-enhancement strategies were affected by performance expectations, attributions, and chronic self-esteem: People who expected to perform well because of stable, dispositional reasons and who were high in self-esteem showed the greatest tendency to engage in self-enhancing comparisons with others. This was true regardless of whether subjects ultimately succeeded or failed on the important task and regardless of whether the comparison others were members of the outgroup or the ingroup.


Protein L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase is implicated in the repair or degradation of age-damaged proteins that contain atypical, L-isoaspartyl residues. The enzyme has previously been demonstrated in a variety of vertebrates and in the bacterium S. typhimurium (O'Connor, C.M. and Clarke, S. (1985) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 132, 1144-1150). We report here that the enzyme is present in a mollusc (great slug), a crustacean (pill woodlouse), a fungus (mushroom), and a plant (wheat germ). Using mushroom as an example, we show that the enzyme activity may, in some instances, require a partial purification before its presence is clearly detectable. Our findings significantly extend the known phylogenetic distribution of this enzyme and suggest that it may play an indispensable role in protein metabolism.


Spinal pain is common, disabling, costly to society, and a frequent reason for consulting a general practitioner (GP). Usual GP care involves the prescription of analgesia, advice about rest, activity and work, and orthopaedic or physiotherapy referral. Spinal manipulation is recommended by low back pain clinical guidelines, but recent Cochrane reviews found that manipulation has limited effectiveness compared with other treatments, although few trials comparing spinal manipulation with usual GP care were identified. A primary care osteopathy clinic was established in Llanfairfechan health centre by the author. The overall aims of this thesis were to determine whether this was more effective than usual GP care, and an efficient use of health service resources. Preparatory studies comprised an audit of the clinic to describe the treatment package, development of a set of condition-specific outcome measures for the whole spine, the Extended Aberdeen Spinal Pain Scales (EASPS), and their psychometric testing, as well as piloting other secondary outcome measures. The Randomised Osteopathic MANipulation Study (ROMANS) recruited 199 patients randomised to usual GP care, or an additional three sessions of osteopathic spinal manipulation. After two months all outcome measures had improved in both groups the osteopathic treatment group by more than the usual care group. This improvement was significantly greater in the primary outcome measure the EASPS (effect size 0.4) and the SF-12 mental score (effect size 0.6). At six months most outcome measures had continued to improve in both groups, and the improvement in the osteopathy group remained significantly greater for the mental score of the SF-12 (effect size 0.5) but not for the EASPS. The point estimate of the cost per improvement in QALY gain was less than £4,000. When these results were combined in a meta-analysis with similar trials, manipulation was significantly more effective. Compared to usual GP care spinal manipulation is an effective and efficient use of health service resources.


Purpose: The main purpose of this research was to develop a strategy supporting effectively the implementation of the Logistics 4.0. concept dedicated to small and medium transport enterprises. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research process consisted of the theoretical and the empirical parts. The analysis of the current literature about the main assumptions of the Logistics 4.0 and methods of strategy building was conducted in the theoretical part. The model of the strategy map based on the Balanced Scorecard method was developed in the empirical part. Findings: The proposed model supports the implementation of new solutions that use new technologies for modern communication and information transfer as well as limiting the main threats associated with them. Implementation of the Logistics 4.0 is a real challenge especially for small and medium enterprises due to the high costs of new technologies introduction and the necessary infrastructure. Therefore, solutions that support the implementation of the Logistics 4.0 are particularly important, increasing the effectiveness of its implementation and reducing the risk of liquidity loss. The model allows the implementation of Logistics 4.0 to be easily monitored and controlled and efficiency to be increased. Practical Implications: The proposed model is a simple solution that can be easily applied in small and medium transport enterprises in practice. Its implementation costs are low. Originality/Value: The presented research is a part of a large own study which main goal is to investigate the possibility of applying existing management methods and developing new methods for the effective implementation of the Industry 4.0 concept in practice.


Digital Technologies are changing societal, personal and organisational lives. Access to some technologies becomes essential to fully participate in social interactions. Lack of access to necessary Information Technologies (Digital Divide) results in social exclusion. With the continuous evolvement of Information Technologies, the skills and capabilities required for digital participation are also changing. This paper aims at identification of current necessary and essential skills, capabilities and access to technologies from the viewpoint of service-dominant approach. An empirical investigation into ICT skills necessary for employment in different industry sectors is proposed to identify sets of necessary and transferable digital skills. The identification of these sets will not only enhance our theoretical understanding of how the digital divide changes over time, but will also allow policy and training efforts to be focused on (new) skills needed to reduce the gap.


We utilized all Spanish marriage records available at the municipality level from 20052007 to model spatial variations in intermarriage. We constructed a spatial regime zero inflated Poisson model and grouped-data probit model, with spatially lagged regressors, to predict the absolute and relative presence of intermarriage between Spaniards and migrants based on structural characteristics of the local marriage markets and their neighboring areas (i.e., relative group size, homogeneity of national origins, and sex ratio indicators). Our models do not assume collapsibility of the marriage market. Instead, they incorporate the local dimension of the marriage market and examine the association between intermarriage and structural variables at the spatial local level. The model also investigates intermarriage variation by size of place. The local characteristics of the marriage markets are robust indicators of both the absolute and relative importance of intermarriage, but their impact varies by size of municipality. The relative size of the migrant community positively impacts intermarriage. The homogeneity of the origins of migrants is negatively related to it. The impact of sex ratios in the migrant and native communities on intermarriage is not uniform across all municipalities and is not always related to more intermarriage.


The Islamic Economic and banking industry have been trying for the last two decades to extend its outreach to expand its operation business and services in a comparable footing to conventional banking. This paper discusses one of the important hurdles in the growth of Islamic banking which is the use of KIBOR as benchmark for pricing the Islamic banking products. Muskun home financing product of BankIslami Pakistan Limited is used in this paper to elaborate the pricing and benchmarking of product, spread between the conventional interest rate and Islamic profit rate as well as the alternative product pricing mechanism to be used by Islamic banks for this product. Details of Muskun home financing product are discussed in this paper in addition to the marketing strategy, market approach, economic product development, and all other relevant processes.


The world cities discourse can be credited with broadening the analytical boundaries of the globalisation debate to include a greater set of actors and practices in the global economy. However, academic debate and policy thinking about world cities are also guilty of applying an (economic) reductionist framework, as exemplified by their foremost use of quantitative methodologies. This has resulted in the omission of many important elements of city life from the analysis. While this problem is not exclusive to culture, it has significant implications for the study of cultural practices in the context of world cities; even more so when they do not fit into formal structures. This paper challenges this reductionist practice. It argues that in order to better understand world cities today, a broader set of issues – and methodologies to interrogate them – needs to be considered. To read or download this article, please follow this link:  http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1502385 DOI:  10.14324/111.2057-2212.054


Background: Previous studies exploring the association between obesity and hypertension generally used a single baseline measurement of obesity. The effect of accumulating excess adiposity over time on the risk of hypertension is uncertain. This study aimed to examine the relationship between duration of obesity and incident hypertension using the Framingham Heart Study. Methods: Two thousand, nine hundred and fifty-three participants aged 30–62 years without baseline hypertension were included. Blood pressure, height and weight were measured biennially. Duration of obesity was calculated. Time to incident hypertension was analysed using time-varying Cox proportional hazards regression with age as the time scale and censoring at time of death or end of follow-up. Results: Eighty percent of participants developed hypertension (median follow-up 15.9 years). A positive association between obesity duration and incident hypertension was observed in women. There was no longer an association when time-varying BMI was adjusted for (hazard ratio 0.95; (95% confidence interval 0.85–1.05)). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the mechanism by which excess adiposity may increase blood pressure is primarily immediate and that long-term exposure to obesity does not further increase the risk of developing hypertension beyond the level of BMI attained.


Background: High fasting plasma proneurotensin concentration was associated with the development of breast cancer in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS). Here, we aimed at replicating the initial finding in an independent second cohort. Methods: The Malmö Preventive Project (MPP) is a population study and comprised 18,240 subjects when examined in 2002–2006. Of women without history of breast cancer at examination, we included all who developed breast cancer during follow-up (n = 130) until December 31, 2010, and a random sample of women without breast cancer until the end of follow-up (n = 1,439) for baseline plasma proneurotensin assessment (mean age, 70.0 ± 4.4 years). Proneurotensin was measured in fasting plasma samples and was related to the risk of later breast cancer development using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Proneurotensin [odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) increment of LN-transformed proneurotensin] was significantly related to incident breast cancer [OR, 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.79–2.44; P < 0.001; adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and hormone replacement therapy]. The effect estimate in the MPP was larger than in the discovery cohort (MDCS), with the main difference between the two cohorts being that women of the MPP study were on the average about 10 years older and follow-up time was shorter than that of the MDCS. Conclusion: As initially found in the MDCS, fasting plasma proneurotensin was significantly associated with the development of breast cancer in the MPP study as well. Impact: Measurement of plasma proneurotensin warrants further investigation as a blood-based marker for early breast cancer detection. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(8); 1672–6. ©2014 AACR.


The emergence of increasingly complex data in industrial ecology (IE) has caused scholarly interest in interactive visualization (IV). IV allows users to interact with data, aiding in processing and interpreting complex datasets, processes, and simulations. Consequently, IV can help IE practitioners communicate the complexities of their methods and results, shed light on the underlying research assumptions, and enable more transparent monitoring of data quality and error. This can significantly increase the reach and impact of research, promote transparency, reproducibility, and open science, as well as improve the clarity and presentation of IE research. A review of current IV applications reveals that, while data exploration has received some attention among IE practitioners, IV applications in scientific communication are clearly lacking. With the help of a working example, we explore the value of IV, discuss its operationalization, and highlight challenges that the IE community must face during IV uptake. Such challenges include technical and knowledge limitations, limits on user interaction, and implementation strategies. With these challenges in mind, we outline key aspects needed to lift the IE field to the forefront of scientific communication in the coming years. Among these, we draft the basic principles of a "Hub for Interactive Visualization in Industrial Ecology" (HIVE), a point of encounter where IE practitioners could find an array of data visualization tools that are geared toward IE datasets. IV is here to stay, and its inceptive stage presents many opportunities to IE practitioners to shape its operationalization and benefit from early adoption.


Abstract PRODORIC is worldwide one of the largest collections of prokaryotic transcription factor binding sites from multiple bacterial sources with corresponding interpretation and visualization tools. With the introduction of PRODORIC2 in 2017, the transition to a modern web interface and maintainable backend was started. With this latest PRODORIC release the database backend is now fully API-based and provides programmatical access to the complete PRODORIC data. The visualization tools Genome Browser and ProdoNet from the original PRODORIC have been reintroduced and were integrated into the PRODORIC website. Missing input and output options from the original Virtual Footprint were added again for position weight matrix pattern-based searches. The whole PRODORIC dataset was reannotated. Every transcription factor binding site was re-evaluated to increase the overall database quality. During this process, additional parameters, like bound effectors, regulation type and different types of experimental evidence have been added for every transcription factor. Additionally, 109 new transcription factors and 6 new organisms have been added. PRODORIC is publicly available at https://www.prodoric.de.


The corpus callosum connects cerebral hemispheres and is the largest axon tract in the mammalian brain. Callosal malformations are among the most common congenital brain anomalies and are associated with a wide range of neuropsychological deficits. Crossing of the midline by callosal axons relies on a proper midline environment that harbors guidepost cells emitting guidance cues to instruct callosal axon navigation. Little is known about what controls the formation of themidline environment.We find that two components of the Hippo pathway, the tumor suppressor Nf2 (Merlin) and the transcriptional coactivator Yap (Yap1), regulate guidepost development and expression of the guidance cue Slit2 in mouse. During normal brain development, Nf2 suppresses Yap activity in neural progenitor cells to promote guidepost cell differentiation and prevent ectopic Slit2 expression. Loss of Nf2 causes malformation of midline guideposts and Slit2 upregulation, resulting in callosal agenesis. Slit2 heterozygosity and Yap deletion both restore callosal formation in Nf2 mutants. Furthermore, selectively elevating Yap activity in midline neural progenitors is sufficient to disrupt guidepost formation, upregulate Slit2 and prevent midline crossing. The Hippo pathway is known for its role in controlling organ growth and tumorigenesis. Our study identifies a novel role of this pathway in axon guidance. Moreover, by linking axon pathfinding and neural progenitor behaviors, our results provide an example of the intricate coordination between growth and wiring during brain development.


We study the coefficients of algebraic functions ∑ n≥0 f n z n . First, we recall the too-little-known fact that these coefficients f n always admit a closed form. Then we study their asymptotics, known to be of the type f n ~ CA n n α. When the function is a power series associated to a context-free grammar, we solve a folklore conjecture: the critical exponents α cannot be 1/3 or −5/2; they in fact belong to a proper subset of the dyadic numbers. We initiate the study of the set of possible values for A. We extend what Philippe Flajolet called the Drmota–Lalley–Woods theorem (which states that α=−3/2 when the dependency graph associated to the algebraic system defining the function is strongly connected). We fully characterize the possible singular behaviours in the non-strongly connected case. As a corollary, the generating functions of certain lattice paths and planar maps are not determined by a context-free grammar (i.e., their generating functions are not ℕ-algebraic). We give examples of Gaussian limit laws (beyond the case of the Drmota–Lalley–Woods theorem), and examples of non-Gaussian limit laws. We then extend our work to systems involving non-polynomial entire functions (non-strongly connected systems, fixed points of entire functions with positive coefficients). We give several closure properties for ℕ-algebraic functions. We end by discussing a few extensions of our results (infinite systems of equations, algorithmic aspects).


Late graft dysfunction (GD) associated with the development of autoantibodies is a common event after pediatric liver transplantation (OLTx) and can present in 2 clinicohistological subsets: de novo autoimmune hepatitis (DNAH) and early chronic rejection (ECR). Sixty out of 247 children developed autoantibodies after OLTx. GD was demonstrated in 22 (37%); based on histology, patients were divided in a DNAH and an ECR group. Portal/periportal inflammatory infiltrate with interface/lobular hepatitis was suggestive for DNAH. Pericentral hepatocytes confluent dropout with a variable degree of central vein endothelitis, but not with ductopenia (loss of >50% of interlobular bile ducts), was diagnosed as ECR. Nine patients had DNAH and 13 ECR. Five out of 9 in the DNAH group were on cyclosporin (CsA) and 4/9 were on tacrolimus (Tac). In the ECR group, 11 children were treated with CsA and 2 with Tac. All DNAH patients had normal liver function tests on steroids and azathioprine (AZA). Five patients with ECR recovered by increasing calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) dosage, but in 8/13, including 7 switched from CsA to Tac, AZA and steroids were added to obtain remission of disease. Two patients developed late chronic rejection. DNAH and ECR associated with autoantibodies are forms of late GD after OLTx. DNAH improves after standard treatment of autoimmune hepatitis. ECR has a good response to increased doses of CNIs, although ductopenic chronic rejection may occur. In conclusion, the early differential diagnosis of these conditions and an appropriate treatment seem to allow good overall results reflected by a graft survival of more than 90%. Liver Transpl 12:573–577, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.


Late Cenozoic intraplate volcanism in the Changbai volcanic field straddles the border between China and North Korea, forming basic (alkali basalts and tholeiites) and intermediate–acidic (trachytes and peralkaline rhyolites) volcanic rocks with ages ranging from 19.9 Ma to the present. Major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions indicate that the basic magmas were formed by partial melting of the depleted mid-ocean ridge basalt-source mantle and contaminated by aqueous fluids with EM1-like isotopic signatures from the lower continental crust, whereas the intermediate–acidic magmas resulted from assimilation–fractional crystallization processes on the basic magmas. On the basis of petrological and geochemical studies, we propose that a magma underplating model could be used to explain the genesis of the Late Cenozoic intraplate volcanism. In this model, the mantle-derived basaltic magma was underplated at the base of the continental crust and contaminated by EM1-like aqueous fluids liberated from the lower crustal granulites. Geodynamic processes responsible for the magma underplating and subsequent eruption might be lithospheric extension and small-scale thermal upwelling, induced by episodic changes in convergence rates between the Eurasian and Pacific plates, indicating a genetic link between the intraplate volcanism and deep subduction of the Pacific slab.


CASE REPORT A 35 year old man presented to the accident and emergency department, having mistakenly instilled approximately four drops of cyanoacrylate adhesive ("Superattak") into his left ear from a bottle that he had assumed contained ear drops ("Otex"). Following the administration he felt an immediate burning sensation in the ear and an associated loss of hearing. On examination his left external auditory canal was completely occluded with the hardened glue. This was successfully removed without recourse to analgesia, but it was a lengthy procedure. Subsequent examination including formal audiometry of the affected ear was normal, and the patient was discharged with advice. To date there have been no adverse sequelae.


SUMMARY: The conditions for the formation, the isolation and the purification of a new class of disaccharide derivatives, namely 3-ketoglycosides, are described. These compounds are formed by the action of certain bacteria, provisionally called Alcaligenes faecalis, on lactose, maltose, lacto- or maltobionate. From lactose about 75% of the total amount was converted into the corresponding 3-ketoglyco-side. Neither the corresponding monoses, gluconate nor equimolar mixtures of these substances were oxidized this way. The new substances were ultimately purified by paper chromatography. No crystalline preparations have so far been obtained. These bacteria contain strong hydrolases for either maltose or lactose, and weak ones for the bionates. The yield of 3-ketoglycosides is inversely proportional to the hydrolase activity.


Accurate task perception is an important prerequisite for self-regulated learning. The present study explores if 12th-grade high school students (N=131) adapt their task definitions, goals and plans to task complexity when confronted with six differently complex tasks and if this process is related to their epistemic beliefs. Results indicate that students successfully discriminate between tasks and mostly adapt accordingly. For example, students plan to use the strategy of processing critically more frequently for progressively more complex tasks. These adaptations are also related to students' epistemic beliefs. For example, students who believe in variable knowledge plan more shallow approaches to learning for simple tasks and deeper approaches for complex tasks than their counterparts believing in stable knowledge.


Analyzing reachability in large discrete transition systems is an important sub-problem in several areas of AI, and of CS in general. State space search is a basic method for conducting such an analysis. A wealth of techniques have been proposed to reduce the search space without affecting the existence of (optimal) solution paths. In particular, strong stubborn set (SSS) pruning is a prominent such method, analyzing action dependencies to prune commutative parts of the search space. We herein show how to apply this idea to star-topology decoupled state space search, a recent search reformulation method invented in the context of classical AI planning.
Star-topology decoupled state space search, short decoupled search, addresses planning tasks where a single center component interacts with several leaf components. The search exploits a form of conditional independence arising in this setting: given a fixed path p of transitions by the center, the possible leaf moves compliant with p are independent across the leaves. Decoupled search thus searches over center paths only, maintaining the compliant paths for each leaf separately. This avoids the enumeration of combined states across leaves.
Just like standard search, decoupled search is adversely affected by commutative parts of its search space. The adaptation of strong stubborn set pruning is challenging due to the more complex structure of the search space, and the resulting ways in which action dependencies may affect the search. We spell out how to address this challenge, designing optimality-preserving decoupled strong stubborn set (DSSS) pruning methods. We introduce a design for star topologies in full generality, as well as simpler design variants for the practically relevant fork and inverted fork special cases. We show that there are cases where DSSS pruning is exponentially more effective than both, decoupled search and SSS pruning, exhibiting true synergy where the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Empirically, DSSS pruning reliably inherits the best of its components, and sometimes outperforms both.


Streamlining the xylene separation process on faujasites is a promising way to design innovative adsorbents for this application. For this purpose, we present herein an original quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) approach. It deals with the development of a multi-linear predictive model correlating the separation properties with a set of structural descriptors for the adsorbents. The implementation of such an approach makes it necessary to (i) set an appropriate design of experiment (DOE), (ii) prepare an adsorbent database, (iii) test the adsorbent database for xylene separation and (iv) compute a set of relevant descriptors. The selected descriptors essentially characterize the nature of the confinement in the faujasite supercage, i.e., the size of the cations localized in adsorption sites II, as well as the occupancy ratio of both adsorption sites II and III. Two different statistical methods were applied to develop a structure-property relationship model linking experimental selectivity and the set of descriptors. A multiple linear regression model enables the prediction of para/meta-xylene selectivity with a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.78, while a linear discriminant analysis predicts the assignment of the adsorbents to four identified classes with a total prediction percentage of 76%.


Introduction: Vital bleaching technique is an effective method for reducing the teeth discolorations. The results of previous studies have shown that carbamide peroxide causes enamel surface roughness, so the enamel stain susceptibility increases. The purpose of this study was to compare two methods for elimination of the bleached enamel surface roughness. Materials & Methods: In this Parallel interventional study, 60 sound bovine insicors, (5x5x10mm) were selected. After 14 days of vital bleaching with 20 opalescence gel, the specimens were randomly divided into three groups of 20; i Bond group: the enamel surface was covered by a self etch adhesive (i Bond); Fluoride group: the enamel surface was polished by a rubber cap and was treated by 2.7 Acidulated phosphate fluoride; Control group: no surface treatment was done. In order to evaluate the lasting of each method, half of the specimens in each group were thermocycled. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (α=0.05). Results: The control group revealed a higher degree of roughness than i bond and fluoride groups before thermo cycling (P 0.05).The fluoride group revealed a lower roughness degree than the other groups after thermocycling (P<0.05). Conclusion: For prevention of enamel stain susceptibility after vital bleaching, polishing with rubber cap and fluoride is an effective method for elimination of the enamel surface roughness.


In this study a detailed analysis is given of the development of preferred orientations of polycrystalline diamond films, deposited from the gas phase using the combustion-flame assisted chemical vapor deposition technique, as a function of the amount of intentionally added nitrogen. The preferred orientations are studied using X-ray diffraction and are compared with the morphological changes of the sample surfaces. The role of nitrogen in the deposition process is discussed. Low amounts of nitrogen enhance the growth rate and lead from a randomly oriented layer successively to {011} and {001} fiber textures. Higher amounts of nitrogen deteriorate the growth; no preferred orientation is visible anymore.


The precise and selective delivery of chemodrugs into tumors represents a critical requirement for anti-cancer therapy. Intelligent delivery systems that are responsive to a single internal or external stimulus often lack sufficient cancer selectivity, which compromises the drug efficacy and induces undesired side effects. To overcome this dilemma, we herein report a cancer-targeting vehicle which allows highly cancer-selective drug release in response to cascaded external (light) and internal (hypoxia) dual triggers. In particular, doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded, hypoxia-dissociable nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared from self-assembled polyethylenimine-nitroimidazole (PEI-NI) micelles that were further co-assembled with hyaluronic acid-Ce6 (HC). Upon accumulation in tumor cells, tumor site-specific light irradiation (660 nm, 10 mW cm-2) generated high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and greatly enhanced the hypoxic levels to induce NP dissociation and accordingly DOX release. A synergistic anti-cancer efficacy between DOX-mediated chemotherapy and Ce6-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) was thus achieved, resulting in reduced side effects to normal tissues/cells. This study therefore provides an effective method to control the cancer-specific drug delivery by responding to cascaded multiple triggers, and it renders promising applications for the programmed combination of chemotherapy and PDT toward cancer treatment.

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In the former Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe, black-market exchange rates and second-economy prices often are interpreted by policy-makers as indicative of post-reform levels. However, these exchange rates and prices can provide highly-biased signals for policy setting. These biases are especially important when exchange rates fixed on the basis of these signals are expected to play a nominal anchor role during stabilizations. This paper traces the paths and biases in black-market exchange rates, second-economy prices, hoarding stocks. and privately-held dollars balances after policy-initiatives or other changes in the economic environment are implemented. The stimuli studied are official exchange-rate adjustments, price reforms, foreign-aid packages, altered risks of monetary confiscation or currency reforms, and goods-supply related initiatives. We provide the conditions under which announcements of reform lead short-run prices or exchange rates to overshoot or to undershoot their long-run equilibrium levels.


Cancer is one of the most debilitating diseases in the world, affecting over 9.6 million people worldwide every year. Breast cancer remains the second largest cause of death in women. Despite major advances in treatment, over 40,920 women died of breast cancer in 2018 in the United States alone. Early detection of abnormal masses can be crucial for diagnosis and dramatically increase survival. Current screening techniques have varying accuracy and perform poorly when used on heterogeneously and extremely dense breast tissue. Infrared imaging has the potential to detect growing tumors within the breast based on thermal signatures on the breast surface by imaging temperature gradients induced by blood perfusion and tumor metabolic activity. Using clinical patient images, previous methods to estimate tumor properties involve an iterative algorithm to estimate the tumor position and diameter. The details from the MRI are used in estimating the volumetric heat generation rate. This is compared with the published values and the reasons for differences are investigated. The tumor pathology is used in estimating the expected growth rate and compared with the predicted values. The correlation between the tumor characteristics and heat generation rate is fundamental information that is needed in accurately predicting the tumor size and location.


The stereoselective construction of fused 5,7-bicycles has attracted considerable attention due to the ubiquity of this motif in complex biologically active sesquiterpene lactones (dehydrocostus lactone, helenalin). Transition metal-catalysed carbocyclisation reactions represent a highly attractive approach towards the construction of functionalised cyclic and polycyclic molecules. Generation of 5- and 7-membered rings from strained 3-membered cycles has emerged as a particularly effective strategy, which is complementing more traditional pericyclic reactions. The description of the transition metal-catalysed carbocyclisation reactions of alkylidenecyclopropanes (ACPs) is provided in the introductory review, which seeks to highlight the evolution of these processes and their application in the context of the construction of 7-membered rings. Despite the numerous advantages that are afforded by this approach, the methods, that allow the synthesis of the suitably functionalised carbocycles for the synthesis of complex natural products, are still rare.

Chapter 2 describes our work on the cycloaddition reactions of functionalised olefins, which resulted in the development of highly regio- and diastereoselective rhodium-catalysed [(3+2)+2] carbocyclisation of vinyl silanes with various monosubstituted alkynes. The transformation provides silylated cis-fused 5,7-bicyclic systems, which can be further modified in a number of ways. We have demonstrated that selective oxidation of the silyl group affords C6 hydroxylated 5,7-bicycles – a motif reminiscent of guaianolide and pseudoguaianolide natural products. We anticipate that the methodology outlined herein will find significant application in target directed synthesis.

Chapter 3 provides an account of our synthetic efforts towards guaianolide (+)-repin. Rhodium-catalysed [(3+2)+2] carbocyclisation was successfully employed for the construction of the cis-fused 5,7-bicyclic system at the core of the molecule. In the course of these studies we developed an effective strategy for the functionalisation of the 7-membered ring through a series of oxidative transformations. The lactone moiety was introduced via substrate-controlled radical reaction of bromohydrin with silyl ketene acetal and constitutes the first application of these reaction conditions to bromohydrins for the direct synthesis of lactones. We believe that our strategy towards the tricyclic core of repin could also find application in related natural products, providing a general entry to the guaianolide family of compounds.


OBJECTIVE
To illustrate the impact of moral hazard for estimating relative rates of underinsurance and to present an adjustment method to correct for this source of bias.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING
Secondary data from the 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) are used in this study. We restrict attention to households that report having employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) for all members during the entire 2005 calendar year.

STUDY DESIGN
Individuals or households are often classified as underinsured if out-of-pocket spending on medical care relative to income exceeds some threshold. In this paper, we show that, without adjustment, this common threshold measure of underinsurance will underestimate the number with low levels of insurance coverage due to moral hazard. We propose an adjustment method and apply it to the specific case of estimating the difference in rates of underinsurance among small- versus large-firm workers with full-year ESI.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION
Data were abstracted from the MEPS website. All analyses were performed in Stata 9.2.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Applying the adjustment, we find that the underinsurance rate of small-firm households increases by approximately 20 percent with the adjustment for moral hazard and the difference in underinsurance rates between large-firm and small-firm households widens substantially.

CONCLUSIONS
Adjusting for moral hazard makes a sizeable difference in the estimated prevalence of underinsurance using a threshold measure.


This paper develops a dynamic model of bank liquidity provision to characterize the ex post efficient policy response to a banking panic and study its implications for the behavior of output in the aftermath of a panic. It is shown that the trajectory of real output following a panic episode crucially depends on the cost of converting long-term assets into liquid funds. For small values of this liquidation cost, the recession associated with a banking panic is protracted. For intermediate values, the recession is more severe but short lived. For relatively large values, the contemporaneous decline in real output in the event of a panic is substantial but followed by a vigorous rebound in real activity above the long-run level. The author argues that these theoretical predictions are consistent with the observed disparity in crisis-related output losses.


Sea urchin is a classical research model system in developmental biology; moreover, the external fertilization and growth of embryos, their rapid division cycle, their transparency and the accessibility of these embryos to molecular visualization methods, made them good specimens to analyze the regulatory mechanisms of cell division. These features as well as the phylogenetic position of sea urchin, close to vertebrates but in an outgroup within the deuterostomes, led scientists working on this model to sequence the genome of the species S. purpuratus. The genome contains a full repertoire of cell cycle control genes. A comparison of this toolkit with those from vertebrates, nematodes, drosophila, as well as tunicates, provides new insight into the evolution of cell cycle control. While some gene subtypes have undergone lineage-specific expansions in vertebrates (i.e. cyclins, mitotic kinases,...), others seem to be lost in vertebrates, for instance the novel cyclin B identified in S. purpuratus. On the other hand, some genes which were previously thought to be vertebrate innovations, are also found in sea urchins (i.e. MCM9). To note is also the absence of cell cycle inhibitors of the INK type, which are apparently confined to vertebrates. The uncovered genomic repertoire of cell-cycle regulators will thus provide molecular tools that should further enhance future research on cell cycle control and developmental regulation in this model.


Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by deposition of fibrillar aggregates of 4R tau-protein in neurons and glial cells of the brain. These deposits are a key neuropathological finding, allowing a diagnosis of "definite PSP," which is usually established post mortem. To date criteria for clinical diagnosis of PSP in vivo do not include biomarkers of tau pathology. For intervention trials, it is increasingly important to (i) establish biomarkers for an early diagnosis and (ii) to develop biomarkers that correlate with disease progression of PSP. [18F]-THK5351 is a novel PET-ligand that may afford in vivo visualization and quantification of tau-related alterations. We investigated binding characteristics of [18F]-THK5351 in patients with clinically diagnosed PSP and correlate tracer uptake with clinical findings. Eleven patients (68.4 ± 7.4 year; N = 6 female) with probable PSP according to current clinical criteria and nine healthy controls (71.7 ± 7.2 year; N = 4 female) underwent [18F]-THK5351 PET scanning. Voxel-wise statistical parametric comparison and volume-of-interest based quantification of standardized-uptake-values (SUV) were conducted using the cerebellar cortex as reference region. We correlated disease severity as measured with the help of the PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS) as well as several other clinical parameters with the individual PET findings. By voxel-wise mapping of [18F]-THK5351 uptake in the patient group we delineated typical distribution patterns that fit to known tau topology for PSP post mortem. Quantitative analysis indicated the strongest discrimination between PSP patients and healthy controls based on tracer uptake in the midbrain (+35%; p = 3.01E-7; Cohen's d: 4.0), followed by the globus pallidus, frontal cortex, and medulla oblongata. Midbrain [18F]-THK5351 uptake correlated well with clinical severity as measured by PSPRS (R = 0.66; p = 0.026). OCT and MRI delineated PSP patients from healthy controls by use of established discrimination thresholds but only OCT did as well correlate with clinical severity (R = 0.79; p = 0.024). Regional [18F]-THK5351 binding patterns correlated well with the established post mortem distribution of lesions in PSP and with clinical severity. The contribution of possible MAO-B binding to the [18F]-THK5351 signal needs to be further evaluated, but nevertheless [18F]-THK5351 PET may still serve as valuable biomarker for diagnosis of PSP.


The stationary gravitational field of two identical counter-moving beams of pure radiation is found in full generality. The solution depends on an arbitrary function and a parameter which sets the scale of the energy density. Some of its properties are studied. Previous particular solutions are derived as subcases.


For dynamic car simulators, it is obvious that the longitudinal motion cannot be fully reproduced, the possibility to simulate longitudinal motions being generally reduced to less than 1m. In our case, a four post shaker is intended to be built as dynamic car simulator. Each post shaker, one under each car wheel, is aimed to generate mainly vertical vibrations and lateral motion. Since the displacements/motion in the longitudinal direction can only be partially reproduced, our problem was how to compensate the impossibility of fully reproducing the longitudinal motion by at least taking into account the influence of the longitudinal motion on the vertical vibrations.In this paper a simplified 4 DOF "bicycle" model is used for vertical dynamics, instead of a 7 DOF full car vertical dynamics model, which will be considered in a further study.On the other hand, the vertical vibrations are different for the same car riding on the same road, but for different acceleration regimes: 1) null acceleration (e.g., 60km/h constant speed); 2) uniform acceleration from 10 to 110 km/h (during 8 seconds), followed by uniform deceleration from 110 to 10 km/h (during another 8 sec), then uniform acceleration from 10 to 60 km/h (during the last 4 sec of the simulation).In order to reproduce in the dynamic car simulator the vertical vibrations of the above-mentioned longitudinal motion regimes (involving displacements of tens of meters), the following steps are proposed: a) direct dynamics CARSIM computer simulations of the car motion and its interaction with the road; b) inverse dynamics of car vertical model (4 degrees of freedom), using as input the following parameters computed in step a): the vertical displacements and velocities of the sprung mass and of the front and rear wheel centers as well as the pitch angle of the sprung mass and its rate. These inverse dynamics computer simulations are performed using an in-house Matlab software programming only the 4-DOF vertical car/road interaction (2D "bicycle" model in the pitch plane, no roll motion considered), without considering any longitudinal motion.The output of these inverse dynamics computer simulations, using the in-house Matlab software, is the "modified/distorted road profile". Thus, the modifications brought to the real road profile are aimed to compensate the lack of the longitudinal degree of freedom in the dynamic car simulator, in order to reproduce the vertical vibrations of the above-mentioned longitudinal motion regimes (so that to encounter the same car vertical displacements and accelerations for the in-house Matlab simulation, as for the CARSIM simulation).Results are presented in order to show how the real road profile is modified/distorted in order to cope with this impossibility to simulate the road profile in dynamic car simulators, without huge costs.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


: Content of proteinases and trypsin inhibitor was studied in non-malignant and malignant tumors as well as in blood serum of 120 patients with mammary gland neoplasm. In malignant tumors activity of acid and casein-degrading proteinases was increased as compared with non-impaired tissue of mammary gland. Activity of proteolytic enzymes in non-malignant tumors corresponded to an intermediate value between the activity in malignant tumors and in non-impaired tissue. Content of the trypsin inhibitor was distinctly increased in non-malignant tumors and unaltered -- in malignant tissues. The inhibitor content was increased in blood serum of patients with metastases in lymphoid nodes. These data demonstrate the activation of proteolysis in malignant mammary gland and suggest a possible role of proteolytic enzymes in carcinogenesis.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relative impact of sex, type of onset, course of disease, age at onset, duration of disease and status of HLA-B27, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and rheumatoid factor on the risk of developing a condylar erosion.

METHODS
Condylar changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) were diagnosed on orthopantomograms from 169 consecutive patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). A multiple regression analysis was applied to establish the relative weight of the independent variables affecting the severity of the condylar erosion.

RESULTS
It was found that 62.1% of the patients exhibited condylar resorption. The highest prevalence was seen in children with a polyarticular onset or course of disease and early age at onset and severe resorption was also frequent in these groups. Patients with positive ANA also had a high prevalence but with a mild degree of resorption. In contrast, HLA-B27 positive patients had a lower risk of TMJ involvement and resorptive changes of the condyle.

CONCLUSION
Polyarticular and early onset arthritis are associated with a high risk for TMJ involvement and a severe condylar bone loss can be expected. ANA positive patients have a high prevalence, and B27 positive patients have a low prevalence of TMJ arthritis but in both subgroups, the outcome of the bone resorptive process is mild.


This paper observes both foreign and national discussions on preexisting radiation communication and attempts to find out what it takes to ensure that discussion concerning radiation leads to participation of and trust-building with members of society while considering cultural aspects. When analyzing Korean studies on health risk communication concerning radiation which utilize the frame of foreign literature, Korean studies can be categorized into one of the following themes: different risk perceptions between experts and the general public, discussion on the effects of the framing of radiation messages and media coverage, and research discussing the social implications of the dangers of radiation and the need for effective communication. These study results can be better explained when integrated with Korean social cultural dimensions. The "boiling pot effect" towards risk issues, egalitarian perceptions, escalation of ideological opposition and biased reasoning, and so on are especially major influences. Communication addressing radiological risks must foremost be open and able to mitigate distrust, must give the general public a chance to judge for themselves to prevent stigmatization, and, through the use of media and public education, must make efforts to prevent the proliferation of needless anxiety. Using literature research, this paper discusses possible ways to improve the effect of future health risk communication concerning radiation.


Thirty-two women with vesical instability underwent detailed urodynamic evaluation with microtip transducer catheters. Dynamic urethral profilometry demonstrated combined incontinence (genuine stress incontinence and vesical instability) in 13 patients (41%). Supine cystometry with the subject at rest demonstrated vesical instability in only 21 patients (66%). In 11 patients (34%) either provocative maneuvers or erect cystometry was required to make a diagnosis of vesical instability. Seven patients (22%) had evidence of urethral instability before the onset of involuntary detrusor contractions.


The Lower Triassic Buntsandstein in the Hesse Trough and in the Thuringian Syncline is a major aquifer in Thuringia and adjacent areas. The depositional system is characterized by a playa-lake to lake setting with some aeolian phases in the Lower Buntsandstein and fluvial, sandflat, and lacustrine to aeolian deposits in the Middle Buntsandstein. The aim of the study is to understand the influence of small-scale facies heterogeneities on fluid-flow pathways. For this purpose Lithofacies Types and Associations in outcrops and cores were studied and statistically characterized, with special emphasis on the thickness, depth and width ratios of architectural elements as well as of inclination and orientation of bounding surfaces. To predict aquifer qualities, the spatial distribution and connectivity in relation to variations in petrophysical properties (porosity and permeability) were studied. With the exception of aeolian deposits, especially Facies Associations with poor petrophysical properties have a wide lateral distribution. This indicates that potential barriers, while thin, show a wider lateral continuity than potential aquifers. Based on this dataset small-scale generic 3D-models of different depositional environments were developed, and fluid flow pathways with regard to the sedimentary structures were modelled. Results show that sedimentary structures influence the fluid flow only in the case of high differences in permeability, e.g. in sand layers intercalated in muds. Minor permeability differences within sedimentary units only slow down fluid flow, but do not cause deviations from the flow direction.