The potential energy surface of protonated uracil has been explored by an automated transition state search procedure, resulting in the finding of 1398 stationary points and 751 reactive channels, which can be categorized into isomerizations between pairs of isomers, unimolecular fragmentations and bimolecular reactions. The use of statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory and Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations allowed us to determine the relative abundances of each fragmentation channel as a function of the ion's internal energy. The KMC/RRKM product abundances are compared with novel mass spectrometry (MS) experiments in the collision energy range 1-6 eV. To facilitate the comparison between theory and experiments, further dynamics simulations are carried out to determine the fraction of collision energy converted into the ion's internal energy. The KMC simulations show that the major fragmentation channels are isocyanic acid and ammonia losses, in good agreement with experiments. The third predominant channel is water loss according to both theory and experiments, although the abundance obtained in the KMC simulations is very low, suggesting that non-statistical dynamics might play an important role in this channel. Isocyanic acid (HNCOH(+)) is also an important product in the KMC simulations, although its abundance is only significant at internal energies not accessible in the MS experiments.


Mononuclear FeII complex [FeII(ppba)]2+ (ppba = (6-pivalamido-2-pyridylmethyl) (2-pyridylmethyl)tert-butylamine) (1) has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The addition of H2O2 (10eq) to an acetone solution of 1 at -78°C generated FeIIIPPBA-OOH species, accompanied by a color change from pale yellow to reddish purple, which showed an intense absorption band corresponding to LMCT band (HOO- to Fe) at 528 nm (ε = 1120 M-1cm-1). The ESR spectrum for FeIIIPPBA-OOH species (g// = 4.22, g⊥ = 7.70 in acetone at 77 K) was typical of a high-spin FeIII species, suggesting that the FeIIIPPBA-OOH species is maintained as a mononuclear complex in the solution state. The resonance Raman spectra, when H2 16O2 and H2 18O2 were used, exhibited intense bands characteristic to the O-O stretching vibrations at 880 cm-1 ν(16O-16O) and 824 cm-1 ν(18O-18O), respectively. These findings suggest that FeIIIPPBA-OOH species is [FeIII(ppba)(OOH)]2+ (2). In order to understand the catalytic reactivity of complex 2, oxidative reactions for some organic substrates by complex 2 were carried out in the presence of H2O2; thioanisole was oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxide and sulfone, respectively, and furthermore, cyclohexene was converted to cyclohexene oxide, cyclohexenol and cyclohexenone.


This essay reviews how cloning techniques may be used for therapeutic purposes, analyzes ethical implications, and makes recommendations for public policy discourse. Although cloning may bring many potential benefits, they remain uncertain. Furthermore, human embryo research is morally problematic. Therefore, alternatives to human cloning for therapeutic aims should be sought at present. In addition to central ethical issues, public discourse should maintain an emphasis on the value of the human embryo over scientific expediency, the relativity of health, and the principle of justice. Society should support the laudable mission of medical research, while also attending to the moral concerns often threatened by the promises of scientific progress.


Fire science emphasizes that mitigation actions on residential property, including structural hardening and maintaining defensible space, can reduce the risk of wildfire at a home. Accordingly, a rich body of social science literature investigates the determinants of wildfire risk mitigation behaviors of residents living in fire-prone areas. Here, we investigate relationships among wildfire hazards, residents' risk perceptions, and conditions associated with mitigation actions using a combination of simulated wildfire conditions, household survey responses, and professionally assessed parcel characteristic data. We estimate a simultaneous model of these data that accounts for potential direct feedbacks between risk perceptions and parcel-level conditions. We also compare the use of self-reported versus assessed parcel-level data for estimating these relationships. Our analysis relies on paired survey and assessment data for approximately 2000 homes in western Colorado. Our simultaneous model demonstrates dual-directional interactions between risk perceptions and conditions associated with mitigation actions, with important implications for inference from simpler approaches. In addition to improving general understanding of decision-making about risk and natural hazards, our findings can support the effectiveness of publicly supported programs intended to encourage mitigation to reduce society's overall wildfire risk.


We present a Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based tool that calibrates Agent-based Models (ABMs). The GA searches through a user-defined set of input parameters of an ABM, delivering values for those parameters so that the output time series of an ABM may match the real system's time series to certain precision. Once that set of possible values has been available, then a domain expert can select among them, the ones that better make sense from a practical point of view and match the explanation of the phenomenon under study. In developing the GA, we have had three main goals in mind. First, the GA should be easily used by non-expert computer users and allow the seamless integration of the GA with different ABMs. Secondly, the GA should achieve a relatively short convergence time, so that it may be practical to apply it to many situations, even if the corresponding ABMs exhibit complex dynamics. Thirdly, the GA should use a few data points of the real system's time series and even so, achieve a sufficiently good match with the ABM's time series to attaining relational equivalence between the real system under study and the ABM that models it. That feature is important since social science longitudinal studies commonly use few data points. The results show that all of those goals have been accomplished.


The bond order p14 between the 1 and 4 atoms of the diene provides a static reactivity index for Diels-Alder reactions. This bond order is closely correlated with Brown's para-localization energy, a dynamic index. Two theoretical explanations for the correlation of p14 with Diels-Alder reactivities are proposed.


Perforating a gas well efficiently requires applying technological advances to carry out a safe operation without compromising well productivity.
 In this paper, is discussed the application of a pre- job plan methodology called perforating well on paper to the perforation operation of SITRA 3-4.
 This methodology involved tension simulation, perforating gun and charge selection, conveyance hardware optimization, best underbalance value selection, as well as modeling of gun shock, gun movement and reservoir behavior when shooting multiple zones with different pressure regimes. Simulation methodology was performed as well real time during the perforating job to optimize static and flowing underbalance without compromising the safety of the operation and maximizing production gains.


PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare three polishing systems on the surface roughness and phase transformation of monolithic zirconia. MATERIALS AND METHODS 100 disk shaped specimens (10 mm diameter, 3 mm thickness) were fabricated from monolithic zirconia blocks. 20 specimens were left as a control group and remaining specimens were grinded by diamond bur to simulate the occlusal adjustments. Grinded specimens were randomly divided into 4 groups: group G (no polishing), group M (Meisinger, zirconia polishing kit), group E (EVE Diacera, zirconia polishing kit), and group P (EVE Diapol, porcelain polishing kit). Surface roughness was measured with profilometer and surface topography was observed with SEM. XRD analysis was performed to investigate the phase transformation. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests at a significance level of P=.05. RESULTS All polishing groups showed a smoother surface than group G. Among 3 polishing systems, group M and group E exhibited a smoother surface than the group P. However, no significant differences were observed between group M and group E (P>.05). Grinding and polishing did not cause phase transformations in zirconia specimens. CONCLUSION Zirconia polishing systems created a smoother surface on zirconia than the porcelain polishing system. Phase transformation did not occur during the polishing procedure.


Triiodothyronine (T3) was administered to 11 patients in septic shock. In all there occurred an increase in arterial blood pressure within 24 hours, the rise in systolic pressure being 34 +/- 4.2 mm Hg, of diastolic 14 +/- 8.2 mm Hg, corresponding to a rise in mean arterial pressure of 25 +/- 6.1 mm Hg. Haemodynamic studies in four patients suggest that the action of T3 is mediated via beta-sympathomimetic channels.


Abstract We consider European double barrier basket call options on two underlyings with an upper and a lower knock-out barrier featuring a finite number of cash settlements at prespecified values of the underlyings between the strike and the upper barrier. The bilaterally constrained cash settlements are considered as controls that have to be chosen such that the Delta of the option is as close as possible to a predefined constant profit/loss. This leads to a control constrained optimal control problem for the two-dimensional Black–Scholes equation with Dirichlet boundary control and finite time control. Based on the variational formulation of the problem in an appropriate Sobolev space setting, we prove the existence of a unique solution and state the first order necessary optimality conditions. A semi-discretization in space by conforming P1 finite elements with respect to a simplicial triangulation of the computational domain gives rise to a semi-discrete control constrained optimal control problem for a linear system of first order ordinary differential equations. A further discretization in time by the backward Euler scheme results in a fully discrete optimization problem that is solved numerically by the projected gradient method with Armijo line search. Numerical examples for some selected test cases illustrate the benefits of hedging with European double barrier basket options in case of optimally controlled cash settlements.


This research study examines the content, types of materials, locations, and library collection development policies concerning ESL (English as a second language) materials collections on university campuses in the United States and Canada. ESL learning materials are defined in this study as those materials supporting adult learners who are non-native speakers of English in a higher education setting. The purpose of this study is to describe the content and types of materials in these collections, to learn where these collections are typically housed on university campuses, to discover what collection development policies may inform the building of these collections, and to explore the potential significance of these collections for university libraries. The overriding question that informs this study is the following: Can involvement with ESL collections serve as a way for university libraries to participate in internationalization by supporting the language needs of international students?


The Java programming language is acheiving greater acceptance in high-end embedded systems such as cellphones and PDAs. However, current embedded implementations of Java impose tight constraints on functionality, while requiring significant storage space. In addition, they require that a JVM be ported to each such platform. We demonstrate the first Java-to-C compilation strategy that is suitable for a wide range of embedded systems, thereby enabling broad use of Java on embedded platforms. This strategy removes many of the constraints on functionality and reduces code size without sacrificing performance. The compilation framework described is easily retargetable, and is also applicable to bare-bones embedded systems with no operating system or JVM. On an average, we found the size of the generated executables to be over 25 times smaller than those generated by a cutting-edge Java-to-native-code compiler, while providing performance comparable to the best of various Java implementation strategies.


Burning or transmutation of minor actinides (MA: Np, Am, Cm) as well as plutonium is an option for the future nuclear fuel cycle. For the transmutation of MA, research and development of MA-bearing fuels that are quite different from the current UO2 and (U,Pu)O2 fuels have to be made. Among various fuel types, nitride is one of the attractive fuels to the MA-bearing fuel. The thermochemical and thermophysical properties of nitride fuels available in literature, such as the thermal expansion, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal creep, vaporization behavior, etc., are briefly reviewed and the new data obtained on actinide nitrides are presented. The thermal expansion was measured by high-temperature X-ray diffraction, the thermal diffusivity by laser-flash method, the thermal creep by compression method, Young's modulus by pulse echo method, and the hardness by indentation method.


Forensic machines and other such devices can create powerfully incriminating evidence, and some do so with little or no human aid. In a world where machines increasingly perform that task, what happens to the right to cross-examine the human witnesses who would have testified but for the machines? Through errors, bias, and even fabrication, machine operators, calibrators, and others involved in the forensic process still have the power to cause these tools to incriminate the wrong person. There is no shortage of evidence that this occurs. Many courts have concluded, however, that there is no right to cross-examine the operators of these machines. This Article analyzes that result.The Article begins by discussing Confrontation Clause jurisprudence from across the nation, including machine-generated testimony cases and areas of Confrontation Clause jurisprudence that might be instructive in addressing machine-generated data, such as cases involving photographs, videos, interpreters, and dog handler testimony. The Article then considers the strengths and weaknesses of several potential approaches to machine-generated testimony and concludes that multiple approaches are defensible, but the approach that best adheres to the purposes of the Confrontation Clause focuses on the degree and nature of the operator's control over the machine. Under that model, there is no right to cross-examine the operators of many modern machines. Though that result is troubling, there are alternative models that might extend the lifespan of the Confrontation Clause. However, as machines become increasingly automated, the right to cross-examine their human assistants and progenitors will approach extinction.


Visual motion, stereo, texture, and symmetric boundaries are all repetition of similar patterns in time or space. These repetitions can be viewed as "echoes" of one another, and the measurement of disparities, segmentation of textons, or detection of boundary symmetries translates into detection of echo arrival periods. Cepstral filtering, as well as Polyspectral techniques and waveform analysis, are some of the techniques used successfully for echo detection. This paper examines the application of cepstral analysis to computational vision, introduces modified improvements to the traditional methods, and provides a comparison with other routines presently used. Finally, we introduce a general multi-evidential correlation approach which lends itself to several computational routines. CepsCorr, as we call it, is a simple general technique that can accept different matching routines, such as cepstrum and/or phase correlation as its measurement kernel. The evidences provided by each iteration of cepsCorr can then be combined to provide a more accurate estimate of motion or binocular disparity.


[1] An interlaboratory study of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in three commercially available carbonate reference materials (BAM RS3, CMSI 1767, and ECRM 752-1) was performed with the participation of 25 laboratories that determine foraminiferal Mg/Ca ratios worldwide. These reference materials containing Mg/Ca in the range of foraminiferal calcite (0.8 mmol/mol to 6 mmol/mol) were circulated with a dissolution protocol for analysis. Participants were asked to make replicate dissolutions of the powdered samples and to analyze them using the instruments and calibration standards routinely used in their laboratories. Statistical analysis was performed in accordance with the International Standardization Organization standard 5725, which is based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique. Repeatability (RSD r %), an indicator of intralaboratory precision, for Mg/Ca determinations in solutions after centrifuging increased with decreasing Mg/Ca, ranging from 0.78% at Mg/Ca = 5.56 mmol/mol to 1.15% at Mg/Ca = 0.79 mmol/mol. Reproducibility (RSD R %), an indicator of the interlaboratory method precision, for Mg/Ca determinations in centrifuged solutions was noticeably worse than repeatability, ranging from 4.5% at Mg/Ca = 5.56 mmol/mol to 8.7% at Mg/Ca = 0.79 mmol/mol. Results of this study show that interlaboratory variability is dominated by inconsistencies among instrument calibrations and highlight the need to improve interlaboratory compatibility. Additionally, the study confirmed the suitability of these solid standards as reference materials for foraminiferal Mg/Ca (and Sr/Ca) determinations, provided that appropriate procedures are adopted to minimize and to monitor possible contamination from silicate mineral phases.


Objective – The research project sought to explore the value of data on publication patterns for decision-making regarding scholarly communications and collection development programs at a research-intensive post-secondary institution, the University of Utah in the United States.

Methods – Publication data for prolific University of Utah authors were gathered from Scopus for the year 2009. The availability to University of Utah faculty, staff, and students of the journals in which University of Utah authors published was determined using the University of Utah Libraries' catalogue; usage was estimated based on publisher-provided download statistics and requests through interlibrary loan; and costs were calculated from invoices, a periodicals directory, and publisher websites and communications. Indicators of value included the cost-per-use of journals to which the University of Utah Libraries subscribed, a comparison of interlibrary loan costs to subscription costs for journals to which the University of Utah Libraries did not subscribe, the relationship between publishing venue and usage, and the relationship between publishing venue and cost-per-use.

Results – There were 22 University of Utah authors who published 10 or more articles in 2009. Collectively, these authors produced 275 articles in 162 journals. The University of Utah provided access through library subscriptions to 83% of the journals for which access, usage, and cost data were available, with widely varying usage and at widely varying costs. Cost-per-use and a comparison of interlibrary loan to subscription costs provided evidence of the effectiveness of collection development practices. However, at the individual journal title level, there was little overlap between the various indicators of journal value, with the highest ranked, or most valuable, journals differing depending on the indicator considered. Few of the articles studied appeared in open access journals, suggesting a possible focus area for the scholarly communications program.

Conclusions – Knowledge of publication patterns provides an additional source of data to support collection development decisions and scholarly communications programming. As the estimated value of a journal is dependent on the factor being studied, gathering knowledge on a number of factors and from a variety of sources can lead to more informed decision-making. Efforts should be made to expand data considered in areas of scholarly communications and collection development beyond usage to incorporate publishing activities of institutionally affiliated authors.


To improve operational efficiencies while providing state of the art healthcare services, hospitals rely on information technology enabled physician referral systems (IT-PRS). This study examines learning curves in an IT-PRS setting to determine whether agents achieve performance improvements from cumulative experience at different rates and how information technologies transform the learning dynamics in this setting. We present a hierarchical Bayes model that accounts for different agent skills (domain and system) and estimate learning rates for three types of referral requests: emergency (EM), nonemergency (NE), and nonemergency out of network (NO). Furthermore, the model accounts for learning spillovers among the three referral request types and the impact of system upgrade on learning rates. We estimate this model using data from more than 80,000 referral requests to a large IT-PRS. We find that: (1) The IT-PRS exhibits a learning rate of 4.5% for EM referrals, 7.2% for NE referrals, and 12.3% for NO referrals. This is slower than the learning rate of manufacturing (on average 20%) and more comparable to other service settings (on average, 8%). (2) Domain and system experts are found to exhibit significantly different learning behaviors. (3) Significant and varying learning spillovers among the three referral request types are also observed. (4) The performance of domain experts is affected more adversely in comparison to system experts immediately after system upgrade. (5) Finally, the learning rate change subsequent to system upgrade is also higher for system experts in comparison to domain experts. Overall, system upgrades are found to have a long-term positive impact on the performance of all agents. This study contributes to the development of theoretically grounded understanding of learning behaviors of domain and system experts in an IT-enabled critical healthcare service setting.


The idea of freedom of the will seems to conflict with the principle of causal efficacy implicit in many theories of mind. The conflict is normally resolved within a compatibilist view whereby the desires and beliefs of the agent, replete with a respectable if yet to be elucidated causal pedigree, are taken to be the basis of individual freedom. The present view is an alternative which erects mental content on a framework of rule following and then argues that rule-following is conceptually distinct from causally produced activity. The normative aspect of rule-following defies reduction to descriptive or dispositional terms. According to this view we cannot get beyond the agent as a self-determining rational individual in formulating a theory of mind and action. The theory is neo-Kantian in that it identifies rules or conceptions of laws as central in human thought. It, follows Wittgenstein's treatment of rule-following and generates a plausible (but non-causal) account of mental explanation and weakness of the will.


An image is worth a thousand words, conveying information that goes beyond the mere visual content therein. In this paper, we study the intent behind social media images with an aim to analyze how visual information can facilitate recognition of human intent. Towards this goal, we introduce an intent dataset, Intentonomy, comprising 14K images covering a wide range of everyday scenes. These images are manually annotated with 28 intent categories derived from a social psychology taxonomy. We then systematically study whether, and to what extent, commonly used visual information, i.e., object and context, contribute to human motive understanding. Based on our findings, we conduct further study to quantify the effect of attending to object and context classes as well as textual information in the form of hashtags when training an intent classifier. Our results quantitatively and qualitatively shed light on how visual and textual information can produce observable effects when predicting intent.1


Fractures and deformations of the upper and middle face skeleton account for 16-28% of all facial bones fractures. Frontal and maxillary sinuses suffer most frequently. To repair bone defects of the paranasal sinuses, 79 patients received prosthetic treatment (compound endoprostheses made of spongy titanium nickelide, titanium grid combined with lyophilized human dura mater which isolates periorbital and muscular tissues and prevents their invasion into the cells or pores of the endoprostheses. This ensures mobility of the prostheses. Reconstruction of posttraumatic defects of frontal and maxillary bone walls with compound endoprostheses improves functional and cosmetic results, reduces the number of complications by 4-5%.


Wall shear stress distributions of open-channel flows were measured making use of the binary image cross-correlation method (BICC), one of the PTV techniques. Flow fields close to the wall were visualized by a laser light sheet with small tracer particles and the particle images were recorded on a DV format tape using a digital video camera. The images were transferred to a personal computer as a movie file(an AVI file), divided into a series of bit map files(BMP files), and finally transformed to gray-scale binary data before the PTV analysis. Thousands of consecutive images were successfully captured by using this procedure. The shear stresses were estimated from the distributions of turbulence properties very close to the wall. Several estimation methods were compared and their accuracy was discussed in detail.


The paper reports on research to examine the causes of the concentration of electronics R&D in particular regions of the UK. A historical perspective was taken, examining the evolution of the principal firms in terms of their internal strategies and organisation, and their relations with external market, public sector and labour market influences. The paper begins with an introduction to the concepts adopted, and especially the insertion of questions of business strategy into industrial geography. The empirical evidence follows, commencing with an outline of the historical framework of the development of business strategy in the sector, and its consequent impact on functional‐spatial organisation. This is then further disaggregated by a consideration of the characteristics of R&D employment in the industry, and particularly the heterogeneous range of labour market conditions and practices adopted and their implications for the geographical segmentation of labour markets. Finally the paper considers the implications for the future development of the electronics industry in the UK.


At present, two dominant conceptualisations of self-compassion exist. However, a unifying consensus includes self-compassion as a basic kindness and an understanding, non-judgemental attitude towards ones inadequacies and failures (Neff, 2003a), coupled with the wish and effort to relieve ones suffering (Gilbert, 2010a).

A review of the literature reveals elevated stress levels within clinical psychologists (CP's) and a disproportionate amount of research exploring effective self-care strategies. Given the well-evidenced benefits of self-compassion for good psychological wellbeing, it seemed valuable to understand what the levels of self-compassion were within CP's and establish what factors may relate to them. The factors explored in the present research were: 1) current levels of stress, 2) current level of psychological distress, 3) age of clinician, 4) years of clinical experience, 5) level of social connectedness, 6) fear of giving compassion to others, 7) fear of receiving compassion from others and 8) fear of self-compassion.

Furthermore, no research had demonstrated UK community normative data for the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003b). Therefore this research adopted a quantitative, cross sectional design, using both online and paper methods to access a community sample and an online survey to access trainee and qualified CP's.

Analyses revealed that qualified CP's reported significantly higher self-compassion than trainees, themselves significantly higher than a community sample. A multiple regression analyses revealed that fear of self-compassion, perceived stress and social connectedness, significantly related to self-compassion scores in trainee CP's. Within the qualified CP, fear of self-compassion and perceived stress again were found to significantly relate to self-compassion. Results also demonstrated that in the UK, 1/3rd of trainee CP's and 1/5th of qualified CP's reported psychological distress significant enough to meet the clinical criteria for an anxiety or depressive disorder. These findings are therefore discussed and clinical implications are presented.


Analysis was made of 13201 ultrasonic studies (USS) of abdominal and small pelvic organs in 5500 patients admitted to the therapeutic department of the multiple-discipline hospital to identify sizable injuries. As many as 176 sizable injuries to the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas, retroperitoneal space and other organs were recognized. Of these, 52 injuries appeared malignant. Fifty-eight sizable injuries including 12 malignant ones had been diagnosed at the preclinical stage. The prophylactic USS of the abdominal cavity should as minimum include USS of the liver and kidneys with adjacent tissues. The USS of the pancreas should be carried out provided the patient is suspected of having an organ injury. The internal sex organs of the women, the prostate and urinary bladder should be examined if indicated by proper specialists.


objectivity in patients' management, so that the doctor might unwittingly be persuaded against a course of action which is ultimiately in the patient's own good. In a practice where it is taken for granted that not only may patients choose a doctor but also the doctor frequently may decide to confer with his colleagues in the presence of the patient, this danger is considerably diminished. So long as all partners are present in one central surgery at most, if not all, consulting times, so long as clinical notes are made concisely and clearly, and so long as regular (preferably daily) formal conversations take place between the partners in addition to insurgery discussions, then we believe that encouraging the patients to consult any of the doctors can only enhance the standard of medical care in general practice.-We are, etc., R. LEFEVER J. WEST T. TREVELYAN London S.W.7


Asymptomatic Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) damages vaginal epithelium increasing risk of sexually-transmitted infections. Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Prevotella amnii, P. bivia and Candida albicans are associated with BV. Presence of Lactobacillus spp. is indicative of a healthy microbiota. Symptomatic BV is treated with metronidazole. The role of microbiota and metronidazole treatment in the recurrence and persistence of asymptomatic BV remains to be elucidated. This study uses whole genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the microbiota changes with metronidazole treatment. DNA from 20 vaginal swabs was obtained at four time points over 12 months from five African American women and was subjected to WGS. The first time point is the untreated baseline. All subjects were tested every 4 months and received a course of metronidazole for each episode of BV during the 12 months period. Nugent scores were used to classify BV status. The microbial profiles were analyzed along with the sociodemographic metadata. Despite treatment, the participants did not recover from BV — two participants experienced persistent BV, and the rest had recurrent BV. WGS analyses show that G. vaginalis was the most abundant organism as compared to Lactobacillus species. The metronidazole treatment resulted in the loss of Lactobacillus and Prevotella species. One participant scored healthy based on Nugent score at one time point, during when Lactobacillus species dominated the microbiome. Based on this pilot longitudinal study, metronidazole may not be an effective treatment for asymptomatic BV. Studies with larger cohorts can lead to statistically significant conclusions to develop alternative interventions for asymptomatic BV.


P23 Purpose: We present a tissue characterization method to identify viable and non-viable tissue in cerebral ischemia using multi-parameter MRI. The method utilizes T1, T2, proton density, and diffusion weighted images (T1WI, T2WI, PDWI, DWI, respectively). Image Analysis Approach: After pre-processing (intra-cranial segmentation, non-uniformity correction, and noise suppression), we segment tissues using a self organizing data analysis method (ISODATA) and characterize tissues using Euclidean distance measures to score the regions between 1 and N (N determines characterization resolution). Signature or score 1 is assigned to normal white matter and score N is assigned to CSF. Each lesion zone is assigned a score based on its levels of differences (in terms of multi-parametric MRI) from white matter and CSF. Experimental Methods: Rats were imaged by a 7T MRI system at one of the three time points (acute, 4–8 hrs; sub-acute, 16–24 hrs; and chronic, 48–168 hrs) after MCA occlusion. Then, they were sacrificed and their brains were sliced and prepared for histological studies. MRIs of 18 slices (8 at acute time in 4 rats, 8 at sub-acute time in 4 rats, and 2 at chronic time in 1 rat) were processed and scored. 2 DWI (b=600, b=800), PDWI, T2WI, and T1WI were used and an MRI score between 1 and 100 (N=100) was found for each tissue region. Segmented tissues were mapped onto the histology images and were scored by an experienced pathologist, from 1 to 10. MRI scores were validated using histology scores. To this end, correlation coefficients between the two scores (MRI and histology) and 95% confidence limits were found. Results: The results showed excellent correlations between MRI and histology scores at different time points. Correlation coefficients were 0.90 acutely, 0.82 sub-acutely, and 0.88 overall. The 95% confidence intervals were (0.53,0.98), (0.27,0.97), and (0.68,0.95), respectively. Conclusion: The proposed method accurately characterizes tissue damage in cerebral ischemia based on multi-parameter MRI. It is useful for a variety of applications such as evaluating response to treatment, where volume changes for different zones of stroke over time, e.g., tissue recovery, can be evaluated.


Summary We present a comparison between conventional time-lapse differencing and a new non-conventional differrencing method based on the inverse data matrix. We use 2D variable velocity models and their corresponding migrated synthetic seismograms to represent three snapshots in time-lapse. Conventional differencing performed on the time-lapse data captures no amplitude patterns and proves to be of limited use in reservoir characterization. On the other hand, non-conventional differencing by inverse data matrix captures some amplitude patters and offers more intuitive plots for interpretation.


The ability to produce accurate models of nonlinear systems has grown enormously, thanks to the increase in the available computing power, thus making possible to use such models in a wide range of applications. Adopting these techniques not only enables to design much more efficient systems but also increases the need for accurate and straightforward methods to monitor distortion levels, even out of the testing laboratories. In this context, efficient estimators of total harmonic distortion (HD), HD of order $n$ , and intermodulation distortion (IMD) are needed, which are among the most widely adopted indicators of nonlinearity. In this paper, we focus on the IMD, which is a robust feature indicator within the whole systems operating bandwidth, whose measurement is based on the effects produced by the nonlinear system when a composite signal feeds its input. We propose an efficient procedure to measure the IMD allowing the simultaneous evaluation of HD of order $n$ and of total HD. The proposed technique relies and extends the synchronized exponential swept-sine technique for the characterization of nonlinear systems by introducing a suitable double exponential chirp input signal. The method estimates all the distortion-level indicators by processing the response to a single, short-duration signal, showing a moderate computational cost and low sensitivity to ambient noise. These advantages make the application of the proposed method extremely rapid and convenient, even in the measurement of operating field devices. Tests have been carried out both in simulated and real-world scenarios, confirming the proposed approach validity.


Activation of the protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) or the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channels expressed in cardiac sensory afferents containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and/or substance P (SP) has been proposed to play a protective role in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the interaction between PAR2 and TRPV1 is largely unknown. Using gene-targeted TRPV1-null mutant (TRPV1(-/-)) or wild-type (WT) mice, we test the hypothesis that TRPV1 contributes to PAR2-mediated cardiac protection via increasing the release of CGRP and SP. Immunofluorescence labeling showed that TRPV1 coexpressed with PAR2, PKC-epsilon, or PKAc in cardiomyocytes, cardiac blood vessels, and perivascular nerves in WT but not TRPV1(-/-) hearts. WT or TRPV1(-/-) hearts were Langendorff perfused with the selective PAR2 agonist, SLIGRL, in the presence or absence of various antagonists, followed by 35 min of global ischemia and 40 min of reperfusion (I/R). The recovery rate of coronary flow, the maximum rate of left ventricular pressure development, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and left ventricular developed pressure were evaluated after I/R. SLIGRL improved the recovery of hemodynamic parameters, decreased lactate dehydrogenase release, and reduced the infarct size in both WT and TRPV1(-/-) hearts (P < 0.05). The protection of SLIGRL was significantly surpassed for WT compared with TRPV1(-/-) hearts (P < 0.05). CGRP(8-37), a selective CGRP receptor antagonist, RP67580, a selective neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, PKC-epsilon V1-2, a selective PKC-epsilon inhibitor, or H-89, a selective PKA inhibitor, abolished SLIGRL protection by inhibiting the recovery of the rate of coronary flow, maximum rate of left ventricular pressure development, and left ventricular developed pressure, and increasing left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in WT but not TRPV1(-/-) hearts. Radioimmunoassay showed that SLIGRL increased the release of CGRP and SP in WT but not TRPV1(-/-) hearts (P < 0.05), which were prevented by PKC-epsilon V1-2 and H-89. Thus our data show that PAR2 activation improves cardiac recovery after I/R injury in WT and TRPV1(-/-) hearts, with a greater effect in the former, suggesting that PAR2-mediated protection is TRPV1 dependent and independent, and that dysfunctional TRPV1 impairs PAR2 action. PAR2 activation of the PKC-epsilon or PKA pathway stimulates or sensitizes TRPV1 in WT hearts, leading to the release of CGRP and SP that contribute, at least in part, to PAR2-induced cardiac protection against I/R injury.


As human-machine interfacing becomes increasingly common, the importance of biofeedback optimization escalates. Many machine-user interfaces currently require the use of biofeedback; for instance, fall prevention and posture improvement devices often make use of vibrotactile biofeedback to communicate to the user the necessary body motions to regain balance or maintain a proper posture, thereby enhancing or replacing the body's natural position biofeedback system and closing the biofeedback loop. Vibrotactile biofeedback could also be combined with an exoskeleton or a powered orthotic for the aforementioned purposes in users that require machine assistance to vary their body position. Although these devices employ biofeedback, there exists no thorough research on the optimization of vibrotactile biofeedback parameters such as actuator location on the body, actuator type or information coding method. Some studies researched the implications of one or two of these parameters, but no study has considered all 3 parameters. This study aims to optimize biofeedback by minimizing the user's reaction time and discomfort, and by enhancing the ability to correctly identify the tactor activated and its intensity. In order to determine the optimal biofeedback configuration the tactor type, information coding method and actuator location on the user's body were varied and the combination showing the best overall results was selected as the optimal biofeedback configuration. This study was conducted in two parts to decrease the length of tests performed on 3 healthy participants. Part I compared and characterized the properties of two tactor types (Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) and Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA)) attached to different body site types (skin-covered muscle, lipid and bone). The primary outcome measures for this study were the vibration frequency, acceleration amplitude and actuator displacement. Secondary outcomes were the ability to detect actuator activation and the inter-participant variation in vibration properties. Part II determined the ideal actuator location by comparing the performance of a 4-actuator system for 5 body locations (neck, shoulder, wrist, waist and ankle) and 2 information coding methods (vibration intensity and duration). Primary outcomes are comfort level, reaction time, activated tactor location and intensity identification accuracy. The secondary outcome will be the accuracy in predicting sensation using tactor vibration characteristics. Feedback using the ERM was unanimously better detected by participants. As expected, the ERM's vibration frequency increased with the voltage supplied, whereas the LRA's vibration frequency remains constant; regardless of the changes in frequency with voltage, the ERM remains the most easily discernible biofeedback device. Furthermore, acceleration amplitude, vibration frequency and displacement were poor indicators of the wearer's ability to sense vibrotactile biofeedback; only displacement in the main axis of motion normalized to the participant's BMI shows promise in predicting vibration detection by the wearer. For the ERM, the prediction specificity and sensitivity were 39% and 96%, respectively, whereas for the LRA they were 85% and 84%. Furthermore, when comparing frequency, acceleration amplitude and displacement across participants, statistically significant differences (P values < 0.001) were observed, however, these values are not effectively significant because the differences between participants mean values were negligible.


The Carboniferous Limestone at Lilleshall has for very many years been worked, partly as a flux for iron-smelting, partly as a source of lime for agricultural purposes. Various workings in the neighbourhood have, from influx of water, been abandoned; and there remains now but one mine, known as Stump Leasow. It is situated by the canal, near a spot marked "Old Farm" on the one-inch Survey map. There are two distinct beds of limestone, known as White and Grey, lying one above the other, separated by a distance of 40 yards. The upper bands of the lower bed, or grey, are fall of vertical joints, which in many cases, speaking from memory, run from six inches to a foot in width. It is in these joints that the minerals occur. Quartz is extremcly rare. I have, in fact, met with but one minute crystal. It showed under the microscope both prismatic and pyramidal faces. Erubescite. Only a few minute patches in the massive form have been met with. Copper pyrites is met with occasionally. It occurs in more or less defined spheroids. One specimen has a peculiar radiated structure. Iron pyrites is not by any means common. It occurs in radiating masses of from 2/3 to 1 1/2 inch diameter, showing faces of the cube, octahedron, and other forms. I have one specimen of the decomposed iron pyrites, which in old mineralogical books is called "hepatic pyrites." This hepatic pyrites is in cubes and octahedra. Hæ. Occurs in minute


Whilst there has been considerable research focusing on the kinship of wolves, data on free-ranging dogs was sparse and there has been a long standing controversial debate over their ability to form packs. One of the aims of this project was to reconstruct kinship relationships in a population of free-ranging dogs, assessing the genetic variability and inbreeding level. For this purpose, I studied a population inhabiting a nature reserve at the outskirts of Rome in Italy. Analysis of twelve microsatellite loci revealed low number of alleles per locus, low levels of heterozygosity and difficulties in assigning parentage, possibly resulting from high levels of inbreeding in the population. Results from parentage analysis suggested multiple breeding individuals to be present in the social groups. One explanation for this is a result of the domestication process as free-ranging dogs no longer follow seasonal reproductive behaviour and have a plentiful supply of human waste to scavenge reducing competition. Although parentage analysis suggested multiple paternity for two litters, results had low statistical support and could be due to low genetic variability in the population.
Recent research has found MARCH7 as a common candidate gene under diversifying selection between free-breeding dogs and either East Asia or European dog breeds, with a SNP labelled in the intronic region of the gene. MARCH7 belongs to the membrane-associated RING-CH (MARCH) family, a RING finger protein family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, consisting of 11 members in mammals. The second aim of this study was to test for the possible signals of diversifying selection between free-ranging dogs, pure-breed dogs and wolves in the MARCH7 gene. This was achieved through three main routes: Sanger sequencing of a targeted region previously identified as being under selection, evolutionary comparison through investigation of nonsynonymous and synonymous patterns and phylogenetic analysis of mammalian species and ab initio prediction of protein structure . Sequence analysis demonstrated the possibility of copy number variation and alternative splicing in MARCH7 but failed to show polymorphism at the previously identified intronic SNP. Comparative analysis demonstrated MARCH7 to have highly conserved regions, most notably the RING-CH domain, but also polymorphic regions, where a multitude of both synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations are present across mammalian species studied. Comparison of nonsynonymous and synonymous mutations demonstrated MARCH7 to be under purifying selection across mammalian species. Ab initio prediction of protein structure indicated a highly disordered structure across the majority of the gene, with the exception of the RING-CH domain.


This article is concerned with the debate about interdisciplinary methods in international law, in particular the turn to International Relations. It finds the historical critique of Martti Koskenniemi grounded in a more methodological issue: the turn toward a redefinition of norm properties impedes on the critical discursive quality of law. Shaping this historical critique into a research question that allows for meaningful engagement, the article discusses Koskenniemi's charges drawing on recent constructivist scholarship. Giving an account of what it means to be 'obliged' to obey the law, this article defends the coherence of Koskenniemi's position and suggests that we should take the critique of the interdisciplinary project between law and International Relations seriously. While it agrees that a significant part of the discourse fails to appreciate the particularities of the law, it suggests that understanding legal obligations requires taking the institutional autonomy of the law into account. Respecting this autonomy, in turn, points to a multi- instead of an interdisciplinary project. The reflexive formalist conception of the law that this article advocates captures the obligating nature of the law, independent of the normative content of particular rules.


After a decline at the end of 90's, Home Hemodialysis recently found a second breath. This renewal doesn't only concern France, but also the US and Western Europe (GB, Italy and Spain). Several studies confirm that low flux dialysat machines deliver adequate dialysis dose, based on high dialysat saturation and low daily ultrafiltration rate. Frequent sessions avoid long interdialytic interval. They also are easy to use, allow easier session management with more flexibility and mobility. Daily hemodialysis with low dialysat flux responds to new goals: improving quality of life reaching better cardiovascular parameters and reduce recovery time post dialysis. Better patient adhesion to the treatment with low flux dialysat machines allows a decrease in barriers to home memodialysis development. It gives a good opportunity today to improve dialysis quality. The role of patient care partner is determinant


Abstract Pain due to administration of local anesthetics is the primary reason for patients' fear and anxiety, and various methods are used to minimize it. This study aimed to measure the degree of pain during administration of anesthesia and determine the latency time and duration of pulpal anesthesia using two anesthetic methods in the maxilla. Materials and Methods: A randomized, single-blind, split-mouth clinical trial was conducted with 41 volunteers who required class I restorations in the maxillary first molars. Local anesthesia was administered with a needleless jet injection system (experimental group) or with a carpule syringe (control) using a 30-gauge short needle. The method of anesthesia and laterality of the maxilla were randomized. A pulp electric tester measured the latency time and duration of anesthesia in the second molar. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the degree of pain during the anesthetic method. Data were tabulated and then analyzed by a statistician. The t-test was used to analyze the differences between the groups for basal electrical stimulation. Duration of anesthesia and degree of pain were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. A 5% significance level was considered. Results: There was no statistical difference in the basal electrical stimulation threshold (mA) and degree of pain between the two methods of anesthesia (p>0.05). Latency time was 2 minutes for all subjects. The duration of pulpal anesthesia showed no statistical difference (minutes) between the two methods (p<0.001), with a longer duration for the traditional method of anesthesia (median of 40 minutes). Conclusions: The two anesthetics methods did not differ concerning the pain experienced during anesthesia. Latency lasted 2 minutes for all subjects; the traditional infiltration anesthesia resulted in a longer anesthetic duration compared with the needleless jet injection.


BIOCHEMISTRY
Amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are characterized by a buildup of insoluble protein aggregates in tissues. These aggregates are formed by the conversion of normal soluble proteins into insoluble self-assembling fibrils via a soluble oligomeric intermediate that may be toxic to cells. An antibody that binds specifically to the oligomeric intermediates of several different amyloid proteins blocks toxicity, suggesting that the intermediates may share a common structure.

To identify what this structure might be, Armen et al. have modeled the conformational changes of four amyloid proteins under the low pH conditions that favor amyloid fibril formation. From their molecular dynamics simulations, they conclude that a key step in oligomeric intermediate formation is the acquisition of an α-pleated sheet that could be the target of the toxicity-blocking antibody. The α-pleated sheet, a secondary structural motif proposed more than 50 years ago by Pauling and Corey, has garnered little attention because it is rarely found in proteins. The α-pleated sheet has a residue length of 3.0 A compared to 3.3 A for the more common β-sheet conformation found in many proteins. The hunt is on to find this α-pleated sheet structure in the test tube; if it exists, such an unusual structure would be a valuable target for designing therapeutics. — OMS

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101 , 11622 (2004).


The first part of this paper is a description of the design of low-pass, bandpass, high-pass, and notched filter difference equations using Z-transform techniques. The difference equation coefficient word lengths are significantly reduced by using a set of second-order difference equations. These equations have a form that minimizes computation. The second part of the paper contains applications of these filters to the processing of electrocardiograms (ECG). The filters are included as subroutines in a program that also includes an adaptive muscle-tremor filter, an "optimum" ECG estimator, and optimum estimators for the arrival time of various parts of the ECG waveform. Clinical results are presented.


Inverse kinematic solutions are used in manipulator controllers to determine corrective joint motions for errors in end-effector position and orientation. Previous formulations of these solutions, based on the Jacobian matrix, are inefficient and fail near kinematic singularities. Vector formulations of inverse kinematic problems are developed that lead to efficient computer algorithms. To overcome the difficulties encountered near kinematic singularities, the exact inverse problem is reformulated as a damped least-squares problem, which balances the error in the solution against the size of the solution. This yields useful results for all manipulator configurations.


Biotin derivatives of peptide chloromethyl ketones have ideal properties for specific labeling of the catalytic sites of serine proteinases but have not been widely used as probes because of the difficulty of synthesis and their instability. To make the reagents more accessible, a simple, economical method was developed for preparation of three biotin derivatives of the thrombin-specific inhibitor D-Phe-Pro-Arg-CH2Cl containing increasing lengths of the spacer connecting biotin. Reaction of the peptide with biotin-succinimidyl esters and purification by conventional chromatography yielded the compounds in 91-96% purity. The biotin-labeled inhibitors bound avidin with stoichiometries of 0.88-1.02 mol biotin compound/mol avidin subunits and irreversibly inactivated human thrombin with stoichiometries of 0.89-1.10 mol inhibitor/mol thrombin. Comparison of the three inhibitors by Western blotting indicated that a > or = 7- to 14-atom spacer was needed for sensitive (approximately 10 ng) detection of thrombin, with the derivative lacking a spacer only weakly detected because of its greatly reduced affinity for avidin. Application of the compounds to identify catalytically active products of factor Xa-catalyzed human prethrombin 1 activation in the absence of the protein cofactor, factor Va, allowed the direct observation of transient, low levels of the active intermediate, meizothrombin des-fragment 1, in addition to thrombin. Formation of this intermediate is concluded to reflect an intrinsic property of factor Xa activation of prethrombin 1 that is modulated by factor Va. The methods developed for preparation and characterization of the biotin-labeled inhibitors may be applicable to other tripeptide chloromethyl ketones, and the reagents can be employed for labeling of serine proteinases of diverse substrate specificity.


The magnitude of educational reforms and change in the first decade of independence in Zimbabwe is legendary and more or less unparalleled in the history of educational provision in post-colonial Africa. By the late 1980s, it was increasingly realised that for the then guiding educational philosophy of education with production to take root, it was necessary to undergird it with the subject of political economy (PE). It was envisaged that the subject would provide an epistemological understanding of socialism among secondary pupils who would consequently champion a socialist transformation as future citizens and leaders. The attempt to introduce political economy ranks as one of the most outstanding curriculum innovation failures in Zimbabwe. This study, through documentary analysis, informant interviews of some protagonists of the innovation and erstwhile school pupils who encountered the curriculum in schools, proffers that the introduction of political economy failed mostly because it was a top down process of change which was not predicated on a supportive constituency of the various educational stakeholders. The study recommends that planned curriculum change and innovation should always be informed by the values, goals and expectations of the various stakeholders it seeks to serve.


Optical birefringence measurements are used to characterize how the molecular order of spider (Nephila clavipes) major ampullate silk is affected by linear spinning rate, by the extent of post-spin drawing, and by post-spin drawing rate. Results are interpreted qualitatively in terms of a simple microstructural model, in which birefringence depends on both the overall degree of molecular orientation and the extent to which crystalline regions are present. In contrast to the behavior of conventional, synthetic polymers, birefringence is found to be an unreliable predictor of tensile stiffness: microstructural changes that lead to increased birefringence may leave stiffness unchanged or, in some cases, lower than before. It is unlikely that economic processing of silk-like polymers into fiber that exhibits biomimetic tensile properties can be achieved with spinning followed by drawing, or with a single spinning step. Instead, spinning followed by thermochemical treatment under load may be needed to obtain the critical combination of molecular orientation and crystallinity in commercially satisfactory time scales. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 895–903, 1999


Purpose: As part of service infusion, manufacturers use services to differentiate their products and provide growth. Although several attempts have been made to classify manufacturers' service strategies and offerings, most have been based on small purposive samples. The purpose of this article is to create a generic typology of manufacturers' service strategies. Methodology/approach: The unit of analysis was the manufacturer or strategic business unit. The data collection was based on a survey of 145 B2B manufacturers in the United Kingdom. Findings: Three categories of service offerings were identified: product-attached services, operations services on own products, and vendor independent operations services. These categories are used to specify three generic service strategies: Services Doubters, for whom services are not a strong differentiator with no focus on any category of service offerings; Services Pragmatists, for whom product-attached services are a key differentiator; Services Enthusiasts, for whom services are both a product differentiator and an enabler of growth, with all three categories of service offerings important. Research implications: Whereas prior studies tend to use the concepts of service strategies and categories of service offerings interchangeably, we find empirical support for the importance of making a clear distinction between the two concepts. Practical implications: Manufacturers can be classified according to their services strategies. For Services Doubters service infusion is unlikely to be an appropriate approach to creating differentiation. For Services Pragmatists services play a crucial role in creating product differentiation. Services Enthusiasts use services to both differentiate their own products and also develop services-led growth. Originality/value/contribution: The paper exposes an ambiguity in the extant literature, with a manufacturer's categories of service offerings used as proxies for service strategies. A new typology of service strategies is presented based on categories of service offerings, which provides insight into how manufacturers infuse services.


Background Discharge summaries are essential for communicating patient information from secondary care to general practice on hospital discharge. Although there has been extensive research into their design and completion in secondary care, very little is known about primary care processing of these documents. Aim To explore what general practice staff think are the factors associated with failure to respond to actions requested in discharge summaries and what practices do to mitigate this. Design & setting Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with primary care staff in three geographical regions of England. Method Interviews with 10 practice managers and 10 GPs (one of each at each of the 10 practices) were undertaken to explore management of discharge summaries. Results Five themes emerged from the interviews. The 'secondary care factors' theme describes participants' perspectives on the design of summaries, which are inconsistent and often require improvement. The 'safety features of processing systems' theme focuses on document handling in primary care. A theme devoted to 'medicines reconciliation' followed. 'Error and harm as a result of faulty processing' is a theme describing 'human error' and other factors that participants believed contributed to failure to respond to requested actions. Finally, the 'strategies for safety improvement' theme describes initiatives to prevent failures of safer transitions of care. Conclusion Correct processing of discharge summaries is essential to ensure patients experience a safe transition of care and not just a hospital discharge. Based on the interview findings, strategies to mitigate against faults in the processing of discharge summaries have been suggested to enhance safer transitions of care.


Past research in the area of information systems acceptance has primarily focused on initial adoption under the implicit assumption that IS usage is mainly determined by intention. While plausible in the case of initial IS adoption, this assumption may not be as readily applicable to continued IS usage behavior since it ignores that frequently performed behaviors tend to become habitual and thus automatic over time.

This paper is a step forward in defining and incorporating the "habit" construct into IS research. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to explore the role of habit and its antecedents in the context of continued IS usage.

Building on previous work in other disciplines, we define habit in the context of IS usage as the extent to which people tend to perform behaviors (use IS) automatically because of learning. Using recent work on the continued usage of IS (IS continuance), we have developed a model suggesting that continued IS usage is not only a consequence of intention, but also of habit. In particular, in our research model, we propose IS habit to moderate the influence of intention such that its importance in determining behavior decreases as the behavior in question takes on a more habitual nature. Integrating past research on habit and IS continuance further, we suggest how antecedents of behavior/behavioral intention as identified by IS continuance research relate to drivers of habitualization.

We empirically tested the model in the context of voluntary continued WWW usage. Our results support the argument that habit acts as a moderating variable of the relationship between intentions and IS continuance behavior, which may put a boundary condition on the explanatory power of intentions in the context of continued IS usage. The data also support that satisfaction, frequency of past behavior, and comprehensiveness of usage are key to habit formation and thus relevant in the context of IS continuance behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed and managerial guidelines presented.


By Ashley Conway, Environmental Studies
Advisor: Ronald Canterbury
Presentation ID: PM_ATRIUM22
Abstract: It is estimated that up to one billion birds die from building and window collisions each year in North America. As the number of glass buildings increase globally, we may see a more drastic decline in many avian populations, especially in Neotropical migrant species. During migration, birds must stop to rest and refuel and will fall out into not only critically important, high-quality stopover habitats, but also in greenspace and urban areas where a higher likelihood of colliding into glass buildings exist. The UC campus is no exception to this. Data over the past 10-15 years lead us to predict no significant relationship among the number of avian collision mortalities and building architectural design and environmental factors, such as invasive plant species and weather. However, recently, we found the number of collisions to be quite large, with over 100 collisions from April 5th to December 12th, 2018. Nocturnal artificial lights and building designs, especially those with glass connectors on campus, may contribute to higher than expected window collisions leading to "super collider" avian species in this urban landscape. These include the most common species found, specifically the Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina), and Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) as well as other migratory songbird species. We are working to identify potential risks that migratory birds currently face in our city and to mitigate for another 200 years and beyond at UC.


In recent years, public health officials and scholars have voiced their concerns about comparatively low condom use in China, citing high rates of abortion and the growing HIV/AIDS crisis. By examining condom use through the lenses of gender and the history of medicine, this article traces heterosexual condom consumption in China from the early twentieth century to the present and situates contemporary attitudes toward condoms within long-term contraceptive patterns. Rather than simply taking for granted the role that men play in family planning decisions, this research takes men and masculinity as a central focus. An eye to the past reveals numerous historical obstacles to condom use, as well as an enduring aversion to condoms grounded in fears of reduced male sexual pleasure, and the gendered assumption that birth control is the sole responsibility of women. Analyzing evolving perceptions of condoms sheds light on constructions of sexuality, gender relations, and the roles of the state, society, and the individual in contraceptive decision-making in China.


Education is paramount in effectively reducing the significant burden of stroke in the Philippines. Dedicated academic institutions and dynamic professional organizations in the Philippines have collaborated to involve themselves in the plight against stroke through systematic curriculum development for undergraduates, continuous regulation of quality residency and fellowship training program, hosting up-to-date Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities for local and international audience, and active participation in clinical stroke trials. Most recently, the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine & Surgery and the Department of Neurology & Psychiatry offered a 72-hour Certification Course in Stroke Medicine that commenced in 2011 in anticipation of the Master on Health Sciences in Stroke Medicine course being prepared for 2013.


Microarrays are novel and dominant techniques that are being made use in the analysis of the expression level of DNA, with pharmacology, medical diagnosis, environmental engineering, and biological sciences being its current applications. Studies on microarray have shown that image processing techniques can considerably influence the precision of microarray data. A crucial issue identified in gene microarray data analysis is to perform accurate quantification of spot shapes and intensities of microarray image. Segmentation methods that have been employed in microarray analysis are a vital source of variability in microarray data that directly affects precision and the identification of differentially expressed genes. The effect of different segmentation methods on the variability of data derived from microarray images has been overlooked. This article proposes a methodology to investigate the accuracy of spot segmentation of a microarray image, using morphological image analysis techniques and watershed algorithm. The input to the methodology is a microarray image, which is then subjected to spotted microarray image preprocessing and gridding. Subsequently, the resulting microarray subgrid is segmented using morphological operators and also by means of the watershed algorithm. Based on the precision of segmentation and its intensity profile, a formal investigation of the two segmentation algorithms employed (morphological operators and watershed algorithm) is performed. The experimental results demonstrate the segmentation effectiveness of the proposed methodology and also the better of the two segmentation algorithms employed for segmentation.


The last decade has witnessed a remarkable internationalization in conceptual history. Research covers more countries and languages than ever before, and there have been several very good comparative studies. This article reflects on the possibility of taking conceptual history beyond comparison. Like nations, languages can no longer be considered as naturally given entities, but must be viewed as profoundly shaped by historical exchanges. This brings conceptual history into a dialogue with translation studies in a common attempt to unravel how equivalents between languages have been created by the actors.


Peptidoglycan fragments from the bacterial cell wall activate innate immune signaling pathways and limits infections in animals. Indeed, recent studies from the Hang and Mucida laboratories have shown that E. faecium secreted peptidoglycan hydrolase (SagA) generates smaller peptidoglycan fragments, muropeptides, which can enhance host epithelial barrier integrity and enteric pathogen tolerance. However, the direct biochemical interactions of muropeptides with their proposed pattern recognition receptors have been challenging to characterize. Here, I report the chemical synthesis of photoaffinity probes for the analysis of muropeptide-pattern recognition receptor interactions in cells. These studies reveal direct biochemical interactions of muropeptide with pattern recognition receptors and other potential cofactors in mammalian cells. Further characterization of muropeptide-pattern recognition receptor and cofactor complexes will be important for elucidating fundamental mechanisms of innate immunity and inflammation-associated diseases and cancer. Citation Format: Yen-Chih Wang. Chemical probes for exploring muropeptide-pattern recognition receptor interactions in cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B195.


Carboxamide pyrazinyloxy benzoxaboroles were investigated with the goal to identify a molecule with satisfactory antimalarial activity, physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetic profile, in vivo efficacy, and safety profile. This optimization effort discovered 46, which met our target candidate profile. Compound 46 had excellent activity against cultured Plasmodium falciparum, and in vivo against P. falciparum and P. berghei in infected mice. It exhibited good PK properties in mice, rats, and dogs. It was highly active against the other 11 P. falciparum strains, which are mostly resistant to chloroquine and pyrimethamine. The rapid parasite in vitro reduction and in vivo parasite clearance profile of 46 were similar to those of artemisinin and chloroquine, two rapid-acting antimalarials. It was nongenotoxic in an Ames assay, an in vitro micronucleus assay, and an in vivo rat micronucleus assay when dosed orally up to 2000 mg/kg. The combined properties of this novel benzoxaborole support its progression to preclinical development.


This article presents findings from original focus group research on the importance of identity claims within public understandings of counter-terrorism across the UK. Following a review of existing literature on the terrorism/counter-terrorism/identity nexus, the article introduces four prominent subject positions inhabited within public articulations of counter-terrorism powers: the 'Muslim', the 'target', the 'woman' and the 'unaffected'. Positions such as these, we argue, both enable and inhibit particular normative, political and anecdotal claims about counter-terrorism frameworks and their impact upon the body politic. This, we suggest, is demonstrative of the co-constitutive role between counter-terrorism and identity claims. Thus, on the one hand, counter-terrorism initiatives work to position individuals socially, politically and culturally: (re)producing various religious, ethnic and other identities. Yet, at the same time, specific subject positions are integral to the articulation of people's attitudes toward developments in counter-terrorism. The article concludes by thinking through some of the implications of this, including for resistance toward securitising moves and for citizenship more generally.


Vertical Well-bore Section Anti-collision is one of the main problems to be resolved for clustering directional well during the construction process. In order to effectively reduce the Vertical Well Section collision risk of this wells, the relationship between Wellbore cross-collision probability and the Wellbore separation was studied, the relationship between Wellbore cross-collision probability and the parallel Section length of the two Wellbore was also studied, Based on the above study found the method to calculate the Vertical Wellbore Section cross-collision probability of the clustering directional well. The Vertical Well-bore Section arrangement with smallest cross-collision probability was found by analyzing the cross-collision probability in line style wellhead of cluster wells consisting of 4 wells through this method. The results show that when the Well-bore separation is less than 1.5m. Wellbore collision probability rapidly decrease with the increase of Well-bore separation, the wellbore collision probability trends to smooth when wellbore separation is more than this distance, and the tendency will increase with the increase of parallel section length of the two Wellbore. By optimizing the arrangement and design methods can effectively reduce the collision risk. This study provides a new idea to reduce the overall risk of Cluster Well development.


Background: Rac1 GTPase, a member of the Ras‐related Rho GTPase family, is the major Rac isoform present in platelets and has been shown to be involved in cell actin cytoskeleton reorganization and adhesion. Agonists that induce platelet secretion and aggregation also activate Rac1 GTPase, raising the possibility that Rac1 GTPase may be involved in regulation of platelet function. Objectives: To rigorously define the role of Rac1 in platelet regulation. Methods: We have used a dual approach of gene targeting in mice and pharmacologic inhibition of Rac1 by NSC23766, a rationally designed specific small molecule inhibitor, to study the role of Rac1 in platelet function. Results: Platelets from mice as well as human platelets treated with NSC23766 exhibited a significant decrease in: (i) active Rac1 species and phosphorylation of the Rac effector, p21‐activated kinase; (ii) expression of P‐selectin and secretion of adenosine triphosphate induced by thrombin or U46619; and (iii) aggregation induced by adenosine 5′‐diphosphate, collagen, thrombin and U46619, a stable analog of thromboxane A2. NSC23766 did not alter the cAMP or cGMP levels in platelets. Consistent with the requirement of Rac1 for normal platelet function, the bleeding times in Rac1–/– mice or mice given NSC23766 were significantly prolonged. Conclusions: Our data show that deficiency or inhibition of Rac1 GTPase blocks platelet secretion. The inhibition of secretion, at least in part, is responsible for diminished platelet aggregation and prolonged bleeding times observed in Rac1 knockout or Rac1 inhibitor‐treated mice.


UbcH5c, a member of the UbcH5 family of protein ubiquitin conjugase E2 enzymes, is a critical component of biological processes in human cells, being the initial ubiquitinating enzyme of substrates like IκB, TP53, and cyclin D1. We report here that the metastasis regulator protein SLUG inhibits the expression of UbcH5c directly through chromatin remodeling and thus, among other downstream effects, elevates the level of cyclin D1, thus enhancing the growth rates of breast cancer cells. Overexpression of SLUG in the SLUG-deficient breast cancer cells significantly decreased the levels of mRNA and protein of UbcH5c but only elevated the protein levels of cyclin D1. On the contrary, knockdown of SLUG in SLUG-high breast cancer cells elevated the levels of UbcH5c while decreasing the level of cyclin D1 protein. SLUG is recruited at the E2-box sequence at the UbcH5c gene promoter along with the corepressor CtBP1 and the effector HDAC1 to silence the expression of this gene. Knockdown of UbcH5c in the SLUG-deficient human breast cells elevated the level of cyclin D1 as well as the rates of proliferation and invasiveness of these cells. Whereas the growth rates of the cells are enhanced due to overexpression of SLUG or knockdown of UbcH5c in the breast cancer cells tested, ER+ cells also acquire resistance to the anti-estrogen 4-hydroxytamoxifen due to the rise of cyclin D1 levels in these cells. This study thus implicates high levels of SLUG and low levels of UbcH5c as a determinant in the progression of metastatic breast cancer.


Individuals working in physically demanding occupations can experience high levels of heat strain due to the physical demands of the job, harsh environmental conditions and/or the wearing of personnel protective equipment (PPE). The ability to monitor body core temperature (Tc) could reduce the risk of heat illness. The main purpose of this thesis was to examine non-invasive methods of Tc measurement.
Studies 1, 2 and 3 investigated the validity of insulated skin temperature (Tis) as a non-invasive measure of Tc, in emergency service (ES) and military personnel. In Study 1, a model including Tis and micro-climate temperature (Tmc) was developed to predict rectal temperature (Tre) for ES personnel wearing PPE. The resulting standard error of the estimate (SEE=0.20 °C) was within the a-priori pre-defined SEE limit (0.20 °C), providing encouragement for the further investigation of Tis as a surrogate measure of Tc.
Studies 2 and 3 sought to determine the validity of Tis in predicting Tre in military personnel, wearing PPE in temperate conditions (Study 2) and in a desert environment (Study 3). Although the SEE was outside the acceptable SEE in Study 2 (0.22 °C), the sensitivity (97 %) for predicting Tre values over 38.5 °C provided scope for a military application for Tis to predict Tc. In Study 3, Tis could not predict Tre in a desert environment, with simulated solar radiation directly affecting Tis and invalidating the prediction (SEE = 0.29 °C).
Study 4 involved a series of experiments performed under six conditions in a thermal chamber with two clothing types, to determine whether the addition of other physiological and/or environmental factors might improve the prediction of Tre. A model including Tis and Tmc resulted in an SEE of 0.26 °C; with heart rate (HR) and work significantly reducing the SEE (0.23 °C) (p<0.05). Although the SEE achieved in the validation (0.27 °C) was larger than in Studies 1 and 2, these results provide novel information regarding the measures that explain the variance when predicting Tre in a wide range of heat stress conditions. To our knowledge this is the most detailed analysis of Tc prediction based on non-invasive sensors, with the inclusion of all the parameters that are likely to be relevant.
The main conclusion from the work thus far was that it is unlikely a reliable prediction of Tc can be achieved, using Tis, for validity under different types of heat stress conditions. However, predictions of Tre for more specific conditions using Tis are achievable.
Having collected a vast amount of data on participants demonstrating high levels of heat strain, it was considered valuable to analyse the drop-outs in more detail. More specifically the goal of Study 5 was to see whether measurements of individual heat strain (Tc, HR) and the combination of these in the Physiological Strain Index (PSI) had predictive power for individual drop-out. There were no differences in PSI between individuals who stopped from heat exhaustion (HE) (7.9 ± 0.8) and those who completed the trial (C) (8.3 ± 0.9). The only differences between these two groups were rate of rise of Tre, (C 0.03 ± 0.01 °C min-1 and; HE 0.04 ± 0.01 °C min-1), chest temperature (Tchest) (C 38.1 ± 1.0 °C and; HE 39.0 ± 0.6 °C) and the temperature gradient between Tchest and Tre (C 1.04 ± 1.07 °C, and; HE -0.05 ± 0.59 °C) (p<0.05); It was therefore concluded that PSI did not provide a good personal heat strain measure that would predict tolerance of the individual.
In conclusion, Tis (with Tmc) is promising as a non-invasive measure of Tre, in ES and military personnel wearing fully-encapsulated PPE, based on the resulting SEE and sensitivity and specificity. With the current methodology, it is not valid in conditions with a solar load. The addition of HR and work together improve the prediction of Tre. The PSI does not enable identification of individuals who are approaching heat exhaustion, requiring the inclusion of other physiological responses which determine tolerance.


This thesis analyses the application of article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the legal system of Albania. It compares the standards of the requirements of article 13, as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights and different legal scholars, with the laws and procedures in use in the Albanian legal system. The goal of the thesis is to assess the quality and scope of the legal protection of the right to effective remedy in Albania as provided by article 13. Although the case law practice of the European Court of Human Rights is not very decisive with regard to the requirements of article 13, the main principles of its application are now identifiable. The analysis of the concept of effective remedies under article 13 as elaborated by Harris, O'Boyle, and Warbrick, provides a very concise scheme of the key elements that this article entails. They identify four elements of the concept of effective remedies. Firstly, institutional effectiveness, according to which, the national authority that will deal with the claim of violation of any of the rights under the European Convention on Human Rights must be independent from the authority allegedly responsible for the violation committed. Secondly, substantial effectiveness that presupposes the possibility of the individuals to canvass the substance of the Convention from the domestic laws, although the Convention may not be part of them. Thirdly, remedial effectiveness, which requires that if the applicants' substantive arguments are accepted by the national authority that is responsible to deal with their claims, the latter must be in the position to grant them a remedy. Finally, material effectiveness, which requires not only the availability of effective remedies in the national legal system, but also the possibility of taking advantage of it. Following 45 years of a closed and centralized political regime, where the notion of human rights was a very restricted and almost a nonexistent one, Albania adopted a democratic system of government in 1991. A special constitutional regime was adopted, consisting of a package of constitutional laws, one of which provided a substantial set of guarantees for the protection of human rights and freedoms of the individuals. A proper Constitution was adopted 7 years later, containing provisions considered advanced for the protection of human rights and the status of international law in the domestic legal system. The provisions of this Constitution established for the first time in Albania the institution of the Ombudsman. According to the provisions of the Constitution, the Constitution is the highest legal norm in the country, followed by the international ratified treaties. The judicial system was also reformed upon the establishment of the democratic regime. It started functioning as an independent branch of the power, where the individuals could address their complaints against wrongful actions of state authorities. The Constitutional Amendment No. 7561, dated 29 April 1992, established a three-tier judicial system composed of District Courts, Courts of Appeals and the High Court. It also established a Constitutional Court, as the exclusive authority to interpret the Constitution. According to the current legal regulation in Albania, the judicial and administrative bodies are the only state authorities that have binding powers to decide on cases of violations of individuals' rights. Theoretically, the Albanian judicial system complies adequately with the requirements of institutional effectiveness while the practical aspect is equivocal and does not match completely with the theoretical panorama. Administrative bodies also comply at a considerable degree with institutional effectiveness, as demonstrated in the thesis, although certain procedures of complaints do not fit with the standards of the interpretations of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the notion of independence. The substance of the European Convention on Human Rights is incorporated in the constitutional provisions and is directly enforceable before the Albanian courts. Moreover, the Convention has a constitutional status, and thus, is the highest norm of the country. Consequently, the principal criteria of substantive effectiveness are fully supported by the Albanian legal system. Criminal and civil courts have sufficient powers to deal with individuals' complaints regarding violations of their rights. They can resolve the respective conflicts and also repair the harm occurred, except for the cases where the illegal decision was partially affected by the actions of the individuals. The powers of the Constitutional Court are also remedially effective for the claims of violation of the rights to due process, at the extent that its decisions oblige the ordinary courts to repair the violation committed. The same remedial effectiveness characterizes the powers of the Albanian administrative bodies, while the powers of the Ombudsman are not sufficient to respond effectively to the individuals' claims of violations of their rights, as intended by article 13. All individuals may take advantage of the guarantees provided in the legal system. Even those with limited legal capacities may access the legal recourses available in the local and international level, through their legal representatives. However, in practice individuals do not fully benefit from the theoretical guarantees, due to deficiencies in the enforcement of courts' rulings that impose an obligation on the state authorities to remedy the violations of individuals' rights. This is a consequence of the gaps in the procedural laws with regard to this matter, and the improper application of the sanctions provided for non-compliance with the courts' rulings. It constitutes as well a ground for claiming a lack of material effectiveness. As a conclusion, the requirements of the institutional and substantial effectiveness are implemented to a considerable extent in the Albanian legal system, while the requirements of the other two components, namely the remedial and material effectiveness are not fully guaranteed. The scarce practical enjoyment of the theoretical guarantees is a serious weakness of the Albanian legal system. Especially, the inefficiency of the legal system to secure the implementation of the rulings of judicial bodies could be considered as a denial of effective remedies to the harmed individuals. Consequently, my conclusion is that the features of the legal system of Albania address to a considerable extent the requirements of the right to effective remedy. However, there exist ample grounds on which a violation of article 13 maybe alleged.


The assessment of physical literacy is vital and challenging for researchers and practitioners. Passport for Life is a Canadian global practitioner-based, formative, criterion-referenced assessment of physical literacy that is recorded in an online program. Students complete eight assessments divided across four broad categories of physical literacy (active participation, fitness, movement, and living skills). This study is an endeavor to uncover initial validation and feasibility evidence for the proposed use of Passport for Life with Grade 10–12 physical education students from various regions of Canada. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing were used as the theoretical framework. The results with 1,003 secondary school students provide score validity evidence on the content, format, and administrative guidelines of the items and scales; response process evidence about how the program was valued and how the assessments were implemented; internal structure evidence about how participants performed and the extent of associations between items within each scale; predictive evidence as to how scales related temporally to a second measurement of each assessment scale; and concurrent evidence about how the scales related to those of other components. While drawing attention to certain limitations and adding some recommendations, this article shows that the results generally support the Grade 10–12 Passport for Life relative to its intended use. Subscribe to TPE


Some Observations Rushikeah M Maru R S Ganapathy To understand the extent and nature of internal policy analysis in public organisations, the authors conducted an exploratory study of policy analysis mechanisms in the three Central government ministries of health and family welfare, agriculture and science and technology. A series of unstructured interviews were conducted with officials in these three ministries to understand the organisation of policy analysis within the ministries, and to identify major issues for further research. What is presented in this note is a set of preliminary observations for discussion.


ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to validate a placebo pill response predictive model - a biosignature - that classifies chronic pain patients into placebo-responders (predicted-PTxResp) and non-responders (predicted-PTxNonR), and test whether it can dissociate placebo and active treatment responses. The model, based on psychological and brain functional connectivity, was derived in our previous study and blindly applied to current trial participants. 94 chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients were classified into predicted-PTxResp or predicted-PTxNonR and randomized into no-treatment, placebo treatment, or naproxen treatment. To monitor analgesia, back pain intensity was collected twice a day: 3 weeks baseline, 6 weeks of treatment, 3 weeks of washout. 89 CLBP patients were included in the intent-to-treat analyses and 77 CLBP in the per-protocol analyses. Both analyses showed similar results. At the group level, the predictive model performed remarkably well, dissociating the separate effect sizes of pure placebo response and pure active treatment response, and demonstrating that these effects interacted additively. Pain relief was about 15% stronger in the predicted-PTxResp compared to the predicted-PTxNonR receiving either placebo or naproxen, and the predicted-PTxNonR successfully isolated the active drug effect. At a single subject level, the biosignature better predicted placebo non-responders, with poor accuracy. One component of the biosignature (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-precentral gyrus functional connectivity) could be generalized across three placebo studies and in two different cohorts - CLBP and osteoarthritis pain patients. This study shows that a biosignature can predict placebo response at a group level in the setting of a randomized controlled trial.


Urocanic acid (UCA) occurs naturally in the stratum corneum of the skin as the trans-isomer and, upon exposure to UVB radiation, converts to cis-UCA. It has been proposed that trans-UCA is the photoreceptor for and, following its isomerization to cis-UCA, a mediator of the suppressive effects of UVB irradiation on systemic T cell-mediated immune responses, such as contact hypersensitivity (CH) and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). To address this question directly, we studied the consequence of deleting the in vivo function of cis-UCA on systemic suppression of CH and DTH, by injecting mice with a anti-cis-UCA mAb several hours before exposure to UVB radiation. We found that while DTH responses were completely restored, the anti-cis-UCA Ab had no effect on UV-induced immunosuppression of the CH response, even though suppressor cell formation was inhibited in both cases. Further, the kinetics of IL-10 expression in the skin of irradiated mice injected with the anti-cis-UCA mAb was altered and the diminished APC function of spleen-adherent cells from UVB-irradiated mice was totally reversed by the Ab. These findings suggest that cis-UCA acts as a mediator for some but not all of the systemic suppressive effects of UVB irradiation. They also suggest that cis-UCA may act indirectly via IL-10 to modulate immune function.


Sandy nourishments are worldwide applied along sandy shores as maintenance strategy and to enhance the values of coastal areas. In this context, there is a challenge in developing competitive sandy strategies that optimally suit local demands and needs. Within the Building with Nature innovation program three pilots projects based on sandy strategies are explored and discussed in this paper. The pilot projects are based on existing concepts reinvented for new environments in which the challenge is to better suit a local context with respect to conventional approaches. This obviously is a design challenge in which the capacity to 1) develop designs with controlled morphodynamics and 2) engineer with vegetation are both critical.


To develop the future CAD systems with concurrent engineering functions, a new CAD model, called Concurrent Engineering-oriented Design Database Representation Model (CE-DDRM), is introduced in this research for supporting various lifecycle aspects in concurrent design. In this model, concepts and behaviors of different design database modeling components, including entities, properties, relationships, tasks, and specifications, are defined at meta-class level. Design database is modeled at two different levels, class level and instance level, representing generic design libraries and special design cases, respectively.