The influence of lithium on the rate of repassivation of aluminum alloys was studied by conducting scratch-repassivation experiments on samples with differing lithium and copper contents and with differing heat treatments in a buffer solution containing either 0.5 M sodium sulfate or 0.5 M sodium chloride. The experiments were conducted under either open circuit conditions, with the resulting potential transient recorded, or under potentiostatic conditions, with the resulting current transient recorded. Due to the rapid repassivation rate of aluminum alloys, unique experimental and analytical procedures had to be developed. In particular, the experiments were designed to minimize the time between initiation and completion of the scratch and to generate the bare surface at a constant rate. A constant bare surface generation rate allowed for determination of the bare surface current density from the slope of the rise transient rather than from the maximum current observed as done by previous investigators. The bare surface current density determined in this manner was always greater then that calculated from the maximum current. Lithium in solid solution was found to slightly increase the bare surface current density but it did not significantly alter the rate of repassivation over the range of lithium concentrations studied. The precipitation of lithium phases altered the repassivation behavior but, the nature of the observed changes depended on the type of precipitate.


AFP secreted by hepatocellular cancer cells inhibits fatty acid synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation in dendritic cells. These effects on mitochondrial metabolism are mediated through mTORC1, SREBP-1, and PGC1α, resulting in immunosuppression. Cellular metabolism supports immune cell function. Here, we identify a reduction in fatty acid synthesis and mitochondrial metabolism in dendritic cells (DC) due to α-fetoprotein (AFP), a protein secreted by hepatocellular cancer (HCC). DCs cultured in the presence of AFP show reduced expression of the metabolic regulatory molecules SREBP-1 and PGC1-α. The negative effect of AFP on mitochondrial metabolism and ATP production was confirmed with observation of reduction in basal oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in DCs exposed to AFP derived from cord blood. More severe reduction in basal OCR was observed in tumor-derived DCs exposed to AFP due to downregulation of cytochrome c oxidase. We also showed reduced expression of PGC1-α in circulating myeloid DCs of patients with HCC and impaired capacity to stimulate antigen-specific effector functions. These data show the negative effects of AFP on DC metabolism. These findings elucidate a mechanism of immune suppression in HCC and may help generate therapeutic approaches to reverse such immunosuppression.


In this study, we find that telephone-based developmental screening and care coordination through 2-1-1 increases referrals to and enrollment in early childhood services compared with usual care alone. BrightcoveDefaultPlayer10.1542/6138655444001PEDS-VA_2018-1064 Video Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite professional guidelines to conduct universal early childhood developmental screening, primary care providers often struggle with early identification of developmental delays, referrals to interventions, and connecting families to services. In this study, we tested the efficacy of telephone-based developmental screening and care coordination through 2-1-1 Los Angeles County, which is part of a national network of call centers, compared with usual care alone. METHODS: Children ages 12 to 42 months old who receive well-child care at a community health center serving predominantly Hispanic families were recruited and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Families in the intervention group were connected with 2-1-1, in which a trained care coordinator conducted developmental screening over the phone using the Parental Evaluation of Development Status Online system and made referrals to intervention services on the basis of developmental risk. The 2-1-1 care coordinator then followed-up with families to assist with connections to evaluations and services. After 6 months, primary outcomes included the following: (1) percentage of children referred for developmental evaluation and intervention services and (2) percentage of children actually receiving services. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-two children were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 77) and control (n = 75) groups. On the basis of intention-to-treat analyses, significantly more children assigned to the intervention group were referred (32% vs 9%; P = .001) and were receiving services (16% vs 1%; P = .002) within 6 months compared with children assigned to usual care alone. CONCLUSIONS: Telephone-based developmental screening and care coordination through 2-1-1 appears to be an effective approach for increasing the numbers of young children referred to, and receiving, intervention services for developmental delays.


Sexual dysfunction is often concurrent with depressive disorders. Antidepressants may induce or augment sexual dysfunction as an adverse effect. About 40% of all patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or other serotonergic agents, report such effects. If sexual dysfunction is not adequately dealt with it may contribute to noncompliance and thus compromise treatment. For the norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor bupropion, the incidence of sexual adverse effects is equal to that for placebo. Additional treatment with bupropion, or switching to mirtazapin or bupropion, may be effective. Studies in men have documented positive effects of concomitant treatment with sildenafil or tadalafil.


The genus Panagrellus currently comprises 12 known species. These nematodes have a worldwide distribution and have been found in a variety of habitats such as slime flux, thermal springs, insect frass and spoiled cider. Diagnosis of Panagrellus species is rather problematic since few morphological features can be used to discriminate between species and the original publications do not indicate the number of specimens measured and lack standard descriptions of variance. In this study we review the taxonomic status of several species from this genus combining classical morphological data and molecular sequences. Eleven live isolates and fixed material from currently available type specimens representing six Panagrellus species were included. Morphological analysis included the examination of qualitative and quantitative characters of males and females. The taxonomic utility of morphometric data was evaluated by means of multivariate statistics (principal component and canonical discriminant analyses). Phylogenetic inference was based on analysis of nucleotide sequences from the LSU rDNA gene and morphological characters. Parsimony tree topologies inferred from nucleotide datasets strongly supported monophyly of the P. dubius isolates, but not the P. redivivus isolates. Phylogenetic interpretation of these rDNA sequence data suggests that both the P. redivivus and P. dubius isolates each include more than a single species. Only two of the 15 morphological characters evaluated were variable within the ingroup taxa. A long spicule bifurcation length maps on the combined evidence trees as a putative synapmorphy for P. dubius, whereas male D% was homoplastic within isolates of that species. The diagnosis of the genus Panagrellus is emended.


Several studies have examined the reduction behavior of manganese ore at high temperature with the aim of reducing the manganese cost in the steelmaking process. However, the transformation behavior of manganese compounds at high temperatures had not yet been clarified. Therefore, in this paper, the effects of temperature and oxygen partial pressure, as well as chemical composition, on the transformation and melting behavior of manganese ore were investigated by using high temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) in order to obtain fundamental information on the pre-reduction process of manganese ore. The main manganese compound in the raw manganese ore used in this study was characterized as CaMn6SiO12 by XRD at room temperature, while the main Mn compounds in the sintered manganese ore were Mn3O4 and MnO. Under a vacuum condition, raw manganese ore and sintered manganese ore were reduced to MnO above 1 473 K. However, under atmospheric conditions (pressure: 760 Torr), manganese ore was reduced to Mn3O4 rather than MnO at temperatures above 1 073 K. The results of high temperature XRD agreed with thermodynamic calculations. The melting temperature of the raw manganese ore evaluated by TG-DTA was lower than that of the sintered manganese ore due to the difference in the manganese oxide in each ore rather than the difference in the content of gangue components such as Al2O3, CaO, MgO and Fe2O3. The higher melting temperature of the sintered manganese ore is interpreted in terms of a higher content of MnO due to heat treatment.


This study's objective was to evaluate the degree of implementation of epidemiological surveillance activities by the Municipal Health Secretariat in Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil. The design consisted of a case study with a normative approach. The logical model for epidemiological surveillance was outlined as the basis for selecting criteria that comprised a matrix submitted to specialists using the consensus technique or Delphi Method. This consensual matrix was used as the basis for the questionnaires used in the interviews. Three analytical levels were approached: the central level, 6 health districts, and 62 family health teams. According to the study, epidemiological surveillance has been partially implemented in the municipality, based on the degree of implementation at the three levels (already implemented at the central level and partially implemented in the health districts and family health teams). Despite the decentralization of epidemiological surveillance activities to the municipalities, different levels in the municipal system have different needs in dealing with the standards and norms, including the elaboration of internal guidelines to define responsibilities at the three levels.


This article considers the non-substantive aspect of maritime boundaries negotiation. Negotiation is a preferred method to delimit maritime boundaries as it has its own advantage compare to other peaceful method. Negotiators have to go through different stages throughout the negotiation process. Creative approach is required to avoid deadlock, and to push the negotiation forward. In the end, the success of the negotiation depends on good faith, and the readiness of each party to compromise and find agreed solution.


A three-dimensional network model for performing non-linear time-dependent simulations of the electrical characteristics related to a composite material is presented. The considered compounds are represented by a cubic lattice and consist of conducting particles distributed in an insulating matrix. Earlier studies of the non-linear characteristics of silicon carbide (SiC) grains and of the linear frequency-dependent electrical properties of composites are combined and extended. The calculations are compared to measurements on ethylene–propylene–diene monomer rubber filled with angular SiC grains. The field-dependent conductivity measured for the unconsolidated SiC powder is used as input to the simulations. The model can manage the conductivity difference of seven decades between the constituents and the strong exponential non-linearity of the conducting particles. The network calculations replicate the experimental characteristic at high filler concentrations, where direct 'face' contacts between the filler grains dominate the behaviour. At lower concentrations, it is shown that indirect 'edge' contacts involving the polymer control the current transport also in the non-linear high field range. The general effective conductivity describing an edge connection in the linear case is no longer appropriate. Non-linear mechanisms in the polymer and the conducting grains within a field enhanced limited region around the contact need to be represented by an equivalent circuit element with a case-dependent resulting expression.


This policy brief summarises the main findings from extensive field research on the drivers, facilitators and strategies of wildlife trafficking in Uganda. It translates the insights described in Working Paper 33: A worm's-eye view of wildlife trafficking in Uganda into recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.
The research shows that individuals engaging in the first stages of the trading route are driven predominantly by aspirations of wealth to overcome socio-economic hardships. This is reinforced by stereotypes that depict wildlife trade as benign and legitimate.
The trafficking is also facilitated by weak governance systems that generate high levels of corruption and impunity. In such a context, opportunistic strategies sustain the operations of organised transnational wildlife trafficking networks, not least because of the availability of a ready pool of accomplices who can be co-opted to facilitate the effective consolidation, concealment and corrupt cover of high volumes of wildlife products.
Policymakers who wish to reduce the attractiveness of Uganda for organised wildlife trafficking networks are advised to consider these factors when designing their interventions.
This report was funded by PMI IMPACT, a grant award initiative of Philip Morris International (PMI). In the performance of their research, the authors maintained full independence from PMI. The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of PMI. Neither PMI, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.


BACKGROUND
When substituted for carbohydrate in an energy-reduced diet, dietary protein enhances fat loss in women. It is unknown whether the effect is due to increased protein or reduced carbohydrate.

OBJECTIVE
We compared the effects of 2 isocaloric diets that differed in protein and fat content on weight loss, lipids, appetite regulation, and energy expenditure after test meals.

DESIGN
This was a parallel, randomized study in which subjects received either a low-fat, high-protein (LF-HP) diet (29 +/- 1% fat, 34 +/- 0.8% protein) or a high-fat, standard-protein (HF-SP) diet (45 +/- 0.6% fat, 18 +/- 0.3% protein) during 12 wk of energy restriction (6 +/- 0.1 MJ/d) and 4 wk of energy balance (7.4 +/- 0.3 MJ/d). Fifty-seven overweight and obese [mean body mass index (in kg/m(2)): 33.8 +/- 0.9] volunteers with insulin concentrations >12 mU/L completed the study.

RESULTS
Weight loss (LF-HP group, 9.7 +/- 1.1 kg; HF-SP group, 10.2 +/- 1.4 kg; P = 0.78) and fat loss were not significantly different between diet groups even though the subjects desired less to eat after the LF-HP meal (P = 0.02). The decrease in resting energy expenditure was not significantly different between diet groups (LF-HP, -342 +/- 185 kJ/d; HF-SP, -349 +/- 220 kJ/d). The decrease in the thermic effect of feeding with weight loss was smaller in the LF-HP group than in the HF-SP group (-0.3 +/- 1.0% compared with -3.6 +/- 0.7%; P = 0.014). Glucose and insulin responses to test meals improved after weight loss (P < 0.001) with no significant diet effect. Bone turnover, inflammation, and calcium excretion did not change significantly.

CONCLUSION
The magnitude of weight loss and the improvements in insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease risk factors did not differ significantly between the 2 diets, and neither diet had any detrimental effects on bone turnover or renal function.


Prostate cancer is more aggressive when certain types of nerves form near and within the tumor. Solid tumors sculpt their microenvironment to maximize their growth and metastatic potential. This concept is illustrated most famously by tumor angiogenesis, a process whereby tumors induce the growth of new blood vessels to boost their supply of oxygen and blood-borne nutrients. Magnon et al. (see the Perspective by Isaacs) now highlight the important contribution made by another microenvironmental component—developing autonomic nerve fibers—to tumor growth and metastasis. In mouse models of prostate cancer, surgical or chemical destruction of sympathetic nerves prevented early-stage growth of tumors, whereas pharmacological inhibition of parasympathetic nerves inhibited tumor dissemination. In a small study of human prostate cancer specimens, the presence of a high density of nerve fibers in and around the tumor tissue was found to correlate with poor clinical outcome. These results raise the possibility that drugs targeting the autonomic nervous system may have therapeutic potential for prostate cancer. C. Magnon, S. J. Hall, J. Lin, X. Xue, L. Gerber, S. J. Freedland, P. S. Frenette, Autonomic nerve development contributes to prostate cancer progression. Science 341, 1236361 (2013). [Abstract] [Full Text] J. T. Isaacs, Prostate cancer takes nerve. Science 341, 134–135 (2013). [Summary] [Full Text]


Residential mobility is a dynamic urban process resulting from the ever changing internal and external factors of households' residential preferences. Factors effecting these preferences are related to households'perception of spatial issues such as the characteristics of a house, accessibility to urban functions and transportation, land values and house prices, neighborhood characteristics, residential satisfaction, and attachment. The effects of these issues vary through the life cycle as well as social, economic, and employment status of a household. As a result of the legal arrangements and state incentives that have helped to develop the construction industry, current housing patterns have shifted in Istanbul since the 2000s'. This study aims to investigate the changing trends in the factors that affected the residential location preferences of Istanbulites from 2006 to 2014. Data was collected through a stratified sampling method from two different surveys in 2006 and 2014. The paper explains the change in the destination choice of residents in the city at the district level and furthermore, changes in the households' intention to move to one of the three different housing patterns which are common in the city.


The comparison of time series of multivariate data is a long-standing problem in many applications in the clinical domain. We propose two approaches to retrieve from a hospital data warehouse the k patients P1, …, Pn with a chemotherapy history that is most similar to patient Q: the first is based on warping distance, together with an initial alignment using imputed values. The second is based on the volume of the Kiviat tube. In implementing the Euclidean distance, we investigate the addition of null events to achieve similar cardinality, and dynamic time warping, a widely-used technique in the comparison of time series data. The investigations are based on a real world clinical database.


Exposure to small-dose environmental agents is a risk factor of immunopathological reactions. The levels of formaldehyde-specific IgE were comparatively analyzed in 50 children of whom 25 live in the area exposed to formaldehyde. Children with varying respiratory allergic reactions comprised a study group. To identify allergen-specific IgE, the authors used a method that determined formaldehyde antibodies by using the tested allergen (formaldehyde on the paper). There were significant group-specific differences in the levels of formaldehyde antibodies (3.8 times higher in the study group than in the controls). Combined therapy substantially reduced specific IgE whose levels returned to the levels observed in the controls. The findings may recommend the use of this test for the diagnosis of immune-depended abnormalities and the evaluation of their effective treatment.


Several studies have shown that oil recovery significantly increased by low salinity water flooding (LSWF) in sandstones. However, mechanism of oil recovery improvement is still controversial. CO2 that develops buffer in presence of water is expected as a deterrent factor in LSWF efficiency based on mechanism of IFT reduction due to pH uprising. No bright evidence in literature supports this idea.  Here, a set of core floods including a pair of CO2 WAG and a pair of water injection tests are conducted and, the efficiency of LSWF and high salinity water flooding (HSWF) were compared for each pair. HSWF was followed by LSWF in tertiary mode. Results showed that not only CO2 does not deteriorate LSWF recovery efficiency, but also improves recovery. Since CO2-low salinity WAG showed best performance among types by constant pore volume injected. Positive results in both secondary and tertiary modes with Kaolinite free samples used here showed that Kaolinite release is not the critical phenomenon in LSWF brisk performance. Also different pressure behaviour of CO2 WAG processes in comparison with reported behaviour of LSWF proves that LSWF performance may not depend on how pressure changes through flooding.


This paper considers the effect of an exponential variation in the background density field (as exists in compressible atmospheres) on the structure and dynamics of the quasi-geostrophic system, and compares the results with the corresponding Boussinesq limit in which background density variations are assumed small. The behaviour of the compressible system is understood via a closed-form analytic expression for the Green's function of the inversion operator relating potential vorticity and streamfunction. This expression makes explicit the anisotropy of the Green's function, inherited from the density profile, which has a slow, algebraic decay directly above the source and an exponential decay in all other directions. An immediate consequence for finite-volume vortices is a differential rotation of upper and lower levels that results in counterintuitive behaviour during the nonlinear evolution of ellipsoidal vortices, in which vortex destruction is confined to the lower vortex and wave activity is seen to propagate downwards. This is in contrast to the Boussinesq limit, which exhibits symmetric destruction of the upper and lower vortex, and in contrast to naive expectations based on a consideration of the mass distribution alone, which would lead to greater destruction of the upper vortex. Finally, the presence of a horizontal lower boundary introduces a strong barotropic component that is absent in the unbounded case (the presence of an upper boundary has almost no effect). The lower boundary also alters the differential rotation in the lower vortex with important consequences for the nonlinear evolution: for very small separation between the lower boundary and the vortex, the differential rotation is reversed leading to strong deformations of the middle vortex; for a critical separation, the vortex is stabilized by the reduction of the differential rotation, and remains coherent over remarkably long times.


nowadays, long-distance data transmission is one of the key features for remote sensing systems such as seismic exploration. In these kinds of systems, ordinary twisted pair is more suitable than fiber optics because of working environments or limited costs. But there are two limitations as long distance and data transmission speed which are not easy to be improved in these systems. We designed and realized a high-speed data transmission system (thereinafter referred to as LHS) based on long range Ethernet technique and self-defined protocol with the help of FPGA hardware real-time processing. In this system, we only use the lowest level of physical transmission protocol in OSI reference model just for the high real-time performance. Vanishing of TCP/IP protocol which is widely used in normal Ethernet system simplifies the design and realization of transmission system greatly. Applying a DSP-based pre-emphasis and equalization to its transmitted data, this system can drive CAT-6 twisted pair lines with length of 220 meters at 100Mbps data speed. Furthermore, this system is real-time, stable and low-cost. The scheme proposed here can be used in related remote sensing systems.


The cytokinetic and biochemical effects of 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorouridine were examined in a human colon carcinoma cell line (HT-29) in culture. Logarithmically growing cells were approximately 100 times more sensitive to the lethal effects of 5-fluorouridine than 5-fluorouracil as measured by colony formation in soft agar medium. A 2-hr exposure of cells to 10(-3) M 5-fluorouracil or 10(-5) M 5-fluorouridine produced a 2-log reduction in colony formation, a 31--33% inhibition of [14C]deoxyguanosine incorporation into DNA, and 30--40% inhibition of [3H]adenosine incorporation into total RNA. Increasing the duration of drug exposure to 24 hr produced a proportional reduction in the drug concentration required to produce similar biochemical and cytocidal effects. However, cell lethality produced by either drug did not correlate quantitatively with inhibition of DNA or RNA synthesis. Examination of nuclear rRNA and 4 S RNA synthesis by agarose gel electrophoresis following 2-hr and 24-hr exposure to 5-fluorouracil or 5-fluorouridine indicated that processing of rRNA was not impaired, rRNA synthesis was inhibited by 10--40%, and 4 S RNA synthesis was unaffected. In contrast to these results, measurements of the incorporation fo [3H]5-fluorouracil or [3H]5-fluorouridine into nuclear RNA showed that a significant correspondence existed between the amount of drug incorporated into nuclear RNA and cell lethality. These results indicate that the primary determinant of cell lethality in HT-29 cells is the degree of fluoropyrimidine substitution in nuclear RNA and not inhibition of either DNA or RNA synthesis.


The increase in liquefied natural gas trade has accelerated the integration of previously segmented markets in North America, Europe, and Asia. This paper provides evidence on the integration of the transatlantic natural gas market. We test the theoretical proposition that in integrating markets commodity prices should move closer than before. Using 2,059 pairs of daily spot prices for natural gas in North America and Europe we investigate price dynamics covering the period from 1999 until 2008. We apply the Kalman Filter technique to gain detailed information on trends inherent over time. Results suggest an increasing convergence of spot prices on either side of the Atlantic Basin.


Abstract We examined the effect of biopesticides used alone, mixed with other biopesticides, or in conjunction with an imidacloprid against wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in spring wheat Triticum aestivum Linnaeus (Poaceae) (variety: Duclair). The study was conducted at Ledger and Valier, Montana, United States of America in 2015 and 2016. Ten biopesticides (spinosad, azadirachtin, pyrethrin, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Fungi: Clavicipitaceae) GHA (Mycotrol), B. bassiana ANT-03 (BioCeres), Chromobacterium subtsugae Martin et al. (Bacteria: Neisseriaceae), Burkholderia Yabuuchi et al. (Burkholderiaceae) species, Metarhizium brunneum Petch (Fungi: Clavicipitaceae) ESC1 (MbESC1), and M. brunneum F52 (MetF52) as microsclerotial and corn grit-based granules) were tested in addition to thimet and imidacloprid. Treatment efficacy was based on plant stand protection, wireworm populations, and yield. In 2015, there was considerable variation between sites in treatment efficacy. Mycotrol, BioCeres, MetF52+spinosad, and MetF52+imidacloprid applications protected seedlings from wireworm damage better than the control at Ledger, while only MetF52 at Valier. Wireworm populations were significantly higher with Mycotrol, spinosad, MetF52+spinosad, MbESC1 (25 g/L), and MetF52 treatments, compared with control, at 14 and 28 days post application at Ledger, but without effect at Valier, 2015. We found significantly higher yield in plots treated with imidacloprid+MetF52 and Mycotrol+azadirachtin (Xpulse) compared with control at Ledger. In 2016, no significant treatment effects were observed at either site. In summary, this study provides insight on what treatments should be explored in more detail despite variable results.


Prior research has established that while the use of concrete, familiar examples can provide many important benefits for learning, it is also associated with some serious disadvantages, particularly in learners' ability to recognize and transfer their knowledge to new analogous situations. However, it is not immediately clear whether this pattern would hold in real world educational contexts, in which the role of such examples in student engagement and ease of processing might be of enough importance to overshadow any potential negative impact. We conducted two experiments in which curriculum-relevant material was presented in natural classroom environments, first with college undergraduates and then with middle-school students. All students in each study received the same relevant content, but the degree of contextualization in these materials was varied between students. In both studies, we found that greater contextualization was associated with poorer transfer performance. We interpret these results as reflecting a greater degree of embeddedness for the knowledge acquired from richer, more concrete materials, such that the underlying principles are represented in a less abstract and generalizable form.


Fifty-two patients with necrosis of epiploic appendages (EA) of the colon were treated. Necrosis of EA of the appendix was diagnosed in 4 (7,7%) patients, caecum - in 7 (13,5%), ascending colon - in 5 (9,6%), descending colon - in 2 (3,8%), and sigmoid colon - in 34 (65,4%) cases. Multiple necrosis was revealed in 3 (5,8%) patients. Surgical treatment of these patients is radical and justified. It prevents progress of destruction and development of complications. Long-term results are evaluated for the first time.


Cells bind to the extracellular matrix to promote adhesion and control cell motility. One of the interactions that promotes adhesion is through integrins and the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) bound to its receptor. uPA binding to its receptor promotes cell adhesion through direct interaction with the extracellular matrix and through enhancement of integrin interactions with the extracellular matrix. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a serine protease inhibitor, disrupts these interactions. PAI-1 and the uPA receptor interact with vitronectin through a single domain, and thus, PAI-1 was thought to promote de-adhesion by competitively disrupting the interaction between vitronectin and the uPA receptor. However, this did not explain the mechanism by which PAI-1 could disrupt adhesion on other extracellular matrix proteins. Czekay et al. showed that PAI-1 disrupted integrin and uPA receptor interactions with the extracellular matrix without requiring direct binding of PAI-1 to the extracellular matrix proteins. Using PAI-1 mutants and vitronectin fragments that could not interact with each other, the authors showed that cell detachment only required the interaction of PAI-1 with uPA bound to the uPA receptor and did not require steric blockage of the integrin-vitronectin interaction or competition with the uPA receptor for vitronectin. PAI-1 stimulated the internalization of uPA-uPA receptor-integrin complexes and the ability to reattach required reactivation of the integrins with MnCl2. PAI-1 also promoted detachment of cells from fibronectin and type 1 collagen matrices, despite PAI-1 not having any direct interaction with these extracellular matrix proteins. The ability of PAI-1 to promote de-adhesion to fibronectin or type 1 collagen correlated with the ratio of integrins associated with uPA-uPA receptor complexes to free integrins, which were associating with the extracellular matrix independently of the uPA receptor. These results suggest a mechanism by which PAI-1 can promote cell de-adhesion by blocking integrin-mediated adhesion on various types of extacellular matrix. Furthermore, the concentration of integrins associated with the uPA receptors controls the effectiveness of PAI-1 in promoting de-adhesion. This mechanism of de-adhesion may explain why with high PAI-1 levels are often indicators of poor prognosis in metastatic cancer. R.-P. Czekay, K. Aertgeerts, S. A. Curriden, D. J. Loskutoff, Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 detaches cells from extracellular matrices by inactivating integrins. J. Cell Biol. 160, 781-791 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Deep learning based recommendation systems form the backbone of most personalized cloud services. Though the computer architecture community has recently started to take notice of deep recommendation inference, the resulting solutions have taken wildly different approaches - ranging from near memory processing to at-scale optimizations. To better design future hardware systems for deep recommendation inference, we must first systematically examine and characterize the underlying systems-level impact of design decisions across the different levels of the execution stack. In this paper, we characterize eight industry-representative deep recommendation models at three different levels of the execution stack: algorithms and software, systems platforms, and hardware microarchitectures. Through this cross-stack characterization, we first show that system deployment choices (i.e., CPUs or GPUs, batch size granularity) can give us up to 15x speedup. To better understand the bottlenecks for further optimization, we look at both software operator usage breakdown and CPU frontend and backend microarchitectural inefficiencies. Finally, we model the correlation between key algorithmic model architecture features and hardware bottlenecks, revealing the absence of a single dominant algorithmic component behind each hardware bottleneck.


Most theorists assume that the passage of time will have a very different impact on passionate versus companionate love.  Passionate love is said to decline fairly quickly, while companionate love is thought to remain fairly stable (or actually increase) over time.  This hypothesis was tested in two studies.  In Study 1, we interviewed 53 newlywed couples soon after their marriages and again one year later, when presumably (for some) the "honeymoon was over."  In Study 2, we interviewed a random sample of 240 older women, ranging in age from 50-82, who had been married varying lengths of time.  (The median length of marriage was 33 years.)  We asked about their passionate and companionate love for their partners and their partner's love for them.   In Study 1, it was found that although newlywed men and women loved with equal passion, women tended to love their partners more companionately than they were loved in return.  (This is in accord with previous research with dating couples.)  The results for people married many years were more complex. Finally, we turned to the question with which we are most concerned: What impact does time have on love?  In both Study 1 and Study 2, time did have a corrosive effect on love—but to our surprise it appeared to have an equally detrimental effect on both passionate and companionate love.


Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and involves attentional, executive, visuospatial, and memory dysfunctions. Dementia is more frequently encountered in PD than in age‐matched control populations, and whereas operational definitions of Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies have been developed, Parkinson's disease dementia (PD‐D) has remained undefined. The Movement Disorder Society developed a task force to define and develop diagnostic guidelines for PD‐D. This effort was based on existing descriptive studies with special emphasis on drawing distinction among Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and PD‐related cognitive impairment without dementia whenever possible. The second goal was to provide practical diagnostic procedures to diagnose PD‐D. This effort emphasized available bedside tools that do not require neuropsychological expertise to administer or interpret. This work recently has been completed, and two primary articles have been published. The suggested clinical diagnostic criteria for PD‐D involve four domains and are anchored in core features, associated clinical features, features that make the diagnosis uncertain, and features that are not compatible with the diagnosis of PD‐D. When all four criteria are satisfactorily met, probable PD‐D is designated; when the first and last criteria are met, but clinical characteristics are atypical or uncertainty factors exist, possible PD‐D is designated. Whereas these definitions are operative and subject to change based on future data, they are based on widely available tests. The inclusion criteria can be applied internationally and in multicenter research on treatment interventions, clinicopathological correlations, and studies of cognitive and other nonmotor elements of PD. Ann Neurol 2008;64 (suppl):S81–S92


Uzbekistan is a very crucial country in Central Asia with regards to threats challenging the region's stability. Any political and social change in Uzbekistan will have region-wide ramifications. This study endeavours to contribute to the current literature in terms of discussing the predicaments and prospects of the Uzbek Islamism by critically comparing it with the Turkish case with a special emphasis on the normative frameworks of the actors. Islams in Turkish and Uzbek contexts have several common points. These similarities are not only in the sense of theoretical orthodox Islams which are indeed identical but also in terms of folk Islams and the states' official Islams. Furthermore, both countries had experienced periods of official antagonism toward Islamic activism, especially its civil manifestations. Thus, this study endeavours to analyse if and to what extent Turkish Islamism's transformation could also be experienced in the Uzbek context and under what conditions.


Howard Dean's presidential bid was notable for many things, including the mixed reaction it drew from political scientists. Many scholars found Dean's ultimate failure predictable. Longstanding political science wisdom suggests several explanations for Dean's defeat: the central issue of electability, which seemed to weigh heavily against his campaign; the fact that primary voters are more moderate than party activists; the well-documented difficulty of regaining lost momentum. Less systematic factors—such as numerous verbal gaffes and one infamous scream—surely contributed as well.Matthew Hindman is an assistant professor of political science at Arizona State University (email@example.com). This research was supported by the National Center for Digital Government, with funding from the National Science Foundation under grant no. 0131923. The author thanks Jennifer Hochschild, Larry Bartels, Chris Karpowitz, Gabriel Lenz, David Lazer, Alan Abramowitz, James McCann, and the three anonymous reviewers for their contributions.


Purpose: Vandetanib is well-tolerated in patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Long-term outcomes and mechanisms of MTC progression have not been reported previously. Experimental Design: We monitored toxicities and disease status in patients taking vandetanib for hereditary, advanced MTC. Tumor samples were analyzed for molecular mechanisms of disease progression. Results: Seventeen patients [8 male, age 13 (9–17)* years] enrolled; 16 had a RET p.Met918Thr germline mutation. The duration of vandetanib therapy was 6.1 (0.1–9.7+)* years with treatment ongoing in 9 patients. Best response was partial response in 10, stable disease in 6, and progressive disease in one patient. Duration of response was 7.4 (0.6–8.7+)* and 4.9 (0.6–7.8+)* years in patients with PR and SD, respectively. Six patients died 2.0 (0.4–5.7)* years after progression. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.7 years [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.3 years–undefined] and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 88.2% (95% CI: 60.6%–96.9%). Of 16 patients with a RET p.Met918Thr mutation, progression-free survival was 6.7 years (95% CI: 3.1–undefined) and 5-year overall survival was 93.8% (95% CI: 63.2%–99.1%). No patients terminated treatment because of toxicity. DNA sequencing of tissue samples (n = 11) identified an increase in copy number alterations across the genome as a potential mechanism of drug resistance [*median (range)]. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that vandetanib is safe and results in sustained responses in children and adolescents with hereditary MTC. Our preliminary molecular data suggest that an increase in copy number abnormalities may be associated with tumor progression in hereditary MTC patients treated with vandetanib. Clin Cancer Res; 24(4); 753–65. ©2017 AACR.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of "two-phase" tissue engineered cartilage constructed by autologous marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) and allogeneic bone matrix gelatin(BMG) in repairing articular cartilage defects.

METHODS
Thirty-two New Zealand white rabbits were involved in the experiment. "Two-phase" allogeneic BMG scaffold (one side of porous cancellous bone and the other side of cortical bone; 3 mm both in diameter and in thickness) was prepared from iliac bone and limb bone of 5 rabbits by sequentially chemical method. The MSCs were separated from 18 New Zealand white rabbits and induced to express chondrocytic phenotype. The chondrocyte precursor cells were seeded onto "two-phase" allogeneic BMG to construct tissue engineering cartilage. Masson's trichrome staining, PAS staining and scanning electronic microscopic observation were carried out at 1, 3 and 5 weeks. The defects of full thickness articular cartilage (3 mm both in diameter and in depth) were made at both sides of femoral medial condyles in 27 rabbits (including 18 of separated MSCs and the remaining 9). The defects were repaired with the tissue engineered cartilage at the right side (group A, n = 18), with BMG at the left side (group B, n = 18), and without any implant at both sides in the remaining 9 rabbits as a control (group C, n = 18). After 1, 3 and 6 months, the 6 specimens of femoral condyles were harvested in 3 groups, respectively. Gross observation, Masson's trichrome and Alcian blue staining, modified Wakitani scoring and in situ hybridization of collagen type I were carried out to assess the repair efficacy of tissue engineered cartilage.

RESULTS
The "two-phase" BMG consisted of the dense cortical part and the loose cancellous part. In cancellous part, the pore size ranged 100-800 microm, in which the chondrocyte precursor cells being induced from MSCs proliferated and formed the cell-rich cartilaginous part of tissue engineered cartilage. In cortical part, the pore size ranged 10-40 microm, on which the cells arranged in a layer and formed the hard part of subchondral bone. After 1 month of transplantation, the cartilage and subchondral bone were regenerated in group A; during observation, the regenerated cartilage gradually thinned, but defect was repaired and the structure of the articular surface and subchondral bone was in integrity. In groups B and C, defects were not repaired, the surrounding cartilage of defect was abrased. According to the modified Wakitani scoring, the indexes in group A were significantly higher than those in group B and C (P < 0.01) except the thickness of cartilage at 6 months. The positive cell rate of in situ hybridization for collagen type II in group A was also higher than those in groups B and C (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION
"Two-phase" allogeneic BMG is a prospective scaffold for tissue engineered cartilage, which combines with autologous chondrocyte precursor cells induced from MSCs to construct the tissue engineering cartilage. The tissue engineered cartilage can repair defects of articular cartilage and subchondral bone.


Firms face a greater risk of lawsuits for overstated rather than understated earnings or net assets, suggesting conservatism can reduce firms' expected legal costs. Because managers with legal expertise are more likely than other managers to recognize the legal benefits of conservatism, this study examines whether legal expertise among members of senior management promotes greater conservatism. Consistent with this prediction, we find that firms with a general counsel (GC) in senior management (our proxy for legal expertise) report more conservatively. We also find that GC firms recalibrate their conservatism levels in response to changes in the legal environment-their conservatism choices are more responsive to litigation against peer firms and to two judicial rulings that affected the litigation risk for firms located in the Ninth Circuit. Overall, our findings suggest that populating senior management with legal experts affects the extent to which a firm's level of conservatism incorporates legal risks.


Humanitarian organisations are increasingly using remote programming to maintain access to vulnerable populations in contexts of high insecurity whilst mitigating the overall risks to staff security. What may once have been perceived as temporary modes of operation have ceased to be so as remote programming has become a (semi-) permanent modus operandi in many countries (e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia). The boom in remote programming of humanitarian operations has prompted extensive research and innovation into improving the application of this method however it has had a strong focus on technical aspects to improve programme quality. A distinctive focus on the compromise to operational neutrality and impartiality, known as a direct consequence of remote programming, has been lacking. This project, Neutrality and Impartiality in Remote Programming of Humanitarian Operations, has begun to bridge this gap, identifying key issues for maintaining, preserving and managing the operational neutrality and impartiality of remote humanitarian programmes. The project is a case study of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) operations in Somalia from 2008 until 2012, as an organisation forced to switch to remote programming in 2008 following targeted attacks. The bulk of the research took place at the location of the MSF coordination offices in Nairobi where participant observation and key informant interviews allowed for a thorough analysis of the topic. The research found that a definitive lack of a valid decision making entity in a responsible position with the ability to exert management control over the neutrality and impartiality of operations has considerably weakened the organisation's neutrality and impartiality both in real and perceived terms. Therefore issues surrounding remote programming do pose a considerable threat to the neutrality and impartiality of operations, with serious implications as to the prospect of staff security and therefore undermining the appropriateness of the method. This paper however highlights several good practices that can be developed further and adopted to address some of the issues. It presents practical recommendations for improving the management of neutrality and impartiality of remote programming, which have been designed to assist humanitarian organisations to maintain project status in highly insecure contexts.


We reported a series of tough nanocomposite hydrogels with good antifouling properties based on quaternized hybranched polyethylenimine (HPEI) nanoparticles. The quaternized HPEI nanoparticles acted as both cross-linkers to produce tough hydrogels and antibacterial agents to prevent fouling attachments. Compared with the polymer hydrogel, these nanocomposite hydrogels exhibited significantly improved mechanical properties. The mechanical strength of the nanocomposite hydrogels had a strong dependence with proportion of the quaternized HPEI nanoparticles. Furthermore, the anti-algae/bacterial assay indicated the nanocomposite hydrogels showed better antimicrobial and anti-algae performances due to the broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of Quaternary Ammonium Salts (QAS) functional groups.


The term communicative competence captures the notion that the ability to use language in interaction requires not just control of linguistic form but also awareness of rules of use in different contexts (Hymes 1972). Communicative competence is a slippery term: different actors in second language (L2) research, education, and assessment interpret the term in a variety of ways and use it for a range of purposes, perhaps particularly in the field of languages for specific purposes (LSP). This is unfortunate because it is a key concept in LSP, as in applied linguistics more generally. Communicative competence can be considered to be the target of second language acquisition, a main goal of second or foreign language teaching and learning, or the object language testers seek to measure via performance tests. In addition, current interpretations of communicative competence may be somewhat questionable adaptations of Hymes' concept, modified and often simplified to reflect current approaches in both formal and functional linguistics, and to respond to practical concerns in language teaching and testing. This paper seeks to re-examine communicative competence from three perspectives - L2 research, teaching, and testing - highlighting problems in terms of theory and practice with respect to LSP. Drawing on recent research on indigenous assessment criteria, the paper concludes with a revised model of communicative competence for LSP offering a richer interpretation closer to the original concept and to current concerns in the field.


OBJECTIVES
This systematic review and meta-analysis was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) in treating severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

METHODS
The electronic search was made using PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, and Google scholar to identify the retrospective observational reports. The studies published from 01 January 2020 to 30th October 2020. Participants were hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Interventions included tocilizumab versus placebo/standard of care. The comparison will be between TCZ versus standard of care (SOC)/placebo. Inconsistency between the studies was evaluated with I2 and quality of the evidences were evaluated by Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS
Based on the inclusion criteria there were 24 retrospective studies involving 5686 subjects were included. The outcomes of the meta-analysis have revealed that the TCZ has reduced mortality (M-H, RE-OR -0.11(-0.18--0.04) 95% CI, p=0.001, I2 =88%) and increased the incidences of super-infections (M-H, RE-OR 1.49(1.13-1.96) 95% CI, p=0.004, I2=47%). However, there is no significant difference in ICU admissions rate (M-H, RE-OR -0.06(-0.23-0.12), I2=93%), need for mechanical ventilation (M-H, RE-OR of 0.00(-0.06-0.07), I=74%), LOS (IV -2.86(-0.91-3.38), I2=100%), LOS-ICU (IV: -3.93(-12.35-4.48), I2=100%), and incidences of pulmonary thrombosis (MH, RE-OR 1.01 (0.45-2.26), I2=0%) compared to SOC/control.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on cumulative low-to-moderate certainty evidence shows that TCZ could reduce the risk of mortality in hospitalised patients. However, there is no statistically significant difference observed between the TCZ and SOC/control groups in other parameters.


according to Graver, Oskar Kokoschka, Gottfried Benn, Raymond Roussel, Roger Vitrac, and Wyndham Lewis, each of whom receives a chapter, the author noting that their dramatic output is nevertheless small (Vitrac arguably excepted). Not enough detail is given of their little-known pieces, nor does the information given fully relay what is going on that is, what the disturbance is. Among useful insights are those to do with Rousselian collage, which develop the differences between collage and montage explained earlier in the book and allow readers to grasp better the idea of event (another characteristic of the antiart avant-garde) as distinct from that of art work the mainstay of modernism, however oppositional. For a select audience.


The study of a case from a family with four generations of abnormal behavior but with no convulsions is presented. Report of Case R. G., a 44-year-old married white man, was admitted to the Brooklyn State Hospital on March 4, 1955, with a history of "something like a brain attack." It was said that "he feels well for a while, then has an attack." He had gone to Florida the previous January because he wanted to try out a system for winning at horse racing. He became irrational and hyperactive at his hotel and had to be hospitalized. Subsequently, he was returned to New York to a receiving hospital and transferred to Brooklyn State Hospital. He claimed amnesia for a great part of the weeks in Florida and his behavior prior to admission to Brooklyn State Hospital. He had been previously hospitalized at Brooklyn State Hospital on Jan. 30, 1953.


Nowadays space missions are designed to reach extremely high distances and consequently, the time spent on mission by manned space modules is constantly increasing. Therefore, there is the need to minimize, and if possible exclude, the possibility of refueling from the ground of materials of first necessity that are needed for the sustenance of life onboard (oxygen, water, food) in order to reduce the relative costs to new refueling-oriented space expeditions. The above is the reason why there is constant research in the aerospace field focused on the possibility of creating closed-loop systems, which would allow recycling air, water, and organic waste to obtain materials of first necessity usable by the crew. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) represents the fulcrum of the research regarding the realization of closed-cycle subsystems. The following dissertation was proposed by Center for Near Space (CNS), a non-profit organization founded in Italy in 2015 that has as its main mission the spread of usability of space by an increasing number of humans, in view to allow a different and more positive orientation of the public towards the astronautical activities in the outer terrestrial space. The object of the following research work is the study and design of the prototype of an innovative condensing heat exchanger (CHX) which must operate in microgravity and which would perform the function of recovering water directly from the air present in the environment inhabited, on board the space module, or from possible growth chambers of any plants that would produce food for the crew. Therefore, this component would be part of the closed cycle that could be realized in an ECLSS subsystem dedicated to water recovery. The final geometric configuration was designed to separate air and condensed water during the condensation process so as to keep the air always in contact with at least a part of the surfaces of the ducts through which the heat exchange takes place. The final objective is the design of a test bench with which it is possible to carry out some tests that allow to verify the operation of the CHX and confirm what has been explained above. Finally, the exact procedures to follow for the correct execution of the proposed tests have been described. The following work was carried out in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space (TAS). The requirements and constraints considered during the design phase are closely connected with the RUCOLA structure (Rack-like Unit for Consistent on-orbit Leafy crops Availability), a unit developed and tested in TAS's Recyclab laboratory in Turin. RUCOLA contains two parallel plant growth chambers, each of which has an independent subsystem for controlling temperature and relative humidity. The CHX, object of this thesis work, is designed to operate in RUCOLA's Air Management Subsystem, from which requirements and constraints for the design have been obtained.


AS MENTIONED in the introduction, the purpose of these investigations has been to obtain quantitative data concerning hemoglobin synthesis and hemoglobin loss in premature infants and to evaluate the significance of these factors in the pathogenesis of the anemia of prematurity. Necessary prerequisites for this study were the estimations of the total blood volume and of the proportions of fetal and adult hemoglobins in premature infants. These were reported in the first two parts of this article. With the data now at hand it becomes possible to evaluate the changes in total body hemoglobin and in its component parts without implicating the many variables influencing the hemoglobin concentration in grams per 100 ml. of blood. METHOD OF APPROACH The infants studied consisted of 32 prematurely born infants whose birth weights were 2,100 gm. or less. On each infant, samples of blood were taken by heel puncture in the first 24


Within the framework of multifunctional conceptualisation, the authors have investigated the level of public goods embedded in Agri-food geographical indication products. Moving from the concept of the local Agri-food system, the generation of public goods are observed both on the value chain and on the territory. Three different dimensions of public goods are considered: Cultural heritage issues, socio-economic themes, and natural resources. To pursue this aim, the FAO-SAFA method is adopted. A single index for the three dimensions is computed in order to provide an easy and quick interpretation of the three dimensions. Preliminary empirical evidence on two cases studies suggests different public goods levels embedded in geographical indications, depending on the dimensions analysed. The method proposed aims to be a simple and effective tool to support good practice for policy makers and indicate fields for intervention where indexes show that improvements could be made.


Abstract The oxygen bearing gases of the atmosphere in a reheating furnace oxidise the feedstock producing scale on the surface of the metal and, for high carbon steels, cause decarburisation of the surface layers. Modelling of these effects has to take into account the competitive nature of the two processes, scale formation and decarburisation, and complications that arise from changes in the controlling mechanism. Initially, the rate of scale formation may be controlled by effects in the gas phase, or nucleation of scale on the metal surface. Subsequently, scale growth is influenced by the gas composition and may be disturbed by the accumulation of oxidation products at the scale– metal interface. Voids and cracks within the scale may either inhibit solid state diffusion within the scale or provide channels for oxidising gas to access the scale–metal interface. For decarburisation, complications arise if a ferrite rim creates a step in the carbon profile or if retention of carbon monoxide within the scale provides a thermodynamic barrier to the reaction. This paper considers these complications and how they may be handled in mathematical models.


In the context of robustness testing, the boundary between the valid and invalid regions of the input space can be an interesting source of erroneous inputs. Knowing where a specific software under test (SUT) has a boundary is also essential for validation in relation to requirements. However, finding where a SUT actually implements the boundary is a non-trivial problem that has not gotten much attention. This paper proposes a method of finding the boundary between the valid and invalid regions of the input space, by developing pairs of test sets that describe that boundary in detail. The proposed method consists of two steps. First, test data generators, directed by a search algorithm to maximise distance to known, valid test cases, generate valid test cases that are closer to the boundary. Second, these valid test cases undergo mutations to try to push them over the boundary and into the invalid part of the input space. This results in a pair of test sets, one consisting of test cases on the valid side of the boundary and a matched set on the outer side, with only a small distance between the two sets. The method is evaluated on a number of examples from the standard library of a modern programming language. We propose a method of determining the boundary between valid and invalid regions of the input space, and apply it on a SUT that has a non-contiguous valid region of the input space. From the small distance between the developed pairs of test sets, and the fact that one test set contains valid test cases and the other invalid test cases, we conclude that the pair of test sets described the boundary between the valid and invalid regions of that input space. Differences of behaviour can be observed between different distances and different sets of mutation operators, but all show that the method is able to identify the boundary between the valid and invalid regions of the input space. This is an important step towards more automated robustness testing.


Abstract. Many East German cities face long-term shrinking
processes, which contribute to declining city centers. This is particularly
noticeable in small and medium-sized cities with low human and financial
resources. A funding program that helps to regenerate inner cities is the
regional city competition "Ab in die Mitte! Die City-Offensive Sachsen"
(AMS) in Saxony, organized as a public-private partnership. This study aims
to (1) research AMS concerning its factors of success and obstacles, (2)
analyze its role for small and medium-sized cities and, (3) give
recommendations to improve AMS. The low-threshold of participation mainly
encourages small and medium-sized cities to take part. AMS strengthens
exchange and knowledge transfer and promotes endogenous planning strategies.
The city competition offers low funding possibilities; therefore, it can
only serve as an incentive system. AMS should improve transparency within
the evaluation process and, realign its concept to future urban development
strategies.


The central nervous system areas displaying the highest structural and functional complexity correspond to the so called cortices, i.e., concentric alternating neuronal and fibrous layers. Corticogenesis, i.e., the development of the cortical organization, depends on the temporal-spatial organization of several developmental events: (a) the duration of the proliferative phase of the neuroepithelium, (b) the relative duration of symmetric (expansive) versus asymmetric (neuronogenic) sub phases, (c) the spatial organization of each kind of cell division, (e) the time of determination and cell cycle exit and (f) the time of onset of the post-mitotic neuronal migration and (g) the time of onset of the neuronal structural and functional differentiation. The first five events depend on molecular mechanisms that perform a fine tuning of the proliferative activity. Changes in any of them significantly influence the cortical size or volume (tangential expansion and radial thickness), morphology, architecture and also impact on neuritogenesis and synaptogenesis affecting the cortical wiring. This paper integrates information, obtained in several species, on the developmental roles of cell proliferation in the development of the optic tectum (OT) cortex, a multilayered associative area of the dorsal (alar) midbrain. The present review (1) compiles relevant information on the temporal and spatial organization of cell proliferation in different species (fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals), (2) revises the main molecular events involved in the isthmic organizer (IsO) determination and localization, (3) describes how the patterning installed by IsO is translated into spatially organized neural stem cell proliferation (i.e., by means of growth factors, receptors, transcription factors, signaling pathways, etc.) and (4) describes the morpho- and histogenetic effect of a spatially organized cell proliferation in the above mentioned species. A brief section on the OT evolution is also included. This section considers how the differential operation of cell proliferation could explain differences among species.


: Prediction of the knock propensity is crucial for design and control of engines operating on syngas from thermo-chemical conversion. Classical fuel rating methods such as the methane number or the propane knock index were found to fail for the syngas compositions encountered in practice. A detailed chemical kinetics simulation of the critical compression ratio in an ideal homogenous auto-ignition reactor was tested as an alternative rating method, but was found to also have serious drawbacks and provoke misleading results due to overlying thermodynamic effects. Thus, a novel methodology based on the detonation theory was successfully adopted. The method centres on the two dimensionless parameters ξ and ε which characterise the possible regimes of auto-ignition propagation originating from hot spots. The ξ - ε diagram was applied to a total of 38 fuel blends including reference fuels and syngas compositions determined with a statistical mixture plan supplemented by measured data. The gas measurements were taken at an industrial scale intermediate pyrolysis plant featuring the Thermo-Catalytic Reforming technology of Fraunhofer UMSICHT. Practically all syngas blends showed to be more prone to knock than methane or biogas, albeit not more than propane, which is a standard fuel used in gas engines. Admixtures of higher hydrocarbons were found to substantially increase the knock propensity. Lean equivalence ratios, exhaust gas recirculation and the addition of water vapour were effective measures to mitigate the risk of knock. The anti-knock effect of dilution could be primarily attributed to a reduction of the amount of energy transferred into the acoustic front of an auto-ignition wave.


Author(s): DeNicola, Anthony | Advisor(s): Tang, Yi | Abstract: Nature has long been a source of chemical diversity and its untapped potential is a major resource for solving our medical and energy problems. In particular, filamentous fungi have been prolific producers of medicinal compounds in the fight against human disease. Therefore, there has been interest in leveraging the advances in genomics to discover new fungal biosynthetic pathways that yield novel bioactive compounds. Heterologous expression of biosynthetic genes in model organisms will be increasingly necessary for high-throughput exploration of this genomic sequence space. Unfortunately, fungal genes contain many non-coding introns, which are difficult to manually annotate or predict in silico. Additionally, it is not possible to obtain intron-free cDNA from uncultivable species or transcriptionally silent gene clusters. This intron problem magnifies as the number of genomes increases and it risks derailing heterologous expression of this new genetic data. Unfortunately, the native spliceosome of the commonly used model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot remove introns from distant fungi. In this thesis, I will describe my efforts to engineer S. cerevisiae with expanded spliceosome functionality. I identified two failure modes that prevent splicing of an intron from Aspergillus fumigatus. This led to the generation of a chimeric yeast-fungal BranchBinding Protein that has enhanced specificity for an intron containing a fungal branchpoint site. Expression of this mutant protein enabled a 2-fold improvement in splicing of an intron with a suboptimal branchpoint site. Additionally, we identified multiple synergistic splicing factor mutations with mBBP, YHC1-D36A and downregulation of IFH1, that enabled a 1.6-fold improvement of splicing of the A. fumigatus intron. Additional studies modifying the U2 small nuclear RNA as well splicing proofreaders PRP5, PRP16, and PRP28 will be described, highlighting the drawbacks of these approaches. This study is the first demonstration of improved splicing of an Aspergillus intron through spliceosome engineering in S. cerevisiae. Using the tools, methodologies, and yeast strains provided by this work, the spliceosome can be engineered with new function, broadening the scope of how synthetic biology will be used to enhance heterologous expression in diverse research fields, such as in the elucidation of the splicing code and in natural products discovery.


Second-order methods have shown state-of-the-art performance for optimizing deep neural networks. Nonetheless, their large memory requirement and high computational complexity, compared to first-order methods, hinder their versatility in a typical low-budget setup. This paper introduces a general framework of layerwise loss construction for multilayer neural networks that achieves a performance closer to second-order methods while utilizing first-order optimizers only. Our methodology lies upon a three-component loss, target, and regularizer combination, for which altering each component results in a new update rule. We provide examples using squared loss and layerwise Bregman divergences induced by the convex integral functions of various transfer functions. Our experiments on benchmark models and datasets validate the efficacy of our new approach, reducing the gap between first-order and second-order optimizers.


[1] Ion distributions from three storms in the year 2000 have been obtained from HENA and MENA ENA images at 27–39 keV and 5–12 keV, respectively. The observed motion of the ring current is compared with calculations of expected radial and angular drift speeds made using a combination of the Tsyganenko 89 magnetic field model and the Weimer 2001 electric field model. In one case between 1000 and 1100 UT on 10 June 2000 that had already been reported, the westward drift of the 33 keV ions is as expected. Comparisons with speeds inferred from the motion of peaks in the ion distributions, however, often did not agree with the model predictions. Examination of the predicted paths showed that the ions are expected to experience significant energy changes as they drift so that they quickly move out of the observed energy channel. Thus we are able to conclude that the observed motion is consistent with equatorial electric fields in the inner magnetosphere of a few tenths of a mV/m on 10 June 2000, several mV/m on 12 August 2000, and ≤1 mV/m on 4 October 2000 as predicted. Other interesting observations include (1) the suggestion of a two step injection process during the main phase of the 4 October 2000 storm, (2) the unexplained disappearance of the 33 keV protons when their drift motion brings them to noon in the recovery phase of the 10 June 2000 storm, (3) the apparent subtle changes in the electric potential pattern in the equator early in the 4 October 2000 storm, and (4) the energy dependence of the spatial source of the injected particles in the plasma sheet during the strong storm on 12 August 2000.


Van Valen first discovered the "Red Queen Effect" (RQE), where two species can dramatically co-evolve their phenotypes over time but never gain a relative advantage [2]. In the ideal version of the RQE, regardless of the actual values that the species evolve to obtain, they have not moved in relation to each other. Though previous models of the RQE exist, we developed an agent-based model (ABM) which has a base ontology more similar to real world coevolutionary systems than equation-based models (EBMs). For instance, this model contains spatial information and an individuallevel reproduction mechanism. Yet this model recreates traditional EBM results. For instance Dieckmann et al show that there are three possible outcomes of competitive coevolution: predator dominance, prey dominance and evolutionary cycling (RQE) [1]. By reconceptualizing this EBM using an ABM, we make it easier for students and researchers to understand, manipulate, and modify this model [4]. The model is written in the NetLogo agent-based modeling environment [3]. The model is initialized with 150 predator and 150 prey agents. Predator agents have a resistance level r and prey agents have a poison p. The agents are initially randomly distributed on a toroidal real-valued 35 by 35 grid. The initial resistance and poison values for the predators and prey are drawn from normal distributions with means µr and µp and a standard deviation of 1. During a model timestep, each agent moves one unit at a random heading. If at the end of its move a predator is within 1 unit of a prey, then it will challenge the prey. The predator will compare its resistance value to the prey's poison value and which ever agent has the larger value will win the challenge and the other agent will be killed. At the end of an agent's turn if the total number of agents is less than the maximum carrying capacity the agent will reproduce with a 50% probability. The new agent's initial poison / resistance will be drawn from a normal distribution with the parent's poison / resistance as the mean value and a standard deviation of 1.
 Our goal was to investigate whether this ABMwould replicate the results of the EBM of [1]. Our parameter of interest was µp; we held µr constant at 25 and varied µp from 0 to 50 at increments of 5. For each value we ran the model 10 times for 5000 timesteps. Figure 1 illustrates the final average values of both the resistance and the poison for the various initial values. If there are no predators or prey then a value of 0 is plotted for the respective final trait. In most cases, one species drives the other to extinction, and there is little change in the initial trait values. However when the value of µp is similar to µr then neither species is completely destroyed, but if there is any significant difference between µr and µp then one species will die off. The highest final trait values are found when µp = µr, in this case we see the results of the RQE since the final trait values are much higher than the initial values. These final values are more than 1.5 orders of magnitude larger than the initial values. This model reproduces classical models of the RQE, but has two different mobile species interacting on a spatial grid over time which is a closer representation of reality than traditional models. This closer representation makes ABMs excellent teaching and experimental tools because their basic assumptions can easily be manipulated and explored. Acknowledgments: We thank the National Science Foundation and NICO for supporting this research.


Rice is a salt-sensitive species with enormous genetic variation for salt tolerance hidden in its germplasm pool. The EcoTILLING technique allows us to assign haplotypes, thus reducing the number of accessions to be sequenced, becoming a cost-effective, time-saving and high-throughput method, ideal to be used in laboratories with limited financial resources. Aiming to find alleles associated with salinity tolerance, we are currently using the EcoTILLING technique to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small indels across 375 germplasm accessions representing the diversity available in domesticated rice. We are targeting several genes known to be involved in salt stress signal transduction (OsCPK17) or tolerance mechanisms (SalT). So far, we found a total of 15 and 23 representative SNPs or indels in OsCPK17 and SalT, respectively. These natural allelic variants are mostly located in 3′-untranslated region, thus opening a new path for studying their potential contribution to the regulation of gene expression and possible role in salt tolerance.


: We live in a world where there are people going through so many difficult times and suffering from overwhelming situations. One major concern is that young adults are facing such drastic changes in life and sometimes the plan does not go according to them. Self-compassion is compassion inwards which means care for yourself and life satisfaction is how satisfied you are in your life. This research intends that one would know that self-compassion is as important as compassion for others and it will play a major role in life satisfaction. The main aim of the research is to find the relationship between self-compassion and life satisfaction among young adults. The analysis is based on the sample size of 245 participants collected through simple random sampling. The procedure includes collection and analysis of data. The research design employed is a correlational analysis. From the analysis it was found that self-compassion and life satisfaction have a relationship of 0.244 at the significance level of 0.01. In conclusion the two variables self-compassion and life satisfaction have a positive relationship between them.


We propose a coordinated motion control algorithm of manipulators by which each manipulator is controlled by its own controller in a decentralized way. In this paper, we consider both the manipulation of a single object and assembly of two parts by two arms in coordination. When two arms are manipulating a single object, a follower estimates the desired motion of a leader based on the information from its own force sensor and executes the task in coordination with the leader. An assembly task is described by a motion of a part manipulated by the leader and the relative motion between two parts given to the follower. The relative motion is observed and controlled by a vision sensor attached to the follower and the assembly task is executed independently of the motion of the leader. Experimental results illustrate the proposed system.


An increasing number of papers, most based on epidemiology, have shown a strong association between bundle branch block (BBB) and cardiovascular disease, more specifically hypertension, cardiomegaly, coronary artery disease, and heart failure. Left BBB (LBBB) has been associated with cardiovascular disease complications in a much larger number of cases if compared to Right BBB (RBBB). RBBB is usually associated to benign findings in healthy and asymptomatic individuals; nevertheless it can indicate affection of the right side of the heart through cor pulmonale, myocardial ischemia/infarction, pulmonary embolism, myocarditis, or congenital heart disease.
LBBB and RBBB prognosis strength are taking new positions over the time. Both have shown its relation with patient's mortality and prognosis implications. Therefore, in this review, we intend to make an approach of the BBB and its prognosis relevance based on the latest studies about this role.
Physicians should keep their patients with heart failure, myocardial infarction, and other abnormalities associated with BBB, under watch. Even the asymptomatic ones with coronary risk factors, should be carefully followed, once they have been associated with an increased mortality if compared with those who are not affected by bundle branch blocks.


Total cell counts and differential patterns in secretion of 52 mammary quarters of 23 Holstein-Friesian cows were determined at intervals in the early dry and the pre- and postpartum periods. Each sample was cultured to determine infection status of the gland. Twelve quarters remained noninfected, and 10 quarters were infected throughout the test period. Patterns of bacterial isolation from the remaining 30 quarters indicated that transient or intermittent infections had occurred. In secretions of noninfected quarters, geometric mean cell counts increased from 3.6 x 10(5) cells/ml on the last day of lactation to 1.8 x 10(7) cells/ml by the 7th day of the dry period. Total cell concentration remained high through most of the dry period; counts decreased in the prepartum period and reached a level of 2.8 x 10(5)/ml by the 6th day after parturition. Macrophages were the predominant cell type through most of the dry period. The proportion of neutrophils was high initially, decreased as the dry period progressed, and tended to increase as parturition approached, whereas that of lymphocytes increased during involution and then decreased near parturition. In secretions from persistently infected quarters, concentrations of total cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes were higher at all sampling times than in secretions from noninfected quarters. Neutrophils were the predominant cell type in infected secretions at all sampling times. Peak cell concentrations of 8.5 x 10(7)/ml in infected quarters were reached in the immediate prepartum period.


Real-time viewing of high resolution infrared line scan reconnaissance imagery is greatly facilitated using Honeywell's Real Time Display in conjunction with a D-500 Infrared Reconnaissance System. The Real-Time Display (RTD) provides the capability of on-board review of high resolution infrared imagery using the wide infrared dynamic range of the D-500 infrared receiver to maximum advantage. The scan converter accepts, processes, and displays imagery from four channels of the IR Receiver after formatting by a multiplexer. The scan converter interfaces with a standard RS-170 video monitor. Detailed review and on-board analysis of infrared reconnaissance imagery stored on a videotape is easily accomplished using the many user-friendly features of the RTD. Using a convenient joystick controller, on-screen mode menus, and a moveable cursor, the operator can examine scenes of interest at four different display magnifications using a four step bidirectional zoom. Imagery areas of interest are first noted using the scrolling wide field display mode at 8x reduced display resolution. On noting an area of interest, the imagery can be marked on the tape record for future recovery and a freeze frame mode can be initiated. The operator can then move the cursor to the area of interest and zoom to higher display magnification for 4x, 2x, and lx display resolutions so that the full 4096 x 4096 pixel infrared frame can be matched to the 512 x 512 pixel display frame. At 8x wide field display magnification the full line scanner field of view is displayed at 8x reduced resolution. There are two selectable modes of obtaining this reduced resolution. The operator can use the default method, which averages the signal from an 8 x 8 pixel group, or it is also possible to select the peak signal of the 8 x 8 pixel block to represent the entire block on the display. In this alternate peak-signal display the wide field can be effectively scanned for hot objects which are more likely to be candidate targets. The intermediate 4x and 2x zoom steps are very useful in maintaining operator orientation in examining target clusters and industrial complexes. The four operating modes of the RTD are described and their use to the operator on a typical mission is outlined. Some installation details are given. The RTD as part of a complete D-500 Infrared Linescan Reconnaissance System is now being installed on a Beech 1900 Environmental Control Aircraft to monitor pollution in very sensitive and commercially important marine ecologies. Its application on military reconnaissance missions will allow the normal review of recorded videotape imagery at a ground station immediately after return of the aircraft to base. The areas of highest interest will have been previously marked during the airborne real-time review by the operator. The RTD packages into only two Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), a Scan Converter, and a Control Unit which includes a joystick hand controller. The CRT display is assumed to be part of the aircraft.


The development of the furniture craft in Vilnius in the second half of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries, as well as the status of the furniture craftsmen belonging to the guilds, acquisition of professional skills, training and participation in Vilnius exhibitions are presented. The mass-produced products spread in the Western European market in the second half of the 19th century gained ill-feeling to the industrial production articles and raised nostalgia. The Arts and Crafts Movement in Great Britain became the resistance expression of the mass industrial produc- tion. This movement inspired by artists, when the wares of craftsmen were driven out by industrial products, stimulated the revival of the old crafts, returning to the hand-made wares and admiration for the medieval craftsmen guilds. Indeed, the situation in Lithuania was different. The develop- ment of the advanced and modern craftsmanship was impeded by the medieval relict – the guild system, which existed until the end of the 19th century. Craftsmen of the guilds defending their monopoly production rights fought against non-guild craftsmen, craftsmen from other cities and traders and opposed the establishment of the capitalist industry companies. In the second half of the 19th century, the furniture production was based on the craftsmen works predominated in Lithuania continuing the traditions of the guilds craftsmanship. The collision between crafts and industrial production manifested not as the hostile disposition against the mass-produced furniture, but as an attempt on the guild's production monopoly. Until the 19th century, the old crafts learning system in the guilds existed in Vilnius. The acqui- sition of occupational skills was hierarchized. Learner–apprentice–master was the traditional scheme of the craft secrets mastering and the development of the professional career. Only at the end of the 19th century – beginning of the last century, new processes originated along with the repercussions of the craft movement. The special courses and schools of crafts, which raised the professional level of craftsmen, mitigated backwardness and represented modern craft ideas. At the turn of the 19–20th centuries, the ideas of a new modern style reached Vilnius. The exhi- bitions of art and crafts were invoked for the dissemination and introduction of these ideas to craftsmen and society. After application of new artistic ideas, they reflected the turn of the former workshop craftsman towards the modern applied art creator. However, derivations of different historic styles (Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival, etc.) were the most demanded types among Vilnius society and furniture manufacturers until the turn of the 19–20th centuries. At first, the takeover of new modern artistic tendencies (English, German) was reflected in the furniture design in the exhibition in 1909. The influence of European design tendencies was also reflected in the popularization of production and increased demand for weaved and bamboo furniture at the beginning of the last century.


The publication of the EU's draft AI legal framework is a milestone in the regulatory debate on AI. It proposes a risk based approach to regulating and reporting. In this white paper, we provide a high-level overview of the risk tiers, which we take to be the kernel of the legislation, and follow this by offering our initial thoughts and feedback on strategic points of contention in the legislation. Our main takeaways are: (i) Innovation - the sandbox approach may not be enough to ensure innovation; (ii) Reporting - in the lead up to codification we would like to see reporting being used to accelerate dissemination of best practice and benchmarking; (iii) Green-flagging - there does not appear to be sufficient detail to derive a reasonable set of green-flagging conditions; and, (iv) Manipulation - addressing the ambiguity in the draft proposal of banning systems with 'significant manipulation'. We conclude with notes on the legal status of algorithms, the status of GDPR in light of AI regulation and, the geopolitical ramifications of EU AI regulation.


ABSTRACT This article aims to analyse how the emerging Swedish school system in the early nineteenth century can be understood within the context of a gradual break-up of the estate society and its replacement with a class society in which citizenship was an important foundation. This is done through the discussion of the conceptions of citizenship on two levels. The first is the national level, focusing the national debate on education, and the second is the local level, investigating the local schools and the school setting. The main result is that the conceptions of citizenship in the school context were formed along two major lines: an inclusive social and civil citizenship and an exclusive, active and political citizenship. Consequently, the emerging Swedish school system simultaneously fostered these two citizenship conceptions, which coexisted in an educational system that was able to cast pupils as either subjects (comprehensive citizenship) or agents (designated citizenship).


The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method for the discrimination of reducing and non-reducing monosaccharides including rare sugars on a prototype hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) column. The HILIC column was composed of a glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymer attached to 8 wt% polyethyleneimine. Seven monosaccharides (reducing aldoses: D-xylose, D-allose, and D-glucose; non-reducing ketoses: D-fructose, D-psicose, D-sorbose, and D-tagatose) were targeted. In individual HPLC analysis of both aldoses and ketoses, elution with 90 v/v% acetonitrile permitted successful detection and separation only for the non-reducing ketoses. Besides, elution of a mixture of ketoses and aldoses with 85 v/v% acetonitrile containing 5 mmol/L sodium 1-octanesulfonate (OS) (pH 4.8) enabled the simultaneous separation of all seven monosaccharides within 40 min. The polyethyleneimine-attached HILIC column allowed discriminant HPLC analysis for non-reducing ketoses using elution with 90 v/v% acetonitrile, whereas elution with 85 v/v% acetonitrile containing 5 mmol/L OS simultaneously detected both ketoses and aldoses.


1. Climatic warming has induced marked shifts in the geographical distribution and seasonal phenology of many species, although the impacts of climatic changes on the interactions between species across trophic levels are far less well known.

2. Freshwater microcosms were used to test the effect of temperature on the life history traits of a prey species, the fairy shrimp Chirocephalus diaphanus (Anostraca), the abundance of a predator, themicrocrustacean Heterocypris incongruens (Ostracoda), and on the interaction between them.

3. When reared in the absence of predators, C. diaphanus survival was low at the highest temperature (25 °C) and greatly reduced at the lowest temperature (5 °C). It was reproductively most successful at an intermediate temperature (20 °C), suggesting that it may benefit from the increase in temperature predicted under future climate change scenarios. In the absence of other species, temperature would have to increase dramatically to affect C. diaphanus adversely.

4. Heterocypris incongruens was more abundant and its predation on C. diaphanus greatest at higher temperatures, partially offsetting the positive effect of raised temperature on prey observed when the predator was absent. The net effect was that the optimal temperature for C. diaphanus when coexisting with its predator was lower than when it was in isolation. This means that currently predicted increases in temperature ultimately may be detrimental to C. diaphanus.

5. Predation rates were generally enhanced by high temperature, prey size and prey density, with significant interaction between them. Thus, the positive effects of raised temperature on predation rate were additionally dependent upon prey characteristics, being strongest when prey were large and at high density and weakest when prey were small and at low density.

6. Interactions with a natural enemy, in this case a predator, may alter how species respond to raised temperatures; prey size and density further modify the outcome of this interaction. This context dependency in the response of both predators and prey to temperature suggests that the ecological impacts of future climate change on trophic interactions may be difficult to predict.


In order to develop an experimental model of symptomatic cryptosporidiosis in an immunosuppressed mammal, we investigated the pathophysiology of infection with Cryptosporidium and the humoral and cellular host responses in rnu/rnu (athymic) rats and their heterozygous (rnu/+) littermates by challenging suckling rats with greater than or equal to 2.5 x 10(6) Cryptosporidium oocytes oro-gastrically. Normal and immunodeficient animals were followed for onset and duration of infection (fecal oocysts), physiologic consequences (diarrhea, impaired weight gain, brush-border enzyme activities), and immunologic response (both B- and T-lymphocyte-mediated). Homozygosity for the rnu gene was associated with protracted cryptosporidial infections; shedding for up to 52 days occurred, and delay in weight gain was noted in rnu/rnu-infected compared with rnu/rnu-uninfected rats (p less than 0.05). In contrast, cryptosporidial challenge of rnu/+ rats resulted in self-resolving infections, occasionally with transient diarrhea lasting four days or less occurring 10-15 days after oro-gastric challenge. The latter animals mounted a cell-mediated immune response to Cryptosporidium: three months after challenge, five of five rnu/+ rats demonstrated positive skin test responses to a subcutaneous 3.5 micrograms dose of cryptosporidial antigen. Further, sera from 6 rnu/+ rats taken two to three months after oro-gastric oocyst challenge exhibited specific anticryptosporidial immunoglobulin binding (A405 = 0.96), compared to that of seven uninfected rnu/+ controls (A405 = 0.09, P less than 0.02). Macromolecules of 150, 105, and 88 kD in the Cryptosporidium antigen preparation were bound by serum immunoglobulin from previously infected, recovered rnu/+ rats. Two brush-border enzymes (lactase and alkaline phosphatase) were markedly reduced in the ileum 8-10 days after oro-gastric challenge in rats with diarrhea and oocyst shedding. We find the rnu/rnu (athymic, nude) rat provides a useful model for study of prolonged cryptosporidial infection with impaired weight loss, brush-border enzyme alteration and intermittent diarrhea. These studies further suggest that a T-lymphocyte population is involved in recovery from Cryptosporidium infection and that this recovery is associated with both cellular and humoral immune responses to specific cryptosporidial antigenic macromolecules. This model should open further avenues for the study of the pathogenesis and protective immunity in cryptosporidial infection.


Since China initiated a series of post-socialist transformations in the late 1970s, it has presented itself as a developing country that is pursuing a challenging and ambitious project of socioeconomic construction. It adopted economic development as its primary ideological orientation to complement Marxist thought. China's recent attempts to develop its western region — specifically in the form of the Western Development Project (WDP) — give the ideology of developmentalism a new meaning. This article's close examination of the WDP reveals an interesting interdependence between the issues of development and ethnicity: in addition to addressing problems of unequal regional development, solving increasing security concerns, and tackling poverty, official and scholarly writings in China repeatedly ascribe the WDP with minority features. The author exposes and analyzes the ethnic minority label that China's dominant discourse on development attaches to the WDP and argues that this discourse prevents ethnic minorities from becoming fully recognized participants in the economic transformations taking place in China. It does so by localizing ethnic minorities in one region, China's West, and by characterizing them in a derogatory fashion.


In Nepal, many rural households need access to public forest resources to complement private resources for food and livestock production. However, current forest policies are largely directed at environmental protection. The first part of this study identified the effect of current forest policy on livestock production using survey data from 259 households in three Nepal hill districts. The second part used a forestry-agriculture integrated model to examine alternative land use policies that could increase household livestock holdings and income while maintaining the environmental services of the community forest. The results show that current forest policies contributed to reductions in potential household livestock holdings by 34% for goats, 30% for cattle and 27% for buffalo. This exacerbated problems of farm fertility and food shortages in vulnerable and poor households. Modeling of alternative policy scenarios indicates that livestock holdings and income could both be increased for most households in communities practicing agroforestry while still maintaining environmental protection. The increase could be highest for the poorest households. Finally, the article discusses potential implications of new environmental policies on local food security and sustainability in the country.


Foresight is widely interpreted as the process of fostering scientific research to support technological innovation and hence regional and national competitiveness. Policy integration, across administrative levels, is seen as crucial to achieving these goals. Our analysis looks at policies and their integration in the contexts of science, Foresight and governance at regional, national, European and global levels and we draw some conclusions relevant to their implementation, particularly at the regional level. We use Scotland as an illustrative example, where the recent devolution settlement has, at least in some areas, allowed greater freedom of action. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.


The control of separated fluid flow by reduced-order models is studied using the two-dimensional incompressible flow over an open square cavity at Reynolds numbers where instabilities are present. Actuation and measurement locations are taken on the upstream and downstream edge of the cavity. A bi-orthogonal projection is introduced to arrive at reduced-order models for the compensated problem. Global modes, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes and balanced modes are used as expansion bases for the model reduction. The open-loop behaviour of the full and the reduced systems is analysed by comparing the respective transfer functions. This analysis shows that global modes are inadequate to sufficiently represent the input–output behaviour whereas POD and balanced modes are capable of properly approximating the exact transfer function. Balanced modes are far more efficient in this process, but POD modes show superior robustness. The performance of the closed-loop system corroborates this finding: while reduced-order models based on POD are able to render the compensated system stable, balanced modes accomplish the same with far fewer degrees of freedom.