Of paramount importance to our ability to assess seismic hazards in the New Madrid Seismic Zone is determining accurate estimates of the magnitudes of the 1811-1812 events. Based on intensity determinations, moment magnitudes for the three largest 1811-1812 earthquakes are estimated to be between M 7.8 and 8.1. Earthquakes of these large magnitudes suggest coseismic fault rupture lengths in excess of 100 km for each event, yet the only clear case of coseismic surface deformation occurred during the February 7, M 8.0 earthquake when uplift occurred over a distance of 32 km along the Reelfoot Fault scarp.

The Lake County uplift and the Reelfoot Fault scarp are within the northwest-trending central arm of the New Madrid Seismic Zone; however, contemporary seismicity in this part of the seismic zone extends beyond the Lake County uplift from New Madrid, Missouri, to near Dyersburg, Tennessee, a total distance of approximately 70 km. Although no fault scarp is present southeast of Reelfoot Lake, we believe that the Reelfoot Fault ruptured this entire length during the February 7 earthquake. A Mini-Sosie seismic-reflection line at Lane, Tennessee, shows evidence of a faulted asymmetric anticline along the projection of the Reelfoot Fault Zone. We believe that prehistoric and 1811-1812 coseismic uplift in the hanging wall of the Reelfoot Fault has caused subtle surface warping from Reelfoot Lake to Dyersburg. Evidence for this warping includes (1) a structural high on top of the Eocene strata in the projected hanging wall of the Reelfoot Fault, (2) a nearly continuous drainage divide on the hanging wall of the Reelfoot Fault that extends from the Mississippi River floodplain onto the uplands to near Dyersburg, (3) drainage-basin asymmetry suggesting a fault block margin along the southeastern projection of the Reelfoot Fault, (4) narrowing of the Obion River floodplain where the river crosses the fault, (5) possible warping of Obion River terraces and floodplain sediments across the fault, and (6) the formation of a temporary Lake Obion in the Obion River Valley on the footwall of the projected Reelfoot Fault.


OBJECTIVE
The broader autism phenotype includes relatives of individuals with autism who display social and language deficits that are qualitatively similar to those of autism but less severe. In previous studies of monozygotic twins discordant for autism, more than 75% of the twins without autism displayed the broader phenotype. Differences in neuroanatomy between discordant monozygotic twins might be associated with the narrow and broader behavioral phenotypes. The authors examined the relationship of twin pair differences in clinical phenotype to differences in neuroanatomic phenotype.

METHOD
The subjects were 16 monozygotic twin pairs between the ages of 5 and 14 years and 16 matched singleton comparison subjects. Seven twin pairs were clinically concordant and nine twin pairs were clinically discordant for strictly defined autism. After magnetic resonance imaging, a semiautomated procedure was applied to images in which the brain tissue was subdivided into neurofunctional regions and segmented into gray, white, and ventricular compartments.

RESULTS
Both the concordant and discordant twin pairs exhibited concordance in cerebral gray and white matter volumes. However, only the clinically concordant pairs exhibited concordance in cerebellar gray and white matter volumes. Within the discordant twin pairs, both the twins with autism and their co-twins exhibited frontal, temporal, and occipital white matter volumes that were lower than those of the comparison subjects.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the role and the limits of genetic liability in autism. Continuing to clarify the neuroanatomic pathways in autistic spectrum disorders could illuminate the etiology of autism and, ultimately, contribute to treatments.


Abstract Field experiments determined copper and zinc content and accumulation in yellow lupine roots, stems, leaves, flowers, pods and seeds. The test factors included development stages (BBCH 65 and BBCH 90) at which harvest was performed as well as nitrogen doses (0, 30, and 120 kg·ha−1) introduced to the soil prior to sowing. A higher copper content (by an average of 20.9%) and zinc content (by 53.7%) were obtained in the whole mass of lupine harvested at the flowering stage compared to that at the full maturity stage. Yellow lupine fertilised with 120 kg N·ha−1 contained and took up more copper and zinc than both lupine cultivated without nitrogen fertilization and fertilised with 30 kg N·ha−1. The application of different nitrogen doses had no significant effect on the contents of the micronutrients in the seeds of the test plant. The amount of copper and zinc accumulated in the seeds was the largest following the application of 120 kg N·ha−1. Lupine accumulated the largest amounts of both elements in the leaves irrespective of the development stage at which the harvest was carried out. The bioaccumulation factor for copper and zinc was higher in the lupine harvested at the flowering stage than in the lupine harvested at full maturity, but it was not significantly determined by the applied nitrogen fertilization. The values of translocation coefficient for the tested heavy metals, usually higher than 1, indicate significant potential for their accumulation in yellow lupine biomass. Under conditions of an increased zinc content in the soil, lupine green matter harvested at the flowering stage contained an above-standard amount of this heavy metal and could not be used for animal feed.


It is sometimes suggested that creole language study provides important concepts and metaphors for the analysis of cultural processes within globalization and transnational flow. This article argues, however, that although it may have served as a useful heuristic in certain cases, most of creole linguistics has been grounded in a set of assumptions and procedures that now look increasingly doubtful, both within linguistics and anthropology more generally. After some critical comments on politics and methodology within this subdisciplinary area, there is an overview of the challenge presented by a number of larger shifts in language study, and the article concludes with a socio-linguistic analysis of situated interaction which, we argue, provides a much better framework for understanding the dynamics of syncretic practice than the study of creole grammar.1


In Table 4, current "state-of-the-art" screening for various cancers is summarized. It is fair to say that, unfortunately, only a minority of the tumors do have proven screening methods that lead to a lower disease-specific mortality. Given the relative lack of improvement in survival rates over the last few decades, this area should be a priority for research endeavors.


JWST/NIRSpec will include the first space-borne multi-object spectrograph, comprising a micro-shutter array (MSA) of a quarter of a million closable apertures that can be individually addressed to select up to a couple of hundred objects within a ~3.2x3.4 arcmin field of view. Although more than ~85% of the unvignetted shutters are fully operational, the high degree of mechanical movement combined with complex circuitry on a small scale, inevitably leads to some non-operable shutters. In this paper we present an overview of the operability assessment concept for the MSA, employed during both ground tests and in flight. We describe the procedures used to detect, mitigate against, and even repair the non-operable shutters, and show the effect upon the multiplexing capability and output data from NIRSpec. We also present the operability trending results from ground tests, and discuss the probable impact on nominal operations after launch.


Describes the architecture and design of a CMOS VLSI chip for data compression and decompression using tree-based codes. The chip, called MARVLE, implements a memory-based architecture for variable length encoding and decoding based on tree-based codes. The architecture is based on an efficient scheme of mapping the tree representing any binary code onto a memory device. A prototype 2-mm CMOS VLSI chip has been designed, verified, and fabricated by the MOSIS facility. The chip has a 512*12 static RAM with an access time of 4 ns and logic circuitry for compression as well as decompression. The chip occupies a silicon area of 6.8 mm*6.9 mm and consists of 49695 transistors. The prototype chip yields a compression rate of 95.2 Mb/s and a decompression rate of 60.6 Mb/s with a clock rate of 83.3 MHz. The VLSI hardware can be used to implement the JPEG baseline compression scheme. >


Safety critical certification ensures that a catastrophic failure cannot occur in the operation of a computer system. It is well established for computers that control nuclear reactors and aircraft. Certification is time consuming, bureaucratic, and expensive and relies on analysis rather than experiment. Most existing clinical information systems do not have safety critical certification and probably could not be certified retrospectively. As clinical information systems include those for patient administration, general practice, hospital information, and medical audit, the cost and disruption of safety critical certification could be enormous.

Nevertheless, some recent events have focused attention on this issue. The deaths caused by the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine provided an example of a computer system directly harming patients1 - a clear case for safety critical certification. Information systems, however, do not act directly on patients, and in theory patients should be protected from any form …


The use of zinc nitride (Zn_3N_2) films as a transparent electrode in various electronic devices has attracted much attention owing to its high-carrier mobility. In this study, we investigate the influence of the sputtering process on structural, optical, and electrical properties of a Zn_3N_2 film deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The reactivity of nitrogen species can be improved by changing the type of sputtering gas. Compared with Ar or Ne sputtering gas, polycrystalline Zn_3N_2 films deposited using He sputtering gas have a larger grain size. The optical band gap of the Zn_3N_2 films varied from ~1.2 to 1.5 eV depending on the N_2 flow ratio and type of sputtering gas. The maximum mobility was 91.1 cm^2/Vs when the Zn_3N_2 film was deposited using Ar sputtering gas with an N_2 flow ratio of 40%. The carrier density of Zn_3N_2 films deposited using Ar sputtering gas was notably higher than those deposited using Ne or He sputtering gas, and more oxygen atoms are considered to substitute into nitrogen sites, where oxygen is considered to be from the residual water vapor in the sputtering chamber.


Hydrangea macrophylla (bigleaf hydrangea) is one of the most important floral and nursery crops worldwide. However, breeding of new bigleaf hydrangea cultivars has been hampered by a long breeding cycle and lack of genetic resources. This study investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of 82 bigleaf hydrangea cultivars using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) originated from genotyping-by-sequencing. A total of 5803 high-quality SNPs were discovered in a bigleaf hydrangea cultivar panel. A phylogenetic analysis and analysis of molecular variance based on discovered SNPs concluded the taxonomic classification of H. macrophylla ssp. serrata as a subspecies of H. macrophylla. Principal component analysis confirmed 'Preziosa' as a hybrid between H. macrophylla ssp. macrophylla and H. macrophylla ssp. serrata. In addition, the cultivar Lady in Red was also found to be a hybrid between the two subspecies. The population structure analysis identified three groups among the 82 cultivars. All H. macrophylla ssp. serrata cultivars belonged to one group, and two groups were revealed within H. macrophylla ssp. macrophylla. The separation within H. macrophylla ssp. macrophylla indicated a second gene pool due to breeding efforts that have targeted similar breeding goals for bigleaf hydrangea. The discovered SNPs and the phylogenetic results will facilitate further exploitation and understanding of phylogenetic relationships of bigleaf hydrangea and will serve as a reference for hydrangea breeding improvements.


For large-area slope turf nursing, existing self-propelled mower is unsuitable to operate on slope while hand-propelled or backpack mower works with intensive labor and low efficiency. The development of LD-1300 crawler mower resolves this problem: being supported with articulated suspension, the generator set is vertical automatically relying on gravitation, at this rate it is suitable to operate on any slope; crawler traveling mechinanics can work for a long distance and climb up abrupt slope; adjustable knife suits grass of different height; suspended knife can be upturned, for convenience of the mower to move and turn; knife protection cover and floating wheel can protect the knife and people and livestock around; retractable lever at both sides of the mower will protect the mower from side flip. Compared with backpack mower, the efficiency of crawler mower is 2.4 times higher and the cost is nearly half. While it can work in high quality and efficiency with low cost, the crawler mower is economical and can be extended in relevant field.


Objectives: To determine whether inflammation in the gut associated immune system is activated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The expression of chemokine receptor- (CCR4, CCR5) and cytokine- (interleukin (IL)2, IL10, interferon γ (IFNγ), tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)) specific mRNA in intestinal biopsy samples from patients with RA was examined. Methods: Duodenal biopsy samples from 13 patients with RA and 15 control subjects were studied. The mRNA expression of CCR4, CCR5, IL2, IL10, IFNγ, TNFα, and TGFβ in intestinal biopsy samples was demonstrated by real time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results: The mRNA expression of CCR4, CCR5, and IL10 in intestinal biopsy samples was increased in patients with RA in comparison with control subjects (p = 0.001, p = 0.046, p = 0.019). No difference in the expression levels of IL2, IFNγ, TNFα, or TGFβ was seen between patients with RA and controls. Conclusions: The increased intestinal mRNA expression of IL10, CCR5, and CCR4 suggests that gut associated immune cells are activated in patients with RA.


During a one-year morbidity survey of urinary tract diseases in general practice 741 cases were diagnosed. Only about half of all the patients with symptoms of urinary tract infection had significant bacteriuria. In young women urinary tract infections and symptoms from the urinary tract without bacteriuria—in particular urethritis—were found to predominate. In middle-aged women, the urinary tract symptoms were ascribed increasingly to genital prolapse, while incidence of urolithiasis was the highest in any group, and urinary tract infections became less frequent. The prevalence of urinary tract infection showed another increase in elderly women, and recurrent/chronic pyelonephritis, which occurs with a steadily increasing prevalence throughout all age groups, became common. In younger male urological patients diseases with symptoms of urinary tract infection without bacteriuria were predominant, whereas prostatitis and urinary tract infections were less frequent. In middle-aged men, urolithiasis was especially frequent, while an increasing proportion of elderly men had prostatic hypertrophy, urinary tract infections, and recurrent/chronic pyelonephritis.


Lithium hydride LiH is one of the attractive hydrogen storage materials, because it stores 12.7 mass% of H2. However, H2 desorption reaction occurs over 600 °C due to the large enthalpy change of H2 desorption Ho = 181 kJ/mol H2. The purpose of this work is to control the enthalpy change of LiH to much lower value by a mechanical alloying with Si, where the Li-Si alloy is thermodynamically more stable than Li. The alloy was synthesized from Li granule and Si powder by a mechanical alloying method. The H2 absorption and desorption properties were characterized by High-Pressure Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermogravimetry - Differential Thermal Analysis - Mass Spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurement. Pressure - Composition - Isotherm measurements were performed at 400, 450, and 500 °C to estimate the enthalpy change. From the results, it was confirmed that reversible H2 ab/desorption reactions of the Li-Si alloy were expressed as 7LiH + 3Si ↔ (3/7)Li12Si7 + (13/7)LiH + (18/7)H2 ↔ Li7Si3 + (7/2)H2 (theoretically 5.0 mass% H2) at 400 °C. From van't Hoff plot obtained by the results of PCI measurements, the enthalpy change of the former reaction was estimated to be Ho = 103 kJ/mol H2, which is lower than that of LiH.


DR30 is a recently discovered solar system object on a unique orbit, with a high eccentricity of 0.9867, a perihelion distance of 14.54 AU, and a semi-major axis of 1109 AU, in this respect outscoring the vast majority of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). We performed Herschel/PACS and optical photometry to uncover the size and albedo of 2012 DR30, together with its thermal and surface properties. The body is 185 km in diameter and has a relatively low V-band geometric albedo of 8%. Although the colours of the object indicate that 2012 DR30 is an RI taxonomy class TNO or Centaur, we detected an absorption feature in the Z-band that is uncommon among these bodies. A dynamical analysis of the target's orbit shows that 2012 DR30 moves on a relatively unstable orbit and was most likely only recently placed on its current orbit from the most distant and still highly unexplored regions of the solar system. If categorised on dynamical grounds 2012 DR30 is the largest Damocloid and/or high inclination Centaur observed so far.


On April 11, 2005 have been implemented examination Civil Aviation facilities Dipangkalan TNI Air Force Abdul Rachman Saleh Malang, East Java Province Affair, Government of Malang Regency, PT. Sriwijaya Air and other related agencies. within the framework of the operation back Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport, for flight services can run well until 2022, hence the need for the physical development of both sides of the Air and Land sides. Planning the development of air side Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport in Malang to the dimensions using the FAA (Federal Adviation Administration) with Boeing 737-200 aircraft plans, and for thick layers of pavement using the methods of CBR (California Bearing ration). The study plan Boeing 737-200 aircraft: the dimensions required runway length of 2730 m, minimum width 30 m, the minimum runway shoulder width 6 m, width blastpad 42 m, 60 m long and 150 m wide safe areas; taxiway width dimension of at least 18 m; minimum shoulder width of 6 m; safe area 36 m wide, while the width dimension Apron is 105 m long and 93.3 m. For Runway pavement thickness: upper layer perkerasan15.24 cm layer of foundation over 22.86 cm, and the base layer 25.83 cm 63.18
cm total thickness of pavement, while for the thick pavement taxiway, and Apron: 12.70 cm layer of pavement; layer of foundation over 20:32 cm base layer 30.14 cm 63.18 cm total thickness of pavement.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in many physiological and pathological processes. Previous studies have reported the role of miR-139-3p in cancer. However, its specific roles and functions in the heart undergoing hypertrophy have yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, a significant upregulation of miR-139-3p expression was demonstrated in the left ventricular myocardium of two-kidney one-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats using microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Based on computational analysis, we observed that miR-139-3p can control the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) as a target gene, which is essential for the induction of cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. This study provides first information that the highly expressed miR-139-3p might be closely involved in MAPK1-mediated cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptotic processes in 2K1C rat.


This paper discusses the nanogel application for conformance control in EOR. The gel strength evaluation has been studied by nondestructive ultrasound-based analysis of gelation based on chronometry of ultrasonic signal transmission through the specimen. It has been proposed kinetic mechanism of the nanoparticles impact on gelation. It was proved by percolation task formulated for a continuous medium on the basis of gel electrical properties changes. Two crossflow layered artificial core has been used for treatment experiments. RRF increase up to 22% and oil recovery increase up to 6% OOIP were observed while nanoparticle addition to polymer gels. It was studied the gel bank's position impact on oil recovery efficiency and in-situ fluid diversion. Experiment results has showed that gel bank placement near production line placement is more effective and leads to 19% and 28% OOIP recovery increase for gel and nanogels consequently.


Interactions between phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria fundamentally shape marine ecosystems. These interactions are driven by the exchange of compounds, however, linking these chemical signals, their mechanisms of action, and resultant ecological consequences remains a fundamental challenge. The bacterial signal 2-heptyl-4-quinolone (HHQ), induces immediate cellular stasis in the coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi, however, the mechanism responsible remains unknown. Here, we show that HHQ exposure leads to the accumulation of DNA damage in phytoplankton and prevents its repair. While this effect is reversible, HHQ-exposed phytoplankton are also protected from viral mortality, ascribing a new role of quorum sensing signals in regulating multi-trophic interactions. Further results demonstrate global HHQ production potential and the first in situ measurements of HHQ which coincide with areas of enhanced micro- and nanoplankton biomass. Our results support bacterial communication signals as emerging players, providing a new mechanistic framework for how compounds may contribute to structure complex marine microbial communities.


This research is aimed at finding out the suitable writing material for deaf students. This research belongs to research and development. The participants of this research were the eleventh graders of SLB Muhammadiyah Dekso Kalibawang of semester 1 in academic year 2013/2014 which consisted of two students. The instruments used in collecting data were questionnaires. The questionnaires were used in the need analysis, material evaluation and students' response. The data were analyzed descriptively by using percentage. Based on the need analysis, it was found out that students' need is suitable with material for writing. In developing  syllabus, existing syllabus must be added with some exercises. In developing material is in the form of hand out. The hand out is writing material for the deaf students. The developed material is for the first semester academic year of 2013/2014. It consists of  three  units, five topics and nineteen activities. In the material evaluation from two experts, the developed materials facilitate the deaf students to write. Based on the student's response, the developed material is appropriate with their English level competence.


Archaeological excavations of the Early Iron Age site of Kalakaca in northern Serbia revealed the presence of numerous pit-features and traces of several possible above-ground structures. A number of pits were interpreted as storage features. Moreover, the charred plant remains in some of them were taken as an evidence of the function of the pits as crop stores/granaries. Archaeobotanical analysis confirmed the presence of a range of crops in the pits; however, the circumstances in which the charred crop remains were found strongly suggest that there is no direct connection between the plant material and the pit-features. No traces of in situ burning were detected in the excavated pits, demonstrating that the charring of plants happened outside. The use of charred plant remains as evidence for the storage of crops in the Kalakaca pits can thus be dismissed. The plant material was perhaps charred within the surface structures. The analysis of the type of plant parts re-deposited in the pits reveals the presence of crop products – chiefly millet grain (most likely semi-cleaned) and some barley grain; and crop processing by-products – wheat and barley chaff. Millet grain may have originated from millet stores; cereal chaff may have arrived in the pits as daub temper or as crop processing residue discarded in fire. Key w ords Early Iron Age, Vojvodina, Kalakaca, pit-features, storage, charred plant remains, taphonomy, millet


A beam of laser light enters the camera. The light diffusely reflected by the film re-emerges, and the speckle pattern formed at the plane of the lens diaphragm is observed. A traversing lens produces slight movements of the light spot at the film plane. If the camera is out of focus these cause bodily movements of the speckle pattern. As the focal position is approached the speckle size and rate of movement increase and finally give way to a random change of structure. The focal position can be estimated to within 0.1 or less of the Rayleigh limit. Using this it is possible to measure all the primary and secondary aberrations (other than distortion) of the camera, including any errors of film position.


Voltage-gated calcium channels (VDCC) are essential for the correct functioning of all excitable cells. This project characterises the trafficking of N-type VDCC in response to
two known modulators of channel expression and trafficking: Ca_\upsilon\beta subunits and \gamma7.
Ca_\upsilon\beta subunits bind to an interaction site, the Alpha-Interaction Domain (AID),
conserved in the I-II loop of the Ca_\upsilon\alpha1 subunit of all high-voltage-activated calcium
channels. Mutation of W391 to A in the AID of Ca_\upsilon2.2, has identified that this amino
acid is important for \beta subunit binding, for plasma membrane expression and for
modulation of the biophysical properties of Ca_\upsilon2.2 channels. This study focuses on the
localization of fluorescently tagged wild-type (WT) and W391A mutant Ca_\upsilon2.2
channels in sympathetic neurons. A significant difference in the localisation in neurites
of Ca_\upsilon2.2(WT) compared to mutant channel Ca_\upsilon2.2(W391A) channels is shown, using
co-expression techniques, photobleaching assays and time-series based live-cell
imaging. The Ca_\upsilon2.2 channel distribution is sensitive to Ca_\upsilon\beta1b expression, although
some of the distribution within the neurites occurs through a Ca_\upsilon\beta1b independent
mechanism.
The expression of \gamma7 has previously been shown to abolish N-type channel
currents when co-expressed in either Xenopus oocytes or COS-7 cells. \gamma7 acts through a
mechanism which modulates N-type channel expression by increasing the degradation
rate of mRNA encoding the Ca_\upsilon2.2(WT) channel. The distribution of \gamma7 was
investigated in sympathetic neurons to establish the localisation and trafficking of this
protein. \gamma7 was found to be distributed throughout the neurites of the sympathetic
neurons, as small puncta of fluorescence. In addition, \gamma7 expression was shown to
initiate particle formation and trafficking, providing a possible link to the process of
endocytosis or autophagy in neurites.
This study has explored some of the mechanisms which regulate N-type VDCC
trafficking and highlighted some of its key properties.


This paper reports the first experiment to demonstrate the existence of a valuation anomaly associated with the creation of new works. To date, a wealth of social science research has shown that substantial valuation asymmetries exist between owners of goods and potential purchasers of them. The least amount of money that owners are willing to accept to part with their possessions is often far greater than the amount that purchasers would be willing to pay to obtain them. This phenomenon, known as the endowment effect, may create substantial inefficiencies in many markets. Our experiment demonstrates the existence of a related "creativity effect". We show that the creators of works value their creations substantially more than do both purchasers of their works and mere owners of the works. The creators in our study valued their works (in this case, paintings) more than four times higher than potential buyers did and almost twice as high as mere owners of the works. Further, we provide evidence that these differences are the result of both creators' irrational optimism about the quality of their work and potentially rational regret aversion associated with selling emotionally endowed property. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for intellectual property theory in general and IP licensing in particular. Our findings potentially undermine the classical economic approach to IP rights, and they suggest that IP markets may be less efficient than previously recognized.


The inflammation is observed by a sequence of comprehensive, correlated prevalence which causes enrollment of macrophages along with by removal of foreign particles and instigation of tissue repair. Though, massive release of chemokine and cytokines from macrophages can cause the progression of auto-inflammation and auto-immune diseases. The control overproduction of these mediators without damaging macrophages seems to be a novel strategy to control inflammation. Plants have been an integral part of the health-care system since ancient times. Many modern-day pharmaceuticals find their origin from phytochemicals. Rutin, catechin, and hesperidin are well-recognized for analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic effects. Scientific reports rationalize their protective effect on humoral and cell-mediated immunity. The present study is focused to determine the immunomodulatory effect of rutin, catechin, and hesperidin on macrophage function. Rat peritoneal macrophages were harvested and cultured in the presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and hesperidin. MTT assay was performed to determine macrophage viability. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 were determined by ELISA kits whereas NO levels were determined by Griess method. The results of the present study revealed a decrease in levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and NO in LPS treated groups. In conclusion, LPS activated the macrophage by promoting the production of immune mediators, whereas rutin, catechin, and hesperidin treatment showed anti-inflammatory activities by suppressing the cytokine production in rat macrophages.


Our work on single election transfer in coals led us to the knowledge that the energetics of bond cleavage in radical cations is 20-40 kcal/mole lower than the corresponding homolytic bond cleavage energies. Having made excellent progress in the other areas covered by this proposal, we are extending our studies to the investigation of the formation and cleavage reaction of radical cations in coals. The formation of a radical cation requires the transfer of an electron from a neutral molecule to an appropriate electron acceptor (oxidant). As a first step, we seek oxidants which will form radical cations from functional groups typical of those in coals. We must also study the decomposition behavior of bonds typical of those found in coals. Alkyl and alkoxy aromatic compounds were chosen as the electron donors because of their common occurrence in coals.


A new kind of dendritic-salicylaldehydeimine ligand was synthesized with 1.0G polyamidoamine and salicylaldehyde through schiff reaction, and further formed two kinds of dendritic metal complexes by complexing Cu and Zn. The dendritic-salicylaldehydeimine ligand and its metal complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR and UV. The results indicate that two kinds of dendritic metal complexes with stable structure have been synthesized by complexing Cu and Zn, the yield were 88.2% and 65.2% respectively; Intra-molecular hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl H atom of ph-OH and the N atom of >C=N- has been formed in the ligand; The structures of complexes agree well with the theory.


With the anarchic multiplication of international courts and tribunals, and the concomitant possibility for jurisdictional and decisional conflicts among them to occur, treating the International Court of Justice as the "invisible" international supreme court seems an attractive solution. After all, it is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and the only court with universal general jurisdiction. Revisiting this proposal, the article argues that the World Court suffers not only from political (extrinsic) constraints, but also from institutional (intrinsic) limitations, thereby endangering its sociological and normative legitimacy. Nonetheless, this does not mean rectifying them for the purpose of enabling it to discharge its envisioned role as the international supreme court. Rather the problem is not so much improving the World Court, but understanding the merits of maintaining the status quo, that is, a decentralised judiciary.


This paper focuses on the consequences of cross-border banking and entry of multi-national banks (MNBs) for banking supervision and regulation. When a MNB expands internationally with subsidiaries, the MNB operates under the legislation of several countries - both the home country and the host countries. Although these countries have agreed upon minimum standards and supervisory principles, such as in the EU directives or the Basle Accords, substantial degrees of freedom are still left to the national regulators. An important issue is whether the decentralized approach to regulation of MNBs creates inefficiencies and financial instability. We show that lack of international coordination of regulation towards MNB-subsidiaries works to lower capital adequacy requirements. In equilibrium, however, regulators respond by increasing the incentives to improve asset quality, making the probability of banking failure insensitive to the decentralized nature of banking regulation. Ownership of the MNB is shown to be of importance for the outcome of regulatory competition. Finally, considering branch-organized MNBs, we derive comparative results with respect to regulatory policy and MNBs' preferred form of representation.


SUMMARY

In Petunia hybrida the length of pollen tubes was measured after growth in the style for 24 h. The length attained depends upon the temperature regime under which the pollen as well as the styles developed prior to pollination. The temperature regimes used were 25.5/18°C and 19.5/18°c respectively, both in a 16/8 h day/night regime.

A high temperature regime during the progamic phase causes a greater length of the tubes than the low temperature regime; this difference is larger after cross- than after self-pollination.

The length after 24 hours' growth of incompatible pollen tubes is larger when the pollen developed, prior to pollination, under the high temperature regime than under the low one, but their length is not affected by the temperature at which the styles developed. With compatible pollen tubes, on the other hand, that length is larger when the styles developed under the high temperature regime than under the low one and it is also enhanced by a pretreatment of styles, developed under a low temperatue regime, with the higher temperature for 24 h. The enhancement is largest when the treatment precedes pollination at the low temperature regime immediately and is absent when the time between treatment and pollination exceeds four weeks.

The length of incompatible pollen tubes after 24 h is in general lower in plants cultivated from summer- than from winter-cuttings; the length of compatible pollen tubes in plants cultivated from winter-cuttings decreases with the age of the plant, if style development and tube growth take place under the low temperature regime.

Compatible pollen germination is affected by a low temperature regime during style development and progamic phase.

The incompatible pollen germination rate is lower in pollen from summer- than from winter-cuttings, when pollen development and pollination occur at the low temperature regime.


This dissertation is a dense description of the effects of the decentralized by devolution of the administration and management of the community built secondary schools under SEDP in Temeke Municipality. The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of that decentralization on the performance of the students. The conceptual framework comprises all levels of the educational administration at which decision points are required to be taken in the process of implementing decentralization by devolution. The design of the study is a case study purposely selected for better understanding of how the devolution has functioned and with what effects. The sample comprised of higher officials at the MOEVT, PMO-RALG, Region and Municipal; heads of secondary schools, teachers, WECs, School Board members, parents and students. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used complementarily for primary data collection through questionnaires, broad sweep observations, and in-depth interviews with key informants. Secondary data were gathered through unpublished documents, school registers, newspapers, internet and other official documents. Quantitative data were processed using ASSP. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis and reported in terms of themes/categories and quotations. In conclusion measures for positive students' effects include, full involvement of all concerned with taking decisions and timely empowerment of all concerned including school administrators, deployment of qualified teachers and students leaders at lower tiers in the implementation of the policy. Also, taking effective and corrective measures on weaknesses, whenever monitoring unearths them.


Background The "Mediterranean Paradox" means that low risk countries such as Spain experience substantially less cardiovascular mortality than North Europe or the USA. Can cardiovascular mortality fall further? Objective We examined the extent to which the decrease in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates in Spain could be explained by changes in cardiovascular risk factors and by the use of medical and surgical treatments in Spain between 1988 and 2005. Methods We used a previously validated IMPACT model to combine and analyse data on risk factor trends and uptake and effectiveness of evidence-based cardiac treatments among adult men and women aged 35–74 years. Main data sources included official statistics, longitudinal studies, national surveys, randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses. The difference between observed and expected CHD deaths in 2005 was then partitioned among specific treatments and risk factors. We also performed a sensitivity analysis to quantify the potential effect of parameter uncertainty. Results From 1988 to 2005, the age-adjusted CHD mortality rate in Spain fell 40% among persons aged 35 to 74 years, resulting in 8528 fewer CHD deaths in 2005. Approximately 48.5% of the fall in CHD deaths was attributed to treatments and 50.6% to changes in risk factors. Among the treatments, the major contributions came from initial therapies for acute coronary syndromes (explaining approximately 13% of the mortality fall), secondary prevention (10%) and heart failure treatments (4%). Decreases in total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and smoking prevalence explained approximately 37%, 24% and 16% of the mortality fall, respectively. However, important gender differences in risk factors trends were noted: diabetes and obesity increasing in men and smoking prevalence increased in women. Conclusions Approximately half of the CHD mortality fall in Spain between 1988 and 2005 was attributable to reductions in major risk factors, and almost half to evidence-based therapies. These results are important, both for understanding past trends, and, crucially, for planning future prevention and treatment strategies in low-risk populations.


A method for orientation of formaldehyde-fixed intestinal tissue from mink puppies (Mustela vision) is described. Sections of the intestine were glued to dehydrated slices of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. or Cucurbita pepo L.) with egg albumin. This cucumber-intestine unit was processed in a routine way. Embedding in paraplast was facilitated thereby ensuring a correct orientation of the tissue.


This manuscript focus on developing of new metamaterials sensor based on distinction of different material and purity ratio sample. Unique side of this study is having very clear and sensitive results and presenting new approach to the microfluidic sensor applications by using sample holder. The procedure of this study consist of three steps, measurement of dielectric constant by using Agilent 85070E dielectric measurement kit, developed of proper structure and simulation result, taking experimental output by using sensor layer.


This article seeks to address the European Union's (EU's) role as an interorganizational influencer vis-a-vis regional organizations. More specifically, it examines and assesses the extent to which the EU has been able to shape the institutional designs, policies and practices of the African Union (AU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the security domain. Both organizations are regional of nature, possess specific tasks and responsibilities which include the realm of security, and maintain interorganizational relations with the EU. While the EU has been heavily influenced by international organizations and international institutions, it also has the potential itself to exert interorganizational influence. This potential can put the EU in different positions as interorganizational influencer. These positions vary from role model and to a limited influencer. It is argued that in the early stages of the EU's interorganizational relations, its ability to shape the evolution of its counterparts is greater than once the relationships have been strengthened because of the EU's tools and resources. The case examples of the AU and ASEAN will serve to illustrate the varying degree of the EU's influence on international organizations.


Reference scenarios for the JT-60SA tokamak have been simulated with one-dimensional transport codes to assess the stationary state of the flat-top phase and provide a profile database for further physics studies (e.g. MHD stability, gyrokinetic analysis) and diagnostics design. The types of scenario considered vary from pulsed standard H-mode to advanced non-inductive steady-state plasmas. In this paper we present the results obtained with the ASTRA, CRONOS, JINTRAC and TOPICS codes equipped with the Bohm/gyro-Bohm, CDBM and GLF23 transport models. The scenarios analysed here are: a standard ELMy H-mode, a hybrid scenario and a non-inductive steady state plasma, with operational parameters from the JT-60SA research plan. Several simulations of the scenarios under consideration have been performed with the above mentioned codes and transport models. The results from the different codes are in broad agreement and the main plasma parameters generally agree well with the zero dimensional estimates reported previously. The sensitivity of the results to different transport models and, in some cases, to the ELM/pedestal model has been investigated.


Theory on capital account liberalization (CAL) posits that opening up capital accounts should result in inflows of capital to developing countries. Empirical evidence of this for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains wanting. This study was, therefore, aimed at examining the effects of CAL on capital inflows to SSA. We employ both Fixed Effects and System-GMM estimators for a panel of SSA 13 countries from 1996 to 2013. We also employ sample splitting and threshold effects methodology to examine possible asymmetries in capital flows to SSA. From our study, we find that capital account liberalization promotes capital flows to SSA. We also find evidence of the existence of threshold effects of financial sector development and institutional quality. That is, higher levels of intuitional quality and financial sector development are deemed beneficial to maximize benefits from CAL.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of different breast cancer molecular subtypes.

METHODS
Clinicopathological and follow-up data of 1153 cases of operable breast cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Their molecular subtypes were categorized as luminal A, luminal B, Her-2 over-expressing and basal-like subtypes, based on detection of ER, PR, Her-2 expression. The correlation of prognosis of different molecular subtypes with age, tumor size, lymph node status and clinical staging was analyzed.

RESULTS
Among the 1153 cases, 791 cases (68.6%) were of luminal A subtype, 50 cases (4.3%) luminal B subtype, 53 cases (4.6%) Her-2(+)subtype, and 259 cases (22.5%) basal-like subtype. There were no statistically significant differences among different molecular subtypes regarding the age, tumor size, lymph node status, and clinical stage. 1006 cases had complete follow-up data and the analysis showed that distant metastasis of Her-2 over-expressing subtype was significantly higher than that in other subtypes (P = 0.005), but the differences of local recurrence rate in different molecular subtypes was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival prognosis of different molecular subtypes, showing both DFS rate and OS rate of Her-2 over-expressing subtype were the lowest, with a statistically significant difference (Log rank test, P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that molecular typing and lymph node status were independent prognostic factors affecting both DFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS
Her-2 over-expressing subtype has the worst prognosis. Molecular subtypes may provide important information to predict the prognosis of breast cancer and might be an important basis for individualized treatment of breast cancer in future.


Alternating timed automata on infinite words are considered. The main result
is a characterization of acceptance conditions for which the emptiness problem
for these automata is decidable. This result implies new decidability results
for fragments of timed temporal logics. It is also shown that, unlike for MITL,
the characterisation remains the same even if no punctual constraints are
allowed.


A three-dimensional mathematical model has been developed to study turbulent fluid flow, heat transfer and free surface profile in the initial stage of the twin-roll casting strip pool by a commercial software ProCAST. The coupled set of governing equations for mass, momentum and energy balance was solved with the finite element method. The free surface profile of the pool was treated with the Volume of Fluids (VOF) approach. A straight nozzle of metal delivery system has been chosen in the Twin-roll strip casting process. The filling sequences, flow patterns and corresponding temperature profiles in the metal pool of a vertical twin-roll strip casting process were simulated in this study. The calculated results provided a valuable basis for the optimization of process parameters and metal delivery system during the initial pouring stage of twin-roll strip casting.


The satisfaction of social care among service users provides an important indication of how services are performing. Although there is evidence to suggest that people from black and minority ethnic communities experience less satisfaction with social care than majority groups, there is little literature which focuses specifically on people from Chinese backgrounds in England. This article provides an opportunity to hear the voices of people from Chinese backgrounds and their experiences of social care for a physical disability. Individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted in 2012 and 2013 respectively with people from Chinese backgrounds who lived in England, were aged between 18 and 70, and received social care for a physical disability. Interview and focus group transcripts were analysed using a thematic approach. The findings show that language difference created a structural barrier for most participants to negotiating access to and navigating through social care. Language difference and the cultural expectation that families should look after their own were main factors that explained their late utilisation of social care. Because of limited social support, many families struggled to meet the long-term care needs of their relative with a physical disability and hence initially welcome the input of social care. However, many found that social care could not adequately meet their needs but did not feel that they had the right to voice their dissatisfaction. They would either stop using social care services or become more reliant on their family for support. Chinese welfare organisations play a crucial role to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of people from Chinese backgrounds. Closer collaboration between local authorities and Chinese welfare organisations is needed to enable an effective use of social care and community resources to meet the needs of people from Chinese backgrounds with physical disabilities.


We examine how strategic buyer behavior affects equilibrium outcomes in a model of dynamic price competition where sellers benefit from learning-by-doing by allowing each buyer to expect to capture a share of future buyer surplus. Many equilibria that exist when buyers consider only their immediate payoffs are eliminated when buyers expect to capture even a modest share of future surplus, and the equilibria that survive are those where long-run market competition is more likely to be preserved. Our results are relevant for antitrust policy and our approach may be useful for future analyses of dynamic competition. (JEL C73, D21, D43, D83, K21, L13, L40)


In this paper, an automatic foreground extraction algorithm for images and videos is presented. It first automatically locates the foreground object coarsely by a salience detection algorithm, and then refines the object by Weighted Kernel Density Estimation (WKDE) and graph cut algorithm. A new initial probability map construction algorithm for WKDE is also presented. We then extend our algorithm to videos by an opacity tracking algorithm. It can automatically extract the foreground with high accuracy even for the videos with non-static background. The experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.


The subject of "Statistics for Process Control" is rather broad, therefore, I am limiting my paper to three basic topics: first, the interpretation of patterns of variation using statistical control charts, second, quick and easy statistical tests, and third, a computer approach to solving complicated mathematical problems. My purpose is to present statistical techniques that an engineer or analyst can use with a minimum of difficulty. For me, these methods have proven valuable in the analysis of a variety of problems in the Citrus Industry.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME


SUMMARY A variety of methods for solving overdetermined linear systems of equations are considered. The Gaussian method of least squares assumes a noise-free matrix of coefficients. The maximum-likelihood method assumes the same amount of noise in each column of the matrix and the resulting vector. Both methods represent special cases of the general problem of deriving unbiased solutions in the presence of noise. Here, the minimization of correlated residuals is introduced. A set of boundary conditions is required to adjust the statistical properties of the solution. This method minimizes the second term of the autocovariance function of the residuals and is independent of the noise. The operation of the method is outlined analytically using an univariate scatter problem and applied numerically to synthetic data of a linear regression problem. To demonstrate the applicability of the method in practical situations, geomagnetic response functions are derived from observational data using the Z : H method.


This paper proposed configuration three-level matching model based on modular product structure in order to solve the product configuration design problem in mass customization (MC). According to the product structure and the features of configuration design, the model divided the configuration course into three parts as first-level complete matching, second-level similarity matching and third-level correlation matching. Firstly obtained standard module that meets clients' demands by retrieval algorithm of first-level complete matching and similar module of the customized by mathematical model of second-level similarity matching. Then based on them, analyzed the correlation matrix among modules and associated attributes of modules interface, and established the mathematical model of third-level correlation matching and realized the optimum combination of modules. Finally, verified the model by examples. The results indicate that this model could effectively solve the low-efficiency problem of deformation module recombination design in traditional product configuration so to rapidly respond to clients' customization demands.


This article has been prepared to review some medicinal plants used for the treating cancer disease. The plant sources of India are likely to provide effective anticancer agents. Herbs have a vital role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Examples are provided in this review of promising bioactive compounds obtained from various plants with medicinal and other therapeutic uses. The photochemical exploration of these herbs has contributed to some extent in this race for the discovery of new anticancer drugs. In recent years owing to the fear of side effects people prefer to use of natural plant products for cancer treatment. This review also helps to summarize the diverse methodologies and various ways to evaluate the potential natural compounds having anticancer activity. Although drug discovery from medicinal plants continues to provide an important source of new drug leads, numerous challenges are encountered including the procurement of plant materials and their selection.


In this work the effect of consumption of tree tomato juice (Cypho-mandra betacea) was evaluated on nutritional and biochemical parameters in 54 volunteers (44 women and 10 men) aged 45 ±8 years-Ecuador. A nutritional and biochemical evaluation was performed in volunteers; then they were invited to drink tree tomato juice (IOOg of fruit in 150 ml of water) daily for 6 weeks. Finished these 6 weeks, volunteers were nutritional and biochemical evaluated again. 67% abdominal obesity was found, decreasing at 53% after drinking the established dosage of juice. 87% of the volunteers before treatment, showed -hypercholesterolemia, 40.7% and 46.3% had hypertriglyceridemia and elevated LDL, respectively and 18.5% glucose concentrations between 98-130 mg/dL. These values decrease significantly in this group after drinking tomato juice. In ge- neral, Total Cholesterol, LDL and glucose concentrations decrease significantly after drinking tree tomato juice in all the voluntaries with or without overweight. There is no change in HDL concentrations. The consumption of tree tomato juice did not affect the activity of alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase enzymes either creatinine, urea and uric acid concentrations, neither blood pressure suggesting that does not affect renal or liver function. These results indicate that consumption of tree tomato juice for six weeks appears to have a lipid-lowering and modulating effect on glucose metabolism, suggesting C betacea as one of the high Andean fruits nutraceutical potential. However, this issue should be investigated in more detail.


NK cells are essential for health, yet little is known about human NK turnover in vivo. In both young and elderly women, all NK subsets proliferated and died more rapidly than T cells. CD56bright NK cells proliferated rapidly but died relatively slowly, suggesting that proliferating CD56bright cells differentiate into CD56dim NK cells in vivo. The relationship between CD56dim and CD56bright proliferating cells indicates that proliferating CD56dim cells both self-renew and are derived from proliferating CD56bright NK cells. Our data suggest that some dying CD56dim cells become CD16+CD56− NK cells and that CD16−CD56low NK cells respond rapidly to cellular and cytokine stimulation. We propose a model in which all NK cell subsets are in dynamic flux. About half of CD56dim NK cells expressed CD57, which was weakly associated with low proliferation. Surprisingly, CD57 expression was associated with higher proliferation rates in both CD8+ and CD8− T cells. Therefore, CD57 is not a reliable marker of senescent, nonproliferative T cells in vivo. NKG2A expression declined with age on both NK cells and T cells. Killer cell Ig-like receptor expression increased with age on T cells but not on NK cells. Although the percentage of CD56bright NK cells declined with age and the percentage of CD56dim NK cells increased with age, there were no significant age-related proliferation or apoptosis differences for these two populations or for total NK cells. In vivo human NK cell turnover is rapid in both young and elderly adults.


Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy is described for rapid identification of clinically relevant methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that targets mecA and coagulase genes. In this study, 150 staphylococcal clinical isolates were used that included 40 isolates of MRSA, 55 isolates of methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), 44 isolates of methicillin susceptible coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. (MS-CoNS) and 11 isolates of methicillin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. (MR-CoNS). Out of 55 S. aureus strains, three strains demonstrated mecA gene, which appeared to be oxacillin sensitive by disc diffusion. When (MS-CoNS) were evaluated, 10 isolates classified as oxacillin sensitive phenotypically, yielded positive results in PCR method. The results for mecA detection by PCR were more consistent with disk susceptibility tests in case of MRSA (100%) and MSSA (95%) isolates. In contrast to above results with MRSA and MSSA, mecA detection by PCR in MS-CoNS showed less correlation with disk susceptibility tests (77%). The results for coag detection by PCR were consistent with phenotypic tests in all isolates.


Accurate equilibrium structure, dissociation energy, global potential energy surface (PES), dipole moment surface (DMS), and the infrared vibrational spectrum in the 0-3000 cm-1 range of the F-CH4 anion complex have been obtained. The equilibrium electronic structure calculations employed second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and coupled-cluster (CC) method up to single, double, triple, and perturbative quadruple excitations using the aug-cc-p(C)VXZ [X ) 2(D), 3(T), 4(Q), and 5] correlation-consistent basis sets. The best equilibrium geometry has been obtained at the all-electron CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pCVQZ level of theory. The dissociation energy has been determined based on basis set extrapolation techniques within the focal-point analysis (FPA) approach considering (a) electron correlation beyond the all-electron CCSD(T) level, (b) relativistic effects, (c) diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections (DBOC), and (d) variationally computed zero-point vibrational energies. The final De and D0 values are 2398 ( 12 and 2280 ( 20 cm-1, respectively. The global PES and DMS have been computed at the frozen-core CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ and MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of theory, respectively. Variational vibrational calculations have been performed for CH4 and F-CH4 employing the vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) method as implemented in Multimode.


Haemophilus parasuis is the aetiological agent of Glässer's disease in swine. In addition, this bacterium causes other clinical outcomes and can also be isolated from the upper respiratory tract of healthy pigs. Isolates of H. parasuis differ in phenotypic features (e.g. protein profiles, colony morphology or capsule production) and pathogenic capacity. Differences among strains have also been demonstrated at the genetic level. Several typing methods have been used to classify H. parasuis field strains, but they had resolution or implementation problems. To overcome these limitations, a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system, using partial sequences of the house-keeping genes mdh, 6pgd, atpD, g3pd, frdB, infB and rpoB, was developed. Eleven reference strains and 120 field strains were included in this study. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 14 to 41, 6pgd being the locus with the highest diversity. The high genetic heterogeneity of this bacterium was confirmed with MLST, since the strains were divided into 109 sequence types, and only 13 small clonal complexes were detected by the Burst algorithm. Further analysis by unweighted-pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) identified six clusters. When the clinical background of the isolates was examined, one cluster was statistically associated with nasal isolation (putative non-virulent), while another cluster showed a significant association with isolation from clinical lesions (putative virulent). The remaining clusters did not show a statistical association with the clinical background of the isolates. Finally, although recombination among H. parasuis strains was detected, two divergent branches were found when a neighbour-joining tree was constructed with the concatenated sequences. Interestingly, one branch included almost all isolates of the putative virulent UPGMA cluster.


The thesis is introduced by a review of the literature concerning the occurrence and composition of the yeast flora of marine fish and other parts of the marine environment. The experimental work can be divided into three sections: The first of these sections concerns the collection and maintenance of yeast cultures from various marine sources. Altogether 235 such cultures were obtained and of these, during this survey, 189 were isolated from marine fish and 11 from sea-water. The remaining 35 were isolated by other workers. Improved methods for sampling and subsequent isolation of yeasts are described. The second experimental section deals with the identification of these isolates using the system of Lodder and Kreger-van Rij (1952). The 213 isolates from marine fish were found to comprise eight genera Debaryomyces, Torulopsis, Candida, Rhodotorula, Pichia, Trichsporon, Quariocgcqus and Pullularia. D.kloeckeri comprised 45% of these isolates and Ttiqponsplcua (var) and plpaupsilopis each 11% respectively. The 22 isolates from other marine sources belonged to the same genera as the fish isolates and in addition five of the eleven strains isolated from sea-water samples in this survey were classified as Metschnikowia krissil (van Uden and Oastelo-branco)nov.comb. Although most of the isolates closely resembled the descriptions of the type species some differences wore obvious and these have been discussed in the light of possible strain variation within the species. The third section of experimental work comprises further studies of the isolates. The results obtained, from these studies and. their probable value in establishing strain variation have been discussed. Infrared spectrephotometry of whole cells, soluble and insoluble cellular material was found to be of little value for species or strain differentiation. It was conjectured that identical cellular components producing specific spectra occur in the different species and mask the effects of differences in other cellular components unlitative studies of the free amino-acid pools of certain of the marine isolates and terrestrial strains of corresponding species also indicated that strain characterisation on this basis is impracticable. No outstanding tjtalitative differences between the of the free amino pools of the marine and terrestrial strains were apparent. The maximum concentration of NaCl tolerated by the marine isolates was found to be a feature of each strain and there was a correlation regarding halo-tolerance among strains of a particular species isolated from different marine locations. Complex resources were found to stimulate halo-tolerance in the isolates. the concentration of Nall was increased in the growth medium a prolongation in the yeasts' lag phase was observed but their growth rate remained fairly constant. Strains/Strains of pekloeckevi, were found to exhibit optimal growth in media containing 1.0 to 3.0;, Nan, whereas the other species tested grew best without Na. The thesis concludes with a discussion concerning the occurrence and species distribution of the yeasts isolated during this survey. Skin samples had the highest incidence of yeast occurrence; the samples from the gills and mouth exhibited the next highest incidence, while a much lower value was recorded in those from the faeces. Strains of D.kloackeri were predominant among the isolates from every location of sampling whereas the occurrence of other species and the proportion of isolates comprising them varied. in the different geographical areas. Results also indicate that different fish species may carry their own characteristic yeast flora.


People select one another in professional relationships for a variety of reasons. We hypothesize that individuals match to their associates along a set of prominent dimensions, and in so doing, expose themselves to many unanticipated social influences. To examine the inter-generational transmission of traits in the context of scientific mentorship, we collect a novel dataset tracking the training and professional activities of elite young scientists. We show that scientists-in-training choose their mentors along scientific dimensions, but subsequently adopt their prior advisor's commercial orientations. We draw upon qualitative evidence in the form of oral histories, as well as the implementation of inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) to estimate causal treatment effects. Taken together, we propose an atypical model of structural influence whereby career paths are opened through prior professional relationships, but the dimensions by which we assess influence are neither deliberately formed nor the outcomes of standard assortative matching. We propose that this model of structural influence may exemplify a common social dynamic.


Plate tectonics forms and destroys sedimentary basins, accumulating organic carbon and converting it into mobile petroleum which may be concentrated in reservoir traps in which, if temperatures are below 80°C, it may become biologically degraded (biodegraded). The biodegradation process produces altered, denser, heavy oils and methane as a primary product. Much of the world's oil is biodegraded under anaerobic conditions, with methane being a major by-product of the action of the deep biosphere on petroleum when sulphate is not present as an oxidant. A review of the literature relating to destruction of wet gas and the systematics of methane generation during subsurface oil biodegradation concludes that large biodegrading oil fields may be major source systems of dry gas.


Network lifetime maximization is an important problem particularly for large-scale wireless sensor networks. To this end, we take an approach that exploits the 'sink mobility' and propose an efficient sink mobility strategy for network lifetime maximization. Typically, the sensor nodes near the sink node tend to suffer high energy consumption due to heavy traffic relay operations. As the sink node moves around, such energy bottleneck can be alleviated. We analyze the optimal sink mobility pattern obtained by solving a linear programming model and use the insights from the analysis to design a simple practical heuristic. Our heuristic utilizes only the standard deviation of residual energy of neighboring sensor nodes. The simulation results show that our scheme achieves near-optimal performance.


Ground-glass nodule (GGN) is defined as a nodular shadow with ground-glass opacity that is generally associated with the early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Nowadays, GGNs of the lung are increasingly detected with thin-section computed tomography scan. GGNs are categorized as pure GGNs and mixed GGNs according to the images from a high-resolution computed tomography. Meanwhile, it is routine to divide GGNs into different categories according to the number, solitary, or multiple, the management of which there is very different. A great number of studies have been conducted to analyze the different characteristics of GGNs in various aspects ranging from radiology, pathology, and surgery to molecular biology. However, plenty of problems still remain unsolved, ranging from the preoperative localization to intraoperative surgical resection procedure, the lymphadenectomy, and sampling of lymph nodes, as well as the accuracy of frozen sections. There has been a large volume of updated published information summarizing recently emerging and rapidly progressing aspects of surgical treatment of solitary and multiple GGNs with the unsolved problems mentioned above. However, there have been few specific reviews of surgical treatment of GGNs so far. This review presents a timely outline of advances in relevant experience and controversies of GGNs for a better understanding of this kind of lesion.


The brain is processing various acts and thoughts of humans. Among the functions of the brain, decision making, reasoning and complex calculation are governed by the frontal lobe. If the FLA (Frontal Lobe Activity) is kept low for a long period of time, human reasoning and decision making are interrupted and anti-social behaviors can emerge which are hardly understandable in view of common people and it can result in serious problems. EEG (Electroencephalogram) was measured by using decision making stimuli which help determine the FLA and, with the index of the measured EEG data, the evoked conditions of subjects were compared and analyzed by utilizing EP (Evoked Potential) and Power Spectrum Analyzing. In the end, by the result of both methods, subjects with apparently low FLA index appeared, and, with the help of the obtained FLA index, critical values determining whether the FLA is in the normal range or not could be presented.


The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different textual glosses on the reading comprehension of EFL learners in a tertiary context. In the present quasi-experiment study, 76 EFL learners at UPM who had attained similar scores in a standardized reading text were divided into four groups randomly. Each group read six authentic texts under one of the following text conditions: L1 (Persian) gloss, L2 (English) gloss, L1 and L2 (Persian and English) gloss, and no-gloss. Results revealed a significant difference in comprehension between the experimental groups and the control group, but the differences in performance between experimental groups were not significant. Furthermore, 94.74% of the participants preferred to read glossed texts. Participants preferred L1 and L2 gloss over L1 gloss and L2 gloss types, respectively. The findings of this study will be beneficial for those who are interested in applying related psychological theories in developing ESL/EFL learners' reading comprehension.


Contribution by Christian Haberli to the Elgar Encyclopedia of International Economic Law 2017 edited by Thomas Cottier and Krista Nadakavukaren Schefer.

The Encyclopedia is the definitive reference work on international economic law. This comprehensive resource helps redefine the field by presenting international economic law in its broadest, real-world context.

Organized thematically rather than alphabetically, the subject is split into four principal sections: the foundations and architecture of international economic law, its principles, its main regulatory areas, and the future challenges that it faces. Comprising over 250 entries written by leading scholars and practitioners, traditional international economic law subject matter is supplemented by coverage of newly developing areas. Thus, the concepts and rules of trade, investment, finance and international tax law are found alongside entries discussing the relationship of international economic law with environmental protection, social standards, development, and human rights.

The concise entries present an accessible and condensed overview of each topic within its legal context. Contributors offer insight into how institutions interact with each other and other legal systems, in addition to providing individual overviews of their history, structure, principles and procedures. Selected references follow each entry, suggesting directions for further detailed exploration of the topic.

This Encyclopedia is an invaluable resource for both practitioners and academics. It acts as a handy reference to all areas of international economic law, and provides the ideal starting point for any research journey.


Purpose: The purpose of the paper was to develop original letters size methodology for roadside information. Method: During moving on the roads, addressed to drivers and passengers is, among others, text information on information boards and signs including in the form of advertisements. Based on ergonomic principles and population data, optimisation can be made in the design of communicative messages. The author reviewed the issues concerning the visual process, optimal visual field, visual field defects, visual acuity characteristics and reading speed. This made it possible to select input data for the design of text information in terms of location in the visual field and the number of words on the sign board. Findings: Based on these analyses, computational algorithms were built to evaluate a proposed or already implemented information message. The developed formulae enabled the preparation of a prototype computer application to support the analysis of information systems. Practical Implications: The developed methodology makes it possible to integrate ergonomic criteria into the design process of text information. It can increase the effectiveness of information transfer and road safety. The most important areas of application are the design or evaluation of information systems: signs and road signs with text information, advertising for drivers. Originality/Value: The author has developed a method to evaluate the design and placement of text information systems dedicated to drivers (e.g., text-information signs, advertisements including text), which is based on quantitative data such as the size of the letters, the distance from the word board, the location of the text in the field of vision, the speed of the vehicle.


The electromagnetic and mechanical performance of microstrip lines integrated into aerospace composite structure is discussed. The microstrip lines were manufactured using either an embroidery (with a conductive thread) or stencil transfer (with a conductive veil) technique. Both manufacturing techniques are fully compatible with existing aerospace pre-preg materials and autoclave processing. The embroidered microstrip line exhibited superior electromagnetic performance over the veil microstrip line. However, the electromagnetic performance of the embroidered microstrip line deteriorated rapidly when mechanically deformed unlike the veil microstrip line. Both manufacturing techniques resulted in a reduction of the maximum flexural stress at failure for the multifunctional composite. This suggests a trade between electromagnetic performance and mechanical durability governs which manufacturing approach is better suited to the integration of microwave componentry (such as antennas and feed networks) into aerospace composite structure.


To quote Steiger, the "multimodality treatment of esophageal cancer brings creativity and imagination to a field of medicine plagued with failure." However, acceptance of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy as routine must await the results of large phase III studies. Even with a positive response, many questions will remain. The ability to stage patients more accurately might allow us to apply neoadjuvant therapy with more discrimination. The role of radiation therapy--the fractionation schedule, total dose, and sequencing--will require evaluation. Creativity and innovation must be applied to the quest of predicting who will respond to neoadjuvant treatment. Better drug combinations and methods to reduce toxicity must be sought. The neoadjuvant therapy of esophageal cancer is a field requiring continued rigorous scientific investigation, honesty, and hope.


Theory of Mind and evidentiality in Romani-Bulgarian bilingual children The paper reports two studies of the development of false belief reasoning in bilingual Roma children in Bulgaria. No previous work has considered Roma children. Two studies were conducted, and in the second study the Roma children spoke a dialect of Romani that contains evidential markers, as does Bulgarian, their second language. Results reveal no advantage of bilingualism, and similar results with age to that found in other groups across the world. The bilingual group had better understanding of evidentials than the monolingual Bulgarian group, possibly related to the linguistic character of the markings. There is contradictory evidence about the relation of ToM and understanding of evidentiality.


1Department of Psychiatry, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia; 2School of Public Health, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia Background: Worldwide, the rates of psychological problems have been shown to have a dramatic increase, particularly among people living with chronic diseases. Besides the known clinical factors, it is important to address an individual's level of resilience as an included factor for mental health outcome for people living with HIV/AIDS. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess determinants of common mental disorders among people living with human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency virus (HIV/AIDS). Setting: ART clinic of Gedeo zone public hospital, South, Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based unmatched case control study was conducted. A total of 360 adults (180 cases and 180 controls) aged 18 and above who attended the anti-retro viral therapy (ART) service participated. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) screening tool was used to determine cases and controls based on the status of common mental disorders. The treatment register at each HIV treatment center was used to systematically select study participants for the interview. The cases were common mental disorder (CMD) positively screened adults who scored seven and above, while the controls were adults who scored below seven. Then the cases and controls who took part in the study were selected using a simple random sampling method with a proportional allocation method for each hospital. Multivariable logistic regression was used. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statically significant. Results: Lower resilience level was found to be significant predictors of common mental disorder among HIV patients [AOR = 3.16 95% CI; 1.83, 5.46]. The other predictors were being female (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.01 95% CI; 1.21, 3.34); single [AOR = 8.10 95% CI; 3.50, 18.76]; divorced and widowed [AOR = 3.31 95% CI; 1.76, 6.22]; more than ten years of illness duration [AOR = 2.30 95% CI; 1.39, 3.80]; and having perceived stigma [AOR = 5.39 95% CI; 2.65, 10.82]. Conclusion: HIV-positive adults with lower resilience levels and experiencing perceived stigma exhibited significantly higher risk of mental disorders. Hence, improving personal resilience and working to mitigate perceived stigma play a great role in decreasing the risk of common mental disorders.


OBJECTIVE
A comprehensive review of transdermal nicotine treatment for tobacco dependence, with recommendations derived from the research literature.

DATA SOURCES
English-language clinical trials.

STUDY SELECTION
Clinical trials using placebo-controlled, double-blind methodology (11 studies) with at least 6 months of follow-up after treatment (eight studies) and biochemical verification of smoking status.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Nicotine patches produce end-of-treatment smoking cessation rates that range from 18% to 77%; these rates are about twice those of placebo-treated subjects. Nicotine patches produced 6-month abstinence rates of 22% to 42%, while placebo patches produced quit rates of 5% to 28%. Nicotine patches appear to reduce some, but not all, nicotine withdrawal symptoms. For instance, while the patch reduces craving for cigarettes and negative moods, it does not appear to reduce hunger or weight gain. The clinical trials literature suggests that proper adjuvant smoking cessation counseling is crucial in determining successful long-term outcome with the nicotine patch, and suggests that 6 to 8 weeks of patch therapy may be an adequate duration for most patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Nicotine patches are an effective aid to tobacco dependence treatment. However, success rates vary greatly across research studies and may be influenced highly by the nature and intensity of adjuvant smoking cessation counseling. More research is needed to identify optimal duration, dosage, and individualization of patch therapy. The impact of nicotine patches (more than 5 million users with $1 billion in sales for 1992) also raises important ethical and public health issues.


Background: The integrase inhibitor regimen [elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)] demonstrated superior efficacy when compared with a protease inhibitor regimen [ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV + RTV) and FTC/TDF] in 575 treatment-naive women at week 48. We investigated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of switching to a TAF-based, single-tablet regimen containing elvitegravir, cobicistat, FTC, and tenofovir alafenamide (E/C/F/TAF) versus remaining on ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF. Methods: After completing the initial randomized, blinded phase, virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL) women on ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF were rerandomized (3:1) to receive open-label E/C/F/TAF versus remaining on their current regimen. The primary end point was proportion of participants with plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies per milliliter at week 48 (U.S. FDA snapshot algorithm), with a prespecified noninferiority margin of 12%. Safety [adverse events (AEs)] and tolerability were also assessed. Results: Of 575 women originally randomized and treated in the blinded phase, 159 were rerandomized to switch to E/C/F/TAF and 53 to remain on ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF. At week 48, virologic suppression was maintained in 150 (94%) of women on E/C/F/TAF and 46 (87%) on ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF [difference 7.5% (95% confidence interval −1.2% to 19.4%)], demonstrating noninferiority of E/C/F/TAF to ATV + RTV and FTC/TDF. Incidence of AEs was similar between groups; study drug–related AEs were more common with E/C/F/TAF (11% versus 4%). Conclusions: Switching to E/C/F/TAF was noninferior to continuing ATV + RTV plus FTC/TDF in maintaining virologic suppression and was well tolerated at 48 weeks.


A forensic investigator creates a timeline from a forensic disk image after an occurrence of a security incident. This procedure aims to acquire the time for all events identified from the investigated artifacts. An investigator usually looks for events of interest by manually searching the timeline. One of the sources from which to build a timeline is log files, and these events are often found in log messages. In this paper, we propose a sentiment analysis technique to automatically extract events of interest from log messages in the forensic timeline. We use a deep learning technique with a context and content attention model to identify aspect terms and the corresponding sentiments in the forensic timeline. Terms with negative sentiments indicate events of interest and are highlighted in the timeline. Therefore, the investigator can quickly examine the events and other activities recorded within the surrounding time frame. Experimental results on four public forensic case studies show that the proposed method achieves 98.43% and 99.64% for the F1 score and accuracy, respectively.


Abstract The Arctic has historically been a strategically important region for Russia, from before the Cold War to the recent efforts in increasing shipping along the Northern Sea Route. Russia holds the largest share of petroleum resources in the Arctic, the governance model for which has been changing over the past few decades based on the current political priorities, external events, and geophysical changes in the region. Following the conflict in Ukraine, the European Union and the United States adopted sanctions limiting the cooperation between Russian and western companies for Arctic offshore petroleum development. This paper analyses the transformation in national governance of natural resources in the Russian Arctic, focusing on offshore oil and gas. It provides a historical background of the governance model to facilitate the analysis of the effects of western sanctions on the current resource development and its regulation. Through the analysis of legal and policy documents, this paper provides an outlook for future developments in the Russian Arctic offshore resource governance.


Background Advance care planning (ACP) legislation aims to promote patient autonomy, however there are practical challenges in implementing ACP in healthcare settings. Aim This study applied legal analysis to an initiative aimed at implementing ACP in one residential aged care facility (RACF). Methods Case study of a quality improvement initiative, with concurrent legal analysis. The research team and RACF staff (N = 10) collaborated over a year, documenting practical challenges in implementing ACP. Quality improvement methodology was used to develop and trial solutions. Research data included an 'end-of-life wishes conversation tool', staff meeting minutes and resident/family outcomes (satisfaction with conversation tool, number of completed ACP discussions, retrospective audit of end-of-life care). Results Challenges included staff turnover, high rates of dementia, and difficulties coordinating meetings with family members. Residents, family members and staff rated the 'end of life wishes conversation tool' positively. Where residents lacked capacity due to dementia, a substitute decision-making approach was adopted, with reliance on family members. However staff lacked a robust process for assessing capacity to participate in ACP. Discussion Implementing ACP in the RACF setting can be problematic. Dementia can erode resident autonomy, and force staff to adopt a substitute decision-making approach, particularly when under time pressure. Quality improvement projects provide rich, contextual data regarding practical challenges, while legal analysis interprets these challenges with reference to intentions underpinning ACP legislation. Conclusion Further work is required to support decision-making capacity for RACF residents with dementia. This will enable ACP legislation to achieve its aims of promoting patient autonomy.


BACKGROUND
Patient compliance with lower limb partial weight bearing (PWB) instructions during post-surgical early mobilization is often low and many are unable to adhere to the prescribed limits without the implementation of concurrent biofeedback.

OBJECTIVES
A real-time feedback system based on eSHOE instrumented insoles was tested in order to preliminarily quantify its efficiency at improving geriatric patients' compliance.

METHODS
In order to gain a proof of concept, measurements with one patient after a hip fracture were carried out. The compliance with the prescribed load restriction was measured on four measurement dates, first without and then with the feedback. The number of correctly loaded steps (NCS), the mean peak load (MPL) and the maximal load (ML) were considered.

RESULTS
Preliminary results of one patient show that NCS was nearly doubled and the MPL was reduced to acceptable limits, while the ML was reduced on three of the four days.

CONCLUSION
The results indicate that the developed system is easily implementable into the rehabilitative routine and has a positive effect on PWB performance of geriatric subjects while walking.


Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive disease with a prevalence that increases with the aging of the subject. It presents a high prevalence of comorbidities, such as cognitive decline, which is gaining great clinical relevance in recent years. Factors such as pulmonary function, hypoxemia, hypercapnia or exacerbations contribute to the decline of cognitive functions. The nutritional status has been added to these factors as contributing to cognitive function decline when presenting in COPD. Objective: To evidence the relationship between cognitive decline, nutritional status and the clinical profile of patients admitted because of an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Methods: 110 subjects hospitalized because of COPD, divided in two groups according to their nutritional status and assessment of cognitive decline at admittance, nutritional status and clinical profile. Results: Significant differences between groups concerning nutritional status in anthropometric variables (sex and IMC), functional ability (Barthel index and Daily Life Activities Scale), quality of life (Euroqol- 5D y SGRQ), sleep quality (Pittsburgh), mood (HAD) and cognitive decline (MoCa attention, MoCa abstraction). (p<0.05). Conclusion: Cognitive function is affected in COPD patients with an altered nutritional status when compared to those with a normal nutritional status. The nutritional decline is a factor contributing to the impairment of cognitive functions in this kind of patients, particularly a decline in attention and abstraction ability.


This thesis is the first review of China's rural health care system in the context of the latest healthcare reform settings, which applies the Benchmarks of Fairness. The Benchmarks of Fairness is a tool designed to evaluate issues related to health equity by indicating the factors that need to be improved in order to achieve fair health services. Accompanying by the rapid economic growth since 1980s, the health status of the whole population has been improved greatly, while some negative effects also appeared, particularly the rising medical spending, and the health inequalities between rural and urban areas. Chinese government has made many efforts to shorten the gap. The government reasserted its role in the health sector in 2009, and provided a huge investment into its healthcare system reform which attempts to achieve the universal health coverage by 2020. Currently, the fragmented national health insurance schemes in China have achieved an increasingly broad yet fairly superficial coverage, with various health benefits package. The 97.48% rural population was covered by the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) in 2011. However, the out-of-pocket payment is still a big burden for rural patients, especially for the poor. There are still many problems which need to be resolved. This thesis provides an overview of weaknesses in the rural healthcare system of China despite aspirations for universal coverage. I first present a brief description of the background, the key concepts and definitions. Then I review the present situation of healthcare in rural China, by introducing NRCMS, showing the condition from both supply and demand side, presenting the health service implementation and utilization. There are several reasons that limitations in the rural healthcare system persist, which I will analyze in this thesis, including market failure and the absence of the government, inequalities in social determinants of health, and unfairness in health care. I discuss the fairness issue with specific reference to Daniels et al.'s (2000) Benchmarks of Fairness. Literature review is used as the main methodology, and some statistical reports are also used as needed. Though it is underfunded and the reimbursement rate is low, NRCMS is successful in some extent. Nevertheless, in order to shorten the rural-urban gap, more improvements are needed and some challenges are still existing, especially the cross-sector cooperation and the dual rural-urban social institute.


This study examines factors relating to burglary incidence in England and Wales, the United States, and the Netherlands. Negative binomial regression models are developed based on routine activities theory. Data are drawn from national victimization surveys of about the same time: the 1994 British Crime Survey, the 1994 National Crime Victimisation Survey, and the 1993 Police Monitor, respectively. Relative to the two European countries, US households have more idiosyncratic patterns of burglary victimization. Despite differences across the three data sets, several similar effects emerge of variables tapping lifestyle characteristics on burglary victimization. Four variables had significant effects in the same direction in two or more countries where the third country showed a non-significant effect in the same direction. These were age, lone parent household status, urbanization, and the presence of security measures in the home. Some variables had significant effects in opposite directions according to country: rented accommodation was associated with higher burglary rates in the UK but lower rates in the Netherlands; household affluence was linked with higher rates of burglary in the UK and lower rates in the United States.


Experimental results of optical polarization bistability in InGaAsP lasers are reported and the causes of polarization switching and nonlinear response in this bistability are discussed. The input light signal consisted of the transverse magnetic (TM) wave, while the semiconductor lasers operated in a fundamental transverse electric (TE) mode when the light input was not injected. The light output versus light input characteristics were dependent on the input wavelength. Switching times of up to a few hundred picoseconds were achieved for both switch-up and switch-down. It was found that the TE and TM outputs originate from the TE oscillation and the TM amplification, respectively. Calculations using the rate equations showed that the TM input induces the nonlinearity of the carrier density. These results indicate that this bistability is a type of dispersive bistability. >