Iterative models are widely used today in CAD. They allow, with a limited number of parameters, to represent relatively complex forms through a subdivision algorithm. There is a wide variety of such models (Catmull-Clark, Doo-Sabin, L-Systems...). Most iterative models used in CAD can represent smooth shapes, such as polynomial or rational. The IFS model (Iterated Function System) is a mathematical model allowing to represent objects that can be smooth, in particular cases, or fractal, in more general cases. An IFS is defined by a set of geometric operators called "subdivision operators". These operators define an object iteratively, by successively applying this set of subdivision operators on a geometric base object. Classical subdivision schemes take as parameters a set of control points, that can be moved anywhere in space. These control points are the entry parameters of the subdivision algorithm, which uses predefined subdivision matrices to calculate the new points. In the IFS model, subdivision operators are not predefined, but customizable. These new parameters are graphically represented as movable points in space, like the control points. Each of these points, referred to as "subdivision point" is the image of a control point through a subdivision operator. The position of the control points allow to control the global aspect of the modelled object. Moving subdivision points affects the object at each level of subdivision, and therefore at smaller and smaller scales. The generated objects are not necessarily smooth, but are generally fractal. The constraints due to construction require some precise geometric properties of the modelled objects. As part of the wooden building, we want to achieve particular surface structures by assembly of wood panels. This requires modelling meshes composed of planar faces. We are particularly interested in modelling quadrangular mesh. We discard the solution of triangular meshes. This comes from constraints related to construction, and is more particularly due to the complexity of realizing assemblies around high valence vertices. The vertices in triangulated meshes have a valence of six, while in quadrangular meshes they have a valence of four. The development and implementation of solutions are relatively expensive in terms of the valence of the node. The valence of the nodes of a mesh has a direct influence on the geometry of faces ; the higher the valence of a vertex, the higher angles of faces around this vertex will be acute. Faces with acute angles are not desirable for a constructive application, because constructive elements have fragile parts and handling them during the implementation process is a delicate operation. We propose a method based on an iterative model that generates directly planarquadrilateral meshes. We start from a Minkowski sum of two curves. This process is rather limited, because it generates meshes only composed by parallelograms. We expand the possibilities for creating forms, working in a 4D homogeneous coordinate system, and projecting these forms in the 3D modelling space. Using projective geometry allows to extend the method by additional parameters such as the weight of points. This allows to reach a relatively general range of surface meshes.


An essential text for HND and first year Hospitality Management degree students which examines the relevance and applications of general management theory and principles to hospitality organisations. Using contemporary material and case studies the book indicates ways in which performance may be improved through better use of human resources. Rigorous academic theory is related to hospitality practice, based on the author's great knowledge of the hospitality industry. The text takes a vocational basis and the illustration of the theory with real-life examples of hospitality management in action provides a solid and stimulating introduction to the subject. Written by two experts in the Hospitality field, Laurie Mullins and Penny Dosser, this book combines an accessible reading style with current and relevant case studies on a variety of hospitality companies from across the globe.


Pharmacists are a cornerstone of quality medication management. High-quality continuity of care involves patient-centered medication therapy management, which could be bolstered for 26 million Part D Medicare beneficiaries. Yet, many patients do not receive sufficient instruction about their prescription medications. Patient-centered aspects are important because of the heterogeneity in patient types and severity of disease, varying treatment requirements, lifestyle factors, and differences in health literacy. Although time constraints for all health professionals are apparent, a simple but crucial contribution by pharmacists to the continuity of care is to increase the emphasis on patient-centered medication instruction.


In high-speed network, the principle adopted for a time-sensitive flow control mechanism should be autonomous decentralized control. In this mechanism, each node in a network handles its local traffic flow only on the basis of the information it is aware of although it is desirable that the decision-making at each node leads to high performance of the network as a whole. To implement this mechanism, we need first to investigate the relationship between the flow control mechanism of each node and network performance. In particular, the stability of the network performance is important. Our previous studies have proposed a simple mechanism for autonomous decentralized flow control and have shown that it has desirable stability. However since we used a simple, symmetric, and homogeneous network model having a single bottleneck in the evaluation, the results cannot be generalized In this paper, by using more complex network configurations in evaluations, we show that the principle of autonomous decentralized flow control can be applied to high-speed network with asymmetric configurations.


Objectives: Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a major hurdle in treatment of cancer , contributing to the failure of chemotherapy. Drug resistance is found to be linked to the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC ) drug transporter proteins that include P-glycoprotein (P-gp) , causing a reduction in drug accretion inside the cancer cells. In the present study, the effect of the extracts from the fruit peel and pulp of Momordica charantia (MCFPE) fruit in modulating the function of P-gp in human smallcell lung cancer (SCLC ) cell lines was assessed. Methods: The effects of MCFPE were tested on drug-sensitive (H69) and multi-drug resistant (H69/LX4) human SCLC cells. The cell survival percentage was assessed by MTT cytotoxicity assay. The percentage of drug accumulation and drug efflux were assessed by using [ 3 H]-paclitaxel. The expression of MDR1 gene was analysed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR ), and P-gp by western blot analysis. Results: The extract was able to induce death of cancer cells as measured by cell survival percentage as well as improve drug accumulation , as evidenced by intracellular paclitaxel retention. Prior exposure of cells to MCFPE reversed resistance to paclitaxel. Treatment with MCFPE was found to have a significant impact on MDR 1 gene expression in H69/LX4 cell line by decreasing its expression. The extract had no influence on expression of MDR 1 gene in the drug-sensitive SCLC cell lines. Western blot analysis of P-gp protein in H69 and H69/LX4 cells revealed that the treatment with the extract modulates the expression of MDR 1 in H69/LX4 and had negligible effect on H69 cells. Conclusion: The results indicate that MCFPE was able to effectively reverse multi-drug resistance and improve cancer chemotherapy.


OBJECTIVE
Information on risk levels is an essential part of the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). The objective of this article is to describe a tailored intervention carried out to inform the protagonists about the high risk of CRC due to family history and then to understand, through an interdisciplinary analysis, the mechanisms implemented during the intervention.

METHOD
A randomized trial design was applied. The primary outcome was the colonoscopy uptake. The intervention concerned firstly the index patients with CRC or adenoma to advise and accompany them in the transmission of information about the elevated risk for their siblings. The siblings received tailored counselling carried out by a preventive nurse, by telephone then by mail. Epidemiological, linguistic and sociological cross-analyzes were carried out to understand the impact of the intervention.

RESULTS
Colonoscopy rate was 56.3% in the intervention group, 35.4% in the control group (P = 0.0027; 304 siblings). The linguistic analysis of recorded nurse's interventions showed that, following the intervention (N = 59), the prevention themes were better assimilated while they remained vague and questioned in the discourse of the control siblings who had carried out the colonoscopy (N = 8). That was confirmed by the sociological analysis (four families) which also revealed the importance of information received from a health professional and of communication within families.

CONCLUSION
The study showed the impact of transmission of information to convince siblings at high risk of CRC to carry out colonoscopy.


Homelessness remains a significant global issue with substantial health consequences related to the experiences of homelessness. The consequences for people who experience homelessness are typically associated with high levels of risk, violence, and negative health outcomes. Developmental levels and gender contribute significantly to outcomes. As a developmental stage, adolescence is a time of establishing healthy practices for adulthood. Adolescent experiences with homelessness have negative consequences for future health as well as some economic status. Homeless youth have been identified as a medically underserved and vulnerable population. A significant body of literature has explored the outcomes of mental health, sexual practices, risky behaviors, and substance abuse related to adolescents who are homelessness. However, exploration of the lived experiences of adolescent females while homeless related to strengths used for caring for their health is limited. This includes a need to understand how women who experienced homelessness during adolescence engaged in health promotion and accessed health information. Adolescent females are at greater risk for acts of violence against them, have specific physical and emotional needs as well as perspectives regarding their health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to explore how women who experienced homelessness during adolescence met basic health needs, utilized resources and negotiated met while trying to maintain their health. A qualitative exploratory approach to inquiry using semi-structured interviewing was used with a purposive convenience sample of nine women obtained from a communitybased agency. Inclusion was limited to women who experienced homelessness during adolescence, defined as between the ages of 12-24, who are English speaking and not actively suicidal or psychotic. Qualitative content analysis (QCA) was used to analyze transcripts with attention to manifest and latent content. Processes to maintain trustworthiness were implemented. Six categories were identified and two themes emerged from the analysis of the data. The categories are listed as (1) hunger; (2) staying safe, warm and rested; (3) keeping clean; (4) resourcefulness; (5) challenges encountered; (6) insights and recommendations. The two themes that emerged and were (1) survival takes precedence; and (2) remaining invisible. Implications for nursing knowledge, practice and education were discussed. Recommendations included further research specific to female adolescents who are homeless, education of nurses and nursing students related to meeting the needs of female adolescents who are homeless, and policy implications.


It is not known why leader peptides are removed by the mitochondrial processing peptidase after import into the matrix space. The leaders of yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase (pALDH) and malate dehydrogenase were mutated so that they would not be processed after import. The recombinant nonprocessed precursor of yeast pALDH possessed a similar specific activity as the corresponding mature form but was much less stable. The nonprocessed pALDH was transformed into a yeast strain missing ALDHs. The transformed yeast grew slowly on ethanol as the sole carbon source showing that the nonprocessed precursor was functional in vivo. Western blot analysis showed that the amount of precursor was 15-20% of that found in cells transformed with the native enzyme. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that the turnover rate for the nonprocessed precursor was greater than that of the mature protein indicating that the nonprocessed precursor could have been degraded. By using carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, we showed that the nonprocessed precursor was degraded in the matrix space. The nonprocessed precursor forms of precursor yeast malate dehydrogenase and rat liver pALDH also were degraded in the matrix space of HeLa cell mitochondria faster than their corresponding mature forms. In the presence of o-phenanthroline, an inhibitor of mitochondrial processing peptidase, the wild type precursor was readily degraded in the matrix space. Collectively, this study showed that the precursor form is less stable in the matrix space than is the mature form and provides an explanation for why the leader peptide is removed from the precursors.


Implementation of high resolution passive THz cameras operated at cryogenic temperatures of a few Kelvin benefits from a large number of pixels. At present, building a cryogenic multiplexed read-out circuit represents a challenging task. Here we propose and demonstrate broadband niobium-based tunnel junction bolometers operating in equilibrium regime at 4 K, and read out with a room temperature amplifier with feedback. The implemented scheme allows independent impedance matching for the THz antenna and for the readout. Electrical feedback in the readout scheme eliminates the need for magnetic fields to suppress the supercurrent of the junction. We present electrical and preliminary optical measurements of the detectors. We also analyze a possible scheme for time-domain multiplexing.


In photosynthetic light harvesting, absorbed sunlight is converted to electron flow with near-unity quantum efficiency under low light conditions. Under high light conditions, plants avoid damage to their molecular machinery by activating a set of photoprotective mechanisms to harmlessly dissipate excess energy as heat. To investigate these mechanisms, we study the primary antenna complex in green plants, light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), at the single-complex level. We use a single-molecule technique, the Anti-Brownian Electrokinetic trap, which enables simultaneous measurements of fluorescence intensity, lifetime, and spectra in solution. With this approach, including the first measurements of fluorescence lifetime on single LHCII complexes, we access the intrinsic conformational dynamics. In addition to an unquenched state, we identify two partially quenched states of LHCII. Our results suggest that there are at least two distinct quenching sites with different molecular compositions, meaning multiple dissipative pathways in LHCII. Furthermore, one of the quenched conformations significantly increases in relative population under environmental conditions mimicking high light.


BACKGROUND
Although the relationship between non-O blood types and the risk of exocrine pancreatic cancer has been demonstrated, the association between ABO blood types and sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) has not been reported thus far.

METHODS
This hospital-based, case-control study included 387 patients with PNET and 542 age- and sex-matched controls. Unconditional multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The relationship between ABO blood types and clinicopathologic features was also analyzed.

RESULTS
After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol drinking, and first-degree family history of any cancer, the AORs (95% CI) of functional PNET were 0.87 (0.59-1.28) for blood type A, 0.86 (0.58-1.28) for blood type B, and 0.71 (0.39-1.26) for blood type AB compared with subjects with blood type O. A similar ABO blood-type distribution was observed among cases with non-functional PNETs compared with controls. On comparing blood type B with non-B blood type, cases with non-functional PNETs had marginally higher rates of lymph node invasion (P = 0.047), distant metastasis (P = 0.044), and advanced European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society Stage (P = 0.040).

CONCLUSIONS
There is no association between the ABO blood group and the development of functional and non-functional PNETs. The ABO blood types are not associated with the clinicopathologic features in patients with functional and non-functional PNETs.


Helping couples to choose appropriate therapy for their unexplained subfertility demands a review of evidence for treatment benefit and harm, in the context of both patients' and clinicians' experience and perspective. Ovulation induction (OI) with clomiphene (CC) or gonadotrophin (FSH) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) are often chosen before resorting to IVF. The appropriateness of starting with these low and intermediate intensity treatments is supported by evidence that CC/IUI increases cycle fecundity two- to three-fold, and FSH/IUI, three- to five-fold over the baseline chance of pregnancy in this patient group. While both OI/IUI and IVF have adverse effects which deserve vigorous attention, particularly multiple pregnancy and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), the balance between benefits and costs often favours OI/IUI. The cost per live birth and potential for OHSS appears lower with OI/IUI, and the proportion of multiple pregnancies similar to that seen with IVF. For these as well as physical and spiritual reasons, OI/IUI is often a natural starting point for couples, especially when female age and duration of subfertility are favourable.


Sera were tested from 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus followed over a period of 1 to 5 years. Antibodies to native DNA were measured and correlated retrospectively with clinical evidence of disease activity. The overall degree of correlation between the presence of DNA antibodies and evidence of disease activity was good (P less than 0-001). Of 206 sera tested, only 4 had a normal DNA antibody at a time when significant clinical activity was noted. In contrast, 34 sera had mild to moderately raised DNA antibody levels at times of clinical remission. Although DNA antibodies are a useful investigation in the monitoring of disease activity, changes in therapy should not necessarily be made on DNA antibody levels alone.


This paper investigates the flow performance of a horizontal unconventional gas producer where cluster flow has been detected and quantified. The method employed is the first use of a wireline deployed engineered fiber optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system for the purpose of production monitoring. It further describes the technological advancement of the DAS system.
 While distributed fiber optics sensors have been used in unconventional wells for over ten years, the focus has been on stimulation monitoring, where relatively large thermal and acoustic signatures are easily measured. There has been limited success on the use of the same systems for production monitoring in horizontal wells since the thermal and acoustic flow signatures are very small. The recent technological advancements achieved in the area of Distributed Acoustic Sensing, using engineered fibers with dramatic improvements in the signal-to noise ratio, now make it possible to sense low levels of inflow noise with DAS systems. This study presents two distinct ways of analysing DAS data to extract production information and demonstrates the analysis using real field data.
 The well is an unconventional dry gas producer in the Liard Basin, Canada, which was completed in 18 stages, with 3 cluster per stage, a total of 54 clusters along a horizontal section of ~2000m. The top 11 stages were logged on tractor conveyed wireline with DAS and DTS data acquired over a 19-hour period. The acquisition covered an initial shut-in period, followed by a ramp up to a maximum test rate, and a final shut-in period. Data from the full acquisition period was analysed and is presented in the paper.
 The data acquired at various points during the acquisition period was used to detect and quantify inflow. It was found that one of the clusters was active throughout the shut-in period and inactive during the maximum test rate. We were also able to identify more clusters being activated as the production rate increased. The increase in the number of active clusters was not proportional to the increase in the surface gas rate, with heel side clusters becoming active before the toe side clusters as the production rate was increased. The results of this survey yielded remarkable insights that informed the operator on the completion efficiency and the relationship between the total production rate and cluster activity.


We introduce the theoretical basis for tracing lazy functional logic computations in a declarative multi-paradigm language like Curry. Tracing computations is a difficult task due to the subtleties of the underlying operational semantics which combines laziness and non-determinism. In this work, we define an instrumented operational semantics that generates not only the computed values and bindings but also an appropriate data structure---a sort of redex trail---which can be used to trace computations at an adequate level of abstraction. In contrast to previous approaches, which rely solely on a transformation to instrument source programs, the formal definition of a tracing semantics improves the understanding of the tracing process. Furthermore, it allows us to formally prove the correctness of the computed trail. A prototype implementation of a tracer based on this semantics demonstrates the usefulness of our approach.


: The results of operative lumbar sympathectomy for both intermittent claudication and rest pain in 153 patients have been reviewed. Sympathectomy was performed as an initial procedure to further below the groin reconstructive surgery, should symptoms not be alleviated. Five year post-sympathectomy, 67% of the claudicant and 54% of the rest pain patients had avoided further surgery. Patient mortality from other manifestations of atherosclerosis was notably poor at five years and was significantly greater than the sympathectomy failure rate after the first year. The results in diabetics were not significantly different from those in non-diabetics. The possible value of lumbar sympathectomy in both claudication and rest pain is reviewed and discussed.


Cuprozinc superoxide dismutases were isolated from bovine liver, kidney and adrenal medulla. It was found that the enzyme from these sources exists in the form of three isoenzymes, the main izoenzyme being the most basic form. Physico-chemical properties of superoxide dismutases isolated from different tissues were found similar. Copper atoms in active sites of all superoxide dismutases investigated are bound with 4 nitrogen atoms.


This paper investigates credit channel of monetary policy by accounting for simultaneous interaction of banks' and firms' credit conditions and their adjustment costs, which are neglected in the previous studies. Based on the European data we find that these conditions are interacting, although their adjustment costs differ across banks, firm size, countries, and over time. The results suggest that a common European monetary policy should then deal with uncertainty over credit market conditions and firms' and banks' country-specific and size-dependent reactions. It should also monitor large firms' exploitation of banks' credit rationing as it can have great impacts on the smaller firms' lending and financial stability conditions.


1. Larval trout undergo a transition from cutaneous respiration to gill respiration which at 10°C is well advanced by the 18th day after hatching. 2. Resting heart rate of newly hatched trout increases during the first few days, stabilizes for a while, and then drops between the 9th and 18th day after hatching. This drop may be the result of establishment of 'vagal tone'. 3. The basic breathing response of larval trout when hypoxic is an increase in fin movements and an increase in rate and amplitude of breathing, but breathing movements slow and weaken if environmental P O2 falls much below 40 mmHg. 4. With trout up to 8 days after hatching hypoxia causes a tachycardia. At very low P O2 levels there is a drop in heart rate and in the amount of blood pumped by the heart. Upon restoring oxygen to very hypoxic larvae, the heart rate recovers slowly, unlike the quick abolition of bradycardia of adult fish. It appears that up to the age of 8 days from hatching, trout do not have a functional bradycardia reflex associated with hypoxia. 5. The responses of larval trout to CO and to hypoxia, and of adult trout to CO, are similar in nature. It is proposed that the basic response to anoxaemia is an increase in breathing and circulation and that the adult bradycardia response to hypoxia is a superimposed mechanism which relates circulation to the quantity of oxygen presented to the gills.


This study verses on the meeting of psychology with the social policy area. The objective is to discuss how psychologists that work in the Basic Health Units and in the Social Assistance Reference Centers experience their daily practices. Using the interview and participant observation methods, we investigated the modes of action of 13 psychologists involved in these service units. The results indicate that because these contexts are adverse to the traditional forms of action, many professionals experience daily strangeness and discomfort, resulting from their encounters with limiting situations of difficult management. Furthermore, we observed practices and experiences that were marked by feelings of compassion, pity, and resentment. We consider, finally, that the encounter between psychology and social policies requires flexibility in traditional acting modes as well as the pursuit of strategies that consider cultural contexts characteristics, avoiding capture, fatigue and saturation process that stifle the worker.


The free radical mechanism of enhancing radiosensibility by the Synergic Recipe to Strengthen Body Resistance (SRSBR) consisting of 10 Chinese drugs was studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) with spin trapping reagent--Nitroso-tert-butane (NtB) following irradiation of the Deoxy thymidine (dT) solution system by 60Co 3.7 PBq. The results showed SRSBR cannot only enhance the generation of e- aq but also enhance the production of . OH and H . after irradiation with gamma ray in dT-NtB-SRSBR aqueous solution system. These result in damage to biological molecules, attacking and killing tumor cells radiosensitized by SRSBR. The characteristics of SRSBR for radiosensitization are concluded to be increasing production of . OH and H. in comparison with the well-known radiosensitizer-Misonidazole (Miso).


: Purpose: The article aims to present the results of the analysis of the service offer addressed to sailing tourists in the Baltic Sea. The focus was on services available both in the marina and in its immediate vicinity. This offer was analyzed mainly in terms of quantitative purposes. The territorial scope of the research covers marinas located in the southern Baltic region in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, in the Russian Kaliningrad district and on the Danish island of Bornholm. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out in accordance with the prepared research procedure and concerned 178 marinas. The entire process was divided into stages with various research methods and techniques applied, including mathematical and statistical methods, participant observation, and internet resource exploration. Findings: Based on the data on the number of marinas offering individual services, these services have been classified into basic, complementary and optional. The port in the Pomeranian region, located in a large city, offered the most services. The highest average number of services available in the analyzed marinas was observed in the West Pomeranian region (also in Poland), while the lowest in the Kaliningrad region. The research did not show a strong correlation between the number of available berths in a yacht port (from all regions together) and the number of services offered. Considering the regions separately, the situation was different. Three out of six showed a statistically significant linear relationship from moderate to strong. Practical Implications: The results of the analysis can be useful for entities responsible for the development management of yacht ports in the southern Baltic region. Originality/value: The analysis was carried out for the southern Baltic region, taking into account the differences in its individual parts.


Today the smoker carries a risk of mortality 70% higher compared to the nonsmoker. In Belgium active smoking is indisputably the most important cause of avoidable death. In 2004 it appears that 27% of the belgian population was smoking. This review describes the comorbidity associated with active tobacco consumption and defines the concepts of dependence and smoking cessation. It also identifies the three factors which determine the success of smoking cessation, i.e. the degree of nicotinic dependence, the presence of anxio-depressive disorders and the importance of the motivation to the stop.


Understanding of the melting temperature of nanostructures is beneficial to exploit phase transitions and their applications at elevated temperatures. The melting temperature of nanostructured materials depends on particle size, shape and dimensionality and has been well established both experimentally and theoretically. The large surface-to-volume ratio is the key for the low melting temperature of nanostructured materials. The melting temperature of almost free nanoparticles decreases with decreasing size although there are anomalies for some cases. Superheating has been reported for some embedded nanoparticles. Local maxima and minima in the melting temperature have been reported for particles with fewer atoms. Another quantity that is influenced by large surface-to-volume ratio and related to the thermal stability, is the vapour pressure. The vapour pressure of nanoparticles is shown to be enhanced for smaller particles. In this article, we have discussed the anomaly in thermal stability of nanostructured materials.


This document is FCS8898, one of a series of 2-page illustrated handouts (puzzle page and key) by Linda B. Bobroff that provide a list of scrambled words forming names of foods in the MyPyramid groups, with numbered letters that form a secret message. Published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, March 2010.


In this paper, we propose a wide-view parallax-free eye-mark recorder with a hyperboloidal half-silvered mirror and a gaze estimation method suitable for the device. Our eye-mark recorder provides a wide field-of-view video recording of the user's exact view by positioning the focal point of the mirror at the user's viewpoint. The vertical angle of view of the prototype is 122 degree (elevation and depression angles are 38 and 84 degree, respectively) and its horizontal view angle is 116 degree (nasal and temporal view angles are 38 and 78 degree, respectively). We implemented and evaluated a gaze estimation method for our eye-mark recorder. We use an appearance-based approach for our eye-mark recorder to support a wide field-of-view. We apply principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple regression analysis (MRA) to determine the relationship between the captured images and their corresponding gaze points. Experimental results verify that our eye-mark recorder successfully captures a wide field-of-view of a user and estimates gaze direction with an angular accuracy of around 2 to 4 degree.


According to the Annual report of Agricultural Statistics in 2019, 25.5% of agricultural labour force is engaged in the various agricultural related professions in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the traditional forms of communication can be used to empower the agricultural related livelihood. In this context, the main purpose of this study is to examine the use of traditional forms of communication in developing agricultural related livelihood in rural Sri Lanka. Development communication is the main conceptual and theoretical framework of this study. The geographical location is Pelwatta in Buttala Divisional Secretariat in Monaragala district, Uva Province. Therefore, the FGDs were conducted with 25 people who are aware and use these folk media in Pelwatta (purposive sampling). In depth interviews were conducted with four key people from the same community. The qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results show that the majority of people are into agricultural related professions such as cane farming, banana cultivation, dairy farming, chena cultivation, paddy cultivation and working for Pelwatta Sugar Company and Diary company which are currently government owned companies. The people use various traditional forms of communication to fulfill their socio-cultural, economics needs and issues in the day to day lives. Moreover, these traditional forms of communication are used to get rid of diseases and epidemics, for the protection of agricultural crops, maintain the uniqueness of their food culture, protect the cultural and religious values, heritages etc. The responsible authorities should support these communities to protect and promote the cultural, socio-economic values, traditions, communications, believes, heritages and resources unique to this area.


We test the hypothesis that escalated species (e.g., those with antipredatory adaptations such as heavy armor) are more vulnerable to extinctions caused by changes in climate. If this hypothesis is valid, recovery faunas after climate-related extinctions should include significantly fewer species with escalated shell characteristics, and escalated species should undergo greater rates of extinction than nonescalated species. This hypothesis is tested for the Cretaceous-Paleocene, Eocene-Oligocene, middle Miocene, and Pliocene-Pleistocene mass extinctions. Gastropod and bivalve molluscs from the U.S. coastal plain were evaluated for 10 shell characters that confer resistance to predators. Of 40 tests, one supported the hypothesis; highly ornamented gastropods underwent greater levels of Pliocene-Pleistocene extinction than did nonescalated species. All remaining tests were nonsignificant. The hypothesis that escalated species are more vulnerable to climate-related mass extinctions is not supported.


Summary Background: Gene, protein, or metabolite expression levels are often non-normally distributed, heavy tailed and contain outliers. Standard statistical approaches may fail as location tests in this situation. Objectives: In three Monte-Carlo simulation studies, we aimed at comparing the type I error levels and empirical power of standard location tests and three adaptive tests [O'Gorman, Can J Stat 1997; 25: 269 –279; Keselman et al., Brit J Math Stat Psychol 2007; 60: 267– 293; Szymczak et al., Stat Med 2013; 32: 524 – 537] for a wide range of distributions. Methods: We simulated two-sample scena -rios using the g-and-k-distribution family to systematically vary tail length and skewness with identical and varying variability between groups. Results: All tests kept the type I error level when groups did not vary in their variability. The standard non-parametric U-test per -formed well in all simulated scenarios. It was outperformed by the two non-parametric adaptive methods in case of heavy tails or large skewness. Most tests did not keep the type I error level for skewed data in the case of heterogeneous variances. Conclusions: The standard U-test was a powerful and robust location test for most of the simulated scenarios except for very heavy tailed or heavy skewed data, and it is thus to be recommended except for these cases. The non-parametric adaptive tests were powerful for both normal and non-normal distributions under sample variance homogeneity. But when sample variances differed, they did not keep the type I error level. The parametric adaptive test lacks power for skewed and heavy tailed distributions.


ABSTRACT Strains of the same bacterial species often show considerable genomic variation. To examine the extent of such variation in Rhizobium etli, the complete genome sequence of R. etli CIAT652 and the partial genomic sequences of six additional R. etli strains having different geographical origins were determined. The sequences were compared with each other and with the previously reported genome sequence of R. etli CFN42. DNA sequences common to all strains constituted the greater part of these genomes and were localized in both the chromosome and large plasmids. About 700 to 1,000 kb of DNA that did not match sequences of the complete genomes of strains CIAT652 and CFN42 was unique to each R. etli strain. These sequences were distributed throughout the chromosome as individual genes or chromosomal islands and in plasmids, and they encoded accessory functions, such as transport of sugars and amino acids, or secondary metabolism; they also included mobile elements and hypothetical genes. Sequences corresponding to symbiotic plasmids showed high levels of nucleotide identity (about 98 to 99%), whereas chromosomal sequences and the sequences with matches to other plasmids showed lower levels of identity (on average, about 90 to 95%). We concluded that R. etli has a pangenomic structure with a core genome composed of both chromosomal and plasmid sequences, including a highly conserved symbiotic plasmid, despite the overall genomic divergence.


A 2% dilution of distillery effluent not only inhibited mitosis but also induced a 10-fold increase in the frequency of chromosome abnormalities in onion root-tip cells. Polyploidy and disturbances in cytokinesis were also observed. A 1% dilution of the effluent, when administered orally at 0.5 ml per day per mouse, induced a 12-fold increase in chromosome abnormalities among bone marrow cells. The latter included both gross and individual types of damage. In the primary spermatocytes, the effluent induced a 14-fold increase in abnormalities among which X-Y univalents, polyploidy and translocation were most common.


A 3-dimensional nutrient-prey-predator model with intratrophic predation is proposed and studied. Some elementary properties such as invariance of nonnegativity, boundedness and dissipativity of the system are presented. The purpose of this chapter is to study the existence and stability of equilibria along with the effects of intratrophic predation towards the positions and stability of those equilibria of the system. We also investigate the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation. In the case when there is no presence of predator organisms, intratrophic predation may not give impact on the stability of equilibria of the system. We also analysed global stability of the equilibrium point. A suitable Lyapunov function is defined for global stability analysis and some results of persistence analysis are presented for the existence of positive interior equilibrium point. Besides that, Hopf bifurcation analysis of the system are demonstrated.


In the oil and gas industry, pipeline integrity is a serious concern due to the consequences of pipeline failure. External corrosion was identified as one of the main causes of pipeline failures worldwide. A solution that addresses the issue of detecting and quantifying corrosivity of environment for application to existing exposed pipelines has been developed. The proposed sensor consists of an electric circuit and a sensing array connected to the circuit. The sensing array is an assembly of strips made of a metal identical to that of the pipe, having the same length and width, but different thicknesses. The sensing array is exposed to the same environment as the pipe. As corrosion propagates in the metal strips of the array, it corrodes the metal until it finally breaks the metal strip apart resulting in a discontinuity in the circuit. The sensor circuit is energized using electromagnetic field, and its function is to indicate which strips in the array are fully corroded. Visual indication is provided to the operator via LEDs. The proposed sensor can be installed on existing pipelines without altering the pipe structure or disturbing the production process. It is passive and has low maintenance requirements. Circuit design was validated through lab experiments. Results obtained from experiments were consistent with simulation results.


Entry to Employment (E2E) is a work‐based learning programme aimed at 16–19 year‐olds in England deemed not yet ready for employment, an apprenticeship or further education and training. Taking into account educational, social and personal circumstances which are often severely disadvantaged, it aspires to provide these young people with training experiences aimed at improving their 'employability'. This paper places E2E within its social and economic context and uses Bernstein's work on pedagogic discourses to problematise its curriculum. It is argued that, however laudable its aims, by concentrating largely on occupational socialisation and generic skills, E2E may serve to promote an impoverished form of employability and reinforce the class‐based divisions of labour that continue to characterise the English economy.


Theory of mind refers to the ability to conceive of the mental lives that underlie behavior — an ability that supports virtually all interpersonal interaction. The development of theory of mind has been attributed to various cognitive, social and environmental factors. The possession of theory of mind in toddlers has been a widely disputed topic, viewed as contingent on their understanding of false-belief as demonstrated in a standard false-belief task. However, recent studies suggest that the standard task may be a weak indicator for various reasons. It may not encompass what young children are truly capable of. Some research shows that by adjusting the demands or context of the standard tasks, children have a better chance of succeeding at them, thereby demonstrating aspects of theory of mind at a younger age. This study argues that naturalistic observations of toddlers' daily behavior suggest that young children may possess an awareness of mental states that ranges in availability depending on the context.


In this article we consider the initial value problem of the binormal flow with initial data given by curves that are regular except at one point where they have a corner. We prove that under suitable conditions on the initial data a unique regular solution exists for strictly positive and strictly negative times. Moreover, this solution satisfies a weak version of the equation for all times and can be seen as a perturbation of a suitably chosen self-similar solution. Conversely, we also prove that if at time t = 1 a small regular perturbation of a self-similar solution is taken as initial condition then there exists a unique solution that at time t = 0 is regular except at a point where it has a corner with the same angle as the one of the self-similar solution. This solution can be extended for negative times. The proof uses the full strength of the previous papers [9], [2], [3] and [4] on the study of small perturbations of self-similar solutions. A compactness argument is used to avoid the weighted conditions we needed in [4], as well as a more refined analysis of the asymptotic in time and in space of the tangent and normal vectors.


The time-triggered architecture is a distributed architecture for high-dependability real-time systems such as avionics systems, engine controls or brake-by-wire systems in the automotive domain. The core element of the architecture is the time-triggered communication protocol TTP. TTP uses a time-triggered medium access control strategy, which makes it fully composable in the time and value domain. TTP usually transmits real-time, state data, with small latency and minimal latency jitter. But is also possible to transmit event data over a dedicated event channel. This paper demonstrates how an application can transmit safety-critical real-time data together with non-critical event data and explains the advantages over conventional event-triggered communication systems. The author introduces a generic approach for event-data transmission that makes it possible to layer other protocols such as MIL-STD-1553, CAN or TCP/IP on top of TTP.


CuIn2n+1 S3n+2 crystals were synthesized by horizontal Bridgman method using high purity copper, indium, sulfur elements. The phases and crystallographic structure of the CuIn2n+1S3n+2 crystals were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the composition of the material powders was determined using the energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Measurement data revealed that CuIn2n+1S3n+2 materials have not the same structure. In fact, CuInS2 and CuIn3S5 crystallize in the chalcopyrite structure whereas CuIn5S8, CuIn7S11 and CuIn11S17 crystallize in the cubic spinel structure.


Objective: To investigate the comparative 2-year efficacy of brief alcohol interventions delivered in-person versus through computer-generated feedback letters among general hospital inpatients with at-risk alcohol use. Methods: In 2011–2012, all general hospital inpatients aged 18–64 years on 13 wards at 4 medical departments in 1 general hospital were systematically screened for at-risk alcohol use. Nine-hundred sixty-one inpatients who screened positive for at-risk alcohol use and negative for more severe alcohol problems were randomized by timeframe to in-person counseling (PE), computer-generated feedback letters (CO) and assessment only (AO). Both interventions included 3 contacts: on the ward and 1 and 3 months later and were based on the transtheoretical model (TTM). After 6, 12, 18, and 24 months computer-assisted telephone interviews assessed self-report outcomes: gram alcohol per week (primary), at-risk alcohol use and highest blood alcohol concentration (both secondary). Latent growth models were used. Results: After 24 months, CO resulted in a greater reduction of self-reported gram alcohol per week than AO (p = .027); PE did not differ significantly from AO (p = .503) and CO (p = .088); and group differences concerning secondary outcomes were not statistically significant (ps > 0.07). After 6 months, the odds of at-risk alcohol use were reduced by half in PE versus AO (odds ratio = 0.50, 95% confidence interval: 0.25–0.98). Conclusions: No significant group differences between in-person counseling and computer-generated feedback letters were found. TTM-based computer-generated feedback letters reduced self-reported gram alcohol over 2 years and can be considered a long-term effective alternative in medical settings when addressing at-risk alcohol use.


Spin-state crossover beyond a conventional ligand-field theory has been a fundamental issue in condensed matter physics. Here, we report microscopic observations of spin states and low-energy dynamics through orbital-resolved NMR spectroscopy in the prototype compound LaCoO3. The Co NMR spectrum shows the preserved crystal symmetry across the crossover, inconsistent with d orbital ordering due to the Jahn-Teller distortion. The orbital degeneracy results in a pseudospin (J̃ = 1) excited state with an orbital moment observed as Co hyperfine coupling tensors. We found that the population of the excited state evolves above the heart crossover temperature. The crossover involves critical spin-state fluctuations emerging under the magnetic field. These results suggest that the spin-state crossover can be mapped into a statistical problem, analogous to the supercritical liquid in liquid-gas transition.


EDITOR,—In developing countries where resources are limited, oxygen is usually given straight into the incubator without blending, whereas in modern neonatal intensive care units nasal cannulas are more usual, as well as oxygen blenders and servo control systems. 2 Oxygen concentrations were measured in four diVerent models of incubators including Air Shields Isolette C2H2-1, ISIS Mediprema, Air Shields C100-200, and Air Shields Neocare 142 at oxygen flow rates of 1–15 l/minute at Gazi University Hospital neonatal intensive care unit. Measurements were made using an SLE T-801oxygen monitor (Specialised Laboratory Equipment Ltd, UK) which was calibrated daily when there were no patients in the incubators. Oxygen flow rates, starting from 1 l/min up to 15 l/min were studied with 1 l/min increments after a stabilisation period of 15 minutes. For each flow rate, oxygen concentrations in the incubators were measured five to eight times, and mean values were taken. Unblended free flow oxygen was delivered into the incubator through the upper hole of the incubator. The sensor probe of the oxygen monitor was placed into the incubator through the side port and was left on the corner, at the level of the mattress, at the maximum distance from the oxygen tubing. The lowest oxygen concentration at 1 l/min flow rate was 30% in Air Shields Neocare 142 and ISIS Mediprema, and the highest oxygen concentration was 87% at 15 l/min flow rate in Air Shields C100-200 incubators. The oxygen concentrations were above 40% at 4 l/min flow rate in all incubators. Excess oxygen has well known adverse eVects on tiny babies. The inspired oxygen concentration must be known, not only to help avoid retinopathy of prematurity, but also for the planning of decisions about the transmission of infants from incubator to crib. Our small study serves as a reminder to neonatal units that do not measure oxygen concentration that although the estimated oxygen concentration ranges for diVerent flow rates are indicated on most incubators, these ranges are often too wide, making it diYcult to fine tune the oxygen treatment. Even with low flow rates of oxygen into incubators, the measured oxygen concentration may be higher than expected. Even in neonatal units with limited resources a simple oxygen concentration monitor for use in the incubator is a high priority purchase.


In auto industry extensive use of traditional IC engines and fossil fuel as power source has lead to serious environmental problems and social issues. Development of hybrid vehicles is a hopeful technology to solve above problems. As a vital part of IC engine-electric hybrid vehicles, power source should generate electricity efficiently. Supported by National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program) a novel Internal Combustion Linear-Generator Integrated Power System (ICLG) is researched in this paper. ICLG mainly consists of four-stroke free-piston engine, linear motor, reversible electrical energy storage device, and control unit and has the potential to convert the chemical energy of fuel to electrical energy efficiently. Achievements for improving efficiency, such as minimizing the energy transmission and conversion link, movement control of piston by adjusting electromagnetic force, optimization of thermodynamic cycle, and sub-cylinder or sub-cylinders mode, are analyzed and validated by testing. Testing results show that the generating efficiency is about 32%, which can be improved by further study. ICLG is hopeful to be the new generation power source of hybrid vehicles which has the character of power saving and environmental protecting.


This article suggests that the project practitioner can have a significant role in defining and legitimizing the knowledge that is important for practice and the profession due to the situated nature of project knowledge. In-depth interviews with highly successful project practitioners revealed an unmediated relationship with practice centering on client/market priorities and emerging notions of professionalism. Here, project practitioners identified the need for a more meaningful relationship with the academic community in order to handle the challenges of situated practice.


Misuse of power is a creation of the Council of State of France, and it refers to the exercise of the administrative regulatory powers, for purposes other than the ones set out in the body of laws. When Public Administrations deviate from the established regulatory purpose, they engage in a defect of legality that, therefore, must be known by the contentious-administrative jurisdiction. In our opinion, judges must give misuse of power a first order implementation, especially if we take into account that misuse of power has its basis on the supreme de-law of our legal system (Article 49 of the Constitution) which allows its progressive and extensive application, for the direct interest of the parties involved and the constitutional protection of legality of the State´s conduct in a broader sense.


We present an architecture for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to expose RESTful web services. This architecture allows clients to access accelerated web services from any platform and programming language that can perform RESTful API calls. By using this architecture, the client's application benefits from a high throughput and low latency web service interface. Traditionally, FPGAs are deployed in CPU-centric infrastructures as worker devices in the form of accelerators. However, for FPGA-centric applications, the overhead of a host CPU diminishes the performance, scalability and energy efficiency. cloudFPGA solves these issues by deploying FPGAs as standalone, disaggregated resources in the DC. Building on top of the cloudFPGA platform, the presented architecture simplifies the integration of FPGA-accelerated functions with cloud applications. A configurable hardware block that can be generated from an OpenAPI-based specification of the web service is used to deploy an FPGA-based application. We compare a natural language processing (NLP) application that is exposed as a web service using the traditional server infrastructure and our RESTful service layer. Measurements show an improvement of 20x in terms of throughput and 4x reduction in mean latency.


The U.S. corporate income tax system provides investment incentives that vary across asset types. Do corporations' investment choices respond to these differences and if so, by how much? I analyze the effect of corporate income taxes on the allocation of new capital investment in the U.S. economy by constructing an industry-level panel data from 1962 to 1997. My preferred-IV estimates of the asset substitution elasticities suggest a sizable interasset distortion effect of corporate income taxes. Substitutability is the strongest between machinery
equipment and computing and electronic equipment. Compared to a revenue-neutral uniform tax scheme, differential corporate income taxes cause under-investment in computing and electronic equipment and over-investment in machinery and transportation equipment.


Background: From 2016, wildfire emergency response used Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) also known as Uninhabited or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Systems (UAS) or "drones" (hereafter UAS), smartphones and smartphone applications (apps) on-site, for the first time at scale in Aotearoa New Zealand (hereafter New Zealand). This study outlines the deployment and use of this new technology in monitoring at wildfires in New Zealand from 2016, and the conveyance of fire response information to operational personnel.
 Methods: A quantitative and qualitative questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews were used to gather feedback on the use of this emerging technology from wildfire management personnel. The results were analysed to determine perception change over time, using retrospective analysis. The issues presented, and the uptake by fire management and personnel for the incorporation of such technology at wildfires in New Zealand are discussed.
 Findings: The integration of UAS and visual, infrared/infrared-thermal (IR/TIR) sensors has been used at over ten wildfire management response incidents throughout New Zealand since 2016. The quantitative perception of use and benefit of information technology in wildfire management response improved from the initial viewpoints, from indifferent to strongly supportive, and supportive to strongly supportive for UAS and smartphone use, respectively. Qualitative analysis showed that both positive views on the new technology increased, and indifferent and negative views diminished substantially following exposure to its operational integration into wildfire management.
Conclusions: The use of technology such as UAS has gained support and currently offers the potential to increase safety and reduce suppression and mop-up costs. A reduction in the time taken for hotspot detection and management, combined with the ability to redeploy heavy-lift aircraft away from such tasks would lead to efficiencies in cost and resource utilisation. UAS as platforms for remote-sensing devices (such as cameras and laser scanners), and smartphone apps are now considered important tools for deployment at New Zealand wildfires by operational and Incident Management personnel. The adoption of any new systems or technology requires flexibility, especially in terms of management support, in which regular information, training and instruction should be considered crucial.


We present a new concept for compact, tunable antennas. Traditional approaches have circuits and switchable elements which can be bulky and lossy. Here we investigate structures which offer direct tuning through voltage-controlled deformation of the radiating structure itself. The antenna is a dielectric resonator (DRA), where the antenna impedance and tuning depends on the shape of the dielectric. The deformation action is through using electro-active polymer (EAP) for the dielectric. EAPs have promising properties for smart antennas and ongoing developments are continuing to improve its suitability.


The durational interactions among different combinations of onsets, nuclei, and codas in Mandarin Chinese syllables are examined, based on data from six speakers at normal and fast rates of speech. This report extends and refines preliminary results, based on four speakers at a normal tempo, that were reported earlier [A. Bell and M. Liu, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Suppl. 1 87, S67 (1990)]. Effects of different onsets (/n t shtsh/), vowels (/a i u/), diphthongs (/ai au ou ia iau/), and nasal codas (/n sh/) were considered. Consistent effects of onsets, vowel height, complex nuclei, and nasal codas on both syllable and rhyme durations were found. These effects, however, were relatively small, of the order of 15% for rhyme durations, and from about 5% to 10% for syllables, apparently consistent with a hypothesis that Mandarin rhymes and syllables are perceptually invariant. On the other hand, the nature of segment compensations was more consistent with segment‐local and universal mechanisms than with language‐part...


We define an orientation on the edges of a noncrossing tree induced by the labels: for a noncrossing tree (i.e., the edges do not cross) with vertices $1,2,\ldots,n$ arranged on a circle in this order, all edges are oriented towards the vertex whose label is higher. The main purpose of this paper is to study the distribution of noncrossing trees with respect to the indegree and outdegree sequence determined by this orientation. In particular, an explicit formula for the number of noncrossing trees with given indegree and outdegree sequence is proved and several corollaries are deduced from it. Sources (vertices of indegree $0$) and sinks (vertices of outdegree $0$) play a special role in this context. In particular, it turns out that noncrossing trees with a given number of sources and sinks correspond bijectively to ternary trees with a given number of middle- and right-edges, and an explicit bijection is provided for this fact. Finally, the in- and outdegree distribution of a single vertex is considered and explicit counting formulas are provided again.


This essay presents "surreptitious communication design" (SCD), a framework for design in contentious political contexts. SCD is concerned with crafting messages that are meaningful for intended recipients, but illegible and/or inaccessible for adversaries who seek to undermine communications or harm participants. Borrowing concepts from cryptography and information theory, SCD's key theoretical concerns are described, as are several of the strategies and tactics through which it is operationalized. Two recent anti-human trafficking projects are compared, one developed from an SCD perspective, the other from a traditional mass communications approach. Finally, SCD is considered in relation to the burgeoning "Design for Good" movement.


In this article, the author addresses the multi-faceted question of hiring investment talent for a foundation. She starts with a review of possible goals for an investment program and the kinds of assistance required to meet those goals. She continues with a description of what to expect from an investment advisor, including both investment services and periodic reporting, as well as ongoing communication. She concludes with a discussion of the circumstances under which an in-house advisor should be considered and the processes for finding, selecting, and working with an outside professional.


The effects of annealing at 570oC and 640oC on the microstructural and corrosion characteristics for Zr-1.0Nb-1.0Sn-0.1Fe alloy were elucidated. After annealing at 570oC below the temperature of a monotectoid reaction in the Zr-Nb system, both orthorhombic Zr3Fe and the bcc b-Nb particles were uniformly found and the mean size of the second phase particles was increased with an increasing of the annealing time. In the case of an annealing at 640oC for 2 h above the monotectoid reaction temperature, the Zr3Fe was observed intermittently and after a longer annealing of 1000 h the b-Zr particles were well developed. The corrosion resistance after the 570oC anneal was improved as the annealing time increased, while that after the 640oC anneal decreased as the annealing time increased. The fraction of the tetragonal phase within the ZrO2 oxide increased as the corrosion resistance was improved. It was concluded that the equilibrium Nb concentration and the formation of the tetragonal ZrO2 due to the b-Nb phase would lead to improving the corrosion resistance of the alloy.


Due to design and fabrication outsourcing to foundries, the problem of malicious modifications to integrated circuits known as hardware Trojans has attracted attention in academia as well as industry. To reduce the risks associated with Trojans, researchers have proposed different approaches to detect them. Among these approaches, test-time detection approaches have drawn the greatest attention and most approaches assume the existence of a "golden model". Prior works suggest using reverse-engineering to identify such Trojan-free ICs for the golden model but they did not state how to do this efficiently. In this paper, we propose an innovative and robust reverseengineering approach to identify the Trojan-free ICs. We adapt a well-studied machine learning method, one-class support vector machine, to solve our problem. Simulation results using state-of-the-art tools on several publicly available circuits show that our approach can detect hardware Trojans with high accuracy rate across different modeling and algorithm parameters.


On almost all measures of physical health, Scots fare worse than residents of any other region of the UK and often worse than the rest of Europe. Deaths from chronic liver disease and lung cancer are particularly prevalent in Scotland. The self-assessed wellbeing of Scots is lower than that of the English or Welsh, even after taking into account any differences in characteristics. Scots also suffer from higher levels of self-assessed depression or phobia, accidental death and suicide than those in other parts of Great Britain. This result is particularly driven by outcomes in Strathclyde and is consistent with the high scores for other measures of social deprivation in this area. On average, indicators of social capital in Scotland are no worse than in England or Wales. Detailed analysis within Scotland, however, shows that social capital indicators for the Strathclyde area are relatively low. We argue that these problems need to be directly targeted as they seem unlikely to be fixed by more indirect policies aimed at raising economic growth.


In this study, we investigate the creation and persistence of interfirm ties in a large-scale business transaction network. Business transaction relations (firms buying or selling products or services to each other) are driven by economic motives, but because trust is essential to business relationships, the social connections of owners or the geographical proximity of firms can also influence their development. However, studying the formation of interfirm business transaction ties on a large scale is rare, because of the significant data demand. The business transaction and the ownership networks of Hungarian firms are constructed from two administrative datasets for 2016 and 2017. We show that direct or indirect connections in this two-layered network, including open triads in the business network, contribute to both the creation and persistence of business transaction ties. For our estimations, we utilize log-linear models and emphasize their efficiency in predicting links in such large networks. We contribute to the literature by presenting different patterns of business connections in a nationwide multilayer interfirm network.


This thesis is a comparative analysis of three contemporary separatist conflicts in Asia: The Naga Insurgency, the Punjab Crisis and the Moro Rebellion. The objective of this thesis is the understanding of conflict dynamics: how and why conflicts escalate or de-escalate over time. Previous research has tended to focus on the beginning and final phases of conflicts, seeking to understand how and why conflicts start and end. In contrast this research project has taken a holistic view of conflicts, investigating the dynamics of escalation and de-escalation over the lifespan of the conflict. Historical analysis was applied to trace the development of the conflicts, and to identify the causal processes that drove the violence. The three conflicts were broken down into a series of phases, which allowed the analysis of the different stages of the conflict revealing how the conflicts changed over time. Each phase was examined through an analytical trinity of context, State actors and non-State actors. In which the following factors were examined: Context: Social cleavages; popular support; grievances; local politics; national politics; international politicsState: State action – coercive force; state action – policy solution; state capacity; strong/weak government Non-state: Strategy of armed groups; capacity of armed groups; factionalisation; criminalisation The research highlighted the complex web, of inter-locking factors that acted to both escalate and de-escalate the violence. These included the contextual dynamics across the local, national and international levels, as well as the internal dynamics of the state and non-state actors. One important finding was how the state was a dynamic actor. In each case the initial response of the state inflamed the situation, not only escalating the conflicts and but also becoming in itself a driving force behind the conflict. Whilst the Naga Insurgency and the Moro Rebellion ultimately moved towards a political solution, the Punjab Crisis, would prove to be a special case were a military approach successfully ended the conflict, although this was due to a unique set of circumstances. Over time the state would learn from its mistakes and develop more effective strategies , however so would the insurgent groups. What develops is a situation in which both sides go through a learning curve, and the one that achieves the steepest learning curve maintains a crucial advantage.


Strains of Acinetobacter which showed marked variation in their ability to accumulate intracellular polyphosphate (Pn) were isolated from a pilot-plant which was removing phosphate biologically. Variants which could not accumulate Pn under the same growth conditions were derived from two of the isolates which accumulated high levels of Pn.

The activities of five enzymes reported to have a role in Pn synthesis showed no significant differences between the two variants, their parent strains and two other natural isolates. In the presence of 20 µm N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), growth of the variant strains was suppressed, whereas the parent strains were still able to grow and form polyphosphate. A mechanism which depends upon the trans-membrane proton gradient of the cell is proposed to account for the high levels of polyphosphate formed by some strains of Acinetobacter .

Each of the Acinetobacter strains isolated from the pilot-plant carried several plasmids. Comparison of one strain, which accumulated a high level of Pn, and its variant, showed that a deletion of approximately 20 kb of plasmid DNA from the parent strain had occurred.


Demographic change is dramatically transforming the German society: the ratio of young to old and of the gainfully employed to pensioners is shifting in favor of older persons. In the coming decades this development causes a substantial macroeconomic structural transfor-mation affecting all of the important markets in Germany. For example the labor market will lack young workers, the product markets will have to adjust to structurally changed consumer demands and on the capital market, savings behavior and the demand for productive in-vestments will be changing. With respect to the real estate market the change in the age structure and the regional distribution of the population will affect the demand for personal living space.Besides the macroeconomic dimension, the demand for personal living space is determined by social factors (e.g. more "living apart together" relationships increase the demand for smaller flats in the metropolitan areas), demographic factors (old people demand other hous-ing as young) and individual preferences (buying vs. renting properties). The research pro-posal aims at providing forecasts of the age specific demand of personal living space for Germany until 2030. The analysis will use data of the German Socio-Economic Panel, a lon-gitudinal panel dataset of the population in Germany. The analysis will feature a functional data model with time series coefficients, which are used to model the age-specific demand for living space. This model will be forecasted up to the year 2030. The results provide an insight on the challenges of the demographic transition in Germany with respect to the real estate market. The presentation will focus especially on the economic consequences of the aging society in Germany on the demand for personal living space.


Inactivation of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in corn silk tea was evaluated using a microwave plasma sterilization system (MPSS). Corn silk tea was inoculated with Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes, treated with an MPSS treatment, and stored at 25 o C for 12 days. The one, two, and three cycles of treatment with MPSS reduced the population of E. coli by 1.14, 2.49, and 5.72 log CFU/mL, respectively, compared to that of the control. In the case of L. monocytogenes, one, two, and three cycles of MPSS treatment reduced the population by 1.93, 4.49, and 6.62 log CFU/mL, respectively. Both E. coli and L. monocytogenes were eliminated within four cycles of treatment with MPSS, and even after 12 days of storage, the bacteria were not detected. Total polyphenol content in the corn silk tea did not change much among treatments, and turbidity of the corn silk tea improved following four cycles of MPSS treatment. These results suggest that MPSS treatment can be useful for improving the microbial safety and quality of corn silk tea during storage.


In Lucia v. SEC, the Supreme Court held that Securities and Exchange Commission administrative law judges were "officers" under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, and therefore required appointment by the president, or the SEC itself (and not, as they had been appointed, by SEC staff).

On the surface, the case is easy to overlook. But on a deeper level, Lucia has significant implications for presidential authority and the separation of powers. Indeed, we've already seen the president use the case to extinguish merit-based selection for ALJs, with a line of reasoning that could curtail all statutory appointment restrictions for independent and expert offices within the executive branch.

This consolidation of executive power — and potential politicization of independent and expert offices — is part of a larger effort to dismantle the administrative state. Other components include an attack on the Chevron doctrine, increasingly viable separation-of-powers challenges to statutory removal protections within the executive branch, and even the nondelegation doctrine. Within this context, Lucia is an important part of broader effort to reshape the separation of powers.


The effect of drying on proximate compositions of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) using Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) developed kiln was determined. The purchased quantities of catfish were shared into two parts; one part was used to determine the proximate compositions of the raw fish and the other part was dried using smoking kiln at a temperature range of 60 to 70°C for 15 h. The proximate compositions of the fresh and dried samples were determined. Also, sensory evaluation was also determined using 9 point hedonic scale. Protein, carbohydrate, moisture content, fat, ash and nitrogen free extract (NFE) for fresh and dried fish were 16.24, 0.92, 78.70, 0.50, 1.33, 2.31% and 68.4, 1.80, 7.30, 12.50, 6.40, 3.60% respectively. The general acceptance as shown by sensory evaluation was equally high. It was therefore concluded that drying does have a positive effect on fish since there was an increase in embedded nutritional parameters.

 Key words: Smoking kiln, sensory evaluation, protein, carbohydrate, moisture content, fat


In this paper, we propose two physical schemes for teleporting an unknown atomic state through noisy channel in cavity QED. The quantum channel is a noisy one—a mixed GHZ state, which is more realistic in quantum information processing. We solve analytically a master equation in the Lindblad form with (L_(2,z), L_(3,z), L_(4,z))-type of noise in cavity QED. A comparison between the two protocols are discussed.


A disproportionate tall stature is the most evident manifestation in Marfan syndrome (MFS), a multisystem condition caused by mutations in the extracellular protein and TGFβ modulator, fibrillin-1. Unlike cardiovascular manifestations, there has been little effort devoted to unravel the molecular mechanism responsible for long bone overgrowth in MFS. By combining the Cre-LoxP recombination system with metatarsal bone cultures, here we identify the outer layer of the perichondrium as the tissue responsible for long bone overgrowth in MFS mice. Analyses of differentially expressed genes in the fibrillin-1 deficient perichondrium predicted that loss of TGFβ signaling may influence chondrogenesis in the neighboring epiphyseal growth plate (GP). Immunohistochemistry revealed that fibrillin-1 deficiency in the outer perichondrium is associated with decreased accumulation of latent TGFβ-binding proteins (LTBPs)-3 and - 4, and reduced levels of phosphorylated (activated) Smad2. Consistent with these findings, mutant metatarsal bones grown in vitro were longer and released less TGFβ than the wild type counterparts. Moreover, addition of recombinant TGFβ1 normalized linear growth of mutant metatarsal bones. We conclude that longitudinal bone overgrowth in MFS is accounted for by diminished sequestration of LTBP-3 and LTBP-4 into the fibrillin-1 deficient matrix of the outer perichondrium, which results in less TGFβ signaling locally and improper GP differentiation distally.


The essay is focused on a research carried out between 2013 and 2015 within a social housing project in Milan. «Casa Comune» has been open for some years for young disabled and non disabled young women: university students or workers share everyday life with co-tenants with disabilities, exchanging experiences and supporting one another. The research shows this cohabitation model is not only a context of education to diversity but also a workshop in which young women can test themselves to become adults: cohabitation turns into a physical and symbolic place in which to experiment themselves as adults also and above all because it provides a transformative learning protected environment. The project is based on the culture of cohabiting and positive interdependence, raising cultural change among young disabled women, their co-tenants - who can experience disabilities also as a resource - and their families. The outputs of our research also give an input to policy makers to think about the topic of cohabitation, considering the best practices that can offer concrete solutions to the needs of different categories of people. Our perspective is based on responsible welfare that promotes a shared interdependence and enhances vulnerabilities as opportunities to build equitable and generative solutions.


BACKGROUND: The WHO recommends TB symptom screening and TB preventive therapy (TPT) for latent TB infection (LTBI) in persons living with HIV (PLWH). However, TPT uptake remains limited. We aimed to characterize and contextualize gaps in the TPT care cascade among persons enrolling for antiretroviral therapy (ART).SETTING: Four PEPFAR-supported facilities in Uganda.METHODS: We studied a proportionate stratified random sample of persons registering for ART when TPT was available. Patient-level data on eligibility, initiation, and completion were obtained from registers to determine proportion of eligible patients completing each cascade step. We interviewed providers and administrators and used content analysis to identify barriers to guideline-concordant TPT practices.RESULTS: Of 399 study persons, 309 (77%) were women. Median age was 29 (IQR 25-34), CD4 count 405 cells/µL (IQR 222-573), and body mass 23 kg/m² (IQR 21-25). Of 390 (98%) screened, 372 (93%) were TPT-eligible. Only 62 (17%) eligible PLWH initiated and 36 (58%) of 62 completed TPT. Providers reported hesitating to prescribe TPT because they lacked confidence excluding TB by symptom screening alone and feared promoting drug resistance. Although isoniazid was available, past experience of irregular supply discouraged TPT initiation. Providers pointed to insufficient TB-dedicated staff, speculated that patients discounted TB risk, and worried TPT pill burden and side effects depressed ART adherence.CONCLUSIONS: While screening was nearly universal, most eligible PLWH did not initiate TPT. Only about half of those who initiated completed treatment. Providers feared promoting drug resistance, harbored uncertainty about continued availability, and worried TPT could antagonize ART adherence. Our findings suggest urgent need for stakeholder engagement in TPT provision.


PURPOSE
Prior studies have suggested that patients with stage II/III colon cancer receive similar benefit from intravenous (IV) fluoropyrimidine adjuvant therapy regardless of age. Combination regimens and oral fluorouracil (FU) therapy are now standard. We examined the impact of age on colon cancer recurrence and mortality after adjuvant therapy with these newer options.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We analyzed 11,953 patients age < 70 and 2,575 age ≥ 70 years from seven adjuvant therapy trials comparing IV FU with oral fluoropyrimidines (capecitabine, uracil, or tegafur) or combinations of fluoropyrimidines with oxaliplatin or irinotecan in stage II/III colon cancer. End points were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and time to recurrence (TTR).

RESULTS
In three studies comparing oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with IV FU, statistically significant interactions were not observed between treatment arm and age (P interaction = .09 for DFS, .05 for OS, and .36 for TTR), although the stratified point estimates suggested limited benefit from the addition of oxaliplatin in elderly patients (DFS hazard ratio [HR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.78 to 1.13; OS HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.27). No significant interactions by age were detected with oral fluoropyrimidine therapy compared with IV FU; noninferiority was supported in both age populations.

CONCLUSION
Patients age ≥ 70 years seemed to experience reduced benefit from adding oxaliplatin to fluoropyrimidines in the adjuvant setting, although statistically, there was not a significant effect modification by age, whereas oral fluoropyrimidines retained their efficacy.


The unprecedented development, growth, and widespread pervasiveness of digital Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have coincided with ever-increasing levels of consumption and the climate emergency. Digital ICTs, once lauded for their potential to dematerialize society, are now imposing additional burdens on the planet. The widespread consumption of personal electronics continues to grow at an enormous rate, while recycling of the scarce rare-earth minerals that are crucial to their development is negligible. As digital technologies become ubiquitous, the need for additional energy to power our ever-increasing number of digital devices and services must also keep pace. Moreover, despite their public veneer as progressives, digital tech companies are collaborating with fossil fuel companies to render oil and gas extraction more profitable and with greater speed, fuelling climate breakdown. Online social platforms are also being misused as podiums for dis/misinformation and falsehoods counter to the scientific consensus of anthropogenic climate change, allowing the digital tech sector to abdicate any social responsibility and denying the dire consequences of inaction. This review article explores the growing consumption demands and the ecological threat from digitalization and the digital tech sector: demands that will only intensify with our insatiable appetite for digital tech services and products. Such a review aims to draw closer attention to some ways such technology can be used to assist ecological research and conservation, but also to expand upon our understanding of the negative environmental aspects of a relentless push toward a Digital Society. In uncritically accepting Big Tech's virtuous credentials, we are choosing to ignore the immense power and influence they have over our lives, and the ways they may be propelling our environment toward collapse.


In developing countries, malaria remains a disease that can spread easily and caused death. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by Plasmodium sp involving female anopheles masquitos during its transmission. Arcangelisia flava L. Merr has been investigated earlier that it can inhibited P. falciparum growth. Method of antimalarial activity based on inhibition of heme polymerization can confirm one of the mechanism of antimalarial drugs. The aim of this research to study further antimalarial activity and IC50 based on inhibition of heme polymerization and determine the chemical constituent from water extract of A. flava L. Merr. This research was conducted through several steps, namely 1) water extraction, 2) column chromatography (SiO2 ; (i) CH2Cl2-MeOH=10:1~1:1 (ii) n-hexane: EA=1:1; CH2Cl2-MeOH=10:1~1:1), 3) antimalarial assay, 4) identification of chemical constituent using FTIR and GC-MS. Results of this research are water extract of A. flava L. Merr has IC50 601 ppm and identification of chemical constituent using FTIR and GC-MS was assumed as stigmastan.


Quality assurance takes a huge effort during a software development project. Especially the generation of test cases and test data but also the execution, analysing the results and the maintenance consumes a lot of resources. Model-based testing tries to reduce the effort by automating several testing activities. In this paper, an approach for test case decomposition by means of system decomposition is introduced. The system's structure is described by composition structure diagrams, the systems behaviour by state charts. By transferring structural decomposition steps and use of the additional behavioural descriptions, existing test cases can be adapted to the refined system description automatically. Keywords–Model-Based-Testing, Test-Case-Decomposition, Sequence Diagram


VSMCs (vascular smooth muscle cells) dedifferentiate from the contractile to the synthetic phenotype in response to acute vascular diseases such as restenosis and chronic vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, and contribute to growth of the neointima. We demonstrated previously that balloon catheter injury of rat carotid arteries resulted in increased expression of CaMKII (Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase) IIδ(2) in the medial wall and the expanding neointima [House and Singer (2008) Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 28, 441-447]. These findings led us to hypothesize that increased expression of CaMKIIδ(2) is a positive mediator of synthetic VSMCs. HDAC (histone deacetylase) 4 and HDAC5 function as transcriptional co-repressors and are regulated in a CaMKII-dependent manner. In the present paper, we report that endogenous HDAC4 and HDAC5 in VSMCs are activated in a Ca(2+)- and CaMKIIδ(2)-dependent manner. We show further that AngII (angiotensin II)- and PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor)-dependent phosphorylation of HDAC4 and HDAC5 is reduced when CaMKIIδ(2) expression is suppressed or CaMKIIδ(2) activity is attenuated. The transcriptional activator MEF2 (myocyte-enhancer factor 2) is an important determinant of VSMC phenotype and is regulated in an HDAC-dependent manner. In the present paper, we report that stimulation of VSMCs with ionomycin or AngII potentiates MEF2's ability to bind DNA and increases the expression of established MEF2 target genes Nur77 (nuclear receptor 77) (NR4A1) and MCP1 (monocyte chemotactic protein 1) (CCL2). Suppression of CaMKIIδ(2) attenuates increased MEF2 DNA-binding activity and up-regulation of Nur77 and MCP1. Finally, we show that HDAC5 is regulated by HDAC4 in VSMCs. Suppression of HDAC4 expression and activity prevents AngII- and PDGF-dependent phosphorylation of HDAC5. Taken together, these results illustrate a mechanism by which CaMKIIδ(2) mediates MEF2-dependent gene transcription in VSMCs through regulation of HDAC4 and HDAC5.


A mixture of lymph node cells from CBA mice and spleen cells from C57Bl/6J mice stimulated by the cheep erythrocytes fro the first or second time was transplanted in the lethally irradiated mice (CBA X C57Bl/6j)Fl. The interaction of allogenic cells during the secondary immune response was accompanied by the complete inactivation of antibody producents. Under the ratio of interacting cell elements 1 : 1-1 : 2, 93-96% of precursor cells and 98% of antibody forming cells were inactivated. Under the ratio 1 : 5, the index of inactivation of precursor cells fell down to 35%. During the primary response, under the ratio 1 : 1, only 20-48% of precursor cells and 68% of antibody forming cells were inactivated. Under the ratio 1 : 2, no inactivation of precursor cells was observed and, under the ratio 1 : 10, the antibody formation was stimulated. Following the delayed by 1-3 days transplantation of CBA lymphocytes, the cooperative effect was registered with respect to the spleen cells from C57Bl/6J mice stimulated by the erythrocytes for the first time. The interaction of allogenic cells resulted in the 3-4-fold increase in the number of antibody forming cells.


The purpose of this study was to explore social participation using smart phones by the older population in Hong Kong. The present study was conducted from 10-June-2013 to 16-August-2013. It was a cross-sectional survey study, and data were collected from street interviews. Potential participants were approached and invited to respond to a questionnaire. The locations for collecting data were evenly distributed on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. The size of the samples for Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories were calculated based on their respective proportion of the Hong Kong population in 2011. The estimated time to complete the questionnaire was approximately 10 minutes. The questionnaire included questions on demographic data and the use of smart phones and their related features. A total of 982 participants were interviewed, 46% of whom were male and 54% female. The participants were divided into the following two groups: the young-old (age 50-69) and the old-old (age 70 or above). The mean age was 67.93±10.386. The findings showed that, in comparison with the young-old group (age 50 to 69), a smaller percentage of the old-old group (70 and over) used smart phones and mobile messaging applications to communicate with others. There were no differences in patterns with regard to the type and frequency of the mobile applications being used. However, a smaller percentage of the old-old group had installed the mobile app by themselves and introduced the mobile app to others. This study reveals the behavioral patterns of the young-old and the old-old groups in the use of mobile devices to communicate. The young-old and old-old groups exhibited the same patterns in terms of the types and frequency of the mobile apps used; however, a smaller percentage of the old-old group used mobile apps to communicate. Different educational programs on the importance of social support should be established, and the promotional strategies for these programs need to be tailored to older adults.


The primary restraint in crop production and food security worldwide is exposure of crop to stress conditions viz., abiotic and biotic which has driven the attention of scientists. Stress conditions induce changes in plant internal functions leads to reduction in plant growth and yield. The adverse economic losses due to abiotic stresses can be mitigated by application of chemicals such as anti-transpirants, nutrients and plant growth regulators, while the biotic stresses by application of pesticides and fungicides. Another way to resist stress conditions is adoption of modern breeding technologies and biotechnological strategies to produce climate resilient crops. Promotion of chemicals and biotechnology tools negatively impacts soil health, environment as well as socio-economic status of the farmer. Though the use of agro-chemicals is unavoidable in modern agriculture, indiscriminate use of chemicals would cause imbalance in environment and reduction in benefit to cost ratio (B: C) of farmer. In this context to make the crop production profitable, the review has outlined different economic considerations associated with biopriming mediation for stress moderation in different crop plants.


Beneath your skin there is an amazing hidden world of living cells. Millions and millions of cells work together, to make eveything that is you. But did you know that you started life as just one tiny cell? And did you know that everything that lives on Planet Earth is also made of these cells? The "Enjoy Your Cells" series offers children a simple but scientifically accurate commentary, complemented with colourful graphics to take young readers on an entertaining exploration of the amazing, hidden world of cells, proteins, and DNA. With these books, children should learn to enjoy their cells and current affairs at the same time, in addition to getting information that has been written and reviewed by working scientists.


This paper discusses the physics behind the operation of dual-mode bandpass filters from a field theoretical point of view. It is argued that the two degenerate modes of the empty dual-mode cavity, commonly taken as the vertical and horizontal polarizations, become nonphysical when coupling and tuning elements are inserted. Instead, the original degenerate modes are rotated, or modified in a complex way, to generate two new modes whose characteristics depend on the coupling and tuning elements. It is shown that the tuning elements, as placed in existing dual-mode filter designs, act as both tuning and coupling elements. A working dual-mode filter can be designed with only ldquotuningrdquo elements present. A physical representation of dual-mode filters in terms of the eigenresonances of the dual-mode cavities, with the tuning and coupling elements present, is introduced. Two fourth-order dual-mode rectangular cavity filters with the same response in the passband and its vicinity are also presented to demonstrate the similar role played by ldquotuningrdquo and coupling elements in dual-mode cavities. The first filter uses only ldquotuningrdquo elements, while the second is based only on ldquocouplingrdquo elements.


: Over a five year period, 184 patients were treated for acute renal failure. Uraemia was usually treated by peritoneal dialysis, and haemodialysis was reserved for post surgical and hypercatabolic patients. The overall mortality was 33.2% and was highest among surgical patients. These results were similar to previous reports. Peritoneal dialysis was usually effective in controlling uraemia. Uncontrolled sepsis remains a major problem, and septicaemia and gastrointestinal bleeding were adverse factors affecting the outcome. The combination of septicaemia and gastrointestinal bleeding commonly led to a fatal outcome.


At the height of the information society, in a society permeated by communication media, screens take a special relevance thanks to technological advances. Television continues undoubtedly to be the star of all screens, channeling global culture as it is influenced by large information businesses, which in turn are under the command of world economic and political powers. The big challenge for educators –parents, teachers, leaders and communicators– is to acquire enough strength, initially, to use the emotive and iconic power of the television for educational purposes. At the same time, we must put forward to those being educated –students and society in general– enough educational and didactic possibilities to convert the strength of television and its message into an essential vehicle or instrument for information searching, for appreciation of reality and as a door to research.


Introduction: Heart disease and stroke are the primary causes of death in adults with type-2 diabetes thus strict metabolic control is essential in these patients. Here, we show that tristetraprolin (TTP), a protein involved in regulation of inflammation and iron homeostasis via mRNA degradation, may alleviate diabetic phenotype through modulation of key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis and fatty acid (FA) metabolism in insulin-sensitive tissues. Results: TTP protein content was significantly reduced in livers of diabetic mice fed high-fat diet compared to control, suggesting that mRNA targets of TTP may be stabilized in diabetes. We then assessed the effects of TTP knockdown using siRNA in HepG2 liver cells on the expression of enzymes in four major metabolic pathways: glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, FA oxidation and synthesis. Consistent with reduced TTP, we found increased expression of a key gluconeogenic regulator - pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4). In silico analysis of the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of PDK4 revealed five putative TTP binding sites. Importantly, elevated PDK4 levels were previously reported in diabetic patients, and are thought to exacerbate the disease by increasing hepatic glucose output. Assessment of FA metabolism revealed increased levels of PPARα and two of its targets, carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1) and fatty acid translocase (FAT). Consistent with increased FA flux, triglyceride levels were elevated with TTP siRNA in hepatocytes. In silico analysis revealed multiple well-conserved putative TTP-binding sites in the 3'UTR of PPARα, consistent with regulation by TTP. We also observed significant upregulation of PPARα and its targets in HL-1 cardiac cell line, indicating an overlapping function for TTP in insulin-sensitive tissues. Notably, cardiac-specific overexpression of PPARα was previously shown to cause a phenotype resembling diabetic cardiomyopathy, further suggesting that reduction of TTP in diabetes may exacerbate this disease. Conclusions: Our studies show that TTP is downregulated in diabetic mouse livers, and knockdown of this protein in hepatic and cardiac cells increases the levels of key metabolic enzymes, PDK4 and PPARα, both of which are implicated in diabetes and heart disease.