The proportion female in the economics profession in the U.S. has been low historically compared with other disciplines. Although the percentage of Ph.D. degrees awarded to women and the representation of women on faculties have increased over time, economics still lags many other fields. Previous research has documented gender gaps in tenure, promotion and publication, some of which have narrowed over time. This study examines another aspect of women's representation within the economics profession: their participation in a session at the American Economic Association annual meeting. We examine the gender of participants on the program at the 1985-2010 meetings to determine how women's participation at this important venue has changed over the past 25 years. The results show that women's participation has increased over time, particularly since 2002. However, women appear to be underrepresented on the program relative to other measures of their representation in the profession.


The purpose of this study was to survey the seroprevalence of infection with the agents of production-limiting diseases in dairy cattle in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In 30 randomly selected herds per province, 30 cattle per herd were randomly selected and tested for antibodies to bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis), while 5 unvaccinated cattle over 6 months of age were tested for antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). For BLV, 20.8% (15.8% to 27.0%) of cows were positive, and 70.0% (60.3% to 79.7%) of herds had at least one positive cow. In BLV-positive herds, the average BLV prevalence was 30.9% (24.8% to 37.2%). For M. paratuberculosis, 2.6% (1.8% to 3.9%) of cows were positive, and 16.7% (8.8% to 24.5%) of herds had at least 2 M. paratuberculosis-positive cows. In M. paratuberculosis-positive herds, the average M. paratuberculosis prevalence was 8.5% (6.9% to 10.1%). For BVDV, 46.1% (35.5% to 56.7%) of herds had at least 1 BVDV-positive animal with a titer greater than or equal to 1:64.


Both politicians and citizens are increasingly embracing social media as a means to disseminate information and comment on various topics, particularly during significant political events, such as elections. Such commentary during elections is also of interest to social scientists and pollsters. To facilitate the study of social media during elections, there is a need to automatically identify posts that are topically related to those elections. However, current studies have focused on elections within English-speaking regions, and hence the resultant election content classifiers are only applicable for elections in countries where the predominant language is English. On the other hand, as social media is becoming more prevalent worldwide, there is an increasing need for election classifiers that can be generalised across different languages, without building a training dataset for each election. In this paper, based upon transfer learning, we study the development of effective and reusable election classifiers for use on social media across multiple languages. We combine transfer learning with different classifiers such as Support Vector Machines (SVM) and state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), which make use of word embedding representations for each social media post. We generalise the learned classifier models for cross-language classification by using a linear translation approach to map the word embedding vectors from one language into another. Experiments conducted over two election datasets in different languages show that without using any training data from the target language, linear translations outperform a classical transfer learning approach, namely Transfer Component Analysis (TCA), by 80% in recall and 25% in F1 measure.


Inferences about space use, activity and reproduction require an understanding of the behavioural processes that influence animal movements. Large volumes of movement data derived from GPS telemetry devices offer the opportunity to analyse animal behaviour on a very fine scale. GPS and satellite collars were fitted to female brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea) as part of a long-term monitoring study in southwestern Namibia. The date of parturition was determined by comparing changes in movement data and successful GPS positioning attempts. Distances moved on the day of parturition dropped to zero and frequent, unsuccessful GPS positioning attempts on the same day indicated locations in underground dens. Daily distances moved pre-partum, during parturition and post-partum differed significantly and reflected behavioural changes that can be monitored and used to draw inferences about the reproductive state of female brown hyaenas. The main predictors for den occupancy were the age of cubs, distance to closest food source and individual den. Mean occupancy over the entire denning period was 23 days, indicating that brown hyaenas readily move between dens, but individual breeding females showed den site fidelity. Therefore, GPS telemetry is a useful tool to accurately determine parturition in brown hyaenas to draw inferences about den occupancy.


There has been tremendous progress in observing oscillations in solar-type stars. In a few short years we have moved from ambiguous detections to firm measurements. We review the recent results, most of which have come from high-precision Doppler measurements. We also review briefly the results on giant and supergiant stars and the prospects for the future.


Research has shown that students have difficulties in understanding topographic maps and landforms associated with contour patterns and therefore have problems in reading and interpreting topographic maps and relating these 2-dimensional representa-tions to a real 3-dimensional environment. However, maps are a fundamental tool for understanding geographical concepts and solving geographical problems. Current research indicates that this is not uniquely a South African problem and various at-tempts have been made to address this problem such as the use of videos, models and fieldtrips – each with their own limita-tions and difficulties. Nevertheless, the ability to visualize in 3-dimensions from a 2-dimensional representation is an essential skill in understanding and interpreting topographical maps. To address the problem of 3-D visualisation, an augmented reality sandbox (AR-Sandbox) was introduced to a Geography classroom, to Grade 11 students at a Secondary school in Johannes-burg, South Africa. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using the AR-Sandbox to enhance the learning of – and improve the learner's performance – in mapwork, and thereby address the problems experienced with 3-D visualisation. The results of the pre-test and post-intervention test are presented and show that the AR-Sandbox is an effective tool for en-hancing an understanding of landscapes rather an improving performance in the construction of cross-sectional profiles.


VLF waves play a crucial role in the dynamics of radiation belts, and are responsible for the loss and the acceleration of energetic electrons. Modeling wave‐particle interactions requires the best possible knowledge for how wave energy and wave‐normal directions are distributed in L‐shells and for the magnetic latitudes of different magnetic activity conditions. In this work, we performed a statistical study for VLF emissions using a whistler frequency range for nine years (2001–2009) of Cluster measurements. We utilized data from the STAFF‐SA experiment, which spans the frequency range from 8.8 Hz to 3.56 kHz. We show that the wave energy distribution has two maxima around L ∼ 4.5 − 6 and L ∼ 2, and that wave‐normals are directed approximately along the magnetic field in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equator. The distribution changes with magnetic latitude, and so that at latitudes of ∼30°, wave‐normals become nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field. The observed angular distribution is significantly different from Gaussian and the width of the distribution increases with latitude. Since the resonance condition for wave‐particle interactions depends on the wave normal orientation, our results indicate that, due to the observed change in the wave‐normal direction with latitude, the most efficient particle diffusion due to wave‐particle interaction should occur in a limited region surrounding the geomagnetic equator.


X-ray computed tomography (XCT) systems are already well established in the field of non-destructive testing and material characterization, but they are currently not fully accepted in the field of dimensional metrology, since there is still a lack of international standards. Measurement results obtained without specifying the measurement uncertainty are incomplete for metrological applications. For this particular reason, the measurement uncertainty has been determined for a selected specimen from automotive industry, representing a typical measurement task for coordinate metrology by XCT. In addition, the influence of the system stability regarding axis stabili ty, focal spot drift and thermal stability has been analysed. The objective of this work was to estimate a task specific uncertainty for XCT measurements according to an approach described in the guideline VDI/VDE 2630-2.1. The feasibility of the recommended procedure has been evaluated in terms of repeatability and reproducibility conditions, leading to a measurement system analysis regarding accuracy and precision. In addition, the practicability of a fast uncertainty determination has been tested. The system stability is evaluated by a stationary ruby sphere mounted at the nonrotating part on the rotary stage and by a pair of steel wires mounted directly on the tube housing. Moreover the temperature in the measurement room and the temperature rise of the X-ray tube itself has been tracked through th e entire measurement time. Results for repeatability conditions show that the uncertainty in measurement is w ithin he sub-voxel region for all measures, with few exceptions. User influence could be minimized by def ining a systematic procedure for dimensional measurements with XCT systems leading to traceable measurement results. Furthermore, the correction of systematic errors by calibrated features has been investigated. Reference measurements have been done by a tactile coordinate measurement machine. This correction leads to remarkably better expanded uncertainties and subsequently to improved process suitability, since systematic errors are the main contributor for un c rrected measurement results of XCT.


Diphosphoinositol polyphosphates (PP-InsPs) are regulatory molecules that function at the interface of cell signaling and organismic homeostasis. We report the first synthesis of naturallyoccurring 5-PP-InsP4 and a new family of inositol polyphosphate analogues, and we studied their interactions with the PPIP5Ks that synthesize PP-InsPs. Through X-ray analysis of several analogues in crystal complexes with the catalytic domain of PPIP5K, together with biochemical assays and mutagenesis, we show that PPIP5Ks possess a surface-mounted, ligand-binding site adjacent to the catalytic pocket. We conclude that this site facilitates substrate capture from the bulk phase, prior to its transfer into the catalytic pocket; that transfer is described at an atomic level. By demonstrating that catalytic activity of PPIP5K is inhibited through binding of 2,5-diO-Bn-InsP4 to the substrate-capture site, we provide "proof-of-principle" of a new, specific target for drug discovery.


In small groups norm enforcement is provided by mutual punishment and reward. In large societies we have enforcement institutions. This paper shows how such institutions can emerge as a decentralized equilibrium. In a first stage, individuals invest in a public enforcement technology. This technology generates a sanctioning system whose effectiveness depends on the aggregate amount of invested resources. In a second stage, in which individuals contribute to the provision of a public good, the sanctioning system imposes penalties and rewards on deviations from the endogenous norm contribution. It is shown that even if group size goes to infinity public norm enforcement is supported in a noncooperative equilibrium. Psychological factors are not necessary but can be favorable for the emergence of effective public norm enforcement.


This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. COVID-19 has necessitated a rapid shift to teaching in virtual environments across the educational spectrum. In this respect, instructors previously unfamiliar, or under-familiar, with virtual teaching environments need to learn quickly and effectively how these environments work and how they can be used to successfully deliver courses, especially within health professions education contexts. These twelve tips provide insight on the practice of teaching in virtual environments, from course design, to student engagement, to assessment practices, to maximising the potential that technology can provide for both the instructor and the students. Moreover, these tips inform virtual pedagogical practices in the health professions for all levels of experience.


The Renaissance: Early Renaissance in Italy, The High Renaissance in Italy, Mannerism and other trends, Late Gothic Art and The Renaissance in the North.


This guide provides links to evidence-based, reputable sources of information on alternative therapies, herbs and dietary supplements, traditional medicine, mind body therapies and more


RecA proteins form a long stable filament on a single-stranded DNA and catalyze strand exchange reaction. The stability of RecA filament changes dramatically with pH, yet its detailed mechanism is not known. Here, using a single molecule assay, we determined the binding and dissociation rates of RecA monomers at the filament ends at various pH. The pH-induced rate changes were moderate but occurred in opposite directions for binding and dissociation, resulting in a substantial increase in filament stability in lower pH. The highly charged residues in C-terminal domain do not contribute to the pH dependent stability. The stability enhancement of RecA filament in low pH may help the cell to cope with acidic stress by fine-tuning of the binding and dissociation rates without losing the highly dynamic nature of the filament required for strand exchange.


In the context of an educational project concerning personal hygiene at school, an epidemiological investigation regarding circulation of Enterobius vermicularis was performed in a primary school in Perugia (Italy).A cellophane tape test was carried out among 97 pupils of 120 attending at the school (80.8%). Cellophane tape and specific explanations were previously provided to pupils and their parents.Thirteen pupils (13.4%) were positive for the presence of oxyurs' eggs, 12.2% among males (6/49) and 14.6% among females (7/49).This nematode was absent only in 1 out of 6 classes; in the remaining 5 positivity rates ranged between 5.3% and 25.0%. Investigation methodology and operating perspectives in connection with study results are shown and the importance of a continuous surveillance is emphasized in order to remind that enterobiasis has never disappeared.


Platelets are essential in maintaining hemostasis following inflammation or injury to the vasculature. Dysregulated platelet activity often results in thrombotic complications leading to myocardial infarction and stroke. Activation of the FcγRIIa receptor leads to immune-mediated thrombosis, which is often life threatening in patients undergoing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia or sepsis. Inhibiting FcγRIIa-mediated activation in platelets has been shown to limit thrombosis and is the principal target for prevention of immune-mediated platelet activation. In this study, we show for the first time that platelet 12(S)-lipoxygenase (12-LOX), a highly expressed oxylipin-producing enzyme in the human platelet, is an essential component of FcγRIIa-mediated thrombosis. Pharmacologic inhibition of 12-LOX in human platelets resulted in significant attenuation of FcγRIIa-mediated aggregation. Platelet 12-LOX was shown to be essential for FcγRIIa-induced phospholipase Cγ2 activity leading to activation of calcium mobilization, Rap1 and protein kinase C activation, and subsequent activation of the integrin αIIbβ3. Additionally, platelets from transgenic mice expressing human FcγRIIa but deficient in platelet 12-LOX, failed to form normal platelet aggregates and exhibited deficiencies in Rap1 and αIIbβ3 activation. These results support an essential role for 12-LOX in regulating FcγRIIa-mediated platelet function and identifies 12-LOX as a potential therapeutic target to limit immune-mediated thrombosis.


Monitoring delays in the Internet is essential to understand the network condition and ensure the good functioning of time-sensitive applications. Large-scale measurements of round-trip time (RTT) are promising data sources to gain better insights into Internet-wide delays. However, the lack of efficient methodology to model RTTs prevents researchers from leveraging the value of these datasets. In this work, we propose a log-normal mixture model to identify, characterize, and monitor spatial and temporal dynamics of RTTs. This data-driven approach provides a coarse grained view of numerous RTTs in the form of a graph, thus, it enables efficient and systematic analysis of Internet-wide measurements. Using this model, we analyze more than 13 years of RTTs from about 12 millions unique IP addresses in passively measured backbone traffic traces. We evaluate the proposed method by comparison with external data sets, and present examples where the proposed model highlights interesting delay fluctuations due to route changes or congestion. We also introduce an application based on the proposed model to identify hosts deviating from their typical RTTs fluctuations, and we envision various applications for this empirical model.


Speech as a natural and low-burden input modality has great potential to support personal data capture. However, little is known about how people use speech input, together with traditional touch input, to capture different types of data in self-tracking contexts. In this work, we designed and developed NoteWordy, a multimodal self-tracking application integrating touch and speech input, and deployed it in the context of productivity tracking for two weeks (N = 17). Our participants used the two input modalities differently, depending on the data type as well as personal preferences, error tolerance for speech recognition issues, and social surroundings. Additionally, we found speech input reduced participants' diary entry time and enhanced the data richness of the free-form text. Drawing from the findings, we discuss opportunities for supporting efficient personal data capture with multimodal input and implications for improving the user experience with natural language input to capture various self-tracking data.


The subcellular distribution of tetraspanin molecules and their functional relationship with integrins in cell-cell adhesion was studied in detail in different polarized epithelial cell models. CD9, CD81 and CD151 tetraspanins were localized at lateral cell-cell contact sites in a similar distribution to E-cadherin. Interestingly, CD9 was partially localized at the apical microvillae of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells forming multimolecular complexes distinct from those found on the basolateral membrane, suggesting the coexistence of differential tetraspanin webs with different subcellular localization. We found that tetraspanin-associated beta1 integrins at cell-to-cell contacts were in a low-affinity conformational state, and that their localization at intercellular contacts was independent of cadherin expression and adhesion. Furthermore, integrin-tetraspanin complexes were functionally relevant in cell-cell adhesion in a cadherin-independent manner, without requiring a conformational change of the integrin moiety. Nevertheless, the integrin alpha3beta1 was ligand-binding competent and this binding did not disrupt association to tetraspanins. Moreover, Chinese hamster ovary cells treated with anti-tetraspanin mAbs or activatory anti-beta1 integrin mAbs were able to develop tubule-like structures. Together, these data support tetraspanin association as a new regulatory mechanism of integrin function and suggest a role for tetraspanins-integrin complexes in providing the cell with the spatial cues necessary for their proper polarization.


The candidate tackled an important issue in contemporary management: the role of CSR and Sustainability.
The research proposal focused on a longitudinal and inductive research, directed to specify the evolution of CSR and contribute to the new institutional theory, in particular institutional work framework, and to the relation between institutions and discourse analysis.
The documental analysis covers all the evolution of CSR, focusing also on a number of important networks and associations. Some of the methodologies employed in the thesis have been employed as a consequence of data analysis, in a truly inductive research process.
The thesis is composed by two section. The first section mainly describes the research process and the analyses results. The candidates employed several research methods: a longitudinal content analysis of documents, a vocabulary research with statistical metrics as cluster analysis and factor analysis, a rhetorical analysis of justifications.
The second section puts in relation the analysis results with theoretical frameworks and contributions. The candidate confronted with several frameworks: Actor-Network-Theory, Institutional work and Boundary Work, Institutional Logic. Chapters are focused on different issues: a historical reconstruction of CSR; a reflection about symbolic adoption of recurrent labels; two case studies of Italian networks, in order to confront institutional and boundary works; a theoretical model of institutional change based on contradiction and institutional complexity; the application of the model to CSR and Sustainability, proposing Sustainability as a possible institutional logic.


A. S. TODD (Department of Pathology, The University of Dundee) It has been shown that the activator of plasminogen in tissue is concentrated in the endothelium of blood vessels, especially that of veins and venules (Todd, 1959). Recently, by modifying the time and temperature of incubation (4°C for 24 to 48 hours), the histological technique for identifying plasminogen activator ('fibrinolysis autography') has been improved enabling a greater range of activator concentrations to be detected within a single preparation. This modification has now been used in the study of thrombosis. It is found that the endothelium adjacent to thrombus in veins, pulmonary arteries, cardiac atria, and coronary arteries contains activator. In cases where the thrombus has been loosened, activator can be detected on the fibrin surface, and sometimes lines and foci of activator are found buried within the thrombus, apparently trapped after retraction and rethrombosis. A similar distribution of activator can be demonstrated in pulmonary emboli. Most of the coronary thrombi examined were rich in plasminogen activator. It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that plasminogen activator from endothelium in the venous and coronary circulation plays a major part in the loosening of thrombus and the detachment of emboli. The endothelium of thrombosed systemic arteries rarely shows fibrinolytic activity, although foci of activator are found deep within mural thrombi from heart chambers and great vessels, apparently related to leucocytes. The platelet-rich lines of Zahn appear to be resistant to plasmin digestion, thus accounting for their prominence in older thrombi. Coronary and intramyocardial arteries normally show activator in the endothelium, although at lower concentrations than that in veins of comparable size. The degree of fibrinolytic activity seems unrelated to the amount of intimal thickening. Renal arterioles and glomeruli are also active to about the same extent. Experiments with vessels from limbs subjected to ischaemia during amputation show that the arteries can develop activator concentrations equivalent to those found in veins. Thus, fibrinolytic activity in arteries may be controlled by stimuli of metabolic origin related to the efficiency of their blood supply.


Deep drawing processes are widely utilized in mechanical industries for producing several typologies of products ranging from computer industry to automotive components, from house products to furniture products. The goal of this study is to verify experimentally the warm deep drawing process assisted with hydraulic counter pressure as a suitable alternative to conventional deep drawing as a means for producing defect-free sheet metal parts. Using specific process parameters like blank holding pressure, blank diameter and temperature, wrinkle-free parts with deeper draws could be produced. An enhancement in LDR from 2.06 in conventional deep drawing to 2.16 in warm deep drawing with a lower blank holding pressure is achieved. The lower blank holding pressure leads to lesser thickness variation in the product this reducing the occurrence of fracture at the punch radius. The hydraulic counter pressure helps in reduction of wrinkles and enhancement of formability. The improvement in the LDR was observed around 200°C for warm deep drawing. This process reduces the forming restrictions of many materials, can produce complicated shapes and reduces the costs of material and die.


Plants cannot be separated from everyday human life, including in terms of meeting food needs. Interactions between humans and plants were studied in ethnobotany. This study aims to determine the types and parts of plants used in traditional cuisine Pecel in the village Sumbermulyo sub-district Jogoroto, Jombang, East Java. The methods used were interviews and direct observation. The interview method was conducted in a semi-structured manner with the respondents determined through purposive random sampling technique. Direct observation was carried out to identify the types and parts of plants used in traditional food Pecel based on the results of the interview. The data obtained were then analyzed descriptively. The results showed that there were 16 plants species used in traditional food Pecel in Sumbermulyo village. Various plants, among others Allium sativum, Capsicum anuum, Capsicum frutescens, Citrus hystrix, Vigna radiata, Vigna sinensis, Arachis hypogaea, Ipomoea reptans, Cocos nucifera, Ocimum sanctum, Cucumis sativus var krai, Cucumis sativus, Oryza sativa, Carica papaya, Musa sp., dan Sesbania grandiflora. Plant parts used were buds, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and bulbs.


The bayesTFR package for R provides a set of functions to produce probabilistic projections of the total fertility rates (TFR) for all countries, and is widely used, including as part of the basis for the UN's official population projections for all countries. Liu and Raftery (2020) extended the theoretical model by adding a layer that accounts for the past TFR estimation uncertainty. A major update of bayesTFR implements the new extension. Moreover, a new feature of producing annual TFR estimation and projections extends the existing functionality of estimating and projecting for five-year time periods. An additional autoregressive component has been developed in order to account for the larger autocorrelation in the annual version of the model. This article summarizes the updated model, describes the basic steps to generate probabilistic estimation and projections under different settings, compares performance, and provides instructions on how to summarize, visualize and diagnose the model results.


Innovation (in/eva/shen) n. 1. Something newly introduced; a new method or device. 2. An improved management technique that escalates a business's success. 3. The most effective and useful guide to making a business #1. Pfizer, DuPont, Rubbermaid, 3M, General Electric. These are some of the most successful companies in the world, and the reason can be summed up with one word: innovation. In this first book in our exciting new BusinessMasters series, the CEOs and chief officers of innovation at these firms reveal the secrets of how their companies made it to the pinnacle of success. Explaining how they maintain their strengths in such areas as invention, design and product research, they show readers how they too can create their own processes to sustain innovation and creativity within their company, illustrating their points with fascinating and entertaining anecdotes including DuPont's creation of the covered golf ball (the biggest innovation in the game in 35 years), GE's introduction of the screw-in fluorescent lamp and 3M's invention of the Wet-or-Dry sandpaper. Featuring an introduction by Tom Peters, the undisputed leader on the subject, "Innovation" brands the BusinessMasters series for immediate recognition.


In teaching learning process, the teachers might get some problems. Exactly the problems faced
by the teachers in understanding English are divided into: the linguistic problem and non-
linguistic problem. Linguistic problem is the factors which come from the language itself and
cause difficulties to people who study it. Meanwhile, non-linguistic problem is the problem that
influence the language learning
This study concerns with the non-linguistic problems faced by the teacher in EYL teaching
practice at English Department. The writer conducted this study because he wants to know the
teacher's non-linguistic problems in EYL teaching practice and the way to solve the problems.
In this study, the writer used descriptive research design. The objects of the study were 15
teachers who taught English in third and fourth grades, namely Fun Class. The instruments used
to collect the data were unstructured questionnaire and observation.
The purposes of this study were to find out the problems faced by the teachers and the ways to
solve the non-linguistic problems in EYL teaching practice at English Department.
The result of this study indicated that the problems covered non-linguistic problems. The non-
linguistic problems were from the sides of the teacher, students, time allocation and facilities.
The solutions of non-linguistic problems done by the teachers were: the teachers separate the
noise student, from: advising them, giving some games and songs, reading stories and giving
more attention individually. The teacher's solution were using interesting techniques in teaching
English to young learners. It was done to make the students were not getting bored.
Therefore, the teachers who teach in EYL teaching practice at English Department need a special
skill. Besides having sufficient English proficiency, he or she has to be attractive, helpful,
patient, welcome and more creative in selecting games in teaching learning process. So, the
teachers can handle the students in the classroom well.


Some annual Glycine accessions are intermediate between the standard phenotypes of Glycine max (L.) Merr. and Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc. and have been labeled semiwild. Few studies have examined both the genetic and phenotypic relationships among G. soja, G. max, and semiwild-types by combining morphological traits and DNA markers. The objectives of this research were to quantify genetic variation within G. soja, G. max, and semiwild accessions; to investigate the relationships among the G. soja, G. max, and semiwild accessions; and to examine the relationships among phenotypes on the basis of morphological traits and genotypes on the basis of DNA markers. Ninety-two semiwild, G. soja, and G. max accessions from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection were evaluated for 20 phenotypic traits and with 137 RAPD markers. Mahalanobis distances and a Jaccard genetic similarity matrix were calculated for phenotypic traits and DNA data, respectively. Nonhierarchical and hierarchical clustering as well as multidimensional scaling (MDS) were used to evaluate relationships among semiwild, G. soja, and G. max accessions. Principal component analysis was applied to identify the morphological traits that were most significant in separating the three groups. For the accessions examined, unique RAPD markers were found for each taxonomic type. Three clusters defined by either phenotypic or DNA data are highly consistent and strongly corresponded to G. soja, G. max, and semiwild classifications. On the basis of the analysis of RAPD data, G. soja accessions have the greatest genetic diversity and semiwild accessions the least. Glycine max and semiwild accessions are more closely related to each other than to G. soja accessions. These data will be useful in helping to define a core collection of annual Glycine.


Coupling losses in a waveguide-laser resonator are considered for an arbitrary waveguide mode. For a rectangular waveguide the coupling efficiency is shown to be expressed in terms of a onefold integral, which can be evaluated in a closed form for three practical cases of interest corresponding to plane-parallel, half-concentric, and semiconfocal geometries. The results are used to discuss the extent of mode discrimination as well as the choice of optimum parameters for a compact waveguide-resonator design. The case of a phase-conjugate mirror is also considered. When an effective finite mirror size is used, a phase-conjugate waveguide resonator is shown to be capable of transverse-mode discrimination while providing low coupling losses for the fundamental waveguide mode.


Partially premixed combustion is characterized by a variable equivalence ratio of the mixture in space and time, and where there are both lean and rich mixture zones. Thus the reaction evolves along with a turbulent mixture process, which modifies the composition of reactants and products. In this situation a so-called triple flame could be encountered, in which a rich and a lean premixed flame front as well as a diffusion flame are present. The diffusion flame develops behind the premixed flame front due to turbulent mixing in the hot combustion products. This kind of combustion could be found in Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engines when they are operated in the stratified charge mode. The model considered in this work assumes a simplified one-step irreversible chemical reaction in which fuel and oxidant react together instoichiometric proportions giving products with the composition corresponding to a complete combustion. A transport equation is solved for the oxidant and fuel, from which the amount of products and the combustion progress are computed, while the turbulence is modeled with RANS (Reynolds-Average Navier-Stokes). The reaction rate is assumed in the model as proportional to the product of the Flame Surface Density (FSD) by the local laminar flame speed. Aside from the state and composition of the mixture, the local laminar flame speed is afected by the turbulent mixing process. This mixing process is taken into account by means of the classical β-PDF (Probability Density Function), which is a function of the mixture fraction and its variance. A transport equation is solved for both, the mixture fraction and its variance, and the FSD is computed through a transport equation where several models are available for the source terms. The model is implemented in the open-source toolkit OpenFOAM (R). Computational results are obtained for partially premixed combustions inside constant-volume vessels with several initial configurations, which are compared with numerical results available in the literature.


We thank you for your careful consideration of our manuscript. We appreciate your response and overall positive initial feedback and made modifications to improve the manuscript. After carefully reviewing the comments made by the Reviewers, we have modified the manuscript to improve the presentation of our results and their discussion, therefore providing a complete context for the research that may be of interest to your readers.


The problem of reconstructing a tomographic image from fan-beam projections via shift-invariant filtering followed by back-projection (without rebinning the projection rays) has a solution for two well-known parameterization classes. These parameterizations are associated either with equidistant collinear detector cells or with equiangular fan rays. Here, the problem of finding all the tomographic fan-beam parameterizations that lead to image reconstruction via shift-invariant filtering (convolution) followed by backprojection is solved in generality, under a simple symmetry condition. Two new parameterization classes are found, that define new reconstruction algorithms and provide the mathematical framework describing new CT detector geometries. Numerical solutions are found for the differential equations characterizing the detector geometries. Application of the numerical approach also uncovers a new detector geometry associated with one of the two previously known parameterization classes. Also, by mapping the fan-beam parameterizations onto the familiar third-generation geometry, new variable resolution samplings of the field of view are obtained. Finally, the question of finding a shift-invariant filter decomposition for the fourth generation geometry is addressed.


This article addresses some of the challenges involved with creating a stereoscopic video augmented reality "X-ray vision" display for near-field applications, which enables presentation of computer-generated objects as if they lie behind a real object surface, while maintaining the ability to effectively perceive information that might be present on that surface. To achieve this, we propose a method in which patterns consisting of randomly distributed dots are overlaid onto the real surface prior to the rendering of a virtual object behind the real surface using stereoscopic disparity. It was hypothesized that, even though the virtual object is occluding the real object's surface, the addition of the random dot patterns should increase the strength of the binocular disparity cue, resulting in improved performance in localizing the virtual object behind the surface. In Phase I of the experiment reported here, the feasibility of the display principle was confirmed, and concurrently the effects of relative dot size and dot density on the presence and sensitivity of any perceptual bias in localizing the virtual object within the vicinity of a flat, real surface with a periodic texture were assessed. In Phase II, the effect of relative dot size and dot density on perceiving the impression of transparency of the same real surface while preserving detection of surface information was investigated. Results revealed an advantage of the proposed method in comparison with the "No Pattern" condition for the transparency ratings. Surface information preservation was also shown to decrease with increasing dot density and relative dot size.


We investigate the relation between nontrivial spatial concepts such as holes and string loops from a qualitative spatial reasoning perspective. In particular, we concentrate on a family of puzzles dealing with this kind of objects and explain how a loop formed in a string shows a similar behavior to a hole in an object, at least regarding the qualitative constraints it imposes on the solution of the puzzle. Unlike regular holes, however, we describe how string loops can be dynamically created and destroyed depending on the actions on the string. Furthermore, under a Knowledge Representation point of view, we provide a formalization that allows the different puzzle states to be described in terms of string crossings and loops, together with the actions that can be executed for a state transition and the complex effects they cause on the state representation. This implies the consideration of a formal representation of the side effects of actions that create or destroy string loops and the soundness of this representation with respect to the more general representation of string states in knot theory.


The innate immune response plays a key role as the primary host defense against invading pathogens including viruses. We have previously shown that treatment of human monocyte-derived macrophages with EBV-encoded dUTPase induces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines through the activation of NF-κB. However, the receptor responsible for EBV-encoded dUTPase-mediated biological effects is not known. In this study, we demonstrate that the purified EBV-encoded dUTPase activates NF-κB in a dose-dependent manner through TLR2 and requires the recruitment of the adaptor molecule MyD88 but not CD14. Furthermore, activation of NF-κB was abrogated by anti-TLR2, anti-EBV-encoded dUTPase blocking Abs and the overexpression of a dominant negative construct of MyD88 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing TLR2. In addition, treatment of human monocyte-derived macrophages with the anti-EBV-encoded dUTPase Ab 7D6 or the anti-TLR2 Ab blocked the production of IL-6 by the EBV-encoded dUTPase. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that a nonstructural protein encoded by EBV is a pathogen-associated molecular pattern and that it has immunomodulatory functions. Although additional studies are necessary to define the signaling pathways activated by the EBV-encoded dUTPase and to determine its role in modulating immune responses to EBV infection, our results suggest that the dUTPase could be a potential target for the development of novel therapeutic agents against infections caused by EBV.


Landscape architectonic compositions that draw on the underlying landscape structure can function as a carrier for changing programmes, cultures, processes, etc. Precisely such an explicitly spatial design is required to foster the inclusive city, one that is not only socially just but also sensitive to the environment while allowing for and evoking diverse social and natural processes. The objective of an 'inclusive city' is  often related to social issues, which might easily lead to the exclusion of ecological values; the opposite approach may prove equally exclusive. Inclusivity also means creating room for the unexpected. From a design point of view, this requires two underlying attitudes: a willingness to see any design assignment from different perspectives as well as a readiness to create sustainable, flexible and open designs.
These two attitudes are inherent to landscape architecture, which traditionally prioritizes the site over the programme, and—because of the long term, time-based condition of the landscape—is forced to think in open-ended designs. In this paper we discuss a selection of graduation projects of the landscape architecture track at the TU Delft in order to illustrate how inclusivity is inherent to a complete understanding of landscape architecture. Four essential perspectives on analysis and design—perception, palimpsest, process and scale continuum—are discussed in order to reveal their capacity to serve as a basis for designing inclusive urban landscapes.


Objectives: Water penetration and storage abilities make No-fine cement concrete unique as a pervious concrete, while using it in pavements to decrease flood risks. But still cement is the main part as a binder material, which contributes in global warming by having carbon dioxide emissions during cement production in plants. New researches have shown geo-polymer technology a good alternative material for concrete to omit cement and combat against the global warming which the world is concerned nowadays. No-fine geo-polymer concrete is the solution for both global warming and flood risks. Methods: This paper aims to find M20 grade eco-friendly no-fine geo-polymer concrete having ingredients of fly ash waste material, coarse aggregates, sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate and ground granulated blast furnace slag in different percentages to enhance its compressive strength by experimental various trials have ratio 1:4 to 1:8 of powder to aggregates. Findings: A ratio, 1:4 with 20% replacement of fly ash by ground granulated blasted furnace slag gave satisfactory compressive strength of 21.52 N/mm2 with 16632.85 mm/hour infiltration rate. Application/Improvements: Based on findings No-fines geo-polymer concrete can be used in low traffic pavements to combat against the flood risks and recharge ground water. Furthermore, research scholars are expected to use high morality of sodium hydroxide and lower size of aggregates which may increase the compressive strength of No-fines geo-polymer concrete.


ABSTRACT Submarine, fossiliferous conglomerates in the Upper Devonian Rushford Formation of the Canadaway Group crop out in Allegany County, western New York State. Characteristics of the conglomerates and an erosional disconformity at the base of the conglomerates suggest that the origin of the Rushford Formation conglomerates can be explained by the transgressive incised shoreface model of Bergman and Walker (1987). Evidence for the erosional disconformity separating the conglomerate from the underlying coarsening-upward sequence includes: (1) a sharp change in lithology, as evidenced by the fine-grained sandstone of the Rushford Formation overlain by a coarser unit that varies from a fossiliferous, quartz-pebble, coarse-grained quartzose arenite to a fossiliferous, quartz-pebble, quartzose paraconglomerate (hereafter referred to as "conglomerate"); (2) a sharp change in composition from feldspar-rich quartz sandstone below the disconformity to fossil-rich, feldspar- and mica-poor conglomerate above the disconformity; (3) a sharp change in average grain size from ~ 0.06 mm below the disconformity to ~ 0.2 mm above the disconformity. Trace fossils found at the contact between the fine-grained sandstone and the conglomerate indicate the presence of a Glossifungites firmground and a depositional hiatus. In the transgressive incised shoreface model, the erosional disconformity is formed during periods of stillstand in an overall transgression. The outcrop pattern of the conglomerates with respect to faults known to be active in the Late Devonian suggests that the erosion and emplacement of the lag may have developed as a result of interaction between local fault-block motion and a regional transgression. This relation between local faulting and the transgressive surface of erosion promotes a modification of Bergman and Walker's (1987) model for deposition of conglomerates during a stillstand induced by fault-block motion: a fault-influenced transgressive incised shoreface model.


OBJECTIVE
To compare use of lidocaine-bupivacaine-infused absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponges versus lidocaine-bupivacaine retrobulbar injections for postoperative analgesia in dogs following eye enucleation.

DESIGN
Randomized case-control study.

ANIMALS
19 dogs that underwent eye enucleation.

PROCEDURES
19 client-owned dogs admitted to a referral hospital for routine eye enucleation were enrolled with owner consent and randomly assigned to receive an orbital absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponge infused with lidocaine and bupivacaine after globe removal (n = 8) or retrobulbar injection of lidocaine and bupivacaine before globe removal (11). Baseline pain scores were recorded on the basis of an ordinal pain scale. Anesthetic premedication consisted of hydromorphone, midazolam, and glycopyrrolate. Propofol was used for anesthetic induction and isoflurane for maintenance. A transpalpebral eye enucleation was performed by a board-certified ophthalmologist. Pain scores and heart rate were again recorded 15 and 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after extubation by trained observers masked to treatment groups. Dogs were given hydromorphone as rescue analgesia if the total pain score was ≥ 9 of 18 or any categorical pain score was ≥ 3 (on a scale from 0 to 3 or 0 to 4).

RESULTS
There were significant differences over time for comfort level, response to touch, behavior, heart rate, and total pain score; however, there was no difference between treatment groups. One dog in the absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponge group required rescue hydromorphone 4 hours after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponge proved to be as effective in providing local analgesia for eye enucleation in dogs as the retrobulbar injections.


People's facial expressions, whether made consciously or subconsciously, continuously reveal their state of mind. This work proposes a method for predicting people's strategic decisions based on their facial expressions. We designed a new version of the centipede game that intorduces an incentive for the human participant to hide her facial expressions. We recorded on video participants who played several games of our centipede version, and concurrently logged their decisions throughout the games. The video snippet of the participants' faces prior to their decisions is represented as a fixed-size vector by estimating the covariance matrix of key facial points which change over time. This vector serves as input to a classifier that is trained to predict the participant's decision. We compare several training techniques, all of which are designed to work with the imbalanced decisions typically made by the players of the game. Furthermore, we investigate adaptation of the trained model to each player individually, while taking into account the player's facial expressions in the previous games. The results show that our method outperforms standard SVM as well as humans in predicting subjects' strategic decisions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to present a methodology for predicting people's strategic decisions when there is an incentive to hide facial expressions.


ABSTRACT Academic communities are increasingly involved in efforts to address the overwhelming burden of disease in low-middle income countries. There is, however, little research dedicated to understanding the best approach to creating a successful and sustainable global healthcare project. Our objective was to review the shared characteristics of successful healthcare partnerships between high- and low-middle income countries. Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic review. Articles, describing collaborative, healthcare partnerships between a high- and low-middle income countries between 1910 and September 2018, were included. Twenty-six articles were included. The majority of collaborations were initiated by either the host institution or as a joint decision between institutions. The primary goal of these collaborations revolved around medical education/training and curriculum development. Two partnerships, after more than a decade of collaboration, had achieved a self-sustaining programme. Lack of funding was identified as a major barrier to sustainability. Successful global healthcare partnerships require true collaboration and equal participation of all partners. Funding should be secured prior to programme development in anticipation of a minimum 10-year project. A minimum list of guidelines has been proposed to improve the chances of both a successful and sustainable collaboration.


Background: Globally, the unmet need for family planning remains high. The proportion of unmet needs for family planning (FP) in Indonesia was found to have declined but was still higher than the set target. In the last 5 years there have been significant development in Indonesia including infrastructure, the National Health Insurance Program and the increasing allocation of funds to all villages throughout Indonesia. This study aims to determine the factors associated with unmet needs for family planning in Indonesia.Methods: This study uses secondary data from the 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) that was carried out in 34 provinces in Indonesia. The number of the analyzed samples was 26,479 of the total 2017 IDHS sample of 35,681 women aged between 15-49 years. The dependent variable is the unmet need for FP, while the independent variables consist of four core variables namely individual, household, community and programmatic variables. Data analysis was performed with a binary logistic regression to obtain the adjusted odd ratio of each factor.Results: The proportion of unmet needs in this analysis was 14.3% (95%CI: 13.9-14.7%). Factors related to unmet needs are maternal age 25-34 years (AOR=1.17; 95%CI=1.01-1.36), 35-44 years (AOR=1.46; 95%CI=1.23-1.73), ≥45 years (AOR=2.20; 95%CI=1.81-2.68), age of last child ≥10 years (AOR=1.28; 95%CI=1.14-1.42), number of living children <2 (AOR=1.68; 95%CI=1.51-1.87), ideal number of children >2 (AOR=1.34; 95%CI=1.24-1.45), have >1 son (AOR=1.12; 95% CI=1.00-1.25), husband not working (AOR=1.90; 95%CI=1.45-2.49), lack of knowledge about family planning methods (AOR=1.36; 95%CI=1.19-1.55), higher wealth index (AOR=1.13; 95% CI=1.03-1.24), not discussing family planning with partners (AOR=1.11; 95%CI=1.02-1.20), low women's autonomy (AOR=1.13; 95%CI=1.04-1.24), living in urban area (AOR=1.26; 95%CI=1.17-1.37) and regions with TFR >2.4 (AOR=1.62; 95%CI=1.46-1.81).Conclusion: The proportion of unmet needs in Indonesia is still high and the dominant associated factor is the age of the mother ≥45 years. In order to decrease the FP unmet needs, the intervention programs should be targeted to groups of women who are at risk of experiencing such unmet needs.


This midterm report provides an overview of the research completed by the Creative Convergence team between 2017 and 2018. Mid-way through the project timeline, we have focussed largely on building relationships with the performing arts companies and their audiences of young people via discrete projects. This report provides these interim findings to all our project partners for review and reflection, in order to build upon them in the final phases of the project. It serves to consolidate what has, to date, been a wide-ranging, multi-modal research enquiry.


The present study is carried out to characterize the morphometry of Yamuna River basin using remote sensing and GIS techniques, covering parts of Agra, Firozabad and Etawah districts of Uttar Pradesh. The morphometric parameters were calculated and specialized through spatial analysis of GIS. The results of the morphometric parameters are the variables of linear, areal and relief aspects. The integrated analysis of the variables concludes that the basin is elongated in shape, having highly permeable rocks and suffered severe ravenous erosion. Hypsometric analysis shows that the basin is in mature to old stage of geomorphic development.


On page 2125, Quezada et al. find that big tumors might evade T cell destruction by shutting down adhesion molecules.

Figure 1

Boosting adhesion molecule expression in tumor blood vessels (red) allows more tumor-killing T cells (green) to gain access.

Tumor-fighting T cells work better when suppressive regulatory T (T reg) cells are not lurking. But treatments that either deplete T reg cells or boost anti-tumor T cell activity aren't enough to destroy tumors, as Quezada et al. now show.

As seen in other tumor models, skin tumors in mice were destroyed when the group depleted T reg cells before tumor implantation. But if they depleted T reg cells after tumors had already developed, the treatment failed, even if the animals were given T cell–boosting drugs. Plenty of potential tumor-killing T cells were available, but they did not seem to infiltrate the tumors.

Small tumors, at least, were sensitive to T cells. When T reg cell depletion was combined with T cell–boosting drugs, small, newly implanted tumors were destroyed. But well-established tumors resisted the effects of this regimen.

Established tumors, the group found, had fewer adhesion molecules on surrounding blood vessels. To determine whether these adhesives might help T cells invade bigger tumors, the group induced adhesion molecules in mice using irradiation. Zapped mice that were then injected with anti-tumor T cells along with activity-enhancing drugs fought off tumors. But irradiated mice that were also injected with T reg cells put up a weak fight. How tumors dial down adhesion molecules as they grow and whether T reg cells coerce them into doing so remain to be seen.

The findings might explain why treatments that deplete T reg cells and enhance killer T cell activity haven't fared well in clinical trials. Perhaps combining them with irradiation might make them more effective.


To what extent and in what ways does mobile capital affect the policy decisions of national governments, and under what conditions are governments willing to privilege (or to ignore) the preferences of asset holders who can credibly threaten exit? There is a long tradition of analyses based on the state's "structural dependence" on capital (both foreign and domestic), and on the "golden straightjacket" view of government-financial market relations. I discuss how we might understand the contemporary relationship between sovereign bond investors and governments, in terms of what "market pressures" are, when such pressures operate to affect government decisions, and when governments are willing to ignore investors' demands (assuming they exist). I suggest that "the market" may not have a unified sense of what it wants in terms of fiscal and regulatory policy; that low interest rate/high global liquidity environments offer governments greater policymaking flexibility; and that governments may use "market pressures" and "market rewards" as a veil for other drivers of policy. I also note that the investors/capital owners in question may not be foreign actors – as we often assume them to be – but rather domestic actors who, by virtue of their embeddedness in the national political system, have greater stakes regarding a given government's policy choices.


We report our studies on single-picosecond electrical pulse excitation and detection in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ (YBCO) transmission lines containing microbridges and grain-boundary Josephson junctions. The structures were patterned in YBCO films grown by laser ablation on MgO bicrystals and consisted of 20-/spl mu/m-wide coplanar lines, separated by a 20-/spl mu/m-wide gap. Each transmission line contained a 5-/spl mu/m-wide and 10-/spl mu/m-long microbridge and a 5-/spl mu/m-wide grain-boundary weak link, and was overlaid with 50 nm of Au to improve its high frequency properties. Using a Ti:sapphire laser, we excited the microbridge with 100-fs-wide 400-nm-wavelength optical pulses and studied response of our test structures, utilizing a cryogenic electro-optic sampling system. We directly observed 2.1-ps-wide pulses generated by YBCO microbridges, as well as the single-picosecond Josephson junction response. The junction response depended directly on the current bias and its polarity with respect to the excitation electrical pulse, and exhibited single-flux-quantum-like characteristics. Our test structures can be regarded as examples of all-YBCO ultrafast optoelectronic circuits.


In multicluster systems, and more generally in grids, jobs may require co‐allocation, that is, the simultaneous or coordinated access of single applications to resources of possibly multiple types in multiple locations managed by different resource managers. Co‐allocation presents new challenges to resource management in grids, such as locating sufficient resources in geographically distributed sites, allocating and managing resources in multiple, possibly heterogeneous sites for single applications, and coordinating the execution of single jobs at multiple sites. Moreover, as single jobs now may have to rely on multiple resource managers, co‐allocation introduces reliability problems. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a co‐allocating grid scheduler named KOALA that meets these co‐allocation challenges. In addition, we report on the results of an analysis of the performance in our multicluster testbed of the co‐allocation policies built into KOALA. We also include the results of a performance and reliability test of KOALA while our testbed was unstable. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The development of effective mutation breeding methods and techniques for the modification of radiation and chemical injuries in plants is of vital importance. The effectiveness of induced mutagenesis is growing; therefore, our investigations were focused on the effects of mutagens on the growth and development of mutant generations and the variability of economic signs in M 1 and M 2 sunflower generations under the influence of dimethyl sulfate (DMS) and γ-rays. The aim of our research was to expand the genetic variability of important agronomic traits in M 1 and M 2 sunflower; identification of valuable mutants with altered characteristics in the next generations. Thus, in M 3 of lines Kh201V and Kh06-135V, we selected short mutants (122 cm vs 139 cm in the control) with lemon coloration of petals and multi-leafed mutants (201 leaves vs 23 in the control) with a modified shape and size of calathidium.


Multipliers are usually deemed as a critical component in digital signal processor design since a large number of multiplications are required in DSP applications. Inexact (or approximate) computing is an attractive paradigm for digital processing at nano metric scales. Inexact computing is particularly interesting for computer arithmetic designs. This paper deals with the analysis and design of two new approximate 4-2 compressors for utilization in a multiplier. These designs rely on different features of compression, such that imprecision in computation can meet with respect to circuit-based figures of merit of a design. Four different schemes for utilizing the proposed approximate compressors are proposed and analyzed for a Dadda multiplier. Binary logarithms can be used to perform computer multiplication through simple addition. Exact logarithmic conversion is prohibitively expensive for use in general multipliers; however, inexpensive estimate conversions can be used to perform approximate multiplication. Such approximate multipliers have been used in domain-specific applications, but existing designs either offer superior efficiency or flexibility. The results show that the proposed designs accomplish significant reductions in power dissipation, delay and transistor count compared to an exact design.


Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are highly aggressive Schwann cell-derived sarcomas. MPNSTs are the leading cause of mortality in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), an autosomal dominant genetic disease. Current treatment modalities have been ineffective resulting in high recurrence (40–68%) and poor five year survival rate between 16–52% in these tumors. This necessitates the need for novel therapeutic options. The anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family have been reported to be over expressed in a variety of cancers and have been implicated in rendering cancer cells resistant to apoptosis. Gossypol, a naturally occurring phenolic compound, functions as a BH3 mimetic by occupying the BH3-binding groove of anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 family. Gossypol has been shown to induce cell death in prostate cancer, breast cancer, glioma and some hematological cancer cell lines. In this study, we assessed the effect of AT101 (gossypol) on MPNST cells. We observed that AT101 caused a dose and time dependent decrease in viability in MPNST cells which was not accompanied by an increase in caspase activation. AT101 also caused accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. Blocking the initiation of autophagy attenuated the cell death caused by AT101, while blocking apoptosis did not provide any protection. In summary, AT101 induces autophagic vacuole accumulation leading to cell death independent of caspase activation in MPNST cells. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms through which AT101 causes cell death in MPNSTs. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A34.


BACKGROUND
It is difficult to determine the effect of a residency program on the life of staff urologists. The objective of this study was to obtain subjective reports from urologists who have practiced before and after the implementation of a training program on how it affects their careers in 5 spheres: education, job-stress, free time, financial life and subjective quality of life.

METHODS
We asked urologists from McMaster University to complete a questionnaire to quantify how their current experiences have changed compared to the pre-residency program era on a balanced 7-point scale (4 = neutral).

RESULTS
The response rate was 100% (9/9). Eight of the 9 urologists (89%) reported they would implement the program again if they could rewind the clock. Eight of 9 reported their overall career-related quality of life improved, with an average rating of 5.1 on the 7-point scale. The quality of continuing education was the most positive ranking at 5.4 followed by job stress at 5.2. The outcomes measured below 4 (neutral) were earning potential at 3.8 and ability to engage in pastimes at 3.4. Earning potential was clustered tightly around neutral, with 7 of the 9 respondents reporting no change. The largest standard deviation, corresponding to the most disagreement, was in their ability to engage in pastimes.

CONCLUSION
Even with a mild decrease in earning potential and increased job stress, McMaster urologists feel their quality of life and continuing education have improved since the program's implementation; these urologists are almost uniformly happy they started a residency teaching program at their centre.


In this study, the chemical constituents and the in vitro anti-hyperglycemic potential of Malaysian Uncaria cordata var. ferruginea were studied. The phytochemical study of this plant led to the isolation often compounds comprising four different classes of natural products including three phenolic acids, two coumarins, three flavonoids, one terpene and one iridoid glycoside. All of the isolated compounds were elucidated as 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid), 3,4-dihdroxybenzoic acid, 2,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid, 7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin (scopoletin), 3,4-dihydroxy- 7-methoxycoumarin, quercetin, kaempferol, taxifolin, loganin and /3-sitosterol. They were isolated by applying various chromatographic techniques including vacuum liquid chromatography, column chromatography, preparative thin layer chromatography as well as recycling preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) while the structure elucidation of compounds were accomplished with the aid of one-dimensional (ID) and two-dimensional (2D) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectral data. Further characterization of these compounds were performed with the aid of various spectroscopic methods such as Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). In the evaluation of its in vitro antihyperglycemic potential, the crude extract, fractions and selected compounds were assayed for oglucosidase inhibitory activity. The crude methanolic stem extract of this plant exhibited high percentage of oglucosidase inhibition (87.7%), the acetone fraction exhibited strong inhibition (89.2%) while dichloromethane fraction demonstrated a moderate inhibition (75.3%) against oglucosidase enzyme at concentration of 1 mg/ml. The IC₅₀ values of both fractions were found to be much lower than the standard acarbose suggesting the presence of potential oglucosidase inhibitors. All selected compounds including 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, quercetin and loganin isolated from the acetone fraction were also assayed for oglucosidase inhibitory properties and their percentage inhibition against the enzyme measured at concentration of 1 mg/ml. 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid and quercetin showed strong inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase enzyme with IC₅₀ values of 549 |ig/ml (3.56 mM) and 556 ng/ml (1.84 mM), respectively, compared to the standard acarbose (IC₅₀ 580 μ/ml or 0.89 mM) whereas the iridoid glycoside loganin showed only weak oglucosidase inhibition (44.9%). Scopoletin, a major compound isolated from dichloromethane fraction also displayed a weak activity of oglucosidase inhibition (34.5%). In short, a total often chemical constituents were isolated from the stem and flower extracts of Malaysian Uncaria cordata var. ferruginea. Among them, three compounds were reported for the first time from the genus. This is also the first report on the non-alkaloidal constituents of the plant. Their in vitro anti-hyperglycemic potential have provided some scientific evidence on the traditional use of the plant for diabetes.


The present paper focuses by means of an experimental study, on the effect of a bearing fault on the stator current signatures in induction motors. The variation in the amplitude of the characteristic components is not so significant. For that and in order to depict the presence of the fault harmonic signatures, the authors used the phase analysis of Hilbert transform applied on the spectrum modulus of the line current.


A taxonomic revision of the genus Oxytropis DC. (Leguminosae) in Turkey is presented. According to the recent literature, the genus had 13 taxa in Turkey; however, at the end of our studies the number was reduced to 11. It was determined that Oxytropis engizekensis Duman & Vural is a synonym of O. persica Boiss., and O. fominii Grossh. is a synonym of O. argyroleuca Bornm. Red List categories of the taxa were re-evaluated according to our results based on IUCN Red List categories. The Red List categories of O. pallasii Pers. and O. pilosa (L.) DC., which are ascribed as DD in the Red Data Book of Turkish Plants, were collected and defined in new threat categories after this study. In addition, phytogeographical areas for O. pallasii, O. pilosa, O. albana Steven, and O. lazica Boiss. are suggested here.


About a half of the antierythrocyte autoantibody transgenic (autoAb Tg) mice, in which almost all B cells are detected in the spleen, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches, but not in the peritoneal cavity, suffer from autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The occurrence of this disease is strongly linked to production of autoAb by activated peritoneal B-1 cells in the Tg mice. In this study, we have shown that oral administration of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activated B-1 cells in the lamina propria of the gut as well as the peritoneal cavity in the healthy Tg mice and induced the autoimmune symptoms in all the Tg mice. The activation of peritoneal and lamina propria B-1 cells by enteric LPS is found not only in the anti-RBC autoAb Tg mice and normal mice but also in the aly mice which congenitally lack lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. These results suggest that B-1 cells in the two locations may form a common pool independent of Peyer's patches and lymph nodes, and can be activated by enteric thymus-independent antigens or polyclonal activators such as LPS. The induction of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in the Tg mice by enteric LPS through the activation of B-1 cells in the lamina propria of gut and in the peritoneal cavity suggests that B-1 cells and bacterial infection may play a pathogenic role in the onset of autoimmune diseases.


To the Editor:

We read with interest the recent article by Katrukha et al. concerning thrombin-mediated degradation of human cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in serum (1). In their study, Katrukha and coworkers confirmed the finding of Streng et al. that human coagulation factor II (thrombin) is a strong mediator of cTnT degradation (2). They compared cTnT degradation in serum and heparin plasma collected simultaneously from the same patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), revealing substantial differences in cTnT fragment composition. They also performed in vitro experiments in which troponin T, thrombin, and hirudin were supplemented in various combinations. In addition, the cleavage site in cTnT was localized by use of mass spectrometry and probing of different proteolytic fragments with the use of various antibodies. Their main conclusion was that the primary 29-kDa cTnT fragment was mainly formed because of thrombin activation during serum preparation.

We believe that the evidence for thrombin as one of the main proteases for cTnT degradation is convincing. However, we disagree with their final conclusion because there is published evidence suggesting …


A high-fat diet enhances the regenerative and tumor-forming activities of intestinal stem cells through a mechanism involving PPAR-δ. Obesity and high-fat diet (HFD) are linked to increased risk for developing colon cancer. Precancerous adenomatous lesions in the intestine can arise from intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and their pluripotent daughters, progenitor cells. Beyaz et al. found that, compared with mice fed a standard diet, mice fed a HFD had more ISCs and fewer Paneth cells, which constitute the ISC niche and control ISC proliferation. In vivo assays and experiments with intestinal crypt explants demonstrated that ISCs from HFD mice had an increased ability to support regeneration and the formation of intestinal organoids in culture, even when they were separated from Paneth cells. Mice genetically predisposed to become obese on standard chow did not exhibit these ISC phenotypes, suggesting that the composition of the HFD, not the resulting obesity, was responsible for the effects on ISCs. The addition of fatty acids that are present in the HFD to the culture medium enhanced the organoid-forming ability of ISCs isolated from control mice. ISCs from HFD mice had increased expression of transcriptional targets of the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR) family of nuclear receptors, the most abundant of which in ISCs is PPAR-δ. Treating mice with a PPAR-δ agonist recapitulated many of the ISC phenotypes induced by HFD, and PPAR-δ was required for fatty acids to stimulate ISC activity in organoids derived from control mice. Several lines of evidence suggested that ISCs from mice fed a HFD or treated with the PPAR-δ agonist had increased Wnt signaling, which promotes ISC proliferation. HFD mice had an increased incidence of spontaneous intestinal tumors compared to controls. Progenitor cells from PPAR-δ agonist–treated mice exhibited increased tumor-forming ability in organoid cultures and promoted the formation of adenomas when implanted into wild-type mice fed a standard diet. Thus, fatty acids present in a HFD can fundamentally change the activity of intestinal stem and progenitor cells, thereby increasing the likelihood of these cells to form tumors. Luo and Puigserver discuss how these findings may relate to gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases. S. Beyaz, M. D. Mana, J. Roper, D. Kedrin, A. Saadatpour, S.-J. Hong,
K. E. Bauer-Rowe, M. E. Xifaras, A. Akkad, E. Arias, L. Pinello, Y. Katz, S. Shinagare, M. Abu-Remaileh, M. M. Mihaylova, D. W. Lamming, R. Dogum, G. Guo, G. W. Bell, M. Selig, G. P. Nielsen, N. Gupta, C. R. Ferrone, V. Deshpande, G.-C. Yuan, S. H. Orkin, D. M. Sabatini, Ö. H. Yilmaz, High-fat diet enhances stemness and tumorigenicity of intestinal progenitors. Nature 531, 53–58 (2016). [PubMed] C. Luo, P. Puigserver, Dietary fat promotes intestinal dysregulation. Nature 531, 42–43 (2016). [PubMed]


178 p., PDF file of PowerPoint with images for use with the lecture. The lecture was delivered extemporaneously each time offered.


The management literature of the last decade has emphasized the strategic role of both organizational culture and quality of services. Culture has been developed by the organizations as a potential basis of a sustainable competitive advantage over their competitors through the quality of services. In the article there in overviewed how human resource management practices influence the service climate and culture of the service delivery systems that employees experience and in which they behave and how these, in turn, get reflected in the service quality delivered to customers. In article it is also presented how to use international quality management systems standards and principles of total quality management for developing organization culture.


Steady state operational characteristics of the 30 kW tank-in-pool type reactor named Ghana Research Reactor-1 were investigated after a successful on-site zero power critical experiments. The steadystate operational character-istics determined were the thermal neutron fluxes, maximum period of operation at nominal power and calibration curve for the central control rod. Using the gold-foil activation method, thermal fluxes of 5.0 x 1010, 5.0 x 1011 and 1.0 x 1012 ncm-2s-1 corresponding to the power levels of 1.5, 15 and 30 kW respectively were measured and the values used to calibrate the flux monitoring meter on the control console and to adjust the amplification factor for the micro-computer control system. The calibration factor of 1.09 for the control console and the amplification factor of 1.61 for the micro-computer control system were used to obtain a perfect agreement with the measured fluxes on the two independent systems. At the nominal power, the reactor operated continuously for 6.5 hours before the control rod attained its uppermost level of 230 mm. The integral calibration curve obtained theoretically followed a similar trend with measured values and the computed control rod worth of 7.1 x 10-3 Dk/k compared favourably with the measured value of 7.0 x 10-3 Dk/k. Journal of Applied Science and Technology (JAST) , Vol. 4, Nos. 1 & 2, 1999, pp. 15 – 23


Studies in management and organization scholarship prefer to focus on personnel who constitute the core in institutions having bilateral employee status, academicians in the case of our research. Yet, organizational issues pertaining to administrative employees, as support personnel, seem understudied in the literature. Thus, in this study, we focus on issues experienced by administrative employees in Turkish universities. We have employed leader-member exchange theory as theoretical background, and conducted a field research through a questionnaire form to test the model. Organizational cynicism, emotional burnout and leadership support constitute the main dimensions of the research theme. We argue that leadership support affects emotional burnout through organizational cynicism. Analysis shows that administrative support personnel in universities suffer from emotional burnout, mainly sourcing from organizational cynicism on which leadership support is highly influential. Thus superiors in bilateral institutions are expected to support administrative employees to eliminate cynicism, otherwise they are in danger of emotional burnout.


The article presents general information about etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical manifestations infections COVID-19. The features and factors affecting the prevalence of COVID-19 in European countries and in the Russian Federation are given. Mechanisms consideredinvasions of SARSCoV-2 and specific clinical manifestations of COVID-19 encountered in dental practice. Provides supporting facts about three different ways of spreading COVID-19 in dental practice, as well as data that allow making a conclusion and the possibility of infection through other routes. The features of the diagnosis of COVID-19 in dental practice, namely the factors that allow diagnostics in the early stages of the disease, are considered. Conclusions are drawn on the preventionand prospects of studying the spread of COVID-19 in dental


Homogeneous crystal lines were fabricated at the surface of 8Sm2O3.37Bi2O3.55B2O3 glass by irradiations of cw Nd: YAG laser (λ=1064 nm) with laser powers of 0.7-0.9 W and laser scanning speeds of 3-5 μm/s. It was confirmed from micro-Raman scattering spectra that the lines consist of nonlinear optical SmxBi1-xBO3 crystals showing second harmonic generations. The curved crystal lines with bending angles of 0∼90° were successfully written by just changing laser scanning directions. The light (λ=632.8 nm) transmission was confirmed for a crystal line (length: 850 μm) with two bending angles of ±30o, where significant light scattering losses were not observed at the bending points. We propose that the curved crystal lines written by YAG laser irradiations have a high potential for applications in optical waveguides.


This paper sets out to describe and graphically illustrate the amount of cognitive load generated during the simultaneous interpretation of structurally different languages based on theories developed and evidence gathered in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics. To that end, a German verb-final and verb-initial construction are analyzed and contrasted in terms of the load they cause to an inherently capacity-limited system when interpreted simultaneously into a verb-initial language like English. A series of analytical cognitive load models are introduced providing a detailed illustration of conjectured cognitive resource allocation during simultaneous interpreting of verb-final structures.


The strategy of growth factor delivery to specific sites for therapeutic applications has been considered an essential process in biomedical fields despite some obstacles, such as a non-controlled release with initial burst. This article focuses on particulate systems using heparin for the controlled delivery of heparin-binding growth factors (HBGFs), an emerging area in the tissue engineering field. Since heparin has been widely utilized for growth factor delivery due to its electrostatic nature and specific affinity with HBGFs, heparin-containing polymeric particulates can be utilized as functional carriers to deliver growth factors in a controlled manner. In particular, examples of the HBGF delivery systems containing heparin, perspectives and potential applications are described and discussed.


The objective of this work is to present the controller operation and mathematical analysis of the AC-link dc-dc converter, a parallel resonant converter, for which state plane trajectory control (SPTC) is proposed. The contribution is an autonomous control technique achieving the benefits of bidirectional power flow, soft switching, and converter switching at its natural resonant frequency as opposed to conventional forced control operations. The switching sequence is implemented using an autonomous state machine triggered by the voltage and current state variables of the resonant LC tank, transitioning between modes of operation strategically to achieve said benefits. By using state plane analysis techniques, the dynamics of the resonant tank can be seen visually, and the trajectories can serve as information to control the converter. All results were simulated in MATLAB/Simulink utilizing the PLECS blockset. In addition, an electrical characteristic study was performed in ANSYS Simplorer on the electrical components to measure the efficiency and thermal response of the semiconductor devices.


81

 BACKGROUND:
 Binswanger's disease (BD) is a progressive form of vascular dementia (VaD) of the elderly associated pathologically with demyelination and clinically with disturbances of gait and intellect. It is commonly found in patients with fibrinoid and hyaline changes in brain arterioles secondary to long-standing hypertension. Because of the remodeling seen in the blood vessel wall, and the role of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in extracellular matrix injury and repair, we hypothesized that disturbances in the MMPs may be involved in the BD type of VaD.
 METHODS:
 To test the hypothesis, brain tissues from five patients with VaD of the BD or multi-infarct type were immunostained with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a macrophage/microglial cell marker (PG-M1), gelatinase A (MMP-2), stromelysin-1 (MMP-3), and gelatinase B (MMP-9). Control tissues were from eight elderly patients: four with strokes without dementia, and four without neurological diseases.
 RESULTS:
 Macrophage/microglia (PG-M1)-positive cells appeared around infarcts both in cases with strokes without dementia, and in those with VaD. In two of the three BD patients PG-M1 cells were prominent near damaged arterioles and scattered diffusely in white matter. MMP-2 was seen normally in perivascular macrophages and astrocytic processes near blood vessels, and was present in patients with strokes in reactive astrocytes, particularly those with a gemistocytic shape. MMP-9 was seen only in acute lesions. MMP-3 was seen in PG-M1 staining microglia/macrophage cells around the acute infarctions. In BD MMP-3 persisted in tissue macrophages, disappearing in long-standing white matter gliosis.
 CONCLUSIONS:
 These observations suggest that MMPs participate in the demyelination associated with injured blood vessels in the BD form of VaD. Chronic inflammation, which may be amenable to treatment, may be a factor in the progressive forms of VaD.


In spite of considerable advances in Ocean Bottom System (OBS) acquisition, recorded data generally still lack consistency. Also, efficiency of deployment of in-water equipment remains relatively low. Certain methods, such as planted nodes do have the potential to deliver quality data, but deployment is costly and time consuming. More efficient methods, using cables do not provide optimal coupling. Recent developments in micro-electronics, sensors and batteries allow for prolonged data recording in small autonomous nodes. This clears the way for a new generation of smart surveying techniques enabling both efficiency and accuracy To illustrate the possibilities that may open up with next generations smart systems, the concept of a Self Coupling Autonomous Node (SCAN) is presented here. A SCAN unit is a slim device designed to free fall rapidly through the water column, then impact and penetrate the seabed. After penetration, the sensors are separated from the main unit to improve coupling. Dedicated navigation enables steering of the nodes to their desired positions. The smart nodes are recovered by means of floating bags, activated on remote command. It is estimated that efficiency and costs of future OBS surveying methods can be decreased significantly and arrive at standard marine surveying levels.


In numerous public speeches and essays published around the turn of the 20th century, the Danish intellectual Georg Brandes (1842–1927) criticized Germany's imperialistic behavior, in particular its oppressive treatment of the Danish minority in Slesvig-Holstein, as incompatible with true national greatness. In Brandes's view, many of the same traits and actions that bolstered Germany's national pride and international might violated human rights and compromised human dignity, thus diminishing Germany's moral and cultural stature. Grounded in the traditions of bourgeois liberalism, Brandes's brand of cosmopolitan nationalism privileges the "universal" conception of the nation as a civic union in which the rights of heterogeneous ethnic groups must be protected by the state to which they belong, regardless of that state's dominant linguistic and ethnic identity. His defense of oppressed minority groups against the economic and military might of German imperialism exemplifies his privileging of the universal over the national. (JKA)


Incisional hernia is the suture dehiscence of a full-thickness abdominal wall at the site of a surgical approach. It generally occurs within the first week after abdominal surgery; chronic incisional hernias are rare in small animals and can appear in weeks to months, rarely years after surgery. Few data is available about the incidence of acute and chronic incisional hernias in small  animals.  In humans, the incidence of acute and chronic hernias ranges from 5% to 20%, and in horses the rate is as high as 14% within the first 4 months after surgery. Most incisional hernias originate from technical errors made by the surgeon during abdominal wall closure. Simple incisional hernias can be repaired surgically on an outpatient basis. Unstable patients  with significant comorbidities require  stabilization before surgical repair and should be repaired as soon as possible. Wounds are generally left unbandaged and monitored for postoperative complications.


To each finitely presented module $M$ over a commutative ring $R$ one can associate an $R$-ideal $\mathrm{Fitt}_{R}(M)$, which is called the (zeroth) Fitting ideal of $M$ over $R$. This is of interest because it is always contained in the $R$-annihilator $\mathrm{Ann}_{R}(M)$ of $M$, but is often much easier to compute. This notion has recently been generalised to that of so-called `Fitting invariants' over certain noncommutative rings; the present author considered the case in which $R$ is an $\mathfrak{o}$-order $\Lambda$ in a finite dimensional separable algebra, where $\mathfrak{o}$ is an integrally closed commutative noetherian complete local domain. This article is a survey of known results and open problems in this context. In particular, we investigate the behaviour of Fitting invariants under direct sums. In the appendix, we present a new approach to Fitting invariants via Morita equivalence.


A methodology for estimating, under field conditions, the microbial die-away constant (lambda) is presented. This constant may be used in predicting the aerosolized pathogenic microorganism concentrations downwind from a wastewater spray or aeration site by means of modified atmospheric diffusion equations. The mean lambda of Escherichia coli for very early morning runs was 8.8 X 10(-3)s-1, and that for afternoon runs was 6.6 X 10(-2)s-1.


Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3,4,5-triphosphate and antagonizes PI 3-kinase. Insulin acts in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) to not only suppress food intake and weight gain but also improve glucose metabolism via PI 3-kinase activation. Thus, the blocking of hypothalamic PTEN is a potential target for treating obesity as well as diabetes. However, genetic modification of PTEN in specific neuronal populations in the MBH yielded complex results, and no postnatal intervention for hypothalamic PTEN has been reported yet. To elucidate how postnatal modification of hypothalamic PTEN influences food intake as well as glucose metabolism, we bidirectionally altered PTEN activity in the MBH of rats by adenoviral gene delivery. Inhibition of MBH PTEN activity reduced food intake and weight gain, whereas constitutive activation of PTEN tended to induce the opposite effects. Interestingly, the effects of MBH PTEN intervention on food intake and body weight were blunted by high-fat feeding. However, MBH PTEN blockade improved hepatic insulin sensitivity even under high-fat-fed conditions. On the other hand, constitutive activation of MBH PTEN induced hepatic insulin resistance. Hepatic Akt phosphorylation and the G6Pase expression level were modulated bidirectionally by MBH PTEN intervention. These results demonstrate that PTEN in the MBH regulates hepatic insulin sensitivity independently of the effects on food intake and weight gain. Therefore, hypothalamic PTEN is a promising target for treating insulin resistance even in states of overnutrition.


Since their origins in the 14th century, injunctions have, by design, coerced landowners to resolve land disputes that respect their neighbours' private interests in land, in favour of imposing punitive damages that allow nuisances to continue. The presumption following the Victorian era and the 'good working rule' in Shelfer consistently favours injunctions over damages as a rule, despite some perceptions that injunctive relief was harsh on the defendant and the wider public in its interest in the defendant's use of land. In the face of criticisms, injunctive relief in land disputes has driven technological innovations that have benefited the public interest. A quantitative investigation into the seminal cases and beyond reveals the flexibility of the discretionary remedy that is sympathetic to the essence of private nuisance, that requires reciprocity between landowners and their competing private interests in land. It is against this backdrop that this chapter addresses recent developments in case law and Law Commission's proposals with respect to light. It is suggested that the Shelfer principles have survived Supreme Court scrutiny in Coventry v Lawrence regardless of uncertainties arising concerning awarding damages in lieu of an injunction. Ostensibly, as previous and subsequent cases have demonstrated, it is unlikely for the presumption to be reversed in favour of damages - being ordinarily an adequate remedy for private nuisance - or for injunctive relief to be decided, in the absence of statutory reform, by anything other than judicial sagacity on case-to-case basis.


The effect of rising atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide [CO(2)] on the reproductive development of soybean (Glycine max. Merr) has not been evaluated under open-air field conditions. Soybeans grown under Free-Air CO(2) Enrichment (FACE) exhibit warmer canopies due to decreased latent heat loss because of decreased stomatal conductance. According to development models based on accumulated thermal time, or growing degree days ( degrees Cd), increased canopy temperature should accelerate development. The SoyFACE research facility (Champaign, Illinois, USA) was used to test the hypothesis that development is accelerated in soybean when grown in [CO(2)] elevated to 548 micromol mol(-1). Canopy temperature was measured continuously with infrared thermometry, and used in turn to calculate GDD. Opposite to expectation, elevated [CO(2)], while increasing canopy temperature, delayed reproductive development by up to 3 days (P <0.05). Soybean grown in elevated [CO(2)] required approximately 49 degrees Cd more GDD (P <0.05) to complete full bloom stage (R2) and approximately 52 degrees Cd more GDD (P <0.05) to complete the beginning seed (R5) stage, but needed approximately 46 degrees Cd fewer GDD (P <0.05) to complete seed filling (R6). Soybeans grown in elevated [CO(2)] produced significantly more nodes (P <0.01) on the main stem than those grown under current [CO(2)]. This may explain the delay in completion of reproductive development and final maturation of the crop under elevated [CO(2)]. These results show a direct effect of rising [CO(2)] on plant development that will affect both projections of grain supply and may be significant to other species including those in natural communities.


The study investigated the anti-tumor activity of hexane and chloroform extract of Acanthospermum hispidum DC against Dalton's ascites lymphoma in mice. The extracts were prepared by successive extraction with hexane and chloroform and evaporated in vacuum to dry. (Yield: Hexane2.9% w/w, chloroform-1.72% w/w). The extracts were suspended in water with tween 20 and used for the study. Hexane extract (50 mg/kg p.o) and chloroform extract (300 mg/kg p.o) was administered to tumor bearing mice (DAL) and examined for changes in dead cell count, histopathology of tumor cells, haematological parameters and median survival time (MST) and the results compared with that of tumor control or 5-FU. The findings reveal that both hexane and chloroform extracts possess anti-tumor activity. In order to ensure the standards of the extract, finger printing of the extracts in the crude form is done using HPTLC technique, using hexane and benzene as solvent system and the peaks obtained is recorded. Thus it is suggested that Acanthospermum hispidum DC appears promising for the development of phyto-medicine for the treatment of cancer.  2008 Trade Science Inc. INDIA


High-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has recently shown promise as a screening tool for detecting discriminatory peptide/protein patterns. The major computational obstacle in finding such patterns is the large number of mass/charge peaks (features, biomarkers, data points) in a spectrum. To tackle this problem, we have developed methods for data preprocessing and biomarker selection. The preprocessing consists of binning, baseline correction, and normalization. An algorithm, extended Markov blanket, is developed for biomarker detection, which combines redundant feature removal and discriminant feature selection. The biomarker selection couples with support vector machine to achieve sample prediction from high-resolution proteomic profiles. Our algorithm is applied to recurrent ovarian cancer study that contains platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant samples after treatment. Experiments show that the proposed method performs better than other feature selection algorithms. In particular, our algorithm yields good performance in terms of both sensitivity and specificity as compared to other methods.