Nearly a billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water, two billion have inadequate sanitation facilities, three billion use biomass for their daily energy needs and nearly half the world's population live in rural isolation, lacking access to the most basic human services. Combined, these limitations are a leading cause of the perpetuating cycle of poverty and political insecurity. Meanwhile, the majority of international development agencies are responsible for self-reporting project outcomes. At best, expert spot-checks are conducted in the field occasionally. These results tend to show individual project success, while meta-surveys indicate on-going challenges in the sector. This disconnect may be addressed through independent data monitoring technologies that provide objective data on system performance and use and can be used to demonstrate success and identify project weaknesses. By demonstrating which technologies and programs are truly successful, these successes can be targeted for scaling, through savings realized by eliminating unsuccessful approaches. This will benefit developing communities by providing proven and accountable programs. The Sustainable Water, Energy and Environmental Technologies Laboratory, the SWEETLab™, at Portland State University is working with partners to demonstrate this concept across several applications and countries. The SWEETSense™ technology can provide objective, qualitative and continuous operational data on the usage and performance of programs across a range of sectors and communities. The data is then directly integrated into SWEETData™, an internet database presenting summary statistics on performance and usage of the monitored technologies to front-end users. The SWEETLab™ is currently demonstrating this concept in water, sanitation, household energy and rural infrastructure programs with diverse partners including Mercy Corps, the Lemelson Foundation, Bridges to Prosperity, Manna Energy Limited and Vestergaard Frandsen, in several countries including Indonesia, Haiti, Guatemala and Rwanda. Remote monitoring systems are an innovative method to ensure the success of appropriate technology projects. Rather than infrequent engagement, remote monitoring systems ensure that community partnerships are maintained through continuous monitoring. This approach seeks to raise the quality and accountability of these projects internationally.


During a long-term mycological investigation of Juniperus communities in north-western Europe by the first author, a small Entoloma species was found, which did not seem to fit with one of the known species of Entoloma with a brownish pileus and bluish stipe, because of the small, almost isodiametrical spores and clamped basidia. The only species which seemed to be related was Entoloma lampropus in the sense of Kuhner & Romagnesi (1953). That species however, turned out to be clearly different in a number of characters such as size and shape of spores and structure and pigmentation of the pileipellis (see Noordeloos, 1982). Therefore the collections of this apparently new species were examined by the second author in the course of a critical revision of Entoloma subgen. Leptonia in Europe. He also came to the conclusion that this nice small Entoloma from Juniperus heaths had not been described before, and therefore it is described here as new.


SIR,-Mr Richard Peto and Sir Richard Doll (23 July, p 259) reject "over-slavish adherence to rigid criteria of statistical significance" and are prepared to accept that some statistically significant associations are the artefacts of chance and that some non-significant positive associations are genuine. This is a correct and wholly justifiable use of probability statistics, as Dr G Silverman points out (23 July, p 259), but it must be recognised that it introduces a far from negligible element of subjective judgment into the interpretation of observed results. If, as has from time to time been apparent, the same principle has been adhered to throughout the presentation of the case for an association between smoking and lung cancer, as well as other diseases, then what we are asked to accept is not the objective fact that the figures show such an association, though they certainly suggest the possibility, but that Sir Richard Doll, for example, as a result of his studies, believes that such an association exists-a subjective opinion. For myself, I find the latter assertion carries much greater conviction than the former, though it naturally falls short of certainty. I believe the conspicuous failure of the campaign against smoking is related to a consistent overstatement of the case; for a strong argument is least in need of, and is most vulnerable to harm from, tendentious fallacies that can be recognised not only by those who have studied the evidence but almost instinctively by the ill-informed. I have lost count of the number of smokers who have asked, "What do they want me to die of instead?," and the claim, for example, that each lung cancer victim will cost the country many thousand pounds is at once contrasted with the expense of long-continued geriatric care if all such hazards are avoided. People are not so easily frightened as ASH supposes, and they resent moral bullying. It seems likely that, in time, a causative link between smoking and disease other than a statistical one will be established. Meanwhile may I quote an adaptation I made some years ago of a comment by A E Housman on another topic? Probability statistics are of use for guidance, support, and restraint. They serve as leading-strings for infants, crutches for cripples, and strait-waistcoats for maniacs. W H ST JOHN-BROOKS South Heath, Bucks


Practices pertaining to visual representation in an Afrikaans home language textbook series after apartheid On 14 February 2016, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, announced that a task team should investigate stereotyping and inequality pertaining to representational practices in school textbooks. The researched field of textbooks in Afrikaans was prominent during the heyday of apartheid, when authors such as Esterhuyse (1986), Webb (1992) and Du Plessis and Du Plessis (1987) showcased the ludicrousness of overt stereotypical representations in (specifically) Afrikaans textbooks. Because of this research, publishers on the eve of a new dispensation were alerted to the impetus of change and intervention in representational practices in textbooks. The importance of identifying stereotyping and inequality in school textbooks has again been brought to the foreground by the minister's recent call for investigating prejudice and inequality in South African textbooks. However, since democracy dawned on South Africa, not many studies have been conducted that explore the extent to which transitional publications have addressed these myths of the past. This article reports on such a study that was carried out in 2009 on an OBE textbook series published between 1997 and 2005. As a transitional publication between apartheid and democratisation, this series intentionally addressed the misrepresentations, generalisations and exclusions from the past. Cognisance of the findings of this research is imperative for future research, as it presents a basis for comparison in similar studies. The contextualisation and the literature study probe the responsibility of textbook writers in the construction of socio-political paradigms within the deeper power balance of the hidden curriculum. Issues in the literature on textbook representation, such as overt attempts to help create a new cultural reality, new mutations and manifestations of ethnocentrism and prejudice as well as confronting sensitive issues to counter stereotypical representations, are described in the literature study. Through the theoretical lens master symbols from the apartheid era as criteria by which to measure the representations in the textbook series. These master symbols were derived from an influential study when 53 South African textbooks were analysed by Du Preez (1986) to establish 12 master symbols in textbooks of different subjects. Two master symbols were chosen to inform the conceptual framework, namely (i) white people are superior and black people are inferior; and (ii) white Afrikaners have a special relationship with God. These two symbols were chosen because of their relation to white dominance and the Christian national education system during the apartheid era. A thematic analysis of the visual material was employed as the research method. The units of analysis consisted of all visual examples where people of colour were represented in an Afrikaans Home Language textbook series. Textual elucidation of the visual material, such as captions and questions, or assignments relating to the visual material, was also considered. The analysis tries to identify ways in which the visual material confirms or contradicts set stereotypical beliefs from the past. Are there still power relations underpinning these visual LitNet Akademies Jaargang 14, Nommer 1, 2017, ISSN 1995-5928 237 representations and are different cultural perspectives presented? Do shared values and similarities rather than differences inform representations? Do the apartheid fallacies about Afrikaans still serve as a lens and filter to make meaning of a new dispensation? Is ethnocentric material still evident? Can all learners identify with the visual representations in the textbook series? Based on the assumption that textbooks serve as a mirror of the social and political order, the purpose of this qualitative study is to determine the extent to which an Afrikaans language textbook series fosters cultural stereotyping. The findings are presented as indicators derived from the thematic analysis of the visual representation in the textbooks. Traces of the myth that Afrikaans is a white man's language and signs of apartheid master symbols could not be found in the textbooks. Standard Afrikaans was no longer the undisputed norm and demythologisation of the history of Afrikaans freed the language of its previous apartheid enclaves. Visual texts, as well as the assignments and information contextualising the visual material, can without a doubt be classified as counter-symbols that facilitate the claims of the development of a tangible "new South Africa". However, because of their highly politicised past, the Afrikaans textbooks intentionally over-emphasise a utopian "new South Africa" where race and difference are non-issues. The three main themes that emerged from the data set were: (i) attempts to offer all learners the chance to identify with the visual material in the textbooks; (ii) attempts to include rather than exclude all speakers of Afrikaans; and (iii) to present the vision of constantly working towards nation building. Inculcation of positive, new and binding values were found throughout the data set. Identifiable language variation representations were artistically applied to enable all learners to participate with empathy towards a future inclusive South African vision. The extensive use of role models from the whole race spectrum, nonexclusive names, addresses, and places in South Africa, identifiable illustrations and authentic examples of regional languages such as Griqua and Northern Cape Afrikaans all added to the claim of counter-stereotypical representations in this transitional publication. No exclusivity pertaining to Afrikaans was detected; instead, nation-building was facilitated by the intentional construction of "we" as referring to all South Africans. Exercises and assignments linked to the visual material tend to focus on similarities between people from different origins, rather than differences. In this regard, emotion as a human characteristic was powerfully portrayed to encompass differences between people from different origins. In the data set diversity is also presented as a normal, everyday phenomenon, rather than a problem that has to be dealt with. Furthermore, the article asks the question whether moral and political pressure on textbook prescribing committees in South Africa has perhaps led to intentional (although perhaps cosmetic) attempts to disregard any form of unequal representational practices in Afrikaans textbooks. It can be concluded that this transitional series untangled and dispersed attitudes and perceptions that had been fossilised for many years and can serve as a barometer for further research now being called for after a decade of democracy.


The Ron receptor is overexpressed in human breast cancers and is associated with heightened metastasis and poor survival. Ron overexpression in the mammary epithelium of mice is sufficient to induce aggressive mammary tumors with a high degree of metastasis. Despite the well-documented role of Ron in breast cancer, few studies have examined the necessity of the endogenous Ron ligand, hepatocyte growth factor-like protein (HGFL) in mammary tumorigenesis. Herein, mammary tumor growth and metastasis were examined in mice overexpressing Ron in the mammary epithelium with or without HGFL. HGFL ablation decreased oncogenic Ron activation and delayed mammary tumor initiation. HGFL was important for tumor cell proliferation and survival. HGFL loss resulted in increased numbers of macrophages and T-cells within the tumor. T-cell proliferation and cytotoxicity dramatically increased in HGFL deficient mice. Biochemical analysis of HGFL proficient tumors showed increased local HGFL production, with HGFL loss decreasing β-catenin expression and NF-κB activation. Re-expression of HGFL in HGFL deficient tumor cells stimulated cell migration and invasion with coordinate activation of NF-κB and reduced apoptosis. Together, these results demonstrate critical in vivo functions for HGFL in promoting breast tumorigenesis and suggest that targeting HGFL may inhibit tumor growth and reactivate anti-tumor immune responses.


In the period 1986-1990, 16,307 patients were injured in road traffic accidents in the city of Odense, Denmark. 251 had multiple injuries according to the definition: AIS > or = 3 in at least two body regions. Overall mortality was 41%, while the mortality in hospital was 20%. 19 patients died within the first 24 hours after admission mainly due to brain damage, while 18 patients died later than 24 hours mainly from complications. These patients also had a higher average age (55 years) than the rest (34 years). The median Injury Sverity Score (ISS) was 26 for the whole series, and 19 for survivors. Median ISS was 59 for patients who were dead on arrival, whereafter it fell to 43 for patients who died within the first 24 hours after admission, with a further decrease to 29 for patients who died after 24 hours. 50% of all serious injuries were located in the thorax, 27% in the brain and 22% in the abdomen. The litterature on the subject is reviewed. Language: da


Due to its sound theoretical basis and practical efficiency, masking has become the most prominent countermeasure to protect cryptographic implementations against physical side-channel attacks (SCAs). The core idea of masking is to randomly split every sensitive intermediate variable during computation into at least t+1 shares, where t denotes the maximum number of shares that are allowed to be observed by an adversary without learning any sensitive information. In other words, it is assumed that the adversary is bounded either by the possessed number of probes (e.g., microprobe needles) or by the order of statistical analyses while conducting higher-order SCA attacks (e.g., differential power analysis). Such bounded models are employed to prove the SCA security of the corresponding implementations. Consequently, it is believed that given a sufficiently large number of shares, the vast majority of known SCA attacks are mitigated.In this work, we present a novel laser-assisted SCA technique, called Laser Logic State Imaging (LLSI), which offers an unlimited number of contactless probes, and therefore, violates the probing security model assumption. This technique enables us to take snapshots of hardware implementations, i.e., extract the logical state of all registers at any arbitrary clock cycle with a single measurement. To validate this, we mount our attack on masked AES hardware implementations and practically demonstrate the extraction of the full-length key in two different scenarios. First, we assume that the location of the registers (key and/or state) is known, and hence, their content can be directly read by a single snapshot. Second, we consider an implementation with unknown register locations, where we make use of multiple snapshots and a SAT solver to reveal the secrets.


Biological contamination of membranes is an unavoidable problem in membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. In addition, biofouling caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) has become a critical issue not only for environmental health but also for the operation of membrane processes. This paper highlights the potential applications of lytic phage therapy on a modified nanocomposite membrane (polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)–sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO)) to control bacterial fouling on membranes and ARB in MBRs. An antibiotic resistant bacterium (E2) and a respective phage (P2) were isolated from municipal wastewater and used in a MBR system as a membrane foulant and antifoulant, respectively. The isolated bacteria were screened further for antibiotic susceptibility and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. E2 was found to be resistant to various concentrations of ampicillin, cefotaxime, vancomycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The phage treatment efficiency was examined by membrane flux. In the nanocomposite membrane, the E2 + P2 suspension showed a much higher flux (125 L m−2 h−1) than the E2 suspension (60 L m−2 h−1). Up to 57% higher flux was observed in the phage treatment, suggesting that the lytic phage prevented bacterial multiplication and biofilm formation. The multiplicity of infection (MOI) was examined to determine the optimal number of phages required to kill the bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the bacterial infection and biofouling reduction due to the phage treatment. The modified nanocomposite membrane was aimed at protein fouling reduction (pore blocking resistance) and lytic phage addition was aimed at bacterial fouling reduction (cake layer resistance). The different types of fouling resistance of the membrane were estimated to distinguish between phage treatment and modified membrane efficiency. Based on the results of fouling resistance and SEM, the phage could reduce the membrane cake layer resistance and the modification of the membrane reduced the pore blocking resistance. The synergistic combination of phage treatment and the modified membrane reduced both types of biofouling. A separate cleaning system was installed and examined to avoid disturbing the normal MBR process (killing of bacteria in the feed solution by the phages).


In deciding on an operative course in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, there should be a full review of the progress of the disease from the beginning and a particularly careful study of the rapidity and character of the changes that have occurred during the last two or three months. Treatment by pneumothorax will probably have been instituted and its result should be known. In addition to this clinical picture, a roentgenologic series is necessary. With all the data in mind, the type of operation or combination of operations may be selected from some kind of thoracoplasty, phrenic nerve avulsion, pneumonolysis or a direct procedure on the lung. The favorite practice at the present time is to perform paravertebral thoracoplasty as elaborated by Sauerbruch, the details of which it is not necessary to review. This operation may be performed in one stage or in a series of stages, according to the


Genetic disease resistance is widely assumed, and occasionally proven, to cause host yield or fitness penalties due to inappropriate activation of defence response mechanisms or diversion of resources to surplus preformed defences. The study of resistance gene trade-offs has so far been restricted to biotrophic pathogens. In some Pleosporales necrotrophic interactions, quantitative resistance is positively associated with insensitivity to effectors. Host lines that differ in sensitivity can easily be identified amongst current cultivars and advanced breeding lines. Large wheat cultivar trials were used to test whether lines sensitive or insensitive to three necrotrophic effectors from Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and Parastagonospora nodorum differed in yield when subjected to natural disease and stress pressures in the West Australian wheat belt. There was no significant yield penalty associated with insensitivity to the fungal effectors ToxA, SnTox1 and SnTox3. Some yield gains were associated with insensitivity and some of these gains could be attributed to increased disease resistance. It is concluded that insensitivity to these effectors does not render such plants more vul-nerable to any relevant biotic or abiotic stress present in these trials. These results suggest that the elimination of sensitivity alleles for necrotrophic effectors is a safe and facile strategy for improving disease resistance whilst maintaining or improving other desirable traits. , Pyrenophora , septoria nodorum blotch, tan spot disease, yellow spot, yield trade-off to necrosis (3, 4) in different cultivars. All sensitive cultivars undergo necrosis in response to ToxA.


Measurements of sensitivity of the digital blood vessels to infused norepinephrine were made in 4 patients with Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal cortical tumor or hyperplasia and 13 patients treated with ACS or ACTH. These were compared with similar measurements made in 15 untreated normotensive subjects. Norepinephrine sensitivity was increased in Cushing's syndrome and in patients treated with ACS and ACTH despite the absence of significant hypertension in the latter group. The evidence suggests that ACTH indirectly and ACS directly may inhibit those chemical substances present in the walls of blood vessels which are responsible for inactivating norepinephrine.

Submitted on March 3, 1958


This study investigates the levels of psychomotor activity during mania and attempts to assess the effects of lithium carbonate and clinical change on activity levels. Activity data were collected continuously by means of a telemetric mobility-sensing system. The study was divided into three sections: the monitoring of three manic patients during a pretreatment base line period; the study of six bipolar patients before and during lithium carbonate treatment: and the intensive longitudinal investigation of a manic patient over a five-month period. Results indicate that both the quantity and patterning of manic activity were substantially different from other diagnostic groups previously studied. Activity levels do not appear to be affected by the use of lithium carbonate, unless associated with clinical change.


The term microbiome describes the genetic material encoding the various microbial populations that inhabit our body. Whilst colonisation of various body niches (e.g. the gut) by dynamic communities of microorganisms is now universally accepted, the existence of microbial populations in other "classically sterile" locations, including the blood, is a relatively new concept. The presence of bacteria-specific DNA in the blood has been reported in the literature for some time, yet the true origin of this is still the subject of much deliberation. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of a "blood microbiome" by providing a comprehensive description of bacterially-derived nucleic acids using a range of complementary molecular and classical microbiological techniques. For this purpose we utilised a set of plasma samples from healthy subjects (n = 5) and asthmatic subjects (n = 5). DNA-level analyses involved the amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. RNA-level analyses were based upon the de novo assembly of unmapped mRNA reads and subsequent taxonomic identification. Molecular studies were complemented by viability data from classical aerobic and anaerobic microbial culture experiments. At the phylum level, the blood microbiome was predominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The key phyla detected were consistent irrespective of molecular method (DNA vs RNA), and consistent with the results of other published studies. In silico comparison of our data with that of the Human Microbiome Project revealed that members of the blood microbiome were most likely to have originated from the oral or skin communities. To our surprise, aerobic and anaerobic cultures were positive in eight of out the ten donor samples investigated, and we reflect upon their source. Our data provide further evidence of a core blood microbiome, and provide insight into the potential source of the bacterial DNA / RNA detected in the blood. Further, data reveal the importance of robust experimental procedures, and identify areas for future consideration.


AIM
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a community-based group exercise program on physical functioning among elderly people.

METHODS
This prospective observational study enrolled 494 persons aged 70-84 years who volunteered for the study and completed a baseline measurement in 2006 and were re-evaluated 1 year later in 2007. The exercise regimen consisted of resistance training and recreational exercise for 1.5 hours conducted twice a month. Physical functioning was evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire consisting of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG-IC) and Motor Fitness Scale (MFS). Decline in physical functioning was defined as a reduction in either TMIG-IC or MFS scores of more than 2 points deviation from the median change of each score.

RESULTS
TMIG-IC and MFS results were obtained from 494 and 392 eligible subjects, respectively. After 1 year, 68 subjects (TMIG-IC) and 88 subjects (MFS) reported a decline in physical functioning. After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratio of reduced physical functioning, as assessed by the TMIG-IC among the subjects who did not participate in the exercise group and those who did, were 1.00 (control) and 0.15 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.75). Similar results were obtained when assessed on the MFS.

CONCLUSION
These results suggest that participation in a community-based exercise group of elderly people was effective in maintaining self-reported physical function.


China's transformation has been patiently, methodically and very deliberately constructed by a leadership group that has equally carefully protected its monopoly on power. Today's China is proceeding with great seriousness and determination to become a first-rank state with a balanced portfolio of power and no major vulnerabilities. China takes itself very seriously and is inviting the world to overlook the formidable hard power assets it is determined to acquire in favour of simply enjoying the fruits of its market and trusting in the sincerity of its rhetoric on being determined to become a benign and peaceful new-age major power.


Seasonal variation of pCO2 and primary and bacterioplankton production were measured in the Gulf of Bothnia during an annual cycle. Surface water was supersaturated with CO2 on an annual basis, indicating net heterotrophy and a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. However, the Gulf of Bothnia oscillated between being a sink and a source of CO2 over the studied period, largely decided by temporal variation in bacterial respiration (BR) and primary production (PP) in the water column above the pycnocline. The calculated annual respiration‐production balance (BR‐PP) was very similar to the estimated CO2 emission from the Gulf of Bothnia, which indicates that these processes were major determinants of the exchange of CO2 between water and atmosphere. The southern basin (the Bothnian Sea) had a lower net release of CO2 to the atmosphere than the northern Bothnian Bay (7.1 and 9.7 mmol C m−2 d−1, respectively), due to higher primary production, which to a larger extent balanced respiration in this basin.


The static criterion that the amplitude of the principal peak of the liquid structure factor has a constant value along the freezing line and the onset of freezing are studied from the structure factors and the static dielectric functions of halide salts interacting via the effective pair potentials through the hypernetted-chain approximation. It is observed that the criterion above is restricted to the effective charge difference. The critical value of plasma parameter at freezing is affected by the mobility and number concentration of anions and cations. The distribution of the value of the static dielectric function closest to the wave number axis in the negative region is also determined by the charge difference and the ordering of ions and related to the onset of freezing.


The genetic structure of 10 goat breeds from four countries of the Middle East and Horn of Africa was investigated at 17 microsatellite loci. The average allele number and richness were 9.65 and 5.78, respectively. The mean expected heterozygosity per population was 0.703, 0.715, 0.719, 0.699, 0.749, 0.719, 0.731, 0.721, 0.719, and 0.730 for Somali from Somalia, Tohami, Bishi, Jabali, Ardi, and Saudi Damascus from Saudi Arabia, Black Bedouin, Sahrawi, and Jordanian Damascus from Jordan, and Syrian Damascus from Syria. The low level of genetic differentiation across large topographic features was expressed by pairwise difference coefficient (FST = 0.001-0.135). The goats were assigned to four genetic pools, indicating the occurrence of gene flow within a potential genetic exchange network. The genetic exchange possibly occurred in the past when the ancient trade routes - Incense and Pilgrimage Routes - were active in these countries. Despite the distances far by thousands of kilometers or separated by the boundaries, Saudi goats kept a reasonable level of admixture, indicating common ancestry. These results are in agreement with a known history of the goat populations in regards to geographical location and evolutionary time of past common ancestors. Further study is recommended considering goats from other Middle East countries.


Lysine decarboxylase (LDC) is a crucial enzyme for acid stress resistance and is also utilized for the biosynthesis of cadaverine, a promising building block for bio-based polyamides. We determined the crystal structure of LDC from Selenomonas ruminantium (SrLDC). SrLDC functions as a dimer and each monomer consists of two distinct domains; a PLP-binding barrel domain and a sheet domain. We also determined the structure of SrLDC in complex with PLP and cadaverine and elucidated the binding mode of cofactor and substrate. Interestingly, compared with the apo-form of SrLDC, the SrLDC in complex with PLP and cadaverine showed a remarkable structural change at the PLP binding site. The PLP binding site of SrLDC contains the highly flexible loops with high b-factors and showed an open-closed conformational change upon the binding of PLP. In fact, SrLDC showed no LDC activity without PLP supplement, and we suggest that highly flexible PLP binding site results in low PLP affinity of SrLDC. In addition, other structurally homologous enzymes also contain the flexible PLP binding site, which indicates that high flexibility at the PLP binding site and low PLP affinity seems to be a common feature of these enzyme family.


LncRNAs comprise a heterogeneous class of RNA-encoding genes typified by low expression, nuclear enrichment, high tissue-specificity and functional diversity, but the vast majority remain uncharacterized. Here, we assembled the mouse liver non-coding transcriptome from >2,000 bulk RNA-seq samples and discovered 48,261 liver-expressed lncRNAs, a majority novel. Using these lncRNAs as a single cell transcriptomic reference set, we elucidated lncRNA dysregulation in mouse models of high fat diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis. Trajectory inference analysis revealed lncRNA zonation patterns across the liver lobule in each major liver cell population. Perturbations in lncRNA expression and zonation were common in several disease-associated liver cell types, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-associated macrophages, a hallmark of fatty liver disease progression, and collagen-producing myofibroblasts, a central feature of liver fibrosis. Single cell-based gene regulatory network analysis using bigSCale2 linked individual lncRNAs to specific biological pathways, and network-essential regulatory lncRNAs with disease-associated functions were identified by their high network centrality metrics. For a subset of these lncRNAs, promoter sequences of the network-defined lncRNA target genes were significantly enriched for IncRNA triplex formation, providing independent mechanistic support for the lncRNA-target genes linkages predicted by the gene regulatory networks. These findings elucidate liver lncRNA cell-type specificities, spatial zonation patterns, associated regulatory networks and temporal patterns of dysregulation during hepatic disease progression. A subset of the liver disease-associated regulatory lncRNAs identified have human orthologs and are promising candidates for biomarkers and therapeutic targets.


: Investigations were done on 111 children of epileptic mothers who used anticonvulsants in 93 pregnancies and none in 18 pregnancies. Hydantoinbarbiturate embryopathy was found in 7.1% after hydantoin monotherapy, in 17.6% after combination of hydantoin and barbiturates or primidone. No embryopathy was seen in children of untreated epileptic mothers. Children of untreated and treated epileptic mothers had an approximately equal frequency of marked single malformations and cerebral damage without dysmorphia. However, malformation and cerebral damage without dysmorphia was found significantly more frequently in children of mothers on anticonvulsant drugs with convulsions during pregnancy as compared to children of mothers without convulsions. Single manifestations and cerebral damage without dysmorphia are probably not caused by anticonvulsants but by convulsions during pregnancy.


This paper describes data collection efforts conducted as part of the RedDots project which is dedicated to the study of speaker recognition under conditions where test utterances are of short duration and of variable phonetic content. At the current stage, we focus on English speakers, both native and non-native, recruited worldwide. This is made possible through the use of a recording front-end consisting of an application running on mobile devices communicating with a centralized web server at the back-end. Speech recordings are collected by having speakers read text prompts displayed on the screen of the mobile devices. We aim to collect a large number of sessions from each speaker over a long time span, typically one session per week over a one year period. The corpus is expected to include rich inter-speaker and intra-speaker variations, both intrinsic and extrinsic (that is, due to recording channel and acoustic environment).


We report on novel type of responsive double hydrophilic block copolymer (DHBC)-based multifunctional chemosensors to Hg(2+) ions, pH, and temperatures and investigate the effects of thermo-induced micellization on the detection sensitivity. Well-defined DHBCs bearing rhodamine B-based Hg(2+)-reactive moieties (RhBHA) in the thermo-responsive block, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-RhBHA) (PEO-b-P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA)), were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Nonfluorescent RhBHA moieties are subjected to selective ring-opening reaction upon addition of Hg(2+) ions or lowering solution pH, producing highly fluorescent acyclic species. Thus, at room temperature PEO-b-P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA) DHBCs can serve as water-soluble multifunctional and efficient fluorescent chemosensors to Hg(2+) ions and pH. Upon heating above the lower critical solution temperature (approximately 36 degrees C) of the PNIPAM block, they self-assemble into micelles possessing P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA) cores and well-solvated PEO coronas, which were fully characterized by dynamic and static laser light scattering. It was found that the detection sensitivity to Hg(2+) ions and pH could be dramatically improved at elevated temperatures due to fluorescence enhancement of RhBHA residues in the acyclic form, which were embedded within hydrophobic cores of thermo-induced micellar aggregates. This work represents a proof-of-concept example of responsive DHBC-based multifunctional fluorescent chemosensors for the highly efficient detection of Hg(2+) ions, pH, and temperatures with tunable detection sensitivity. Compared to reaction-based small molecule Hg(2+) probes in previous literature reports, the integration of stimuli-responsive block copolymers with well-developed small molecule-based selective sensing moieties in the current study are expected to exhibit preferred advantages including enhanced detection sensitivity, water dispersibility, biocompatibility, facile incorporation into devices, and the ability of further functionalization for targeted imaging and detection.


Urinary stone disease is a very common disease whose prevalence is still increasing. Stone formation is frequently associated with other diseases of affluence such as hypertension, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. The increasing concentration of lithogenic solutes along the different segments of the nephron involves supersaturation conditions leading to the formation, growth, and aggregation of crystals. Crystalline aggregates can grow free in the tubular lumen or coated on the wall of the renal tubule. Plugs of crystalline material have been highlighted in the tubular lumen in some patients, but crystalline growth starting from plaques of calcium phosphate within the renal papillae has been demonstrated in others. Urinary supersaturation is the result of a complex interaction between predisposing genetic features and environmental factors. Dietary intake is certainly the most important environmental risk factor. In particular, an insufficient intake of dietary calcium (<600 mg/day) can increase the intestinal absorption of oxalate and the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation. Other possible risk factors that have been identified include excessive intake of salt and proteins. The potential role of dietary acid load seems to play an important role in causing a state of subclinical chronic acidosis; therefore, the intake of vegetables is encouraged in stone-forming patients. Consumption of sugar-sweetened soda and punch is associated with a higher risk of stone formation, whereas consumption of coffee, tea, beer, wine, and orange juice is associated with a lower risk. A high fluid intake is widely recognized as the cornerstone of prevention of all forms of stones. The effectiveness of protein and salt restriction has been evaluated in some studies that still do not allow definitive conclusions to be made. Calcium stone formation can be prevented by the use of different drugs with different mechanisms of action (thiazide diuretics, allopurinol, and potassium citrate), but there is no ideal drug that is both risk free and well tolerated.


Drinking water quality is considered to be of vital importance for all human beings and animals but its significance is much more heightened when consumer is a teenager. In view of foregone, groundwater quality assessment of 150 public schools situated in flooded areas of Southern Punjab, Pakistan, was carried out. Analysis results revealed that 49 and 37 % water samples are contaminated with coliform and faecal coliforms, respectively. On the other hand chemicals constituents in samples, including calcium (43 %), magnesium (11 %), potassium (37 %), sodium (31 %), sulphate (39 %), hardness (31 %), total dissolved solids (TDS) (35 %) and chloride (15 %) were higher than World Health Organization (WHO) limits. The situation is more serious as fluoride, iron and arsenic were also found in high concentration in 15, 60 and 58 % samples, respectively. Health risk assessment data indicated that mean chronic daily intake (CDI) values for children and adults were 0.592 and 0.537 μg/kg/day for arsenic and 0.012 and 0.011 μg/kg/day for iron, respectively. Calculated arsenic health risk index (HRI) > 1 for 88 and 58 % water samples for children and adults respectively, which highlights possible health risks associated with intake of contaminated water.


: The dependence of dose modifying factor after the consecutive thermoradiation actions on dose rate and dose of ionizing radiation as well as on temperature and duration of its application was studied for yeast cells. The results obtained were described and interpreted by means of the mathematical model of synergism in accordance with which the synergism is expected to result from the additional lethal damage arising from the interaction of sublesions induced by both agents.


The interleukin-6 (IL-6) contents in the blood serum and in bile from the gallbladder was studied in 25 patients with uncomplicated cholelithic disease and with that, complicated by chronic biliary pancreatitis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done in all the patients. In uncomplicated cholelithic disease IL-6 was not revealed in the blood serum and in majority of observations--in bile from gallbladder. Direct dependence was established between duration of cholelithic disease existence, complicated by chronic biliary pancreatitis, and concentration of IL-6 in bile from gallbladder.


Abstract. Oxidative processing of aircraft turbine-engine exhausts was studied using a
potential aerosol mass (PAM) chamber at different engine loads corresponding
to typical flight operations. Measurements were conducted at an engine test
cell. Organic gases (OGs) and particle emissions pre- and post-PAM
were measured. A suite of
instruments, including a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS)
for OGs, a multigas analyzer for
CO, CO2, NOx, and an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) for
nonrefractory particulate matter (NR-PM1) were used. Total aerosol mass
was dominated by secondary aerosol formation, which was approximately
2 orders of magnitude higher than the primary aerosol. The chemical
composition of both gaseous and particle emissions were also monitored at
different engine loads and were thrust-dependent. At idling load (thrust
2.5–7 %), more than 90 % of the secondary particle mass was organic
and could mostly be explained by the
oxidation of gaseous aromatic species, e.g., benzene; toluene; xylenes; tri-, tetra-, and
pentamethyl-benzene; and naphthalene. The oxygenated-aromatics, e.g., phenol,
furans, were also included in this aromatic fraction and their oxidation
could alone explain up to 25 % of the secondary organic particle mass at
idling loads. The organic fraction decreased with thrust level, while the
inorganic fraction increased. At an approximated cruise load sulfates
comprised 85 % of the total secondary particle mass.


In aquatic systems, biological invasions can result in adverse ecological effects. Management techniques available for non-native fish removal programs (including eradication and population size control) vary widely, but include chemicals, harvest regimes, physical removal, or biological control. For management agencies, deciding on what non-native fish removal program to use has been challenging because there is little reliable information about the relative effectiveness of these measures in controlling or eradicating non-native fish. We conducted a systematic review, including a critical appraisal of study validity, to assess the effectiveness of different non-native fish removal methods and to identify the factors that influence the overall success rate of each type of method. We found 95 relevant studies, generating 158 data sets. The evidence base was dominated by poorly documented studies with inadequate experimental designs (76% of removal projects). When the management goal was non-native fish eradication, chemical treatments were relatively successful (antimycin 89%; rotenone 75%) compared with other interventions. Electrofishing and passive removal measure studies indicated successful eradication was possible (58% each) but required intensive effort and multiple treatments over a number of years. Of these studies with sufficient information, electrofishing had the highest success for population size control (56% of data sets). Overall, inadequate data quality and completeness severely limited our ability to make strong conclusions about the relationships between non-native fish abundance and different methods of eradication and population control and the factors influencing the overall success rate of each method. Our review highlights that there is considerable scope for improving our evaluations of non-native fish removal methods. It is recommended that programs should have explicitly stated objectives, better data reporting, and study designs that (when possible and appropriate) incorporate replicated and controlled investigations with rigorous, long-term quantitative monitoring. Future research on the effectiveness of non-native fish removal methods should focus on: (i) the efficacy of existing or potentially new removal measures in larger, more complex environments; (ii) a broader range of removal measures in general; and (iii) phenotypic characteristics of individual fish within a population that fail to be eradicated or controlled.


Family planning is an effort to support the national policy of family planning program. One of indicators family planning programs is existing acceptors and Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR). CPR is the percentage of devides used by fertile couple. The purpose of this research is to identify acceptors' level of knowledge contraceptive devices at Puskesmas Sedayu I. This observational research used cross sectional approach. A method of the research is survey. The population in this research is acceptors of family planning in Yogyakarta. The sample in this research is 33 family planning acceptors in Yogyakarta. This research found that understanding acceptors about contraceptive devices are low (54,5%), acceptors aged between 21-35 years was the majority (24 respondents or 72,7%), understanding of description family planning devices was in average level at about (69,7%), understanding the type of contraception devices was average (36,4%), understanding of example the contracentive devices was great (63,6%), and understanding of benefi t the contraceptive devices was low (48,5%).


Timothy Lomperis persuasively argues the ironic point that the lessons of American involvement in Vietnam are not to be found in any analysis of the war by itself. Rather, he proposes a comparison of the Vietnam experience with seven other cases of Western intervention in communist insurgencies during the Cold War era: China, Indochina, Greece, the Philippines, Malaya, Cambodia, and Laos. Lomperis maintains that popular insurgencies are manifestations of crises in political legitimacy, which occur as a result of the societal stresses caused by modernization. Therefore, he argues, any intervention in a 'people's war' will succeed or fail depending on how it affects this crisis. The unifying theme in the cases Lomperis discusses is the power of land reform and electoral democracy to cement political legitimacy and therefore deflect revolutionary movements. Applying this theory to the ongoing Sendero Luminoso insurgency in Peru, Lomperis makes a qualified prediction of that conflict's outcome. He concludes that a global trend toward democratization has produced a new era of 'people's rule.'


Background. Pain is the most common complication in the postoperative period. If adequate treatment is not taken, it can transform to chronic pain. Postoperative pain brings a lot of social, psychological and financial problems for patients and their families. Materials and methods. This prospective study included 30 patients after laparatomic liver resection operation. Patients were randomly assign ed to Infiltrated or Control groups. An infiltration of 40 ml levobupivacaine 0.25% solution to the operation cut edges was performed to the Infiltrated group. The pain was evaluated using the numerical rating scale after 2, 5, 12, 24, 48 hours and 1 month after the operation. Our aim was to determine the effect of local anesthesia in the operation wound. The total usage of morphine and any side effects were registered. Results. A statistically significant reduction in pain was observed in the Infiltrated group in all evaluation periods. Opioids usage was higher in the Control group almost by 4 times and adverse effects were 9 to 1 compared to the Infiltrated group. Conclusions. Surgical wound infiltration with local anesthetic for postoperative pain management after liver resection operations has a positive effect on postoperative pain reduction and leads to lesser usage of opioid analgetics. As a result, there is a less chance of opioids induced adverse effects.


The purposes of this paper were to describe the development of a scale which measures preferred financial decision making styles of individuals (FDMDS1), report results of an exploratory study which examined the relationships among the cognitive style preferences of 80 adults and their financial decision styles, recommend modifications in the instrument based on correlation and reliability analyses, and suggest hypotheses for future research. Items for the FDMDS1 were developed using the conceptual definitions of analyst, synthesist, idealist, realist, and pragmatist thinking styles of Harrison and Bramson (1982a,b). Results of the analyses indicated 22 internally consistent items which clearly distinguished between the analyst-synthesist and realist-pragmatist approaches to financial decision making. The analyst-synthesist and realist-pragmatist decision makers vary in reflectiveness versus impulsivity in considering and weighing alternatives; quantitative and specific versus qualitative and general information preferences; and a time orientation emphasis on long versus shortterm goals.


Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, idiopathic inflammatory disease characterised by a dysregulated innate and adaptive immune response to gut microbiota that contributes to the perpetuation of colonic inflammation. ADS024 is an orally administered live biotherapeutic product (LBP), comprised of a single strain of Bacillius velezensis, being developed for potential application in the treatment of patients with UC.

 Colitis was induced in 39 mice by exposure to 3% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-treated drinking water from Day 0 to Day 5; 6 control animals did not receive DSS. Animals were then dosed with vehicle (PBS; n=15) or ADS024 (n=12) twice daily for 14 days via oral gavage or with comparator anti-p40 mAb (n=12) once daily (IP) on Days 6, 9, 12, 15. All animals were monitored daily for body weight loss, diarrhea, blood in stool, and activity level. Each of these parameters was individually scored according to the disease activity index (DAI) scoring scheme. Animals underwent video endoscopy on Day 19 to assess colitis severity and stool consistency was scored during endoscopy. Following endoscopy on Day 19, all surviving animals were sacrificed, and blood was collected and processed for serum and analysed for metabolomic profile.

 Animals in which colitis was induced by exposure to 3% DSS demonstrated significant weight loss, most profoundly from Days 8 to 11, an increase in the composite DAI and increased mean colon weight:length ratios as compared to control animals. Animals treated with ADS024 had improved body weight, starting at 72 hours post-treatment and decreased DAI scoring over the course of the study compared to the vehicle control group (p<0.01 and p<0.05 respectively), comparable to treatment with anti-p40 mAb which has a mechanism of action similar to ustekinumab (Stelara®) approved for the treatment of UC. A trend towards a decrease in the mean colon weight:length ratio was observed in animals treated with ADS024, but there was no difference in mean endoscopy scoring compared to the vehicle control group. DSS treatment altered the serum biochemical profile at day 19 and ADS024 induced changes suggesting a reversion towards the control state.

 Oral treatment with ADS024 improved body weight loss, reduced DAI, and resulted in a trend towards reduction in mean colon weight:length ratios in the DSS-induced mouse colitis model. In addition, ADS024 treatment led to a rebalancing of the systemic metabolomic shift caused by DSS exposure.


The inactivation of aerosolized Escherichia coli by ozone, cyclohexene, and ozonized cyclohexene was studied. The parameters for damage were loss of reproduction and introduction of breaks in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Aerosolization of E. coli in clean air at 80 percent relative humidity or in air containing either ozone or cyclohexene hardly affected survival; however, some breaks per DNA molecule were induced, as shown by sucrose gradient sedimentation of the DNA. Aerosolization of E. coli in air containing ozonized cyclohexene at 80 percent relative humidity decreased the survival by a factor of 10(3) or more after 1 h of exposure and induced many breaks in the DNA.


In this paper, an approach based on Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO) is described for one-sided time constraint Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), where the delivery of products from the depot to distribution centres has to take place within the maximum permissible time. The problem is described with the aim to achieve maximum customer satisfaction and to develop a solution strategy based on ACO. Here, ACO-based approach is compared with heuristic based on shortest path approach. With the help of computational experiments, it is found that ACO-based approach is more effective approach than the heuristic approach for VRP with one-sided time constraint.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the epidemiology, responsible agents, clinical features, and outcome of white superficial onychomycosis (WSO).

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

SETTING
University hospital.

PATIENTS
A total of 79 patients with WSO seen at the Department of Dermatology of Bologna University from 1994 to 2002. Responsible agents included Trichophyton interdigitale in 58 cases (73%), Trichophyton rubrum in 4 (5%), Fusarium species in 9 (11%), Aspergillus species in 5 (6%), and Acremonium strictum in 3 (3%).

RESULTS
White superficial onychomycosis may have different clinical and epidemiological features. "Classic" WSO, characterized by superficial nail plate involvement, is usually due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes (var interdigitale), although Acremonium strictum or Onychocola canadiensis can sometimes be responsible. A deep and diffuse WSO, characterized by massive penetration of the nail plate by fungi, can be seen in nail infections by molds such as Fusarium species and Aspergillus species, or in nail infections by Trichophyton rubrum in healthy children and in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

CONCLUSIONS
Severity and spread of WSO is the result of complex host-parasite relationships. When dealing with a patient with WSO, we should always consider the causative organism and the host characteristics to choose the best therapeutic approach.


IGBT has the characteristics of high output power and high switching frequency, which has become the best choice for high voltage and high power switches. As a single carrier device, The sic JBS has high switching frequency due to its no reverse recovery characteristics. In this paper, a hybrid sic module with SiC JBS instead of Si diode in IGBT module is proposed. By comparing the test results, it is found that the hybrid module has obvious advantages in diode switching loss and IGBT turn-on curve. Compared with the traditional pure Si module, the switching speed of the hybrid module can be faster. When the hybrid module is turned on, there is no current spike and voltage spike when the diode is turned off, so the reliability of the hybrid module is improved. By calculation, the total power loss of the hybrid module on the diode is only 38.3% of that of the traditional module under the same operating conditions, which means that the hybrid module is more energy efficient and generate less thermal


Deep generative models have been widely used in practical applications such as the detection of out-of-distribution (OOD) data. In this work, we aim to re-examine the potential of generative flow models in OOD detection. We first propose a simple combination of univariate one-sample statistical test (e.g., Kolmogorov-Smirnov) and random projections in the latent space of flow models to perform OOD detection. Then, we propose a two-sample version of our test to account for imperfect flow models. Quite distinctly, our method does not pose parametric assumptions on OOD data and is capable of exploiting any flow model. Experimentally, firstly we confirm the efficacy of our method against state-of-theart baselines through extensive experiments on several image datasets; secondly we investigate the relationship between model accuracy (e.g., the generation quality) and the OOD detection performance, and found surprisingly that they are not always positively correlated; and thirdly we show that detection in the latent space of flow models generally outperforms detection in the sample space across various OOD datasets, hence highlighting the benefits of training a flow model.


This paper is an overview of structural interventions which should be made to the Baroque Oppersdorf Palace during its renovation. All main technical problems were analyzed and proper constructional solutions were presented. Several characteristic types of destruction were detected, caused by natural deterioration and also by mechanical influences (war destruction, lack of conservation etc.). The main building structure has survived from the Baroque period, except for the wooden roof. Some of the cellar vaults and some of them over the first floor were also not destroyed. However, some main reconstruction work was done, probably in the last few years of the 19th century. For example, a break with a new staircase and some masonry vaults over the cellar were changed to ones of Klein type on steel beams. The main aim of the reconstruction was to strengthen the historical structure of the building and adapt it to the modern architecture and to reorganize the buildings inner space, but keeping the external proportions, architectural details and ornaments unchanged.


The Kiyotaki-Moore (1997) framework is a prominent macro model that features credit constraints as an important factor that propagates and magnifies the effects of shocks. However, the quantitative importance of these constraints in this setup remains an open question. This paper introduces the Kiyotaki-Moore (1997) setup into an otherwise standard dynamic general equilibrium model to explore the quantitative properties of credit constraints. I take a Hansen (1985)- type RBC model and introduce a banking sector that intermediates savings and investment. After calibrating the model to post-1959 U.S. data, I evaluate the propagation and magnification effects of a standard TFP shock to the aggregate economy. I find that the quantitative importance is very small. I then ask if the propagation and magnification effects are stronger if the shock originates in the banking sector. I therefore introduce TFP shocks into financial intermediation. I find that the constraints are also quantitatively unimportant. I conclude that the quantitative significance of the credit constraint in the Kiyotaki-Moore setup is small. The reason underlying this result has to do, theoretically, with asset market dynamics and, empirically, with the low participation of loans in economic activity in the U.S.


Energy and the environment are two of the most important issues this century. More than 80 % of our energy comes from the combustion of fossil fuels, which will still remain the dominant energy source for years to come. It is agreed that carbon dioxide produced from the combustion process to be the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas leading to global warming. Atmospheric CO(2) concentrations have indeed increased by almost 100 ppm since their pre-industrial level, reaching 384 ppm in 2007 with a total annual emission of over 35 Gt. Prompt global action to resolve the CO(2) crisis is therefore needed. To pursue such an action, we are urged to save energy without the unnecessary production of carbon emissions and to use energy in more efficient ways, but alternative methods to mitigate the greenhouse gas have to be considered. This Minireview highlights some recent promising research activities and their prospects in the areas of carbon capture and storage and chemical fixation of CO(2) in constructing a future low-carbon global economy with reference to energy source, thermodynamic considerations, net carbon emissions and availability of reagents.


At fi rst glance, a conceptual history of emotions appears counterintuitive. Unlike the concepts of democracy or liberalism, emotion concepts seem to refer to stable objects, rooted in the genetic heritage of the human race. However, answers to the question, "What is an emotion?" vary widely across time and space. It cannot even be taken for granted that our analytic concept of emotion is matched by corresponding concepts in the sources: the very question might be untranslatable. In the fi rst section, the introduction will discuss the challenge a conceptual history of emotions faces from psychology's perception of aff ective phenomena as objects that exist independent of their representation. Th e aim of this section is to clear the theoretical and methodological ground for an investigation of emotion concepts in South Asian traditions, which will be the central focus of the second section of this introduction.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human pegivirus (HPgV or GB virus C) are globally distributed and infect 2 to 5% of the human population. The lack of tractable-animal models for these viruses, in particular for HCV, has hampered the study of infection, transmission, virulence, immunity, and pathogenesis. To address this challenge, we searched for homologous viruses in small mammals, including wild rodents. Here we report the discovery of several new hepaciviruses (HCV-like viruses) and pegiviruses (GB virus-like viruses) that infect wild rodents. Complete genome sequences were acquired for a rodent hepacivirus (RHV) found in Peromyscus maniculatus and a rodent pegivirus (RPgV) in Neotoma albigula Unique genomic features and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that these RHV and variants several novel virus species in the Hepacivirus and Pegivirus genera within the family Flaviviridae The genetic diversity of the rodent hepaciviruses exceeded that observed for hepaciviruses infecting either humans or non-primates, to new insights into the origin, evolution, and host range of hepaciviruses. The presence of genes, encoded proteins, and translation elements homologous to those found in hepaciviruses and pegiviruses suggests the potential for the development of new with which to model pathogenesis, and


Canine parvovirus (CPV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) and mink enteritis virus (MEV) were compared serologically, by determination of their host range in cell cultures, as well as by restriction enzyme analysis. Maps of the virus genomes were established using seven different restriction enzymes cutting at a total of 56 sites. MEV and FPLV gave maps which were identical except for one restriction site. The map of CPV is closely related to those of FPLV/MEV since their DNAs share about 80% of the restriction sites tested. However, CPV is clearly distinct from FPLV/MEV since either eight (German isolate) or nine (Belgian, Swiss and American isolates) restriction sites are different. The DNAs of six vaccine strains of FPLV and MEV were also analysed. They gave maps which closely resembled those of the respective wild-type strains. CPV and FPLV/MEV also differed with respect to antigenicity, as well as to host range in cell cultures.


Dirichlet-Neumann problem for the typeless high order partial differential equation with deviating over the space argument is studied in the domain, which is the Cartesian product of the segment (0, T) and the unit circle Ω = R/(2πZ). Dirichlet-Neumann problem for hyperbolic equations and their systems in case with absent argument deviation h has been studied by the authors before. Correct solvability conditions have been established for these problems for almost all (with respect to Lebesgue measure) numbers T > 0 and for almost all (with respect to Lebesgue measure) vectors, constructed by coefficients of the equation. In this paper, the solvability conditions of the problem for h 6= 0 are described and the influence of the deviation h on the solvability of the problem is studied. The solution of the problem is constructed in the form of the series with respect to the systems of orthogonal functions. Metric estimations (of exponential type) are proved for small denominators appearing during construction of the problem solution. These estimations guarantee the correctness of the problem in Sobolev spaces for almost all (with respect to Lebesgue measure) values T > 0 and for almost all (with respect to Lebesgue measure) values h ∈ [0, 2π). The obtained results are based on the fact that the corresponding characteristic determinant permits factorization in the form of the product of hyperbolic functions with integer parameters.


A 62-year-old female presented with multiple keratoacanthomas of the palmar aspects of the hands, wrists, and proximal fingers. Surgery or radiation therapy would have caused significant impairment. A 30-day course of 1 mg/kg per day of acitretin led to a complete resolution. Maintenance therapy with 25 mg per day of acitretin was needed to prevent recurrence. The medical treatment of keratoacanthomas is herein discussed as well.


Abstract Adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (PRKA) is a serine/threonine kinase that functions as a metabolic switch in a number of physiological functions. The present study was undertaken to assess the role of this kinase in nuclear maturation of porcine oocytes. RT-PCR and immunoblotting revealed the expression of the PRKAA1 subunit in granulosa cells, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC), and denuded oocytes (DO). Porcine COC and DO contained transcripts that corresponded to the expected sizes of the designed primers for PRKAB1 and PRKAG1. The PRKAA2 subunit was detected in granulosa cells and COC, whereas the PRKAG3 subunit was not detected in granulosa cells, COC or DO, whereas it was detected in the heart. The PRKAA1 protein was detected in granulosa cells, COC, DO, and zona pellucida (ZP). In the presence of the pharmacological activator of PRKA 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl 5'-monophosphate (ZMP), COC were transiently maintained in meiotic arrest in a fully reversible manner. This inhibitory effect was not observed in DO. Other known PRKA activators, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) and metformin, also blocked meiotic resumption in COC. In contrast to mouse oocytes, in which PRKA activators reverse the inhibitory effect of PDE3 inhibitors, this combination still blocked meiotic resumption in porcine COC. These results demonstrate that the meiotic resumption of porcine COC is transiently blocked by PRKA activators in a dose-dependent manner, and that this effect is dependent on PRKA activity in cumulus cells. The present study describes a new role for PRKA in regulating meiotic resumption in COC and strongly suggests that cumulus cells play an essential role in the control of porcine oocyte maturation through the PRKA metabolic switch.


One of the goals in making better devices is to achieve the desired functionality in materials that enable a given application. The strong link between the functional behavior and the physical properties of materials is key to making better devices. This thesis focuses on applications of density functional theory (DFT), a powerful computational tool, for understanding the electronic, magnetic, magneto-optic, topological and thermodynamic properties of two-dimensional electronic systems (2DES). Why are 2DES interesting? Firstly, the reduced dimensionality renders these materials with properties which could be absent in the bulk form. Secondly, from a technological point of view, the desired functionality can be easily controlled externally in these 2DES by the application of a gate voltage or strain. The 2DES considered here could be crucial in beyond-CMOS electronic technologies. The materials considered in this thesis can be broadly categorized into two different classes of systems. The first one is the two-dimensional electron gas observed at the complex oxide interfaces. The discussion will go into the details of the formation of 2DEG in oxides resulting both from polar catastrophe and also due to the presence of vacancies. The second class of materials is two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals, more specifically, 2D magnets. We not only predict a class of compounds, transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTC), that can exhibit magnetism in the 2D limit, but also demonstrate control of these magnetic degrees of freedom. Finally, we also demonstrate both using symmetry based tight-binding models and first-principles calculations a new way to detect magnetism in the 2D limit, which is applicable to compounds other than TMTC as well.


The composition of social groups has profound effects on their function, from collective decision-making to foraging efficiency. But few social systems afford sufficient control over group composition to precisely quantify its effects on individual and collective behavior. Here we combine experimental and theoretical approaches to study the effect of group composition on individual behavior and division of labor (DOL) in a social insect. Experimentally, we use automated behavioral tracking to monitor 120 colonies of the clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi, with controlled variation in three key correlates of social insect behavior: genotype, age, and morphology. We find that each of these sources of heterogeneity generates a distinct pattern of behavioral organization, including the amplification or dampening of inherent behavioral differences in colonies with mixed types. Theoretically, we use a well-studied model of DOL to explore potential mechanisms underlying the experimental findings. We find that the simplest implementation of this model, which assumes that heterogeneous individuals differ only in response thresholds, could only partially recapitulate the empirically observed patterns of behavior. However, the full spectrum of observed phenomena was recapitulated by extending the model to incorporate two factors that are biologically meaningful but theoretically rarely considered: variation among workers in task performance efficiency and among larvae in task demand. Our results thus show that different sources of heterogeneity within social groups can generate different, sometimes non-intuitive, behavioral effects, but that relatively simple models can capture these dynamics and thereby begin to elucidate the basic organizational principles of DOL in social insects. Significance Statement When individuals interact in an aggregate, many factors that are not known a priori affect group dynamics. A social group will therefore show emergent properties that cannot easily be predicted from how its members behave in isolation. This problem is exacerbated in mixed groups, where different individuals have different behavioral tendencies. Here we describe different facets of collective behavioral organization in mixed groups of the clonal raider ant, and show that a simple theoretical model can capture even non-intuitive aspects of the behavioral data. These results begin to reveal the principles underlying emergent behavioral organization in social insects. Importantly, our insights might apply to complex biological systems more generally and be used to help engineer collective behavior in artificial systems.


At the abandoned mining site of Carnoulès (Gard, France), weathering of the arsenopyrite rich tailings leads to the formation of acidic effluents heavily loaded with arsenite (As(III)). However, further downstream, the As(III) concentration decreases while the sediments are richer in arsenate (As(V)). A Thiomonas sp. able to oxidize arsenite to arsenate has been isolated and characterized. The aoxA and aoxB genes encoding the two subunits of this enzyme belong to an operon. Analysis of the genome sequence (Genoscope, Ivry, France) shows that this operon encodes also two cytochromes c, which could be the physiological partners of the arsenite oxidase, and a transcriptional regulator belonging to the metalloregulator ArsR/SmtB family, which could control the expression of the aox operon. The expression of this operon is higher in the presence than in the absence of As(III) and appears also to be repressed in the presence of thiosulfate, a more energetic substrate.


One hundred and thirty-two patients with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcers were entered into a 4-6-week double-blind trial of famotidine (Fm) and ranitidine (Rn). Seventy patients were randomised to Fm 40 mg at night and Rn placebo and 62 to Rn 300 mg at night and Fm placebo. Gelusil tablets were allowed for ulcer pain, and diary cards were issued. Clinical evaluations were carried out on entry and at 2 and 4 weeks, and endoscopy was repeated at 4 weeks. Patients with an unhealed ulcer at 4 weeks were continued on the same treatment for another 2 weeks and further endoscopy was carried out at 6 weeks. The groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, duration of the most recent attack, initial ulcer size and smoking, but the duration of disease tended to be longer in the Rn-treated group (P less than 0.05). Of the patients available for analysis, 75% of the Fm-treated and 78% of the Rn-treated patients were healed at 4 weeks and 91% of patients in both treatment groups were healed at 6 weeks. Gelusil consumption and symptomatic responses were comparable in the two groups, and no side-effects were noted apart from mild dizziness in 1 patient after a single Fm tablet. The mean initial size of ulcers healed at 4 weeks was significantly less than that of ulcers which were unhealed at 4 weeks (P less than 0.01), and the healing rate among smokers was significantly lower than that among non-smokers--48 of 72 patients (67%) and 41 of 45 (91%) respectively (P less than 0.01). The study shows that Fm 40 mg at night is as effective as Rn 300 mg in duodenal ulcer healing.


ABSTRACT Past studies have shown that students' conceptions of learning science (CLS) are related to their approaches to learning science (ALS) and to their self-efficacy for learning science (SELS), but it has not yet been studied whether parents' CLS play a role in children's ALS and SELS. This research investigated 472 pairs of Chinese high school students and their parents to identify the new predictive relationships among parents' CLS and students' ALS and SELS. In this study parents' CLS was divided into reproductive and constructivist conceptions. Students' ALS consisted of four factors, whereas SELS only extracted one factor. We found that (1) parents' constructivist CLS was positively associated with students' deep approaches; (2) parental reproductive CLS could positively predict students' surface strategies, while it was likely that the more constructive conceptions that parents held, the less their children would adopt surface strategies; (3) parental constructivist and reproductive CLS were both significant positive predictors of students' surface motive; and (4) parental CLS could make an indirect prediction through students' ALS. The findings indicate that parents should be cautious about the CLS they are portraying in their words and deeds to help foster their children's deep learning motive and strategies.


1.0 INTRODUCTION Producing energy from renewable biomass is only one of the various ways of responding to the challenges of the energy crisis. Since the oil crisis in 1970's the use of biomass as a source of energy is a topic of growing interest and debate as agreed by Gómez-Loscos (2012), Tong and Li (2012), Arias (2011), Vaclav (2010), Fernando (2009), Kaygusuz and Keles (2008). Corley and Tinker (2008) in their book discuss in detail about oil palm in Malaysia. In 2004, Malaysia had about 3.87 million hectares of land under oil palm cultivation. Currently, more than 80 percent of the oil palm produced is used for food applications like cooking oil, frying oil and many others. Oil palm is a perennial crop. It has an economic life span of about 25 years. Traditionally, oil palm is grown for its oil example like palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palm kernel cake as the community products. Besides palm oil and palm kernel, oil palm industry generates large quantity of biomass residue which is side products as stated before like fronds, trunks, EFB, palm oil mill effluent, palm fibre and shell that have not been fully commercially exploited. Through concerted research and development efforts by many research organizations including Malaysian Oil Palm Board, this co – products from palm oil industry have been found to be good resources for many application such as palm oil fuel ash a biomass residue (Brown et al., 2011), oil palm as a viable concrete pozzalanic material (Foo and Hameed, 2009), Oil palm ash as partial replacement of cement for solidification/stabilization of nickel hydroxide sludge (Chun et al., 2008), oil palm ash in concrete (Tangchirapat et al., 2007).There are many competitive uses of these materials. One of them is to utilize them as a fuel for energy production but in term of biodiesel fuel. In fact, Malaysian government has identified biomass as fifth fuel resource to compliment the petroleum, gas, coal, and hydro as energy resources, while palm biomass has been identified as a single most important energy source as stated by Sumiani (2006). On the other hands, the main ABSTRACT


Many carbonate reservoirs require production stimulation. Reservoir heterogeneity, large lateral permeability differences along the reservoir, the proximity of water-saturated layers, as well as the technical condition of wells are common stimulation complications. In such conditions hydraulic fracturing has the risk of an accident and/or watered production. This greatly complicates efficient exploitation of fields and it is necessary to identify new methods to increase oil recovery.
 Deep-penetrating acid treatments in radially drilled channels are applied to provide stimulation in carbonate reservoirs. Maximum four 69 mm (2-3/4″) diameter channels of up to 25m (82 ft.) are drilled along a pre-set trajectory. A special bottomhole assembly on jointed-pipes is deployed using a workover hoist. The technology allows re-entry of the drilled channels and acid treatment through the jet nozzle. The jetting nozzle has four 4.2 mm (11/64″) perpendicular nozzles, and the acid outflow rate is approximately 100 m/s. In addition to rock dissolution, wormholes are washed into the formation at exactly the most effective location.
 A 3 well case-history is described where drilled radial channels with deep-penetrating acid treatments were applied through a jet nozzle in carbonate reservoir. Several 69 mm (2-3/4″) channels with a length of up to 14 m (45 ft.) were drilled a pre-set trajectory using a double-bend motor. The trajectories were analyzed with a memory directional survey. Acid treatment was performed using a jet nozzle in each channel. Well#1 included oil-saturated interlayers in the channels that were stimulated by targeted jet treatments using 15% HCl opposite each interlayer. The precisely located acid treatment removed the need for additional diverting treatments. In Well#2 the well damage challenge was solved by shutting-off cross flow near water-saturated interlayers behind the casing where standard bottom-hole treatments aren't effective. The horizontal channels from the mother-bore, together with the acid treatment, allowed successful stimulation of the reservoir while avoiding crossflow effected zones behind the casing. In Well#3, the laterals were successfully drilled and treated with acid. Many non-target upper perforation intervals were managed in addition to crossflows behind casing from below the reservoir. On average, oil increment increases at the wells amounted to a very successful 179% (2.8x production increase).
 The first example of directional radially drilled channels with deep-penetrating acid treatment through a jet nozzle on carbonate reservoirs. The technology proved its effectiveness and the planned significant oil increment targets were achieved. This method is very promising due to the very common occurrence of carbonate reservoirs in need of effective stimulation. The introduction of technology into the regular production program can now be considered and is supported by the results of the described project.


A users interaction with a film typically involves a One Way Affect (1WA), in which the film being consumed has an affect on the consumer. Recent advances in physiological monitoring technology however has facilitated the notion of a Two Way Affect Loop (2WAL), in which a film piece can be dynamically affected by a consumers physiology or behaviour. This paper outlines an agenda for further investigating 2WAL, setting research questions and the influence of related research areas.


The inhibitory activity of a variety of opioid peptides was tested on the electrically stimulated rat vas deferens. Human beta-endorphin (beta h-EP) was the most potent of the opoioid-like peptides; it produced half-maximal inhibition of the neuromuscular twitching at a concentration of about 100 nM. The potency of beta h-EP was greater than that of camel, porcine, ovine or leucine5 beta h-EP, alpha-N-acetyl beta-ovine-EP was inactive. In contrast to beta-endorphin (beta-EP), methionine and leucine-enkephalin, dynorphin-(1-13), morphine and other narcotic analgesics were devoid of opioid-like activity. Fragments of beta-EP with amino acid deletions at the carboxy end of the molecule were considerably less potent than the parent compound. The fragment beta h-EP 1-21 was 70 times less potent than beta h-EP, whereas the segments beta h-EP 1-19 and beta h-EP 1-16 were both completely inactive. Deletions at the amino terminal of beta-EP yielded inactive compounds. The potency of beta h-EP was reduced in a dose-related fashion by applications of nanomolar concentrations of naloxone or N-allylnormetazocine and by micromolar concentrations of levorphanol or morphine. In decided contrast, opioid peptides such as methionine enkephalin, dynorphin-(1-13), beta-casomorphan derivatives or short chain beta h-EP segments such as beta-EP 1-16, beta-EP 1-19, beta-EP 6-31, beta-EP (1-5)-(16-31), methionine enkephalin plus beta-EP 6-31 or the N-acetyl beta-bovine-EP did not antagonize the inhibitory action of beta h-EP. The present results demonstrate that the rat vas deferens contains opioid receptors with considerable selectivity for beta-EP. It is concluded from this structure activity relationship study that the activation of the beta-EP receptor involves at least two sites of recognition on the beta-EP structure.


From 1968, the authors treated under ambulatory-polyclinical conditions 10,000 patients with hemorrhoids by means of injections of novocaine++-alcoholic mixtures. In 93.3% of the patients after injections, the hemorrhage stopped, in 83.8%--hemorrhoidal nodes didn't prolapse, in 95.6%--inflammation was liquidated. At the long-term period, the positive effect was noted in 8664 (92.2%) patients.


Legionella pneumophila was demonstrated by serological immunocytological and histological techniques in a Wellington man who died of a severe pneumonia. This is the first demonstration of disease produced by this organism in New Zealand.


This paper discusses some issues related to the triangle between capital accumulation, distribution, and capacity utilization. First, it explains why utilization is a crucial variable for the various theories of growth and distribution--more precisely, with regards to their ability to combine an autonomous role for demand (along Keynesian lines) and an institutionally determined distribution (along classical lines). Second, it responds to some recent criticism by Girardi and Pariboni (2019). I explain that their interpretation of the model in Nikiforos (2013) is misguided, and that the results of the model can be extended to the case of a monopolist. Third, it provides some concrete examples of why demand is a determinant for the long-run rate of utilization of capital. Finally, it argues that when it comes to the normal rate of utilization, it is the expected growth rate of demand that matters, not the level of demand.


ABSTRACT This paper argues that thinking about reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires a paradigmatic shift in conflict analysis. The international community has approached the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a national conflict between Zionism, as the national movement of the Jewish people, and the Palestinian National Movement. The partition plans proposed from before 1947 until the recent "two-state solution" formula have all been based on this assumption. I argue that the premise of national conflict is fundamentally flawed, and, therefore, reaching a settlement based on partition – let alone reconciliation – is becoming increasingly unlikely. A new paradigm (in the Kuhnian sense) is needed that applies a settler-colonial framework to the conflict while also taking into consideration the national component. Reconciliation in this conflict is conceived as decolonization within a transitional justice framework. This approach overcomes major pitfalls in the hegemonic discourse on reconciliation in this conflict, including the symmetrical analysis and psychologizing the process.


Two fifth generation male Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) born in a European zoo, produced no signs of disease when injected with Cowdria ruminantium infected blood. It would suggest that this species has an inate natural resistance to Heartwater.


The purpose of this study was to detect the methylation of the RUNX3 gene promoter in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue and to explore the association of this methylation with clinical features of NSCLC. In 58 samples of NSCLC tissue and normal adjacent tissue, methylation of the RUNX3 gene promoter was measured by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Correlation with clinicopathological characteristics was assessed. The results demonstrated that RUNX3 gene promoter methylation was present in 26/58 (44.8%) of NSCLC tissue samples and 10/58 (17.2%) of normal tissue samples, and that the difference was statistically significant between the two groups (χ(2)=10.311, p=0.001). Significantly, methylation of the RUNX3 gene promoter correlated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and the degree of differentiation (p<0.05) but not with age, gender, smoking history and pathological type (p>0.05). In conclusion, methylation of the RUNX3 gene promoter had a high relevance ratio in NSCLC tissue and correlated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and degree of differentiation; thus, this association may have clinical significance in NSCLC.


Background Emergence from anaesthesia is a common time for anaesthetic complications.1 When patients are taken to recovery they may be in the emergence phase. Recovery nurses should therefore be trained in the assessment and management of complications that arise. Methodology A simulation based on the management of laryngospasm following removal of a laryngeal mask in theatre recovery was written. An 'Advanced Life Support' mannequin was used as the patient, and a remotely controlled iPad displayed observations in real time. A recovery nurse completed the scenario with assistance from another nurse. The nurse was asked to receive a patient and manage any complications (for each scenario this was laryngospasm). The debrief consisted of teaching based on the causes and management of laryngospasm, the contents of the emergency airway trolley, and a discussion around human factors. Each candidate completed a feedback form which used the 5 point Likert scale (1 = lowest, 5 = highest). Each simulation took 30 to 45 minutes. Results 31 recovery nurses completed the simulation. The average score was 4.5 for 'I felt I have learned' (a little to a lot). All 31 candidates scored 5 for the scenario being relevant to their practice. 30 candidates scored 5 for finding the debrief useful. 20 candidates scored 4 or 5 for, 'confidence in knowledge of topic before training', (the average score was 3.6). This increased to 30 candidates scoring 4 or 5 for 'confidence in knowledge of topic after training'. 26 candidates scored 4 or 5 when asked if the simulation made them consider their communication and team working skills. Discussion There was an improvement in knowledge, confidence and non-technical skills following the simulation. All candidates felt the topic was relevant to their practice. Further sessions will be delivered on the airway trolley and application of cricoid pressure.


This thesis considers the early twentieth-century writings of four modernist writers – Joseph Conrad, Ford Madox Ford, D. H. Lawrence, and Wyndham Lewis – in relation to the problem of utopianism. The introductory chapter provides an overview of current scholarly debates concerning the nature and structure of utopian thinking, and establishes the broad context in which the above writers are considered in the argument that follows. The thesis works with an inclusive definition of utopianism that views it as an expression of the urge to better society, as opposed to an urge to realize social perfection. After a wide-ranging summary of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century utopian discourses, a summary that attends to the pre-First World War criticism of T. E. Hulme and Ezra Pound, the thesis turns to individual, 'case study' chapters that focus on the above-mentioned quartet of writers. Each chapter looks at a key issue: Conrad in relation to political anarchism; Ford in relation to urban design; Lawrence in relation to utopian philosophies of labour; and Lewis in relation to the linkages between the historical avant-garde and the betterment of society. The main claims running throughout the thesis are that in the period under consideration the links between modernism and utopianism are: complex; multi-sided and author-specific; politically multifarious; and insufficiently acknowledged by contemporary critics.


The purpose of this essay was to seek an understanding of what meaning the self-help-groups Alcoholics Anonymous and Sallskapet Lankarna,the Links, have in supporting former addicts to self-enhancement. The essential questions were: - in what way do the individuals describe for them the personal meaning of the AA:s/Links - how do the individuals experience the group - how do the individuals explain the change in self-image - have the individuals experienced self-enhancement by joining the AA/Links My method was qualitative in form of semistructured interwievs with three members of Alcoholics Anonymous and three members of the Links. In addition to this I also studied litterature of relevance. The results of this studie showed a difference between how the respondents experiended self-help-groups. Self-help-groups are important in many ways, for security, for support, for solidarity. Support from significant others are important because they are able to share their experiences to newer not so experienced members. I concluded my essay by stating that self-enhancement can be compared with the quality of life.


Verticillium spp. are soil-borne ascomycete fungi belonging to a subgroup of Sordariomycetes, and the three major plant pathogens Verticillium longisporum, V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum cause disease on numerous plant species worldwide. In Sweden, V. longisporum poses a threat to Brassica oilseed crops, and is thus emphasized in this thesis. Here the early immune responses to V. longisporum in the model plant Arabidopsis and recent data on the V. longisporum genome are presented.

Three genes of importance in the Arabidopsis–V. longisporum interaction were studied. The genes were identified via transcriptome and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. RabGAP22, a RabGTPase-regulating protein, was found to contribute to V. longisporum resistance. Pull-down assays revealed SERINE:GLYOXYLATE AMINOTRANSFERASE (AGT1) as an interacting partner during V. longisporum infection and the two proteins were shown to co-localize in the peroxisomes. Unexpectedly, a role for RabGAP22 was also found in stomatal immunity. The monoterpene synthase TPS23/27 was on the other hand found to contribute to fungal invasion, by triggering germination of V. longisporum conidia. The third gene codes for a nitrate/peptide transporter, NPF5.12. Pull-down experiments and fluorescent imaging revealed interaction between NPF5.12 and a major latex protein family member, NPFBP1. Implications in plant immunity processes of these three genes are further discussed.

The genomes of two Swedish V. longisporum isolates were sequenced and found to have a size of approximately 70 Mb and harbor ~21,000 protein-coding genes. Initial analyses revealed that 86% of the V. longisporum genomes are shared with V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum, with a high extent of gene duplications. Large numbers of proteins were predicted to contain secretion motifs, and this group of proteins is presumed to play major roles in the interactions with V. longisporum host plants.

In conclusion, this thesis work has revealed new fungal and plant host genes and thereby laid the basis for new plant breeding and disease protection strategies.


This article attempts to empirically analyze which vulnerabilities attackers tend to target in order to prioritize vulnerability remediation. This analysis focuses on the link between malicious connections and vulnerabilities, where each connection is considered malicious. Attacks requiring multiple connections are counted as multiple attacks. As the number of connections increases, so does the cost of recovering from the intrusion. The authors deployed four honey pots for four months, each running a different Windows service pack with its associated set of vulnerabilities. They then performed three empirical analyses to determine the relationship between the number of malicious connections and the total number of vulnerabilities, the number of malicious connections and the number of the vulnerabilities for different services, and the number of known successful attacks and the number of vulnerabilities for different services.


Interferon γ (IFN-γ) responsiveness in certain cells depends on the state of cellular differentiation or activation. Here an in vitro developmental system was used to show that IFN-γ produced during generation of the CD4+ T helper cell type 1 (TH1) subset extinguishes expression of the IFN-γ receptor β subunit, resulting in TH1 cells that are unresponsive to IFN-γ. This β chain loss also occurred in IFN-γ-treated TH2 cells and thus represents a specific response of CD4+ T cells to IFN-γ rather than a TH1-specific differentiation event. These results define a mechanism of cellular desensitization where a cytokine down-regulates expression of a receptor subunit required primarily for signaling and not ligand binding.


Rural development programs (RDPs) are currently envisaged as a means to foster the provision of a broad range of non-commodity outputs emanating from multifunctional rural environments. This paper presents a Contingent Valuation survey that analyses individuals' perceptions of and willingness to pay (WTP) for the implementation of a RDP in Cantabria, Spain. Uncertainty in individuals' preferences is explicitly acknowledged and introduced into our analytical framework. For that purpose, a comparison is made between the open-ended (OE) and the multiple bounded uncertainty (MBU) elicitation formats. According to our behavioural model estimates, the expectation of a positive welfare change for both rural and urban dwellers constitutes a sound argument in favour of regional rural development policies.