In an attempt to elucidate alcoholic "blackout," both state-dependent learning and short-term memory were examined during prolonged experimental intoxication. Various memory tasks were administered to four chronic alcoholics during two seven-day drinking episodes which alternated with three five-day periods of enforced sobriety. While all Ss demonstrated short-term and 24-hour memory impairments, these deficits did not appear to be a function of state-dependent learning. Rather, consolidation and, less often, retrieval failures were largely responsible for these impairments. Finally, short-term memory was not differentially impaired when measured on the ascending vs the descending limb of blood alcohol.


Deficits in the ankle plantarflexor muscles, such as weakness and contracture, occur commonly in conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. While these deficits likely contribute to observed gait pathologies, elucidating cause-effect relationships is difficult due to the often co-occurring biomechanical and neural deficits. To elucidate the effects of weakness and contracture, we systematically introduced isolated deficits into a musculoskeletal model and generated simulations of walking to predict gait adaptations due to these deficits. We developed a planar model containing 9 degrees of freedom and 18 musculotendon actuators, and an optimization framework through which we imposed simple objectives, such as minimizing cost of transport while avoiding falling and injury, and maintaining head stability. We first validated that our model could generate gaits that reproduced experimentally observed kinematic, kinetic, and metabolic trends for two cases: 1) walking at prescribed speeds between 0.50 m/s and 2.00 m/s and 2) walking at self-selected speed. We then applied mild, moderate, and severe levels of muscle weakness or contracture to either the soleus (SOL) or gastrocnemius (GAS) or both of these major plantarflexors (PF) and retrained the model to walk at a self-selected speed. The model was robust to all deficits, finding a stable gait in all cases. Severe PF weakness caused the model to adopt a slower, "heel-walking" gait. Severe contracture of only SOL or both PF yielded similar results: the model adopted a "toe-walking" gait with excessive hip and knee flexion during stance. These results highlight how plantarflexor weakness and contracture may contribute to observed gait patterns. Our model, simulation and optimization framework, and results are freely shared so that others can reproduce and build upon our work. Author summary Deficits in the muscles that extend the ankle are thought to contribute to abnormal walking patterns in conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. To study how deficits in these muscles contribute to abnormal walking patterns, we used computer simulations to systematically introduce muscle deficits into a biomechanically accurate model. We first showed that our model could discover realistic walking patterns over a wide range of speeds when we posed a simple objective: walking while consuming a minimum amount of energy per distance, maintaining head stability, and avoiding injury. We then used the model to study the effect of two commonly observed problems: muscle weakness and muscle tightness. We found that severe weakness of the ankle extensors caused the model to adopt a slower, "heel-walking" gait, and severe tightness caused the model to adopt a crouched, "toe-walking" gait. These results highlight how deficits in the ankle extensor muscles may contribute to abnormal walking patterns commonly seen in pathological populations.


Faculty members and students of graduate schools and others interested in securing complete copies of studies summarized in these columns, if available on a loan basis or otherwise, should make their requests through their own college librarians.


Owing to its extraordinary range of properties, yttria-doped zirconia holds a unique place among the ceramic oxide systems. To improve the properties for some specific custom design applications, co-doping with other rare earth oxides such as ceria is needed. The aim of this paper is to identify the correlations between the phase composition evolution with increasing thermal treatment temperature in order to establish the thermal stability in connection with the ceria content and how does it influence the yttria-stabilised zirconia microstructure. The ZrO 2 –3Y 2 O 3 – n CeO 2 ( n  = 3, 6 and 9 wt.%) samples were obtained by a hydrothermal process and submitted to a thermal treatment up to 1600 °C. Intensive characterization was performed via X-ray powder diffraction and EDX analysis. It was found that up to 400 °C, a monophasic structure was formed. At higher temperatures tetragonal zirconia is formed as a major phase with the presence of secondary monoclinic and cubic phases, depending on the Ce content and thermal treatment temperature. Sintered compacts with densities up to 99.5% from the theoretical density were obtained starting from the 6%CeO 2 –3%Y 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 -nanostructured powders using a special field-assisted (FAST) sintering process. With increasing CeO 2 content to 9% only, tetragonal zirconia with 6–9 nm crystallite sizes is formed during the FAST sintering process.


The empirical evidence concerning the relationship between blood pressure and anthropometric characteristics (triceps skinfold, adiposity, and arm circumference) was assessed by means of meta-analysis. Different studies were evaluated critically for strength of design, methods and associations. It was found that the association between blood pressure and triceps skinfold holds for three different demographic categories. The question as to the independence of these associations remained unsolved. The effect of arm adiposity on the measurement of blood pressure was also discussed. Recommendations are give in order to standardize blood pressure measurements in clinical and research settings.


Abstract. In this paper, the diurnal variations of aerosol optical properties and their influences on the estimation of daily average direct aerosol radiative effect (DARE) in the North China Plain (NCP) are investigated based on in situ measurements from Haze in China campaign. For ambient aerosol, the diurnal patterns of single scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry factor (g) in the NCP are both highest at dawn and lowest in the late afternoon, and quite different from those of dry-state aerosol. The relative humidity (RH) is the dominant factor which determines the diurnal pattern of SSA and g for ambient aerosol. Basing on the calculated SSA and g, several cases are designed to investigate the impacts of the diurnal changes of aerosol optical properties on DARE. The results demonstrate that the diurnal changes of SSA and g in the NCP have significant influences on the estimation of DARE at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). If the full temporal coverage of aerosol optical depth (AOD), SSA and g are available, an accurate estimation of daily average DARE can be achieved by using the daily averages of AOD, SSA and g. However, due to the lack of full temporal coverage data sets of SSA and g, their daily averages are usually not available. Basing on the results of designed cases, if the RH plays a dominant role in the diurnal variations of SSA and g, we suggest that using both SSA and g averaged over early morning and late afternoon as inputs for radiative transfer model to improve the accurate estimation of DARE. If the temporal samplings of SSA or g are too few to adopt this method, either averaged over early morning or late afternoon of both SSA and g can be used to improve the estimation of DARE at the TOA.


Smooth time-varying laws can solve the stabilization problem of nonholonomic mechanical systems. The authors show that by means of dynamic state feedback, it is possible for three-wheeled mobile robots to track arbitrary fast trajectories not reduced to equilibrium points. Dynamical modeling of nonholonomic mechanical systems for the case of three-wheeled mobile robots is considered. Dynamic feedback allows solution of the tracking problem for an omnidirectional mobile robot with less motors than degrees of freedom. This is possible by choosing output functions depending on the mass repartition of the robot.<<ETX>>


New environmental regulations and volatile fuel prices have resulted in an ever-increasing need for reduction in carbon emission and fuel consumption. Designs of marine and offshore vessels are more demanding with complex operating requirements and oil and gas exploration venturing into deeper waters and hasher environments. Combinations of these factors have led to the need to optimise the design of the hull for the marine and offshore industry. The contribution of this paper is threefold. Firstly, the paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art techniques in hull form design. Specifically, it analyses geometry modelling, shape transformation, optimisation and performance evaluation. Strengths and weaknesses of existing solutions are also discussed. Secondly, key challenges of hull form optimisation specific to the design of marine and offshore vessels are identified and analysed. Thirdly, future trends in performing hull form design optimisation are investigated and possible solutions proposed. A case study on the design optimisation of bulbous bow for passenger ferry vessel to reduce wave-making resistance is presented using NAPA software. Lastly, main issues and challenges are discussed to stimulate further ideas on future developments in this area, including the use of parallel computing and machine intelligence.


Selective functionalization of the periphery of commercial polypropyleneamine (POPAM) and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers has been investigated in preparative scale. The first generation (G1) POPAM dendrimer was for the first time selectively N,N-bis(sulfonylated) with tosyl chloride and the corresponding mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-N-tosylsulfonamides were isolated and fully characterized. Unexpectedly, similar persulfonylation of G2 POPAM results in splitting of a central C−N bond and only fully and partially sulfonylated halves of the initial dendrimer could be isolated. Higher generations of POPAM are also split during the persulfonylation yielding complex mixtures of persulfonylated dendritic fragments which could hardly be identified. A plausible mechanism of the POPAM decomposition on the basis of the reaction product analysis is proposed. N-Sulfonylation of a peripheral octasulfonamide of G2 POPAM with tosyl chloride also leads to the destruction of the dendrimer, while its N-alkylation with benzyl bromide proved to be not selective yielding a completely alkylated derivative. Unlike POPAM dendrimers, PAMAM dendrimers were shown to be more stable during their sulfonylation and no decomposition of the dendritic backbone was detected. In contrast to the POPAM dendrimers, PAMAM dendrimers were shown to be rather inert with respect to the formation of N-tosylsulfonamides since they could only be N-monosulfonylated at all peripheral amino groups. The combination of MALDI-TOF and ESI-FT-ICR tandem mass spectrometry has been shown to be an effective method for structure assignment and purity check of selectively or fully persulfonylated dendritic oligoamines. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)


The genus Phytophthora includes species causing diseases such as late blight of potatoes, Phytophthora infestans, and sudden oak death and ramorum blight, P. ramorum. Because of the importance of diseases caused by Phytophthora, there is a need to have rapid access to the literature using their scientific names. The literature has been reviewed for all names in Phytophthora in order to provide the scientific name of each accepted species with authors and synonyms as well as the plant host range and worldwide geographic distribution. Within the genus Phytophthora, there are 87 accepted species and six infraspecific taxa. After compiling all available reports of Phytophthora, it was determined that 39 species and six infraspecific taxa, or about one-half of the accepted species, are not known to occur in the United States. The accurate scientific names of accepted species of Phytophthora are listed in two tables based on their presence or absence in the United States. Each species name is hyperlinked to databases that provide full synonymy and references documenting the host range and geographic distribution information. These data are continuously updated as new literature is published. Having rapid access to information about species of Phytophthora is critical for protecting the United States from the


It was found that the chymotrypsin active site is located in the largest cleft on the enzyme surface approximated by a sphere with a radius of 20 angstroms. The active site cleft volume is about 2 nm3, as computed by the Monte-Carlo method. The size and shape of the active site cleft-- the intersection of two unequal spheres--are sufficient for large (about 1 nm3) fragments of substrate molecules to enter the active site. The active site bottom and the adjacent narrow section are about 600 angstroms3 in volume and may serve as a combustion chamber of a water-substrate mixture during the operation of the enzyme machinery. Intrinsic water molecules inside the combustion chamber can take part in heat exchange during different steps of the enzymatic process.


The development of high thermal conductivity thin film materials for the thermal management of electronics requires accurate and precise methods for characterizing heat spreading capability, namely, in-plane thermal conductivity. However, due to the complex nature of thin film thermal property measurements, resolving the in-plane thermal conductivity of high thermal conductivity anisotropic thin films with high accuracy is particularly challenging. Capable transient techniques exist; however, they usually measure thermal diffusivity and require heat capacity and density to deduce thermal conductivity. Here, we present an explicit uncertainty analysis framework for accurately resolving in-plane thermal conductivity via two independent steady-state thermometry techniques: particle-assisted Raman thermometry and electrical resistance thermometry. Additionally, we establish error-based criteria to determine the limiting experimental conditions that permit the simplifying assumption of one-dimensional thermal conduction to further reduce thermal analysis. We demonstrate the accuracy and precision (<5% uncertainty) of both steady-state techniques through in-plane thermal conductivity measurements of anisotropic nanocrystalline diamond thin films.


This paper responds to Hemmer's (2020) critique of Lambert's (1984) paper on income smoothing. Lambert develops and analyzes a two-period agency model in which he shows income smoothing, defined as the second-period action being a decreasing function of the first-period outcome, is part of the equilibrium. Hemmer claims Lambert's analysis contains errors, and that income smoothing does not occur in the model for the reasons Lambert claims. Here, I confirm the Lambert results, show why Hemmer's results appear different than mine, and make clearer the economic forces behind why income smoothing occurs.


Atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) has been used to study asymmetric bilayer InAs quantum dot (QD) structures grow by molecular-beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates. The two InAs layers were separated by a 7-nm-thick GaAs spacer layer and were grown at different substrate temperature. We took advantage of the intrinsic nonuniformity of the molecular beams to grow the seed layer with an average InAs coverage of 2.0 ML. Then the seed layer thickness could be divided into three areas: below, around and above the critical thickness of the 2D-3D transition along the [110] direction of the substrate. Correspondingly, the nucleation mechanisms of the upper InAs layer (IT1L) could be also divided into three areas: temperature-controlled, competition between temperature-controlled and strain-induced, and strain-induced (template-controlled) nucleation. Small quantum dots (QDs) with a large density around 5 times 1010 cm-2 are found in the temperature-controlled nucleation area. The QD size distributions undergo a bimodal to a unimodal transition with decreasing QD densities in the strain-induced nucleation area, where the QD densities vary following that of the seed layer (templating effect). The optimum QD density with the IIII. thickness fixed at 2.4 ML is shown to be around 1.5 times 1010 cm-2 , for which the QD size distribution is unimodal and PL emission peaks at the longest wavelength. The QDs in the in-between area exhibit a broad size distribution with small QDs and strain-induced large QDs coexisting.


Balamuthia mandrillaris amoebas are recognized as a causative agent of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, a disease that is usually fatal. They were first recognized when isolated from the brain of a mandrill baboon that died in the San Diego Zoo Wild Life Animal Park. Subsequently, the amoebas have been found in a variety of animals, including humans (young and old, immunocompromised and immunocompetent persons), in countries around the world. Until recently, the amoebas had not been recovered from the environment and their free-living status was in question. The recovery of a Balamuthia amoeba from a soil sample taken from a plant at the home of a child from California, USA, who died of Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis, was reported previously. In a continued investigation, a second amoeba was isolated from soil that was obtained from an outdoor potted plant in a spatially unrelated location. A comparison of these two environmental amoebas that were isolated from different soils with the amoeba that was obtained from the child's clinical specimen is reported here. Included are the isolation procedure for the amoebas, their growth requirements, their immunological response to anti-Balamuthia serum, their sensitivity to a selection of antimicrobials and sequence analysis of their 16S rRNA gene. The evidence is consistent that the amoebas isolated from both soil samples and the clinical isolate obtained from the Californian child are B. mandrillaris.


Beta-exotoxin is a nucleotide analogue produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. We have defined two new HPLC procedures for quantification of this exotoxin in culture supernatants of B. thuringiensis grown in poor or rich medium. The sample is prepared either by precipitation in solvent or by solid-phase extraction. Solvent precipitation is achieved treating the sample with acetone and acetonitrile. Solid-phase extraction is performed with a C18 and an anion-exchange cartridge. Reversed-phase HPLC with gradient elution of the prepared samples gives a limit of quantitation of 2 microg/ml for samples prepared by solvent precipitation and of 0.3 microg/ml for samples prepared by solid-phase extraction.


The market share of 90-day prescriptions has risen dramatically in recent years, primarily because of increasing incentivization by insurers, pharmacies, and pharmacy benefit managers. Although 90-day prescriptions may benefit patients, they are potentially dangerous for those at risk for suicide. Prior authorization requirements by some insurers for coverage of shorter prescriptions and some pharmacists' newfound ability to unilaterally convert 30-day prescriptions with refills into 90-day supplies have complicated physicians' efforts to prevent harm to these patients. Here, the authors discuss the patient safety challenges posed by 90-day prescriptions and suggest potential mitigation strategies that would still preserve the benefits of larger medication supplies.


3-D histograms grading the frequency of occurrence of pulsed-laser and heavy-ion induced ASETs against their durations and amplitudes are collected and interpreted on both radiation-hardened and commercial 16-bit ADCs operated at 10 MSps. The histograms encompass traditional cross-section tabulations, modeled after digital upset scoring techniques based on counting events that exceed an arbitrary threshold; yet, they provide a more exhaustive alternative. This data representation technique offers an intuitive visual assessment of the circuit response to radiation, which helped us identify in heavy-ion test results the same trend of ASET width increase, peak decrease versus LET recently published for laser data. The method proposed in this work hinges on a database structure that allows for the definition of custom figures of merit, providing a comprehensive tool for rating radiation hardness in complex analog and mixed-signal circuits.


Halal has caught the interest of customers worldwide, both Muslims and non-Muslims. The concepts and principles, however, were little understood, and the research was limited to Muslims. Hence, the study on the behavioral influence of halal food consumption was conducted considering two religions and the millennials. The validated and pre-tested survey instruments were distributed in selected cities and municipalities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Philippines with a total of 536 participants. Following the standards of analysis, IBM SPSS software version 22 of the University was used to analyze the 519 valid questionnaires. Six-stages of CB-SEM was employed providing TPB models that are in good fit considering the satisfaction of measures including x² statistic, root mean square error of estimate (RMSEA), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), normed x², comparative fit index (CFI) and parsimony normed fit index (PNFI). The measurement model was confirmed to be applicable in the local setting and the proposed structural model is significant and acceptable. The re-specification generates the knowledge, subjective norms, and attitude that are positively related and statistically significant to intention to buy. The findings revealed also that the intention to buy and all variables pertaining to it highly explained the halal food consumption of millennials. Government and schools are encouraged to collaborate to intensify the promotion on halal food products and sustain the appreciation of consumers.


Australia [cartographic material] : by John Arrowsmith, 1842. - Arrowsmith's Australian Maps - Arrowsmith's Australian Maps is a biographical, bibliographical and archival database of SUBJECT with links to related articles and images. ADD MORE DESCRIPTION AS REQUIRED


The crystal structures of 2,2-dimethyl-5-nitroso-1,3-dioxan5-yl benzoate, C13H15NO5, (I), 2,2-dimethyl-5-nitroso-1,3dioxan-5-yl 4-chlorobenzoate, C13H14ClNO5, (II), and 5-nitroso-1,3-dioxan-5-yl 4-chlorobenzoate, C11H11NO5, (III), have been determined in order to gain insight into the conformational preference of -benzoyloxynitroso. Unfavourable 1,3-diaxial interactions force (I) and (II) to crystallize in the 2,5 twist-boat conformation, whereas compound (III), lacking this destabilizing interaction, crystallizes in the chair conformation.


Multiple time scale molecular dynamics enhances computational efficiency by updating slow motions less frequently than fast motions. However, in practice, the largest outer time step possible is limited not by the physical forces but by resonances between the fast and slow modes. In this paper we show that this problem can be alleviated by using a simple colored noise thermostatting scheme which selectively targets the high frequency modes in the system. For two sample problems, flexible water and solvated alanine dipeptide, we demonstrate that this allows the use of large outer time steps while still obtaining accurate sampling and minimizing the perturbation of the dynamics. Furthermore, this approach is shown to be comparable to constraining fast motions, thus providing an alternative to molecular dynamics with constraints.


A comparative study concerning the diagnostic importance of clinical, humoral, morphological and instrumental parameters had been carried out on 105 patients affected by chronic liver disease (51 cases with liver cirrhosis, 15 with metastatic tumors, 10 with liver steatosis and 29 with chronic hepatitis). The final diagnosis of the patients used for the comparison was formulated considering the greatest numbers of data. The results of this study can be drawn as follows: --clinical and laboratory data show satisfactory diagnostic value principally in patients suffering from liver cirrhosis (90 per ceny) and metastatic tumors (93 per cent); --peritoneoscopy appears to be generally the most useful procedure with the most significance value above all in cirrhotic patients; --morphological examination in biopsy specimen results of the greatest importance in patients affected by chronic hepatitis and hepatosteatosis while rather high has been the percentage of false negatives in secondary tumors of the liver (40 per cent) and cirrhosis (68 per cent); --scintiphotoscanning is generally less useful as a diagnostic tool than peritoneoscopy a part of the cases of metastatic tumors. In such a condition the diagnostic power of both the procedures results to be identical; --it may be concluded that an integrating diagnostic information generally results to be the most precise and maximally capable of reducing the number of false negatives. In individual cases, of course, the less important procedure shows to have the maximum of diagnostic capacity.


In this dissertation, results are presented of laboratory investigations and mathematical modeling efforts designed to better understand the interactions of ozone with surfaces. In the laboratory, carpet and duct materials were exposed to ozone and measured ozone uptake kinetics and the ozone induced emissions of volatile organic compounds. To understand the results of the experiments, mathematical methods were developed to describe dynamic indoor aldehyde concentrations, mass transport of reactive species to smooth surfaces, the equivalent reaction probability of whole carpet due to the surface reactivity of fibers and carpet backing, and ozone aging of surfaces. Carpets, separated carpet fibers, and separated carpet backing all tended to release aldehydes when exposed to ozone. Secondary emissions were mostly n-nonanal and several other smaller aldehydes. The pattern of emissions suggested that vegetable oils may be precursors for these oxidized emissions. Several possible precursors and experiments in which linseed and tung oils were tested for their secondary emission potential were discussed. Dynamic emission rates of 2-nonenal from a residential carpet may indicate that intermediate species in the oxidation of conjugated olefins can significantly delay aldehyde emissions and act as reservoir for these compounds. The ozone induced emission rate of 2-nonenal, a very odorous compound, can result in odorous indoor concentrations for several years. Surface ozone reactivity is a key parameter in determining the flux of ozone to a surface, is parameterized by the reaction probability, which is simply the probability that an ozone molecule will be irreversibly consumed when it strikes a surface. In laboratory studies of two residential and two commercial carpets, the ozone reaction probability for carpet fibers, carpet backing and the equivalent reaction probability for whole carpet were determined. Typically reaction probability values for these materials were 10{sup {minus}7}, 10{sup {minus}5}, and 10{sup {minus}5} respectively. To understand how internal surface area influences the equivalent reaction probability of whole carpet, a model of ozone diffusion into and reaction with internal carpet components was developed. This was then used to predict apparent reaction probabilities for carpet. He combines this with a modified model of turbulent mass transfer developed by Liu, et al. to predict deposition rates and indoor ozone concentrations. The model predicts that carpet should have an equivalent reaction probability of about 10{sup {minus}5}, matching laboratory measurements of the reaction probability. For both carpet and duct materials, surfaces become progressively quenched (aging), losing the ability to react or otherwise take up ozone. He evaluated the functional form of aging and find that the reaction probability follows a power function with respect to the cumulative uptake of ozone. To understand ozone aging of surfaces, he developed several mathematical descriptions of aging based on two different mechanisms. The observed functional form of aging is mimicked by a model which describes ozone diffusion with internal reaction in a solid. He shows that the fleecy nature of carpet materials in combination with the model of ozone diffusion below a fiber surface and internal reaction may explain the functional form and the magnitude of power function parameters observed due to ozone interactions with carpet. The ozone induced aldehyde emissions, measured from duct materials, were combined with an indoor air quality model to show that concentrations of aldehydes indoors may approach odorous levels. He shows that ducts are unlikely to be a significant sink for ozone due to the low reaction probability in combination with the short residence time of air in ducts.


It is well known that the choices of physical schemes in Regional Climate Models (RCMs) can cause considerable uncertainties in future climate projections. In this study, a factorial sensitivity analysis method has been proposed to screen out statistically significant schemes and interactions, which assists in selecting the optimized physical scheme combination from a long‐term perspective with affordable computational costs. The Regional Climate Model (RegCM) is used as an example to illustrate how the approach works. In detail, all schemes are fully tested through 120 experimental runs based on a factorial design; the contributions and statistical significance (P value) of individual schemes and their interactions to temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and wind direction are then quantified. The performance of the proposed approach is then demonstrated through a case study of Canada. The results indicate that there exist considerable spatial and temporal simulated variations associated with different scheme combinations. It is also suggested that individual physical schemes have dominant influences on simulated variations, but some effects explained by their interactions are statistically significant and thus cannot be neglected. In particular, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme, moisture scheme, and land surface model are found to be the dominant factors affecting the uncertainties of temperature, precipitation, and wind speed in future climate projections over Canada, respectively. Furthermore, the potential relationships between the vegetation cover conditions and the sensitivity of physical schemes are explored. The proposed approach is an attempt to analyze the sensitivity influenced by not only individual physical schemes and also their multilevel interactions.


Evidence over the recent decades indicates that susceptibility to cardiovascular disease (CVD) may be established already prenatally and in early childhood, and that the aetiological processes of the disease involve biological and social influences occurring throughout a person's life span. Numerous studies have shown that small size at birth is associated with increased risk of CVD later in life. This finding is suggested to reflect the influence of poor foetal nutrition on the body's organ structure, physiology and metabolism. Surprisingly, there is little empirical evidence available to support the proposed causal mechanisms. The aim of this thesis is to study the mechanisms underlying the inverse association of size at birth with CVD. Three studies in the thesis are based on Uppsala Birth Cohort Study (UBCoS), a prospective cohort study which includes men and women, who were born at the Uppsala Academic Hospital between 1915 and 1929. Information from birth records, school catalogues, Hospital Discharge Register, Cause of Death Register and Censuses is used. One study is based on Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program (SHEEP), a population based case-control study of risk factors for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with study base including all Swedish citizens aged 45-70 years with no prior clinically diagnosed AMI, who lived in Stockholm County during 1992-1994. Data from birth records, questionnaire, health examination and blood sampling is used. In both data materials small size at birth was associated with increased risk of disease. Further analyses showed that birth weight for gestational age in men was associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality within the non-manual class but not among the manual workers, even if the overall mortality rate was higher in the latter. There was no difference in the association by the men's family's social class at birth. For women, social class neither at birth nor in adulthood modified the association between birth weight for gestational age and IHD mortality. We found that there was a synergistic interaction between low weight for gestational age and overweight in adulthood on risk of AMI. The simultaneous analysis of foetal growth, cognitive ability and IHD mortality suggested that there is an indirect association between foetal growth and cognitive ability through childhood cognitive ability. Finally, men with very low and very high birth weight for gestational age had a higher risk of dying after an AMI than men with intermediate birth size. Case fatality in women was not associated with their size at birth. The results suggest that the effect of poor foetal nutrition on CVD may be modified by social exposures later in life. The synergistic interaction between small size at birth and high adult body mass index with respect to AMI risk supports the thrifty phenotype hypothesis according to which a mismatch between foetal and adult nutrition is causing the disease. The existence of an indirect association between foetal growth and IHD mortality through childhood cognitive ability implies that mechanisms related to brain development are contributing to the association between poor foetal nutrition and IHD, in addition to the effects on physiology and metabolism. As the association of size at birth with case fatality was different from the associations with incidence and mortality, the mechanisms that operate after the AMI event and determine the prognosis might partly be different from the mechanisms that drive the development of the disease.


As a power electronic device, Soft Open Point (SOP) offers increasingly valuable flexible and accurate power flow control for electricity distribution networks. In this paper, SOPs are optimized to minimize energy curtailment of distributed generation. The optimal operating set-points of SOPs are determined by using a multi-period non-linear optimization model. The optimization model adopts minimum energy curtailment of distributed generation as the objective, while considering the constraints of power losses and physical limits of SOPs and power output limits of distributed generation simultaneously. At the input of the model, load variation is considered by generating random power loading conditions via Monte Carlo simulation. As such, the results of minimum energy curtailment of the model can be analyzed statistically. The methodology is demonstrated on a modified IEEE 33-bus system with different SOP cases. The performance of SOP is evaluated comparing to the case without SOP, and the results show that an SOP can effectively reduce minimum energy curtailment by 84% on average. The impacts of location, capacity and number of SOPs on the performance are also analyzed respectively.


Technological developments are pushing for new solutions based upon massive integration of renewable electricity generation in networks already facing many challenges. This paper presents a novel approach to managing the energy transfer towards prosumers making use of smart management of local energy storage. The proposed design (including storage dimensioning) is based on several operating scenarios in which the prosumer might operate as: (i) a "load only" entity (from a grid perspective), thus exhibiting investment resiliency against regulatory changes and high energy efficiency; or (ii) a prosumer, in case regulatory opportunistic profit might be available. This can be realized within a newly proposed Uni-directional Resilient Consumer (UniRCon) architecture. The major aim of the proposed architecture is to achieve optimal self-consumption while avoiding curtailment even in a changing regulatory environment like, for example, the total lack of incentives for generation based on renewable energy sources (RES). One of the major advantages of the proposed architecture consists in the adaptability to changes in the regulatory and market environment. The term resilience is used with multiple meanings: (a) the prosumer's financial resilience against regulatory changes when investment calculations assume no-grid injections; (b) the prosumer's technical resilience, with electrical design based on standalone operation; (c) the resilience of clusters of interconnected end-user installations with enabled community-level electricity exchange, independent of the existing main grid supply; (d) the contribution to grid resilience, by enabling AC microgrid (MG) operation in island mode when large portions of the grid are formed by clusters of UniRCon prosumers (the ease of islanding segmentation of the local grid in case of emergencies). For proof of concept, three use-cases are detailed: (i) photovoltaic (PV) installations connected behind the meter; (ii) PV and storage available and controllable behind the meter; and (iii) the UniRCon architecture. The three use-cases are then compared and assessed for four near-future timelines as starting points for the investment. Numerical simulations show the attractiveness of the UniRCon solution in what concerns both system operation costs and supply resilience. Savings are expressed as opportunity savings arising from difference in tariffs while charging and discharging the storage unit and due to the avoidance of curtailment, as well as special taxes for the connection of PV (depending on regulatory environment). An extension of the UniRCon concept is presented also at community scale, with neighbourhood energy exchange inside a resilient cluster.


This paper conceptualizes public corruption as part of a broader social order context. It argues that corruption should not be conceived of as a social 'malady' to be eradicated, but rather as a default governance regime. People naturally favor their own, be it family, clan, race or ethnic group: treating the rest of the world fairly seems to be a matter of extensive social evolution and sufficient resources. Very few societies have evolved from this natural state of affairs to produce a state which can be expected to treat everyone equally and fairly, and to put public above private interest, when entrusted with the management of common affairs and resources. The paper surveys the approaches to anticorruption of three distinct political regimes, monarchy, medieval republic and modern democracy to conclude that current anticorruption should be conceptualized as solving collective action problems rather than as repression of deviance.


The editors of this special issue have commissioned us to bring together some of the conceptual and empirical research presented in six intriguing papers that illustrate the widening scope of mentalization. Our discussion will look at each paper in turn, but bring ideas and findings from the other papers into focus when relevant.


A triode extraction system is designed for a dual hollow cathode ion source being developed at the Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University. Basic parameters of the plasma are selected after examining the operation principle of the ion source, then the triode extraction system is designed and optimized by using software PBGUNS (for Particle Beam GUN Simulations). The physical design of the system is given in this paper.


Background Mitral annular systolic displacement from M-mode echocardiography and velocity from tissue Doppler imaging reflect subendocardial longitudinal systolic LV performance and may precede radial abnormalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of mitral annular systolic displacement (D) and velocity (V) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in detecting left ventricular (LV) functional reserve and wall motion abnormality (WMA). Methods and Results Fifty-nine subjects, 15 with resting WMA, underwent DSE and measurement of mitral systolic (D) and (V) before and immediately after DSE. Annular septal (D) was lower in those with WMA than in those without, at rest 10.5 ± 4 cm versus 13.2 ± 2 cm, p = 0.015, and after DSE, 11.7 ± 3.8 cm versus 14 ± 2.25 cm, p = 0.036, but without significant change after stress. Annular systolic (V) at rest with WMA was 9.7 ± 1.8 cm/sec and similar to those without, 11.25 ± 2.7 cm/sec. In both groups the velocity increased after DSE, 14.5 ± 4.5 cm/sec, p = 0.025 with WMA and 17.8 ± 3.2 cm/sec, p = 1.99 x 10-10 in those without WMA. Velocities after DSE were lower in those with WMA, p = 2.25 x 10-6. Conclusions To evaluate LV systolic performance mitral annular systolic longitudinal displacement is valuable at rest, but for assessment of LV functional reserve after stress velocities are better.


There has recently been renewed interest in thoracoscopy. Among its indications we consider talc therapy for a pneumothorax particularly worthy of interest. We report the three year results obtained on a series of 109 pneumothoraces. The indication for thoracoscopy were considered either for a chronic pneumothorax (failure of drainage after 8 days) or for a recurrent pneumothorax. We perform this technique under local anaesthetic with talc therapy given direct vision on the macroscopic lesions encountered. Patients were in hospital for a mean of five days. The results were as follows: Lung appearance. Normal 19%-Dystrophic bullae and giant bullae 41%. blebs: 13%-a visible breach 14%-Diverse anomalies 13%. The immediate failures with talc numbered 6 (5%) each time from the chronic pneumothorax group. They were treated surgically. There were 7 recurrences after talc therapy, 5 were partial recurrences requiring no further treatment and two total relapses were surgically treated. The radiological sequelae appeared minimal. On 5 occasions pleural discomfort hindered the diaphragmatic movement, in the other cases the radiological sequelae consisted of discrete pleural thickening. 42 patients had respiratory function testing and no abnormalities were noted. The failures or recurrences in the talc treated patients were all in the recurrent pneumothorax and were only 13 cases (12%). Thus thoracoscopy is a treatment of choice in the treatment of recurrent pneumothorax, and often replaces surgery. In certain cases (pneumothorax in respiratory failure) it is only possible treatment.


Abstract. On 9 October 1963 a catastrophic landslide suddenly occurred on the southern slope of the Vaiont dam reservoir. A mass of approximately 270 million m3 collapsed into the reservoir generating a wave that overtopped the dam and hit the town of Longarone and other villages nearby. Several investigations and interpretations of the slope collapse have been carried out during the last 45 years, however, a comprehensive explanation of both the triggering and the dynamics of the phenomenon has yet to be provided. In order to re-evaluate the currently existing information on the slide, an electronic bibliographic database and an ESRI-geodatabase have been developed. The chronology of the collected documentation showed that most of the studies for re-evaluating the failure mechanisms were conducted in the last decade, as a consequence of knowledge, methods and techniques recently acquired. The current contents of the geodatabase will improve definition of the structural setting that influenced the slide and led to the the propagation of the displaced rock mass. The objectives, structure and contents of the e-bibliography and Geodatabase are indicated, together with a brief description on the possible use of the alphanumeric and spatial contents of the databases.


This paper proposes a variant of the Arbitrage Free Approach (AFA) (developed by Duponcheele et al. (2013)) applicable when the available inputs are risk weights alone. This Simplified AFA, together with the AFA itself, offer a consistent set of approaches for regulatory capital calculations that can be used by investor or issuer banks without relying on agency ratings. The consistency of the AFA and SAFA has the significant advantage of eliminating the cliff effects that occur with the Modified Supervisory Formula Approach (MSFA) and the Simplified Supervisory Formula Approach (SSFA) recently suggested by the Basel Committee. The latter are based on different assumptions and so may imply quite different capital for a given securitisation tranche.


Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease which remains a global health problem till date. A number of cytokine and chemokine have been reported to be associated with MTB clearance, reactivation or cure but there are no consensus biomarkers to differentiate the severity of TB. In this study, we determined the changes in plasma C- reactive protein (C-RP) and Fibrinogen levels in Drug sensitive Tuberculosis (DSTB) patients at diagnosis, Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) patients at diagnosis and during chemotherapy. Twenty-four (24) patients MDRTB patients and 24 newly diagnosed DSTB patients from University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria were recruited for the study by a Consultant Chest physician using clinical history, Chest X-ray and GENE Xpert test. Five (5) milliliters of blood was drawn from the anti-cubital fossa vein into lithium heparin tubes before the commencement of chemotherapy, 2 months, 4 months and 6 months of anti-TB therapy. Plasma obtained was analyzed for C-RP and fibrinogen using ELISA. Data was presented as mean ± SD. Student t-test was used for mean comparison. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Mean CRP level in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients was significantly higher at diagnosis compared with controls. Mean fibrinogen levels in the drug sensitive and multi drug resistant tuberculosis were significantly lower at diagnosis compared to controls. The mean CRP and fibrinogen levels in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis were significantly reduced during chemotherapy compared with before commencement of chemotherapy. Plasma CRP and fibrinogen are suggested as possible markers for monitoring treatment response in MDRTB patients.


In this paper we introduce a proposal for extracting facts from news on Mexican online newspapers through their RSS (Really Simple Syndication). This problem will be addressed by using the task of automatic named entities recognition and classification (NERC), as well as the semantic relation extraction among entities, so that we can build a database of facts and rules from the obtained entities in an automatic manner. The final aim is to be able to infer new rules through the use of the knowledge databases constructed and an inference engine. In order to build the NER model, we performa manual annotation of corpora with different tags that include the baseline tags (person names, organizations, locations, dates and numeral). The idea proposed is presented in this paper with an example scenario together with the procedure employed for solving the problem of automatic inference of new rules.


This paper analyzes the validity of macroeconomic variables, such as exchange rate uncertainty, macroeconomic instability, and openness, in determining intra-FDI inflows in the ASEAN countries, China, Japan, and Korea. Our empirical results show that openness, exchange rates, exchange rate volatility, per capita GDP, and foreign reserve accumulation are statistically significant factors that determine regional intra-FDI inflows; other variables such as macroeconomic instability are not significant. Variables like openness and exchange rate volatility have direct implications for regional FTAs and regional common currency arrangements, and thus to East Asian economic integration. Our findings suggest that a regional FTA that would increase regional openness by 10 percent would increase intra-FDI inflows by almost 2 percent. A regional exchange rate arrangement that would reduce regional exchange volatility by half would increase intra-FDI inflows by around 10 percent.


Using radioligand binding, RT-PCR, and Southern blot analyses, we evaluated whether agonist [D-Trp6]LH-RH and antagonist Cetrorelix could affect the levels of receptors for LH-RH and EGF and expression of mRNA for these receptors in DU-145 human androgen-independent prostate cancers xenografted into nude mice. Radioligand binding studies showed the presence of specific high affinity receptors for LH-RH and EGF in DU-145 prostate tumors. Cetrorelix, but not [D-Trp6]LH-RH significantly inhibited tumor growth. The concentration of LH-RH receptors was reduced by 22% (p<0. 05) and 67% (p<0.01) after 4 weeks of treatment with [D-Trp6]LH-RH and Cetrorelix respectively. The concentration of EGF receptors fell by 48% (p<0.05) in the [D-Trp6]LH-RH group, whereas Cetrorelix led to a 66% reduction (p<0.01). The expression of LH-RH and EGF receptor mRNA was investigated by RT-PCR analysis followed by Southern blotting. Densitometric analysis of the developed bands showed that the antagonist Cetrorelix decreased the expression of LH-RH receptor mRNA by 55% (p<0.01) compared to control group while the 20% reduction after treatment with the LH-RH agonist was non-significant. Treatment with [D-Trp6]LH-RH and Cetrorelix also reduced the expression of EGF receptor mRNA by 35% and 68% respectively (both, p<0.01) compared to control group. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that growth inhibition of DU-145 prostate tumors induced by prolonged administration of LH-RH antagonist Cetrorelix is accompanied by a marked decrease in the concentration of LH-RH and EGF receptors as well as in their mRNA levels.


Previous policy approaches on Hallyu have been focused on the role of government engagement, particularly in fostering diversity and equal business opportunities for small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs). However, a more strategic approach to the cultural industries should be implemented by carefully examining the role of the private sector, particularly the role of large enterprises (LEs). This is important because LEs have an overarching and fundamentally differentiated role in increasing the size of industry through their expansive value-creating activities and diversified business areas. This study focuses on the complementary roles of SMEs and LEs in facilitating the growth of Hallyu by bringing in the perspective of value chain diversification and the modified value chain framework for the film industry. By conducting a comparative analysis of the global entertainment firms in the US, China, and Japan, this study reveals how LEs in the global market enter and explore new industries within culture and continue to enhance their competitiveness. By forming a business ecosystem through linking their value-creating activities as the platform of network, this study looks into the synergistic role among enterprises of different size and scale and suggests that Korea's policy for Hallyu should reorient toward a new growth strategy that encourages the integrative network of firms where the value activities of LEs serve as the platform for convergence.


This article was inspired by some works of Belyaev in which he discussed the biosocial human nature, and is dedicated to the 100 year anniversary of Belyaev' birth. The main views and theories of the human nature and the main paths of genome and culture evolution during anthropogenesis are overviewed. The views of the leading past and present world-wide scientists on the basic principles of the genome-culture interactions are discussed. The seeming contradictions between "geneticists" and "sociologists" are resolved due to the development of the concept of co-evolution of the genome and culture. The evolution of genes and culture is a whole, but not separate processes. During their evolution, humans modify and reconstruct their sociocultural environment. The new environment creates new selection vectors and forms new ways and directions for genetic evolution. In response to the culture development, the genetic determination of human cognitive processes also changed. A good example of the co-evolution of culture and the genome is the development of human speech, the voice and mimic apparatus of communication. The vital importance of the new possibilities for social communication in human populations disposes to the fixation of genetic features that facilitate such communication. At the early stages of human evolution, the areas of the cerebral cortex that were responsible for the development of speech expanded and reorganized. The point of genome-culture co-evolution is well illustrated by niche construction theory. It is emphasized that the evolution of culture, which is widely regarded as a non-biological phenomenon, is quite similar in all its respects to the Darwinian process, as a result of which a sociocultural environment that is adaptive for a given community is formed through selection and transmission in a series of generations. In fact, we are talking about epigenetic inheritance in the evolution of culture and morality. The review details the views and theoretical concepts of geneticists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, behaviorists and ethologists in explaining the phenomenon of human evolution. Some contradictions caused by different rates of evolution of culture and genome are considered. In conclusion, it is shown that Belyaev's interpretation of the biosocial nature of humans finds confirmation in modern studies by geneticists, sociologists and psychologists.


BACKGROUND
Disordered gambling is a public health problem with interconnections with health and social inequality, and adverse impacts on physical and mental health. Mapping technologies have been used to explore gambling in the UK, though most were based in urban locations.

METHODS
We used routine data sources and geospatial mapping software to predict where gambling related harm would be most prevalent within a large English county, host to urban, rural and coastal communities.

RESULTS
Licensed gambling premises were most concentrated in are as of deprivation, and in urban and coastal areas. The aggregate prevalence of disordered gambling associated characteristics was also greatest in these areas.

CONCLUSIONS
This mapping study links the number of gambling premises, deprivation, and risk factors for disordered gambling, and highlights that coastal areas see particularly high density of gambling premises. Findings can be applied to target resources to where they are most needed.


Ordered mesoporous SBA-15 was synthesized through hydrothermal process under acidic condition. The material was characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), and N2 adsorption-desorption. The results indicated that SBA-15 has 2-dimensional hexagonal p6mm mesoscopic structure and well-ordered parallel mesochannel. The as-obtained mesoporous silica was used for controlled release of water-insolube drug emodin. The loading capacity could achieve 6.64 mg/g, and the release profiles that studied in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH = 7.4) showed that released amount of emodin was 95.8 % after 48 h.


Introduction: Food allergies (FA) have been increasing dramatically over the past 25 years and the peanut allergy has been noticed more likely for a half-decade as well. The prevalence of FA in children was found to be 10%, which is high compared with adults. Limited periodic reports are available of numerous food allergic reactions in children. Complete exome sequencing in this context had an opportunity to investigate Saudi children diagnosed with FA. However, the genetic mechanisms and their factors underlying FA are largely not recognized. Three non-familial cases were arbitrarily selected along with three matching control children.
Results: A total of 26 mutations were documented from the six samples; 20 mutations were confirmed through FA cases and 6 from control children. There are four mutations, namely rs35364374, rs2293404, rs9657362 and rs757387978, which had not been associated with FA in any prior study with children. This mutation was appearing in both the cases and controls. However, chr5: 109973901-TMEM322 gene and chr19: 39008235-RYR1 gene appeared as novel mutations only in the control children. We could not find this mutation in any FA cases. Our study revealed four mutations which had not previously been connected with food allergy within the database and the rs35364374 and rs9657362 mutations were documented within the database with different diseases.
Conclusion: However, in the control children a couple of novel mutations were identified which have not been reported anywhere else. This study recommends screening all the six mutations in food allergy cases and their relevant controls to confirm the prevalence in the Saudi population. Future studies are recommended to study the four variants in detail.


ABSTRACT Learners in massive open online courses (MOOCs) are required to be autonomous during their learning process, and thus they need to self-regulate their learning to achieve their goals. According to existing literature, self-regulated learning (SRL) research in MOOCs is still scarce. More studies which build on past works regarding SRL in MOOCs are required, as well as literature reviews that help to identify the main challenges and future research directions in relation to this area. In this paper, the authors present the results of a systematic literature review on SRL in MOOCs, covering all the related papers published until the end of 2017. The papers considered in this review include real experiences with at least a MOOC (other learning scenarios sometimes claimed as MOOCs, such as blended courses, or online courses with access restrictions, are out of the scope of this analysis). Most studies on SRL in MOOCs share some common features: they are generally exploratory, based on one single MOOC and tend not to specify in which SRL model they are grounded. The results reveal that high self-regulators engage in non-linear navigation and approach MOOCs as an informal learning opportunity. In general, they prefer setting specific goals based on knowledge development and control their learning through assignments.


Despite the advancements in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technologies, problem of Indic script character recognition remains challenging. Especially in case of handwritten characters the challenges are even more. In this work, we focus on off-line recognition of handwritten characters of Gurmukhi, an Indic script commonly used in state of Punjab in India. As a part of this work, we collected a Gurmukhi character dataset of 3500 images. This dataset is collected from 10 writers. We propose a combined horizontal and vertical projection feature extraction scheme for recognition of Gurmukhi characters. We have tested our method on the collected dataset and achieved a high character recognition accuracy of 98.06%.


Laptop orchestras create music, although digitally produced, in a collaborative live performance not unlike a traditional orchestra. The recent increase in interest and investment in this style of music creation has paved the way for novel methods for musicians to create and interact with music. To this end, a number of nontraditional instruments have been constructed that enable musicians to control sound production beyond pitch and volume, integrating filtering, musical effects, etc. Wii Remotes (WiiMotes) have seen heavy use in maker communities, including laptop orchestras, for their robust sensor array and low cost. The placement of sensors and the form factor of the device itself are suited for video games, not necessarily live music creation. In this paper, the authors present a new controller design, based on the WiiMote hardware platform, to address usability in gesturecentric music performance. Based on the pilot-study data, the new controller offers unrestricted two-hand gesture production, smaller footprint, and lower muscle strain.


Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is now considered to be one of the important driver molecules for the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and possibly many other fibrotic disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms by which CTGF functions remain to be established. In an attempt to define these mechanisms, this study was designed to investigate whether CTGF has any effect on the cell cycle of human mesangial cells (HMC), which are known to undergo hypertrophy in DN. This report provides the first evidence that CTGF is a hypertrophic factor for HMC. CTGF stimulates HMC to actively enter the G(1) phase from G(0), but they do not then progress further through the cell cycle. The molecular mechanisms underlying this G(1) phase arrest appear to be due to the induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI) p15(INK4), p21(Cip1), and p27(Kip1), which are known to bind and inactivate cyclinD/CDK4/6 and the cyclin E/CDK2 kinase complexes. This could account for the maintenance of pRb protein in a non- or very low-phosphorylated state, preventing cell cycle progression. Using CTGF antisense oligonucleotides, the results also indicate that the previously identified transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-induced hypertrophy in mesangial cells is CTGF-dependent. Mesangial cell hypertrophy is one of the earliest abnormalities of diabetic nephropathy; therefore, therapeutic strategies targeting CTGF may be beneficial in controlling DN.


Evidence-based practice is an established guiding principle in most medical and health care disciplines. Central to establishing evidence-based practice is the assessment of clinical outcomes. Clinical outcomes represent a form of evidence on which to base medical decisions, as well as providing the mechanism for assessing the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions. However, clinical outcomes are not routinely assessed in sport rehabilitation. If sport rehabilitation clinicians fail to incorporate clinical outcomes assessment and, as a result, evidence into daily practice, they may be missing an opportunity to improve patient care and putting their professional reputation at risk within the medical community. The purposes of the article are to highlight the emergence of clinical outcomes assessment in the medical community and the current health care system, illustrate the role of clinical outcomes assessment as it pertains to providing the best patient care, and identify challenges that could potentially impede the implementation of outcomes assessment in sport rehabilitation.


Power management has become a very important research area and various approaches have been proposed. As an energy-efficient architecture, chip multiprocessor (CMP) has been widely adopted by chip manufacturers. In this paper, we study power management schemes for real-time systems on block-partitioned multicore platforms, where the processing cores are grouped into different blocks and cores on one block share the same power supply voltage (thus have the same frequency). We evaluate the energy efficiency of different block configurations. Simulation results show that block-partitioned CMP has its inherent advantages to fulfill the goal of power efficiency and low design complexity for future CMPs.


Summary
Floodplain vegetation states (communities) exhibit spatiotemporal dynamics in vegetation structure and composition, which reflect unique hydrological and connectivity patterns. Shifts in inundation regimes can drive succession and establish new stable states, determined by the magnitude and duration of the hydrological perturbation.
We aimed to develop a modelling approach that is able to capture ecosystem dynamics, identify and quantify the main drivers of change, and provide a tool for conservation decision-making. We developed state and transition models for floodplain vegetation states based on surveys in 1991 and 2008 in the Macquarie Marshes (Australia), a Ramsar wetland of international importance. We used a Bayesian logistic regression approach to model state and transitions between vegetation states and investigated how flood frequency, distance to stream and fire frequency were associated with vegetation dynamics during this period.
During 1991–2008, significant transitions have occurred towards drier states. Semi-permanent wetland vegetation had the lowest persistence probability (ppsis = 0·456) and a significant threshold response of transitioning to terrestrial vegetation (ptran = 0·505). Transition to drier states was driven by lower inundation probabilities followed by increased fire probability, and distance to nearest stream.
Using developed models, we predicted persistence probabilities of vegetation states under an unregulated (i.e. no dams or diversions) and regulated water availability system. Under a regulated system, semi-permanent wetland vegetation had an average persistence of ppsis = 0. 67 and 0·08 in the northern and southern sections of the nature reserve, respectively. Under an unregulated system, the predicted persistence of semi-permanent wetland vegetation was considerably higher: ppsis = 0·87 and 0·38, respectively.
Synthesis and applications. Developing quantitative models of state transitions significantly improved our understanding of ecosystem dynamics, identifying sensitive indicators for monitoring and thus supporting conservation decision-making. This helps managers understand potential trajectories of change in ecosystems in response to management options. For example, increasing environmental flows in the Macquarie Marshes is predicted to shift the community towards more of a wetland than the terrestrial state, resulting from river regulation. State and transition models identified how key ecological assets respond to drivers of change, particularly where these can be managed. This is critical for ensuring that all ecosystem components are managed and that these do not shift into undesirable states.


Consumer awareness of health, quality of food and healthy nutrition
options, and convenience and ready to eat (RTE) food products is growing.
Access to affordable good quality protein delivered in a convenient format,
especially for the vegetarian population in the SAARC countries, is a major
need to be addressed in order to ensure nutritional security. Pulses are a rich
source of protein and also have documented proof of their beneficial micronutrient,
bioactive and functional properties (Philanto and Korhonen, 2003).
Today in the SAARC countries the large population of youth, growing
middle class and urban working women; are all demanding global/cross
regional cuisines right at their doorsteps with the need for delivering health
and wellness. This important trend in the SAARC countries is what the
policy makers and industry needs to take into consideration towards promoting
utilization of pulses through value addition...


Recent work by Pecorino (1998, 1999) and Esteban and Ray (2001) has called into question one of the central propositions of Olson (1965) relating public good provision to group size. Pecorino addresses this issue in a repeated game context, while Esteban and Ray introduce a technology under which there is an increasing marginal cost of effort in providing the public good in a framework that allows credit market imperfections and non monetary contributions. In this paper we analyze the robustness of these results to a simple, but realistic extension of the respective models. In particular, we consider small fixed costs of participation which must be borne by potential contributors before their contributions can have a marginal impact on provision of the public good. If the public good is nonrival, then the results of Pecorino and Esteban and Ray are robust to the consideration of these fixed costs. However, if the public good is fully rival (but nonexcludable), then the existence of small fixed participation costs will generally restore one of Olson's central propositions: public goods will fail to be provided in large groups.


Using confidential U.S. customs data on trade transactions between U.S. importers and Bangladeshi exporters between 2002 and 2009, and information on the geographic location of Bangladeshi exporters, we show that the presence of neighboring exporters that previously transacted with a U.S. importer is associated with a greater likelihood of matching with the same U.S. importer for the first time. This suggests a role for business networks among trading firms in generating exporter-importer matches. Our research design also allows us to isolate potential gains from neighborhood exporter presence that are partner-specific, from overall gains previously documented in the literature.


The influence of acute coronary occlusion on systolic and diastolic left ventricular pressure-volume relations was studied in 10 patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Pressure-volume relations were obtained by conductance catheter and micromanometer techniques and with volume load altered by transient inferior vena caval occlusion. End-systolic and end-diastolic pressure-volume relations were obtained at baseline, during 60-90 seconds of ischemia, and at return to baseline after angioplasty balloon deflation. Coronary occlusion significantly altered systolic and diastolic chamber function. Systolic dysfunction was characterized by a reproducible rightward shift of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation (+25.4 +/- 18.4 ml) that was greater for proximal left anterior descending and circumflex coronary artery occlusions (+41 ml) than for distal or right coronary artery occlusions (+15.4 ml, p less than 0.05). Occlusion also lowered chamber systolic function indexes, such as the end-systolic pressure-volume relation slope (from 4.2 to 2.8 mm Hg/ml) and preload recruitable stroke work (from 97 to 78.6 mm Hg). All systolic (and diastolic) changes were resolved with successful angioplasty. Diastolic abnormalities during angioplasty were characterized by prolonged pressure relaxation and an upward shift of the resting diastolic pressure-volume data and by an apparent increase in chamber elastic stiffness. However, when end-diastolic data from multiple beats during inferior vena caval occlusion were compared, control and ischemic end-diastolic pressure-volume relations displayed little or no difference. Thus, elevations in resting diastolic pressure-volume relations and apparent increase in chamber elastic stiffness during coronary occlusion in humans appear dominated by altered right ventricular or pericardial loading. These data indicate that pressure-volume analysis is useful in assessing the functional significance of coronary lesions and reperfusion.


The extent of CCTV coverage and the government's funding of new systems has increased dramatically over the last decade. There is very little substantive research evidence, however, to suggest that CCTV works. This briefing note has been written to inform community safety practitioners about recent research into the effectiveness of CCTV, which suggests that it is not always as successful at reducing crime as it is claimed to be.


BACKGROUND
Fissure sealant (FS) and fluoride varnish (FV) have been shown to be effective in preventing dental caries when tested against a no-treatment control. However, the relative clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these interventions is unknown.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of FS and FV in preventing dental caries in first permanent molars (FPMs) in 6- and 7-year-olds and to determine their acceptability.

DESIGN
A randomised controlled allocation-blinded clinical trial with two parallel arms.

SETTING
A targeted population programme using mobile dental clinics (MDCs) in schools located in areas of high social and economic deprivation in South Wales.

PARTICIPANTS
In total, 1016 children were randomised, but one parent subsequently withdrew permission and so the analysis was based on 1015 children. The randomisation of participants was stratified by school and balanced for sex and primary dentition baseline caries levels using minimisation in a 1 : 1 ratio for treatments. A random component was added to the minimisation algorithm, such that it was not completely deterministic. Of the participants, 514 were randomised to receive FS and 502 were randomised to receive FV.

INTERVENTIONS
Resin-based FS was applied to caries-free FPMs and maintained at 6-monthly intervals. FV was applied at baseline and at 6-month intervals over the course of 3 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The proportion of children developing caries into dentine (decayed, missing, filled teeth in permanent dentition, i.e. D4-6MFT) on any one of up to four treated FPMs after 36 months. The assessors were blinded to treatment allocation; however, the presence or absence of FS at assessment would obviously indicate the probable treatment received. Economic measures established the costs and budget impact of FS and FV and the relative cost-effectiveness of these technologies. Qualitative interviews determined the acceptability of the interventions.

RESULTS
At 36 months, 835 (82%) children remained in the trial: 417 in the FS arm and 418 in the FV arm. The proportion of children who developed caries into dentine on a least one FPM was lower in the FV arm (73; 17.5%) than in the FS arm (82, 19.6%) [odds ratio (OR) 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59 to 1.21; p = 0.35] but the difference was not statistically significant. The results were similar when the numbers of newly decayed teeth (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.22) and tooth surfaces (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.21) were examined. Trial fidelity was high: 95% of participants received five or six of the six scheduled treatments. Between 74% and 93% of sealants (upper and lower teeth) were intact at 36 months. The costs of the two technologies showed a small but statistically significant difference; the mean cost to the NHS (including intervention costs) per child was £500 for FS, compared with £432 for FV, a difference of £68.13 (95% CI £5.63 to £130.63; p = 0.033) in favour of FV. The budget impact analysis suggests that there is a cost saving of £68.13 (95% CI £5.63 to £130.63; p = 0.033) per child treated if using FV compared with the application of FS over this time period. An acceptability score completed by the children immediately after treatment and subsequent interviews demonstrated that both interventions were acceptable to the children. No adverse effects were reported.

LIMITATIONS
There are no important limitations to this study.

CONCLUSIONS
In a community oral health programme utilising MDCs and targeted at children with high caries risk, the twice-yearly application of FV resulted in caries prevention that is not significantly different from that obtained by applying and maintaining FSs after 36 months. FV proved less expensive.

FUTURE WORK
The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of FS and FV following the cessation of active intervention merits investigation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
EudraCT number 2010-023476-23, Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN17029222 and UKCRN reference 9273.

FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 21, No. 21. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


Multi-label classification (MLC) is an important class of machine learning problems that come with a wide spectrum of applications, each demanding a possibly different evaluation criterion. When solving the MLC problems, we generally expect the learning algorithm to take the hidden correlation of the labels into account to improve the prediction performance. Extracting the hidden correlation is generally a challenging task. In this work, we propose a novel deep learning framework to better extract the hidden correlation with the help of the memory structure within recurrent neural networks. The memory stores the temporary guesses on the labels and effectively allows the framework to rethink about the goodness and correlation of the guesses before making the final prediction. Furthermore, the rethinking process makes it easy to adapt to different evaluation criteria to match real-world application needs. In particular, the framework can be trained in an end-to-end style with respect to any given MLC evaluation criteria. The end-to-end design can be seamlessly combined with other deep learning techniques to conquer challenging MLC problems like image tagging. Experimental results across many real-world data sets justify that the rethinking framework indeed improves MLC performance across different evaluation criteria and leads to superior performance over state-of-the-art MLC algorithms.


Escherichia coli cells lacking low‐molecular‐weight penicillin‐binding proteins (LMW PBPs) exhibit morphological alterations that also appear when the septal protein FtsZ is mislocalized, suggesting that peptidoglycan modification and division may work together to produce cell shape. We found that in strains lacking PBP5 and other LMW PBPs, higher FtsZ concentrations increased the frequency of branched cells and incorrectly oriented Z rings by 10‐ to 15‐fold. Invagination of these rings produced improperly oriented septa, which in turn gave rise to asymmetric cell poles that eventually elongated into branches. Branches always originated from the remnants of abnormal septation events, cementing the relationship between aberrant cell division and branch formation. In the absence of PBP5, PBP6 and DacD localized to nascent septa, suggesting that these PBPs can partially substitute for the loss of PBP5. We propose that branching begins when mislocalized FtsZ triggers the insertion of inert peptidoglycan at unusual positions during cell division. Only later, after normal cell wall elongation separates the patches, do branches become visible. Thus, a relationship between the LMW PBPs and cytoplasmic FtsZ ultimately affects cell division and overall shape.


Computations of unsteady flows due to inlet distortion driven blade vibrations, characterized by long circumferential wavelengths, typically need to be carried out in multi-passage/whole-annulus domains. In the present work, a single-passage three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes approach has been developed and applied to unsteady flows around vibrating blades of a transonic fan rotor (NASA Rotor-67) with inlet distortions. The phase-shifted periodic condition is applied using a Fourier series based method, shape-correction, which enables a single-passage solution to unsteady flows under influences of multiple disturbances with arbitrary interblade phase angles. The computational study of the transonic fan illustrates that unsteady flow response to an inlet distortion varies greatly depending on its circumferential wavelength. The response to a long wavelength (whole-annulus) distortion is strongly nonlinear with a significant departure of its time-averaged flow from the steady state, while that at a short wavelength (two passages) behaves largely in a linear manner. Nevertheless, unsteady pressures due to blade vibration, though noticeably different under different inlet distortions, show a linear behavior. Thus, the nonlinearity of the flow response to inlet distortion appears to influence the aerodynamic damping predominantly by means of changing the time-averaged flow. Good agreements between single-passage solutions and multi-passage solutions are obtained for all the conditions considered, which clearly demonstrates the validity of the phase-shifted periodicity at a transonic nonlinear distorted flow condition. For the present cases, typical CPU time saving by a factor of 5-10 is achieved by the single-passage solutions.


The vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus is the dominant member of the Northern
Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) hydrothermal megafauna, and lives in an
environment characterized by temporal and spatial variations in the levels of
heavy metals, methane and hydrogen sulphide, substances which are known to
increase reactive oxygen species levels in the tissues of exposed organisms.
To evaluate the effects of two contrasting hydrothermal environments on the
antioxidant defence system of this vent mussel species, a 2-week transplant
experiment was carried out involving mussels collected from the relatively deep
(2300 m), and chemical rich, Rainbow vent field. These were transplanted to
the shallower (1700 m), and relatively less toxic, Lucky Strike vent field.
To achieve this objective, levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), total
glutathione peroxidase (GPx), selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase and
lipid peroxidation (LPO) were measured in the gills and mantle tissues of resident
and transplant mussels before and after the transplant experiment. With
the exception of CAT, the gills of the transplanted mussels had significantly
higher antioxidant enzyme activity compared with the basal levels in the donor
(Rainbow) and recipient (Lucky Strike) populations; whereas the antioxidant
enzyme levels in the mantle tissues of the transplants reflected the baseline levels
of activity in the native Lucky Strike mussels after 2 weeks. In contrast,
LPO levels were significantly higher in both tissue types in the transplants than
in either the source or the recipient populations, which suggested a response to
hydrostatic pressure change (note, the transplant animals were brought to the
surface for transportation between the two vent fields). The fact that the Rainbow
mussels survived the transplant experience indicates that B. azoricus has a
very robust constitution, which enables it to cope behaviourally, physiologically
and genetically with the extreme conditions found in its naturally contaminated
deep-sea environment.


This chapter reports on a small-scale study of studying fiction in the secondary classroom to explore how a sequence of lessons on Gillian Clarke's poem "Cold Knap Lake" is experienced by a group of fifteen-year-old students in a UK school. In the context of the performativity agenda that persists in schools, some researchers have argued that the classroom experience of reading poetry in particular has been subjected to a more transmissive method of delivery where students can be fearful of developing individual responses. In addition, the role of the teacher as a more powerful participant in the classroom means that decisions regarding what is read, how activities are framed and how responses are articulated are usually taken by the teacher. This chapter draws on Text World Theory (Werth 1999; Gavins 2007) and interthinking (Littleton and Mercer 2013) to account for the ways in which the students in this study respond to Clarke's poem. The chapter shows that the teacher and the material aspects of the classroom appear to foreground certain ways of interpreting the poem and discussing it, but that students also engage in using a variety of different resources to help structure their learning and arrive at a satisfactory interpretation.


The fiscal policy framework of EMU and possible reforms of the Stability and Growth Pact have elicited much debate. The pact has been predicated on a conception of it as a device to discipline Member States. This gives rise to a paradox in which the credibility of policy-makers it is supposed to enhance is undermined. The article puts forward an alternative conception of policy co-ordination — collective insurance — designed to enhance the effectiveness of fiscal stabilization. The two approaches lead to different interpretations of how domestic interests affect policy-making. The insurance approach is shown to support various reform proposals by the Commission.


A novel contour-constrained superpixel (CCS) algorithm is proposed in this work. We initialize superpixels and regions in a regular grid and then refine the superpixel label of each region hierarchically from block to pixel levels. To make superpixel boundaries compatible with object contours, we propose the notion of contour pattern matching and formulate an objective function including the contour constraint. Furthermore, we extend the CCS algorithm to generate temporal superpixels for video processing. We initialize superpixel labels in each frame by transferring those in the previous frame and refine the labels to make superpixels temporally consistent as well as compatible with object contours. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm provides better performance than the state-of-the-art superpixel methods.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of obesity in 5 major racial/ethnic groups in 4-year-old US children.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional secondary data analysis.

SETTING
Nationally representative sample of US children born in 2001.

PARTICIPANTS
Height and weight were measured in 2005 in approximately 8550 children who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort.

MAIN EXPOSURE
Racial/ethnic group.

OUTCOME MEASURE
Prevalence of obesity, defined as body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age of the sex-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts.

RESULTS
Obesity prevalence among 4-year-old US children (mean age, 52.3 months) was 18.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.1%-19.8%). Obesity prevalence differed by racial/ethnic group (P < .001): American Indian/Native Alaskan, 31.2% (95% CI, 24.6%-37.8%); Hispanic, 22.0% (95% CI, 19.5%-24.5%); non-Hispanic black, 20.8% (95% CI, 17.8%-23.7%); non-Hispanic white, 15.9% (95% CI, 14.3%-17.5%); and Asian, 12.8% (95% CI, 10.0%-15.6%). All pairwise differences in obesity prevalence between racial/ethnic groups were statistically significant after a Bonferroni adjustment (P < .005) except for those between Hispanic and non-Hispanic black children and between non-Hispanic white and Asian children.

CONCLUSIONS
Racial/ethnic disparities in obesity are apparent in 4-year-old US children. The highest prevalence is in American Indian/Native Alaskan children, in whom obesity is twice as common as in non-Hispanic white or Asian children.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Autophagy plays an important role in maintaining cellular process that controls cells in a normal homeostatic state by recycling nutrients to maintain cellular energy levels for cell survival via degradation of aggregated proteins and damaged organelles. Autophagy is associated with the several catabolic and pathological processes, including cancer. Cancer is a multifaceted disorder involving the perturbation of several different pathways that regulate cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and cell survival. However, persistent activation of autophagy can lead to excessive depletion of cellular organelles and essential proteins, leading to apoptosis in cancer stem cells. As such, inducing cell death through this autophagic mechanism could be an alternative approach to the treatment of cancers. Recently, we have identified a novel autophagic inducer, rottlerin, from a medicinal plant (Mallotus philippinensis) that induces autophagy in various types of cancer stem cells through the formation of autophagosomes as measured by electron microscopy and GFP-LC3 puncta formation. By computational virtual docking analysis, rottlerin was shown to interact directly with the protein kinase-C delta, beclin-1, and autophagy related proteins. By biochemical assays, rottlerin was shown to increase autophagy induction through the activation of the kinase-AMP-activated protein kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. In addition, rottlerin treatment causes the induction of apoptosis, which was associated with the suppression of phosphorylated Akt and mTOR, upregulation of phosphorylated kinase-AMP, downregulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, XIAP, and cIAP-1. Rottlerin also proved to be a potent autophagy inducer in cancer stem cells, by knocking down beclin-1, protein kinase-C delta, or Agt7. These results provide a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action of rottlerin, as a novel autophagic inducer by targeting multiple sites to induce autophagy, which leads to the apoptosis in cancer stem cells. Rottlerin has the potential of being developed into an anti-cancer agent by targeting cancer stem cells.

Citation Format: Dhruv Kumar. Rottlerin induced autophagy by targeting multiple sites that leads to the apoptosis in cancer stem cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 329. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-329


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify, dissect and unravel real-life contextual human capital issues related to George Town's built heritage from the perspectives of key stakeholders in the heritage arena.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for an exploratory study using qualitative techniques like in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to gather insights and to listen to the voices from key stakeholders pertaining to issues related to human capital in built heritage. The data were supplemented and complemented by secondary resources such as technical reports, conservation guidelines, by-laws and case studies from other countries.

Findings
The paper provides empirical insights about real-life issues, barriers and challenges pertaining to human capital in George Town's built heritage. The key findings from this study revealed that the quantity of professionals and builders is still insufficient and their quality of work has room for improvement.

Research limitations/implications
Due to the selected research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Thus, researchers are encouraged to further test the proposed propositions by enlarging the number of respondents or administering this similar study in another locality/historic city (i.e. Malacca ‒ George Town's twin historic city).

Practical implications
The paper provides practical implications for the development of the right quantity and quality of human capital for George Town's built heritage. The findings from this study are also useful for urban managers, policymakers and conservation practitioners.

Originality/value
This paper fulfils an identified need to examine the real-life issues of human capital in built heritage for George Town.


Most bat species depend on forests for roosting, foraging, and drinking during part or all of their life cycles. Many of the world's forests are managed using a variety of silvicultural treatments and, over the past 40 years, researchers have studied the responses of bats to these treatments. I carried out a qualitative synthesis of the literature on roosting and foraging responses of temperate insectivorous bats to silvicultural treatments at the stand level to determine what treatments may be most compatible with conservation and to guide future research. Eighty-eight studies from Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, met review criteria. Based on my results, foraging and commuting habitat use was less affected by changes in forest structure and composition than roost habitat use. Mid-rotation treatments that reduce clutter while retaining overstory structure (e.g., thinning and fire) had more neutral and positive effects than treatments that removed all or most of the overstory. Based on an examination of the methods and assumptions of the 88 studies included in this review, I conclude that future studies should: 1) strive to account for treatment effects on detection probability of bats when using acoustic detectors; 2) examine responses of bats to silvicultural treatments outside the maternity season; 3) examine demographic and physiological responses to silvicultural treatments in addition to habitat use to fully understand the effects of these treatments on bat populations; and 4) use stand-level data to model forest management effects across large landscapes and over long time periods.


Infestations of Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diruaphis noxia (Mordvilko), reduce grain yield and quality of barley; and have induced producers in some areas to cease growing barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). No RWA-resistant barley cultivars that are adapted to North America exist. Resistance from the germplasm line STARS 9301B was transferred into adapted germplasm via backcrossing. Our objective was to determine the potential utility of this resistance for the protection of yield and malting quality in adapted germplasm. We studied the effect of RWA infestations on grain yield and malting quality of STARS 9301B, the susceptible adapted parents 88Y315 and 'Garnet', and five backcross-derived progeny. Four of the backcross-derived lines were rated as highly resistant and one as moderately resistant, and were superior to STARS 9301B and similar to their recurrent parents with respect to agronomic performances and, to a lesser extent, malting qualities. When infested at the boot to heading stage, STARS 9301B, and the highly resistant progeny lines had negligible reductions in agronomic performances and malting qualities; slightly greater reductions were observed for the susceptible parents and the moderately resistant progeny line. When infested at the three-to six-leaf stage, STARS 9301B and the resistant backcross-derived lines showed relatively small reductions in their agronomic performances and malting qualities. In sharp contrast, however, the susceptible parents, and to a lesser extent the moderately resistant progeny line, showed moderate to severe leaf streaking and rolling, head trapping, and reductions in their agronomic performances and malting qualities. STARS 9301B should provide a valuable source of resistance to RWA damage.


A θ-local formulation of superfield Lagrangian quantization in non-Abelian hypergauges is proposed on the basis of an extension of general reducible gauge theories to special superfield models with a Grassmann parameter θ. We solve the problem of describing the quantum action and the gauge algebra of an L-stage-reducible superfield model in terms of a BRST charge for a formal dynamical system with first-class constraints of (L + 1)-stage reducibility. Starting from θ-local functions of the quantum and gauge-fixing actions, with an essential use of Darboux coordinates on the antisymplectic manifold, we construct a superfield generating functionals of Green's functions, including the effective action. We present two superfield forms of BRST transformations, considered as θ-shifts along vector fields defined by Hamiltonian-like systems constructed in terms of the quantum and gauge-fixing actions and an arbitrary θ-local boson function, as well as in terms of corresponding fermion functionals, through Poisson brackets with opposite Grassmann parities. The gauge independence of the S-matrix is proved. The Ward identities are derived. Connection is established with the BV method, the multilevel Batalin–Tyutin formalism, as well as with the superfield quantization scheme of Lavrov, Moshin, and Reshetnyak, extended to the case of general coordinates.


The plastid psbA gene encodes the 32 kDa D1 polypeptide of photosystem II. It has previously been shown that the initiation of psbA mRNA translation in tobacco is regulated by sequences outside of the coding region. To identify the cis-acting regulatory sequences involved in the translational control, a series of chimeric uidA genes, encoding the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter enzyme, were introduced into the plastid genome. GUS accumulation in response to the light (135- to 200-fold), and the arrest of uidA mRNA translation in light-grown seedlings following transfer for 2 h to the dark, was observed only if the transgenes contained the psbA 5'-untranslated leader region (UTR). Changes in GUS accumulation were accompanied by little or no changes in the uidA mRNA levels. The data indicate that the initiation of D1 translation in tobacco plastids is controlled via the psbA 5'-UTR.


Primate lentiviruses encode four "accessory proteins" including Vif, Vpu, Nef, and Vpr/Vpx. Vif and Vpu counteract the antiviral effects of cellular restrictions to early and late steps in the viral replication cycle. We present evidence that the Vpx proteins of HIV-2/SIVSM promote virus infection by antagonizing an antiviral restriction in macrophages. Fusion of macrophages in which Vpx was essential for virus infection, with COS cells in which Vpx was dispensable for virus infection, generated heterokaryons that supported infection by wild-type SIV but not Vpx-deleted SIV. The restriction potently antagonized infection of macrophages by HIV-1, and expression of Vpx in macrophages in trans overcame the restriction to HIV-1 and SIV infection. Vpx was ubiquitylated and both ubiquitylation and the proteasome regulated the activity of Vpx. The ability of Vpx to counteract the restriction to HIV-1 and SIV infection was dependent upon the HIV-1 Vpr interacting protein, damaged DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1), and DDB1 partially substituted for Vpx when fused to Vpr. Our results indicate that macrophage harbor a potent antiviral restriction and that primate lentiviruses have evolved Vpx to counteract this restriction.


Describes an automatic optical system that is attached to a slit lamp in order to provide automatic keratometry at low cost. The system consists of projecting a light ring as a target onto the patient's cornea as well as analysis of the deformation of the target in order to obtain the radius of curvature and the axis of the associated astigmatism. The reflected image of the target is displayed on a PC monitor, while dedicated software performs the analysis of the image, which provides the corneal keratometry.