We investigate the results of different spectroscopic characterisation techniques on different semiconductor laser structure pre-fabrication wafers, in view of early stage in-line monitoring in the growth industry. We report non-contact, non-destructive angle- (Q) and temperature- (T-) dependent photo-modulated reflectance (PR) studies on visible resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes (RCLEDs). We use lineshape fitting of the PR spectra, the PR "modulus", the PR "amplitude resonance", the PR "symmetry", and the "virtual DeltaSigma2 plot" techniques, to determine the energies of several quantum well (QW) transitions and the relative position of the cavity mode (CM) and the QW ground state energies. We present results of front- and edge-EL performed on a series of different visible edge-emitting laser (EEL) and vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) structures. We show the existence of a wavelength shift between the front- and TE polarised edge-EL peaks of the EELs and we demonstrate how to obtain the true absorption wavelength from the TE polarised edge-EL peaks of the VCSELs. We finally explain the potential of the edge- EL TM polarisation to determine the strain in a structure. We show that the theta-dependent reflectance (R) measurements performed on 850 nm infrared VCSELs give information about several QW transitions. Indeed, we believe that the changes in the CM dip area, its FWHM and depth are closely related to the QW dielectric function. This is corroborated by PR analyses and EL measurements. We report theta-dependent PR measurements performed on a 980 nm infrared VCSEL. We show that the "symmetry" theory must be used, rather than the "resonance" theory. We define the conditions necessary for the use of the symmetry theory and we demonstrate its potential for the characterisation of samples such as this one; it is possible to obtain the QW ground state transition energy from only two PR spectra measured at different theta. We report non-destructive electro-modulated reflectance (ER) measurements performed on 1450 nm EELs. A comprehensive analysis of the ER, including lineshape fitting, the ER "modulus" method and theoretical calculations, allows the determination of several QW transition energies and the bandgap energy of the barrier and the waveguide-core material, and the refinement of crucial parameters such as the composition of the barrier, waveguide-core and QW layers. These results are corroborated by PR and photo-luminescence measurements, as well as spontaneous emission measurements performed on corresponding devices. Finally, the strength of the built-in electric field in the structure is determined by the analysis of the Franz Keldysh Oscillations in the waveguide-core energy region and a theoretical calculation allows one to determine their origin. Finally, we investigate the effects of adding SiO2/TiO2 dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) on top of a partial AlGaAs-based DBR VCSEL structure, by performing normal incidence R measurements and simulations of prepared structures. Furthermore, the effect of increasing the thickness of the first SiO2 layer on the. CM wavelength is monitored with normal incidence R experiments and simulations.


Conventional measures of risk in earnings based on historical standard deviation require long time series data and are inadequate when the distribution of earnings deviates from normality. We introduce a methodology based on current fundamentals and quantile regression to forecast risk reflected in the shape of the distribution of future earnings. We derive measures of dispersion, asymmetry and tail risk in future earnings using quantile forecasts as inputs. Our analysis shows that a parsimonious model based on accruals, cash flow, special items and a loss indicator can predict the shape of the distribution of earnings with reasonable power. We provide evidence that out-of-sample quantile-based risk forecasts explain incrementally analysts' equity and credit risk ratings, future return volatility, corporate bond spreads and analyst-based measures of future earnings uncertainty. Our study provides insights into the relations between earnings components and risk in future earnings. It also introduces risk measures that will be useful for participants in both the equity and credit markets.


Background/Objectives: To analyze the SSR phenomenon in a Squirrel Cage Induction Generator based Wind farm connected to series compensated transmission line at varying operating conditions. Methods/Statistical Analysis: There is a remarkable rise in the renewable energy sector in the current energy demand scenario, but their grid integration leads to various power system stability issues. In the case of wind power, wind farms being located far away from the grid, the integration of large scale wind farms to the utility grid requires high transmission line capacity to transport huge amount of wind power. In order to provide the power transfer capability and to improve the system stability, series compensation is the effective solution. But the series compensation may cause SSR oscillations in the system. Eigen value analysis is the method chosen to perform the Small Signal Stability analysis which examines the potential of SSR in the study system. Findings: The study investigates on the application of series capacitor for series compensation which is required during the grid integration. Series compensation of transmission line causes electro-mechanical oscillations at a sub-synchronous frequency which may finally result in serious damages in the system such as shaft failure. In order to perform the Eigen value analysis, detailed mathematical modeling of the system is developed. The pitch angle control is not taken into account while developing the system, whereas the strength of the transmission line is considered. The interconnection of three sub systems provides the complete model of the study system. The identification of system modes and damping of torsional and network modes are analyzed for various wind speed levels, various series compensation levels and various grid impedance levels. It has been observed that different grid impedance levels have a significant effect on the torsional mode oscillations of the system. Application/Improvements: As the overall system model is linearised, optimal control techniques can be developed as an application to mitigate the SSR oscillations and thereby improve the system stability.


After a pandemic wave in 2009 following their introduction in the human population, the H1N1pdm09 viruses replaced the previously circulating, pre-pandemic H1N1 virus and, along with H3N2 viruses, are now responsible for the seasonal influenza type A epidemics. So far, the evolutionary potential of influenza viruses has been mainly documented by consensus sequencing data. However, like other RNA viruses, influenza A viruses exist as a population of diverse, albeit related, viruses, or quasispecies. Interest in this quasispecies nature has increased with the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies that allow a more in-depth study of the genetic variability. NGS deep sequencing methodologies were applied to determine the whole genome genetic heterogeneity of the three categories of influenza A viruses that circulated in humans between 2007 and 2012 in France, directly from clinical respiratory specimens. Mutation frequencies and single nucleotide polymorphisms were used for comparisons to address the level of natural intrinsic heterogeneity of influenza A viruses. Clear differences in single nucleotide polymorphism profiles between seasons for a given subtype also revealed the constant genetic drift that human influenza A virus quasispecies undergo.


The changes in corneal curvature in the first six months after cataract extraction were studied by performing sequential keratometry on a group of 57 patients. 8/0 Virgin silk interrupted sutures were used for the closure of corneoscleral incisions, and 10/0 monofilament tied in double running (bootlace) or single running (continuous) fashion was used for corneal wound closure. A high degree of with-the-rule astigmatism was evident in all patients two weeks postoperatively, but thereafter the character of the astigmatism produced by 8/0 virgin silk and 10/0 monofilament closure was quite different: in the 8/0 virgin silk group there was an early and pronounced shift in the axis of astigmatism to against-the-rule, whereas in the 10/0 monofilament group there was little further change in the astigmatism unless the sutures were removed. Wound compression and wound gape as factors responsible for these changes are discussed.


Growth-curve models are generalized multivariate analysis-of-variance models. This kind of method was widely used in the prediction of industry development cycle. The textile industry occupies an important position in the national economy of China. The paper analyzed the development trend of Chinese textile industry based on growth curve model and found out that Chinese textile industry is in the formative stage and is about to begin entered into matured period. The next five years the average annual growth rate of Chinese textile industry can reach more than 9 percent, and the textile industry output will reach 6 trillions in 2015.


Block-localized wave function is a useful method for optimizing constrained determinants. In this article, we extend the generalized block-localized wave function technique to a relativistic two-component framework. Optimization of excited state determinants for two-component wave functions presents a unique challenge because the excited state manifold is often quite dense with degenerate states. Furthermore, we test the degree to which certain symmetries result naturally from the ΔSCF optimization such as time-reversal symmetry and symmetry with respect to the total angular momentum operator on a series of atomic systems. Variational optimizations may often break the symmetry in order to lower the overall energy, just as unrestricted Hartree-Fock breaks spin symmetry. Overall, we demonstrate that time-reversal symmetry is roughly maintained when using Hartree-Fock, but less so when using Kohn-Sham density functional theory. Additionally, maintaining total angular momentum symmetry appears to be system dependent and not guaranteed. Finally, we were able to trace the breaking of total angular momentum symmetry to the relaxation of core electrons.


Fluorescent rabbit anti-bovine serum albumin antibody with bright specific and negligible nonspecific staining was prepared from the conjugated antiserum by a single elution from a diethylaminoethyl cellulose column. The yield was 40 to 60% of the labeled precipitating antibody when conjugates with a molar fluorescein to protein ratio of 4 or less were used. The antibody eluted under the conditions employed had a molar fluorescein to protein ratio of approximately 1.0. Absorption and emission studies of a variety of conjugates show that after conjugation to protein a) amorphous and crystalline fluorescein isothiocyanate preparations have the same emission intensity, and b) fluorescein isocyanate has approximately twice the emission intensity of the isothiocyanate.


Abstract The case history of a 70-year-old woman with the simultaneous occurrence of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland, thyroid carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, and a Warthin tumor is described. The simultaneous occurrence of three histologically distinct malignant tumors is a rare event amounting to approximately 1% of cases of multiple primary tumors. This case is unusual in that the tumors occurred in three separate organs and in association with a papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum. While difficult to evaluate, prognosis and treatment should be approached with respect to each of the tumors as individual entities.


This is a study of work undertaken by the Isotype Institute in British colonial West Africa in the 1950s. It begins by reviewing the idea of "international", as set out by Otto Neurath, the inventor of Isotype. The discussion extends to initiatives whose aims included bringing Isotype work into contact with Africa and Africans, a possibility that greatly interested Neurath, but which he never realised. Projects later completed in West Africa by the Isotype Institute under its director, Marie Neurath, illustrate how Isotype's international method, approach, and symbols were adapted in response to local conditions. An addendum situates the work of the Isotype Institute within a broader context of development in Britain's West African colonies after the Second World War.


The oil pollution of the southern Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the northwestern Mediterranean Sea has been studied within a two-year period from December 1996 until November 1998. In total, the authors have analyzed more than 700 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, which have been acquired over the three test areas by the Second European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-2). They present the results of their statistical analyses. Moreover, they introduce advanced image processing techniques for the classification of the observed radar signatures, namely the calculation of the fractal dimension, and discuss the possibility of identifying different types of oceanic phenomena.


First-year seminars have increasingly been used as anchor courses in learning communities. This study investigated the impact participation in Freshman Seminar had on the grade earned in a linked learning community course in fall 2004. Grades in the linked course for 1,294 first-year students who were enrolled in 37 different learning communities where Freshman Seminar served as the anchor course were analyzed. Students enrolled in a linked section of Freshman Seminar earned higher grades in the learning community course than both students enrolled in a non-linked version of Freshman Seminar and students not enrolled in Freshman Seminar. In addi- tion, first-year students enrolled in a Freshman Seminar that was not linked to the learning community class outperformed first-year students who did not enroll in Freshman Seminar.


The highest-energy blazars exhibit non-thermal radiation extending beyond 1 TeV with high luminosities and strong variabilities, indicating extreme particle acceleration in their relativistic jets. The gamma-ray spectra of blazars contain information about the distribution and cooling processes of high-energy particles in jets, the extragalactic background light between the source and the observer, and potentially, the environment of the gamma-ray emitting region and exotic physics that may modify the opacity of the universe to gamma rays. We use data from Fermi -LAT and VERITAS to study the variability and spectra of a sample of TeV blazars across a wide range of gamma-ray energies, taking advantage of more than ten years of data from both instruments. The variability in both the GeV and TeV gamma-ray bands is investigated using a Bayesian blocks method to identify periods with a steady flux, during which the average gamma-ray spectra, after correcting for the pair absorption effect from propagation, can be parameterized without the risk of mixing different flux states. We report on the search for intrinsic spectral curvature and spectral variability in these blazars, in an effort to understand the physical mechanisms behind the high-energy gamma-ray spectra of TeV blazars.


Structural topology optimization has got a general acceptance in recent years in mechanical design due to its powerful technique for conceptual design. The shortcoming of current development process of mechanical design is discussed and a new approach with structural topology optimization is put forward. The application of the method demonstrates that through innovative utilization of the topology optimization techniques, a multitude of conceptual design proposals based on the design space and design targets can be obtained and then a CAD model with high quality which has a positive impact on the development process is also available.


Goss's wilt and leaf blight, caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis (Cmn), is a re-emerging disease of corn (Zea mays) in portions of the Midwestern USA. Although resistant corn hybrids have been developed for some regions, the availability of adapted resistant hybrids may be limited in other areas; therefore, chemical control could potentially serve as an interim control measure while resistant hybrids are being developed. A field experiment was initiated to evaluate the effect of copper hydroxide and citric acid on Goss's wilt severity and yield of corn. Chemicals were applied relative to inoculation with Cmn, and non-inoculated plots also were included. Treatments not inoculated with Cmn had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower Goss's wilt severity values compared with those that were inoculated, but no significant differences among treatments within Cmn-inoculated or within non-inoculated plots were observed. Neither Cmn-inoculation nor chemicals applied had a significant effect on corn yield. Overall, corn yields were reduced by approximately 9% in Cmninoculated plots compared with non-inoculated plots. From our research, application of copper hydroxide or citric acid was not a viable Goss's wilt management practice. Therefore, corn growers should continue to rely on cultural practices such as crop rotation and tillage to limit Cmn inoculum in fields, and grow resistant hybrids if they are available.


Although several reports on the clinical usefulness of N-isopropyl-[123]p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in the diagnosis of cerebral disease have appeared in the literature, quantitative, noninvasive measurements of regional cerebral blood flow with this method pose difficulties because cerebral IMP uptake not only depends on cerebral perfusion but also on cerebral function. Rather than trying to develop a method to measure cerebral perfusion with IMP, we have chosen to test a method to quantitatively evaluate planar and emission computed tomographic (ECT) studies by comparing the data obtained in patients with established pathology (n = 51, number of scans = 54) with the data obtained in a group of normal individuals (n = 10, number of scans = 11). Using this method, absolute cerebral IMP uptake (counts/pixel/mCi/min) and planar anterior right-left ratios were obtained. Also measured were right-left ratios obtained from 12 paired regions in three ECT slices. In the control group, we found an IMP uptake of 35.6 +/- 4.3 cts/pixel/mCi/min and right-left ratios around 1.00 (s.d. less than 2%). The evaluation of the patients cerebral IMP uptake asymmetries relative to the normal standard values is a useful adjunct to qualitative image analysis in assessing the presence and severity of disease, as qualitative analysis is prone to false-positive and negative results. Cerebral IMP uptake as measured in cts/pixel/mCi/min is abnormal only in severe cerebral disease and therefore generally a less helpful parameter.


OBJECTIVE
Scarce data are available on the occurrence of ailments and diseases in children during travel. We studied the characteristics and frequencies of ailments in children aged 0 to 18 years and their parents during traveling.

METHODS
A prospective observational study on ailments reported by children and parents traveling to (sub)tropical countries was conducted. The ailments were semi-quantitatively graded as mild, moderate, or severe; ailments were expressed as ailment rates per personmonth of travel.

RESULTS
A total of 152 children and 47 parents kept track of their ailments for a total of 497 and 154 weeks, respectively. The children reported a mean ailment rate of 7.0 (5.6-8.4) ailments per personmonth of travel; 17.4% of the ailments were graded as moderate and 1.4% as severe. The parents reported a mean ailment rate of 4.4 (3.1-5.7); 10.8% of the ailments were graded as moderate and 5.5% as severe. Skin problems like insect bites, sunburn and itch, and abdominal complaints like diarrhea were frequently reported ailments in both children and parents. Children in the age category 12 to 18 years showed a significantly higher ailment rate of 11.2 (6.8-14.1) than their parents.

CONCLUSIONS
Skin problems and abdominal problems like diarrhea are frequently reported ailments in children and their parents and show a high tendency to recur during travel. The majority of these ailments are mild but occasionally interfere with planned activities. Children in the age group 12 to 18 years are at a greater risk of developing ailments during a stay in a (sub)tropical country and they should be actively informed about the health risks of traveling to the tropics.


In this paper we report the fabrication and characterization of a single piezoelectric actuator for digital sound reconstruction. This work is the first step towards the implementation of a true digital micro-loudspeaker by means of an array of acoustic actuators. These actuators consist of a flexible membrane fabricated using polyimide, which is actuated using a Lead-Zirconate-Titanate (PZT) piezoelectric ceramic layer working in the d31 actuation mode. The dimensions of the membrane are of 1mm diameter and 4μm in thickness, which is capable of being symmetrically actuated in both upward and downward directions, due to the back etch step releasing the membrane. Our electrical characterization shows an improvement in the polarization of the piezoelectric material after its final etch patterning step, and our mechanical characterization shows the natural modes of resonance of the stacked membrane.


The Antarctic green alga Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241 (UWO241) was isolated from the deep photic zone of a permanently Antarctic ice-covered lake. Adaptation to permanent low temperatures, hypersalinity, and extreme shade has resulted in survival strategies in this halotolerant psychrophile. One of the most striking phenotypes of UWO241 is an altered photosystem I (PSI) organization and constitutive PSI cyclic electron flow (CEF). To date, little attention has been paid to CEF during long-term stress acclimation and the consequences of sustained CEF in UWO241 are not known. In this study, we combined photobiology, proteomics, and metabolomics to understand the underlying role of sustained CEF in high salinity stress acclimation. High salt-grown UWO241 exhibited increased thylakoid proton motive flux and an increased capacity for NPQ. A Bestrophin-like Cl- channel was identified in the whole cell proteomes and transcriptome of UWO241 which likely supports ion homeostasis during high transthylakoid pH. Under high salt, a significant proportion of the upregulated enzymes were associated with the Calvin Benson Bassham Cycle (CBB), secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and protein translation. Two key enzymes of the Shikimate pathway, DAHP synthase and chorismate synthase, were also upregulated, as well as indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase, an enzyme involved in biosynthesis of L-tryptophan and indole acetic acid. In addition, several compatible solutes (glycerol, proline and sucrose) accumulated to high levels in high salt-grown UWO241 cultures. We suggest that UWO241 maintains constitutively high CEF with associated PSI-cytb6f supercomplex to support robust growth and strong photosynthetic capacity under a constant growth regime of low temperatures and high salinity.


Pakistan continues to suffer from a syndrome of high fiscal deficits and severe incidence of debt. Its annual fiscal deficit has stayed constantly at over 6 percent of GDP especially since 1990 [Pakistan (1997-98)]. The prevalence of such a high fiscal deficit over the years in a row has propelled increased borrowing from both internal and external sources to cover the resource gap. With inadequate improvement in the repayment capacity of the country debt has continued to accumulate at a massive rate. Serving as the cause and effect of each other, the volumes of both the fiscal deficit and debt have soared continuously. The most devastating consequence of high fiscal deficit and soaring debt has been the continuous accrual of massive debt-servicing. In fact, both the debt and debt-servicing have reached unaffordable limits. How to alleviate this situation has become the foremost issue of the country. While complete elimination of all the debt and thereby debt-servicing may not be easy to accomplish in the short run, efforts are needed to systematically bring the fiscal deficit down to a minimum affordable limit. What may be the minimum financeable level of fiscal deficit and how it may be reduced to that level are the issues addressed in this paper.


Post-translational poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation has diverse essential functions in the cellular response to DNA damage as it contributes to avid DNA damage detection and assembly of the cellular repair machinery but extensive modification eventually also induces cell death. While there are 17 human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) genes, there is only one poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) gene encoding several PARG isoforms located in different subcellular compartments. To investigate the recruitment of PARG isoforms to DNA repair sites we locally introduced DNA damage by laser microirradiation. All PARG isoforms were recruited to DNA damage sites except for a mitochondrial localized PARG fragment. Using PARP knock out cells and PARP inhibitors, we showed that PARG recruitment was only partially dependent on PARP-1 and PAR synthesis, indicating a second, PAR-independent recruitment mechanism. We found that PARG interacts with PCNA, mapped a PCNA binding site and showed that binding to PCNA contributes to PARG recruitment to DNA damage sites. This dual recruitment mode of the only nuclear PARG via the versatile loading platform PCNA and by a PAR dependent mechanism likely contributes to the dynamic regulation of this posttranslational modification and ensures the tight control of the switch between efficient DNA repair and cell death.


BACKGROUND
Dyspnea is a common and often debilitating symptom with a complex diagnostic work-up.

PURPOSE
To evaluate the benefits, harms, and diagnostic test accuracy of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) in patients with acute dyspnea. (PROSPERO: CRD42019126419).

DATA SOURCES
Searches of multiple electronic databases without language limitations (January 2004 to August 2020) and reference lists of pertinent articles and reviews.

STUDY SELECTION
Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 44 prospective cohort-type studies in patients with acute dyspnea evaluated POCUS as a diagnostic tool to determine the underlying cause of dyspnea. Two investigators independently screened the literature for inclusion.

DATA EXTRACTION
Data abstraction by a single investigator was confirmed by a second investigator; 2 investigators independently rated risk of bias and determined certainty of evidence.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Point-of-care ultrasonography, when added to a standard diagnostic pathway, led to statistically significantly more correct diagnoses in patients with dyspnea than the standard diagnostic pathway alone. In-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between patients who did or did not receive POCUS in addition to standard diagnostic tests. Finally, POCUS consistently improved the sensitivities of standard diagnostic pathways to detect congestive heart failure, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, pleural effusion, or pneumothorax; specificities increased in most but not all studies.

LIMITATIONS
Most studies assessed diagnostic test accuracy, which has limited utility for clinical decision making. Studies rarely reported on the proportion of indeterminate sonography results, and no evidence is available on adverse health outcomes of false-positive or false-negative POCUS results.

CONCLUSION
Point-of-care ultrasonography can improve the correctness of diagnosis in patients with acute dyspnea.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
American College of Physicians.


The results obtained in the study of antibiotic and sulfamide sensitivity of 197 Neisseria meningitidis strains of groups A, B and C, isolated from the spinal fluid and blood of patients with meningococcal infection hospitalized in the 2nd Clinico-Infectious Hospital, Moscow, in 1984-1989 and studied with the use of the disc diffusion method and the method of serial dilutions of antibiotics in solid culture media, are presented. As revealed in this study, N. meningitidis strains retained their high sensitivity to penicillin and ampicillin (MIC50 = 0.016 and 0.032 micrograms/ml respectively). Sensitivity to tetracycline decreased (MIC50 = 0.5 micrograms/ml) and to rifampicin increased (MIC50 = 0.063 micrograms/ml). 48.5% of strains were resistant to streptomycin. In recent years the proportion of N. meningitidis, resistant to sulfanilamide preparations, significantly decreased and MIC50 was equal to 2.5 micrograms/ml in comparison with 5-10 micrograms/ml in the preceding period. The results of testing sensitivity to antibiotics by both methods coincided. Still the disc diffusion method can be used in epidemiological surveillance on meningococcal infection, while for more exact differentiation of N. meningitidis strains the use of the method of serial dilutions is necessary.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Advanced endoscopy procedures are technically challenging and require extensive training. Recent technological advances made in computer science and robotics have the potential to enhance the performance of complex intraluminal and transluminal interventions and potentially optimize precision and safety. This review covers the different technologies used for robot-assisted interventions in the gastrointestinal tract, organized according to their clinical availability, and focusing on flexible endoscopy-based systems.

RECENT FINDINGS
In the curvilinear gastrointestinal anatomy, robotic technology can enhance flexible endoscopes to augment effectiveness, safety, and therapeutic capabilities, particularly for complex intraluminal and transluminal interventions. Increased visual angles, increased degrees of freedom of instrumentation, optimized navigation, and locomotion, which may lead to a reduced physician learning curve and workload, are promising achievements with the promise to ultimately replace conventional endoscopy techniques for screening and therapeutic endoscopy.

SUMMARY
The majority of these devices are not commercially available yet. The best clinical applications are also currently being researched. Nonetheless, robotic assistance may encourage surgeons to use flexible endoscopes to administer surgical therapies and increase interest among gastroenterologists in advanced therapies. Robotics may be a means to overcome the technical obstacles of incisionless natural orifice procedures and favor an increased adoption of complex endoscopic procedures such as third-space therapies.


No going back The mammalian spinal cord coordinates neuronal systems across the body. Axons that cross the spinal cord midline during development first need permission to cross and then instruction not to keep crossing back and forth. Jaworski et al. studied the axonal guidance receptor ROBO3 and found a ligand NELL2 in mice that appears to help in this process. Science, this issue p. 961 Multiple fail-safe signaling pathways ensure that developing axons cross the spinal cord midline no matter what. Axon pathfinding is orchestrated by numerous guidance cues, including Slits and their Robo receptors, but it remains unclear how information from multiple cues is integrated or filtered. Robo3, a Robo family member, allows commissural axons to reach and cross the spinal cord midline by antagonizing Robo1/2–mediated repulsion from midline-expressed Slits and potentiating deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC)–mediated midline attraction to Netrin-1, but without binding either Slits or Netrins. We identified a secreted Robo3 ligand, neural epidermal growth factor-like-like 2 (NELL2), which repels mouse commissural axons through Robo3 and helps steer them to the midline. These findings identify NELL2 as an axon guidance cue and establish Robo3 as a multifunctional regulator of pathfinding that simultaneously mediates NELL2 repulsion, inhibits Slit repulsion, and facilitates Netrin attraction to achieve a common guidance purpose.


SUMMARY Blastocystis is an unusual enteric protozoan parasite of humans and many animals. It has a worldwide distribution and is often the most commonly isolated organism in parasitological surveys. The parasite has been described since the early 1900s, but only in the last decade or so have there been significant advances in our understanding of Blastocystis biology. However, the pleomorphic nature of the parasite and the lack of standardization in techniques have led to confusion and, in some cases, misinterpretation of data. This has hindered laboratory diagnosis and efforts to understand its mode of reproduction, life cycle, prevalence, and pathogenesis. Accumulating epidemiological, in vivo, and in vitro data strongly suggest that Blastocystis is a pathogen. Many genotypes exist in nature, and recent observations indicate that humans are, in reality, hosts to numerous zoonotic genotypes. Such genetic diversity has led to a suggestion that previously conflicting observations on the pathogenesis of Blastocystis are due to pathogenic and nonpathogenic genotypes. Recent epidemiological, animal infection, and in vitro host-Blastocystis interaction studies suggest that this may indeed be the case. This review focuses on such recent advances and also provides updates on laboratory and clinical aspects of Blastocystis spp.


To reduce the potential of vascular injury without compromising the stone comminution capability of a Dornier HM-3 lithotripter, we have devised a method to suppress intraluminal bubble expansion via in situ pulse superposition. A thin shell ellipsoidal reflector insert was designed and fabricated to fit snugly into the original reflector of an HM-3 lithotripter. The inner surface of the reflector insert shares the same first focus with the original HM-3 reflector, but has its second focus located 5 mm proximal to the generator than that of the HM-3 reflector. With this modification, the original lithotripter shock wave is partitioned into a leading lithotripter pulse (peak positive pressure of 46 MPa and positive pulse duration of 1 micros at 24 kV) and an ensuing second compressive wave of 10 MPa peak pressure and 2 micros pulse duration, separated from each other by about 4 micros. Superposition of the two waves leads to a selective truncation of the trailing tensile component of the lithotripter shock wave, and consequently, a reduction in the maximum bubble expansion up to 41% compared to that produced by the original reflector. The pulse amplitude and -6 dB beam width of the leading lithotripter shock wave from the upgraded reflector at 24 kV are comparable to that produced by the original HM-3 reflector at 20 kV. At the lithotripter focus, while only about 30 shocks are needed to cause a rupture of a blood vessel phantom made of cellulose hollow fiber (i.d.=0.2 mm) using the original HM-3 reflector at 20 kV, no rupture could be produced after 200 shocks using the upgraded reflector at 24 kV. On the other hand, after 100 shocks the upgraded reflector at 24 kV can achieve a stone comminution efficiency of 22%, which is better than the 18% efficiency produced by the original reflector at 20 kV (p = 0.043). All together, it has been shown in vitro that the upgraded reflector can produce satisfactory stone comminution while significantly reducing the potential for vessel rupture in shock wave lithotripsy.


Purpose: The purposes of this meta-review are to (a) articulate the importance of transparency and reproducibility in meta-analysis, (b) assess the transparency and reproducibility of meta-analyses published in journals of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and (c) discuss the implications of our findings and recommendations for future research.Method: We conducted a meta-review of all meta-analyses published in ASHA journals through December 31, 2020. Our systematic review yielded 47 meta-analyses for inclusion in this review. We coded all eligible reports on the core elements of transparency and reproducibility in meta-analysis.Results: Our findings suggest that though reporting tendencies have improved over time, much work is needed to promote transparency and reproducibility in meta-analytic work. Key areas for future accountability include preregistering study protocol, using Preferred Reporting in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklists, providing full data sets, and publishing analytic codes.Conclusions: The state of reporting in meta-analysis is improving over time. We conclude with a discussion of specific areas that need further attention, and recommendations for researchers to consider when conducting future meta-analyses.Supplemental Material S1. References of the included studies. Supplemental Material S2. Summary of included studies.Supplemental Material S3. Coding manual.Supplemental Material S4. Decision rules for some complicated coding variables.Supplemental Material S5. Complete data. Chow, J. C., Sjogren, A. L., & Zhao, H. (2021). Reporting and reproducibility of meta-analysis in speech, language, and hearing research. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00047


We performed feasibility analysis of 10 kW hydrogen backup power system (H2BS) consisting of a water electrolyzer, a metal hydride hydrogen storage and a fuel cell. Capital investments in H2BS are mostly determined by the costs of the PEM electrolyzer, the fuel cell and solid state hydrogen storage materials, for single unit or small series manufacture the cost of AB5-type intermetallic compound can reach 50% of total system cost. Today the capital investments in H2BS are 3 times higher than in conventional lead-acid system of the same capacity. Wide distribution of fuel cell hydrogen vehicles, development of hydrogen infrastructure, and mass production of hydrogen power systems will for sure lower capital investments in fuel cell backup power. Operational expenditures for H2BS is only 15% from the expenditures for lead acid systems, and after 4-5 years of exploitation the total cost of ownership will become lower than for batteries.


In the law school classroom, the Socratic method of legal analysis removes a dispute at issue in a given case from its sociocultural context and takes the cultural backgrounds of the parties into account only when they serve the legal argument. The language of the law commands law students to siphon off the emotional and cultural content because of the enduring belief that the law is neutral and impartial. Accordingly, cultural conflicts are deemed irrelevant to legal analysis because laws are unbiased and culture-blind. This detached outlook has been termed perpectivelessness to denote a neutral, odorless, colorless non-perspective. This essay describes how coverage of cultural defenses in a Criminal Law course can serve to create space within classroom discussion for considering perspectives other than those inherent in traditional legal analysis. This discussion not only affirms the relevance of other world views, but also calls into question the illusion of objectivity that cloaks our laws. By addressing this matter, students, hopefully, will learn to recognize the cultural assumptions imbedded in the cases they are reading and gain a deeper understanding of the law. The teaching plan for this lesson contains three distinct issues: (1) the relevance of culture to the criminal law, (2) the propriety of cultural defenses in the criminal law, and (3) the culture of the law school classroom. With issue one, students discuss several cases or fact patterns and consider how a cultural defense might be used in each situation. In issue two, arguments are made for or against the use of cultural defenses in our criminal legal system. Finally, issues one and two are placed in the context of issue three, in which students mull over the process of legal education and the distinct culture of the law school classroom.


Although it has been generally believed that the advantage of the grain boundary mobility induces abnormal grain growth (AGG), it is suggested that the advantage of the low grain boundary energy, which favors the growth by solid-state wetting, induces AGG. Analyses based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation show that the approach by solid-state wetting could explain AGG much better than that by grain boundary mobility. AGG by solid-state wetting is supported not only by MC simulations but also by the experimental observation of microstructure evolution near or at the growth front of abnormally growing grain. The microstructure shows island grains and solid-state wetting along grain boundary and triple junction.


How do we create content that will become viral in a whole network after we share it with friends or followers' Significant research activity has been dedicated to the problem of strategically selecting a seed set of initial adopters so as to maximize a meme's spread in a network. This line of work assumes that the success of such a campaign depends solely on the choice of a tunable seed set of adopters, while the way users perceive the propagated meme is fixed. Yet, in many real-world settings, the opposite holds: a meme's propagation depends on users' perceptions of its tunable characteristics, while the set of initiators is fixed. In this paper, we address the natural problem that arises in such circumstances: Suggest content, expressed as a limited set of attributes, for a creative promotion campaign that starts out from a given seed set of initiators, so as to maximize its expected spread over a social network. To our knowledge, no previous work addresses this problem. We find that the problem is NP-hard and inapproximable. As a tight approximation guarantee is not admissible, we design an efficient heuristic, Explore-Update, as well as a conventional Greedy solution. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates that Explore-Update selects near-optimal attribute sets with real data, achieves 30% higher spread than baselines, and runs an order of magnitude faster than the Greedy solution.


Recently, we have revealed an intrinsic instability of metals due to surface plasma waves (SPWs) and raised the prospect of using it to create lossless SPWs. The counter-intuitive nature of this finding prompts one to ask, why had not this instability been disclosed before, given the long history of this subject? If this instability does exist, how far is it from reality? The present work is devoted to answering these questions. To this end, we derive a universal theory of SPWs that applies to any type of electron dynamics, be they local or non-local, classical or quantum-mechanical. In light of this theory, we analyze the behaviors of SPWs according to several electron dynamics models, including the widely used local dielectric model (DM), the hydrodynamic model (HDM) and the specular reflection model (SRM), in addition to the less common semi-classical model (SCM). We find that, in order to unveil the instability, one must (i) self-consistently treat surface effects without any of the usually imposed auxiliary conditions and (ii) include translation symmetry breaking effects in electron dynamics. As far as we are concerned, none existing work had fulfilled both (i) and (ii). To assess the possibility of realizing the instability, we analyze two very important factors: the dielectric interfacing the metal and inter-band transitions, which both were ignored in our recent work. Whereas inter-band absorption -- together with Landau damping -- is shown adverse to the instability, a dielectric brings it closer to occurrence. One may even attain it in common plasmonic materials such as silver under not so tough conditions.


Recently, wet blasting is generally used such as liquid honing and water jet machining in surface before plating of stainless steel. The outstanding feature of wet blasting is to prevent generation of static electric charge, to use micro abrasive grain, and to have cushioning for workpiece. On the other hand, the disadvantage of wet blasting is to generate corrosion of equipment and liquid waste under processing. Moreover, the using abrasive grain is available on a limited basis. In particular, improvement disposal of liquid waste under processing is crucial in the near future. This paper makes proposal for improvement of surface texture by utilizing dry blasting, and it conducts improvement of surface texture about martensite stainless steel (SUS420J2 In JIS), which is used in material for scale. In the previous report, it has been cleared that relationship between surface texture and wettability. In this report, adhesion of plating was measured by scratch test. As a result, it was cleared that availability of adhesion evaluation by utilizing wettability.


Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a critical role in the development and survival of neurons in the peripheral nervous system. Following treatment with NGF but not epidermal growth factor, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells undergo neural differentiation. We have cloned a nervous system-specific mRNA, NGF33.1, that is rapidly and relatively selectively induced by treatment of PC12 cells with NGF and basic fibroblast growth factor in comparison with epidermal growth factor. Analysis of the nucleic acid and predicted amino acid sequences of the NGF33.1 cDNA clone suggested that this clone corresponded to the NGF-inducible mRNA called VGF (A. Levi, J. D. Eldridge, and B. M. Paterson, Science 229:393-395, 1985; R. Possenti, J. D. Eldridge, B. M. Paterson, A. Grasso, and A. Levi, EMBO J. 8:2217-2223, 1989). We have used the NGF33.1 cDNA clone to isolate and characterize the VGF gene, and in this paper we report the complete sequence of the VGF gene, including 853 bases of 5' flank revealed TATAA and CCAAT elements, several GC boxes, and a consensus cyclic AMP response element-binding protein binding site. The VGF promoter contains sequences homologous to other NGF-inducible, neuronal promoters. We further show that VGF mRNA is induced in PC12 cells to a greater extent by depolarization and by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate treatment than by 8-bromo-cyclic AMP treatment. By Northern (RNA) and RNase protection analysis, VGF mRNA is detectable in embryonic and postnatal central and peripheral nervous tissues but not in a number of nonneural tissues. In the cascade of events which ultimately leads to the neural differentiation of NGF-treated PC12 cells, the VGF gene encodes the most rapidly and selectively regulated, nervous-system specific mRNA yet identified.


This paper studies the bit error probability (BEP) of coded unitary space-time modulation with iterative decoding where neither the transmitter nor the receiver knows the channel fading coefficients. The tight error bound on the asymptotic performance is first analytically derived for given unitary constellation and mapping rule. Design criterion regarding the choice of unitary constellation and mapping is then established to achieve the best asymptotic performance. Furthermore, using the unitary constellation obtained from orthogonal design and 4-PSK, two mapping rules are proposed. In particular, one mapping is the best mapping for systems with iterative decoding, whereas the other mapping is most suitable for systems that do not implement iteration process. The latter mapping is similar to Gray mapping considered for coherent channels. Analytical and simulation results show that with the proposed mapping of the unitary constellation obtained from orthogonal design, the error performance of the iterative systems can approach very near the performance of the ideal unitary constellation and mapping


Introduction The localities discussed in this paper are situated in the southwestern part of Alaska, on the shores of Cook inlet and on the Alaska peninsula. Most of them are on the strip of coast forming the southern half of the shore of Cook inlet and the eastern half of the south shore of the Alaska peninsula. The facts here presented include some of the results of a trip made by the authors in small boats during the summer of 1904 from Snug harbor, on Cook inlet, to Cold bay, on Shelikof strait. Isolated localities both to the eastward and to the westward were also visited. There are various references to the Mesozoic rocks and fossils of parts of this region. Many of the early references† have been summarized by Dall,* who made some valuable original observations on the stratigraphy and paleontology at Tuxedni harbor (Snug harbor), Cold bay, . . .


A rapid (3-h) arylsulfatase assay for cell suspensions of mycobacteria, in which p-nitrophenyl sulfate is used as the substrate, was developed. Arylsulfatase activity was found in cell suspensions of representative strains of Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellulare, and Mycobacterium scrofulaceum grown without the substrate in either Middlebrook 7H9 medium containing 0.2% (wt/vol) glucose and 0.05% (vol/vol) Tween 80 or Dubos broth medium, but was absent in cells grown in a low-pH, minimal medium containing 1% (vol/vol) Tween 80 as the sole carbon source. The levels of arylsulfatase activity of representatives of all three species were equal whether the activity was measured at pH 5.5, 6.5, or 7.5 and whether the cells were suspended in phosphate or Tris buffer. The addition of high levels of sulfate (present in the low-pH, Tween 80-containing medium) to Middlebrook 7H9 medium resulted in significantly lower levels of arylsulfatase activity in strains of M. scrofulaceum, but did not affect the levels in either M. avium or M. intracellulare. The levels of arylsulfatase activity were highest in M. avium, intermediate in M. intracellulare, and lowest in M. scrofulaceum strains. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude extracts from late-log-phase cells of representatives of each species produced activity bands of unique mobility (one in M. avium, three in M. intracellulare [82, 5, and 13%], and two in M. scrofulaceum [60 and 40%]).


Evidence has shown that fluometuron {N,N- dimethyl-N'- (3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyll urea} persists be- yond the end of the growing season when used in continuous cotton (Gossypium birsutum L.) production. Samples were taken from three soils following cotton production in 1980, 1981, and 1982. All three soils had been in production under the same herbicide use regime, fluometuron preemergence followed by fluometuron plus MSMA (monosodium methane- arsonate), since either 1976 or 1977. The fluometuron remaining in each soil was quantified using a greenhouse bioassay and a chemical extraction technique followed by high-performance liquid chromatography determinations. The fluometuron concentrations determined by bioassay and chemical extraction methods had partial correlation coefficients of 0.62, 0.91, and 0.72 for a Sharkey silty clay, a Dundee silt loam, and a Loring silt loam, respectively. Predictive equations were determined for each soil to relate chemical extraction findings to plant response. Bioassay analysis indicated nearly 2 ppmw of fluometuron in the Sharkey silty clay in October 1980, with 1 ppmw in the Dundee silt loam, and approximately 0.27 ppmw in the Loring silt loam with annual application rates of 4.0, 2.9, and 3.5 kg/ha, respectively. Fluometuron concentrations as determined by chemical analysis were 0.83, 0.34, and 0.14 ppmw, respectively. Fluometuron concentrations de- clined over the winter in all three soils. Samples taken in March of 1981, 1982, and 1983 showed little difference in carryover levels in the Sharkey silty clay but more yearly variation in the other two soils. Fluometuron was found in all three soils to depths of 60 cm, but more than 55% of the fluometuron was found in the upper 15 cm of each soil. A controlled laboratory study conducted with the three soils showed that both cold and dry conditions reduced fluometuron dissipation rates. In the laboratory under con- ditions favorable for dissipation, fluometuron had a half- life of 26 days in the Dundee silt loam, 43 days in the Loring silt loam, and 73 days in the Sharkey silty clay. In the field, dissipation was very rapid in the Loring silt loam compared to the Dundee silt loam and the Sharkey silty clay. Additional index words. Bioassay, chemical extraction, herbi- cide degradation, leaching.


Severe injuries of the posterior eye segment mostly occur during perforation or rupture of the globe. The first treatment includes primary surgical repair of the ocular wound and prophylactic scleral buckling in case of involvement of the posterior segment. Thereafter, a vitrectomy should be performed to remove vitreous hemorrhage and intraocular foreign bodies and to achieve a stable attachment of the retina. Therefore, temporary perfluorocarbon and permanent silicone oil tamponade are used. A predictor of poor visual outcome is the presence of retinal and choroidal injury. In our patients, the most important prognostic factor was the initial visual acuity after the injury. Vitrectomy can significantly reduce the incidence of enucleation. Currently, better visual outcome is achieved by advances in surgical techniques.


To investigate the effect of P53 protein accumulation and p53 gene mutation in the pathogenesis of glioma and to study the role of MDM2, P53 and P16 protein in glioma formation and progression and their relationship with each other, LSAB immunohistochemical staining method and non-isotopic PCR-SSCP techniques were used to detect the expression of MDM2, P53 and P16 protein and p53 gene mutation in 48 cases of gliomas. The results showed that the positive expression rate of MDM2, P53 and the negative rate of P16 was 22.9 ~ , 41.7 ~ and 60.4 ~ , respectively. The latter two in high grade (grade llI, i~ ) gliomas had a significantly higher rate than in the low grade (grade H ) gliomas. Moreover, the co-expression of MDM2 and P53 protein was confirmed in only 1 of 48 cases. No significant difference was found in the rate of the expression of MDM2 be tween high grade and low grade gliomas (P>0.1) . PCR SSCP results showed that mutation of 5 --8 exons of p53 gene was detected in 17 out of 48 cases (35.42 ~ ) . Mutation was detected in 16 of 20 cases of positive p53 expression, and another one was detected in 28 cases of negative expression cases. The correlation between p53 mutation and p53 immunopositivity was observed in 89.6 of the cases. P53 gene mutation and the level of MDM2, P53 and P16 protein were not related to age, gender of the patients, tumor location and size. It is concluded that the mutation of p53 and deletion of p16 might play important roles in the tumorigenesis of gliomas and it was significantly associated with the grade of tumor differentiation. P53 protein accumulation can indirectly reflect p53 mutation. MDM2 amplification and overexpression might be an early event in the growth of hu man gliomas.


Abstract Organic-rich sediments were deposited in the deeper sectors of the Neuquén Basin during the latest Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. This paper presents the results of a detailed examination of these deposits in the northern-most extension of the basin, in the Mendoza Province, and explores their wider significance for palaeo-oxygenation studies. The Tithonian—Berriasian Vaca Muerta Formation, the primary source rock for the Neuquén Basin, comprises bituminous shales and interbedded limestones deposited during a major transgression. In the Valanginian, the beginning of a regressive phase enabled the development of shallow-marine carbonates to form the base of the Chachao Formation, which eventually led to extensive biohermal carbonates of the uppermost Chachao Formation. Along the length of the narrow N-S-trending Mendoza Shelf of the Neuquén Basin both units are well exposed, permitting detailed study of the stratigraphy, sedimentology, ichnology and palaeoecology. The analysis of the Tithonian—Valanginian succession in the Salado river valley shows that carbonate production increased up-section. Faunal associations are mostly limited to poorly diverse epibenthos and pseudoplankton in the lower part of the section (Vaca Muerta Formation), with increased diversity in the lower Chachao section, including shallow and deeper infaunal bivalves. A background level of laminated shales to Chondrites bioturbation is typical of anoxic—suboxic conditions. Micritic limestones and carbonate sandstones throughout the section commonly show the development of Thalassinoides suevicus. Relative oxygenation curves based on trace fossils and body fossils were developed and compared. There was a primary substrate control on trace fossil diversity and occurrence, with a primary oxygenation signal provided by body fossil evidence. Interpretation of the palaeo-oxygenation on the basis of trace fossil taxa alone, however, would lead to inaccurate results. This study, therefore, demonstrates the importance of integrated trace and body fossil analysis in the fuller understanding of black shales.


Aspect-based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) allows to analyze the sentiment from each product aspect, e.g., the camera quality, operating system and the storage capacity of a smartphone. Two main tasks to perform ABSA are: (i) identifying which terms/words are aspects and (ii) performing sentiment analysis for each aspect. Several approaches to treat these tasks are found in the literature, such as those based on the sentiment lexicon, syntactical relations and topic models. The main disadvantages of these methods are the time required and the need of specialists to build the lexicon or to define the rules for different languages and domains. Alternatively, supervised machine learning techniques are employed to perform both aspect identification and analyze the sentiments of the extracted aspects. Although these techniques are language and domain independent and avoid the use of a predefined lexicon or the manual building of rules, the use of supervised learning for ABSA requires labeling a significant amount of aspects and their polarities, which limits the use of such approach in real applications. In this paper we propose an approach to perform ABSA through semi-supervised learning techniques, i.e., a significant less amount of labeled data are required to perform learning. This makes the use of our proposal to perform ABSA easier in real applications. In our proposal we model the data into networks to perform the semi-supervised learning. Specifically, we propose the use of bipartite networks to represent the data since network-based approaches have been successfully used to perform semi-supervised learning and the bipartite networks are parameter-free and fast to be generated. So, this type of network is advisable to be used in practical situations. The results obtained in a rigorous experimental evaluation demonstrate that the proposed approach for ABSA obtains better results than existing approaches based on machine learning for ABSA.


The cycling world hour record for riders over 105 years old set in 2017 by Robert Marchand was much discussed in France in a context of neoliberal discourses about work and retirement. Within a debate about work characterized by desires to encourage "active aging," Marchand's sporting athletic effort was variously perceived as exemplary hard work and productive old age, or as an obscene abuse of athleticism. This article examines the reception of Marchand's record within the wider context of contemporary neoliberal trends in French politics, culture, and society. It considers Marchand's working life, active sporting retirement, and left-wing politics. It shows how media coverage and public discussion of the sporting "work" of his "performance" exemplified competing discourses in France's national discussions about neoliberalism.


The immunogenic properties of isolated subunits of influenza A/FM/1/47 (H1N1) virus hemagglutinin were studied. The antihemagglutinating serum was tested by the CFT, HI, competitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay, and biological neutralization test. The antiserum was found to contain populations of antibodies to the three main antigenic determinants of hemagglutinin identical to the determinants of the intact virion, as well as antibodies to the antigenic components of host cells. The antiserum to hemagglutinin as well as monospecific antibodies to individual antigenic determinants of hemagglutinin exhibited a high virus-neutralizing activity for the homologous virus.


Industrialized production of building components, or entire houses, reduces activities at the construction site to the assembly of parts and has the potential to increase productivity and reduce the design effort invested in every project. However, in order to realize all of the potential efficiency gains that use of predefined components could deliver effective, interoperable information management systems are required. This article presents a multiple case study investigating the processes, products and ICT environment involved in industrialized house construction from an information management perspective, focusing on six Swedish companies that manufacture timber frame elements and one that makes precast concrete elements. The aim of the study was to identify critical aspects of information management related to industrialization in the sector. The findings show that companies aiming to enhance control and productivity by improving information management need a better understanding of the requisites for efficient industrialized construction in terms of ICT support. Changes in the perspectives of the construction companies appear to be needed in terms of not only the manufacturing processes, but also information management. Three main areas are identified that should be prioritized before any investments in ICT can be implemented effectively: formal description of the relevant processes, detailed description of the product range and its full variety, and creation of an appropriate information systems strategy.


Background:Odontoid fractures are common and projected to increase. Comorbidities compound risk of surgery and balancing the risk of non-operative management is controversial. Stable fractures are managed based on patient comorbidity with suspected clinical prognosis. Type I and III fractures are typically managed safely with cervical orthoses. Management decisions of type II fractures however, come under frequent debate. This paper evaluates overall morbidity and mortality, and outcomes of operative and non-operative management. Methods:We performed national database review of C2 fractures from January 2014 to December 2019. Patients were divided into categories based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS). Outcomes data considered hospital admission, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU LOS, and mortality. Logistic regression was used for mortality, hospital admission, and ICU admission. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from the logistic regression models. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the hospital and ICU LOS based on surgery overall, and by GCS and ISS.Results:42,003 patients were identified, 9,187 had surgery with overall mortality rate of 0.7%. There was a younger operative median age (67) and interquartile range (IQR: 47, 78) than non-operative group (73, IQR: 56, 83). Both had the same median ISS score (10). Surgery was associated with lower rates of mortality, from 0.1% to 0.9% mortality for non-operative. Mild or moderate GCS mortality improved operative (0.07%) to non-operative (0.23%). Severe GCS patients with surgery had significantly improved mortality rates patients without (0.29% vs 7.69%, respectively). Surgery increased ICU admissions for every ISS category. Severe GCS had higher chances of ICU admission, but no interaction with surgery. Operative patients had longer hospital and ICU stays. For all GCS and ISS categories, hospital and ICU LOS was longer for operative patients.Conclusions:This review demonstrates significant improvement in mortality with operative management. Standard non-operative management of type I and III C2 fractures is appropriate. Surgeons should consider operating on type II odontoid fractures unless patient cannot undertake the surgical risks of induction with general anesthesia.Level of evidence: Level IV


Polyaniline (PAni) film was successfully electrodeposited on the surface of steel substrates in oxalic acid electrolyte by cyclic voltammetry at different potential sweep rates (dE/dt) (10, 20 and 30 mVs-1) and different pH values (1.55, 2.55 and 3.55). The coated steel with PAni was characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The corrosion resistance of the electrodeposited layers was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization in 0.1 M NaCl aqueous solution. The results showed that with increasing pH and sweep rate the amount of corrosion rate decreased and increased respectively. Moreover, the correlation between variation of anodic charge (Qa) with pH and sweep rate has been evaluated. The variation of anodic charge confirmed that the growing rate of polymer decreased with increasing sweep rate and pH. The result of potentiodynamic polarization showed that the coated steel with synthesized PAni in pH 3.5 and sweep rate 0.01Vs-1 had better protective properties against corrosion.


The present study aims to connect more the I/O and the decision-making psychological domains, by showing how some common components across jobs interfere with decision-making and affecting performance. Two distinct constructs that can contribute to positive workplace performance have been considered: decision-making competency (DMCy) and decision environment management (DEM). Both factors are presumed to involve self-regulatory mechanisms connected to decision processes by influencing performance in relation to work environment conditions. In the framework of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the present study tested how such components as job demands, job resources and exhaustion can moderate decision-making processes and performance, where high resources are advantageous for decision-making processes and performance at work, while the same effect happens with low job demands and/or low exhaustion. In line with the formulated hypotheses, results confirm the relations between both the decision-making competences, performance (i.e., in-role and extra-role) and moderators considered. In particular, employees with low levels of DMCy show to be more sensitive to job demands toward in-role performance, whereas high DEM levels increase the sensitivity of employees toward job resources and exhaustion in relation to extra-role performance. These findings indicate that decision-making processes, as well as work environment conditions, are jointly related to employee functioning.


Family caregivers emotionally suffer equal to or more than cancer patients. Indeed, they have been described as the "forgotten patient" and often their needs are overlooked by health care providers. The objectives of this study are to examine digitally recorded hospice nurse home visits to describe the occurrence, type (categorize), frequency, and nature of exchange surrounding family caregivers' expression of positive affect. Examination will determine the relative percentage of positive emotion codes, percentage of positive emotion by speaker, frequency of positive emotion codes per visit, and percentage of positive emotion codes relative to total visit codes.  The data for this project will be derived from a large National Cancer Institute funded parent project (P01CA138317). The parent project is a longitudinal descriptive study of family caregivers of cancer patients' communication with their hospice nurses. The UROP project will use a descriptive approach. From the parent study, a sample of 19 visits have been randomly selected. All home visits in the parent study have been coded using a widely used and validated coding system, Roter Interaction Analysis System "RIAS" (Ong, L.M, 1998, Pgs. 387-401). Statements of positive affect will identified and classified to sub-domains; e.g. gratitude, benefit finding, personal growth, humor, etc. Descriptive statistics will be calculated for frequency, relative concentration, and intended direction. Correlational analyses will be conducted to assess for relationships between family caregiver positive affect and caregiver outcomes. The results of this study will elucidate the nature of conversations during hospice between family caregivers of cancer patients and hospice nurses. The nature of conversations during hospice are rarely studied. The current data set of collection of conversations allows a unique and unparalleled look into these as of yet, unstudied conversations. It may suggest new interventions encouraging positive emotion for the 1,600,000 families currently enrolled in hospice. Keywords: Hospice, communication, psychology, positive emotion, well-being, caregiver, cancer


The way jurisdictions design their tax systems for business operations can be a contentious issue, as they try to balance the competing goals of raising sufficient tax revenue without unduly inhibiting commercial investment and activities. Such tax design can be of particular importance for small and medium enterprises, which due to their size, inherent characteristics, and resources can struggle with tax compliance. Those attributes can also make business tax regressive. A number of countries around the world have adopted business entities that utilise corporate characteristics, such as liability protection for members and separate legal entity status, but have the characteristic of tax pass-through, with members assessed directly on the income and losses of the entity. Examples include limited liability partnerships (LLPs) in the United Kingdom, look-through companies in New Zealand, and limited liability companies (LLCs) in the United States.

In some jurisdictions, these tax pass-through entities have been extremely popular, which in part has been attributed to flexibility for the members in terms of governance and the facilitation of contributions and subsequent distributions. This flexibility is arguably a desired commercial feature of business entities. However, such flexibility with contributions and distributions is seen as a potential risk to tax revenue as there is concern with artificial engineering in order to lower the overall tax burden. This has led to tax integrity measures, which by their very nature can potentially restrict flexibility.

For example, LLCs and their members are subject to greater (and potentially more complex rules) when it comes to measuring the cost basis of their membership interests; this then influences members' ability to utilise allocated losses and the tax treatment of distributions. The flexibility of contributions and distributions for LLPs in the United Kingdom has also raised concerns with the introduction of tax integrity measures. By comparison, the United States' older tax pass-through entity, the S Corporation, with only one class of membership interest, has fewer integrity rules governing allocations.

This Article will critically assess how the flexibility of contributions and distributions by these tax pass-through entities affects the tax rules that apply to their members. We argue that the flexibility of contributions and distributions appears to be a key characteristic demanded by business entities both for commercial and tax reasons. However, investors need to be cognitive of the inherent complexity and costs that this flexibility may entail. Additionally, it is important for governments and revenue authorities not to unduly restrict flexibility with complex tax integrity rules as it is a fine balance between commercial and revenue needs.


National organizations from multiple countries have developed evidence-based recommendations for the management of hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Good quality of care in CAP can be defined as patient care provided in compliance with evidence-based recommendations. To evaluate the quality of care provided to hospitalized patients with CAP, an international network of investigators is collecting local data on quality indicators from 36 hospitals in 14 countries. Participating countries in four regions are performing worldwide benchmarking: North America (region I), Europe (region II), Latin America (region III), and Asia and Africa (region IV). The quality of care provided to 2750 hospitalized patients with CAP was evaluated in the following areas: diagnosis, hospitalization, respiratory isolation, microbiological workup, empirical therapy, switch therapy, hospital discharge, and prevention. The greatest opportunities for improvement were identified in the areas of prevention of CAP, initial empirical therapy, and switch from intravenous to oral antibiotics. This study indicates that the care recommended by national guidelines is not being appropriately delivered to adults in all regions of the world. New interventions to advance quality of care are necessary to improve clinical and economic outcomes in CAP.


U–Pb zircon dates of metagabbroic rocks, such as eclogite, mafic granulite, and garnet amphibolite, are used to constrain the timing of tectonometamorphic evolution in orogens worldwide. For such interpretation, however, it is imperative to define at which stage of the P–T evolution that zircon crystallization took place: the prograde, peak, or retrograde stage. In order to accurately interpret metamorphic zircon ages, it is necessary to assess how the zircon crystallized or recrystallized, as zircon can dissolve or grow under different metamorphic conditions. Zircon is robust to retrograde isotopic resetting under most crustal conditions, but equilibrium Zr mass balance models have suggested that zircon is largely produced during retrograde metamorphism. This study takes a textural approach and identifies and reviews zircon‐forming textures and reactions in gabbro and metagabbro at different metamorphic grades, ranging from subgreenschist to upper amphibolite‐ and eclogite‐facies, and at different stages of metamorphic recrystallization. The textural relationships demonstrate that, in metagabbro, metamorphic zircon grows during the early stage of metamorphic recrystallization, independent of pressure and temperature. The mode of zircon formation is remarkably similar throughout different stages of metamorphic recrystallization, and the most significant source of Zr is igneous baddeleyite. Hence, in contrast to the equilibrium mass balance model, most zircon in metagabbro forms by prograde metamorphic reactions that consume igneous phases, and not by late retrograde reactions, and the onset of zircon forming reactions is governed primarily by the introduction of a hydrous fluid, commonly accompanied by ductile deformation.


Hypercalcemia is a potentially lethal endocrine disorder occurring in 10% to 20% of cancer patients at some time during the course of their disease. Clinical manifestations vary in severity, depending on the degree and duration of hypercalcemia, rapidity of onset, patient's age, performance status, sites of metastases, previous antineoplastic therapy, and the presence of hepatic or renal dysfunction. The clinical features of hypercalcemia are protean and affect multiple organ systems, resulting most prominently in neurologic, gastrointestinal, renal, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal morbidity. Recognition of the disorder requires a high index of suspicion because many of its symptoms, such as nausea, anorexia, weakness, fatigue, lethargy, and confusion, are non-specific and, in the patient with a malignancy, can result from other complications of the primary disorder. If identified appropriately as being related to hypercalcemia, such symptomatology is potentially reversible with treatment. Whereas in the ambulatory general medical population the most common cause of hypercalcemia is primary hyperparathyroidism, in cancer patients and hospitalized patients in general, the most common cause is malignancy. Hypercalcemia in cancer patients is, in most cases, due to advanced metastasized disease. Diagnostic tests are useful in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia, and such tests, together with an accurate history and careful clinical observation, permit the best therapeutic approach to an individual patient.


This paper presents a market clearing tool for the market operator of a pool-based electricity market for energy. This tool is transparent and fair for the market participants, and simple to implement and to interpret. It preserves the privacy of the corporate information of the participants and provides the right signals to achieve economic efficiency. Furthermore, it recognizes and properly models the technical (physical and inter-temporal) constraints of the participant thermal power generators. From a mathematical point of view, the proposed tool results in a mixed-integer linear programming problem that can be efficiently solved using currently available branch and cut software. To illustrate the adequate functioning of the proposed market clearing procedure different realistic case studies are analyzed in detail.


PurposeThe purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the current status of Design of experiments (DoE) in the service industry or non-manufacturing processes in the manufacturing sector. This involves the identification of critical success factors and challenges in the use of DoE in the context of the service industry as well as the key skills needed for its successful applications.Design/methodology/approachIn order to identify the critical success factors and challenges, an online survey instrument was developed and distributed across Six Sigma Black Belts (SSBB), Six Sigma Master Black Belts (SSMBB), process improvement champions, continuous improvement professionals, DoE experts and specialists as well as academics who are involved in DoE research and applications.FindingsA total of 109 participants from over 20 countries responded to the study. One of the first findings of the study is that over 40% of the process improvement professionals in the service sector do not have any hands-on experience with the application of DoE. Further, this study highlights the following critical factors for successful DoE applications: dedicating adequate resources in terms of time, budget and people for the experiment; getting a clear understanding of the problem at hand; securing a reliable and validated measurement system for measuring the response or quality characteristics of interest; and identifying input independent variables, which influence the quality characteristics during the brainstorming stage. Some respondents also mention the importance of having training or education in DoE as a critical success factor. At the same time, the lack of adequate planning to experimentation, mathematical knowledge and statistical reasoning remains as challenge to be solved.Research limitations/implicationsAs data were collected at an individual level, inter-reliability, which measures the consistency of judgements on a particular survey item, could not be gauged. Moreover, due to low sample size across some continents, an intercontinental comparative study on the extent of the application of DoE across various continents could not be performed.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first global survey carried out to understand the status of DoE in the service industry. The results of the global study can be used to encourage quality, continuous improvement and process improvement professionals in the service sector to drive wider acceptance of one of the most powerful tools in the Six Sigma toolkit for problem-solving scenarios. Moreover, senior managers in the service industry can take away some of the key benefits, challenges and success factors in the implementation of DoE.


ABSTRACT This study overviews and appraises Turkey's contemporary public administration system. Its prominent characterizing features are discussed, with an emphasis on both the achievements and problem areas. Turkey has a long history of strong traditional bureaucratic practices and culture, from which its contemporary public administration system has emerged since the Republic was established almost a century ago. Despite its many achievements, public administration has its problems, generally the product of conflicts between tradition and modernity. Due emphasis should, however, be given to addressing the challenges of its over-politicization, strengthening governance practices, enhancing the human factor, and instituting further modern administrative reforms.


Purpose: The understanding of logistics process in terms of costs and profitability is a complex task and there is a need of more research and applied work on these issues. In this research project, the concepts underlying Time-Driven Activity Based Costing (TDABC) have been used in the context of logistics costs. Design/methodology/approach: A Distribution Centre of wood and carpentry related materials has been studied. A multidisciplinary team has been composed to support the project including the researchers and three employees of the company responsible for accounting, logistics and warehousing. The design and implementation of the costing model asked for a deep understanding of the different tasks and processes that should be considered. Accordingly, a TDABC model for the logistics function was developed. Findings: The cost model presented here is supported on a series of time equations designed for the logistics function which allow the analysis and discussion of costs and profitability of different cost objects namely, products, clients, distribution channels, processes and activities. The cost of unused capacity and the effectiveness of logistics processes are also highlighted in this model. Research limitations/implications: In a case study, results and implications cannot be directly or immediately generalized. Nevertheless, the proposed time equations and cost model can be easily adapted to explain other types of logistics functions and it gives the foundations or other TDABC models with more than one capacity cost rate. Practical implications: The TDABC model developed in this case study can be used in similar cases and as a basis for the analysis of logistics costs in other logistics processes. Furthermore, managers can rely on the proposed approach to analyze products' profitability and logistics cost structure.  Originality/value: In this case, different capacity cost rates were computed in order to reflect appropriately the logistics function which was presented in two different processes: internal logistics and distribution. These processes have specific resources allocated and should be measured differently. This is in line with Kaplan and Anderson (2004, 2007) who have suggested a more complex TDABC model with more than one capacity cost rate for these situations.


In this article I have analyzed Wordsworth as a Romantic poet, influenced by beauty of nature, and painting life through the colorful brushes of nature, using the hues of imagination. Many critics have judged him as a poet, dealing with inner feelings and healing nature. Actually Wordsworth is much more than this. He has been an ardent lover of nature, sensitive towards humanity, and the life around him. Here I will discuss different approaches of Wordsworth towards nature, He saw nature, felt nature, and wrote nature but we can see that nature in Wordsworth's hands is like a mirror, through which we can see life, is like a spring, through which all types of emotions flow and these emotions are so diverse that we never get bored. Nature – according to Wordsworth can be discussed under following headings.


OBJECTIVES
To compare the clinical and bacteriological outcome of critically ill patients with sepsis treated by ceftriaxone administered as a once-a-day intermittent bolus dose or by 24 h continuous infusion.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We conducted an open-label, randomized controlled pilot study in 57 patients clinically diagnosed with sepsis (suspected/proven infection and systemic inflammatory response syndrome) in a tertiary level intensive care unit. Patients were randomized to receive 2 g of ceftriaxone administered by once-daily intermittent bolus dosing or by 24 h continuous infusion. Clinical and bacteriological outcomes were assessed by blinded clinicians.

RESULTS
Fifty-seven patients were enrolled in the study, 50 of whom fulfilled the a priori definition of treatment for 4 or more days. The infusion (n = 29) and bolus groups (n = 28) were similar in terms of demographics, although the median age of those receiving the infusion was younger. Intention-to-treat analysis found no statistically significant differences in the primary outcomes for clinical response (P = 0.17), clinical cure [infusion n = 13/29 versus bolus n = 5/28; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.74; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.11-12.57; P = 0.06], bacteriological response (P = 0.41) and bacteriological cure (infusion n = 18/29 versus bolus 14/28; AOR = 1.64; 95% CI = 0.57-4.70; P = 0.52). However, logistic regression in patients that complied with the a priori definitions who received ceftriaxone by continuous infusion (AOR = 22.8; 95% CI = 2.24-232.3; P = 0.008) or patients with a low Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (AOR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.54-0.91; P = 0.008) were associated with an improved clinical outcome when age and Sepsis Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at time of study entry were controlled for.

CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study suggests clinical and bacteriological advantages of continuous infusion of ceftriaxone over bolus administration in critically ill patients in patients requiring 4 or more days of treatment. This sets the scene for a large multicentre double-blind randomized controlled trial to confirm these findings.


Marina Warner states that the concept of the zombie 'embodies the condition of our time' as it represents contemporary experiences of selfhood shaped by new technologies (2006: 357–8). In this paper I argue that, due to the interactive and immersive qualities of XR, the concept of the zombie in some recent Gothic expressions does not just represent contemporary experience of selfhood but is a development of an 'interpassive' role we play in everyday life (Pfaller 1996; Žižek 2008). Interpassivity is seen to be the 'underside' to interactivity, degrading any authentic experience or contribution of the individual. In some cases, the interpassive role in Gothic participatory experiences can be seen to be a cathartic extension of this everyday interpassive experience. However, the addition of a sadistic element to this role can lead to a 'zombie-participant' experience, which is a perverse and Gothic resistance to interpassivity. The paper focuses on two XR events that strive to reclaim the authentic self in what can be interpreted as a plight to recover the authenticity of individual experience within the closed loop of XR experience. The first is Whist (2017) by AΦE, where there is an attempt to reify the self through the trigger of the participant's gaze. This results in an interpassive experience that demotes agency: rather than interpret the self, Freudian discourse is seen to 'stand in' for it, thus reflecting an interpassive state. The second is Doom Room (2018) by Makropol, where there is an attempt to reclaim the soul through re-birth via self-sacrifice. 'Doom Room' entwines the story of interpassivity with a sadistic interactive design, resulting in a destabilisation of 'self' that ultimately resists the interpassive experience.


This paper selects 998 articles as its data sources from four Chinese core journals in the field of Library and Information Science from 2003 to 2007. Some pertinent aspects of reference citations particularly from web resources are selected for a focused analysis and discussion. This includes primarily such items as the number of web citations, web citations per each article, the distribution of domain names of web citations and also certain aspects about the institutional and/or geographical affiliations of the author. The evolving situation of utilizing online networked academic information resources in China is the central thematic discussion of this study. The writing of this paper is augmented by the explicatory presentation of 3 graphic figures, 6 tables and 18 references.


Although much research work has focused on identifying different factors that affect presence, it is still not clear how to effectively combine these results to create a content with high presence with respect to a given hardware set-up and limited computing resources. This paper proposes a concept of level of presence (LOP) in which we attempt to select a set of presence elements and their levels to maximize their contribution toward the overall presence subject to system resources. Such an optimization scheme would require a reasonable characterization of the computational costs and a sufficient knowledge of the relative and collective merits of various presence elements. We made an attempt to apply the LOP concept to VR system design for a particular application, a virtual fish tank. The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of the LOP concept and introduce science into content creation. We selected two important presence elementsthe field of view (FOV) and the simulation level of detail (SLOD)and quantified their costs in terms of the required computation time. Next, we ran a simple experiment to quantify the relative benefits of those two presence factors. For this application, it was found that providing more lifelike simulation, for instance, incurred needlessly expensive computations compared to the amount of increased benefits. Based on the result, the virtual fish tank was configured with the appropriate FOV and SLOD for maximum presence under different conditions, such as the preferred frame rate and total number of objects. We discuss the merits of such a presence-driven VR system development approach.


This study is about public sector performance measurement in the context of developing economies; more specifically, the study focuses on local government performance measurement systems as applied in Indonesia. Although there have been numerous research studies examining performance measurement, most empirical work has been undertaken in the context of developed economies. Performance measurement research in the milieu of developing economies is still very much underdeveloped and the progress is considerably much slower than those in developed economies. This study adopts an interpretive approach and applied case study research method in order, to develop an understanding of a) what drives the new performance measurement b) how it is designed and c) how it is used? The findings show that performance measurement in the context of developing economies tends to be driven by different reasons than compared to those developed economies. The findings also indicated developing economies encounter various challenges in designing and implementing performance measurement which eventually affected the use and usefulness of performance measurement. This study thus contributes to improve our understanding of the design, implementation and use of performance measurement in the context of developing economies. More specifically, it improves our understanding regarding (i) internal and external driving forces for performance measurement initiatives in the developing economies, (ii) the effectiveness of design, implementation and use, (iii) technical, organisational and institutional factors influencing design, implementation and use and the complex interactive effects of these three categories of factors, (iv) the interdependence between design, implementation and use, and (v) the complex conflicts of interest among different stakeholders in this context.


Oxygenated sterols such as 25-hydroxycholesterol kill Chinese hamster ovary cells because they inhibit the proteolytic processing of sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs), a pair of membrane-bound transcription factors that activate genes controlling cholesterol synthesis and uptake from lipoproteins. The unprocessed SREBPs remain membrane-bound, they cannot activate the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, and the cells die of cholesterol deprivation. Several sterol-resistant hamster cell lines have been isolated previously by chemical mutagenesis and selection for resistance to killing by 25-hydroxycholesterol. We recently identified the defect in one such cell line (25-RA cells) as a point mutation in a newly discovered membrane protein of 1276 amino acids, designated SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP). The mutation in the 25-RA cells resulted from a G-to-A transition in codon 443 of the SCAP gene, changing aspartic acid to asparagine. Wild-type SCAP, when overexpressed by transfection, stimulates the proteolytic processing of both SREBPs. The D443N substitution is an activating mutation that increases the activity of SCAP and renders it resistant to inhibition by 25-hydroxycholesterol. We here report the identical G-to-A transition in two additional lines of Chinese hamster ovary cells that were mutagenized and isolated by a similar protocol. The three mutations occurred independently as indicated by haplotype analysis of the mutant genes using two intragenic sequence polymorphisms. All three cell lines were mutagenized with alkylating agents (nitrosoethylurea or ethylmethane sulfonate) that favor G-to-A transitions. Nevertheless, the finding of the same nucleotide substitution at the same location in all three cell lines indicates that SCAP may be unique in its ability to stimulate SREBP cleavage, and residue 443 is a crucial determinant of the protein's ability to be inhibited by 25-hydroxycholesterol.


Abstract Midbrain dopamine neurons project to numerous targets throughout the brain to modulate various behaviors and brain states. Within this small population of neurons exists significant heterogeneity based on physiology, circuitry, and disease susceptibility. Recent studies have shown that dopamine neurons can be subdivided based on gene expression; however, the extent to which genetic markers represent functionally relevant dopaminergic subpopulations has not been fully explored. Here we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing of mouse dopamine neurons and validated studies showing that Neurod6 and Grp are selective markers for dopaminergic subpopulations. Using a combination of multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization, retrograde labeling, and electrophysiology in mice of both sexes, we defined the anatomy, projection targets, physiological properties, and disease vulnerability of dopamine neurons based on Grp and/or Neurod6 expression. We found that the combinatorial expression of Grp and Neurod6 defines dopaminergic subpopulations with unique features. Grp+/Neurod6 + dopamine neurons reside in the ventromedial VTA, send projections to the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens, and have noncanonical physiological properties. Grp+/Neurod6- dopamine neurons are found in the VTA as well as in the ventromedial portion of the SNc, where they project selectively to the dorsomedial striatum. Grp-/Neurod6 + dopamine neurons represent a smaller VTA subpopulation, which is preferentially spared in a 6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease. Together, our work provides detailed characterization of Neurod6 and Grp expression in the midbrain and generates new insights into how these markers define functionally relevant dopaminergic subpopulations.


The Lesser Antillean lizards Anolis trinitatis and Anolis aenous were both apparently introduced to Trinidad where they are hybridizing. The parental species have 36 and 34 chromosomes, respectively. Hybrids have 35 chromosomes. Meiosis in hybrids is abnormal. There is an accumulation of cells at metaphase I, and poor homolog pairing, characterized by a low frequency of chiasmata and numerous univalents.


The chemical and microbiological changes during spontaneous budu fermentation were elucidated on monthly basis (1–12 months). A significant increase (P budu fermentation, except for the fat content. The total microbial load decreased gradually from the initial of 6.13±0.01 to 3.45±0.13 log CFU g−1 after 12 months of fermentation. Overall, 150 isolates were identified, with a majority of bacteria (77%), followed by yeasts (12%) and 11% of unconfirmed species. Micrococcus luteus was the predominant strain that initiated the fermentation before it was replaced by Staphylococcus arlettae that exists throughout the fermentation. This study confirmed that lactic acid bacteria and yeasts often coexist with other microorganisms, even though a microbiological succession usually takes place both between and within species, which shaped the chemical and sensory characteristics of the final product. In addition, some of the isolates could be potentially valuable as starter cultures for further improved and controllable budu fermentation.


In this paper we describe how computer systems can provide planners with active planning support, when these planners are carrying out their daily planning activities. This means that computer systems actively participate in the planning process by automatically generating plans or partial plans. Active planning support by computer systems requires the application of mathematical models and solution techniques. In this paper we describe the modeling process in general terms, as well as several modeling and solution techniques. We also present some background information on computational complexity theory, since most practical planning problems are hard to solve. We also describe how several objective functions can be handled, since it is rare that solutions can be evaluated by just one single objective. Furthermore, we give an introduction into the use of mathematical modeling systems, which are useful tools in a modeling context, especially during the development phases of a mathematical model. We finish the paper with a real life example related to the planning process of the rolling stock circulation of a railway operator.