Formulaic sequences are very frequently used in language as a preferred way to convey certain meanings. This thesis looks at distribution, processing, and incidental acquisition of formulaic sequences, by presenting four separate studies on different aspects of formulaicity.
Study 1 investigated the distribution of four different categories of formulaic sequences (collocations, idiomatic phrases, lexical bundles, and phrasal verbs) and showed that those four categories vary considerably in terms of frequency. Also, register seems to affect the number of formulaic sequences used, as well as the categories of formulaic sequences preferred. Importantly, this study raised an issue of form variation of formulaic sequences (especially collocations) which seemed to be an under-researched area. Therefore, the following studies investigated the effect of form variation (focusing on non-adjacency) on collocation processing and their incidental acquisition.
Studies 2 and 3 used an eye-tracking technique to investigate how native and non-native speakers of English process adjacent and non-adjacent verb-noun collocations. The results suggest that native speakers process both adjacent and non-adjacent collocations faster than matched control phrases, albeit the collocation effect seems to be larger for adjacent collocations. As for non-native speakers, there is a clear collocation effect for adjacent collocations and it is moderated by prior vocabulary knowledge. However, there seems to be almost no effect for non-adjacent collocations. This finding suggests that even advanced non-native speakers process non-adjacent collocations differently than native speakers.
Finally, Study 4 tried to take the findings from the previous studies to a classroom. It investigated whether there is any difference between the chances of incidentally acquiring adjacent and non-adjacent collocations from reading. The results suggest low but durable gains for both adjacent and non-adjacent collocations, with no significant differences between these two groups of items.
Overall, the results presented in the thesis support the idea that formulaic language is ubiquitous, but suggest that some of the criteria that have been widely used for identifying formulaic sequences might need to be reconsidered. It seems that collocations, at least for native speakers, retain their formulaic status even when presented non-adjacently. They seem to be successfully learned as non-adjacent dependencies as well. While this finding cannot be easily generalized to other types of formulaic sequences, it seems to suggest that a lot more research on form variation of formulaic sequences is needed in order to better understand the scope of the phenomenon.


Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare autosomal recessive autoimmune disease, affecting many endocrine tissues. APECED is associated to the lack of function of a single gene called AutoImmune REgulator (AIRE). Aire knockout mice develop various autoimmune disorders affecting different organs, indicating that Aire is a key gene in the control of organ-specific autoimmune diseases. AIRE is mainly expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), and its absence results in the loss of tolerance against tissue restricted antigens (TRAs). Aire induces the transcription of genes encoding for TRAs in mTECs. In this report, the analysis of AIRE's effect on the cellular proteome was approached by the combination of two quantitative proteomics techniques, 2D-DIGE and ICPL, using an AIRE-transfected and nontransfected epithelial cell line. The results showed increased levels of several chaperones, (HSC70, HSP27 and tubulin-specific chaperone A) in AIRE-expressing cells, while various cytoskeleton interacting proteins, that is, transgelin, caldesmon, tropomyosin alpha-1 chain, myosin regulatory light polypeptide 9, and myosin-9, were decreased. Furthermore, some apoptosis-related proteins were differentially expressed. Data were confirmed by Western blot and flow cytometry analysis. Apoptosis assays with annexin V and etoposide demonstrated that AIRE-positive cells suffer more spontaneous apoptosis and are less resistant to apoptosis induction.


Improvements in the Hall–Héroult process for aluminium electrolysis has lead to a reduction in energy consumption from 20-25 kWh/kg Al 70 years ago, down to around 13-14 kWh/kg Al on average today. In order to further reduce energy consumption, it is important to look into bubble formation on the anode surface, and the shielding effect caused by this. The shielding of surface by the bubbles is amongst others related to how well the cryolite wets the anode surface. In addition to reducing energy consumption, it is also necessary to look into reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases from the electrolysis process. One of the most important type of greenhouse gases produced in aluminium electrolysis is the perfluorocarbons. Perfluorocarbons are produced during anode effect, which may occur if the alumina concentration in the melt becomes too low. Though the exact mechanism causing anode effects is not known, it appears related to the ability of the electrolyte to wet the anode. In this project, a lab scale electrolysis cell with a weight sensor on the anode was used to investigate trends in wettability during and after polarization both at normal operating voltages and at anode effect inducing ones. The electrolyte consisted of a cryolite melt with a cryolite ratio of 2.3 and 1 wt% Al2O3. Various anode designs and carbon in the form of graphite, glassy carbon and industrial pitch and coke were used. It was found that both bubble coverage and average size of detaching bubbles decreased with increasing current density on the anode. This is believed to be mostly due to increased stirring of the melt caused by the extra bubbles formed. However, it is also possible that parts of the reduction came from improved wettability. In addition, it was found that the wettability of anodes improved during polarization for normal operating voltages. A sizable fraction of the improvement in wettability occurred in the first few seconds of polarization, but it still took several minutes of polarization to obtain the best wettability. For voltages inducing anode effect, the wettability dropped quickly and a stable poor wettability is obtained already after a few seconds. This change preceded any changes in surface roughness of the anode, suggesting that it was caused by creation of CF-bonds on the surface. Testing with graphite, glassy carbon and industrial coke mixture revealed much the same trends in wetting behavior, however glassy carbon was much more resistant to anode effects and regained good wettability more quickly when polarized at normal operating voltages.


In view of frequently reported foodborne disease outbreaks caused by contaminated fresh produce, consumers have a preference for foods meeting requisite hygiene standards.  Production of good quality fresh produce is thus critical for market access and food security, especially for rural, small-scale farmers. Microbiological product quality in this South African sector is crucial, given the policy drive to develop small-scale farming to reinforce household food security and poverty reduction.  Farming practices and methods, throughout the fresh produce value chain impact final product quality, determining its market success.  The aim of the study was therefore to determine the extent to which training in organic farming methods, including modules such as the Importance of Production Hygiene' influenced the hygienic farming practices of small-scale, organic farmers in eTholeni, uMbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Questionnaires were administered to 73 uncertified, organic farmers; analysis showed that only 33 farmers were trained and supplied the local Agri-Hub, whereas 40 had not received training. The questionnaire probed respondent hygiene practices. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, such as the Chi-square test and a logistic regression model. Descriptive analysis indicated that most farmers (60%) were female, most of whom (73%) were over 40 years old. The logistic regression indicated that factors such as farmer training and prior experience in the farming sector had a significant influence on hygiene practices, both at 5% significance levels. These results emphasize the importance of training, education and farming experience in implementing good hygiene practices in small-scale farming. It is recommended therefore, that South African Agricultural Extension policies should advocate for small-scale farmer training. This training should include market-focused farmer training to supply produce markets with high quality fresh produce; and   subsistence focused training for household food security.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Effective programmed xylogenesis is critical to the structural framework of the plant root system and its central role in the acquisition and long-distance transport of water and nutrients. The process of xylem differentiation in pioneer roots under field conditions is poorly understood. In this study it is hypothesized that xylogenesis, an example of developmental programmed cell death (PCD), in the roots of woody plants demonstrates a clearly defined sequence of events resulting in cell death. A comprehensive analysis was therefore undertaken to identify the stages of xylogenesis in pioneer roots from procambial cells to fully functional vessels with lignified cell walls and secondary cell wall thickenings.

METHODS
Xylem differentiation was monitored in the pioneer roots of Populus trichocarpa at the cytological level using rhizotrons under field conditions. Detection and localization of the signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was undertaken and a detailed examination of nuclear changes during xylogenesis was conducted. In addition, analyses of the expression of genes involved in secondary cell wall synthesis were performed in situ.

KEY RESULTS
The primary event in initially differentiating tracheary elements (TEs) was a burst of NO in thin-walled cells, followed by H2O2 synthesis and the appearance of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling)-positive nuclei. The first changes in nuclear structure were observed in the early stages of xylogenesis of pioneer roots, prior to lignification; however, the nucleus was detectable under transmission electron microscopy in differentiating cells until the stage at which vacuole integrity was maintained, indicating that their degradation was slow and prolonged. The subsequent sequence of events involved secondary cell wall formation and autophagy. Potential gene markers from the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) gene family that were related to secondary wall synthesis were associated with primary xylogenesis, showing clear expression in cells that undergo differentiation into TEs and in the thin-walled cells adjacent to the xylem pole.

CONCLUSIONS
The early events of TE formation during pioneer root development are described, together with the timing of xylogenesis from signalling via NO, through secondary cell wall synthesis and autophagy events that are initiated long before lignification. This is the first work describing experiments conducted in planta on roots under field conditions demonstrating that the process of xylogenesis in vivo might be gradual and complex.


Considering the current view that physical aging of glasses results in an increase of activation barriers to plastic deformation, it is surprising that, until now, no influence of physical aging was observed experimentally on the temperature dependence of plastic deformation in polymeric glasses. This study evaluates why such an influence has not been found, and it is shown that detailed analysis of a set of uniaxial compression data on polycarbonate (PC) at different strain rates and temperatures leads to the conclusion that a significant influence indeed exists. As a consequence, the Eyring activation energy depends on the aging history of the material. These experimental observations are rationalized in terms of a simple physical interpretation of the aging phenomenon. The article also contains a discussion of the apparent deaging of amorphous polymers induced by large-strain plastic deformation. This discussion is of key importance here, because this study compares yield stresses of aged PC with those of mechanically deaged, or rejuvenated, PC. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012


PURPOSE
The role of T regulatory (Treg) cells in blunting immune response to cancer appears to be significant, but the presence of Treg cells in uveal melanoma has not been extensively examined. We therefore evaluated the presence of tumor-infiltrating Treg cells in uveal melanomas.

METHODS
A retrospective search of Mayo Clinic records from 2000 to 2005 was performed to identify cases of eyes enucleated as a consequence of uveal melanoma. Histologic examination included location of the tumor, presence of emissary canal invasion, direct sclera extension, extraocular extension, cell type and predominant cell type, mitotic figures per 40 high-power fields, lymphocytic tumor invasion, necrosis, microvascular pattern, and presence of CD3, CD4, CD25, and Foxp3cells. Factors obtained by chart review were also evaluated, including clinical size and ultrasound thickness of tumor before enucleation, patient age at time of enucleation, systemic evaluation for metastatic disease both before and after enucleation, monosomy 3, and systemic status at last patient visit.

RESULTS
Of 42 enucleated eyes, 17 (40.5 %) were found to have lymphocytic infiltrate and 5 (11.9%) were considered positive for the presence of Treg cells (CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ or CD3+CD4+CD25-Foxp3+). Thus 29.4% (5 of 17) of those with lymphocytic infiltates had Treg cells, and 4 of the 5 with Treg cells had a large lymphocytic infiltrate (>1400 CD3 cells). When using "death due to disease" as the hazard ratio (HR) end point, the HR for presence of CD3 was 5.5 (P = .03) and for clinical size, 1.2 (P = .03). Furthermore, when using "presence of metastasis" as the end point, the HR for presence of CD3 was 3.6 (P = .05) and for clinical size, 1.3 (P = .003).

CONCLUSION
Though T lymphocyte infiltration is a bad prognostic indicator, Treg cells are rarely seen in enucleated choroidal melanoma, so their local effect may be limited in contradistinction to other cancers.


In the recent years, we observe a growing popularity of sport tourism which includes travelling to practice sports outside one's living area, participating in sports events (both actively as an athlete, and passively as a spectator) as well as visiting sports related attractions such as sports museums or famous stadiums. Participation in major sports events, including the Olympic Games, has grown in popularity among the tourists, affecting the development of sport tourism. Olympic museums also become a major tourist attraction. Presently, many countries in the world compete to organize the Olympic event as it is widely believed that such enterprises result in an economic gain for tourist destinations and improve the attractiveness of regions as potential tourist destinations. Towns and countries more often choose sports events are a means of advertisement, to make an impression in the global media and to improve their global image. Organizing the Olympic Games brings about many social and cultural benefits as well, among others it enables multicultural communication and facilitates social integration. However, the majority of studies on sport tourism focus on the marketing and economic benefits of the major sporting events. The social and cultural impact still constitutes the minority of all the research on the subject matter, whereas it needs to be pointed out that similarly to the economic results, social and cultural impact is not solely positive. Presently, a number of negative effects of organizing major sporting events can be observed, this includes the economy, social and cultural influence as well as ecology – the reason for the above being the failure to apply the principles of sustainable development by the event organizers. Such negative effects can include, among others, too high economic cost of organizing a sporting event borne by the host-state, inappropriate behavior of spectators who intrude on the life of local societies, displacement of people due to land development for the investments required for the event, or the negative impact on the natural environment – for example, excessive deforestation related to the construction of Olympic Villages (i.e. as seen during the organization of the event in Sochi). Another issue is the use of sporting infrastructure after the event. Some olympic villages instead of becoming a tourist attraction are simply left to ruin. An example of such a situation being the facilities in Sarajevo or in Berlin (another problem is the improper use of football stadiums after the World or European Championship event). All this results in some countries becoming disinterested in hosting the Olympic Games – in the example of Sweden and Norway who withdrew from organizing the event in 2022. The aim of the present study is to perform a theoretical analysis of possible benefits and losses resulting from hosting a sporting event in the social and cultural perspective. Based on the literature on the subject available worldwide, it aims to present the impact of sport tourism, taking into account both participants – the tourists and the local populace. The analysis shall include the impact of participating in major sporting events on the individual, local populace, the nation as well as tourist destinations – moreover, the analysis includes selected examples of how hosting a major sporting event affects the development of tourism.


Introduction: Internationalisation of social work education is part of a rapidly growing international tertiary education sector; one that is actively being promoted by governments and universities to support student learning and engagement and to develop global citizens. International partnership programmes form a core part of the internationalisation of social work education, and these programmes may involve inequity in the benefits to the different partners. This article critically reflects on, and explores, concepts of reciprocity and collaboration in international social work student exchanges with a specific focus on exchanges between Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Methods: A critical lens was applied to the literature that conceptualises international student exchanges with a particular focus on reciprocity and collaboration. The concept of neo-colonialism is used to explore international student exchanges and consider ways forward; the term is used to refer to newer and more subtle forms of colonialism that are often based on linguistic or cultural domination. The discussion is further drawn out with anecdotal evidence from the authors' own long-term engagement with international student exchange as well as an Australian government funded project "Going Places" that explores internationalisation in social work education. Findings: A critical review of the literature highlights the continued dominance of the Western voice and issues of neo-colonialism as challenges to ensuring equitable processes in the internationalisation of social work education. Reciprocity is a contested concept that needs deep engagement to support transformative partnerships. Conclusions: It is argued that concepts of reciprocity, voice and collaboration have to be carefully considered in order to create transformative partnerships in international social work education.


There is a wide consensus among hydrologists that discharge during the flow recession consists mainly of baseflow, i.e., delayed runoff exfiltrating from the shallow groundwater reservoir and of interflow. It is scarcely noticed, however, that also during floods a considerable portion of discharge is baseflow. Therefore, recession and baseflow analyses do not only concern low flow and groundwater recharge questions but also floods. In this study, the nonlinear reservoir theory is used, assuming nonlinear relation between groundwater storage and baseflow discharge in the river and it is applied for baseflow separation and analysis. Case studies are performed for a time series of daily flows from Melen and Solakli watersheds in the flood-prone Western and Eastern Black Sea regions in Turkey. The case studies revealed the evident seasonal behavior of baseflow. The water balances showed that the groundwater recharge is higher than the baseflow discharge during the wet season when flows in the streams increase. The baseflow discharge became greater than the groundwater recharge during the months with decreasing flow towards the summer season. It can be concluded that groundwater recharge, outflow and evaporation losses depend highly on seasonality and flow magnitude in the Black Sea region in Turkey.


Purpose of the article is the reconstruction of ancient Greek and ancient Roman models of religiosity as anthropological invariants that determine the patterns of thinking and being of subsequent eras. Theoretical basis. The author applied the statement of Protagoras that "Man is the measure of all things" to the reconstruction of the religious sphere of culture. I proceed from the fact that each historical community has a set of inherent ideas about the principles of reality, which found unique "universes of meanings". The historical space acquires anthropological properties that determine the specific mythology of the respective societies, as well as their spiritual successors. In particular, the religious models of ancient Greece and ancient Rome had a huge influence on formation of the worldview of the Christian civilization of the West. Originality. Multiplicity of the Olympic mythology contributed to the diversity of the expression forms of the Greek genius, which manifested itself in different fields of cultural activity, not reducible to political, philosophical or religious unity. The poverty of Roman mythology was compensated by a clear awareness of the unity of the community, which for all historical vicissitudes had always remained an unchanging ideal, and which was conceived as a reflection of the unity of the heavens. These two approaches to the divine predetermined the formation of two interacting, but conceptually different anthropological paradigms of Antiquity. Conclusions. Western concepts of divinity are invariants of two basic theological concepts – "Greek" (naturalism and paganism) and "Roman" (transcendentalism and henotheism). These are ideal types, so these two tendencies can co-exist in one society. The Roman trend continued to be realized by the anti-Roman religion, which took Roman forms and Roman name. Iconoclasm was a Byzantine version of the Reformation, promoted by the Isaurian emperors and failed due to the strong Hellenistic naturalistic lobby. Modern "Romans" are trying to get rid of the last elements of religious naturalism, and modern "Greeks" are trying to preserve the Hellenic elements in Christianity. Patterns can be transformed, but the observational view will still be able to identify their lineage. The developed model allows a deeper understanding of the culture of both ancient societies, as well as the outlook of Western man.


Hemolytic and lethal properties of tbe preparations of exotoxin obtained from three Ps. aeruginosa strains in cultivation of bacteria on a hard medium covered with cellophane were studied. The exotoxin possessed a high hemolytic activity and after intraperitoneal administration caused the death of mice in the course of 24 hours. A marked thermostability and a wide range of temperature conditions and of the pH of the medium for expression of the hemolytic activity of the exotoxin was noted. Four fractions (one of which--the protein one, rapidly moving in the direction of the anode possessed hemolytic activity) were revealed by paper electrophoresis. Lethal activity failed to correlate with the hemolysin titre. At the same time the lethal factor, as in the case of hemolysin, was precipitated by trichloracetic acid and practically failed to be precipitated by chloroform; thermal treatment (70 degrees C for 30 min and 100 degrees C for 60 min) of the exotoxin failed to eliminate its toxicity; however, it somewhat delayed the periods of death of the animals.


Nautical Tourism in the Mediterranean is a relevant source of revenue for the involved territories. Nautical destinations are geographical hubs capable of hosting boats and vessels. In turn, these capabilities provide both technical services and tourism-related services to the visiting yachtsmen and to the residents. Nautical destinations can be viewed as gateways to the inner or internal areas bordering the coastal areas. This access occurs provided that there are sufficient links between the offer of goods and services of the inland (agro-food products, cultural, and natural attractions and connected services) and the potential users or customers which reach the area from the sea. The Cambusa project addresses the need to establish such links. There are several means through which this project can facilitate these connections. For example, by leveraging on the attractiveness of the maritime activities, supporting the access to high quality, locally produced traditional food and fostering the connection between coast and internal areas to boost competitiveness of both maritime business and agro-food companies of the rural areas. The paper describes the approach used to develop the project and define its strategy by the means of an innovative combination of participative policymaking and lean start-up methodologies and techniques. The study result is the definition of a best practice which allows two different economic sectors to create and implement a joint territorial strategy with shared goals in order to achieve better performances.


Nowadays, most of the semantically structured data have labels stored only in English. Although the increasing number of ontologies offers an excellent opportunity to link this knowledge together, non-English users may encounter difficulties when using the resources represented in English only. Therefore, applications in information retrieval or cross-lingual business intelligence, using monolingual resources are limited to the language in which the ontology labels are stored. Because of that, ontologies need to be translated into different languages. Another important reason to translate ontologies is that they may already exist in different languages, but without aligning the ontology labels across languages, we are not able to align, compare or extend them. This dissertation examines the translation of domain-specific expressions represented in semantically structured resources or documents. The main challenge in translating ontologies is to disambiguate an ontology label with respect to the domain, which is defined by the ontology itself. Since the manual translation of ontologies is very time consuming and expensive, this work presents a domain-aware machine translation system to automatically translate the labels. As ontologies may change over time, having in place a machine translation system adaptable to an ontology can, therefore, be very beneficial. Since domain-specific expressions also occur in semantically unstructured resources, i.e. documents, this work also provides insights into translating the terms within their context. Differently to ontology translation, the terms in documents have to be identified and treated as one lexical entity to ensure satisfying translations.


The paper presents an account of the scholarly work of Canadian sociologist, feminist, theorist and activist, Dorothy E. Smith, leading up to her development of institutional ethnography as "a sociology for people." Drawing on selected writings, the author discusses some of the major ideas, debates and practical influences that are part of Smith's scholarly trajectory. The line of thinking that is illustrated is how her feminism was integral to her celebrated critique and re-writing of sociological method. ********** This article introduces some of the theoretical underpinnings of institutional ethnography, the kind of sociological inquiry that takes as its problematic people's experiences in the everyday world. It may seem simply straightforward and logical that a researcher would be interested in discovering and disclosing how things happen. And for many who do institutional ethnography, it has become exactly that. Yet, that goal for research did not just arise spontaneously. Rather, querying how things happen signals a particular interest for social researchers, a special focus for research that Dorothy E. Smith has been working toward across several decades. This is an entirely different research goal from making an explanation of events through the application of theory. Smith's approach to research draws on diverse antecedents. Learning feminism and practising feminism turned out to be crucial to the critique of sociology that she was making. My goal in this paper is to show some of the influences that have shaped Smith's development of institutional ethnography as a sociology for women and that has become a sociology for people. How Smith's scholarly and practical work began to influence each other will be explored by reviewing important ideas from some of her writings. But, the purpose of reviewing the roots of institutional ethnography is not to understand Dorothy Smith as historiography. We can identify in her theory and methodology the results of her contesting of the philosophical and sociological ideas and practices she encountered. Looking back from a position in the 21st century gives us a certain advantage. Now, it is possible to see how things fit together as an approach with the name institutional ethnography. Smith's references to, and use of, as well as arguments with many other scholars throughout the course of her career help us identify the route along which she travelled. Although not exhaustive of the ideas that have been important to her, I have selected some that seem central to institutional ethnography. (1) Besides reviewing its beginnings, this paper also looks briefly at how institutional ethnography stands with regard to contemporary intellectual debates in the first decade of the 21st century. Language itself had always held a special interest for Smith and even prior to attending university, as a young clerical worker in London she had read philosophy--for pleasure, she says. Later, she was intrigued by the way that the Oxford philosophers were writing about "ordinary language" philosophy. She liked to see how people used words and how words could be made to "mean." This made literature--novels and poetry--as well as scholarly commentary on them--influential in Smith's own thinking and her quest to understand everyday life. Postmodernism and post-structuralism have not passed by unnoticed in Smith's work and later on I touch briefly on her engagement with some of these debates. But the linguistic turn in scholarship has not overwhelmed Smith's thinking partly because attention to language use was always important to her project of trying to "write the social" as people live it. Her efforts towards knowing take up Ludwig Wittgenstein's (1953), whom she quotes as "bring(ing) back words from their metaphysical to their everyday uses" (Smith, 1999, p. 242). It has been her prevailing interest to figure out and teach a method of social analysis that is reflexive to the material contours of people's lives. …


This is a story of survival set in a small fishing village near Bombay. Lila and Hari, aged 13 and 12, struggle to keep the family, including two young sisters, going when their mother is ill and their father usually the worse for drink. When Hari goes to Bombay to find work, Lila seems to be responsible for everything. Although the book paints a picture of extreme poverty, it demonstrates the strength of the family even in the most extreme circumstances and offers a powerful picture of another culture.


Islamic Jurisprudence Provides an understanding of the function and scope of Uṣūl al-Fiqh in the process of deducing rules from the primary and secondary sources of Islamic law.


In order to rank and cluster the economic status of rural residents in 31 provinces, cities and autonomous regions, the MATLAB software is used and the component analysis and the cluster analysis are conducted on the data reflecting the economic status of each area. The results show that the provinces or cities with high comprehensive , scores are Shanghai Municipality, Beijing Municipality, Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, Tianjin Municipality, Guangdong Province, Fujian Province, Shandong Province and Liaoning Province according to priority; the provinces or autonomous regions with low comprehensive scores are Gansu Province, Guizhou Province , Tibet, Uygur autonomous region and Yunnan Province. The economic status of rural residents in the 31 provinces and autonomous regions are partly parallel with the comprehensive economic development. The improvement of the economic status of rural residents is helpful for the overall economic elevation. Therefore, the government should coordinate the economic development of urban and rural areas, industry and agricultural, developed region and undeveloped region, and coastal areas and central and western areas to maximize the social welfare of the whole nation.


Where does our fascination for 'heritage' originate? This groundbreaking comparative study of preservation in France, Germany and England looks beyond national borders to reveal how the idea of heritage emerged from intense competition and collaboration in a global context. Astrid Swenson follows the 'heritage-makers' from the French Revolution to the First World War, revealing the importance of global networks driving developments in each country. Drawing on documentary, literary and visual sources, the book connects high politics and daily life and uncovers how, through travel, correspondence, world fairs and international congresses, the preservationists exchanged ideas, helped each other campaign and dreamed of establishing international institutions for the protection of heritage. Yet, these heritage-makers were also animated by fierce rivalry as international tension grew. This mixture of international collaboration and competition created the European culture of heritage, which defined preservation as integral to modernity, and still shapes current institutions and debates.


For high reliability and long-life equipments, regular test on their performance is an effective approach to keep a fine status during the whole life. Because the number of failures increases with the duration of service, it is very important to use a rational testing strategy with unequal testing period instead of equal testing period. If testing period is not suitable, failure cannot be timely found and repaired, early failure or accident may occur. Reliability detection strategy of exponential distribution products is studied. And for every testing period, on the basis of the assumption that products should be tested when the rate of reliability deterioration reaches a certain value, an equal reliability degradation model on testing period is discussed. Furthermore, according to the idea that environment and personnel factors can lead to characteristic deterioration of products, a mathematical model of testing period incorporating reliability, failure rate, cost and testing efficiency is proposed. As the objective function of minimum cost and constraint functions of reliability and testing interval, an optimization model of unequal testing period is put forward. The optimization model is much better than traditional equal testing interval model in maintenance reliability lifetime, for it conforms to the reality that testing period must be shorten when the reliability degrades.


The Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA)-ENLIL+Cone model is used extensively in space weather operations world-wide to model CME propagation. As such, it is important to assess its performance. We present validation results of the WSA-ENLIL+Cone model installed at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) and executed in real-time by the CCMC space weather team. CCMC uses the WSA-ENLIL+Cone model to predict CME arrivals at NASA missions throughout the inner heliosphere. In this work we compare model predicted CME arrival-times to in-situ ICME leading edge measurements at STEREO-A, STEREO-B, and Earth (Wind and ACE) for simulations completed between March 2010-December 2016 (over 1,800 CMEs). We report hit, miss, false alarm, and correct rejection statistics for all three locations. For all predicted CME arrivals, the hit rate is 0.5, and the false alarm rate is 0.1. For the 273 events where the CME was predicted to arrive at Earth, STEREO-A, or STEREO-B, and was actually observed (hit event), the mean absolute arrival-time prediction error was 10.4 +/- 0.9 hours, with a tendency to early prediction error of -4.0 hours. We show the dependence of the arrival-time error on CME input parameters. We also explore the impact of the multi-spacecraft observations used to initialize the model CME inputs by comparing model verification results before and after the STEREO-B communication loss (since September 2014) and STEREO-A sidelobe operations (August 2014-December 2015). There is an increase of 1.7 hours in the CME arrival time error during single, or limited two-viewpoint periods, compared to the three-spacecraft viewpoint period. This trend would apply to a future space weather mission at L5 or L4 as another coronagraph viewpoint to reduce CME arrival time errors compared to a single L1 viewpoint.


Dutasterid is a novel effective inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase of both types which can be used in patients with large (more than 80 cm3) prostatic adenoma to prevent intra- and postoperative hemorrhagic complications before transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR). The trial included 70 males aged 67-82 years (mean age 74 years) with large size prostatic adenoma (more than 80 cm3) having indications for prostatic TUR. Patients with coagulopathy, suspected prostatic cancer, previous treatment with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors were not included. Group 1 (n=35) received dutasterid in a dose 0.5 mg/day for 38 days, on the average, before operation, and alpha-adrenoblocker tamsulosin in a dose 0.4 mg to prevent acute urine retention. Group 2 (n=35) received only alpha-adrenoblocker tamsulosin. Comparison of intraoperative indices showed that group 1 demonstrated shorter duration of the operation (62 vs. 79 min), more amount of the removed tissue (92 vs. 85 g), less volume of the irrigation liquid (16.7 vs. 19.3), shorter duration of urethral catheter tension (10.4 vs. 19.3), less volume of intraoperative blood loss (93.6 ml vs. 138.6 ml, p < 0.05). As a result, hospitalization time, time of urinary bladder drainage were also reduced in group 1. Postoperative hemorrhagic complications were not registered. We recommend to begin dutasterid administration in a dose 0.5 mg for 1 month before TUR not only for patients with larger prostate (greater than 80 cm3) but with smaller prostates (30-80 cm3) for prevention of hemorrhagic complications and better conditions for surgery.


A multimodality endoscope system has been designed for early detection of ovarian cancer. Multiple illumination and detection systems must be integrated in a compact, stable, transportable configuration to meet the requirements of a clinical setting. The proximal configuration presented here supports visible light navigation with a large field of view and low resolution, high resolution multiphoton microscopy (MPM), and high resolution optical coherence microscopy (OCM). All modalities are integrated into a single optical system in the endoscope. The system requires two light sources: a green laser for visible light navigation and a compact fiber based femtosecond laser for MPM and OCM. Using an inline wavelength division multiplexer, the two sources are combined into a single mode fiber. To accomplish OCM, a fiber coupler is used to separate the femtosecond laser into a reference arm and signal arm. The reflected reference arm and the signal from the sample are interfered and wavelength separated by a reflection grating and detected using a linear array. The MPM signal is collimated and goes through a series of filters to separate the 2nd and 3rd harmonics as well as twophoton excitation florescence (2PEF) and 3PEF. Each signal is independently detected on a photo multiplier tube and amplified. The visible light is collected by multiple high numerical aperture fibers at the endoscope tip which are bundled into one SMA adapter at the proximal end and connected to a photodetector. This integrated system design is compact, efficient and meets both optical and mechanical requirements for clinical applications.


Emotions are essential but little understood components of research; they catalyze and sustain creative scientific work and fuel the scientific and intellectual social movements (SIMs) that propel scientific change. Adopting a micro-sociological focus, we examine how emotions shape two intellectual processes central to all scientific work: conceiving creative ideas and managing skepticism. We illustrate these processes through a longitudinal study of the Resilience Alliance, a tightly networked coherent group collaborating at the center of a burgeoning scientific social movement in the environmental sciences. We show how emotions structured and were structured by the group's growth and development, and how socio-emotive processes facilitated the rapid production of highly creative science and helped overcome skepticism by outsiders. Hot spots and hot moments—that is, brief but intense periods of collaboration undertaken in remote and isolated settings—fueled the group's scientific performance and drove the SIM. Paradoxically, however, the same socio-emotive processes that ignited and sustained creative scientific research also made skepticism more likely to occur and more difficult to manage. Similarly, emotions and social bonding were essential for the group's growth and development, but increased size and diversity have the potential to erode the affective culture that generated initial successes.


This paper considers the use of sequence maximum a posteriori (MAP) decoding of trellis codes. A MAP receiver can exploit any "residual redundancy" that may exist in the channel encoded signal in the form of memory and/or a nonuniform distribution, thereby providing enhanced performance over very noisy channels, relative to maximum likelihood (ML) decoding. The paper begins with a first-order two-state Markov model for the channel encoder input. A variety of different systems with different source parameters, different modulation schemes, and different encoder complexities are simulated. Sequence MAP decoding is shown to substantially improve performance under very noisy channel conditions for systems with low-to-moderate redundancy, with relative gain increasing as the rate increases. As a result, coding schemes with multidimensional constellations are shown to have higher MAP gains than comparable schemes with two-dimensional (2-D) constellations. The second part of the paper considers trellis encoding of the code-excited linear predictive (CELP) speech coder's line spectral parameters (LSPs) with four-dimensional (4-D) QPSK modulation. Two source LSP models are used. One assumes only intraframe correlation of LSPs while the second one models both intraframe and interframe correlation. MAP decoding gains (over ML decoding) as much as 4 dB are achieved. Also, a comparison between the conventionally designed codes and an I-Q QPSK scheme shows that the I-Q scheme achieves better performance even though the first (sampler) LSP model is used.


Abstract. Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is the main process responsible for the removal of methane generated in Earth's marine subsurface environments. However, the biochemical mechanism of AOM remains elusive. By explicitly resolving the observed spatial arrangement of methanotrophic archaea and sulfate reducing bacteria found in consortia mediating AOM, potential intermediates involved in the electron transfer between the methane oxidizing and sulfate reducing partners were investigated via a consortium-scale reaction transport model that integrates the effect of diffusional transport with thermodynamic and kinetic controls on microbial activity. Model simulations were used to assess the impact of poorly constrained microbial characteristics such as minimum energy requirements to sustain metabolism and cell specific rates. The role of environmental conditions such as the influence of methane levels on the feasibility of H2, formate and acetate as intermediate species, and the impact of the abundance of intermediate species on pathway reversal were examined. The results show that higher production rates of intermediates via AOM lead to increased diffusive fluxes from the methane oxidizing archaea to sulfate reducing bacteria, but the build-up of the exchangeable species can cause the energy yield of AOM to drop below that required for ATP production. Comparison to data from laboratory experiments shows that under the experimental conditions of Nauhaus et al. (2007), none of the potential intermediates considered here is able to support metabolic activity matching the measured rates.


Different regulatory elements function are involved in plant virus gene expression and replication by long-distance RNA-RNA interactions. A cap-independent functional element of the Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) – like translational enhancer (BTE) is present in Tobacco necrosis virus A (TNV-A), a Necrovirus member in the Tombusviridae family. In this paper, an RNA stretch flanking the 5′ proximal end of the TNV-AC coat protein (CP) gene was shown to be essential for viral replication in Chenopodium amaranticolor plants and tobacco cells. This internal sequence functioned in transient expression of β-glucuronidase (GUS) when present at either the 5′ or 3′ sides of the GUS open reading frame. Serial deletion analyses revealed that nine nucleotides from nt 2609 to 2617 (−3 to +6 of the CP initiation site) within TNV-AC RNA are indispensable for viral replication in whole plants and tobacco cells. Fusion of this RNA element in mRNAs translated in tobacco cells resulted in a remarkable enhancement of luciferase expression from in vitro synthesised chimaeric RNAs or DNA expression vectors. Interestingly, the element also exhibited increased translational activity when fused downstream of the reporter genes, although the efficiency was lower than with upstream fusions. These results provide evidence that an internal RNA element in the genomic (g) RNA of TNV-AC, ranging approximately from nt 2543 to 2617, plays a bifunctional role in viral replication and translation enhancement during infection, and that this element may use novel strategies differing from those previously reported for other viruses.


Jupiter's ultraviolet (UV) aurorae, the most powerful and intense in the solar system, are caused by energetic electrons precipitating from the magnetosphere into the atmosphere where they excite the molecular hydrogen. Previous studies focused on case analyses and/or greater than 30‐keV energy electrons. Here for the first time we provide a comprehensive evaluation of Jovian auroral electron characteristics over the entire relevant range of energies (~100 eV to ~1 MeV). The focus is on the first eight perijoves providing a coarse but complete System III view of the northern and southern auroral regions with corresponding UV observations. The latest magnetic field model JRM09 with a current sheet model is used to map Juno's magnetic foot point onto the UV images and relate the electron measurements to the UV features. We find a recurring pattern where the 3‐ to 30‐keV electron energy flux peaks in a region just equatorward of the main emission. The region corresponds to a minimum of the electron characteristic energy (<10 keV). Its polarward edge corresponds to the equatorward edge of the main oval, which is mapped at M shells of ~51. A refined current sheet model will likely bring this boundary closer to the expected 20–30 RJ. Outside that region, the >100‐keV electrons contribute to most (>~70–80%) of the total downward energy flux and the characteristic energy is usually around 100 keV or higher. We examine the UV brightness per incident energy flux as a function of characteristic energy and compare it to expectations from a model.


In this paper, we investigate spectrum trading via auction approach for exclusive usage spectrum access model in cognitive radio networks. We consider a realistic valuation function which depends on channel capacity, delay sensitive and delay-insensitive data traffics of secondary users (SUs), and propose an efficient concurrent Vickrey-Clarke-Grove (VCG) mechanism for non-identical channel allocation among r-minded bidders in two different cases. In the first case, the SUs are r-minded but they can submit bid only for single channels. In the second case, the SUs are r-minded and they can submit bid for bundles of channels. We show that the first case is solvable in polynomial time but in the other one, the problem of determining auction outcomes is NP-hard. We propose two sub-optimal methods for solving this problem, namely greedy algorithm and randomized rounding linear programming (LP) relaxation algorithm. Due to the sub-optimal nature of solutions in the second case, VCG mechanism is not truthful anymore and the SUs can lie to maximize their utilities. To address this, we propose an auction mechanism with limited truthfulness property based on an iterative greedy algorithm.


DNA Differences The extent to which genetic variation affects an individual's phenotype has been difficult to predict because the majority of variation lies outside the coding regions of genes. Now, three studies examine the extent to which genetic variation affects the chromatin of individuals with diverse ancestry and genetic variation (see the Perspective by Furey and Sethupathy). Kasowski et al. (p. 750, published online 17 October) examined how genetic variation affects differences in chromatin states and their correlation to histone modifications, as well as more general DNA binding factors. Kilpinen et al. (p. 744, published online 17 October) document how genetic variation is linked to allelic specificity in transcription factor binding, histone modifications, and transcription. McVicker et al. (p. 747, published online 17 October) identified how quantitative trait loci affect histone modifications in Yoruban individuals and established which specific transcription factors affect such modifications. Human genetic variation results in coordinated allelic variation across molecular phenotypes. [Also see Perspective by Furey and Sethupathy] DNA sequence variation has been associated with quantitative changes in molecular phenotypes such as gene expression, but its impact on chromatin states is poorly characterized. To understand the interplay between chromatin and genetic control of gene regulation, we quantified allelic variability in transcription factor binding, histone modifications, and gene expression within humans. We found abundant allelic specificity in chromatin and extensive local, short-range, and long-range allelic coordination among the studied molecular phenotypes. We observed genetic influence on most of these phenotypes, with histone modifications exhibiting strong context-dependent behavior. Our results implicate transcription factors as primary mediators of sequence-specific regulation of gene expression programs, with histone modifications frequently reflecting the primary regulatory event.


The paper reports on a project which aims to build (i.e. grow/evolve) an artificial brain by the year 2001. This artificial brain should initially contain thousands of interconnected artificial neural network modules, and be capable of controlling approximately 1000 "behaviors" in a "robot kitten". The name given to this research project is "CAM-Brain", because the neural networks (based on cellular automata) will be grown inside special hardware called cellular automata machines (CAMs). Using a family of CAMs, each with its own processor to measure the performance quality or fitness of the evolved neural circuits, will allow the neural modules and their interconnections to be grown/evolved at electronic speeds. State of the art in CAM design is about 10 to the power 9 or 10 cells. Since a neural module of about 15 connected neurons can fit inside a cube of 100 cells on a side (1 million cells), a CAM which is specially adapted for CAM-Brain could contain thousands of interconnected modules, i.e. an artificial brain.<<ETX>>


for Nursing Homes The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its nursing home rating system to incorporate staffing rates of nurses on weekends and annual turnover among nurses and administrators. According to a CMS statement, lowquality nursing home care is linked to high nurse turnover. The longer nurses work at a given facility, the better they know the residents and may notice slight changes in residents' health, which may prevent health issues from escalating. Furthermore, consistent policies and protocols that benefit nursing home residents often stem from stable administrative leadership. "Research and experience tell us that staffing levels and staff turnover can substantially affect quality of care and health outcomes for people living in nursing homes," CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, MPP, said in the statement. "This enhancement to the Five-Star Quality Rating System helps to better inform consumers and residents about the care each nursing home provides and encourages nursing homes to improve the staffing of their facilities to foster better outcomes for residents."


Objective. To assess the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of a Bordetella pertussispolymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens from subjects with cough illnesses participating in a large pertussis vaccine efficacy trial. Design. From 1991 to 1994, we conducted a large pertussis vaccine efficacy trial in Germany to determine the efficacy of the Lederle/Takeda acellular pertussis component diphtheria-tetanus toxoids in comparison with the Lederle whole-cell component diphtheria-tetanus toxoids vaccine. In the final year of the follow-up period of this trial, a second NP specimen for PCR, in addition to a culture specimen and blood for specific serology (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), was collected by use of a Dacron swab in subjects or family members with cough illnesses ≥7 days duration or in subjects with exposure to a cough illness in a household member to establish a diagnosis ofB pertussis infection. Oligonucleotide primers (pTp1 and pTp2) that amplify a 191-bp-sized DNA fragment from the pertussis toxin operon, which is specific for B pertussis, were used. The PCR-amplified products were visualized by dot blot analysis followed by hybridization with a digoxigenin labeled probe and rated as 1+, 2+, or 3+ in comparison with positive controls representing ∼1 to 10, 11 to 50, and >50 B pertussis organisms, respectively. In the present analysis, we compare PCR findings with those of serology, culture, positive household contact, and clinical characteristics of cough illnesses. Results. Of 392 subjects with NP specimens obtained for PCR, 376 also had NP specimens collected for culture and 282 had serum specimens. PCR and culture were positive in 86 (22%) and 23 (6%) subjects, respectively. Of the positive PCR specimens, 40 were rated 3+, 32 were rated 2+, and 14 were rated 1+; 3+ positive specimens were more prevalent among DT recipients compared with pertussis vaccine recipients. Illnesses in subjects with 3+ positive PCR results were more typical of pertussis than were those in subjects with 2+ and 1+ positive results with a mean duration of cough of 48 days versus 43 and 42 days, respectively; presence of paroxysms, whoop or vomiting in 38% versus 17% and 10%, respectively; and a clinical diagnosis of definite or probable pertussis by the investigators of 26% versus 7% and 4%, respectively. Using serologic evidence of infection as the standard, sensitivity of PCR was 61%, and specificity was 88%. For 3+ positive PCR results, the respective values were 42% and 97%. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that PCR is more sensitive than conventional culture for the diagnosis of pertussis. They also demonstrate a high specificity of PCR when serology with or without other confirmative criteria (culture and household contact) is used as the reference. Analysis of semiquantitative PCR results revealed that subjects with a 3+ PCR more frequently experienced typical illness compared with patients with 1+ or 2+ PCR. Although specific serologic study remains a necessity in pertussis research its modification for diagnosis in the clinical setting results in low sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, because PCR is more sensitive than culture and is easy to perform, it is a useful addition in the clinical setting.


Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is a trending technology now-a-days and has a wide range of applications such as battlefield surveillance, traffic surveillance, forest fire detection, flood detection etc. But wireless sensor networks are susceptible to a variety of potential attacks which obstructs the normal operation of the network. Black hole attack is one of severe security threat that affects the network from its normal functioning by maliciously advertising itself having shortest route to the destination and then drops all receiving packets. There are lots of mechanisms have been proposed to defend network from black hole attack, but none of the solution looks most promising to defend against black hole attack. So in this paper, we have surveyed and compared the existing solutions to black hole attacks on AODV protocol. Tabular representation of comparison depicts clear picture of these solutions.


In this study we investigate the impact of aerosols on different cloud regimes and amount of their precipitation over Tehran for the period of 2003-2014, utilizing data from Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and surface data from local synoptic stations. The regimes were determined using a k-means clustering method on retrieved cloud properties. The results indicate that in mixed clouds, increase in aerosols has led to increase in the mean cloud effective radius (CER), cloud height as well as lighting and precipitation amounts of weak and moderate convective cells which may be attributed to more freezing of cloud droplets above the 0 °C isotherm and its associated latent heat releases. Vice versa, warm clouds intensity in polluted air condition are weeker than clean air condition. The results also showed that, nimbostratus clouds thickness and their precipitation increase under high aerosol index (AI). Both TRMM and rain gauges data, however, showed that the average amount of precipitation has decreased during polluted episodes in comparison with clean episodes during the period of study. Elaborating on the observed overall changes in the amount of precipitation, it may be concluded that over Seeding was a critical factor in reducing the mean precipitation over Tehran. Also, observed differences on clouds microphysics over different parts of the city may be related to local pollutions, type of ambient air aerosols and topography conditions. Keyword: Aerosol, Regime of cloud, k-means clustering, MODIS, TRMM, Tehran, Lighting.


Global explanations of a reinforcement learning (RL) agent's expected behavior can make it safer to deploy. However, such explanations are often difficult to understand because of the complicated nature of many RL policies. Effective human explanations are often contrastive, referencing a known contrast (policy) to reduce redundancy. At the same time, these explanations also require the additional effort of referencing that contrast when evaluating an explanation. We conduct a user study to understand whether and when contrastive explanations might be preferable to complete explanations that do not require referencing a contrast. We find that complete explanations are generally more effective when they are the same size or smaller than a contrastive explanation of the same policy, and no worse when they are larger. This suggests that contrastive explanations are not sufficient to solve the problem of effectively explaining reinforcement learning policies, and require additional careful study for use in this context.


The government of British Columbia imposes restrictions on the export of logs from public and private forestlands, primarily to promote local processing and associated employment benefits. Economists wholeheartedly oppose BC's export restrictions, arguing that BC's citizens are worse off as a result of the government's measures. In this paper, it is shown that, while free trade in logs might well maximize global wellbeing, it might not necessarily result in the greatest benefit to British Columbia. Indeed, both economic theory and a follow-up numerical analysis indicate that some restrictions on the export of logs can lead to higher welfare for BC than free trade.


A family history of breast cancer is a clear risk for developing the disease. Therefore, when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer all her female first degree relatives become population at risk. This involve a number of important aspects to be taken into account by psychooncology professionals. (a) First, in addition to the stress associated with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in a close relative, first degree relatives of breast cancer patients have the added stress of learning that they are at risk of this disease. (b) Second, these women become the main target of secondary breast cancer prevention strategies. However, various reports show that a considerable percentage of these women do not follow the recommended screening methods. For this reason, it is necessary to study the possible contribution of psychosocial factors, specially health beliefs, in the practice of preventive behavior aimed at preventing breast cancer in this population, and to design strategies to promote preventive practices. (c) Most of the research on health beliefs among women at risk for breat cancer has focused on risk perception. This research as found that some women with a family history of breast cancer have significantly overestimated their risk, while other shave underestimated their risk. The need to provide risk counselling schemes for these women is therefore proposed, in order to estimate and advise them of their real risk. (d) Finally, these women may request genetic testing to determine whether they carry genetic mutations (BRCA1, BRCA2, or others) that cause some types of breast cancer. However, it must be remembered that, although many first degree relatives will have heard of and seek «the cancer gene test», currently testing is appropiate and available only for rare individuals. All these issues are reviewed in the present paper.


The aim of this article is to provide a short overview and analysis of the US antitrust law. Section 2 of the Sherman Act stipulates that it is unlawful to monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations. The article presents case law that reflects the evolution of monopolization standards and provides some interpretations of undertakings' behavior that can be defined as monopolization. US practice shows that monopolization standards have changed several times, in accordance with the need to increasingly consider economic efficiencies and the consequences of making wrong decisions, which may lead to reduced innovation and other behaviors of undertakings that increase economic efficiency and improve competition, which is a type I error.


Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes persistent, usually asymptomatic, infection in healthy people. Because CMV infection is associated with the presence of lower proportions of peripheral naïve CD8+ T-cells and a higher fraction of late-differentiated CD8+ cells, commonly taken as biomarkers of age-associated compromised adaptive immunity ('immunosenescence'), we asked whether chronic exposure to any persistent virus mediates these effects. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is also a widespread herpesvirus that establishes lifelong persistence, but, unlike CMV, its impact on the distribution of T-cell subsets has not been established. Here, we analysed T-cell subsets in 93 healthy people aged 42-81 years infected or not infected with CMV and/or HSV. Individuals harbouring CMV were confirmed to possess lower frequencies of naïve CD8+ T-cells (defined as CD45RA+CCR7+CD27+CD28+) and greater proportions of late-differentiated effector memory (CD45RA-CCR7-CD27-CD28-) and so-called TEMRA (CD45RA+CCR7-CD27-CD28-) CD4 and CD8 subsets, independent of HSV seropositivity. In CMV-seronegative donors, HSV did not affect T-cell subset distribution significantly. We conclude that these hallmarks of age-associated alterations to immune signatures are indeed observed in the general population in people infected with CMV and not those infected with a different persistent herpesvirus.


This paper presents a procedure for clustering analysis that combines Kohone's Self-organizing Feature Map (SOFM) and statistical schemes. The idea is to cluster the data in two stages: run SOFM and then minimize the segmentation dispersion. The advantages of proposed procedure will be illustrated through a synthetic experiment and a real macroeconomic problem. The procedure is then used to explore the relationship between private indebtedness and some macroeconomic variables commonly used to measure macroeconomic performance. The experiences of thirty-nine countries in the early nineties are analyzed. The procedure outperformed others clustering techniques in the job of identifying consistent groups of countries from the economic and statistical viewpoints. It found out similarities in different countries concerning their respective levels of private indebtedness when added to well-accepted parameters to measure macroeconomic performance.


We present a data-driven, end-to-end approach to transaction-based dialog systems that performs at near-human levels in terms of verbal response quality and factual grounding accuracy. We show that two essential components of the system produce these results: a sufficiently large and diverse, in-domain labeled dataset, and a neural network-based, pre-trained model that generates both verbal responses and API call predictions. In terms of data, we introduce TicketTalk, a movie ticketing dialog dataset with 23,789 annotated conversations. The conversations range from completely open-ended and unrestricted to more structured, both in terms of their knowledge base, discourse features, and number of turns. In qualitative human evaluations, model-generated responses trained on just 10,000 TicketTalk dialogs were rated to "make sense" 86.5% of the time, almost the same as human responses in the same contexts. Our simple, API-focused annotation schema results in a much easier labeling task making it faster and more cost effective. It is also the key component for being able to predict API calls accurately. We handle factual grounding by incorporating API calls in the training data, allowing our model to learn which actions to take and when. Trained on the same 10,000-dialog set, the model's API call predictions were rated to be correct 93.9% of the time in our evaluations, surpassing the ratings for the corresponding human labels. We show how API prediction and response generation scores improve as the dataset size incrementally increases from 5000 to 21,000 dialogs. Our analysis also clearly illustrates the benefits of pre-training. To facilitate future work on transaction-based dialog systems, we are publicly releasing the TicketTalk dataset at https://git.io/JL8an.


Purpose: Though a significant amount of research throughout the world has been directed towards discovering why seat belts are not used [1-12], no similar study, according to our literature review, has been conducted in Pakistan. The purpose of this study is to find the reasons for the use and non-use of seat belts among young educated male adults of Peshawar (aged 22-25) (only college students have been interviewed in this study).
Methods: Interviews and focus groups were held at the premises of Peshawar Medical College, the interviewees being students living in various parts of the city. Interviews were recorded in audio and later transcribed and analyzed thematically to inter-connect the reasons with each other and find meaningful patterns.
Results:
 Reasons for non–use (categories): Reduced perception of risk at low velocity, Social pressure/peer pressure, Discomfort, Lack of awareness, Unavailability of seat belts.
 Reasons for use (categories): Personal awareness, Out of habit, Strict rules (especially on motorways), Parental guidance, Increased perception of risk at high speeds (highways).
Conclusions: In their own words, 'there is no trend of wearing seat-belts here'. There is a need to address the issue of social pressure in order to effectively tackle the issue of safety belt use here, plus there is a definite need for more detailed research here in this area. Also, much more of the population needs to be involved in any future similar study. Educating the public, especially the school going children, is a key step. Effective implementation of strict, unbiased laws is also of key importance.


BACKGROUND
Concomitant occurrence of kidney disease (KD) and heart failure (HF) is common and associated with poor outcomes. Natriuretic peptide studies have typically excluded many individuals with KD. We compared the accuracy of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) for diagnosing decompensated HF and predicting mortality across the spectrum of renal function.

METHODS
BNP and NT-proBNP were prospectively measured in a cohort of 831 dyspnea patients. KD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL . min(-1) . (1.73 m(2))(-1). The accuracy and predictive value of each test for diagnosing decompensated HF and predicting all-cause 1-year mortality were assessed by ROC area under the curve (AUC) and multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS
Among the 831 dyspnea patients, 393 (47%) had KD. The diagnostic accuracies of BNP and NT-proBNP in detecting decompensated HF were similar to each other in patients without KD (AUC 0.75 vs 0.74, respectively; P = 0.60) and in patients with KD (AUC 0.68 vs 0.66; P = 0.10). One-year mortality rates were 36.3% and 19.0% in those with and without KD, respectively (P <0.001). Progressively higher BNP and NT-proBNP concentrations remained predictive of increased mortality in KD patients. Compared with the lowest quartile, quartile 4 of BNP had an adjusted hazards ratio (HR) of 2.6 (95% CI 1.4-4.8; P = 0.004 for trend) and NT-proBNP quartile 4 had an HR of 4.5 (95% CI 2.0-10.2; P <0.001 for trend). Only NT-proBNP remained a predictor of death after adjustment for clinical confounders and the other natriuretic peptide marker.

CONCLUSIONS
NT-proBNP and BNP are equivalent predictors of decompensated HF across a spectrum of renal function, but NT-proBNP is a superior predictor of mortality.


This study examined the relationship between student course taking, specifically the year of Algebra completion (grade 8, 9, 10, or not completed), and performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) mathematics test in grades 8 and 10. Data collected were student scores on the MAP tests, TerraNova tests in Communication Arts and Mathematics, student math grades, and demographic factors of gender and race. The sample of 512 students was taken from one school district in east central Missouri. The MAP mathematics tests contain 3 item types. Item type was statistically significant with both males and females scoring highest on Multiple Choice followed by Constructed Response and Performance Event items. Males and females had similar profiles for item types at both grade levels with males performing better than females on each item type at grades 8 and 10. The only statistically significant gender difference was on Multiple Choice items in grade 10. Course taking was significantly related to performance on the six MAP mathematics content strands. Number Sense, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Data Analysis and Probability, Patterns and Relationships, Mathematical Systems, and Discrete Mathematics organize the MAP content. Number Sense and Mathematical Systems content strands both found males performing significantly better than females. Geometry and Spatial Sense was the only strand that yielded a significant interaction effect of gender by course taking with males gaining significantly in advantage over females as Algebra was completed earlier. Course taking was significantly related to overall MAP and TerraNova mathematics scores. ANCOVA analyses used TerraNova language scores as a covariate to isolate the Baumgart, Geraldine, 2005, UMSL, p. v effect of course taking on MAP performance. The ANCOVA employed course taking and gender as independent variables and explained 70% of the variance in MAP 8 scores and 53% of the variance in MAP 10 scores. Both course taking and gender were significant main effects. A logistic regression analysis revealed significant predictors of MAP 10 mathematics performance to be MAP 8 mathematics performance, Math GPA in grades 8 through 10, gender, and completion of an Algebra course in grade 8. Qualified students should be encouraged to take Algebra in grade 8. Baumgart, Geraldine, 2005, UMSL, p. vi Table of


Abstract A rapid, simple and sensitive capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed for the simultaneous determination of amlodipine besylate and telmisartan, in fixed-dose combinations, through the utilization of a UV photodiode array detector. Electrophoretic parameters such as buffer concentration and pH, system temperature, applied voltage and injection parameters, were optimized in order to improve the efficiency of the separation. The best results were obtained when employing fused silica capillary (48 cm length X 50 μm ID) and 50 mM phosphate buffer electrolyte at pH 4.50, + 25 kV applied voltage, as well as 25°C system temperature. The separation was achieved in approximately 3 minutes, with a resolution of 4.90, while the order of migration was amlodipine followed by telmisartan. The analytical performance of the method was verified with regard to linearity, precision and robustness. In addition, the limit of detection and the quantification were calculated.


Context. The cloud formation process starts with the formation of seed particles, after which, surface chemical reactions grow or erode the cloud particles. If seed particles do not form, or are not available by another means, an atmosphere is unable to form a cloud complex and will remain cloud free.
 Aims. We aim to investigate which materials may form cloud condensation seeds in the gas temperature and pressure regimes (Tgas = 100–2000 K, pgas = 10−8–100 bar) expected to occur in planetary and brown dwarf atmospheres.
 Methods. We have applied modified classical nucleation theory which requires surface tensions and vapour pressure data for each solid species, which are taken from the literature. Input gas phase number densities are calculated assuming chemical equilibrium at solar metallicity.
 Results. We calculated the seed formation rates of TiO2[s] and SiO[s] and find that they efficiently nucleate at high temperatures of Tgas = 1000–1750 K. Cr[s], KCl[s] and NaCl[s] are found to efficiently nucleate across an intermediate temperature range of Tgas = 500–1000 K. We find CsCl[s] may serve as the seed particle for the water cloud layers in cool sub-stellar atmospheres. The nucleation rates of four low temperature ice species (Tgas = 100–250 K), H2O[s/l], NH3[s], H2S[s/l], and CH4[s], are also investigated for the coolest sub-stellar and planetary atmospheres.
 Conclusions. Our results suggest a possibly (Tgas, pgas) distributed hierarchy of seed particle formation regimes throughout the substellar and planetary atmospheric temperature-pressure space. With TiO2[s] providing seed particles for the most refractory cloud formation species (e.g. Al2O3[s], Fe[s], MgSiO3[s], Mg2SiO4[s]), Cr[s] providing the seed particles for MnS[s], Na2S[s], and ZnS[s] sulfides, and K/Na/Rb/Cs/NH4-Cl binding solid species providing the seed particles for H2O[s/l] and NH4-H2PO4/SH[s] clouds.
 A detached, high-altitude aerosol layer may form in some sub-stellar atmospheres from the nucleation process, dependent on the upper atmosphere temperature, pressure and availability of volatile elements. In order to improve the accuracy of the nucleation rate calculation, further research into the small cluster thermochemical data for each cloud species is warranted. The validity of these seed particle scenarios will be tested by applying it to more complete cloud models in the future.


During the past three decades, the most common emergencies affecting the health of large populations in developing countries have involved famine and forced migrations. The public health consequences of mass population displacement have been extensively documented. On some occasions, these migrations have resulted in extremely high rates of mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition. The most severe consequences of population displacement have occurred during the acute emergency phase, when relief efforts are in the early stage. During this phase, deaths--in some cases--were 60 times the crude mortality rate (CMR) among non-refugee populations in the country of origin (1). Although the quality of international disaster response efforts has steadily improved, the human cost of forced migration remains high. Since the early 1960s, most emergencies involving refugees and displaced persons have taken place in less developed countries where local resources have been insufficient for providing prompt and adequate assistance. The international community's response to the health needs of these populations has been at times inappropriate, relying on teams of foreign medical personnel with little or no training. Hospitals, clinics, and feeding centers have been set up without assessment of preliminary needs, and essential prevention programs have been neglected. More recent relief programs, however, emphasize a primary health care (PHC) approach, focusing on preventive programs such as immunization and oral rehydration therapy (ORT), promoting involvement by the refugee community in the provision of health services, and stressing more effective coordination and information gathering. The PHC approach offers long-term advantages, not only for the directly affected population, but also for the country hosting the refugees. A PHC strategy is sustainable and strengthens the national health development program.


One of the most debated issues in African philosophy concerns the question of ethnophilosophy. While most Particularists equate it to African philosophy, the Universalists reject it as philosophy let alone being African philosophy. The rationale behind the second position is that ethnophilosophy is said to be descriptive and lacks argumentation, criticality, rigor and systematicity, which are the hallmarks of philosophy. What these two views revolve around is the question of the place of ethnophilosophy in African philosophy. Here, I focus on two scholars who have sought to address this question. The first is Ada Agada, who opines that ethnophilosophy plays a foundational role to African philosophy. The other is Aribiah Attoe, who sees this view as a myth that must be done away with. In this paper, I show two things: first, I show that these two conflicting views arose due to both scholars' failure to clarify their ideas of what makes a philosophy African. Second, I converse with Attoe on his critique of the foundational role of ethnophilosophy as a myth. Here, I contend that Attoe's view is a misreading of Agada's views and that Attoe's position that critical rigor instead of ethnophilosophy should be the foundation of African philosophy is unfounded. My argument is that criticality is just one among other tools of philosophy; and a tool of philosophy cannot be its foundation.Keywords: Agada, African Philosophy, Attoe, criticality, ethnophilosophy, Ezin'ulo Ontology


Abstract Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a nuclear protein highly expressed in neurons, was identified because of its ability to bind methylated DNA. In association with the transcriptional corepressor proteins Sin3a and histone deacetylases, it represses gene transcription. However, it has since become clear that MeCP2 is a multifunctional protein involved not only in transcriptional silencing but also in transcriptional activation, chromatin remodeling, and RNA splicing. Especially, its involvement in the X-linked neurologic disorder Rett syndrome emphasizes the importance of MeCP2 for normal development and maturation of the central nervous system. A number of animal models with complete or partial lack of MeCP2 functions have been generated to correlate the clinical phenotype of Rett syndrome, and studies involving different mutations of MeCP2 have shown similar effects. Animal model studies have further demonstrated that even the loss of a specific phosphorylation site of MeCP2 (S80, S421, and S424) disturbs normal maturation of the mammalian brain. This review covers recent findings regarding MeCP2 functions and its regulation by posttranslational modification, particularly MeCP2 phosphorylation and its effects on mammalian brain maturation, learning, and plasticity.


The paper aimed to examine part of mentors in the primary schools under the eyes of key stakeholders, the teachers of primary schools (TPSs). This study was carried out in one major district of the Punjab Province. The mixed-methods approach was used to meet the objectives of the study. The population of the research work was all TPSs in the district under study. The study sample was comprised of 1127 TPSs selected through random sampling in layers. Quantitative data was collected on a self-developed structured questionnaire while qualitative data was taken through semi-structured interview protocols from the 32 participants by convenient sampling. Descriptive statistics was employed for analyzing the data through qualitative analytical techniques for the explanation of qualitative data. The results of this research work explored most of the mentoring services of the District teacher educators' were unsatisfactory. The authoritative behavior, less attention towards instructing, and lack of confidence were the key issues of coaching and mentoring. The results of this research work can be supportive in improving the current practices of the mentors for better results of the CPD framework.


This paper reports the application of Hough transform image processing technique to identify the existence of secondary flow patterns in a curved channel. When a fluid is forced through a passage with curvature, secondary flow appearing in spiral motion will superimpose on the main flow. Such phenomena are commonly found in many heat exchange equipment. While secondary flow promotes mixing of the fluids, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency, limited attempts were made to improve the heat exchange process through the control of the secondary flow. In addition to the highly complex nature of the secondary heat transfer process, it is difficult to quantify or measure the extent of the secondary flow. Hence, much research and investigations have concentrated on the study of the exact mechanism and characteristics of the secondary flow. A novel approach using an image processing technique based on the Hough transform is used to locate and extent of the secondary vortices. The Hough transform, is used to capture the secondary flow system pattern and then it is used to reconstruct the boundary of the secondary flow patterns.


Rationale. Sound localization is the ability to pinpoint the origin of a sound source within an auditory space. This ability is essential for safety, orientation, and communication. Poor sound localization abilities, especially in young children, can have a negative impact on academics and safety. This issue is exacerbated when there is a hearing loss. Young children do not localize as well as adults until age 6 or older. Data regarding sound localization accuracy in preschoolers and young children have been sparse. Recently, with the increasing numbers of cochlear implantation (especially in children) there have been more studies investigating sound localization in children. However, these studies mainly focused on children with hearing impairments. Most of them included children with normal hearing only as a reference or for comparison. Similarities and/or differences in sound source localization accuracy between children who are hearing impaired and those with normal hearing were investigated but the mode(s) of response were not regulated or examined. The literature presents localization accuracy ranges for young children with normal hearing but does not offer any knowledge regarding the effect of various response modes on sound localization accuracy. Younger children with normal hearing show greater localization error than older children with normal hearing. This suggests that the auditory system in younger children is still maturing. There is a need to investigate sound source localization accuracy in young children with normal hearing in order to identify factors that may facilitate this skill. This study explored the effect of a motor (movement) response on sound source localization accuracy compared to the traditional verbal response. The purpose was to identify any actors that could enhance sound source localization accuracy in children who have normal hearing in order to gain insight regarding possible auditory training strategies that could be effective in building sound source localization skills especially in children with hearing impairments and/or less mature auditory systems. It was proposed that embodiment, the incorporation of the body through motor movements within the auditory environment, could facilitate auditory spatial mapping and thus yield better sound localization accuracy." Methods. Sound localization accuracy was examined in young children, aged 3 and 5 years old, with normal hearing. Each participant in both age groups was randomly divided into two groups by response modes (verbal or motor) and asked to localize a sound source using that mode. The sound localization task was then repeated using only the verbal response mode. Testing occurred in a sound booth containing a semicircular array of 15 loudspeakers placed at 10o intervals along the frontal horizontal plane from 70o (left) to +70o (right) azimuth. There was a small child-friendly picture attached underneath each loudspeaker for sound source identification purposes. The stimulus was the speech spondee "baseball". Participants either sat in a chair and verbally stated the location of the origin of the sound by naming the picture underneath the corresponding loudspeaker (verbal response) or by walking over and touching/ pointing to the loudspeaker/picture from which the sound originated (motor response). There were seven (7) sound source (target) locations, with a total of five (5) trials randomly presented from" "each target loudspeaker for a total of 35 trials per task. There were two blocks of trials (tasks)." "Results. Sound localization accuracy was quantified using the root-mean-square error measure. Data was analyzed using the Generalized Estimating Equations – Robust Estimator statistical method. There was a statistically significant main effect for age, with the 5-year-olds showing better performance overall. There was not a significant main effect for mode of response or task order. There was however a significant interaction for age*mode*order. The 3-year-old Verbal 1st Group showed significantly better accuracy for the second sound localization task. The 5-year-old Motor 1st Group showed significantly worse accuracy for the second sound localization task in which they had to provide a verbal response." "Conclusions. Performance improved when the same response mode was used for both sound localization tasks but was degraded when the sound localization task was repeated using a different response mode. The initial motor responses did not facilitate auditory spatial mapping. This could be due to immature auditory pathway development and/or the increased cognitive strain of trying to break the memory pattern formed by the initial motor responses in order to transition to the verbal responses required during the second task. The results showed that children do not perform well when asked to change their mode of response when learning a new skill. Using the same mode of response twice emphasized the benefit of practice and repetition. Practice and repetition may be a more effective training technique than response mode for skill building especially for those who have difficulty with sound localization." Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program Speech and Hearing Science Research Advisor Patti M. Johnstone, Ph.D.


Many real world vision tasks, such as reflection removal from a transparent surface and intrinsic image decomposition, can be modeled as single image layer separation. However, this problem is highly ill-posed, requiring accurately aligned and hard to collect triplet data to train the CNN models. To address this problem, this paper proposes an unsupervised method that requires no ground truth data triplet in training. At the core of the method are two assumptions about data distributions in the latent spaces of different layers, based on which a novel unsupervised layer separation pipeline can be derived. Then the method can be constructed based on the GANs framework with self-supervision and cycle consistency constraints, etc. Experimental results demonstrate its successfulness in outperforming existing unsupervised methods in both synthetic and real world tasks. The method also shows its ability to solve a more challenging multi-layer separation task.


The author considers the anatomic basis and indications for a dynamic peroneus brevis tendon transfer to treat ankle instability and pain caused by rupture of the lateral fibular ligaments. He describes the surgical technique. The peroneus brevis tendon is passed through a tunnel in the distal fibula and cuboid bone, proximally and deep to the belly of the short toe extensor muscle and is looped back and sutured to itself. Thirty-two patients with ankle instability and pain of 10 years' duration or acute ligamentous rupture underwent dynamic peroneus brevis tendon transfer in a prospective study between Nov. 1, 1976 and Oct. 31, 1981. Twenty-five of the 32 patients were available for follow-up, which ranged from 15 to 57 months. The operation resulted in improved activity in 80% and relief of pain in 76%. There were three complications: causalgia, infection and numbness in one patient each. The author believes this procedure is worthwhile in active individuals who have long-standing ankle pain and weakness due to rupture of the lateral ankle ligaments.


Objective: Our first objective was to evaluate the quality of MCQs by analyzing difficulty index, discrimination index and distractor efficiency. Our second objective was to find out the association of MCQs having good difficulty and discrimination indices with distractor efficiency.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at department of Pathology, Islamabad medical and dental college. Midterm paper comprising of total 65 MCQs was assessed for difficulty index (DIF), discrimination index (DI) and distractor efficiency (DE). Data was entered in Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS 21. Quantitative variables were expressed as mean±SD. Qualitative variables were written as number and percentage. Independent t-test was applied to find out the association of DIF and DI with DE.Results: According to DIF, out of total 65, 53(81%) MCQs were in acceptable category, only 1(2%) MCQ was too difficult and 11(17%) were too easy. Regarding DI, total 34(62%) MCQs showed excellent discrimination tendency to distinguish low and high performer students. While 15(23%), 5(8%) and 11(17%) MCQs demonstrated good, acceptable and poor discrimination ability respectively. Out of total 260 distractors, 72% were functional and only 28% were non-functional. Total 16(25%) MCQs had zero non-functional distractor (NFDs), while 30(46%) and 16(25%) MCQs had 1 and 2 NFDs respectively. Only 3(5%) MCQs were with 3 or more NFDs. DE was significantly more (100%) in 1 difficult item as compared to 11 easy items in which DE was less (36.33%). However, DE in MCQs having poor and good DI was almost same.Conclusion: In this paper of Pathology, large number of MCQs have acceptable level of DIF (81%) and DI (83%). Distractor efficiency related to presence of zero or 1 NFD is 71%. Through item analysis, standardized MCQs having average DIF, high discrimination power with large number of functioning distractors can be developed. Thus it is an effective way to improve the validity of examination and to efficiently assess the student performance.


Despite the increasing dominance of digital technology in modern communications, face-to-face interactions are believed to play an irreplaceable role in facilitating complex cross-border business transactions. However, empirical research to identify the impact often faces the challenge of two-way causality when cross-country in-person meetings are measured by international air passenger flows. We propose a novel instrumental variable to estimate the causal effect of international air travel on bilateral trade. Our identification strategy exploits variations in connecting flight capacities in the global flight network to leverage exogenous variations in the air connectivity between two countries. With the inclusion of stringent fixed effects in our estimations and checked for robustness against many possible threats to the identification, our results show that international air connectivity facilitates trade between countries, but only for industries with a higher reliance on relationship-specific investments or incomplete contracts. We also find that stronger enforcement of contracts in the importing country amplifies the trade promoting effect of air connectivity, and that trade in new products, relative to existing products, responds more positively to improved air transport links. Together, these findings suggest that in-person communications reduce transaction costs in international trade by facilitating the exchange of complex knowledge that cannot be easily and completely codified and by breaking market entry barriers.


The objectives of this study were 1) to determine whether a biochip array-based immunoassay could be used to detect 6 different group antimicrobials in porcine oral fluids collected under experimental conditions; 2) to determine the feasibility of antimicrobial detection in clean versus dirty oral fluid samples; and 3) to determine if the assay could be used to detect chlortetracycline in oral fluids of swine ingesting a routine diet containing chlortetracycline. Biochip array-based immunoassay is currently used for simultaneous detection and quantitation of different group six antimicrobials in milk, urine, meat, honey, and feed. The assay had not been investigated for potential use in oral fluids. Following evaluation of different extraction procedures, a centrifugation method was chosen. Results showed that of the six target drugs, norfloxacin, ceftiofur, florfenicol, streptomycin, tylosin and tetracycline could be detected in both clean and dirty oral fluid samples. However, tetracycline was not well recovered in dirty samples. Chlortetracycline from tetracycline group was detected in all oral fluid samples collected from the field at concentrations ranging from 176.0-698.6 ppb. In conclusion, this assay can detect all target antibacterials from different groups in clean and dirty oral fluid samples with the exception of tetracycline which was not well-recovered from in dirty samples.


Abstract. Lake ice models can be used to study the latitudinal differences of current and projected changes in ice covered lakes under a changing climate. The Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo) is a one-dimensional freshwater ice cover model that simulates Arctic and sub-Arctic lake ice cover well. Modelling ice cover in temperate regions has presented challenges due to the differences in composition between northern and temperate ice. This study presents a comparison of measured and modelled ice regimes, with a focus on refining CLIMo for temperate regions. The study sites include two temperate region lakes (MacDonald Lake and Clear Lake, Central Ontario) and two High Arctic lakes (Resolute Lake and Small Lake, Nunavut) where climate and ice cover information have been recorded over three seasons. The ice cover simulations were validated with a combination of time lapse imagery, field measurements of snow depth, snow density, ice thickness and albedo data, and historical ice records from the Canadian Ice Database (for Resolute Lake). Simulations of the High Arctic ice cover show good agreement with previous studies for ice-on and ice-off dates (MAE 6 to 8 days). Unadjusted simulations for the temperate region lakes show both an underestimation in ice thickness (~ 4 to 18 cm) and ice-off timing (~ 25 to 30 days). Field measurements were used to adjust the albedo parameterization used in CLIMo, which resulted in improvements to both simulated ice thickness, within 0.1 cm to 10 cm of manual measurements, and ice-off timing, within 1 to 7 days of observations. These findings suggest regionally specific measurements of albedo can improve the accuracy of lake ice simulations. These results further our knowledge regarding of the response of temperate and High Arctic lake ice regimes to climate conditions.