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Syllable weight in Gothic. The status of syllable weight in Gothic, specifically the question of whether stressed syllables must be bimoraic, remains controversial. While some scholars, e.g. Riad (1992), argue that this condition is crucial to Gothic syllabification, others, like Calabrese (1994), reject this claim. Although this dispute has quieted down somewhat over the past two decades, the debate remains unresolved. As such, a significant piece of the puzzle of Gothic syllable structure remains disputed. The following paper therefore critically evaluates these two scholarly positions, with an eye to resolving the controversy. I argue that a more nuanced analysis of the Gothic material shows that Calabrese's view cannot be sustained. Moreover, an analysis of Gothic syllabification in line with Riad's view brings Gothic into line with the remaining early Germanic languages and thereby allows for a more unified analysis of various seemingly disparate phonological phenomena in the history of the Germanic languages. Calabrese's perspective falters in this respect, leading to the conclusion that Riad's view, namely that bimoraic stressed syllables were preferred, but not mandatory, in Gothic, is the most correct. | [
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Stopping the violence - Canadian feminist debates on restorative justice and intimate violence. This article maps out the current literature and trends in Canada in the area of restorative justice and intimate violence. It focuses on feminist and women-centred approaches to the debates and controversies in this area. The article concludes with a recommendation for a moratorium on new restorative justice initiatives dealing with intimate violence. | [
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Modification of the properties of NaDS micellar solutions by adding electrolytes and non-electrolytes: investigations with decyl eosin as a pK(a)-probe. The following ways to modify the properties of the sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar pseudophase were used: (1) variation of NaCl concentrations in the bulk, (2) the complex formation of counter-ions with crown ethers, (3) the replacing of Na+ by Mg2+, accompanied by MgSO4 addition, (4) introduction of a non-ionic surfactant Tween 80 and of 1-pentanol. The apparent ionization constants, K-a(a), of hydrophobic indicator decyl eosin (HR reversible arrow R- + H+) were determined in micellar solutions under the mentioned conditions. All these additions were shown to reduce the pK(a)(a), which was interpreted as being caused by the electric potential of the Stern layer growing more positive. The effects observed were compared with those registered earlier with the help of hydrophobic coumarin and cationic indicators; the reasons of diversities appearing in some cases are explained. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. | [
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Relationship Between Na+, K+-ATPase and NMDA Receptor at Central Synapses. Specific receptors for classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, as well as the Na+, K+-ATPase, are all molecular entities inserted into synaptic region membranes and localized contiguously. Herein, available experimental evidence showing close interactions between the activity of the Na+, K+-ATPase and the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) ionotropic glutamate receptor was reviewed, supporting a functional link between these macromolecules. The Na+, K+-ATPase and NMDA receptor are involved in ion movements through membranes. The former acts as an ion transporter, whereas the latter acts as an ion channel. The modulation of their activity plays a critical role in controlling neuronal function. Examples were taken from studies performed with specific agonists or antagonists of the NMDA receptor. Regarding the Na+, K+-ATPase, its involvement was postulated after observing its inhibition by ouabain or related cardiac glycosides. Additionally, experimental conditions known to prevent normal Na+, K+-ATPase (i.e., sodium pump functioning) led to similar valuable information. These findings indicate potential cross-talk between this enzyme and the NMDA receptor. The Na+, K+-ATPase and NMDA play very important roles in the regulation of learning and memory in the hippocampus. The fact that important changes here described were recorded in the hippocampus indicate a different vulnerability of this area to toxicity induced by the Na+, K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain. Some interesting relationships include calcineurin actions, the participation of ERK or Src family kinases, and signaling cascades initiated by calcium. At present, many other examples of signaling related to the NMDA receptor cannot be correlated with Na+, K+-ATPase activity. It is desirable that the development of future research offer new clues for the relationship between Na+, K+-ATPase and NMDA receptor activation. | [
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Use of a nested PCR-enzyme immunoassay with an internal control to detect Chlamydophila psittaci in turkeys. Methods: The fluorescein-biotin labelled PCR products were immobilized on streptavidin-coated microtiter plates and detected with anti-fluorescein peroxidase conjugate and a colorimetric substrate. An internal inhibition control was included to rule out the presence of inhibitors of DNA amplification. The diagnostic value of the ompA nested PCR-EIA in comparison to cell culture and a 16S-rRNA based nested PCR was assessed in pharyngeal turkey swabs from 10 different farms experiencing respiratory disease.Conclusion: The present study stresses the need for an internal control to confirm PCR true-negatives and demonstrates the high prevalence of chlamydiosis in Belgian turkeys and its potential zoonotic risk. The ompA nested PCR-EIA described here is a rapid, highly sensitive and specific diagnostic assay and will help to facilitate the diagnosis of Cp. psittaci infections in both poultry and man.Results: The sensitivity of the nested PCR-EIA was established at 0.1 infection forming units (IFU). Specificity was 100%. The ompA nested PCR-EIA was more sensitive than the 16S-rRNA based nested PCR and isolation, revealing 105 out of 200 ( 52.5%) positives against 13 and 74 for the latter two tests, respectively. Twenty-nine (23.8%) out of 122 ompA PCR-EIA negatives showed the presence of inhibitors of DNA amplification, although 27 of them became positive after diluting (1/ 10) the specimens in PCR buffer or after phenol-chloroform extraction and subsequent ethanol precipitation.Background: Laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydophila psittaci, an important turkey respiratory pathogen, is difficult. To facilitate the diagnosis, a nested PCR-enzyme immunoassay (PCR-EIA) was developed to detect the Cp. psittaci outer membrane protein A ( ompA) gene in pharyngeal swabs. | [
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Regularization in statistics. This paper is a selective review of the regularization methods scattered in statistics literature. We introduce a general conceptual approach to regularization and fit most existing methods into it. We have tried to focus on the importance of regularization when dealing with today's high-dimensional objects: data and models. A wide range of examples are discussed, including nonparametric regression, boosting, covariance matrix estimation, principal component estimation, subsampling. | [
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Digestibility of crude protein and amino acids in corn grains from different origins for pigs. This experiment was conducted to determine the coefficients of ileal apparent (CIAD) and standardized digestibility (CISD) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in corn sources from different origins for pigs. The corn sources included yellow corn from the United States (n = 5; USY), yellow corn from South Africa (n = 2; SAY), and white corn from South Africa (n = 2; SAW). Nine diets were prepared to contain each corn source at 947 g/kg as the sole source of CP and AA. A nitrogen-free diet was also prepared and used to measure basal endogenous losses of CP and AA. Ten boars with an initial body weight of 52.2 +/- 9.0 kg were surgically fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and were allotted to a 10x10 Latin square design with 10 diets and 10 periods. Each period consisted of 3-day adaptation and 2-day sample collection periods. Results indicated that the concentrations of CP and AA varied among corn sources from different origins, and those of lysine and tryptophan had coefficient of variation of 16.3 and 24.0%, respectively. Significant differences were observed (P<0.05) for the CIAD of CP and AA (arginine, histidine, lysine, tryptophan, aspartic acid, cysteine, glycine, and proline) among the nine corn sources. The CIAD values of most AA except for six AA (isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, proline, and tyrosine) were greater (P<0.05) for SAY than those for USY. The CISD values of CP and most AA were similar among corn sources. However, the CISD of lysine was different (P=0.017) among the nine corn sources in the range of 0.611-0.765. The CISD of lysine for SAY (0.747) was greater (P<0.001) than that for USY (0.655). In conclusion, the CIAD values of CP and most AA in corn varied among corn sources from different origins, but the CISD values of AA except lysine were relatively similar among corn sources with varying concentrations of CP and AA. Further research is required to identify the reasons for the variability in the CISD of lysine among corn sources from different origins and to search for a method to reduce variability. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. | [
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Habitat Structure Influences Parent-Offspring Association in a Social Lizard. Parental care emerges as a result of an increase in the extent of interaction between parents and their offspring. These interactions can provide the foundation for the evolution of a range of complex parental behaviors. Therefore, fundamental to understanding the evolution of parental care is an understanding of the factors that promote this initial increase in parent-offspring association. Here, we used large outdoor enclosures to test how the spatial structure of high-quality habitat affects the occurrence of parent-offspring associations in a social lizard (Liopho/is white). We found that the extent of parent-offspring association was higher when high-quality habitat was aggregated relative to when it was dispersed. This may be the result of greater competitive exclusion of adults and offspring from high quality crevices sites in the aggregated treatment compared to the dispersed treatment. Associating with parents had significant benefits for offspring growth and body condition but there were no concomitant effects on offspring survival. We did not find costs of parent-offspring association for parents in terms of increased harassment and loss of body condition. We discuss a number of potential mechanisms underlying these results. Regardless of mechanisms, our results suggest that habitat structure may shape the extent of parent-offspring association in L. whitti, and that highly aggregated habitats may set the stage for the diversification of more complex forms of care observed across closely related species. | [
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THE FIRST GREAT WAVES: AFRICAN PROVENANCE ZONES FOR THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE TO CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, 1570-1640. Drawing on port entry records for 487 ships disembarking nearly 80,000 captives in Cartagena de Indias, the primary slaving port in early colonial Spanish America, this article provides a new assessment of the relative importance of major African provenance zones for the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century transatlantic slave trade. Upper Guinea and Angola furnished roughly equal shares of forced migrants to Cartagena between 1570 and 1640, with a smaller wave of captives from Lower Guinea. While Angola eventually replaced Upper Guinea as the main source of slave traffic to Cartagena, the shift was more gradual than scholars have previously believed. | [
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Childhood abuse and psychotic experiences in adulthood: findings from a 35-year longitudinal study. Background The extent to which exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse increases the risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood is currently unclear. Aims To examine the relationship between childhood sexual and physical abuse and psychotic experiences in adulthood taking into account potential confounding and time-dynamic covariate factors. Method Data were from a cohort of 1265 participants studied from birth to 35 years. At ages 18 and 21, cohort members were questioned about childhood sexual and physical abuse. At ages 30 and 35, they were questioned about psychotic experiences (symptoms of abnormal thought and perception). Generalised estimating equation models investigated covariation of the association between abuse exposure and psychotic experiences including potential confounding factors in childhood (socioeconomic disadvantage, adverse family functioning) and time-dynamic covariate factors (mental health, substance use and life stress). Results Data were available for 962 participants; 6.3% had been exposed to severe sexual abuse and 6.4% to severe physical abuse in childhood. After adjustment for confounding and time-dynamic covariate factors, those exposed to severe sexual abuse had rates of abnormal thought and abnormal perception symptoms that were 2.25 and 4.08 times higher, respectively than the 'no exposure' group. There were no significant associations between exposure to severe physical abuse and psychotic experiences. Conclusions Findings indicate that exposure to severe childhood sexual (but not physical) abuse is independently associated with an increased risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood (particularly symptoms of abnormal perception) and this association could not be fully accounted for by confounding or time-dynamic covariate factors. Declaration of interest None. | [
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Two Species of the Genus Tibicen Latreille, 1825 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in Iran, with an Identification Key to the Genera of the Family Cicadidae (Hemiptera) in the Country. Tibicen plebejus (Scopoli, 1763) and T. esfandiarii Dlabola, 1970 are the only two species of the genus Tibicen in Iran. In this study, the morphology and distribution of both species in the country are compared and an identification key is provided. Tibicen esfandiarii is usually larger in size and lighter in colour than T plebejus but overlap in these characters, along with similar male genital structure, can make identification problematic. However, statistically significant morphological differences and geographic separation support the recognition of two species. We discuss a possible evolutionary history in which T esfandiarii may have originated from relict populations of the widespread T plebejus. An identification key for the genera of the Cicadidae in Iran is provided, along with the list of the recorded species of each genus. Cicadetta naja Dlabola, 1974 is shown to be nomen nudum for Tettigetta dlabolai Mozaffarian et Sanborn, 2010. | [
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Tree species co-occurrence patterns change across grains: insightsfrom a subtropical forest. Co-occurrence is a basic measure of spatial relationships between species. This commonly used measure has many benefits and limitations, yet a basic property that can strongly affect it has been overlooked. Co-occurrence analysis is based on discrete sampling in space, and therefore, its grain size may affect the results and their interpretation, because species interactions and their environmental responses are scale-dependent. We utilized a large dataset on tree species from a full-stem mapped forest plot in China as a template for testing the effects of grain on species co-occurrence patterns. We quantified co-occurrence patterns for large trees and saplings in nested sampling plots with increasing radii and analyzed the effect of plot size on co-occurrence. Co-occurrence patterns varied greatly across grains. More than half of the species in large trees we analyzed had significantly non-random co-occurrence patterns at some grain. In contrast, saplings exhibited much fewer non-random co-occurrences. The proportion of segregated species pairs of large trees had a unimodal relationship with grain, whereas the proportion of aggregated species was positively related to grain. These patterns disappeared in saplings, suggesting that spatial interactions among trees are more prominent among larger individuals. Therefore, co-occurrence patterns are scale-dependent, and this scale dependency reflects a mixture of ecological (interspecific interactions, environmental responses) and statistical (sampling effects) processes. Our results suggest that insights from single-grained studies cannot be generalized. | [
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Regulation of germ cell and Sertoli cell development by activin, follistatin, and FSH. We have demonstrated a role for activin A, follistatin, and FSH in male germ cell differentiation at the time when spermatogonial stem cells and committed spermatogonia first appear in the developing testis. Testis fragments from 3-day-old rats were cultured for 1 or 3 days with various combinations of these factors, incubated with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label proliferating cells, and then processed for stereological analysis and detection of BrdU incorporation. Gonocyte numbers were significantly elevated in cultures treated with activin, while the combination of FSH and the activin antagonist, follistatin, increased the proportion of spermatogonia in the germ cell population after 3 days. All fragment groups treated with FSH contained a significantly higher proportion of proliferating Sertoli cells, while activin and follistatin each reduced Sertoli cell division. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on normal rat testes demonstrated that gonocytes, but not spermatogonia, contain the activin beta(A) subunit mRNA and protein. In contrast, gonocytes first expressed follistatin mRNA and protein at 3 days after birth, concordant with the transition of gonocytes to spermatogonia. Collectively, these data demonstrate that germ cells have the potential to regulate their own maturation through production of endogenous activin A and follistatin. Sertoli cells were observed to produce the activin/inhibin beta(A) subunit, the inhibin alpha subunit, and follistatin, demonstrating that these cells have the potential to regulate germ cell maturation as well as their own development. These findings indicate that local regulation of activin bioactivity may underpin the coordinated development of germ cells and somatic cells at the onset of spermatogenesis. (C) 2000 Academic Press. | [
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CRAFTING AN INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODEL IN AN ESTABLISHED COMPANY: THE ROLE OF ARTIFACTS. Business models can be considered as cognitive models that managers or analysts can use to describe, understand, or test business activities. However, the emergence of a new business model requires not only cognitive operations but also concrete modifications to the realities of a company's operations and structures. In this paper, we adopt a sociomaterial view of organizational change based on actor-network theory, and underline the role of artifacts in the emergence of new business models. We base our discussion on a case study of a French leader in kitchen electric appliances. Despite the fact that the building of its new business model is still in progress, this empirical study provides important suggestions concerning the role of artifacts. | [
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Incorporation of indigenous archives into Limpopo archives repository: a case of Venda indigenous archives. Originality/value - The study can be replicated for other research practices. This case study can be implemented in other parts of the world that face similar circumstances so regarding the transfer of archives and the challenges faced to maintain community knowledge and make themaccessible.Practical implications - This paper addresses archives decolonisation. Social implications - The paper has the potential to demonstrate the value of the indigenous archive.Research limitations/implications - This research confines itself to the Venda indigenous archives created from 1979 to 1993.Design/methodology/approach - This research is based on a qualitative research method. Interviews conducted with the 10 Limpopo Provincial Archivists and 25 community leaders based in the Venda area were conducted. The semi-structured interview was used to collect data.Findings - It is a South African constitutional mandate for each province to manage its archives. As the former Venda was now part of the Limpopo province, its archives were incorporated into the Limpopo Provincial Archives. The Venda archives incorporation to the Limpopo Provincial Archives did not consider the will of a community member to travel a long distance. Furthermore, challenges faced by archivists such as lack of skills and knowledge to process archival materials, lack of funding and participation in the incorporation of archives materials.Purpose - This study aims to assess the Venda indigenous archives incorporation into the Limpopo Provincial archives to promote archives decolonisation. | [
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JANE ADDAMS, THE CHICAGO SCHOOLS OF SOCIOLOGY, AND THE EMERGENCE OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTION, 1889-1935. This chapter challenges and augments the received view of the history of symbolic interaction at the University of Chicago. The history of the discipline's development at the University of Chicago between 1889 and 1935 is well-known, especially the work of George Herbert Mead and John Dewey, sometimes called \\'the Chicago school of sociology\\' or symbolic interaction. But the Hull-House school of sociology, led by Jane Addams, is largely unknown. In this chapter I explore her founding role in feminist symbolic interaction. Her perspective analyzes micro, meso, and macro levels of theory and practice. Feminist symbolic interaction is structural, political, rational, and emotional, and employs abstract and specific models for action. Addams led a wide network of people, including sociologists, her neighbors, and other citizens, who implemented and institutionalized their shared visions. Addams led many controversial social movements, including the international peace movement, recognized in 1931 by the Nobel Peace Prize. \\'Feminist symbolic interaction\\' expands the scope of symbolic interaction by being more action-oriented, more political, and more focused on a successful social change model than the traditional approach to this theory. In addition, many new sociologists are added to the lists of important historical figures. | [
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Development and field validation of an avidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for bovine brucellosis. The avidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (A-B ELISA), for use in surveillance for bovine brucellosis in India was developed and calibrated using the indirect brucellosis ELISA kit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a reference. The reagents used in the A-B ELISA were as follows: the smooth lipopolysaccharide of Brucella abortus strain 99 (antigen); biotinylated anti-bovine immunoglobulin G (detection antibody); avidin-horseradish peroxidase (conjugate); and 0-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (chromogen). The test results were interpreted using the IAEA software EDI version 2.1.1, which was modified for use in the A-B ELISA. The cut-off percentage positivity value was established using 500 brucellosis-positive and 500 brucellosis-negative serum samples, confirmed with reference to the sample data using the indirect ELISA kit. The overall specificity of A-B ELISA was 98.8% and overall sensitivity was 98.2%. Field validation of the A-B ELISA kit was undertaken in six laboratories in India. Screening of 7,040 cattle and 678 buffalo serum samples from 12 states revealed serological evidence of brucellosis in 8.7% of cattle and 10.2% of buffalo. This kit proved to be robust and performed with a similar sensitivity and specificity to the indirect ELISA. The kit can be supplied at a lower cost than current commercial ELISA kits. | [
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Effect of an orally administered antacid agent containing aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide on abomasal luminal pH in clinically normal milk-fed calves. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results suggest that clinically normal milk-fed calves given a commercially available antacid agent, PO, will have a transient increase in abomasal luminal pH. Such agents may, therefore, have a role in the treatment of abomasal ulceration in calves; however, the long-term effects of orally administered antacid agents in milk-fed calves and the clinical efficacy of such agents in treating abomasal ulceration remain to be determined.Animals-5 male dairy calves.Procedure-Throughout the study, calves were fed milk replacer at 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM. Cannulae for pH electrodes were placed in the abomasal body and pyloric antrum. Treatments consisted of oral administration of a high (50 ml) or low (25 ml) dose of the antacid agent and oral administration of milk replacer alone (control). Antacid was given at 7:30 AM, 3:30 PM, and 11:30 PM, and luminal pH was monitored continuously for 24 hours, beginning 15 minutes before administration of the first dose of antacid.Design-Randomized trial.Results-Administration of the first dose of antacid at the time of the morning feeding resulted in an increase in mean abomasal body luminal pH of < 1 pH unit, whereas administration of the second and third doses of the antacid caused transient (< 3 hours) increases in mean luminal pH of approximately 1.5 (low dose) and 2.5 (high dose) pH units.Objective-To determine the effects of a commercially available orally administered antacid agent containing aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide on abomasal luminal pH in clinically normal milk-fed calves. | [
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The impact of circulation patterns on regional transport pathways and air quality over Beijing and its surroundings. </br > Analysis of the relationship between circulation pattern and air quality during the emission control period suggests that CTs are the primary drivers of day-to-day variations in pollutant concentrations over Beijing and its vicinity. During the Olympics period, the frequency of CT 6 was twice that of the mean in August from 2000 to 2009. This CT had northerly transport pathways and favorable meteorological conditions (e.g. frequent precipitation) for clean air during the Olympics. Assuming that relationships between CTs and air quality parameters in the same season are fixed in different years, the relative contributions of synoptic circulation to decreases in PM10, BC, SO2, NO2, NOx, CO, and horizontal light extinction during the Olympics were estimated as 19 +/- 14%, 18 +/- 13%, 41 +/- 36%, 12 +/- 7%, 10 +/- 5%, 19 +/- 11%, and 54 +/- 25%, respectively.This study investigated the air pollution characteristics of synoptic-scale circulation in the Beijing megacity, and provided quantitative evaluation of the impacts of circulation patterns on air quality during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Nine weather circulation types (CTs) were objectively identified over the North China region during 2000-2009, using obliquely rotated T-mode principal component analysis (PCA). The resulting CTs were examined in relation to the local meteorology, regional transport pathways, and air quality parameters, respectively. The FLEXPART-WRF model was used to calculate 48-h backward plume trajectories for each CT. Each CT was characterized with distinct local meteorology and air mass origin. CT 1 (high pressure to the west with a strong pressure gradient) was characterized by a northwestern air mass origin, with the smallest local and southeasterly air mass sources, and CT 6 (high pressure to the northwest) had air mass sources mostly from the north and east. On the contrary, CTs 5, 8, and 9 (weak pressure field, high pressure to the east, and low pressure to the northwest, respectively) were characterized by southern and southeastern trajectories, which indicated a greater influence of high pollutant emission sources. In turn, poor air quality in Beijing (high loadings of PM10, BC, SO2, NO2, NOx, O-3, AOD, and low visibility) was associated with these CTs. Good air quality in Beijing was associated with CTs 1 and 6. The average visibilities (with +/- 1 Sigma) in Beijing for CTs 1 and 6 during 2000-2009 were 18.5 +/- 8.3 km and 14.3 +/- 8.5 km, respectively. In contrast, low visibility values of 6.0 +/- 3.5 km, 6.6 +/- 3.7 km, and 6.7 +/- 3.6 km were found in CTs 5, 8, and 9, respectively. The mean concentrations of PM10 for CTs 1, 6, 5, 8, and 9 during 2005-2009 were 90.3 +/- 76.3 mu g m(-3), 111.7 +/- 89.6 mu g m(-3), 173.4 +/- 105.8 mu g m(-3), 158.4 +/- 90.0 mu g m(-3), and 151.2 +/- 93.1 mu g m(-3), respectively. | [
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Partial Menger algebras of terms. The superposition operation S-n,S-A, n >= 1, n is an element of N, maps to each (n + 1)-tuple of n-ary operations on a set A an n-ary operation on A and satisfies the so-called superassociative law, a generalization of the associative law. The corresponding algebraic structures are Menger algebras of rank n. A partial algebra of type (n + 1) which satisfies the superassociative law as weak identity is said to be a partial Menger algebra of rank n. As a generalization of linear terms we define r-terms as terms where each variable occurs at most r-times. It will be proved that n-ary r-terms form partial Menger algebras of rank n. In this paper, some algebraic properties of partial Menger algebras such as generating systems, homomorphic images and freeness are investigated. As generalization of hypersubstitutions and linear hypersubstitutions we consider r-hypersubstitutions.U | [
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Institutional Support and Sustainability of Microcredit Programmes in Developing Countries: The Case of Venezuela. This paper analyses a microcredit programme that was developed in a rural area of Venezuela, a standard-bearer for left-wing movements in Latin America, after significant initial support from the public sector disappeared. The findings indicate high levels of stability for the microfinance organisations: the number of shares, the volume of savings and the amount of the loans granted had all increased, with low levels of loan default. However, significant organisational deterioration and a reduction in the social and environmental impact in the community were also observed, aspects that point to a need to rethink institutional support in these areas. (c) 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. | [
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Exposure to psychosocial work strain and changes in smoking behavior during pregnancy - a longitudinal study within the Danish National Birth Cohort. Conclusions Psychosocial strain influenced the women's smoking behavior during pregnancy, especially in job types with low control.Results Non-smoking women exposed to high strain work were more likely to become daily smokers [adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) 1.41, (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.83)] compared to non-smoking women exposed to low strain work. Non-smoking women exposed to passive work were more likely to become both non-daily and daily smokers [ORadj 1.59 (95% CI 1.21-2.08) and ORadj 1.32 (95% CI 1.03-1.70), respectively]. Daily smoking women exposed to high strain work were less likely to decrease their smoking [ORadj 0.57 (95% CI 0.32-0.99)] compared to daily smoking women exposed to low strain work.Methods The cohort included 65 645 pregnancies from the Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002), where pregnant women were interviewed on job factors and lifestyle during the first and third trimesters. Smoking was categorized into non-, non-daily, and daily smoking at each interview. Psychosocial job strain was categorized into four groups based on the concept of Karasek's demand-control model: low strain (reference), passive, active and high strain. Associations between psychosocial strain and change in smoking status between the first and second interviews were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression, separately for each smoking category at first interview.Objective Knowledge of the relationship between psychosocial strain in the work environment and smoking during pregnancy is scarce. This study aimed to examine the association between psychosocial job strain and change in smoking behavior during pregnancy. | [
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Rational Illogicality. Many accounts of structural rationality give a special role to logic. This paper reviews the problem case of clear-eyed logical uncertainty. An account of rational norms on belief that does not give a special role to logic is developed: doxastic probabilism. | [
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Effect of rumen-protected choline addition on milk performance and blood metabolic parameters in transition dairy cows. This work was conducted to study the effect of rumen-protected choline (RPC) addition oil milk performance and blood metabolic parameters in transition dairy cows. In Experiment 1, fourteen Chinese Holstein dairy cows were Supplemented with 0 or 20 g/d of RPC from 7 d before expected calving to 21 d post partum. Feeding of RPC tended to increase milk yield and milk protein percentage. while milk fat and lactose percentage were not changed, Plasma concentrations of glucose tended to increase as cows consumed RPC. while plasma concentrations of triglycerides. very low density lipoproteins. cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acids were not significantly different between the two groups, In Experiment 2, thirty-six Chinese Holstein dairy cows were supplemented with 0, 30, 60 or 90 g/d RPC from 15 d before expected calving to 15 d post partum. Feeding of RPC tended to increase yield of milk and 4% fat-corrected milk for all the lactating cows, and milk composition was similar among the four groups, Plasma concentratiom of glucose were remained at a higher level in 30 or 60 g/d RPC-supplemented groups, and nonesterified fatty acids v ere decreased ill the 30 g/d group. Concentrations of triglycerides tended to reduce in 30 and 90 g/d RPC-supplemented animals. and cholesterol was reduced in 0 or 30 g/d group. These results suggest that RPC addition tended to increase milk field and improve blood metabolic parameters during transition dairy Cows, and feeding 30 g/d of RPC may be the optimal. | [
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Highlighting exact matching via marking strategies for ad hoc document ranking with pretrained contextualized language models. Pretrained language models (PLMs) exemplified by BERT have proven to be remarkably effective for ad hoc ranking. As opposed to pre-BERT models that required specialized neural components to capture different aspects of query-document relevance, PLMs are solely based on transformers where attention is the only mechanism used for extracting signals from term interactions. Thanks to the transformer's cross-match attention, BERT was found to be an effective soft matching model. However, exact matching is still an essential signal for assessing the relevance of a document to an information-seeking query aside from semantic matching. We assume that BERT might benefit from explicit exact match cues to better adapt to the relevance classification task. In this work, we explore strategies for integrating exact matching signals using marker tokens to highlight exact term-matches between the query and the document. We find that this simple marking approach significantly improves over the common vanilla baseline. We empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through exhaustive experiments on three standard ad hoc benchmarks. Results show that explicit exact match cues conveyed by marker tokens are beneficial for BERT and ELECTRA variant to achieve higher or at least comparable performance. Our findings support that traditional information retrieval cues such as exact matching are still valuable for large pretrained contextualized models such as BERT. | [
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YbPO4 nano-cylinders formation and alignment within optical fiber preforms using fiber-drawing process. This paper describes the first synthesis of YbPO4 nano-cylinders and nanoparticles within optical fiber preforms. To obtain YbPO4-doped silica monoliths, phosphosilicate powders, previously prepared by a sol-gel method, were impregnated with a solution containing an ytterbium salt. Then, they were compressed into cylinders and sintered at high temperature. These doped monoliths were densified under controlled atmosphere and then drawn at high temperature into 1.6 mm diameter-rods. The composition, structural and optical properties of these monoliths and rods were investigated using Electron Probe Micro-Analysis, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and IR absorption measurements. The size of the YbPO4 nanoparticles within the monoliths were found to be in the range of 8-15 nm and 13-25 nm, depending on the Yb-doping amount. Upon drawing the most concentrated Yb-doped monoliths into rods, the nanoparticles evolve to form nano-cylinders with a mean diameter around 40 nm and a length of about 400 nm. Similar behavior was observed for the less concentrated Yb-doped monoliths, once drawn into rods but a lower number of nano-cylinders were found in this case. Structural analysis, based on Raman spectroscopy and TEM experiments, shows that all these nano-objects have a tetragonal xenotime structure (I4(1)/amd). Moreover, it was found that the nano-cylinders were all aligned parallel to the drawing direction. These SiO2-P2O5:YbPO4 glass ceramics exhibit a structured absorption spectra around 980 nm, which corroborates the Yb3+ crystalline environment. | [
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German sociology of work: Between empirical engagement and theoretical ambivalence. After a modicum of initial institutionalisation under the Weimar Republic, German sociology of work established itself during the 1960s, largely revolving around themes such as industrial relations, technology and skilled industrial labour. The affirmation of a subjectivation paradigm during the 1980s broadened the spectrum of analysis to encompass the agency-related and embodied dimensions of work. Although these various research orientations remain relatively compartementalised, they have hitherto shared a unifying framework based on Marxist references and an aspiraton to offer a critical diagnosis of society. It remains that this critical ambition is currently in search of a new theory of society, even as the dominant mode for funding contract research leaves little leeway for broad theoretical investigations. Despues de un comienzo de institucionalizacion bajo la Republica de Weimar, la sociologia del trabajo alemana se desarrolla a partir de los anos 1960 en torno a las tematicas de las relaciones profesionales, de la tecnica y del trabajo obrero calificado. La afirmacion en los anos 1980 de un paradigma de la subjetivacion amplia el espectro de analisis hacia la dimension activa y encarnada del trabajo. Aunque estas diferentes orientaciones de investigacion comunican poco entre ellas, encuentran un marco unificador en la referencia marxista y la ambicion de contribuir a un diagnostico critico de la sociedad. Pero esta ambicion critica esta actualmente en busca de una nueva teoria de la sociedad, mientras que la forma dominante de financiamiento contractual de la investigacion deja poca libertad para obras teoricas de envergadura. | [
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Vaccinia virus penetration requires cholesterol and results in specific viral envelope proteins associated with lipid rafts. Vaccinia virus infects a wide variety of mammalian cells from different hosts, but the mechanism of virus entry is not clearly defined. The mature intracellular vaccinia virus contains several envelope proteins mediating virion adsorption to cell surface glycosaminoglycans; however, it is not known how the bound virions initiate virion penetration into cells. For this study, we investigated the importance of plasma membrane lipid rafts in the mature intracellular vaccinia virus infection process by using biochemical and fluorescence imaging techniques. A raft-disrupting drug, methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, inhibited vaccinia virus uncoating without affecting virion attachment, indicating that cholesterol-containing lipid rafts are essential for virion penetration into mammalian cells. To provide direct evidence of a virus and lipid raft association, we isolated detergent-insoluble glycolipid-enriched membranes from cells immediately after virus infection and demonstrated that several viral envelope proteins, A14, A17L, and D8L, were present in the cell membrane lipid raft fractions, whereas the envelope H3L protein was not. Such an association did not occur after virions attached to cells at 4degreesC and was only observed when virion penetration occurred at 37degreesC. Immunofluorescence microscopy also revealed that cell surface staining of viral envelope proteins was colocalized with GM1, a lipid raft marker on the plasma membrane, consistent with biochemical analyses. Finally, mutant viruses lacking the H3L, D8L, or A27L protein remained associated with lipid rafts, indicating that the initial attachment of vaccinia virions through glycosaminoglycans is not required for lipid raft formation. | [
2,
20
] |
The impacts of the meteorology features on PM2.5 levels during a severe haze episode in central-east China. The most polluted urban agglomeration including 13 cities in Central-East China (112-122 degrees E, 34-42 degrees N) were selected to study the impacts of meteorology features on PM2.5 levels during the severe haze episode by using observational PM2.5 concentration, surface and balloon sounding meteorology data. The study results showed that the temporal changing of PM2.5 in the 13 cities showed well correlation at the haze beginning, maintenance, and ending period due to the similar 500 hPa circulation and surface sea level pressure pattern. The increasing of surface relative humidity (RH) and temperature preceded PM2.5 accumulation when haze began. RH usually reached up to 90-95% during the period of PM2.5 peak, suggesting the possible contribution of high humidity to extreme PM2.5 values. In contrast to the similar circulation of upper air and surface pressure pattern, the divergences of local PBL meteorology, especially their vertical structure, were very obvious, which was the major meteorology cause for the different PM2.5 levels in these cities. The temperature rise at 850 hPa layer was higher than that at 925 hPa, which was higher than that at 1000 hPa, leading to the formation of temperature inversion. This was the most important trigger factor for haze. PM2.5 maximum generally occurred within 12 h after the formation of the strongest inversion in each city. PM2.5 levels in the 13 cities strongly depend on their reverse intensity: for the cities where the inversion was strong and long lasting, its PM2.5 was often the highest. Stable inversions are more likely to form in the transitional area from the northwestern mountains to the southeastern plains because of the mountain's blocking of cold air and the warming of boundary layer by sinking airflow from the mountaintop. This is the major meteorology cause for the frequent occurrence of the extreme PM2.5 levels in middle-south plain of Hebei province. This study reminds us that local boundary layer and inversion conditions, closely related with geographical location and local topography, contributes greatly to local PM2.5 levels and should be fully considered in the emission reduction and industrial layout policy by government. | [
4,
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OWNERSHIP CONCENTRATION AND FIRM PERFORMANCE IN EMERGING MARKETS: A META-ANALYSIS. The literature concerned with relations between ownership concentration and corporate performance in emerging markets presents conflicting theoretical predications and inconclusive empirical results. We use meta-analytical techniques to integrate the diverse empirical findings and investigate factors contribute to the inconsistencies in the empirical evidence. Using 419 correlations collected from 42 primary studies of listed corporations in 18 emerging markets, heterogeneity tests show that only a small proportion of the variation in reported ownership concentration-performance relations can be attributed to sampling error. Our meta-regressions reveal how population differences, researchers' modeling choices, and inadequate treatment of endogeneity explain a large portion of the true heterogeneity. After adjusting for these effects, we find ownership concentration has negative relation with firm performance across countries. Our results emphasize the importance of model specification and methods of addressing endogeneity, and support further comparative study of the ownership concentration-corporate performance relation between countries with seemingly similar corporate governance environments. | [
5,
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] |
Greek Testament, Aramaic Targums, and Questions of Comparison. Two unsupported assumptions have hampered comparison of the Targumim with the New Testament. One assumption presumes the Targumim are pre-Christian; the other presumes that they are too late to be of relevance to exegesis of the New Testament. The history of discussion shows that, in alternating cycles, these views have posed obstacles to critical comparison. Analogies between Targumic passages and the New Testament indicate a relationship of four types, each of which is explored in this essay. In aggregate they support the independent finding that the process of Targumic formation overlapped with the emergence of the New Testament. | [
3,
30
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Lysine acetylation regulates the activity of Escherichia coli pyridoxine 5 '-phosphate oxidase. N epsilon-lysine acetylation is one of the most abundant post-translational modifications in eukaryote and prokaryote. Protein acetylome of Escherichia coli has been screened using mass spectrometry (MS) technology, and many acetylated proteins have been identified, including the pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase (EcPNPOx), but the biological roles played by lysine acetylation in EcPNPOx still remain unknown. In this study, EcPNPOx was firstly overexpressed and purified, and two acetylated lysine residues were identified by the subsequent liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Site-directed mutagenesis analysis demonstrated that acetylated lysine residues play important roles in the enzymatic activity and enzymatic properties of the protein. EcPNPOx could be non-enzymatically acetylated by acetyl-phosphate and deacetylated by CobB in vitro. Furthermore, enzymatic activities of acetylated and deacetylated EcPNPOx were compared in vitro, and results showed that acetylation led to a decrease of its enzymatic activity, which could be rescued by CobB deacetylation. Taken together, our data suggest that CobB modulates the enzymatic activity of EcPNPOx in vitro. | [
4,
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Design of weave patterns: when engineering textiles meets music. This study aims to present a novel approach in creation of new patterns for woven textiles, which is based on musical scores. Such a design method has not been presented in the literature. It is based on the similarity between the music notation and the 2D coding of woven patterns. Theoretical and practical details on application of the design method are discussed. Weave patterns, based on famous musical pieces, are presented together with exemplary color designs. The four 'musical' patterns and their color designs could be considered as successful first attempts that open up additional opportunities for design and production of original, unique fabrics. | [
1,
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] |
Partner management for gonococcal and chlamydial infection - Expansion of public health services to the private sector and expedited sex partner treatment through a partnership with commercial pharmacies. Results: Providers permitted the health department to contact 3613 (91%) of 3972 potentially eligible patients, and 1693 (67%) of 2531 successfully contacted patients consented to interview. Of these, 1095 (65%) reported at least one untreated partner. Most patients (90%) wished to notify partners themselves. Patients were more likely to have partners who had not yet been treated and to request PN assistance if they had more than one sex partner in the preceding 60 days or a partner they did not anticipate having sex with in the future. These two factors characterized 49% of all patients interviewed, 70% of those with a partner that was untreated 7 or more days after index patient treatment, and 83% of those accepting PN assistance. Among 458 randomly selected patients with untreated partners at time of study interview, 346 (76%) agreed to deliver treatment to a partner. Of these, most (266) chose to obtain medication for a partner at a pharmacy, of whom 223 (84%) successfully did so.Background: Public health partner notification (PN) services currently affect only a small minority of patients with gonorrhea or chlamydial infection and new approaches to PN are needed.Conclusion: A substantial minority of private sector patients have untreated partners more than 7 days after their own treatment; some need help with PN, but most will agree to deliver medication to partners themselves.Objectives: To expand PN for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection to private sector patients and to assess the feasibility of treating sex partners through commercial pharmacies.Methods: Selected patients were offered PN assistance and were randomly offered medication to deliver to their partners. | [
2,
24
] |
Institutional Complexity and Organizational Responses. Organizations face institutional complexity whenever they confront incompatible prescriptions from multiple institutional logics. Our interest is in how plural institutional logics, refracted through field-level structures and processes, are experienced within organizations and how organizations respond to such complexity. We draw on a variety of cognate literatures to discuss the field-level structural characteristics and organizational attributes that shape institutional complexity. We then explore the repertoire of strategies and structures that organizations deploy to cope with multiple, competing demands. The analytical framework developed herein is presented to guide future scholarship in the systematic analysis of institutional complexity. We conclude by suggesting avenues for future research. | [
5,
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Between life and death: Ten years of Jewish life in Soviet Russia. Yakov Leshchinsky (1876-1966), a scholar, journalist, \\'the dean of Jewish sociologists,\\' specialist in Jewish demography and economic history, one of the founders of YIVO, wrote for the New York Yiddish daily Forverts for more than 40 years (since 1921). His articles were dedicated to various actual problems of Jewish life on the territories of the former Russian empire, particularly in Ukraine. In 1920 as a representative of ORT Leshchinsky worked with the Ukrainian Jewish population - victims of pogroms and refugees.Basing on the collected materials, Leshchinsky analyzed the results of the wave of pogroms the number of human victims, material losses, economic situation. Since the announced fifth volume The results of the pogroms (statistic-economical survey) of the series The History of pogrom movement on Ukraine 1917-1921 (Ostjudisches historisches Archiv) has never been published, these articles remain a valuable source of information for studying the events of the revolutionary time and the Civil War in Ukraine. | [
3,
27
] |
Ability to bear rights or ability to work? The meaning of rights and equality for the Russian deaf in the revolutionary period. This article explores how ideas of rights and equality changed for Russian deaf activists between the revolution of February 1917 and the emergence of the socialist system of welfare in the mid nineteen-twenties. An analysis of the documents produced in those years by the All-Russian Society of the Deaf reveals that liberal visions of rights mixed with Marxist-Leninist definitions of equality, prompting a shift in the activists' discourse from deaf people's individual inborn rights to their ability to perform labour on a par with the able-bodied. | [
3,
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Effect of the Slag Layer Thickness, Gas Composition, and Furnace Capacity on the Arc Efficiency and Heat Transfer in Arc Furnaces. Part II. Effect of the Slag Thickness on the Magnitude of Arc Heat Radiation Incident to the Walls. The variation in the heat fluxes from the arcs with the wall height in 100-ton electric arc furnaces (EAF) for different arc lengths and slag layer thicknesses and constant arc power are calculated and analyzed. As the depth of submersion of the arcs into the slag is increased from 70 to 300 mm, the maximum heat flux in the lower part of walls decreases by half. As the arc length is decreased by a factor of 1.5 while the arc power remains constant, the heat flux decreases by 10 to 30% and its distribution over the height and perimeter of the walls changes. | [
1,
13
] |
Similarity search in sensor networks using semantic-based caching. Sensor networks build temporary wireless connections in environments where the stationary infrastructures are either destroyed or too expensive to construct. Most of the previous research in sensor networks focuses on routing protocols that adapt to the dynamic network topologies, and not much work has been done on data accessing. One important data accessing application is similarity search, which provides the foundation of content-based retrieval. Many traditional similarity search algorithms are based on centralized or flooding mechanisms, which are not effective in wireless sensor network environments due to the multiple limitations such as bandwidth and power. In this paper we tackle the problem of similarity search by using semantic-based caching to reflect the data content distribution in the network. The basic idea is analyzing the cached results of earlier queries and trying to resolve the later queries within a small collection of content-related mobile nodes. Based on a Hilbert space-filling curve, the data points in a multi-dimensional semantic space are described as a linear representation. These data points are further cached to facilitate query processing. Through extensive simulations, we show that our method can perform similarity search with improved performance in terms of search cost and response time. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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Determination of interlaminar stresses in bending problems for a stack of transversely isotropic plates. A mechanical and mathematical bending model for a stack of transversely isotropic plates is developed. The resolving equations for deflections and tangential displacements are supplemented with a system of differential equations for normal and tangential contact stresses. It is demonstrated that for stacks consisting of an arbitrary number of identical plates with no friction between them, the initial system of equations for contact stresses can be reduced to Helmholtz equations. This transition allows obtaining the complete eigenvalue spectrum for the Laplasian of the problem and, in special cases, eigenfunctions. They are Krylov functions when bending is cylindrical and Bessel functions when bending is axisymmetric. | [
1,
12
] |
Application of GPR and seismic methods for noninvasive examination of glacial and postglacial sediments in the Psia Trawka glade: the Tatra Mts., Poland. Presented study gives an insight into general proportions of the actual geomorphology, subglacial morphology and thickness of the drift (quaternary sediments) particularly well-pronounced glacial morphology in the Tatras and, on the other hand, the general scarcity of the data in this field. Objectives of the geophysical survey in this study were imaging of the morphology of bedrock surface under the drift (glacial and postglacial) sediments and determination of thickness of the drift and its composition. Two methods were applied: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and seismic refraction profiling. GPR was used to examine drift sediments due to its high resolution and low depth of penetration. Seismic method with lower resolution but higher penetration depth gave an image of boundary between bedrock and drift. In addition, the results of seismic tomography allowed the velocity field imaging which shows changes inside the postglacial deposits. The results of the two methods used in this research suggest that points of depression exist in the subglacial morphology with a depth of about c.a. 40 below the present-day terrain surface and c.a. 25 m below surrounding subglacial surface. This trough has also been estimated to be about 150 m wide. Its considerable depth and steep slopes show that its origin can be related to erosion of subglacial water during the decay of the last (Wurm) glaciation of the Sucha Woda and Panszczyca valleys. | [
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Calculating permittivity of semi-conductor fillers in composites based on simplified effective medium approximation models. Interface induced polarization has a significant impact on permittivity of 0-3 type polymer composites with Si based semi-conducting fillers. Polarity of Si based filler, polarity of polymer matrix and grain size of filler are closely connected with induced polarization and permittivity of composites. However, unlike 2-2 type composites, the real permittivity of Si based fillers in 0-3 type composites could be not directly measured. Therefore, achieving the theoretical permittivity of fillers in 0-3 composites through effective medium approximation (EMA) models should be very necessary. In this work, the real permittivity results of Si based semi-conducting fillers in ten different 0-3 polymer composite systems were calculated by linear fitting of simplified EMA models, based on particularity of reported parameters in those composites. The results further confirmed the proposed interface induced polarization. The results further verified significant influences of filler polarity, polymer polarity and filler size on induced polarization and permittivity of composites as well. High self-consistency was gained between present modelling and prior measuring. This work might offer a facile and effective route to achieve the difficultly measured dielectric performances of discrete filler phase in some special polymer based composite systems. | [
1,
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Behavioural studies on eriophyoid mites: an overview. Eriophyoid mites are excellent candidates for ethological research using the approaches of behavioural ecology and sociobiology. These tiny haplodiploid mites are highly specialized plant parasites, producing galls, forming nests, inhabiting refuges or living freely on plants. They reproduce via spermatophores deposited on a substrate and without pairing, which is a fascinating, though still poorly understood, mode of reproduction widespread in some groups of arthropods. Eriophyoid males can be involved in external sperm competition. In some species they also guard pre-emergent females and deposit spermatophores beside them. Although slow-walking, the minute eriophyoid mites can disperse for long distances on air currents or specific animal carriers. After landing on a plant they can distinguish between suitable and unsuitable hosts. Biological observations on a deuterogynous species indicate that parasociality could occur among eriophyoid mites. Many eriophyoids are of economic importance. Knowledge of their behaviour may promote understanding their ecology, may resolve problems in their phylogeny and may help developing methods for their control. In this paper, attention is directed to dispersal modes of eriophyoid mites, their feeding and host acceptance, spermatophore deposition and mating, defence against predators, and social behaviour. | [
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Awareness, trial and use of heated tobacco products among adult cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users: findings from the 2018 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey. Objective To evaluate heated tobacco product (HTP) awareness, trial and current use among adult cigarette smokers and vaping product users in four countries with varying regulations governing HTP sales. Design Data came from Wave 2 of the ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey, collected from February to July 2018. Respondents were current and former smokers and/or users of vaping products (18 years or older) from Canada (CA; n=3778), England (EN; n=4848), the USA (US; n=2846) and Australia (AU; n=1515). At the time of the survey, only Canada and England permitted the sale of contemporary HTPs (eg, IQOS). Results Overall, 30.2% of respondents reported being aware of HTPs (CA=30.4%; EN=31.0%; US=30.2%; AU=27.4%; p=0.346), 2.4% had ever tried HTPs (CA=3.3%; EN=2.4%; US=2.0%; AU=0.9%; p=0.001) and 0.9% currently used HTPs at least monthly (CA=0.8%; EN=1.2%; US=0.7%; AU=0.2%; p<0.001). Trial and current use were higher among those who concurrently smoked and vaped (at least monthly) versus other nicotine use categories (trial: 10.9% v. 1.2%-2.0%, p<0.001; current use: 8.4% v. 0.1%-1.0%, p<0.001). In multivariable analyses, HTP awareness did not differ across countries, whereas odds of trial and current use were lower where HTPs were unavailable. Odds of HTP trial did not differ by regulatory environment when restricting analysis to HTP-aware concurrent smokers-vapers. Conclusion Approximately one third of respondents were aware of HTPs, even in the USA and Australia, where contemporary HTPs were not yet on the market. Trial and use were uncommon, except among concurrent smokers-vapers. Restrictions on availability may have limited HTP use generally, but less so for concurrent smokers-vapers. | [
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23
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Daily vaginal temperature in Girolando cows from three different genetic composition under natural heat stress. The present trial evaluated the effect of crossbred composition and Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) on vaginal temperature (VT) of Girolando dairy cows maintained under tropical pasture during warm seasons. The VT was monitored along 41 to 96 h in 615 Girolando cows with different Holstein (H) x Gir genetic composition (1/2 H = 284, 3/4 H = 248, and 7/8 H = 83) from six Brazilian farms in the summer of 2016 and 2017. VT of each cow at each hour of the day and the respective THI were averaged per hour across all monitoring days to generate an averaged value for VT and THI during 24 h. A linear mixed model with repeated measures using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method for (co)variance components estimation procedure was employed. The final model adjusted the VT for the effects of cow, time, THI, farm, year, pregnancy status, body condition score (BCS), milk yield, genetic composition, and genetic composition*time interaction. Fixed effects were evaluated by ANOVA and tested with Tukey test in R software version 3.6.1 (R Core Team, 2019). Overall mean of VT, air temperature (AT), and THI were 39.06 +/- 0.52 degrees C, 25.63 +/- 0.40 degrees C, and 75.06 +/- 3.96, respectively. VT had moderate positive correlation with THI (r(2) = 0.45, P < 0.001) and AT (r(2) = 0.46, P < 0.001). The VT had estimated linear increase of 0.05 degrees C for each THI unit increase (P < 0.001). Least square mean of VT varied among the farms (P < 0.001), pregnancy status (P < 0.001), and BCS (P < 0.05) but not for Milk yield (P > 0.05). The daily average VT was affected by genetic composition (P < 0.001) with highest temperature for 3/4 H (39.08 +/- 0.06 degrees C a) and 7/8 H (39.09 +/- 0.06 degrees C a) and lowest temperature for 1/2 H (38.95 +/- 0.06 degrees C b). The difference of VT among the three crossbred groups varied in function of the time of the day, from 12:00 to 20:00 h (P < 0.001), with 3/4 Holstein and 7/8 Holstein cows reaching similar VT, above to the upper limit 39.1 degrees C and higher than 1/2 Holstein cows during all this period. In conclusion, Girolando cows are sensitive to heat stress in tropical condition during warm seasons. Moreover, Girolando cows with genetic composition higher than 3/4 Holstein display reduced thermoregulatory efficiency. Therefore, Girolando cows in tropical dairy farms require strategies to mitigate heat stress according to their genetic composition. | [
0,
6
] |
Metabolomic Analysis of Akt1-Mediated Muscle Hypertrophy in Models of Diet-Induced Obesity and Age-Related Fat Accumulation. Akt1 is a serine/threonine kinase that promotes cell growth and survival. Previously, Akt1 activation in a double transgenic (DTG) mouse model fed a high-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet was found to promote type IIb muscle growth and to lead to a significant reduction in obesity. Here, we have used metabolomics to examine the metabolic perturbations in blood serum and liver and gastrocnemius tissues of the DTG mice. Multivariate statistics highlighted consistent metabolic changes in gastrocnemius muscle following Akt1 activation, which included significant reductions of serine and histidine-containing dipeptides (anserine and carnosine), in addition to increased concentrations of phosphorylated sugars. In addition, Akt1-mediated regression in obesity could be associated with increased glycolysis in gastrocnemius muscle as well as increased gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, and ketogenesis in the liver. In old DTG animals, Akt1 activation was found to improve glucose metabolism and confer a beneficial effect in the regression of age-related fat accumulation. This study identifies metabolic changes induced by Akt1-mediated muscle growth and demonstrates a cross-talk between distant organs that leads to a regression of fat mass. The current findings indicate that agents that promote Akt1 induction in muscle have utility in the regression of obesity. | [
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FRIENDSHIP AND CONFORMITY IN GROUP OPINIONS: JUROR VERDICT CHANGE IN MOCK JURIES. Social psychological research on group processes has consistently shown that group members adjust their views to conform to dominant and/or socially desirable stances. Studies are less clear, though, on how friendships within groups impact this tendency. Some studies suggest greater group cohesion leads to more conformity; other studies suggest friendship lessens the pressure to agree on certain issues. In this study, we use mock juries to test the impact of varying levels of friendship on jurors' propensities to change their verdicts to the dominant position (in this case acquittal, or a \\'not guilty\\' verdict). Our findings show that distant friendships among jurors increase the odds of conforming to acquittal; but close friendships decrease the odds of conformity. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding group processes and conformity as well as for jury research. | [
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Aerosol size-dependent below-cloud scavenging by rain and snow in the ECHAM5-HAM. Wet deposition processes are highly efficient in the removal of aerosols from the atmosphere, and thus strongly influence global aerosol concentrations, and clouds, and their respective radiative forcings. In this study, physically detailed size-dependent below-cloud scavenging parameterizations for rain and snow are implemented in the ECHAM5-HAM global aerosol-climate model. Previously, below-cloud scavenging by rain in the ECHAM5-HAM was simply a function of the aerosol mode, and then scaled by the rainfall rate. The below-cloud scavenging by snow was a function of the snowfall rate alone. The global mean aerosol optical depth, and sea salt burden are sensitive to the below-cloud scavenging coefficients, with reductions near to 15% when the more vigorous size-dependent below-cloud scavenging by rain and snow is implemented. The inclusion of a prognostic rain scheme significantly reduces the fractional importance of below-cloud scavenging since there is higher evaporation in the lower troposphere, increasing the global mean sea salt burden by almost 15%. Thermophoretic effects are shown to produce increases in the global and annual mean number removal of Aitken size particles of near to 10%, but very small increases (near 1%) in the global mean below-cloud mass scavenging of carbonaceous and sulfate aerosols. Changes in the assumptions about the below-cloud scavenging by rain of particles with radius smaller than 10 nm do not cause any significant changes to the global and annual mean aerosol mass or number burdens, despite a change in the below-cloud number removal rate for nucleation mode particles by near to five-fold. Annual and zonal mean nucleation mode number concentrations are enhanced by up to 30% in the lower troposphere with the more vigourous size-dependent below-cloud scavenging. Closer agreement with different observations is found when the more physically detailed below-cloud scavenging parameterization is employed in the ECHAM5-HAM model. | [
4,
5,
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Graphene oxide as a sacrificial material for fabricating molecularly imprinted polymers via Pickering emulsion polymerization. Graphene oxide (GO) was introduced as a sacrificial material, for the first time, to fabricate a hollow molecularly imprinted polymer (HMIP) via Pickering emulsion polymerization. A stable oil-in-water Pickering emulsion was obtained, and the optimum pH values affecting the stability of the emulsion were investigated. After polymerization, GO was peeled off using ammonia solution (pH = 11) via ultrasonication, and substantial specific binding sites were exposed. The physical and chemical properties of the material were characterized and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The equilibrium adsorption could be reached rapidly within 5 min, showing excellent adsorption efficiency, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity was 40.76 mg g(-1) at 25 degrees C. The imprinting factor was about 2.62. The selective analysis indicated a high affinity and selectivity of HMIP toward template diclofenac over mefenamic acid and carbamazepine. | [
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Estimating extinction from species-area relationships: why the numbers do not add up. Researchers commonly use species-area relationships (SAR) to estimate extinction rates caused by habitat loss by reversing the SAR, extrapolating backward from area to calculate expected species loss. We have previously shown that the backward SAR method considerably overestimates extinction rates due to a previously unrecognized sampling artifact. Jacob Bock Axelsen, Uri Roll, Lewi Stone, and Andrew Solow recently argued that the backward SAR method is correct and the method does not overestimate extinction rates. In this paper, we further elaborate and clarify our previous results. We show that the backward SAR method gives the correct extinction rate only under a strict complementary-area sampling design, which is not used in practice because it requires knowing which species are endemic to the area of destroyed habitat, or the number of species in the complementary area. Because of this problem, researchers substitute a power-law model for the SAR in the backward SAR equation. However, this substitution violates the backward SAR method's requirement for complementary sampling. With this model substitution, the backward SAR equation is no longer correct, except in the special case of randomly distributed species. For the complementary sampling or random distribution of species, the first individual of a species to be encountered and the last individual to be encountered to lose the species are exchangeable (or the same individual). But this is not the case for other sampling designs or if species are not randomly distributed and explains why the backward SAR method fails to correctly estimate extinction rates. Our proofs and results are general and explain the widely recognized overestimation of extinction by the backward SAR method. We suggest future directions for developing general theory for estimating species extinction from species-area relationships. Until then, however, the backward SAR method should not be used to estimate species extinction in practice. | [
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Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): An Overview of the Potentials of the 'Golden Grain' and Socio-Economic and Environmental Aspects of Its Cultivation and Marketization. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is native to the Andean region and has attracted a global growing interest due its unique nutritional value. The protein content of quinoa grains is higher than other cereals while it has better distribution of essential amino acids. It can be used as an alternative to milk proteins. Additionally, quinoa contains a high amount of essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, and carbohydrates with beneficial hypoglycemic effects while being gluten-free. Furthermore, the quinoa plant is resistant to cold, salt, and drought, which leaves no doubt as to why it has been called the \\'golden grain\\'. On that account, production of quinoa and its products followed an increasing trend that gained attraction in 2013, as it was proclaimed to be the international year of quinoa. In this respect, this review provides an overview of the published results regarding the nutritional and biological properties of quinoa that have been cultivated in different parts of the world during the last two decades. This review sheds light on how traditional quinoa processing and products evolved and are being adopted into novel food processing and modern food products, as well as noting the potential of side stream processing of quinoa by-products in various industrial sectors. Furthermore, this review moves beyond the technological aspects of quinoa production by addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges of its production, consumption, and marketizations to reflect a holistic view of promoting the production and consumption of quinoa. | [
0,
8
] |
Do cultural dimensions predict prevalence of fatal work injuries in Europe?. Work injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Yet, countries differ dramatically on the prevalence of fatal work injuries (FWIs). Are these differences only a function of national economies and infrastructure or also related to entrenched cultural differences? This study tested whether the cultural dimensions of Hofstede, assessed in the 1970s, predict recent FWI in 22 European countries. We hypothesized that Power-Distance Index (PDI) and Masculinity would be positively correlated with FWI, while Individualism and Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) would be inversely correlated with FWI. We obtained the Hofstede cultural dimensions from Hofstede's online data, and obtained data on prevalence of FWI as well as national income and alcohol consumption. Results revealed that PDI was indeed positively and significantly correlated with FWI (r = 0.611, p < .05) while Individualism was inversely significantly related to FWI (r = 0.604, p < .05), independent of national income and alcohol consumption. Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity turned out not to be significantly correlated with FWI. These results show that cultural differences between countries can independently predict future risk of FWI on an international scale. The results also have implications towards organizational management and prevention management concerning FWI. Our study indicates that self-leadership can be a powerful approach to improve occupational safety. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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Foliar Application of Rhodopseudomonas palustris Enhances the Rice Crop Growth and Yield under Field Conditions. Anthropogenic activities causing climate change and other environmental effects are lowering crop yield by deteriorating the growing environment for crops. Rice, a globally important cereal crop, is under production threat due to climate change and land degradation. This research aims to sustainably improve rice growth and yield by using Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a plant growth-promoting bacteria that has recently gained much attention in crop production. The experiment was set up in two fields, one as a control and the other as a PNSB-treated field. The foliar application of treatment was made fortnightly until the end of the vegetative stage. Data on the growth, yield, and antioxidant enzymes were collected weekly. The results of this experiment indicate no significant differences in the plant height, root volume, average grain per panicle, biological yield, grain fertility, and antioxidant enzyme activity between the PNSB-treated and untreated plants. However, a significant increase in the tiller number, leaf chlorophyll content and lodging resistance were noted with PNSB treatment. Likewise, PNSB-treatment significantly increased root length (25%), root dry weight (57%), productive tillers per plants (26%), average grains per plant (38%), grain yield (33%), 1000 grain weight (1.6%), and harvest index (41%). Hence, from this research, it can be concluded that foliar application of PNSB on rice crops under field conditions improves crop growth and yield, although it does not affect antioxidant enzyme activity. | [
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9
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Managed honey bee colony losses in Canada, China, Europe, Israel and Turkey, for the winters of 2008-9 and 2009-10. In 2008 the COLOSS network was formed by honey bee experts from Europe and the USA. The primary objectives set by this scientific network were to explain and to prevent large scale losses of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. In June 2008 COLOSS obtained four years support from the European Union from COST and was designated as COST Action FA0803 - COLOSS (Prevention of honey bee COlony LOSSes). To enable the comparison of loss data between participating countries, a standardized COLOSS questionnaire was developed. Using this questionnaire information on honey bee losses has been collected over two years. Survey data presented in this study were gathered in 2009 from 12 countries and in 2010 from 24 countries. Mean honey bee losses in Europe varied widely, between 7-22% over the 2008-9 winter and between 7-30% over the 2009-10 winter. An important finding is that for all countries which participated in 2008-9, winter losses in 2009-10 were found to be substantially higher. In 2009-10, winter losses in South East Europe were at such a low level that the factors causing the losses in other parts of Europe were absent, or at a level which did not affect colony survival. The five provinces of China, which were included in 2009-10, showed very low mean (4%) A. mellifera winter losses. In six Canadian provinces, mean winter losses in 2010 varied between 16-25%, losses in Nova Scotia (40%) being exceptionally high. In most countries and in both monitoring years, hobbyist beekeepers (1-50 colonies) experienced higher losses than practitioners with intermediate beekeeping operations (51-500 colonies). This relationship between scale of beekeeping and extent of losses effect was also observed in 2009-10, but was less pronounced. In Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland, 2008-9 mean winter losses for beekeepers who reported 'disappeared' colonies were significantly higher compared to mean winter losses of beekeepers who did not report 'disappeared' colonies. Mean 2008-9 winter losses for those beekeepers in the Netherlands who reported symptoms similar to \\'Colony Collapse Disorder\\' (CCD), namely: 1. no dead bees in or surrounding the hive while; 2. capped brood was present, were significantly higher than mean winter losses for those beekeepers who reported 'disappeared' colonies without the presence of capped brood in the empty hives. In the winter of 2009-10 in the majority of participating countries, beekeepers who reported 'disappeared' colonies experienced higher winter losses compared with beekeepers, who experienced winter losses but did not report 'disappeared' colonies. | [
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Discussion on application of the Weibull distribution to electrical breakdown of insulating materials. The Weibull distribution is commonly used for statistical processing of breakdown data of electrical insulation. The statistical theory of breakdown that has been proposed since the 1970s has introduced a two-variables Weibull distribution in order to take into account both the stress applied and the failure times. In this paper this distribution is thoroughly discussed and then rejected. Indeed, the random variable is only one; the other is an independent variable that becomes random only through the first, with the same shape parameter. The case of breakdown after electrical or multiple-stress aging (electric strength test on aged specimens) is also examined and the probability distribution function is written even in the general case, where the probability is a function of several variables. Only one of the latter, i.e. the electric strength ES, is the random variable while the others, such as the applied stresses and the time at which the ES measurement is performed, are independent. | [
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Impact of homestead housing on the allocation of financial assets of Chinese rural households. Using CHFS data and quantile regression method, this study empirically analyzes the impact of current homestead housing on rural household financial asset allocation in China. The main findings are as followings: The homestead housing system effectively protects the residential rights and interests of rural residents, but it is constrained by the system and fails to give full play to the investment value; Only on the premise of meeting the needs of family mobility, homestead housing can effectively play the wealth effect; In the family risk portfolio, homestead housing and risk financial asset allocation are mutually exclusive; In private lending, the impact of homestead housing on the provision of loans is more complex, but not always statistically significant; The impact of homestead housing on family financial asset allocation shows obvious heterogeneity and differentiation. Further releasing the liquidity of homestead housing, enriching the level of rural financial products and services, and encouraging rural families to appropriately participate in venture financial asset investment are the reform direction to improve the welfare level of rural families and optimize the allocation of family assets. | [
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Multiple Sclerosis: Current Knowledge and Future Outlook. Summary:This mini-review gives an overview of the current knowledge of MS with emphasis on the latest diagnostic criteria and both current and upcoming treatment options.Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by demyelination and axonal loss. The etiology of MS is unknown; however, environmental and genetic factors play a key role in the development of MS. Diagnostic criteria have been adapted to facilitate earlier diagnosis with increased sensitivity and specificity. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of MS has deepened considerably in recent years, resulting in different therapies to modify the disease course. Furthermore, several drugs have lately shown efficacy in phase III studies and their approval is expected in the near future. As treatment options expand, a future challenge will be to find the optimal treatment for the individual patient.Clinical Impact: Diagnosis of MS is based on McDonald criteria. MS therapy can be divided into relapse, disease-modifying and symptomatic treatment. Relapses are commonly treated with intravenous methylprednisolone. First-line therapy consists of either interferon-beta, glatiramer acetate or teriflunomide. In general, agents used as escalation therapies (natalizumab, fingolimod and mitoxantrone) are more potent than the agents used for first-line therapy; however, these have potentially serious side effects and should be used with care. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, BaselKey Messages: Treatment of MS changes rapidly as the knowledge and therapeutic options in MS expand. | [
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Two dimensional numerical simulation of crack kinking from an interface under dynamic loading by time domain boundary element method. The hybrid time-domain boundary element method, together with the multi-region technique, is applied to simulate the dynamic process of propagation and/or kinking of an interface crack in a two-dimensional bi-material. The whole bi-material is divided into two regions along the interface. The traditional displacement boundary integral equations are employed with respect to each region. However, when the crack kinks into the matrix material, the non-hypersingular traction boundary integral equations are used with respect to the part of the crack in the matrix. Crack propagation along the interface is numerically modelled by releasing the nodes in the front of the moving crack-tip controlled by the fracture criterion. Kinking of the interface crack is controlled by a criterion developed from the quasi-static one. Once the crack kinks into the matrix, its propagation is modeled by adding new elements of constant length to the moving crack-tip controlled by a criterion extended from the quasi-static maximum circumferential stress. The numerical results of the crack growth trajectory for different material combinations are computed and compared with the corresponding experimental results. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results implies that the present boundary element numerical method can provide an excellent simulation for the dynamic propagation and deflection of an interface crack. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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ANALYSIS OF A REPEAT-CONTAINING FAMILY OF GIARDIA-LAMBLIA VARIANT-SPECIFIC SURFACE PROTEIN GENES - DIVERSITY THROUGH GENE DUPLICATION AND DIVERGENCE. Giardia lamblia trophozoites express on their surfaces one of a set of cysteine-rich antigenically variant proteins, called variant-specific surface proteins, which comprise the majority of proteins detected by surface labeling. While these VSP proteins may be immunodominant proteins important in the host immune response to G. lamblia, the ability to switch expression from one VSP to another may provide a means for the trophozoites to avoid the host immune response. The first VSP characterized, VSPA6 (from the A6 clone of the WE isolate, originally termed CRP170), contains 18-23 copies of a 65 amino acid repeat. We have now used the repeat as a probe to isolate from a WBA6 genomic library two genes related to vspA6 (called vspA6-S1, vspA6-S2). Sequence analysis of the vspA6-S1 gene revealed nearly two complete copies of the 195 bp repeat and substantial nucleotide and translated amino acid similarity in the coding regions 5' and 3' to the repeats. The vspA6-S2 gene, while still related, showed greater divergence from vspA6 than vspA6-S1 in the nonrepeat coding region and contained nearly four copies of a 201 bp repeat that was 75% identical to the 195 bp vspA6 repeat. These results suggest that gene duplication followed by divergence has played a key role in the generation of the vsp gene repertoire. | [
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A novel double-coating approach for improved pH-triggered delivery to the ileo-colonic region of the gastrointestinal tract. Oral pH-responsive systems for drug delivery to the ileo-colonic region of the gastrointestinal tract show poor site specificity. Here, we describe a novel double-coating concept, based on the acrylic polymer EUDRAGIT (R) S, which provides improved functionality for targeting performance. The coating system comprises an inner layer of partially neutralised EUDRAGIT (R) S and buffer agent and an outer coat of standard EUDRAGIT (R) S. Tablets containing prednisolone were coated with double-layer formulations with different inner coat compositions. A conventional single coating was also applied for comparison purposes. Dissolution of the coated tablets was assessed using USP II apparatus in 0.1 M HCl for 2 h followed by pH 7.4 physiological bicarbonate buffer (Krebs buffer), a medium which closely resembles the ionic composition and buffer capacity of the fluid in the distal small intestine. Following acid exposure, drug release from the EUDRAGIT (R) S single-layer-coated tablets in pH 7.4 Krebs buffer was delayed for 120 min. Release from the double-coated tablets was significantly faster compared to the single-coated tablets and was found to be affected by the pH and buffer capacity of the inner coat. The drug release lag time from the optimised double-coating formulation with an inner coat consisting of 10% KH2PO4 (neutralisation pH of 8.0) was 40 min. The accelerated coat dissolution and subsequent rapid drug release from the double-coating system can potentially overcome the limitations of conventional EUDRAGIT (R) S coatings for ileo-colonic delivery. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. | [
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Mental health services during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe: Results from the EPA Ambassadors Survey and implications for clinical practice. Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented worldwide crisis affecting several sectors, including health, social care, economy and society at large. The World Health Organisation has emphasized that mental health care should be considered as one of the core sectors within the overall COVID-19 health response. By March 2020, recommendations for the organization of mental health services across Europe have been developed by several national and international mental health professional associations. Methods The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) surveyed a large European sample of psychiatrists, namely the \\'EPA Ambassadors\\', on their clinical experience of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of psychiatric patients during the month of April 2020 in order to: a) identify and report the views and experiences of European psychiatrists; and b) represent and share these results with mental health policy makers at European level. Based on the recommendations issued by national psychiatric associations and on the results of our survey, we identified important organisational aspects of mental health care during the peak of the first wave of the COVID-19. Results While most of the recommendations followed the same principles, significant differences between countries emerged in service delivery, mainly relating to referrals to outpatients and for inpatient admission, assessments and treatment for people with mental disorders. Compared to previous months, the mean number of patients treated by psychiatrists in outpatient settings halved in April 2020. In the same period, the number of mentally ill patients tested for, or developing, COVID-19 was low. In most of countries, traditional face-to-face visits were replaced by online remote consultations. Conclusions Based on our findings we recommend: 1) to implement professional guidelines into practice and harmonize psychiatric clinical practice across Europe; 2) to monitor the treatment outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and pre-existing mental disorders; 3) to keep psychiatric services active by using all available options (for example telepsychiatry); 4) to increase communication and cooperation between different health care providers. | [
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Molecular Evidence of Rickettsia felis in Phereoeca sp.. Rickettsia felis is an obligate intracellular bacterium capable of infecting ticks, fleas, lice, and other arthropods. This bacterium is classified as a member of the Transitional Group (TRG) Rickettsia. It is known the evidence of R. felis mutualistic and obligatory relationship with some eukaryote organisms. However, there aren't scientific accounts of R. felis and moths of the order Lepidoptera association. The current work reports the first identification of the bacteria R. felis in Phereoeca sp. For that, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using gltA, ompA, and ompB genes was used. The nucleotide sequences showed 100% of identity with other Rickettsia felis sequences. The genus-level identification of the moth larvae was performed by morphological taxonomic keys and PCR analysis of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. The nucleotide sequenced showed 94.94% similarity with the species Phereoeca praecox. However, with the low number of sequences deposited in the databases, the species was classified as Phereoeca sp. The results suggest that R. felis may develop in an organism without blood-feeding behavior (Lepidoptera), as it has been demonstrated for booklice (Psocoptera). Further investigation is necessary in order to confirm pathogenic or mutualistic association with moths. | [
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Achieving the tobacco endgame: evidence on the hardening hypothesis from repeated cross-sectional studies in New Zealand 2008-2014. Methods We analysed data from a biennial population-based survey of New Zealand adults (aged 15 years+) from 2008 to 2014. Data were collected through face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews.Conclusions This study provides evidence that robust tobacco control strategies that result in substantial declines in smoking prevalence are not accompanied by the hypothesised increase in 'hardcore' or 'hardened' smokers who are more addicted and less motivated and able to quit. The findings suggest that there is no need for substantial change in approach to achieve New Zealand's Smokefree 2025 goal on the grounds that the smoker population is becoming increasingly hardened.Results During a period of reducing smoking prevalence, there were no statistically significant changes in indicators of hardening including the proportion of smokers who were unmotivated to quit, unable to quit despite repeated attempts or receiving state benefits or on a low income. Quit rates did not change significantly over the study period. For 2014 versus 2008, the OR for recent (within last 1-12 months) quitting was 1.14 (95% CI 0.53 to 2.46) and for sustained (within previous 13-24 months) quitting was 1.88 (95% CI 0.78 to 4.54).Introduction The hardening hypothesis proposes that as smoking prevalence declines the proportion of 'hardcore' or 'hardened' smokers will increase. The possible constructs of hardening include reduced motivation to quit, increased levels of addiction, increased levels of disadvantage and reduced quit rates among continuing smokers. Most previous studies have investigated only a single facet of the hypothesis. We used data from a national population monitor to test the hypothesis using measures across all four hardening constructs. | [
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Coalitions and Voting Power in the Greek Parliament of 2012: A Case-Study. We revisit the May and June 2012 Greek Parliamentary elections and the December 2014 Presidential election that was held by the June-elected Parliament. The three voting instances provide a political field experiment for the application of power indices and their interpretation in context. We model the Greek Parliament as a weighted majority game and assess voting power with the Shapley-Shubik, Holler and when relevant, Coleman's indices. Also, based on the actual events, we establish connections between parties and evaluate the Myerson index. We focus on the influence of institutional rules on the distribution of power among the elected political parties and add an alternative input to the ongoing political debate about the reform of both the Parliamentary and Presidential electoral system in Greece. Additionally, our findings contribute to the understanding of the coalition formation process in the particular context and provide empirical evidence on the performance of non-selective indices in parliamentary multi-party settings which can be used for comparison by similar case-studies in the future. | [
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KPRF ideology and its implications for democratization in Russia. This article looks at the role of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) in Russia's troubled democratization process. The author contends that post-soviet Russian politics is plagued by a fundamental lack of consensus over regime choice issues. In this polarized setting of zero-sum politics, the KPRF has consolidated its position among anti-regime forces and can negatively impact Russia's transition to markets and democracy. (C) 1999 The Regents of the University of California. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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Prevalence and risk behaviors for chlamydial infection in a population-based study of female adolescents in Brazil. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors for STIs and to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection (CT) among female adolescents in Vitoria, Brazil.Conclusion: A high prevalence of CT was found in this population, and behavioral risk was high despite readily available STI prevention information. Women who reported positive condom use behaviors were less likely to have CT. These results demonstrate the need for ongoing STI prevention activities, including STI screening and continued successful risk reduction activities such as condom use to further decrease CT and other STI among adolescents.Results: Four hundred sixty-four young women were sampled. The prevalence of CT was 8.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.5-11.9%) overall. Among sexually active women, CT and gonorrhea prevalence were 12.2 (95% CI, 9.4-17.0%) and 1.9% (95% CI, 1.1-2.7%), respectively. Previously diagnosed STI was reported by 12.8%. Women who reported regular condom use and having condoms at home were significantly less likely to have CT, and having never purchased condoms was significantly associated with a positive CT result.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study among female adolescents (15-19 years) served by the Health Family Program. Participants were screened for CT and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) using ligase chain reaction applied to urine and answered a face-to-face questionnaire to assess demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors. All participants and their parents signed the informed consent.Background. Adolescents are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancy. Prevention measures and assistance are of significant public health importance in this population. | [
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Greening EU Studies: An Academic Manifesto. This article responds to Ian Manners' challenge to scholars of EU studies to engage with a broader range of theoretical perspectives and projects than is conventional. Specifically, it investigates the benefits of such an epistemological shift as that called for by Manners, critiquing the condition of the mainstream in EU studies-which is still somewhat unreflexively defined by dominant norms of IR scholarship despite the development of the field into a multi-disciplinary form of area studies-and arguing for an engagement with ecological thought and theory. To do this, the article proceeds in three stages. First, I set out why I think the call for a greater range of critical perspectives in EU studies is useful, focusing on the epistemological challenges and benefits involved in taking such a step. Second, I set out the core ideas of political theories of ecology. Finally, I suggest specific benefits for EU studies of incorporating such an ecological approach. | [
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Analysis of clinical and perioperative findings in 576 horses subjected to surgical treatment of colic. Colic was treated surgically in 576 horses ( 545 individuals). Twenty-seven horses were subjected to surgery twice and two horses three times during the period of this study. A total of 371 horses (64.4%) were discharged from the hospital, 205 animals (35.6%) died or were euthanised; 16 of them died during anaesthesia, 102 horses were subjected to euthanasia during surgery, 24 patients did not recover from anaesthesia after surgery completion, and 63 horses did not survive the postoperative period. Ileus of the small intestine was diagnosed in 267 cases (46.4%), affection of the large colon in 239 cases (41.5%), lesion of the small colon in 22 cases (3.8%), lesion of the caecum in 19 cases (3.3%), and affection of stomach and rectum in four and one cases, respectively. In 14 animals (2.4%), lesions were located at two different sites of the gastrointestinal tract. In four horses, the cause of colic was located outside the gastrointestinal tract. Three animals were affected by diffuse peritonitis. No gastrointestinal lesion could be identified during surgery in three horses with recurrent colic. The most common causes of small intestine ileus included incarceration in inguinal hernia ( 50 of 267 horses, 18.7%), hernia of the omental foramen ( 31 of 267 horses, 11.6%), anterior enteritis ( 19 of 267 horses, 7.1%), mesenterial volvulus ( 18 of 267 horses, 6.7%), and ileal impaction ( 18 of 267 horses, 6.7%). The most common caecal disorder was acute constipation/dysfunction (5 of 19 horses, 26.3%). Frequent causes of the large colon colic were torsion ( 63 of 239 horses, 26.4%), left dorsal displacement ( 36 of 239 horses, 15.1%), and right dorsal displacement ( 23 of 239 horses, 9.6%). The small colon was most often affected by focal obstruction/constipation ( 9 out of 22 horses, 40.9%). Surgical treatment of colic of the small intestine, caecum, large colon, and small colon was successful in 59.6%, 36.8%, 73.3%, and 63.6% of the cases, respectively. | [
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Future HAB science: Directions and challenges in a changing climate. There is increasing concern that accelerating environmental change attributed to human-induced warming of the planet may substantially alter the patterns, distribution and intensity of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Changes in temperature, ocean acidification, precipitation, nutrient stress or availability, and the physical structure of the water column all influence the productivity, composition, and global range of phytoplankton assemblages, but large uncertainty remains about how integration of these climate drivers might shape future HABs. Presented here are the collective deliberations from a symposium on HABs and climate change where the research challenges to understanding potential linkages between HABs and climate were considered, along with new research directions to better define these linkages. In addition to the likely effects of physical (temperature, salinity, stratification, light, changing storm intensity), chemical (nutrients, ocean acidification), and biological (grazer) drivers on microalgae (senso lato), symposium participants explored more broadly the subjects of cyanobacterial HABs, benthic HABs, HAB effects on fisheries, HAB modelling challenges, and the contributions that molecular approaches can bring to HAB studies. There was consensus that alongside traditional research, HAB scientists must set new courses of research and practices to deliver the conceptual and quantitative advances required to forecast future HAB trends. These different practices encompass laboratory and field studies, long-term observational programs, retrospectives, as well as the study of socioeconomic drivers and linkages with aqua culture and fisheries. In anticipation of growing HAB problems, research on potential mitigation strategies should be a priority. It is recommended that a substantial portion of HAB research among laboratories be directed collectively at a small sub-set of HAB species and questions in order to fast-track advances in our understanding. Climate-driven changes in coastal oceanographic and ecological systems are becoming substantial, in some cases exacerbated by localized human activities. That, combined with the slow pace of decreasing global carbon emissions, signals the urgency for HAB scientists to accelerate efforts across disciplines to provide society with the necessary insights regarding future HAB trends. | [
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Hot Lights and Cold Steel: Cultural and Political Toolkits for Practice Change in Surgery. One of the great paradoxes of organizational culture is that even when less powerful members in organizations have access to cultural tools (such as frames, identities, and tactics) that support change, they often do not use these tools to challenge traditional practices that disadvantage them. In this study, I compare data about work practice change from my own field study of an elite teaching hospital (conducted in the early 2000s) to previously reported data from field studies of two similar hospitals (one conducted in the 1970s and one in the 1990s). I demonstrate that although cultural toolkits supporting change may allow less powerful organization members to see traditional practices as running counter to their interests, they may not be able to significantly change traditional practices unless they also have access to what I call political toolkits (including tools such as staffing systems, accountability systems, and evaluation systems) that support change. Although cultural tools allow them to reinterpret practices that disadvantage them as unfair, political tools allow them to feel optimistic that others will help them effect change. Whereas cultural tools enable them to develop a \\'we\\' feeling with other reformers, political tools allow them to coordinate their change efforts. And although cultural tools provide them with a repertoire of contentious tactics, political tools afford them a sense of security that they can battle defenders of the status quo without ruining their careers. These findings contribute to our understanding of both the cultural construction of organizational life and social movement processes. | [
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Influence of plant-hardiness zone, shoot length, and crown class on the incidence of gouting by the balsam woolly adelgid on balsam fir. We collected midcrown branches of balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. (Pinaceae), at six different sites located in five different plant-hardiness zones, along a north south transect in New Brunswick, Canada, to evaluate the effect of plant-hardiness zone, crown class (overstory versus understory), and shoot length during the previous 10 years on the annual incidence of gouting by the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg) (Homoptera: Adelgidae). Site, crown class, and their interaction, along with the square of shoot length, explained 78% of the variation in gouting. Variations in gouting attributed to plant-hardiness zone were probably primarily due to variation in mean January temperature: at each site, the mean January temperature was positively and closely related to the mean level of gouting. The level of gouting was consistently higher on trees in the understory than on those in the overstory. Shoot length was parabolically related to the proportion of shoots with gout. The parabolic relationship between shoot size and the level of gouting is similar to that previously reported for galling adelgids, and suggests that gouting by A. piceae may be greatest on trees with an intermediate growth rate. | [
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Effects of changes in hip joint angle on H-reflex excitability in humans. We examined the amplitude modulation of the soleus (Sol) H-reflex during controlled variations of the hip joint angle in 21 healthy adult human subjects. Hip angle variations were imposed separately, or in combination either with stimulation of the plantar skin or with electrical activation of muscle afferents from the medial gastrocnemius (MG) nerve. We found that with subjects in the supine position, flexion of the hip significantly depressed Sol H-reflex excitability, by as much as 50% of control reflex values (Ho) recorded at 10degrees of hip flexion. Conversely, significant facilitation of the H-reflex was observed when the hip joint was extended (10degrees), with amplitudes reaching 200+/-15.3% of Ho. Changes in H-reflex amplitude were also observed during electrical stimulation of either the foot sole or the MG nerve, when stimuli were delivered at different hip angles. Foot sole stimulation resulted in facilitation of the H-reflex with the hip extended while depression of the reflex was recorded with the hip flexed. In contrast, MG nerve stimulation at group-I muscle afferent strength resulted in a significant increase in the Sol H-reflex magnitude with the hip flexed, while during hip extension, suppression of the H-reflex was present. This study provides evidence for the existence of a spinal mechanism, determined principally by the hip joint angle, which promotes switching between inhibitory and facilitatory pathways during hip flexion and extension. The origins of such a spinal mechanism are discussed. | [
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Septaplex PCR assay for rapid identification of Vibrio cholerae including detection of virulence and int SXT genes. In this study, we describe a septaplex PCR assay for rapid identification of Vibrio cholerae including detection of the virulence and intsxt genes. Conditions were optimized to amplify fragments of ISRrRNA (encoding for 16S-23S rRNA gene, Intergenic spacer regions), O1rfb (O1 serogroup specific rfb), O139rfb (O139 serogroup specific rfb), ctxA (cholera toxin subunit A), tcpA (toxin coregulated pilus), and intsxt (sxt integron) simultaneously in a single PCR. The septaplex PCR was evaluated using 211 strains of V. cholerae and six water samples for in situ testing. PCR results were correlated with genotype data obtained by individual PCR and slot-blot assays. The one-step PCR described here can be used to identify V. cholerae accurately and rapidly. Also, the virulence and intsxt genes can be simultaneously detected, providing a useful method for monitoring pathogenic, intsxt-positive and nonpathogenic, intsxt-negative V. cholerae serogroups both in the environment and clinical settings. | [
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Expert Panels with Selective Investigation. In a model of information disclosure with multiple experts we compare homogeneous panels and diverse panels. The distinguishing feature of our model is selective investigation: there are multiple aspects relevant to decision making and each expert can strategically choose some aspects to investigate. We show that homogeneous panels lead to unbalanced investigation and unbalanced action, while under diverse panels both investigations and actions are balanced. In most circumstances, diverse panels perform better than homogeneous panels. | [
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Epidemiology of Yam Viruses in Guadeloupe: Role of Cropping Practices and Seed-Tuber Supply. The epidemiology of yam viruses remains largely unexplored. We present a large-scale epidemiological study of yam viruses in Guadeloupe based on the analysis of 1124 leaf samples collected from yams and weeds. We addressed the prevalence of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Cordyline virus 1 (CoV1), Dioscorea mosaic associated virus (DMaV), yam asymptomatic virus 1 (YaV1), yam mosaic virus (YMV), yam mild mosaic virus (YMMV), badnaviruses, macluraviruses and potexviruses, and the key epidemiological drivers of these viruses. We provide evidence that several weeds are reservoirs of YMMV and that YMMV isolates infecting weeds cluster together with those infecting yams, pointing to the role of weeds in the epidemiology of YMMV. We report the occurrence of yam chlorotic necrosis virus (YCNV) in Guadeloupe, the introduction of YMMV isolates through the importation of yam tubers, and the absence of vertical transmission of YaV1. We identified specific effects on some cropping practices, such as weed management and the use of chemical pesticides, on the occurrence of a few viruses, but no crop-related factor had a strong or general effect on the overall epidemiology of the targeted viruses. Overall, our work provides insights into the epidemiology of yam viruses that will help design more efficient control strategies. | [
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Ectohydrolytic enzyme activities of bacteria associated with Orbicella annularis coral. Ectohydrolytic enzyme activity (EEA) potential of 37 bacterial isolates derived from Orbicella annularis coral and 2 coral pathogens (Vibrio shilonii and V. coralliilyticus) was measured as model to infer the role of bacteria in organic matter processing within coral reef ecosystems. Bacterial cell-specific activities of eight enzyme types were measured after incubation in organic matter enriched and unenriched filtered seawater. Max value of activities of alkaline phosphatase, oleate-lipase, stearate-lipase and proteinase were 769.3, 327.6, 82.9 and 36.7 amol cell(-1) h(-1), respectively. Chitinase, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-glucosidase and beta-glucosidase were generally lower by comparison (max 4.7-20.7 amol cell(-1) h(-1)). No \\'super\\' isolates (bacteria expressing high levels of all ectohydrolases) were found suggesting a \\'specialization\\' among individual bacterial strains. Cumulatively, the 39 isolates tested displayed a broad range of cell-specific enzyme activities in both organic matter conditions. Culture-independent measurement of coral mucus layer EEA in O. annularis off a Panama reef showed comparable EEA patterns and diversity as the isolates. Volume-specific EEAs of all enzymes except alkaline phosphatase were 8-48 times higher in mucus than in surrounding seawater (SSW) samples. However, cell-specific EEAs in mucus were generally lower than in the SSW partly due to more abundant cells in the mucus than in SSW. For field samples, >= 85% of proteinase was cell-bound, while lipase was preferentially dissolved (40-96%). In general, the production of dissolved EEAs varied among measurements depending on sample source and enzyme types, suggesting a potential role of ectoenzyme size distribution in linking the whole reef ecosystem. Our findings support that the cumulative ectoenzyme expression (\\'ectoenzymome\\') of the coral microbiome has the potential to maintain the functional resilience of the coral holobiont and response to stress through its contribution to organic matter processing within coral reef ecosystems. | [
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Small Alcohols as Hydrate Promoters. Many methods for the production of natural gas from hydrate reservoirs have been proposed during the latest 3 decades. Reducing pressure, thermal stimulation, or injection of thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors are three examples. A typical problem is, however, that different methods for producing hydrates are not evaluated thermodynamically prior to planning expensive experiments or even more expensive pilot tests. This can be due to the lack of a thermodynamic toolbox for the purpose. On a macroscopic level, there are two criteria that need to be met: the Gibbs free energy change has to be favorable and sufficient heat must be supplied in order to fulfill the first law of thermodynamics. Another challenge is the lack of focus on the limitations of the hydrate phase transition itself. The interface between the hydrate and liquid water is a kinetic bottleneck that requires efficient breaking of water hydrogen bonds. Reducing pressure does not address this problem. Injection of CO2, however, will lead to the formation of a new CO2 hydrate. This released heat from this hydrate formation is an efficient heat source for dissociating the in situ CH4 hydrate. Adding limited amounts of N-2 increases the permeability for the injection gas. Addition of a surfactant increases the gas/water interface dynamics and promotes heterogeneous hydrate formation. In this work, we demonstrate a residual thermodynamic scheme that opens up for detailed thermodynamic analysis of different routes to hydrate formation and dissociation. It is demonstrated that addition of 20 mol % N-2 to CO2 is thermodynamically feasible for generating a new hydrate in the pores. The available hydrate formation enthalpy when adding N-2 is reduced as compared to pure CO2 but still considered as sufficient. Up to 3 mol % ethanol in the free pore water is also thermodynamically feasible. The addition of alcohol will not significantly disturb the ability to form a new hydrate from the injection gas. The released enthalpy from the formation of the new hydrate is also considered as sufficient compared to what is needed for dissociation of the in situ CH4 hydrate. Homogeneous hydrate formation from dissolved CH4 and/or CO2 is limited in amount and is not important. However, the hydrate stability limits related to the concentration of the hydrate former in the surrounding water are important. Mineral surfaces can act as hydrate promoters through direct adsorption, or adsorption in water, which is structured by the mineral surface charges. Examples from theoretical studies are discussed. | [
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15
] |
Integration of solar PV into grid using a new UPQC with differential inverter control. Integrated photovoltaic (PV) distribution systems voltage stability is of great significance in supporting all connected equipment smooth functioning in the distribution network. Voltage profile maintenance is one of the challenging tasks in PV integration. To maintain a constant voltage profile to a sensitive load of 22 kVA is the main idea of this study. A single-phase PV-integrated distribution system is selected for the study. The novelty is that differential inverters are used for dynamic voltage restorer and distribution static synchronous compensator of the unified power quality conditioner (UPQC). Active power decoupling facility is the main advantage using the differential inverter. The research work objective is to synchronise a 10 kW solar PV system to the distribution system using this new UPQC. The research work discusses and derives the most suitable control strategy for the UPQC with battery energy storage system. A 20 kVA UPQC is designed for the PV integration and to increase voltage stability of the distribution system. The frequency, voltage and reactance/resistance ratio of the distribution system is assumed to be constant. A prototype model of differential UPQC is developed. Experimental and simulation results validate the main objective. | [
1,
14
] |
Germination, duplication cycle and septum formation are altered by caffeine, caffeic acid and cinnamic acid in Aspergillus nidulans. Phytogenous Phenolic and benzene compounds have been described as being responsible for many biological activities including antifungal effects. The effect of caffeine and cinnamic and caffeic acids on a model fungus, Aspergillus nidulans, was investigated at its initial stage of germination. Conidia did not germinate in the presence of cinnamic acid (1 mM). Caffeine and caffeic acid exerted a negative effect on germination, on the nuclear duplication cycle and on first septum formation. The effects of caffeine were dose-dependent; effects of caffeic acid (1 mM) were more intense than those of caffeine (10 mM). | [
4,
40
] |
Assessment of dynamic upper respiratory tract function in the equine athlete. Dynamic upper respiratory tract (URT) obstructions occur commonly in the equine athlete. During the past 25years, veterinary diagnostic capabilities have improved greatly with the ability to perform endoscopy during exercise and thus to visualise upper airway function during various types of exercise. After correctly reproducing and diagnosing an URT obstruction, the veterinary surgeon must consider the functional significance of the endoscopic findings for that individual athlete. This is the third paper in this series and focuses on the diagnosis of URT obstructions, their relationship to the exercise test and their functional significance. | [
0,
10
] |
Detection of non-coding RNA in bacteria and archaea using the DETR'PROK Galaxy pipeline. RNA-seq experiments are now routinely used for the large scale sequencing of transcripts. In bacteria or archaea, such deep sequencing experiments typically produce 10-50 million fragments that cover most of the genome, including intergenic regions. In this context, the precise delineation of the non-coding elements is challenging. Non-coding elements include untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs, independent small RNA genes (sRNAs) and transcripts produced from the antisense strand of genes (asRNA). Here we present a computational pipeline (DETR'PROK: detection of ncRNAs in prokaryotes) based on the Galaxy framework that takes as input a mapping of deep sequencing reads and performs successive steps of clustering, comparison with existing annotation and identification of transcribed non-coding fragments classified into putative 5' UTRs, sRNAs and asRNAs. We provide a step-by-step description of the protocol using real-life example data sets from Vibrio splendidus and Escherichia coli. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. | [
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Documenting Essex-Boy as a local gendered regime. Purpose - As a social construct, entrepreneurship is portrayed as an unashamedly masculine endeavour. This forms the basis for much feminist research in entrepreneurship. Despite a sustained research effort in the field of gendered entrepreneurship research this polarised viewpoint remains under researched from the perspective of masculinity. Rather than perpetuate the polarity this short article aims to consider the concept of gendered entrepreneurial regimes as an explanatory variable.Design/methodology/approach - Using documentary analysis techniques this article seeks to document the existence of a particular gendered local regime in the form of \\'Essex-Boy culture\\'.Research limitations/implications - Given that this is a preliminary study based on secondary documents there is clearly scope for other studies to be conducted into this interesting phenomenon.Social implications - The study has implications for what can be legitimately studied under the rubric of gendered entrepreneurial research.Findings - The findings although tentative indicate that as a recognised gendered local regime Essex-Boy identity manifests itself physically at a conceptual, gendered, geographic, community and cultural level. Semiotically it can be expressed as a legitimate business identity, a criminal identity, a celebrity status, a political identity, as parody, caricature and as metaphor. It can be expressed as an ideology, a doxa, class position, a culture or as an initiating dream. It also exists at a narrative level via memoires, biographies, jokes or scripted insult.Originality/value - This study is original in its exclusive use of documentary research/analysis to uncover gendered aspects of an under studied entrepreneurial regime. | [
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Editorial endeavours: plainchant revision in early modern Italian printed graduals. The extensive melodic revision of plainchant in editions of the Graduale Romanum published in Italy from the late sixteenth century onward resulted in musically diverse repertoires that could depart widely from earlier chant traditions. The scale of the changes in these sources, both in type and in number, has obscured certain aspects of their editors' work: their familiarity with the corpus, their aims and techniques, and their approach to the task. Previous analyses concluded that the editors worked on a chant-by-chant basis, and were either unaware of or ignored any shared melodic relationships between pieces of plainchant. An examination of the revisions to the recurrent melody used by the eight Ostende alleluias in three influential Italian printed graduals - Gardano 1591, Giunta 1596 and Medici 1614/15 - provides a different perspective. Analyses of the reshaped chants reveal that the editors possessed knowledge of the repertoire guiding aims, and favoured revision techniques. The combination of these factors, whether intentionally or not, resulted in the chants' continued structural connection in the midst of increased melodic diversity. The individuation evident the chants did not necessarily signal the editors' unfamiliarity with the repertoire, but could have been indicative of their intentional rejection of shared elements. Further, the revisions to the Ostende alleluias reveal that the editorial process could be flexible, with the chants approached both as individual entities and as groups. These findings demonstrate the complexity of the editorial process in early modern Italian printed graduals, and deepen our understanding of this multifaceted repertoire. | [
3,
27
] |
The identity of Alcyonidium diaphanum (Bryozoa : Ctenostomatida). The taxonomic identity of the common subtidal ctenostomate bryozoan Alcyonidium diaphanum is resolved using comparative morphological and molecular genetic techniques. The newly recognized lectotype series and topotype specimens are described and illustrated. The incorporation of spicules and foreign particles during colony growth is described. Colony morphology and genetic characters of the three commonly occurring morphotypes are examined, showing that just a single genetic species may be recognized, based on the 12s rRNA and COl mtDNA genes. Mitochondrial haplotypes show no general correlation with either colony morphotype or geographical location. | [
4,
42
] |
Vicinal difluorination as a C=C surrogate: an analog of piperine with enhanced solubility, photostability, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Piperine, a natural product derived from peppercorns, has a variety of biological activities that make it an attractive lead compound for medicinal chemistry. However, piperine has some problematic physicochemical properties including poor aqueous solubility and a susceptibility to UV-induced degradation. In this work, we designed an analog of piperine in which the central conjugated hydrocarbon chain is replaced with a vicinal difluoroalkane moiety. We show that this fluorinated analog of piperine has superior physicochemical properties, and it also has higher potency and selectivity towards one particular drug target, acetylcholinesterase. This work highlights the potential usefulness of the threo-difluoroalkane motif as a surrogate for E-alkenes in medicinal chemistry. | [
4,
33
] |
Two-Frequency Paired Polarization Interferometer for Faraday Rotation Angle Detection. A highly sensitive two-frequency paired linear polarized interferometer (TPPI) for measuring the Faraday rotation angle and Verdet constant of the Bi12SiO20 (BSO) crystal in real time was set up by an amplitude-sensitive detection method. TPPI features a common-path heterodyne interferometer in conjunction with a highly correlated paired linear polarized laser beam. Then, the antisymmetry of polarized heterodyne signals is produced and Faraday rotation angle detection by a balanced detector scheme is satisfied automatically. As a result, shot-noise-limited detection of Faraday rotation angle is possible. In addition, the Faraday rotation angle detection is also insensitive to the scattering and absorption caused by the specimen because of the common-path propagation of the paired linear polarized laser beam. Experimentally, the sensitivities of Faraday rotation angle and Verdet constant measurements of the BSO crystal under the arrangement with a single pass of the laser beam in TPPI are 4.93 x 10(-5) rad/mm and 2.6 x 10(-7) rad/(mT.mm), respectively. This suggests that the Faraday rotation angle detection sensitivity has the potential to be on the order of 10(-8) rad/mm if a Fabry-Perot cavity with a finesse of F = 120 is used in TPPI. (C) 2009 The Japan Society of Applied Physics | [
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Physician education can minimize inappropriate steroid use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the ACTION study. Background/Aims: Epidemiological data on steroid use in South Korean patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are limited. We documented the steroid use patterns in these patients, and whether physician education on appropriate steroid use affected these patterns. Methods: ACTION was an observational cohort study conducted in adults (>= 19 years) with IBD. A ret-rospective chart review was performed at baseline (cohort 1) and 1 year after physician training (cohort 2). Eligible cases with excessive or inappropriate steroid use were identified, along with any associated risk factors. Results: Data were collected dur-ing May 2018-July 2019 from patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in cohort 1 (n =1,685) and cohort 2 (n = 1,649). At baseline, 155 patients (9.2%) had received steroids within the previous 12 months, 46 (29.7%) of whom had used steroids excessively, 16 (34.8%) of these having inappropriately used excessive steroids. Although steroid exposure was similar in cohort 1 (9.2%) and cohort 2 (9.7%), the latter comprised fewer excessive steroid users (20.0% vs. 29.7%). Severe disease was associated with excessive steroid use in cases with UC, but not with CD. Conclusions: Although, overall steroid use was rela-tively low in South Korean patients with IBD, one-third of steroid users used them excessively, and one-third among these used excessive steroids inappropriately. High disease activity was the main risk factor for excessive steroid use which may potentially be reduced by physician education, especially in cases with UC. Active screening to minimize excessive and inappropriate ste-roid use through physician education should be considered. | [
2,
21
] |
Di lotta e di governo: The Lega Nord and Rifondazione Comunista in office. Since 1994, Italian politics has seen a number of coalitions including parties whose identity has been strongly based on their 'outsider' status as uncompromising opposition movements which would not previously consider government participation. This article examines the contrasting experiences in office of two such parties: the regionalist populist Lega Nord (LN) and the radical left Rifondazione Comunista (RC). While the Lega confounded expectations not only simply by remaining in the centre-right coalition from 2001 to 2006, but by influencing policy, increasing its vote-share and maintaining its 'outsider' identity, RC was unable to match its fellow outsider's success when it served in the centre-left government from 2006 to 2008. Looking at the experiences in office of the RC and the LN in terms of the three temporal divisions 'before', 'during' and 'after', this article seeks to analyse and explain the differing experiences and effects of government on both parties. | [
5,
49
] |
Functional Assays for Analysis of Variants of Uncertain Significance in BRCA2. Missense variants in the BRCA2 gene are routinely detected during clinical screening for pathogenic mutations in patients with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer. These subtle changes frequently remain of unknown clinical significance because of the lack of genetic information that may help establish a direct correlation with cancer predisposition. Therefore, alternative ways of predicting the pathogenicity of these variants are urgently needed. Since BRCA2 is a protein involved in important cellular mechanisms such as DNA repair, replication, and cell cycle control, functional assays have been developed that exploit these cellular activities to explore the impact of the variants on protein function. In this review, we summarize assays developed and currently utilized for studying missense variants in BRCA2. We specifically depict details of each assay, including variants of uncertain significance analyzed, and describe a validation set of (genetically) proven pathogenic and neutral missense variants to serve as a golden standard for the validation of each assay. Guidelines are proposed to enable implementation of laboratory-based methods to assess the impact of the variant on cancer risk. | [
2,
19
] |
Molecular diversity in the bacterial community and the fluorescent pseudomonads group in natural and chlorobenzoate-stressed peat-forest soil. Bacterial community shifts in a soil microcosm spiked with 3-chlorobenzoate or 2,5-dichlorobenzoate were monitored. The V6-V8 variable regions of soil bacterial 16S rRNA and rDNA were amplified and separated by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) profiling. Culturing in the presence of 2.5 mM chlorinated benzoates suppressed 10 to 100 fold the total aerobic bacterial community but had no effect on the diversity within the group of fluorescent pseudomonads. In contrast, the uncultured bacterial community showed a decrease in the number of bands in the TGGE profiles of the chlorobenzoate-spiked treatments. Accordingly, the Shannon's diversity and equitability indices of these treatments reflected a decreasing trend in time. The approach allowed a direct assessment of community shifts upon contamination of soil. | [
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] |
Effects of Amplitude of Die Vibration on Cast Structure of Al4.5Cu Alloy. The effect of mechanical vibration on structural evolution during gravity die casting of Al4.5Cu (LM11) alloy was studied. Two types of die were used to cast alloy, namely top gating die and bottom gating die. The preheated die was placed on a vibrating table prior to casting. The frequency of die vibration was 50Hz. The amplitude of die vibration was varied to 0.5mm, 0.75mm, and 1.05mm to understand the role of vibration on structural evolution. When vibration amplitude was increased to greater than 1.05mm, it generated higher degree of turbulence which resulted in splashing of molten metal out of the die and consequently it was difficult to cast the alloy. For comparative purpose, castings were produced without vibrating the die. Microscopic examination showed progressive microstructural transformation from predominantly dendritic structure in casting without vibration to greater degree of globularized primary -Al structure in casting produced with die vibration. In addition, casting produced in vibrating die showed microstructural refinement and reduction in microsegregation of Cu in the matrix. The average grain size of casting produced in the top gating die under vibration with 1.05mm of amplitude at 50Hz was 0.75mm, whereas that of casting produced in stationary die was 2.1mm. Further, vibration of die reduced the size of eutectic Al2Cu phase from 10.23m (without vibration) to 6.75m (with vibration at 50Hz and amplitude of 1.05mm). The refinement of grain and eutectic phase in castings produced under vibration is because it caused forced convection in melt that increased cooling rate during solidification. The evidence of high cooling rate in casting produced in vibrating die is noted from secondary dendritic arms spacing (SDAS) values. The SDAS value of casting produced in die vibrating at 50Hz and 1.05mm of amplitude was less as compared to that of casting produced in stationary die, and correspondingly the calculated cooling rate of casting produced in vibrating die was greater than that of casting produced in stationary die. Significant reduction in shrinkage porosity was observed in casting produced in vibrating die, and consequently their density was higher as compared to those produced without vibrating the die. This is attributed to the increase in melt flowability due to the fragmentation of primary -Al dendrites to form higher amount of globularized microstructure and grain refinement during solidification of casting in vibrating die. | [
1,
13
] |
Prieurianin/endosidin 1 is an actin-stabilizing small molecule identified from a chemical genetic screen for circadian clock effectors in Arabidopsis thaliana. Chemical modulators are powerful tools to investigate biological processes. To identify circadian clock effectors, we screened a natural product library in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Two compounds, prieurianin (Pri) and prieurianin acetate, were identified as causing a shorter circadian period. Recently, Pri was independently identified as a vesicle trafficking inhibitor and re-named endosidin 1 (ES1). Here we show that Pri primarily affects actin filament flexibility in vivo, later resulting in reduced severing and filament depolymerization. This stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton subsequently causes changes in vesicle trafficking. Pri also affected microfilaments in mammalian cells, indicating that its target is highly conserved; however, it did not alter actin dynamics in vitro, suggesting that its activity requires the presence of actin-associated proteins. Furthermore, well-characterized actin inhibitors shortened the period length of the Arabidopsis clock in a similar way to Pri, supporting the idea that Pri affects rhythms by altering the actin network. We conclude that actin-associated processes influence the circadian system in a light-dependent manner, but their disruption does not abolish rhythmicity. In summary, we propose that the primary effect of Pri is to stabilize the actin cytoskeleton system, thereby affecting endosome trafficking. Pri appears to stabilize actin filaments by a different mechanism from previously described inhibitors, and will be a useful tool to study actin-related cellular processes. | [
0,
9
] |
Desulfurization of digester gas on catalytic carbonaceous adsorbents: Complexity of interactions between the surface and components of the gaseous mixture. Five carbonaceous materials exhibiting catalytic activity for hydrogen sulfide oxidation from moist air were used as H2S removal media from digester gas. The breakthrough capacity was measured at dynamic conditions with various amounts of water present in the system ( either on carbon or in the challenging digester gas). The initial and exhausted materials after the breakthrough tests were characterized using sorption of nitrogen, thermal analysis, XRF, and surface pH measurements. The results obtained demonstrate the complex dependence of the capacity on surface chemistry, porosity ( volume and sizes), and water content. In all cases, elemental sulfur is the predominant product of surface reactions. In the case of materials with potassium present in the ash, preadsorbed water enhances the adsorption capacity, likely contributing to dissociation of hydrogen sulfide, which is further oxidized to sulfur by oxygen chemisorbed on the carbon. When the inorganic phase contains alkaline earth oxides nonreactive with water, the moisture on carbons does not affect the removal process. On the other hand, water in the gas mixture impedes the adsorption capacity via deactivation of catalytic centers, which react with carbonic or sulfurous acids. When reactive adsorption takes place, for the efficient oxidation of hydrogen sulfide, the volume of small size micropores becomes very crucial. They act as microreactors where chemisorbed oxygen has a higher probability to be retained and elemental sulfur has a higher probability to be stored. | [
1,
16
] |
Art and Outrage: A Critical Survey of Recent Nigerian Poetry in English. In 1988, the anthology Voices from the Fringe: an ANA Anthology of New Nigerian Poetry edited by Harry Garuba introduced a crop of new Nigerian poets. Each of the poets featured was new in the sense that he/she had not previously published any collection. It was a period of military oppression in Nigeria. Some of the new poets have been writing, and have become considerably known on the Nigerian literary scene today. This essay is an attempt to map out their artistic endeavors, the tradition from which they emerge, the social context of their poetry, and their collective contribution to the discourse of nationhood in Nigeria during the struggles to unseat military despotism. The essay contends that although this \\'new\\' poetry is not fundamentally different from the poetry that emerged in the post-independence era in Nigeria, it has its peculiar features as an artistic response to a particular period of anomie. | [
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Dark Side of Sharing Economy: Examining the Unethical Practices and Its Impact on Coopetition and Firm Performance. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the unethical practices that could take place in the sharing economy and their impact on B2B cooperation and competition among rival firms and their performance. Design/methodology/approach From the literature review and theories, a theoretical model has been developed. The model is later validated using the structural equation modelling technique considering samples from 16 firms involved in sharing resources. Findings The study found that there is a significant negative impact of unethical practices in the sharing economy for B2B coopetition, which in turn negatively impacts firm performance. Research implications The business model for the sharing economy is becoming popular in business-to-business (B2B) marketing literature. Firms can utilize resources of other firms lying idle and reduce cost, optimize resource utilization, and achieve greater flexibility. Some organizations also share their resources with rival firms. However, there are concerns about unethical practices by rival firms, which may be due to the misuse of data, human resources, and intellectual property, and so on. Few studies have investigated the unethical practices that may take place in the sharing economy, but there is a growing interest among the practitioners, researchers, and academicians in this area. Thus, this research investigated the unethical practices that may take place in the sharing economy and its consequences from B2B cooperation and competition perspectives. Originality/value Only a limited number of research studies have investigated the unethical practices that could happen in the sharing economy. This study has investigated the issues of unethical practices in sharing economy from B2B perspective in relation to cooperation and competition among the rival firms which is a unique value proposition. Also, the proposed theoretical model is a unique model and with a high explanative power which is also another unique contribution of this study. | [
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] |
Changes in the epiphytic flora on four Tilia trees in Belgium over 59 years. APTROOT, A. 2012. Changes in the epiphytic flora on four Tilia trees in Belgium over 59 years. - Herzogia 25: 39-45. The epiphytes on four Tilia trees in southern Belgium, which were studied by Barkman in 1952, were re-investigated in 1999 and 2011. In 1952, 19 species of epiphytes (including 12 lichen species) were recorded; in 1999. there were 65 epiphyte species (including 49 lichens), and in 2011, 53 epiphyte species (including 41 lichens) were found. The enormous increase in species between 1952 and 1999 is primarily attributable to colonization by additional species, which is an early stage of natural succession, whereas the reduction in species between 1999 and 2011 is most probably due to competition, the next step in the natural succession, when larger mosses and foliose lichens became dominant over crustose lichens and the whole bark surface had been covered by epiphytes. Global warming also may have influenced the species composition in the last decades. | [
0,
9
] |
Children's spirituality with particular reference to a Norwegian context: some hermeneutical reflections. Spirituality has become an issue in many domains of the Norwegian society, but this is not reflected in public education. This paper discusses why this is so, and suggests some hermeneutical approaches to understanding spirituality that can include pre-school children's spirituality, with particular reference to a Norwegian context. Central to this discussion is a case study of children in 'sacred space', and an understanding of spirituality as cultural learning. Education in schools as well as in kindergartens is dominated by a secular outlook on life as 'default', or a cultural and collective forgetfulness. Children's spirituality challenges adults to explore and rearticulate what is forgotten, in terms of nurturing what it is to be human, of caring for what is really important, and of cultivating hope - in Norway as well as in other countries. | [
3,
30
] |
The 'Peripatos' in Eurogondwana? - Lack of evidence that south-east Asian onychophorans walked through Europe. Onychophorans, or velvet worms, are cryptic but extremely charismatic terrestrial invertebrates that have often been the subject of interesting biogeographic debate. Despite great interest, a well resolved and complete phylogeny of the group and a reliable chronogram have been elusive due to their broad geographic distribution, paucity of samples, and challenging molecular composition. Here we present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of Onychophora that includes previously unsampled and undersampled lineages and we analyse the expanded dataset using a series of nested taxon sets designed to increase the amount of information available for particular subclades. These include a dataset with outgroups, one restricted to the ingroup taxa, and three others for Peripatopsidae, Peripatidae and Neopatida (= the Neotropical Peripatidae). To explore competing biogeographic scenarios we generate a new time tree for Onychophora using the few available reliable fossils as calibration points. Comparing our results to those of Cyphophthalmi, we reconsider the hypothesis that velvet worms reached Southeast Asia via Eurogondwana, and conclude that a more likely scenario is that they reached Southeast Asia by rafting on the Sibumasu terrane. Our phylogenetic results support the reciprocal monophyly of both families as well as an early division between East and West Gondwana, also in both families, each beginning to diversify between the Permian and the Jurassic. Peripatopsidae clearly supports paraphyly of South Africa with respect to southern South America (Chile) and a sister group relationship of the Southeast Asian/New Guinean Paraperipatus to the Australian/New Zealand taxa. The latter includes a clade that divides between Western Australia and Eastern Australia and two sister clades of trans-Tasman species (one oviparous and one viviparous). This pattern clearly shows that oviparity is secondarily derived in velvet worms. Peripatidae finds a sister group relationship between the Southeast Asian Eoperipatus and the West Gondwanan clade, which divides into the African Mesoperipatus and Neopatida. The latter shows a well supported split between the Pacific Oroperipatus (although it is unclear whether they form one or two clades) and a sister clade that includes the members of the genera Peripatus, Epiperipatus, Macroperipatus and representatives of the monotypic genera Cerradopatus, Plicatoperipatus and Principapillatus. However, Peripatus, Epiperipatus and Macroperipatus are not monophyletic, and all the species from the monotypic genera are related to geographically close species. The same goes for the type species of Macroperipatus (from Trinidad, and sister group to other Trinidad and Tobago species of Epiperipatus) and Epiperipatus (from French Guiana, and related to other Guyana shield species of Epiperipatus and Peripatus). Geographic structure within Neopatida is largely obscured by an unresolved backbone, but many well supported instances of generic non-monophyly challenge the current taxonomic framework, which has often relied on anatomical characters that are untested phylogenetically. | [
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] |
Cochlear implantation on prelingually deafened adults. Objective: To evaluate the validity of cochlear implantation (CI) on prelingually deafened adults who have been trained by auditory-verbal/oral communication since childhood.Methods: Preoperative and postoperative data was investigated regarding the rehabilitation, hearing level, and educational experience of eight prelingually deafened adults. All eight patients were diagnosed with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (preoperative hearing levels were over 100 dB). All used hearing aids (HA) before the age of two and were trained by auditory-verbal/oral communication since childhood. The average age of the patients at the time of their CI operations was 23.3 ranging from 18 to 29 years of age. The average postoperative observation time was 55.4 months ranging from I I to 90 months.Results: Improvement was achieved not only on the pure-tone hearing threshold, but also in speech perception on tests using the Japanese video speech discrimination score (SIDS) system. All of them now use Cl very well in their daily lives and play important roles in society.Conclusion: It was demonstrated that even prelingually deafened adult patients could achieve considerable improvement through CI when they were trained well by auditory-verbal/oral communications since childhood. The indications of CI for prelingually deafened adults must be determined carefully, but all of them do not have to be rejected only because they are prelingually deafened. In other words, CI could be recommended for prelingually deafened adult patients if they received habilitation well with consistent auditory-verbal/oral training using well-fitted HAs. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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] |
New species or interesting records of foliicolous lichens .2. Flavobathelium epiphyllum (Lichenized Ascomycetes: Melanommatales). Flavobathelium epiphyllum gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The new taxon is characterized by perithecia and pycnidia embedded in pulverulaceous, uni- to plurilocular pseudostromata, small, transversely septate ascospores, and the presence of bacillar to filiform macroconidia with gelatinous appendages and simple microconidia. Possible relationships are seen with the genus Phyliobathelium. Flavobathelium epiphyllum is a common species in Central and South American lowland to submontane rain forests with undisturbed vegetation. It is mostly found along moderately illuminated parts of the understory, such as small, natural light gaps. (C) 1997 The British Lichen Society. | [
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0,
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] |
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