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COVID-19 pandemic brought so many changes in the state of education after school’s temporary closure. Educational institutions transitioned to modular distance learning from the usual face-to-face teaching which put both teachers and students less prepared, if not totally unprepared. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the challenges and mechanisms of teachers in the implementation of modular distance learning in the Philippines amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered through in-depth interview to twelve (12) teachers, six (6) were teaching in the elementary, and the other six (6) teaching in the secondary level. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the following steps: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Ethical issues were considered in the conduct of the study. Results revealed that the challenges of teachers in modular distance learning includes time-consuming, incomplete and unanswered modules, inadequate parental support, and insufficient trainings to teachers. The mechanisms utilized by teachers to overcome the challenges includes time management, regular communication to parents and students, reskilling and upskilling of teachers, and utilization of blended learning. With this, it is recommended that DepEd should continue to undertake monitoring and evaluation on the implemented modular distance learning to assess its quality and relevance on the current status of education in the country.

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has created significant and new challenges for the conduct of clinical research involving older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). It has also stimulated positive adaptations in methods for engaging older adults with ADRD in research, particularly through the increased availability of virtual platforms. In this paper, we describe how we adapted standard in-person participant recruitment and qualitative data collection methods for virtual use in a study of decision-making experiences in older adults with ADRD. We describe key considerations for the use of technology and virtual platforms and discuss our experience with using recommended strategies to recruit a diverse sample of older adults. We highlight the need for research funding that supports the community-based organizations on which improving equity in ADRD research participation often depends.

The study determined the mediating effect of understanding mathematics classroom instruction on the relationship between teachers’ teaching styles and student adjustment among 400 second-year college students in the three components cities of Davao Del Norte, Philippines. A quantitative, non-experimental research design with correlational technique was applied. The data were analyzed using the Mean, Pearson-r, Multiple Regression Analysis, and Medgraph using the Sobel z-test. The results revealed that the levels of teaching styles of teachers and student adjustment were high and the level of understanding of mathematics classroom instruction is very high. There was a significant relationship between teaching styles of teachers and student adjustment, teaching styles of teachers and understanding mathematics classroom instruction, and understanding mathematics classroom instruction and student adjustment. Furthermore, the result of the medgraph using Sobel z-test of understanding mathematics classroom instruction on the relationship between teaching styles of teachers and student adjustment was significant but partial. Nevertheless, understanding mathematics classroom instruction aided teachers to adapt their teaching styles to help students adjust in a mathematics classroom.

The purpose of this study was to determine the writing competence of the students in Alamada, Cotabato. Specifically, it determined the students’ writing proficiency; distinguished the level of writing proficiency in the different constructs such as content, structure, lexico-grammatical ability and mechanics; identified the students’ level of writing competence; and developed an action plan pertaining to the writing competence of the students. The study was conducted in Senior High Schools in the public schools in Alamada. The respondents were the 248 Grade 11 students enrolled in the second semester and were identified through a stratified random sampling method. This study was descriptive. The students were asked to write an essay and was evaluated by three inter-raters. An adopted analytic rubric was used in checking students’ essays. Frequency count, percentage and mean were used to determine the competence of the students. The study revealed that student’s level of writing proficiency was Developing. Their level of writing proficiency in the areas of Content and Structure was Approaching Proficiency while in Lexico-grammatical Ability and Mechanics were Developing. Moreover, it was found that among them, 1% were Novice, 28% were Intermediate, 48% were Refined, 19% were Superior and 4% were Distinguished writers. Finally, an action plan pertaining to the writing competence of the students was developed to address the needs of the students. Hence, it can be concluded that students need enrichment of vocabulary, mastery in grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, and most importantly, skills in writing.

COVID-19 pandemic brought so many changes in the state of education after school’s temporary closure. Educational institutions transitioned to modular distance learning from the usual face-to-face teaching which put both teachers and students less prepared, if not totally unprepared. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the challenges and mechanisms of teachers in the implementation of modular distance learning in the Philippines amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered through in-depth interview to twelve (12) teachers, six (6) were teaching in the elementary, and the other six (6) teaching in the secondary level. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the following steps: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Ethical issues were considered in the conduct of the study. Results revealed that the challenges of teachers in modular distance learning includes time-consuming, incomplete and unanswered modules, inadequate parental support, and insufficient trainings to teachers. The mechanisms utilized by teachers to overcome the challenges includes time management, regular communication to parents and students, reskilling and upskilling of teachers, and utilization of blended learning. With this, it is recommended that DepEd should continue to undertake monitoring and evaluation on the implemented modular distance learning to assess its quality and relevance on the current status of education in the country. La pandemia de COVID-19 trajo muchos cambios en el estado de la educación después del cierre temporal de la escuela. Las instituciones educativas hicieron la transición al aprendizaje a distancia modular de la enseñanza presencial habitual, lo que puso tanto a los profesores como a los estudiantes menos preparados, si no totalmente desprevenidos. Este estudio fenomenológico cualitativo exploró los desafíos y mecanismos de los maestros en la implementación del aprendizaje a distancia modular en Filipinas en medio de la pandemia de COVID-19. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de entrevistas en profundidad a doce (12) maestros, seis (6) estaban enseñando en la primaria y los otros seis (6) enseñando en el nivel secundario. Las entrevistas grabadas se transcribieron y analizaron siguiendo los siguientes pasos: reducción de datos, visualización de datos y elaboración y verificación de conclusiones. Se consideraron cuestiones éticas en la realización del estudio. Los resultados revelaron que los desafíos de los maestros en el aprendizaje modular a distancia incluyen módulos que consumen mucho tiempo, están incompletos y sin respuesta, un apoyo de los padres inadecuado y una capacitación insuficiente para los maestros. Los mecanismos utilizados por los maestros para superar los desafíos incluyen: administración del tiempo, comunicación regular con los padres y estudiantes, actualización y mejora de las habilidades de los maestros y utilización del aprendizaje combinado. Con esto, se recomienda que el DepEd continúe con el seguimiento y la evaluación de la educación a distancia modular implementada para evaluar su calidad y relevancia sobre el estado actual de la educación en el país. A pandemia COVID-19 trouxe muitas mudanças no estado da educação após o fechamento temporário da escola. As instituições de ensino fizeram a transição do ensino presencial para o ensino modular à distância, o que deixou professores e alunos menos preparados, senão totalmente despreparados. Este estudo fenomenológico qualitativo explorou os desafios e mecanismos dos professores na implementação do ensino à distância modular nas Filipinas em meio à pandemia de COVID-19. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista em profundidade a doze (12) professores, seis (6) lecionavam no ensino fundamental e os outros seis (6) lecionavam no ensino médio. As entrevistas gravadas foram transcritas e analisadas nas seguintes etapas: redução dos dados, exibição dos dados e desenho e verificação da conclusão. Questões éticas foram consideradas na condução do estudo. Os resultados revelaram que os desafios dos professores no ensino a distância modular incluem módulos demorados, incompletos e sem resposta, apoio parental inadequado e treinamentos insuficientes para os professores. Os mecanismos utilizados pelos professores para superar os desafios incluem: gerenciamento do tempo, comunicação regular com pais e alunos, requalificação e qualificação dos professores e utilização da aprendizagem combinada. Com isso, recomenda-se que o DepEd continue realizando o monitoramento e a avaliação da modalidade ead modular implantada para avaliar sua qualidade e relevância na situação atual da educação no país.

An onshore vibro driving testing of large-scale piles (2.5 m diameter) was carried out in order to validate an innovative foundation design that is needed to overcome challenging soil conditions encountered at an offshore wind farm in France. The foundation concept named DSD (drill-sand-drive) is to replace the hard soils using drilling by engineered granulars that are then compacted to design density though which monopiles are vibrodriven. Three tests were conducted covering different levels of soil compaction from low to very high and that was closely controlled using CPT. The pile driving monitoring comprised PDA sensors, vibro hammer parameters, crane hook load as well as water pressure along the external pile shaft to evaluate the liquefaction extent. The tests ultimately produced the confinement configuration induced by the drilled hole and the surrounding stiff soils and provide evidence of its impact on noticeable amplification of vibro compaction and vibro driving.

The management of personal health information (PHI) by older adults (OAs) takes place within a socio-technical context and requires the support of various stakeholders, including healthcare providers. This study investigates provider roles in supporting OA personal health information management (PHIM), barriers they face, and related design implications for health information technology (HIT). We interviewed 27 providers serving OAs in Seattle, WA. Providers support OA PHIM through medication management, interpreting HI, and providing resources. Barriers to OA PHIM described by providers include (1) challenges with communication between OAs, providers, and caregivers, (2) limited time and resources, and (3) limitations of tools such as secure messaging. Considering these barriers, provider roles, and the socio-technical context for HIT implementation, we recommend the design of HIT that facilitates communication across multiple provider types, integrates caregivers and patient-generated data, supports understanding of OA home environments, and offers credible health resources designed for OAs.

Aging is associated with comorbidities and increased utilization of healthcare services, which results in a large amount of personal health information (PHI) to manage. Older adults often have difficulty managing this increased load of health information. Although many home healthcare nurses (HCNs) provide assistance to older adults after discharge from medical facilities, little is known about HCNs’ experiences with older adults regarding the management and transfer of PHI in their homes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to 1) determine how HCNs obtain and provide health information, 2) describe the perspective of HCNs regarding older adult PHI and 3) identify the potential role of technology in older adult health information transfer. We conducted and analyzed semi-structured phone interviews with 17 HCNs from two home healthcare agencies. Five thematic areas emerged from interviews with HCNs: 1) common practices of obtaining health information; 2) barriers to obtaining health information; 3) ideal ways to obtain and provide health information; 4) use of patient portals; and 5) HCNs’ use of technology for health information exchange. Most HCNs reported that it would be difficult for older adult patients to update their personal health information without assistance, but HCNS lack the time and resources to assist older adults in PHI management activities.

Objective With age, older adults experience a greater number of chronic diseases and medical visits, and an increased need to manage their health information. Technological advances in consumer health information technologies (HITs) help patients gather, track, and organize their health information within and outside of clinical settings. However, HITs have not focused on the needs of older adults and their caregivers. The goal of the SOARING (Studying Older Adults and Researching their Information Needs and Goals) Project was to understand older adult personal health information management (PHIM) needs and practices to inform the design of HITs that support older adults. Materials and Methods Drawing on the Work System Model, we took an ecological approach to investigate PHIM needs and practices of older adults in different residential settings. We conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with adults 60 years of age and older. Results We performed on-site in-person interview sessions with 88 generally healthy older adults in various settings including independent housing, retirement communities, assisted living, and homelessness. Our analysis revealed 5 key PHIM activities that older adults engage in: seeking, tracking, organizing, sharing health information, and emergency planning. We identified 3 major themes influencing older adults’ practice of PHIM: (1) older adults are most concerned with maintaining health and preventing illness, (2) older adults frequently involve others in PHIM activities, and (3) older adults’ approach to PHIM is situational and context-dependent. Discussion Older adults’ approaches to PHIM are dynamic and sensitive to changes in health, social networks, personal habits, motivations, and goals. Conclusions PHIM tools that meet the needs of older adults should accommodate the dynamic nature of aging and variations in individual, organizational, and social contexts.

Human-centered design (HCD) can be used to communicate research study findings to designers of health information technologies (HIT). We used the HCD approach to develop personas, scenarios, and design guidelines for designers with the aim that it would lead to new HIT designs that support the autonomy and health of older adults. The foundation of the personas, scenarios, and design guidelines was a study that focused on understanding how older adults manage their health information and the role that stakeholders play in that process. In this paper, we describe how we carried out a HCD approach and how it led us to expand the persona process to create a network of connected personas. The connected personas allowed us to show the complexities of personal health information management for older adults and emphasize the importance of relationships with family, friends, and providers.

Background: Recruiting older adults (OA) into research is challenging. Objective: To assess the feasibility of using two crowdsourcing platforms, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and Prolific Academic (ProA), as efficient and low-cost venues for recruiting survey participants aged 65 and older. Methods: We developed an online survey to investigate and compare the demographics, technology use, and motivations for research participation of OA on MTurk and ProA. Qualitative responses, response time, word count, and recruitment costs were analyzed. Results: We recruited 97 OA survey participants on both MTurk and ProA. Participants were similar in terms ofdemographics, technology usage, and motivations for participation (topic interest and payment). Conclusion: Both crowdsourcing platforms are useful for rapid and low-cost recruitment of OA. The OA recruitment process was more efficient with ProA. Crowdsourcing platforms are potential sources of OA research participants; however, the pool is limited to generally healthy, technologically active, and well-educated older adults.

Background and ObjectivesDigital communication tools facilitate the provision of health-related social support to older adults. However, little is known about what design features make such tools most useful and feasible. The purpose of this study was to describe health-related social support networks of older adults and outline recommendations for the design of tools that facilitate the giving and receiving of support.Research Design and MethodsWe collected data through validated instruments and semistructured qualitative interviews with 88 older adults. We calculated descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and analyzed qualitative data using directed content analysis.ResultsHealth-related support networks described by our sample of generally healthy older adults varied in size from 0 to 10 members. Some networks did not include any family members, and others did not include any friends. Seventy-four percent of network members lived in the same state as the older adult participant, but only 15% of them lived with the participant. Emotional support was the main type of health-related support provided, followed by instrumental, informational, and appraisal support.Discussion and ImplicationsHealth-related support networks of older adults are varied and complex. Our results suggest that digital communication tools to promote and leverage support from network members should facilitate the involvement of friends and family regardless of their physical location, allow for the transparent allocation of concrete tasks to prevent overburdening any one network member, and facilitate sharing of personal health information with family and friends while ensuring privacy and autonomy.

The increasing older adult population guarantees that healthcare providers are more likely to encounter patients requiring treatment for unintended weight loss. Due to physiologic changes that occur in the older adult, it is important to know how to assess for, and diagnose unintended weight loss, as well as understand the treatment options. In addition to the use of enteral and parenteral nutrition, appetite stimulants have been used in older adults. Understanding the dosage, side effects, and proper usage of appetite stimulants, such megestrol acetate, mirtazapine, and dronabinol, is crucial in order to provide safe and effective patient care.

ObjectiveAlthough family and friends (FF) often play a significant support role in the health of older adults (OA), we know little about their role in personal health information management (PHIM). To address this gap and inform the design of PHIM tools, we describe the work, needs, and barriers of FF in the context of PHIM for OAs.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 52 FF identified by OA as being important in their health and PHIM. We analyzed interview transcripts for themes about FF information work, barriers, and support needs.ResultsFF play a supportive role in OA health maintenance, medical encounters, decision making, and daily activities. Monitoring, the ongoing process of seeking information related to the OA status, emerged as a key activity comprised of 3 phases: detection, interpretation, and action. Barriers to monitoring included OA choices and constraints, FF constraints, and difficulty with technological tools, resources, health information exchange between providers, social network dynamics, and physical distance.ConclusionsFF frequently monitor for change in OA well-being, seeking up-to-date information to facilitate support of OA PHIM. Health information technology tools designed for FF can support all phases of monitoring by providing: (1) timely and granular levels of access to OA health information as the OA ages; (2) tailored health education for FF that is based on OA clinical data; and (3) networking platforms that integrate delegation, volunteering, and relevant resources, along with tools to facilitate support of OA appointment calendars and medication management. Such tools could reduce the burden of PHIM for OA and their loved ones.

The detection and resolution of conflicts among norms are key processes to guarantee the proper behavior of multi-agent systems (MAS) regulated by norms. A way of regulation is required to restrict and guide the autonomous and possibly heterogeneous software agents that act according to their own interests. When norms are applied to regulate MAS, normative conflicts may arise. A conflict between norms is a situation in which the fulfillment of a norm causes a violation of another one. We present and compare different techniques proposed to detect and resolve conflicts.

Older adults are the largest consumers of health care, have the greatest number of chronic conditions, and generate the greatest amount of health data. Yet, information systems designed to aid health information management do not align with their needs and practices. We describe a process of identifying the personal health information management (PHIM) activities and objectives of older adults (60 years and older) from different residential settings.

Objective We describe five neonates with enteroviral (EV) infection to demonstrate central nervous system (CNS) and cardiac complications and report successful treatment of myocarditis with immunoglobulin intravenous (IVIG) in two. Study Design Case series identified during three enteroviral seasons in one neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for EV in neonates suspected to have sepsis, but with sterile bacterial cultures. Results Cases were identified in each of three sequential years in a NICU with 800 to 900 admissions/year. Two cases were likely acquired perinatally; all were symptomatic with lethargy and poor feeding by age 5 to 10 days. All had signs of sepsis and/or meningitis; one progressed to periventricular leukomalacia and encephalomalacia. Two recovered from myocarditis after treatment that included IVIG 3 to 5 g/kg. Conclusion Neonates who appear septic without bacterial etiology may have EV CNS infections that can be diagnosed rapidly by CSF PCR testing. Cases may be underdiagnosed in the early neonatal period if specific testing is not performed. Neonates with EV infection should be investigated for evidence of periventricular leukomalacia, screened for myocarditis, and considered for IVIG treatment.

Older adults are the largest consumers of healthcare. As part of a broader study of personal health information management (PHIM), we interviewed older adults in King County, Washington, and their involved family and friends (FF), regarding health information (HI) sources they seek and utilize. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed four main themes: 1) older adults and FF consider healthcare providers the foundational source of HI; 2) older adults utilize FF for seeking, sharing, and interpreting HI, while FF serve as surrogate seekers and experience-based experts; 3) online searching is common for older adults and FF, but confidence in assessing the quality of online HI is often lacking; 4) a smorgasbord approach is frequently utilized by older adults and FF for gathering and clarifying HI. Design considerations include: facilitating access to quality provider-vetted HI, incorporating older adults and FF in the design process, and creating shared spaces for communication of HI among older adults, FF, and providers.

Disordered proteins play an essential role in a wide variety of biological processes, and are often posttranslationally modified. One such protein is histone H1; its highly disordered C-terminal tail (CH1) condenses internucleosomal linker DNA in chromatin in a way that is still poorly understood. Moreover, CH1 is phosphorylated in a cell cycle-dependent manner that correlates with changes in the chromatin condensation level. Here we present a model system that recapitulates key aspects of the in vivo process, and also allows a detailed structural and biophysical analysis of the stages before and after condensation. CH1 remains disordered in the DNA-bound state, despite its nanomolar affinity. Phase-separated droplets (coacervates) form, containing higher-order assemblies of CH1/DNA complexes. Phosphorylation at three serine residues, spaced along the length of the tail, has little effect on the local properties of the condensate. However, it dramatically alters higher-order structure in the coacervate and reduces partitioning to the coacervate phase. These observations show that disordered proteins can bind tightly to DNA without a disorder-to-order transition. Importantly, they also provide mechanistic insights into how higher-order structures can be exquisitely sensitive to perturbation by posttranslational modifications, thus broadening the repertoire of mechanisms that might regulate chromatin and other macromolecular assemblies.

Establishing statistical significance in assessing wetland performance can be quite challenging when reduction in the monitored substance is very small and temporarily variable. Assessing colour changes associated with humic substances is such a situation. One of the most important parameters of any evaluation of wetland treatment performances is the retention time of the water before it exit the wetland. This can be theoretically estimated, but even better measured directly with the help of a tracing agent. In this research, the approach is based on the simultaneously assessment of hydraulic retention time using conservative tracing (Rhodamine WT) and a mass balance based removal efficiency assessment (regression slope of the summation mass-in vs. summation mass-out).

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of orally administered Cymbopogon citratus, Zingiber officinale and Syzygium aromaticum essential oils (EOs) in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.Methods: Three experiments were conducted with 48 Swiss mice each. The animals were inoculated with 2 x 106 metacyclic trypomastigotes of T. Cruzi Y-strain and allocated into the following groups (N = 12): 1) untreated control; 2) treated with benznidazole (BZ); 3) treated with EO 100 mg/kg; and 4) treated with EO 250 mg/kg. The groups were evaluated by fresh blood test, blood culture, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR and cure rate (CR).Results: All the animals were completely infected with T. cruzi. Treatment with C. citratus and Z. officinale EOs altered some of the parameters derived from the parasitemia curve, but CRs did not differ from BZ. Treatment with S. Aromaticum EO, on the other hand, not only altered all the parameters derived from the parasitemia curve, similar to BZ, but at the dose of 100 mg/kg, CR was also significantly higher than BZ.Conclusion: The results indicate that the essential oils tested, especially S. aromaticum, exhibited anti- Trypanosoma cruzi effect and therefore should be investigated for the treatment of Chagas disease.Keywords: Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, Cymbopogon citratus, Zingiber officinale, Syzygium aromaticum, Essential oils, Chemotherapy

High mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) binds to the internucleosomal linker DNA in chromatin and abuts the nucleosome. Bending and untwisting of the linker DNA results in transmission of strain to the nucleosome core, disrupting histone/DNA contacts. An interaction between H3 and HMGB1 has been reported. Here we confirm and characterize the interaction of HMGB1 with H3, which lies close to the DNA entry/exit points around the nucleosome dyad, and may be responsible for positioning of HMGB1 on the linker DNA. We show that the interaction is between the N-terminal unstructured tail of H3 and the C-terminal unstructured acidic tail of HMGB1, which are presumably displaced from DNA and the HMG boxes, respectively, in the HMGB1-nucleosome complex. We have characterized the interaction by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and show that it is extensive for both peptides, and appears not to result in the acquisition of significant secondary structure by either partner.

[1] The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere form a fully coupled climate system. This system exhibits a number of large‒scale phenomena, such as the El Nino–Southern Oscillation, the Asian Monsoon, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and the Madden‒Julian Oscillation. While these modes of variability are not exactly periodic, they are oscillatory in character, and their state is monitored using so‒called climate indices. Each of these scalar indices is a combination of several climate variables. Here we use a comprehensive set of 25 climate indices for time intervals that range between 1948 and 2011 and estimate an optimal set of lags between these indices to maximize their correlation. We show that most of the index pairs drawn from this set present a significant correlation on interannual time scales. It is also shown that on average, about two thirds of the total variability in each index can be described by using only the four leading principal components of the entire set of lagged indices. Our index set's leading orthogonal modes exhibit several interannual frequencies and capture separately variability associated with the North Atlantic and the North Pacific. These modes are associated, in turn, with large‒scale variations of sea surface temperatures.

The Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI) within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is working to produce guidance materials allowing engineers, owners and stakeholders to address the inclusion of sea-level change considerations during the design of marine civil works. The Committee serves the needs of all stakeholders involved in a marine project, with a focus on designers and engineers in particular. The manual will provide designers and engineers with systematic methods for the consideration of risks associated with the uncertainty of sea-level change affecting a facility and offer mechanisms for how to incorporate sea-level change projections into their project designs. Current scientific studies use different methods and data for calculation and thus global mean sea level rise estimates for 2100 generally range from 0.6 – 2.0 meters. However, planning for marine civil works should consider the local sea level scenarios and potential variations associated with regular, periodic water level changes (such as tides) and addressing probabilities associated with potential storm/flood events. In response to the significant challenge of addressing these issues and making sound decisions jointly with stakeholders to understand and manage risk, this Committee is developing recommendations to assist in managing design factors, uncertainty, and to a certain extent, measure implementation. This paper provides an overview of these issues and the recommendations that the Committee is developing.

International audience; RivFunction is a pan-European initiative that started in 2002 and was aimed at esta- blishing a novel functional-based approach to assessing the ecological status of rivers. Litter decomposition was chosen as the focal process because it plays a central role in stream ecosystems and is easy to study in the field. Impacts of two stressors that occur across the continent, nutrient pollution and modified riparian vegetation, were exam- ined at >200 paired sites in nine European ecoregions. In response to the former, decomposition was dramatically slowed at both extremes of a 1000-fold nutrient gra- dient, indicating nutrient limitation in unpolluted sites, highly variable responses across Europe in moderately impacted streams, and inhibition via associated toxic and addi- tional stressors in highly polluted streams. Riparian forest modification by clear cutting or replacement of natural vegetation by plantations (e.g. conifers, eucalyptus) or pasture produced similarly complex responses. Clear effects caused by specific riparian distur- bances were observed in regionally focused studies, but general trends across different types of riparian modifications were not apparent, in part possibly because of important indirect effects. Complementary field and laboratory experiments were undertaken to tease apart the mechanistic drivers of the continental scale field bioassays by addressing the influence of litter, fungal and detritivore diversity. These revealed generally weak and context-dependent effects on decomposition, suggesting high levels of redundancy (and hence potential insurance mechanisms that can mitigate a degree of species loss) within the food web. Reduced species richness consistently increased decomposition variability, if not the absolute rate. Further field studies were aimed at identifying impor- tant sources of this variability (e.g. litter quality, temporal variability) to help constrain ranges of predicted decomposition rates in different field situations. Thus, although many details still need to be resolved, litter decomposition holds considerable potential in some circumstances to capture impairment of stream ecosystem functioning. For instance, species traits associated with the body size and metabolic capacity of the con- sumers were often the main driver at local scales, and these were often translated into important determinants of otherwise apparently contingent effects at larger scales. Key insights gained from conducting continental scale studies included resolving the appar- ent paradox of inconsistent relationships between nutrients and decomposition rates, as the full complex multidimensional picture emerged from the large-scale dataset, of which only seemingly contradictory fragments had been seen previously.

RivFunction is a pan-European initiative that started in 2002 and was aimed at establishing a novel functional-based approach to assessing the ecological status of rivers. Litter decomposition was ...

From a survey of the literature on lightning characteristics, we present and discuss our recommendations for the median (50%) and severe (1%) values of the salient parameters of lightning current in both positive and negative cloud-to-ground discharges. We present general expressions, suitable for numerical simulation of lightning effects, for lightning current versus time, current derivative versus time, second current derivative versus time, charge transfer versus time, and action integral (specific energy) versus time. We give sets of constants for these expressions such that the resultant waveforms for positive and negative flashes and for their component strokes and continuing current exhibit approximately the median and severe lightning current parameters recommended, and otherwise resemble the measured waveforms found in the literature.

Background: Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is a non-histone chromatin protein that interacts with histone H3 through both the chromodomain and chromoshadow domain. Results: The chromoshadow domain specifically interacts with H3 residues located inside the nucleosome, close to the dyad. Conclusion: Rearrangement of the nucleosomal DNA is a prerequisite for binding. Significance: This interaction provides new insight into the structure of silenced chromatin., The chromoshadow domain (CSD) of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) was recently shown to contribute to chromatin binding and transcriptional regulation through interaction with histone H3. Here, we demonstrate the structural basis of this interaction for the CSD of HP1α. This mode of H3 binding is dependent on dimerization of the CSD and recognition of a PxVxL-like motif, as for other CSD partners. NMR chemical shift mapping showed that the H3 residues that mediate the CSD interaction occur in and adjacent to the αN helix just within the nucleosome core. Access to the binding region would require some degree of unwrapping of the DNA near the nucleosomal DNA entry/exit site.

Histone H1 and HMGB1 (high-mobility group protein B1) are the most abundant chromosomal proteins apart from the core histones (on average, one copy per nucleosome and per ten nucleosomes respectively). They are both highly mobile in the cell nucleus, with high on/off rates for binding. In vivo and in vitro evidence shows that both are able to organize chromatin structure, with H1 binding resulting in a more stable structure and HMGB1 binding in a less stable structure. The binding sites for H1 and HMGB1 in chromatin are partially overlapping, and replacement of H1 by HMGB1 through the highly dynamic nature of their binding, possibly facilitated by interaction between them, could result in switching of chromatin states. Binding of HMGB1 to DNA or chromatin is regulated by its long and highly acidic tail, which is also involved in H1 binding. The present article focuses mainly on HMGB1 and its interaction with chromatin and H1, as well as its chaperone role in the binding of certain transcription factors (e.g. p53) to their cognate DNA.

Earth’s rotation rate [i.e., length of day (LOD)], the angular momentum of the core (CAM), and surface air temperature (SAT) all have decadal variability. Previous investigators have found that the LOD fluctuations are largely attributed to core–mantle interactions and that the SAT is strongly anticorrelated with the decadal LOD. It is shown here that 1) the correlation among these three quantities exists until 1930, at which time anthropogenic forcing becomes highly significant; 2) correcting for anthropogenic effects, the correlation is present for the full span with a broadband variability centered at 78 yr; and 3) this result underscores the reality of anthropogenic temperature change, its size, and its temporal growth. The cause of this common variability needs to be further investigated and studied. Since temperature cannot affect the CAM or LOD to a sufficient extent, the results favor either a direct effect of Earth’s core-generated magnetic field (e.g., through the modulation of charged-particle fluxes, which may impact cloud formation) or a more indirect effect of some other core process on the climate—or yet another process that affects both. In all three cases, their signals would be much smaller than the anthropogenic greenhouse gas effect on Earth’s radiation budget during the coming century.

Background:Evaluation studies of large scale physical activity promotion programs are rare in Latin America. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between various forms of exposure to Academia da Cidade (PAC), a professionally supervised intervention in Aracaju (Brazil), and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA).Methods:A population-based study including 2267 adults was carried out. LTPA was assessed using the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and a cut-off of 150 minutes per week was used in the analyses.Results:In fully adjusted models, having ever heard about PAC was related to an odds of 1.8 (95% CI 1.4−2.2) for reaching the 150-minutes per week LTPA threshold. Equivalent odds ratios were 1.6 (95% CI 1.1−2.3) for having ever seen a PAC class, 14.3 (95% CI 12.3−16.4) for current and 4.0 (95% CI 1.4−11.3) for past PAC participation.Conclusion:Different sources of exposure to PAC were significantly associated with LTPA, which may suggest that professionally-supervised community classes offered for free may be a successful alternative for promoting physical activity in Brazil. If PAC happens to be expanded to other Brazilian areas, intervention studies may be carried out to evaluate its effectiveness.

The application of hydroinformatics tools is restricted in developing countries due to the non-availability of the required data and information under local conditions. This paper presents the state of water quality of the city of Vientiane (capital of Lao PDR) before the extensive rectification of its drainage network and describes an approach and methodology for water quality modeling. This is done with respect to the application of a combined hydrodynamic/water quality model based on minimal input data and observations for model verification. It further evaluates options to improve the deteriorating water quality observed in the rectified channels associated with the absence of suitable wastewater treatment. Two pollutants associated with the enrichment of receiving water bodies by wastewaters, total-P and NH4-N, are modeled. The modelling study is carried out in three steps: dry weather flow simulation, wet weather flow simulation and nutrient modeling using MOUSE. The dry weather flow simulations are carried out to calibrate the model for hydraulic roughness coefficient, dispersion coefficient and travel time. The wet weather flow simulations analyze the effect on flooding of two channel states, namely unvegetated and vegetated conditions. Nutrient modeling therefore evaluates removal efficiency by the vegetation. Model results are compared with the observed data and recommendations are made with respect to the predicted effects of the water quality improvement schemes studied. In conclusion, the modeling approach herein presented can be applied for performance analyses of urban channels in the developing part of the world, where data are often limited.

H1 and HMGB1 bind to linker DNA in chromatin, in the vicinity of the nucleosome dyad. They appear to have opposing effects on the nucleosome, H1 stabilising it by "sealing" two turns of DNA around the octamer, and HMGB1 destabilising it, probably by bending the adjacent DNA. Their presence in chromatin might be mutually exclusive. Displacement/replacement of one by the other as a result of their highly dynamic binding in vivo might, in principle, involve interactions between them. Chemical cross-linking and gel-filtration show that a 1:1 linker histone/HMGB1 complex is formed, which persists at physiological ionic strength, and that complex formation requires the acidic tail of HMGB1. NMR spectroscopy shows that the linker histone binds, predominantly through its basic C-terminal domain, to the acidic tail of HMGB1, thereby disrupting the interaction of the tail with the DNA-binding faces of the HMG boxes. A potential consequence of this interaction is enhanced DNA binding by HMGB1, and concomitantly lowered affinity of H1 for DNA. In a chromatin context, this might facilitate displacement of H1 by HMGB1.

The structure-specific DNA-binding protein HMGB1 (high-mobility group protein B1) which comprises two tandem HMG boxes (A and B) and an acidic C-terminal tail, is acetylated in vivo at Lys(2) and Lys(11) in the A box. Mutation to alanine of both residues in the isolated A domain, which has a strong preference for pre-bent DNA, abolishes binding to four-way junctions and 88 bp DNA minicircles. The same mutations in full-length HMGB1 also abolish its binding to four-way junctions, and binding to minicircles is substantially impaired. In contrast, when the acidic tail is absent (AB di-domain) there is little effect of the double mutation on four-way junction binding, although binding to minicircles is reduced approximately 15-fold. Therefore it appears that in AB the B domain is able to substitute for the non-functional A domain, whereas in full-length HMGB1 the B domain is masked by the acidic tail. In no case does single substitution of Lys(2) or Lys(11) abolish DNA binding. The double mutation does not significantly perturb the structure of the A domain. We conclude that Lys(2) and Lys(11) are critical for binding of the isolated A domain and HMGB1 to distorted DNA substrates.

The mechanism underlying negative regulation of HMGB1-DNA interaction by the acidic C-terminal tail is ill defined. To address this issue, we have devised a novel NMR chemical-shift perturbation mapping strategy to elucidate interactions between the tail, which consists solely of aspartic acid and glutamic acid residues, and the two well characterized HMG-box DNA-binding domains. A series of HMGB1 tail-truncation mutants differing from each other by five residues was generated. Chemical-shift perturbation mapping using these mutants shows that tails of different lengths bind with different affinities. Nevertheless, the truncated tails bind along the same path on the HMG boxes as the full-length tail, differences in length being manifested in differences in the "reach". The tail makes extensive contacts with the DNA-binding surfaces of both HMG boxes, thus explaining the basis of negative regulation of HMGB1-DNA interaction by the tail.

In this study, laboratory wastewater containing organic matters, heavy metals and aromatic compounds, was treated by vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) as a phytoremediation method to remove the above three groups of pollutants. Sewage effluent, as a source of nutrient supply for plant growth, was firstly fed to two wetland systems: mini horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) and floating raft (FR) wetlands. Next, laboratory wastewater was added gradually to mix with sewage. Nominal hydraulic retention time in both wetlands are 12 hours. Pollutants removal efficiencies were monitored. Microbial community change corresponding with each stages of sewage only and mixture with laboratory wastewater was also examined. The examined microbial community includes Nitrogen-fixing (N-fixing) bacteria, Phosphate-solubilizing (P-solubilizing) microorganism, Pseudomonas sp., and Zoogloea sp. In HSSF wetland, base materials (gravel and sand), algae, and vetiver root were in turn investigated for pollutant removal efficiencies. The results reveal that even with the presences of heavy metals and aromatic compounds, vetiver presented reasonable removal efficiencies of about 62%, 68.6%, and 58.3% for BOD, TN, and TP removal, respectively. Base materials showed almost no effect on pollutant removal. Algae was slightly responsible for approximate 6.3%, 16.6%, and 19.7% of BOD, TN, and TP removals, respectively. On the other hand vetiver roots, in term of heavy metals, had an impressive removal efficiencies of 99.2, 95.8, 96.2, and 96.7% of Cr+6 (in K2Cr2O7), Mn (MnSO4), Fe (FeSO4), and Cu (CuSO4), respectively. For aromatic compounds, the wetland is responsible for 96.8 and almost 100% of correspondingly phenol and benzene removal efficiencies. For microbial aspect, N-fixing microorganisms (e.g. Azospirillum sp., Azotobacter sp.) and Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus sp.) increased gradually in population during domestic wastewater feeding stage. When laboratory wastewater was added, N-fixing and P-solubilizing bacteria were quantitatively decreased slightly while population of Pseudomonas sp. increased. Besides, Zoogloea sp. was also found increasing through out the experiment and keeping a stable growth even during laboratory wastewater adding. In FR wetland, both algae and vetiver root were also investigated for BOD and aromatic compounds and heavy metals. The outcomes show similar tendencies in treatment and microbial behaviours as in HSSF wetland. Vetiver grass, mainly responsible for organic matters and nutrients removal, presented slightly lower removal efficiencies than those in HSSF wetland. The average values of removal efficiencies are 59%, 63.5%, and 53.0% for BOD, TN, and TP removal, respectively. Algae, also, took minor responsibility for approximate 3.3%, 9.1%, and 8.9% of BOD, TN, and TP removals, respectively. Heavy metals of Cr+6 (in K2Cr2O7), Mn (MnSO4), Fe (FeSO4), and Cu (CuSO4) were found removing less than in HSSF wetland with average removal efficiencies values of 92.4, 85.1, 91.8, and 91.5%, respectively, by vetiver root. Algae show almost no effect on heavy metals and aromatic removals. The vetiver root likewise plays important role in phenol and benzene removals with values of 91.5 and 96% in efficiency, respectively. N-fixing and P-solubilizing microorganisms, Pseudomonas sp., and Zoogloea sp. presented similar responses tendencies to different living condition when domestic and laboratory wastewaters, in turn, were fed.

The design and construction of marine civil works should consider relative sea level change to ensure that structures function properly throughout their service life. This chapter recommends ways to include relative sea-level change considerations during the design and planning stages for a particular project at the local scale. It is directed both at stakeholders involved in planning a marine project in general, and at practicing engineers in particular, with the aim of providing systematic methods and tools. These recommendations can assist in managing design factors, uncertainty, and to a certain extent, implementation of risk-reduction measures.

Norms are being used as a mechanism to regulate the behavior of autonomous, heterogeneous and independently designed agents. Norms describe what can be performed, what must be performed, and what cannot be performed in the multi-agent systems. Due to the number of norms specified to govern a multi-agent system, one important issue that has been considered by several approaches is the checking for normative conflicts. Two norms are said to be in conflict when the fulfillment of one norm violates the other and vice-versa. In this paper, we formally define the concept of an indirect normative conflict as a conflict between two norms that not necessarily have contradictory or contrary deontic modalities and that may govern (different but) related behaviors of (different but) related entities on (different but) related contexts. Finally, we present an ontology-based indirect norm conflict checker that automatically identifies direct and indirect norm conflicts on an ontology describing a set of norms and a set of relationships between the elements identified in the norms (behavior, entity and context).

A microbubble in a sound wave oscillates in volume and translates unsteadily. The two motions are coupled. In large-scale simulations of the structure of bubble clouds driven by acoustic fields, it has been of significant convenience to decouple volume oscillations and translation, as an approximation. The errors of this decoupling approximation were considered in an earlier presentation [A. J. Reddy and A. J. Szeri, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 1346–1352 (2002)], in the parameter range of interest in medical ultrasound. In this work, the approximation is reexamined for a much broader range of driving frequencies and bubble sizes. Solving the equation of motion for linearly oscillating bubbles, it is found that even for weak acoustic forcing, the translation speed obtained with the decoupling approximation can be in error as much as 30% relative to the translation speed in the full equations. The error depends on the bubble size, the driving frequency, and the liquid properties. The results are presented in a...

MeCP2, whose methylated DNA-binding domain (MBD) binds preferentially to DNA containing 5Me-CpG relative to linear unmethylated DNA, also binds preferentially, and with similar affinity, to unmethylated four-way DNA junctions through the MBD. The Arg133Cys (R133C) mutation in the MBD, a Rett syndrome mutation that abolishes binding to methylated DNA, leads to only a slight reduction in the affinity of the MBD for four-way junctions, suggesting distinct but partially overlapping modes of binding to junction and methylated DNA. Binding to unmethylated DNA junctions is likely to involve a subset of the interactions that occur with methylated DNA. High-affinity, methylation-independent binding to four-way junctions is consistent with additional roles for MeCP2 in chromatin, beyond recognition of 5Me-CpG.

A public economics framework is used to consider how pharmaceuticals should be priced when at least some of the research and development incentive comes from sales revenues. Familiar techniques of public finance are used to relax some of the restrictions implied in the standard use of Ramsey pricing. Under the more general model, poor countries should not necessarily cover even their own marginal costs, and the pricing structure is not related to that which will be chosen by a monopolist in a simple way. This framework is then used to examine ongoing debates regarding the international patent system as embodied in the world trade organization's agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights.

Uncertainties in polar motion and length-of-day measurements are evaluated empirically using several data series from the space-geodetic techniques of the global positioning system (GPS), satellite laser ranging (SLR), and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) during 1997-2002. In the evaluation procedure employed here, known as the three-corner hat (TCH) technique, the signal common to each series is eliminated by forming pair-wise differences between the series, thus requiring no assumed values for the 'truth' signal. From the variances of the differenced series, the uncertainty of each series can be recovered when reasonable assumptions are made about the correlations between the series. In order to form the pair-wise differences, the series data must be given at the same epoch. All measurement data sets studied here were sampled at noon (UTC); except for the VLBI series, whose data are interpolated to noon and whose UT1 values are also numerically differentiated to obtain LOD. The numerical error introduced to the VLBI values by the interpolation and differentiation is shown to be comparable in magnitude to the values determined by the TCH method for the uncertainties of the VLBI series. The TCH estimates for the VLBI series are corrupted by such numerical errors mostly as a result of the relatively large data intervals. Of the remaining data sets studied here, it is found that the IGS Final combined series has the smallest polar motion and length-of-day uncertainties.

Arrays of neighbouring histone H1 molecules are present in rat liver chromatin, and can be cross-linked to each other by bisimidoesters. The product, poly(H1), can be extracted from cross-linked chromatin in high yield with 5% perchloric acid and thus distinguished from cross-linked oligomers of the core histones. On analysis in dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels poly(H1) gives a striking pattern of alternating strong and weak bands which have been shown, by the use of cleavable cross-linked reagents and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, to arise respectively from H1 homopolymers and H1 polymers linked to the nucleosome core histones. H1-H1 proximities as measured by cross-linking exist both at low ionic strength where the nucleosome filament is extended, and at higher ionic strengths at which it is folded into a 30-nm-diameter fibre, probably in the form of a solenoid, although some additional H1-H1 contacts seem to occur in the folded form. A similar pattern of H1-H1 cross-linking is observed for nucleosome oligomers too short to form a complete turn of a solenoid. The lack of any strong dependence of the H1 cross-linking pattern on ionic strength, and the results for short oligomers, suggest that in a solenoid the major H1-H1 interactions are lateral (i.e. they occur between neighbouring nucleosomes along a turn) although additional vertical contacts (between successive turns) are not excluded. For a short nucleosome oligomer containing n nucleosomes, the number of H1 molecules that may be cross-linked into an array at low ionic strength (approximately 15 mM) is n, consistent with the presence of one H1 per nucleosome. H1-H1 cross-linking occurs only within the chromatin framework; when cross-linking is carried out in 0.5 M NaCl so that H1 is dissociated from chromatin, no poly(H1) is formed. When H1 which has been dissociated in 0.5 M NaCl is allowed to reassociate by gradual lowering of the ionic strength, the poly(H1) is identical with that in native chromatin, suggesting faithful rebinding of H1 molecules. H1-H1 proximities do not seem to be mediated by the presence of bound high-mobility-group non-histone proteins because the poly(H1) pattern persists when cross-linking is carried out at 365 mM ionic strength, when these high-mobility-group proteins are dissociated from chromatin. The H1 cross-linking pattern described here could prove to be a useful assay for the native arrangement of H1 molecules in reconstituted chromatin and for changes in H1-H1 contacts that might result from cell-cycle modifications (e.g phosphorylation) of H1. It may not prove a good assay for higher-order structure because of the relative insensitivity to ionic strength of the poly(H1) pattern as studied here. A detailed analysis will be necessary to determine whether there are any subtle differences in the interactions between H1 molecules in the folded and extended nucleosome filament.

The effect of naturally found densities of the exotic and herbivorous golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) on three dominant aquatic plants – duckweed (Lemna minor), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and morning glory (Ipomoea aquatica) – was assessed in a wetland survey and quantified in a field experiment in Laos in southeast Asia. Snail grazing reduced plant biomass, but plant species were differently affected by grazing. Duckweed had almost disappeared after 6 and water hyacinth after 21 days, whereas morning glory remained at 80% of initial biomass after 32 days. Snail growth was lowest on morning glory and, when all plant species were simultaneously presented to snails, this plant was not preferred. We suggest that the negative effect the golden apple snail had on the growth of these plant species in field enclosures is present in the natural environment as well. This new and intense herbivory could have serious negative effects on invaded freshwater ecosystems in this region.