Fast-Unreserved Failure Restoration for Meshed Intelligent Photonic Networks

In this article, an unreserved restoration solution for fast failure restoration in intelligent photonic networks is proposed. The unreserved restoration scheme is a real-time restoration technique that allows for utilizing network capacity dynamically and with full flexibility. However, it has the disadvantage of having a long restoration time as real-time redials are required after a failure is detected. The restoration time is crucial because long restoration times can result in data loss that is not expected, especially in high-speed networks. The proposed method targets reducing the aggregated optical cross-connect switching time to minimize real-time failure restoration time. With the proposed solution, in an event of failure, the restoration time can be reduced to times that are similar to those achieved in the reserved schemes. Common unreserved schemes have an inherent need for retries because the first try after failure detection and notification cannot always be guaranteed due to lack of network resource. In this paper, an enhanced implementation for the proposed solution is designed and described, which allows the features of the proposed solution to be fully realized and overcomes the inherent drawback of redundant OXC switching events for retries in common unreserved schemes. Through simulation experiments, it is shown that under a given network condition, the real-time path setup time for failure restoration required in the proposed solution can be improved by 68% compared with the common unreserved schemes.     

Adaptive Co-management in the Context of Informal Settlements

Adaptive co-management is an approach to the management of ecosystems that is founded on the collaboration of a diverse set of actors as a means of addressing complexity and uncertainty. A key feature is the appreciation of local knowledge systems and social structures which are given equivalent value to conventional scientific and managerial knowledge. This is contrasted with participatory approaches used when confronting the challenges of informal settlements. A demonstration project for the improvement of a street in the informal part of Diepsloot, a settlement on the northern periphery of the City of Johannesburg, was used as a case study to explore aspects of adaptive co-management. A more inclusive approach in urban contexts can nurture initiative and thereby self-respect of marginalised and vulnerable citizens. At the same time, professionals can learn environmental ‘good practice’ from those most knowledgeable about re-use and recycling, and develop an understanding of real urban dynamics.     

The role of religion in medical rehabilitation outcomes: A longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT. Objective: To investigate the protective and consolation models of the relationship between religion and health outcomes in medical rehabilitation patients. Design: Longitudinal study, data collected at admission, discharge, and 4 months postadmission. Measures: Religion measures were public and private religiosity, acceptance, positive and negative religious coping, and spiritual injury. Outcomes were self-report of activities of daily living (ADL), mobility, general health, depression, and life satisfaction. Participants: 96 medical rehabilitation inpatients; diagnoses included joint replacement, amputation, stroke, and other conditions. Results: The protective model of the relationship between religion and health was not supported; only limited support was found for the consolation model. In regression analyses, negative religious coping accounted for significant variance in follow-up ADL (5%) over and above that accounted for by admission ADL, depression, social support, and demographic variables. Subsequent item analysis indicated that anger with God explained more variance (9%) than the full negative religious coping scale. Conclusions: Religion did not promote better recovery or adjustment… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism in mice of a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide antisense inhibitor of C-raf-1 kinase expression

The plasma and tissue disposition of CGP 69846A (ISIS 5132) was characterized in male CD-1 mice following iv bolus injections administered every other day for 28 days (total of 15 doses). The doses ranged from 0.8 mg/kg to 100 mg/kg. Urinary excretion of oligonucleotide was also monitored over a 24-hr period following single dose administration over the same dose range. Pharmacokinetic plasma profiles were determined following single dose administration (dose 1) and after multiple doses (dose 15) at doses of 4 and 20 mg/kg. Concentrations in kidney, liver, spleen, heart, lung, and lymph nodes were characterized following doses 1, 8, and 15 for all doses. Capillary gel electrophoresis was used to quantitate intact (full-length) oligonucleotide and its metabolites (down to N - 11 base deletions) in both plasma and tissue at all time points. The plasma and tissue disposition of CGP 69846A was characterized by a rapid distribution into all tissues analyzed. Rapid plasma clearance of the parent oligonucleotide (9.3-14.3 ml/min/kg) was predominantly the result of distribution to tissue and, to a lesser extent, metabolism. Appearance and pattern of chain-shortened metabolites seen in plasma and tissue were consistent with predominantly exonuclease-mediated base deletion. No measurable accumulation of oligonucleotide was observed in plasma following multiple-dose administration, but both the liver and the kidney exhibited 2-3-fold accumulations. In general, the tissues exhibited half-lives for the elimination of parent oligonucleotide of 16-60 hr compared with plasma half-lives of 30-45 min. After repeated administrations, significant decreases in plasma clearance and volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) were observed following dose 15 at the dose of 20 mg/kg but not at the dose of 4 mg/kg. Changes in tissue accumulation and evidence for saturation of tissue distribution at the high doses may explain the plasma disposition changes observed in the absence of alteration of metabolism or plasma accumulation. Urinary excretion was a minor pathway for elimination of oligonucleotide over the 24-hr period immediately following iv administration. However, the amount of oligonucleotide excreted in the urine increased as a function of dose from less than 1% to approximately 13% of the administered dose over a dose range of 0.8 mg/kg to 100 mg/kg.     

The relation of religious belief and practices, depression, and hopelessness in persons with clinical depression.

Religious belief and practices have been associated with lower levels of depression in persons dealing with stressful situations. In this study, researchers examined this relationship in 271 persons diagnosed with clinical depression. It was hypothesized that religious belief and practices would be associated with lower depression and that this relationship would be mediated by hopelessness. Religious belief, but not religious behavior, was a significant predictor of lower levels of hopelessness and depression beyond demographic variables. Through the relation of religious belief to lower levels of hopelessness, religious belief was indirectly related to less depression. There was also a small direct positive association of belief with depression, pointing to the complexity of the role belief plays for religious persons. Further study is needed for a better understanding of different ways religion affects depressed persons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pathways to enhanced lake integrity: A Framework to assess the effectiveness of local lake associations

The promise of collaborative governance is to implement policies that address uncertain and multi‐scale environmental problems while also allowing local social systems to successfully adapt. The success of such efforts is contingent on the capacity of community‐based institutions such as lake associations to effect change. These organizations encapsulate the values communities hold for lakes and their catchments and can play a central role in managing the integrity of lakes’ freshwater resources. To this end, we develop a framework to delineate the pathways lake associations can take to contribute to the management of lakes and their catchments. We suggest the cornerstones of effective engagement in collaborative governance are the goals the organization sets for itself (mission), the capital that can be mobilized by the organization (capacity) and the activities the organization undertakes (actions). We propose measurable indicators for each component and suggest how the framework can be used to assess contributions of lake associations to multi‐scale governance. Finally, we suggest how this framework can be integrated with ecological monitoring frameworks as part of a long term social‐ecological research and monitoring program.     

Constitutional and acquired trisomy 8

Trisomy 8 is seen in a range of disorders both constitutional and acquired. The full constitutional condition presents with physical stigmata, skeletal abnormalities and a mild to moderately retarded IQ. Trisomy 8 is frequently seen as a mosaic in the blood or in the skin or both. Trisomy 8 as an acquired condition is found in haematological disorders, notably in myelodysplasia (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), and is restricted to the malignant cells. These arise in the bone marrow and may also be found in the peripheral blood. Reported in the issue (Zollino et al. (1995) Leukemia Res. 19(10), 733) is a case of a patient with constitutional trisomy 8 mosaicism who developed myelodysplasia with trisomy 8 in 95-100% of bone marrow cells. Here we consider the implications of this case to the diagnosis of both malignant and constitutional conditions.     

Purification of an Arabinofuranosidase and Two β‐Xylopyranosidases from Germinated Wheat

Arabinosidase and β‐xylosidase activities were detected in germinated wheat grain, and both increased over seven days of germination, under malting conditions. Arabinosidase was partially purified by anion exchange chromatography, chromatofocusing and gel filtration chromatography. The pH optimum of the partially purified enzyme was 4.2 and the K_M was 1.90 mM p‐NP‐Ara. Edman degradation, MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry and nano‐ESI mass spectrometry were used to identify the two major proteins in the partially purified arabinosidase mixture. The two proteins were a β‐amylase with an amino acid sequence partially homologous to a barley β‐amylase, and three wheat serine protease inhibitors. Further purification, by affinity chromatography and hydrophobic interaction chromatography, removed the identified contaminating proteins. At this point an 80 kDa protein was detected by SDS‐PAGE. No identity could be assigned to this protein by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry by reference to electronic protein databases. Similarly, the β‐xylosidase was partially purified by anion exchange chromatography followed by chromatofocusing and gel filtration chromatography. The first step separated the mixture into two distinct fractions with K_M values of 3.35 and 4.01 mM p‐NP‐Xyl and pH optima of 4.5. The latter fraction also displayed xylanase activity against RBB‐xylan.