The field of collaborative health planning faces significant challenges due to the lack of effective information, systems and the absence of a framework to make informed decisions. These challenges have been magnified by the rise of the healthy cities movement, consequently, there have been more frequent calls for localised, collaborative and evidence-driven decision-making. Some studies in the...

ion Heuristics An abstraction of a planning domain Σ is a γ-preserving homomorphism from Σ onto a smaller planning domain Σ′. For each planning problem P = (Σ, s0, g), this defines a corresponding abstraction P ′ = (Σ′, s0, g ′); and if we let c∗ denote the cost of an optimal solution to a planning problem, then it follows that c∗(P ′) ≤ c∗(P ). If Σ′ is simple enough that we can compute c∗(P ′...

the synthesis of twenty five esters of testosterone (17β -hydroxyandrost- 4-en-3-one) is described. all esters are derivatives of cycloalkycarboxylic acids. some of the esters possess α- , β -and/or & - substitution in the ester side-chain. the work was undertaken in order to evaluate long-acting male antifertility effect of such esters. most of the compounds, especially compound no.1, were fou...

Over the last decade or so, secondary non-B-DNA structures such as G-quadruplexes and i-motifs have come into focus as biologically functioning moieties that are potentially involved in telomeric interactions and the control of gene expression. In the present short review, we first describe the structural and dynamic parallels with complex RNA structures, including the importance of sequence an...

I usually prefer to deal with rational people. In the vernacular, being rational means being reasonable — that is, using reason when making decisions, taking actions, and achieving goals. Rational people tend to be more predictable and, therefore, understandable. Understanding a decision makes it easier for me to accept it. When I encounter and interact with agents on the Web, or when my own ag...

Unconventional myosins are proteins that bind actin filaments in an ATP-regulated manner. Because of their association with membranes, they have traditionally been viewed as motors that function primarily to transport membranous organelles along actin filaments. Recently, however, a wealth of roles for myosins that are not obviously related to organelle transport have been uncovered, including ...

In this context, it is not the personality of the actor that interests us, but the personality of the character he or she portrays. Thus, when we say that an actor is “in character,” we mean that the actor is behaving in accordance with a personality created by an author, shaped by a director, and assumed by an audience, for purposes of a particular performance. A good actor creates and communi...

Opioids are broad-spectrum analgesics with potent pain-relieving qualities but also with potential adverse effects related to both short-term and long-term therapy. Researchers have attempted to alter existing opioid analgesics, utilize different routes/formulations, or combine opioid analgesics with other compounds in efforts to improve analgesia while minimizing adverse effects. Exogenous opi...

abstract background: selectable marker gene (smg) systems are critical for generation of transgenic crops. transgenic crop production background: selectable marker gene (smg) systems are critical for generation of transgenic crops. transgenic crop production without using smg is not economically feasible. however, smgs are non-essential once an intact transgenic plant has been established. elim...

The crawling movement of eukaryotic cells requires establishment of cell polarity, extension of the leading edge, attachment to the substratum, and retraction of the cell body. Each of these events depends on the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton that are orchestrated by a host of signaling molecules and actin-binding proteins. Indeed, amoeboid cell motility involves so many biochemical compon...