We evaluated the genetic diversity of Penstemon's Centromeric Histone 3 (CENH3), which localizes to chromosome centromeres in eukaryotes. From RNA extractions of 56 species, we successfully amplified two CENH3s (termed CENH3a and CENH3b), which share approximately 69% sequence homology across the length of the gene and about 85% across the histone fold domain (HFD). CENH3a is generally 72 bp longer than CENH3b and contains seven exons while CENH3b is made of five. Unlike studies of CENH3 in other plants, Penstemon's CENH3 N-tail was found to be highly conserved, indicative that the genus has undergone a short evolutionary history. Surprisingly, of the 99 CENH3 sequences obtained during this study, 32 appeared to be mis-spliced and contained premature stop codons. Of those aberrant transcripts, 84.4% originated from CENH3b genomic DNA. Most mis-spliced transcripts resulted from the retention of all or part of an intron. In some cases, all or portions of an exon were missing, including one that was missing the L1 motif. Second, we systematically cataloged interspecific breeding data in Penstemon, on which we then conducted a network analysis. The resulting network provides breeders with a better visualization of successful parental combinations and also identifies gaps in interspecific breeding. This method allowed for the identification of species with a high degree of interspecific compatibility, which we compared to the CENH3 sequencing data. Finally, we studied the performance of soil streaming in high tunnel production of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Our experiments revealed that soil steaming and mulch reduced weed coverage of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.), and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.). Steam and mulch increased the tomato plant size, fruit size, fruit number, and fruit yield. Additionally, soil steaming reduced tomato southern blight, caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, by 5.8-fold. These findings provide promising results for high tunnel tomato producers, particularly those involved in organic production where pesticide and fumigation use is limited.

No description available.

No description available.

At any given time there are on the order of one hundred million cells undergoing mitosis in the human body. To accurately segregate chromosomes, the cell forms the bipolar mitotic spindle, a molecular machine that distributes chromosomes equally to the daughter cells. To this end, microtubules of the mitotic spindle must appropriately attach the kinetochores: protein structures that form on each chromatid of each mitotic chromosome. The majority of the time correct kinetochore microtubule attachments are formed. However, mis-attachments can and do form. Mis-attachments that are not corrected before chromosome segregation can give rise to aneuploidy, an incorrect number of chromosomes. Aneuploidy occurring in the germ line can cause both miscarriage and genetic diseases. Furthermore, aneuploidy is a major characteristic of cancer cells, and aneuploid cancer cells frequently mis-segregate chromosomes at high rates, a phenotype termed chromosomal instability (CIN). CIN has been correlated with both advanced tumorigenesis and poor patient prognosis and over the years there have been many hypotheses for what causes CIN. In this study, we identified two distinct mechanisms that are responsible for CIN. Both of these mechanisms cause a transient, abnormal geometric arrangement of the mitotic spindle. Specifically, cancer cells possess supernumerary centrosomes, which lead to the assembly of multipolar spindles during early mitosis when attachments between kinetochores and microtubules are forming. Supernumerary centrosomes facilitate the formation of merotelic attachments, in which a single kinetochore binds microtubules from more than one centrosome. As mitosis progresses the supernumerary centrosomes cluster, giving rise to a bipolar spindle by the time of chromosome segregation. However, the high rates of merotelic attachments formed during the transient multipolar stage result in high rates of chromosome mis-segregation. The second geometric defect characterized is caused by failure of centrosomes to separate before kinetochore-microtubule attachments begin to form. This mechanism, too, leads to high rates of kinetochore mis-attachment formation and high rates of chromosome mis-segregation. Finally, this study shows that the mechanisms characterized here are prevalent in human cancer cells from multiple organ sites, thus revealing that both mechanisms are a common cause of CIN. / Ph. D.

Each mitotic chromosome is constituted by two sister chromatids whose correct segregation to the daughter cells is ensured by amphitelic attachment, in which the two sister kinetochores (KTs) are attached to microtubules (MTs) from opposite mitotic spindle poles. KT mis-attachments can occur in early mitosis and cause chromosome mis-segregation and aneuploidy if not corrected. These mis-attachments include monotelic (one attached and one unattached sister KT), syntelic (both sister KTs attached to the same spindle pole), and merotelic (a single KT attached to MTs from opposite spindle poles) attachments. A biochemical pathway named the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) is responsible for delaying anaphase onset to allow correction of KT mis-attachments. SAC activation is believed to occur due to KT localization of certain SAC proteins and/or lack of tension, but only monotelic attachment has been proven to activate the SAC. To determine if and how other KT mis-attachments may activate the SAC, we studied how molecular composition and structure of the KT changes in response to different types of attachments. Our data suggest that monotelic attachment is the only type of attachment that can induce a SAC response thanks to the accumulation of the SAC protein Mad2 at the KT. Our data also indicate that structural changes of the KT, measured as intra- or inter-KT stretching, do not directly induce a SAC response. Instead, our findings suggest decreased KT stretching, especially in inter-KT stretching of syntelic chromosomes, may play a key role in bringing MCAK and other KT substrates closer to Aurora B kinase for rapid and efficient correction of KT mis-attachments. / Master of Science

大陸證券發展，風起雲湧，大陸證券投資，蔚為主流。基於同文同種之故，市場發展的環境之相似，股民結構之雷同，又法規及監管制度之複雜，與早期我國的發展過程類似。在一遍全球化的聲浪中，企業在拓展版圖，大陸證券業已成為台灣券商的首選。 證券金融服務業乃高知識密集，高風險密集，高資訊密集的行業，如何利用資訊策略有效之運用，達到對內:提高整體綜效，對外:強化競爭優勢。所以，如何擬定合適的資訊策略，以導引資訊化的有效發展，進而促進公司整體綜效，為奠定本研究根基，本研究從大陸金融政策、大陸證券業競爭趨勢之下的企業經營策略、資訊策略對企業營運影響、證券業資訊實務之探討，進行文獻探討，得到如下資料： 一、策略對企業的經營、競爭等營運績效影響甚鉅。資訊策略，對企業的營運績效，同具密切影響力。而瞭解資訊策略的種類，有助企業的營運定位與資源分配，並可避免失敗，進而提升營運績效。 二、大陸證券業資訊化演進及現況，以及資訊化帶來的優勢與衝擊，了解資訊科技的應用情形，以利規劃證券業資訊科技的應用方向。 三、在企業營運策略下之資訊策略及資訊化實物之探究。 本研究的研究架構，為如下所示： 而研究的進行，一因此類合資券商在中國成立時間尚短且家數甚少。二則此類合資券商資訊策略的研究，目前並無較堅強理論的研究議題。所以，不適合進行精細的驗證性研究，故採行「探索性」與「個案式」的研究方式。而所選的個案公司，乃因其具有營運經歷之特殊性、投入時間的洽當性、進入資格之稀少性，故而以其研究主體。研究工具，以深入訪談、資料分析與企業流程模型為主軸。 對個案公司的研究，先從大陸證券業現況及競爭趨勢探討，次而制定公司的營運策略等相關資料的整理著手、次而探討公司制定資訊策略相關構面與資訊策略，最後針對公司現況與未來進行資訊策略面研究。而提出如下的結論與建議： （一） 結論： 1、不當的資訊架構造成設置成本增加與人員效率低落。 由個案研究中得知大陸證券業資訊系統演進成因，深受法規政策及上游交易所系統改善之影響。但始終圍繞著系統交易速度的即時性、系統海量交易、作業的正確性打轉。 又因證券市場發展初期，證照取得困難各分公司為了業務需求，盡其可能的把系統加大增員擴充，每家分公司資訊系統的完整及規模眼然像一家總公司。超大的交易大廳，大量的自助委託系統，獨立的財務系統，證券交易系統，超冗餘的硬體設備，備援系統，過多的交易席位，伴隨著資訊系統增加而資訊專業人員也大增，在市場行情不好時，這些設施及充員，都成為分公司經營的負擔。 這種分散式架構增加了分公司的自主性、彈性及效率，但也增加了分公司的經營成本及管理成本，不易達到資訊規模經濟。又系統分散，維護人員也分散到各分公司，平日維護系統及日常作業就浪費不少人力，剩餘時間也不大能夠參與總公司專案規劃，因此資訊人力資源使用不彰，人力重疊，因分公司自主效率反而損及整體運作效益。 2、不良的系統整合造成整體效益不彰與風險管控不易。 因發展初期大小券商因經營不當或虧污，造成券商重組或合併者眾，其原有的系統也陪嫁到新公司，並沒有完善的統一整合，證券公司的結算是由總公司對結算所做二級結算，之後再由分公司對客戶做第三級結算，又因分散式系統各分公司作業獨立性高，財務系統可能不一致的影響，總公司帳平但分公司帳不平，或分公司帳平總公司帳不平時有所聞，造成結算時間拉長，財務及資訊人員疲於奔命，管理性的績效報表也因延誤，錯過管理時機。 由於財務系統由當地控管，加上當地資訊人員的配合，經理人挪用客戶資金炒股的新聞屢見不鮮，也是造成券商於2002年因市場空頭巨額虧損的原因之一。又經紀系統分散在各地，無法在盤中即時監控交易狀況，僅能事後控管，總公司風險控管人員如同虛設。 3、資訊科技衝擊造成價值鏈的改變。 在大陸百分之九十九以上的交易委託使用自助式委託工具，成因來自於，市場發展初期交易所系統容量與處理速度不足，且券商系統也不太穩定、雙方容量都不足的狀態下，僅能透過營業櫃檯的營業員製單後，交由委託輸入人員輸入到交易系統中，藉此控制系統穩定度。 日後由於雙方上下游系統改善，處理速度大增，當時深交所開始實施無形席位，採用電腦直接接入交易所主機後交易量大增，隔年上海交易所也實施無席位交易後，交易容量到達新階段，此時交易瓶頸端已出現在券商端委託輸入人員了，當時股市走多頭，委託單量大，易造成錯過價位及帶來交易糾紛，此時自助式委託系統萌芽，各大小券商皆採用，也就造成日後自助式委託系統盛行於大陸的原因。 由於營業員的素質不高且功能本來就不彰顯，小道及內線消息充陳，投研報告的品質及可信度不高，易流於為做手或莊家的炒作工具，再加上五十年來的文化洗禮下，原本不信任”人”的觀念中，在幾次大規模的套牢下，股民放棄了研究報告，離開了營業員，擁抱自助式委託工具，營業員也離開了營業櫃檯，被自助式委託工具取代。 又自助式委託系統同質性太高，無法有效地提出投資建議，券商唯一可以行銷的工具就是調降傭金，因此股民的忠誠度也隨傭金調降而改變。營業員或所謂理財專員在經紀業務之價值鏈中佔有祟高的地位，如今用機器取代營業員有點本末倒置，所以在大陸從來沒聽過證券業有超級營業員。 研究報告寫得不用心，客戶就賺不到錢;客戶不賺錢，員工就賺不到錢;員工賺不到錢，公司也賺不到錢;自然地客戶就沒有品牌忠誠度。 員工賺不到錢，就沒有好人才願意投如這個產業，人員的流動就加大，造成惡性循環。 這樣以自助委託為主的改變，也破壞了以”營業員”為中心的經紀業 務價值鏈。 （二）建議：個案公司訂定資訊策略應考量如下幾點： 1、系統架構採大集中或區域集中架構。 以外包方式建置大集中或區域集中式的系統架構，讓資源適度化，人員配置合理化，維護、災備簡易化，成本最適化，人員控管最易化，達到成本降低，人員及系統效率增長。 2、應用系統設計採取B/S應用。 透過瀏覽器及滑鼠的應用，人性化的操作介面，防呆防愚的設計，讓操作風險降到最低，系統集約在叢集及負載平衡的架構下，達到容錯及擴容的彈性。 3、單一入口的後台整合集中控管系統及工作流程控管系統。 透過單一系統入口，整合的集中控管系統，達到財務、資金控管一致性，風險控管功能獨立性，績效分析即時性，工作流簡化，以盡後線部門管控職能，進而增進整體效益。 4、加強投顧研究報告品質。 透過研究報告考評系統輔助，有系統的考評每個分析師的投研報告，並長期追蹤其研究建議與客戶持股的變化，做為報告品質的參考依據。 5、重建以”人”為中心的業務流程。 透過營業員工作站的輔助，將投研報告、營業員推薦投資組合、輔導投資建議、委託、成交、結算、交割、資金划劃、交叉銷售、向上銷售等活動連結成無縫的環，重建以營業員為主、資訊系統為輔的價值活動。 6、建立投行專案控管系統。 投行業在輔導一個項目的時間長達一年，其中旅行往返及長程電話費用支出很高，原本投行業務的費用就不易控管，且投行人員平均成本高，如果同時進行多個項目，若無資訊系統做成本控制，不易評估出專案效益。 投行業不是成功就是失敗，輔導上市才有錢賺。如果遇到股市不佳，配售狀況不好，券商可能要包銷就會造成資金積壓效應，如果股市不好還可能造成股價下跌雙重損失。 又大陸採計劃型經濟体制，產業成長都要宏觀調控，受政府政策影響非常大，去年火紅的項目，今年可受到打壓，所以時機很重要。 因此一個項目的成敗除了項目本身因素外，項目專案時程管理符合市場需要，是決定成敗的最主要因素。 7、業務分析、決策支援。 中國大陸地大物博，各省份股民喜好不一，光是飲食就有「南甜、北鹹、東酸、西辣」的特性之分，何況是對風險的好惡及風險的承受度。2003年統計股民近6700萬人，平均一家券商就有50萬個客戶，更別說是大行。客源分析，客戶喜好分析，貢獻度分析是未來行銷管理上必備的工具，適時建立CRM系統有助於決策支援，業務拓展。 8、建立教育訓練體制。 公司要有好的財務狀況，必須要找到貢獻度大的客戶，要找到貢獻度大的客戶，則營業員素質、投研報告的品質要好、內部服務流程要佳。要營業員素質、投研報告的品質要好、內部服務流程要佳，則內部流程的改善、人員的成長訓練要有適當的指標去評量，最後改變公司財務狀況，增進股東權益。 / The theme of this thesis is to study strategy planning for Management Information System of A foreign security company，whom will be to operate a company in mainland China . The study is intended for finding out a strategy of business to guide the company’s strategy of MIS and MIS practice. It has three aims : 1.The security company’s competition of mainland China. 2. According to the competition status to setup a company’s strategy for MIS. 3.According to the strategy of MIS to setup a MIS practice to fit a new joiner. Finally,According to the study to finding out strategy for MIS to consolidate business ,core competition.

This doctoral thesis describes unusual skin and soft-tissue tumors, which were the basis of the postgraduate study of Ladislav Hadravský, MD at Medical faculty in Pilsen of Charles University in Prague during 2013 - 2016. It contains documented cases of skin and soft-tissue tumors related to hereditary syndromes, unusual morphology, rare biological behavior, minor causal association with the respective disease, or different phenotypes. These cases were published in journals with the impact factor and in peer-reviewed journals. Regarding skin tumors, the study focused on sebaceous tumors of the skin, which may occur within Muir-Torre syndrome. In the retrospective study of sebaceous skin tumors, two unusual cases were found: the case of aggressive extraocular sebaceous carcinoma on the scalp in a patient with Muir-Torre syndrome and the case of multiple sebaceous skin tumors in a patient with MUTYH-associated polyposis of the colon mimicking Muir-Torre syndrome. As far as soft-tissue tumors are concerned, the study aimed at the morphological comparison of cases of myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma and pleomorhic hyalinizing angiectatic tumor.

I want to present a prospective evaluation of one-year results in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty from a minimally invasive antero-lateral approach (THA MIS-AL). And I want also to compare, by means of biochemical markers, the operative invasiveness of standard total hip replacement with that of the minimally invasive anterolateral (MIS-AL) approach.At one year after surgery we evaluated the quality of life by 60 patients using SF-36 questionaire and we compared the results with standard anterolateral approach and regional standard.

Cílem diplomové práce bylo nastudovat a popsat mechanismy transportu náboje v tantalovém kondenzátoru. Práce obsahuje stručný teoretický úvod do problematiky kondenzátoru jako součástky a dále se zabývá jednotlivými mechanismy přenosu náboje jako je ohmická, Poole-Frenkel proudová, Schottkyho, tunelovací a emisní složka a také proudem prostorového náboje. V experimentální části byly měřeny ampér-voltové I/V, ampér-časové I/t a impedanční charakteristiky, jejichž data byla následně zpracována pomocí např. Mott-Schottkyho analýzy a byly vyhodnoceny elektrické parametry jako je aktivační energie, koncentrace dopantů, akumulační kapacita nebo potenciálová bariéra. Výsledky, vypočtené veličiny a naměřené hodnoty jsou diskutovány.

Studium transportu náboje v Ta2O5 oxidových nanovrstvách se zaměřuje především na objasnění vlivu defektů na vodivost těchto vrstev. Soustředíme se na studium oxidových nanovrstev Ta2O5 vytvořených pomocí anodické oxidace. Proces výroby Ta2O5 zahrnuje řadu parametrů, jež ovlivňují koncentraci defektů (oxidových vakancí) v této struktuře. Vrstva oxidu Ta2O5 o tloušťce 20 až 200 nm se často používá jako dielektrikum pro tantalové kondenzátory, které se staly nedílnou součástí elektrotechnického průmyslu. Kondenzátory s Ta2O5 dielektrickou vrstvou lze modelovat jako strukturu MIS (kov – izolant – polovodič). Anodu tvoří tantal s kovovou vodivostí, katodu potom MnO2 či vodivý polymer (CP), které jsou polovodiče. Hodnoty elektronových afinit, respektive výstupních prací, jednotlivých materiálů potom určují výšku potenciálových bariér vytvořených na rozhraních kov-izolant (M – I) a izolant-polovodič (I – S). Dominantní mechanizmy transportu náboje lze určit analýzou I-V charakteristiky zbytkového proudu. Dominantní mechanizmy transportu náboje izolační vrstvou jsou ohmický, Poole-Frenkelův, Shottkyho a tunelování. Uplatnění jednotlivých vodivostních mechanismů je závislé na teplotě a intenzitě elektrického pole v izolantu. Hodnota zbytkového proud je významným indikátorem kvality daného izolantu. Ten závisí na technologii výroby kondenzátoru, významně především na parametrech anodické oxidace a na materiálu katody. I-V charakteristiky zbytkového proudu se měří v normálním a reversním módu, tj. normální mód značí kladné napětí na anodě a reversní mód záporné napětí na anodě. I-V charakteristika je výrazně nesymetrická, a proto tyto kondenzátory musí být vhodně polarizovány. Nesymetrie I-V charakteristiky se snižuje s klesající teplotou, při teplotě pod 50 K a je možno některé kondenzátory používat jako bipolární součástky. Z analýzy I-V charakteristiky lze určit řadu parametrů, jako tloušťku izolační vrstvy a koncentraci defektů v izolační Ta2O5 vrstvě a dále lze odhadnout parametry MIS modelu kondenzátoru - stanovit hodnotu potenciálových bariér na rozhraních M – I a I – S. Měření C-V charakteristik při různých teplotách v rozsahu 10 až 300 K je využíto pro určení výšky potenciálové bariéry na rozhraní I – S, závislosti kapacity na teplotě a dále pro výpočet efektivní plochy elektrod. Z výbrusu vzorků na skenovacím elektronovém mikroskopu byly určeny tloušťky dielektrika Ta2O5 pro jednotlivé vyhodnocované řady kondenzátorů.