Aim: To assess the agreement between Cochrane Neonatal Group reviews and clinical guidelines of a University Neonatology Department, to evaluate the reasons for potential disagreements and to ascertain whether Cochrane reviews were considered for the guidelines development.


It is well known that $X/(X + Y)$ has the beta distribution when $X$ and $Y$ follow the Dirichlet distribution. Linear combinations of the form $\alpha X + \beta Y$ have also been studied in Provost and Cheong [S. B. Provost and Y.-H. Cheong: On the distribution of linear combinations of the components of a Dirichlet random vector. Canad. J. Statist. 28 (2000)]. In this paper, we derive the exact distribution of the product $P = X Y$ (involving the Gauss hypergeometric function) and the corresponding moment properties. We also propose an approximation and show evidence to prove its robustness. This approximation will be useful especially to the practitioners of the Dirichlet distribution.


Reveals the latest historiography and sources of research of Ukrainian-Polish population transfers 1944-1946. Filed a brief overview of the main provisions of the documents that regulated population exchange and shows the differences between the promised rights and the real state of affairs. Nowadays, there are still many unexplored and obscure pages of the history of relations between Ukraine and Poland, Ukrainian and Polish nations. These include, in particular, the migration of Ukrainian and Polish population in the years 1944-1946 with the collapse of the so-called world socialist system, Ukraine gained its independence need comprehensive study of this issue is not lost its relevance. The main objectives of this publication is the coverage of the Ukrainian-Polish population transfers in the 1944-1946, the main achievements and prospects of research problems, analysis of written sources that reveal new aspects of relocation. Lawful execution of the relocation process has Lublin agreement dated September 9, 1944. Formally, the evacuation had to be voluntary and therefore coercion could be applied either directly or indirectly. The desire to move could express both orally and in writing. Attention is taken primarily scientific achievements of scientists, whose opinion is crucial in the treatment of problems of the Ukrainian-Polish relations. Ivan Bilas, I. Ilyushin, V. Kitsak, V. Sergiychuk the Ukrainian side churned E. H. Motyka, A. Sova and other Polish authors facing scientists, whose position deserves respect. So, now in the scientific circulation has many informative articles and published documents on the issue of transfer of Ukrainian and Polish population in the years 1944-1946 according to Ukrainian and Polish authors often differ, but each has its foundation, sometimes depending on national or political affiliation of the author sometimes limited range of used documents or even preconceived goal or chosen coordinate system research. Valuable and convincing are those conclusions are based on the diverse sources, archives and research scientists in Ukraine, Poland and in Russia and other neighbouring countries in Europe. Significant intensification historiography problems caused by changes in the use of sources, and therefore of paramount importance will continue opening and involvement in research of new documents, especially in the past inaccessible archives. On the one hand, this position rally scientists contribute knowledge of historical processes and phenomena, on the other hand, formed a field for fruitful scientific discussions and progress of historical science.


Students' difficulties in understanding polyhedral was one of the reasons for developing web-based learning media. This study is aimed at determining the effectiveness of webbased learning media for the students. The subjects of this study were students Grade 8 of SMPN 12 Mukomuko. An experimental method was adopted in this study and samples were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group was taught by conventional learning media while the experimental group was taught by web-based learning media. Pre-test and post-tests were administered to both groups. The findings showed that there is no significant mean difference between students' outcomes on the pretest and post-tests taught by conventional learning media, but there was a significant mean difference between the students' outcomes on the pre-test and post-tests taught with webbased learning media. The findings are encouraging and providing some promising directions, however, further study would be needed to determine if the results are due to the web-based approach or due to the teachers' enthusiasm, the novelty effect known as the Hawthorne Effect.


Dans leur manuel sobrement intitule What is Microhistory?, Sigurður Gylfi Magnusson et Istvan M. Szijarto definissent la micro-histoire comme « the intensive historical investigation of a relatively well defined smaller object », qu'il s'agisse d'un evenement unique, d'une communaute, voire d'un individu. « Focusing on certain cases, persons and circumstances, microhistory allows an intensive historical study of the subject, giving a completely different picture of the past from the investiga...


— The influence of steady mode III on mode I fatigue growth behavior is investigated in four materials–a plain carbon steel, a Ni–Cr–Mo–V rotor steel, and titanium alloys, TA6V and TA5E ELI. It is shown that these loading conditions give rise to two main effects: (i) a strong reduction in propagation rate and (ii) a modification in crack path, the fatigue crack adopting a characteristic "factory-roof' aspect. In 2024 Al alloy, it is shown that the superimposition of steady mode II to cyclic mode I leads to crack bifurcation, the angle θ being a function of Ka/Ktmax. These observations are discussed in the light of a new criterion which is introduced. This criterion is based on two main assumptions: (i) Fatigue cracking is assumed to occur only under the effect of local mode I opening. (ii) It is postulated that a fatigue crack grows in a direction where the crack propagation rate is maximum. A number of limitations of this approach, associated with crack closure phenomenon, are discussed.


Donor leucocyte infusions (DLI) are frequently required following reduced intensity conditioned (RIC) allografts to convert mixed donor chimerism (MC) to full donor chimerism (FDC). The rationale is to prevent tolerance developing and therefore to maximise the graft versus tumour (GvT) responses. However, the impact that the chimeric state has on disease relapse and transplant outcome remains controversial. To address this we analysed the impact of the complete (global) chimerism pattern in 125 recipients of RIC transplants. The transplants were performed for a broad range of malignant haematological diseases. Conditioning regimens consisted of fludarabine, melphalan, campath (65), fludarabine, busulphan, campath (13), BEAM, campath +/− fludarabine (38) and other (9). The donors were HLA matched siblings (62, 50%), HLA mismatched siblings (6, 5%), matched unrelated (29, 23%) and mismatched unrelated (28, 22%). The median patient age was 52 and donor age was 42. The median follow up was 823 days (range 99–2674). Four patterns of chimerism were seen: A. always 100% donor chimerism (68, 54%), B. persisting MC post transplant including cases refractory to DLI (27, 22%) C. MC post transplant with subsequently development of FDC either spontaneously or post DLI (22, 18%), D. lost DC and had autologous reconstitution (8, 6%). A number of patients in both groups B and C had FDC early post transplant. In group A 18 (26%) patients received DLI for relapse or residual disease. A complete response was achieved in 6 (35%). In group B 10 (37%) patients had DLI: 4 for MC, 1 for residual disease, 2 for relapse and 3 for both MC and relapse; only partial responses were seen (20%). In group C DLI was given in 14 (64%) patients: 4 for MC, 5 for residual disease, 3 for relapse and 2 for both MC and relapse. A complete response was achieved in 12 (86%). The risk of relapse at 2 years was significantly associated with the pattern of chimerism (p=0.012) and was greatest for group D (75%). Patients in group C (DLI responders) had a relapse rate of 24% compared to 61% in group B (DLI non-responders). In group A it was 37%. This resulted in a significant survival advantage for patients in group C as compared to all other groups (p=0.009). Predicted overall survival at 2 years was 95% in group C, but 54% in group A, 57% in group B, and 58% in group D. We conclude that patients with MC who later achieve FDC have a lower incidence of disease relapse than those with persistent MC, supporting the use of DLI in this group. However the observation that the patients receiving DLI to achieve FDC have a superior outcome to those patients with persistent FDC (group A) suggests that this group may have benefited from a GvT effect against minimal residual disease. The use of pre-emptive DLI in this group (despite FDC) may reduce the risk of relapse and improve transplant outcome.


8‐Cl‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (8‐Cl‐cAMP) has been known to induce growth inhibition and differentiation in a variety of cancer cells by differential modulation of protein kinase A isozymes. To understand the anticancer activity of 8‐Cl‐cAMP further, we investigated the effect of 8‐Cl‐cAMP on apoptosis in human cancer cells. Most of the tested human cancer cells exhibited apoptosis upon treatment with 8‐Cl‐cAMP, albeit with different sensitivity. Among them, SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and HL60 leukemic cells showed the most extensive apoptosis. The effect of 8‐Cl‐cAMP was not reproduced by other cAMP analogues or cAMP‐elevating agents, showing that the effect of 8‐Cl‐cAMP was not caused by simple activation of protein kinase A (PKA). However, competition experiments showed that the binding of 8‐Cl‐cAMP to the cAMP receptor was essential for the induction of apoptosis. After the treatment of 8‐Cl‐cAMP, cells initially accumulated at the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle and then apoptosis began to occur among the population of cells at the S/G2/M cell cycle phases, indicating that the 8‐Cl‐cAMP‐induced apoptosis is closely related to cell cycle control. In support of this assumption, 8‐Cl‐cAMP‐induced apoptosis was blocked by concomitant treatment with mimosine, which blocks the cell cycle at early S phase. Interestingly, 8‐Cl‐cAMP did not induce apoptosis in primary cultured normal cells and non‐transformed cell lines, showing that 8‐Cl‐cAMP‐induced apoptosis is specific to transformed cells. Taken together, our results show that the induction of apoptosis is one of the mechanisms through which 8‐Cl‐cAMP exerts anticancer activity. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The historical anthropogeography mainly studies on historical period of human geography phenomenon distribution,evolution and the law of development has a strong interdisciplinary the mature development must pay attention to absorb and learn from related disciplines of research methods and research tools.In this paper,the application of psychology in the history of human geography teaching in the two major areas of the national geography,social geography,try the exploration psychology research method is an effective tool in the study and professor of history anthropogeography.


Addition of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to liquid dairy manure (slurry) reduces methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) emissions. There is interest in understanding how gaseous emissions respond to decreasing rates of acidification, to determine economically optimum application rates. Acidification rates were tested ranging from 0 to 2 g sulfuric acid (H2SO4) L−1 slurry in six meso-scale outdoor storage tanks, each filled with 10.6 m3 slurry and stored for 114 d. Results showed that the rate of acidification for maximum inhibition of CH4 and NH3 emissions varied markedly, whereas N2O reductions were modest. Reductions of CH4 increased with acid rate from 0 to 1.2 g L−1, with no additional response beyond >1.2 g L−1. In contrast to CH4, inhibitions of NH3 showed a linear response across all rates, although reductions were ≤ 30%. Thus, higher acidification rates would be required to achieve greater NH3 emission reductions. Our findings indicate that achieving >85% NH3 emissions reductions would require 4 × more acid than achieving >85% CH4 reductions. Decisions on optimum H2SO4 rates will depend on the need to mitigate CH4 emissions (the primary greenhouse gas emitted from stored liquid manure) or reduce NH3 emissions (which is regulated in some regions). These results will help develop guidelines related to the potential costs and benefits of reducing emissions through acidification.


The evaluation of the National Traffic Police (NTP) in Israel, which was recently organized, is described. The creation of NTP entailed an organization change in the structure of the traffic police force and a doubling of personnel and other resources. An independent, comprehensive evaluation was mandated to accompany the project. The evaluation program consists of four components: organizational analysis, monitoring of police operations, monitoring of traffic behavior, and analysis of accident trends. The methodology is described and results of the first phase of evaluation, which included the first three components, are presented. The major findings were as follows: inputs and outputs increased about twofold, roughly proportional to the increase in resources; no overall improvement in traffic behavior occurred. However, some places showed an improvement, and there was an indication of a relation between improvement in traffic behavior and the intensity of police presence. A higher-than-routine level of enforcement was necessary to achieve this improvement.


Algorithm extract textrual features from subregion of image by using LBP first. Secondly,different manipulation of inverse of matrix is made according to the optimal solution and using regularizetion factor at the same time. Motivated by online learning method,accurate online sequential extreme learning machine( AOS-ELM) is designed. Experimental results demonstrate that the AOS-ELM can learn faster and achieve better performance than traditional ELM.


ABSTRACT This paper argues how communicative planning approaches, as one of the most dominant conceptualisations of participatory planning, often ignore the embodied dimensions of participation as a socio-political learning processes. To do so, the paper theoretically traces why a Habermasian conceptualisation of political intersubjectivity fails to democratise planning processes and turns to an alternative Mouffean framework where coproductive methods are conceptualised as public pedagogic interventions, allowing for different meanings to be created and shared in a dialogical process. Based on an analysis of two experiments the authors have conducted, some lessons are drawn on how specific methods can be designed to stimulate more embodied forms of intersubjectivity between involved actors, while avoiding top-down consensus-making. In this way, the analysis demonstrates how such methods stimulate participants to share experiences, while orienting the discussion in a spatialised direction and creating a space where the ambivalence of place is effectively stimulated.


Internet of Things (IoT) is a collection of things or objects that are uniquely identified in the network. All the devices communicate through the Internet. The devices are also resource constrained. Since the devices are resources constrained, Routing protocol for Low Power Lossy Network (RPL) is used as a network layer protocol. It is suitable for network that is susceptible to high packet loss and has low power devices. The version number is the active type of attack possible in RPL protocol of IoT. RPL constructs Destination Oriented Directed Acyclic graph (DODAG) topology using control packets. Each DODAG is assigned a version number. If there is any change in the topology, then the version number is incremented. If any version attacker is introduced in the network, it falsly advertise the control packet and leads to frequent DODAG formation. So, that the control packets are generated in large volume. This leads to performance degradation in the network. Version attack also leads to various other attacks. So, it is important to address the version attack. In this paper, working of RPL, during formation and maintenance of topology, a version number attack detection Claim algorithm for securing RPL is proposed along with existing countermeasures and the effects of version attack are discussed.


Purpose - This study aims to explore the direct and indirect effects of organizational stakeholder's relationship on performance through innovativeness and risk-taking among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach - This study used the cluster sampling method to select the study sample and the questionnaire survey approach to 580 SMEs established in Tehran. A total of 150 completed questionnaires were returned. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was administered to analyze data via the SmartPLS 3.0 software. Findings - The survey outcomes revealed that organization-stakeholder relationship had an indirect effect on performance through innovativeness and risk-taking. The results indicated positive links for organization-stakeholder relationship and innovativeness, as well as the organization-stakeholder relationship to risk-taking. Practical implications - This research is beneficial for entrepreneurs who wish to learn about the specific resources significant for venture growth, to devise effective strategies to expand their relationship with stakeholders and to consider the significance of the correlations established, in this study, through innovativeness and risk-taking. Originality/value - This research is one of the few attempts that have addressed the importance of innovativeness and risk-taking as the key mechanisms to transform the advantages of organization-stakeholder relationships to enhance performance.


Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) early-time amplitude analysis has recently been proposed as an alternative way for measuring soil water content (SWC) in the shallow subsurface. The method uses amplitude attributes of overlapping GPR airand ground-waves of bi-static antennas, which have been shown to vary with soil dielectric properties. We tested the feasibility of this approach to characterize soil water content at clay-rich sites. An irrigation experiment was conducted in a natural grassland at the Samford Ecological Research Facility in Queensland, Australia. We collected daily GPR and timedomain reflectometry (TDR) datasets over a five-day period and collected samples for gravimetric moisture analysis. The GPR data display a clear response of the early-time signal amplitude to spatial and temporal changes in SWC. Our results show that the early-time methodology can successfully characterize soil water content at clay-rich sites, where (due to high signal attenuation) traditional GPR methods typically fail.


The global increase of urban areas highlights the need to improve their adaptation to extreme weather events, in particular heavy rainfall. This study analyzes the impacts of in-situ rain gauges' distribution (by applying the fractal dimension concept) associated with a spatial diagnosis of flood occurrences in the municipality of Itaperuna, Rio de Janeiro–Brazil, performing an investigation of flood susceptibility maps based on transitory (considering precipitation) and on permanent factors (natural flood susceptibility). The fractal analysis results pointed out that the rain gauges' distribution presented a scaling break behavior with a low fractal dimension ( 0.416 ) at the small-scale range, highlighting the incapacity of the local instrumentation to capture the spatial rainfall variability. Thereafter, the cross-tabulation method was used to validate both predictive maps with recorded data of the major January 2020 event, which indicated that the transitory factors' flood map presented an unsatisfactory Probability of Detection of floods ( P O D = 0.552 ) when compared to the permanent factors' map ( P O D = 0.944 ) . These issues allowed to consider the hydrological uncertainties associated with the sparse gauge network distribution and its impacts on the use of flood susceptibility maps. Such methodology enables the evaluation of other municipalities and regions, constituting essential information in aid of territorial management.


The migration of PAE during paper drying was studied.It was shown that the migration of PAE will happen when PAE is used to enhance the wet strength of paper.The direction of migration is toward the heat source(dryer),and the migration degree is related to the viscosity of the PAE and the drying temperature.The lower the viscosity of PAE or the higher the drying temperature,the higher the migration degree.


Abstract : Clinical neuropsychology is a specialized field of endeavor which seeks to apply the knowledge of human brain-behavior relationships to clinical problems. Human brain-behavior relationships refer to the study of research-derived associations between an individual's behavior, both normal and abnormal, and the functioning of his or her brain. The clinical neuropsychologist takes extensive measurements of a variety of kinds of human behavior, including receptive and expressive language, problem-solving skills, reasoning and conceptualization abilities, learning, memory, perceptual-motor skills, etc. From this complex and detailed set of behavioral measurements, a variety of inferences can be drawn relating directly to the functioning of an individual's brain. Thus, in clinical neuropsychology, the operation and condition of an individual's brain is assessed by tacking measures of his or her intellectual, emotional and sensory-motor functioning.


Background  Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive morphological method for investigating human skin. It allows high‐resolution in vivo imaging of inflammatory skin diseases and tumours. Because it is a newly developed method, systematic studies on standardization and on evaluation of factors influencing the representation of the skin have not yet been performed.


There are eighteen extant particular accounts for the Great Wardrobe, or King's Wardrobe, during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. Only three are written in English and it is these documents which are calendared in this volume: two complete accounts, one for 1498–9 (Henry VII) and one for 1510–11 (Henry VIII), together with an extract of the account relating to the French voyage of 1544 (Henry VIII). Printed in modern English, they are easy to read and provide a wealth of information on clothing the king and the royal household during the early Tudor period. The accompanying glossary is particularly good on the technical terms for sixteenth-century textiles, trimmings and clothing, and items for the king's stables and horses. Making use of all the surviving particular accounts and subsidiary accounts of the Great Wardrobe from 1485 to 1547, together with other relevant documents, the introduction puts the three calendared documents in context. It provides a detailed and informative background to the workings of the Great Wardrobe, based in the City of London. Of particular interest is its interaction with local suppliers and craftspeople together with the London-based Italian merchants and how they influenced the London textile trade. Using these same documents are detailed lists of all the recipients of the clothing in the form of two appendices. The Great Wardrobe obtained and stored textiles, especially luxury silks. Lowlier cloth was bought in as required when warrants were received or was brought in from one of the other stores, such as the silk store at Westminster. All of the king's clothing was bespoke, as were most livery clothes. Certain livery items such as shoes and hats were bought ready-made. The recipients of the clothes from the Great Wardrobe included the king, his children, household servants and officials, specific places such as the king's stables and privy chamber, and specific events such as the Maundy service and the Garter ceremony. The 1498–9 particular account includes details of the clothes provided for the Pretender Perkin Warbeck while he was imprisoned in the Tower, and for Lady Catherine Gordon, his wife. Although the queen had her own wardrobe accounts, the 1510–11 Great Wardrobe account includes the provision of linen for Catherine of Aragon's lying in for the birth of the short-lived Prince Henry in 1511. The 1544 particular account relates solely to the equipping of Henry's army for war at a cost of more than £666. Details are included of the colourful red and yellow livery, with embroidered motifs of crosses and roses, for those in the core army who were under the direct control of the king. Each warrant for clothing from the Great Wardrobe listed in the accounts records the recipient together with details of the type, colour and origin of the textiles, linings and furs used for each garment. Both the artisanswhomade, furred, embroidered, trimmed and lined the garment and the suppliers of the materials are named. Each stage of the work is meticulously costed. These accounts show that clothing in early Tudor England was all about status. The hierarchy of the court was displayed to perfection to the outside world by the wearing of certain colours, furs and textiles by the king and his household. The young Henry VIII's extravagance, compared with that of his father, is clearly shown in the account for 1510–11. His love of hunting led to huge expenses in furnishing the royal stables. The royal horses were equipped with green and white livery horse houses, or blankets, and luxurious crimson velvet horse harness fringed with gold. The enormous amount of work involved in producing such a publication warrants a wider audience than the title suggests. Anyone who is interested in early sixteenth-century clothes, livery, textiles, furnishings, textile trade, status and ceremonial, artisans, merchants andmerchanttailors, equestrian accoutrements and the workings of a department of the royal household should make a point of reading this volume. The number and diversity of tradespeople involved in the supply and making of clothing are revealed together with the sumptuous display of clothing of the king, his family and the royal household at the courts of these first two Tudor monarchs.


This paper provides a review of capital markets research relevant to the goodwill accounting debate. Results indicate that the reported goodwill asset under United States GAAP is associated with share values, but there is no clear evidence of a similar association for goodwill amortisation. Similarly, there is no clear evidence of a competitive disadvantage associated with the requirement to amortise goodwill.


Reaching men is one of the challenges related to targeted health promotion. Societal factors, concepts of masculinities, and gender norms have a strong influence on preventive and health behavior of men. Targeted health promotion and prevention has to consider gender-specific differences in language and information sources to spread preventive messages but often fail to be effective. In Kyrgyzstan, non-communicable diseases account for 80% of mortality, including cardiovascular diseases, and raised blood pressure is the second most common disease for men. The NCD prevention and control project in Kyrgyzstan, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), aims to facilitate behavioral change towards healthier lifestyles by taking a gender-responsive approach to support the utilization of NCD related primary health care services for men. The gender-responsive intervention considers gender roles, norms, and inequalities, understands men's health needs, and pattern of preventive behavior to develop interventions. Data from project studies yielded that for men family members were the primary source of information about NCDs, risk factors and prevention. An assets-based approach is taken, building on the male role in a life-course perspective and a positive approach to the role of men as fathers. In 2019, an intervention, combining a school competition for children with a voucher system for preventive services for fathers and male relatives was conducted. In total, 80,416 males were reached and visited primary health facilities for preventive services (which averaged 20% of the male population over 18 years old); 18,364 (23%) men were newly detected with high blood pressure. Medical workers were made available during special hours to provide men with a consultation. During their visits, all men were screened for risk factors and received a consultation based on PEN protocol 1 and 2. Lessons on gender sensitivity have been learned from this experience.


Summary During the collection of specimens for the Southern Cape Herbarium, George, Western Cape, South Africa, a number of plants of an unusual scandent Crassula species, subsequently identified as C. fragilis (Schonl. 1929), were found along the dunes west of Mossel Bay. TÖlken (1985) had previously placed this taxon in the synonymy of C. pubescens Thunb. and in particular as a synonym of C. p. subsp. pubescens. Apart from specimens examined, plants were grown in cultivation and compared to that of a range of forms attributed to C. p. subsp. pubescens. Not only does C. fragilis differ from C. pubescens in habit, growth form and floral morphology but it is endemic to the coastal dunes mostly in association with limestone. In contrast C. p. subsp. pubescens has wide habitat tolerances centred around rocky outcrops and rocky and stony soils mostly derived from shale and sandstone. Both taxa belong to the Section Globulea with large terminal appendages on the petals but these differ between the two taxa. These and other characteristics are considered sufficient to justify the re-instatement of C. fragilis to species status.


To improve the quality of image retrieval,a new method for image retrieval is proposed based on the salient region′s histogram and non-sub-sampled Contourlet transform.First,the image was divided into the salient region and the background region with the salient points and compute the two region′s histogram as the color features.Second,the image was decomposed by nonsubsampled Contourlet transform to get the texture information.Finally,the images were effectively retrieved with the combination of color features and texture information.Experimental results show that the proposed method has better retrieval performance and higher efficiency.


Scorpion and snake venoms consist of diverse mixtures of peptides and proteins with varying biological activities and offer an attractive source for the development of novel therapeutics. Smp24 (24 aa) and Smp43 (43 aa) are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that were identified from the venom gland of the Egyptian scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus. These alpha-helical peptides showed potent activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria with MICs ranging from 4 to 128 ug/ml. Four anti-bacterial peptides were purified using HPLC chromatography from the venom of three different species of Egyptian snakes. The molecular masses of the purified proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF/MS and N-terminal sequences suggest that they are members of the three-finger toxin superfamily. Both SEM and TEM were employed to visualise morphological changes and membrane damage of E. coli and S. aureus in response to different concentrations of Smp peptides at different time intervals. Using DNA microarray, we examined the transcriptomic responses of E. coli to sub-inhibitory doses of Smp24 and Smp43 peptides following 5 hours of incubation. Differentially expressed genes in the presence of peptides or a control antibiotic (Polymyxin B) compared with the absence of peptides were predominantly related to siderophore biosynthesis and transport, as well as more generalised cation transport and oxidative stress responses. The antibacterial effects of Smp peptides were inhibited in the presence of calcium and magnesium ions, but not other cations. Smp peptides offer a promising starting point for the development of new antimicrobial agents and transcriptomic analysis can help identify metabolic processes affected by scorpion venom AMPs which may be beneficial in understanding their mechanism of action.


Bruton's disease, in other terms X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), is the first reported primary immunodeficiency in 1952, caused by a single genetic defect. The development of B cell is under control of signals transmitted by the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) complex. Lyn, Syk, and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) are cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases. XLA is caused by mutations in the Btk gene, and Btk mutations are responsible for 85% of all antibody deficiencies. Btk mutation interrupts the B-cell development at the pre-B-cell stage, resulting in the absence of B lympho‐ cytes and plasma cells in peripheral blood and peripheral lymphoid tissues. Up till now, 380 unique mutations have been identified. Autosomal recessive forms of agammaglobulinemia also result in B-cell defects, but more severe bacterial infections are seen in XLA patients due to absolute block in early B-cell development. All serum immunoglobulin isotypes are decreased, and antibody production especially against vaccine antigens is impaired. Most of the XLA patients have clinical signs and symptoms after 6 to 9 months of age due to diminished protective maternal antibodies transmitted through placenta. The most frequent symptoms are recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections, some of them may suffer from neutropenia. These patients are susceptible to enteroviral infection, which causes chronic menin‐ goencephalitis and dermatomyositis-like syndrome. Recurrent respiratory tract infections lead to chronic lung disease and bronchiectasis. These infections may disable the patient and result in death. B-cell dysfunction may also cause autoim‐ munity and B-cell malignancies. Patients with recurrent infections have to be evaluated for the primary immunodefi‐ ciency. X-linked agammaglobulinemia has to be considered with low serum IgG, IgA, and IgM levels and severely decreased B-cell number in the peripheral blood by © 2015 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. lymphocyte subset analysis. A definitive diagnosis can be made by genetic studies. The majority of patients are diagnosed at the age of 5 years. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy and antibiotic for infections are current choice of treatment to prevent life-threatening infections and organ damage. Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-based gene therapy can be curative. Neonatal screening assays (KRECs) have been developed to determine the absence of B cells, seen in XLA.


The flow around a rotating circular cylinder, which is placed near a moving plane wall, is investigated experimentally for high Reynolds number (Re=33000). The cylinder spanned the test section of a wind tunnel and was aligned with its axis parallel to the under wall of the test section and normal to a uniform flow. The wall of the test section under the cylinder was moved at the same speed as the uniform flow. Surface pressure measurements, velocity surveys and flow visualizations suggest the existence of three flow patterns in the near wake behind the cylinder by the change of the gap between the cylinder and the moving wall. The wake from the cylinder is characterized by the behavior of a jet passing through the gap. Furthermore, the behavior of the jet is sensitive to both the centrifugal force generated by the rotating cylinder and the inertial force of the jet.


Arthur Benade's well‐known paperback Horns, Strings, and Harmony includes a didactic fairy tale about a bugler forced to play on a uniform pipe and stay in tune with ordinary bugles. With a bit of sawing and some impressive lipping, he manages to succeed. This story fits nicely with the prevailing view that the bell on a brass instrument causes a considerable variation in the effective length of a (singly) closed pipe, thus making the performer's job much easier. Another possible ending for this fairy tale is that the bugler solves his tuning problems with the hand‐stopping technique of natural horn players, rather than with his embouchure. One day he accidentally closes the pipe completely and discovers that he now has a perfectly good harmonic series. A slight lengthening of the pipe puts him in tune with his colleagues. This ending is consistent with a view just emerging from time‐domain studies that, in terms of reflection back to the driver, the bell of a brass instrument mimics the closed end of a uniform pipe. Demonstrations will be included.


Abstract Heterocycles are ubiquitous structures in nature and can be found in many drugs and chemicals. Biocatalysts, alone or in combination with other metal catalysts, can be exploited for the construction of various heterocyclic rings under mild reaction conditions. This Short Review highlights the recent advances in the development of biocatalytic and chemo-enzymatic methods for the synthesis of both aliphatic and aromatic heterocyclic rings. 1 Introduction 2 Synthesis of Aliphatic Heterocycles 2.1 Piperidines, Pyrrolidines and Piperazines 2.2 Other Nitrogen-Containing Aliphatic Heterocycles 2.3 Lactones and Lactams 2.4 Other Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles 3 Synthesis of Aromatic Heterocycles 3.1 Pyrroles, Pyridines and Pyrazines 3.2 Furans 3.3 Bicyclic Aromatic Heterocycles 4 Conclusion


Comparison of the upper tropospheric relative humidity (UTH) of CCM2 forced by observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) with data from TOVS, MSU, and the GEOS‐1 assimilation shows that the model reproduces the observed large‐scale pattern of interannual changes of UTH in the tropics, but gives too much drying during the 1987 El Niño. How UTH responds to the changes of precipitation is well‐simulated in the areas of anomalous subsidence and drying in the subtropical Pacific. However, the exaggerated increase of precipitation in the model in the equatorial central Pacific leads to excessive amplitudes of vertical motion, which dries the subtropical upper troposphere. Since the uplift does not result in excessive moistening in the equatorial Pacific, the effect of the too vigorous hydrological cycle is an unrealistically large reduction of UTH in the tropics during an El Niño in CCM2.


The paper describes the spaces and buildings created throughout the history of libraries, as well as its social and symbolic content.

It makes an approach to the developments that will have the spaces for libraries in the future. The library will tend to be a chameleon that will be able to change in form and function: social center, park, etc., where books and computers will be able to meet, talk and work together.


Importance sampling methods can be iterated like MCMC algorithms, while being more robust against dependence and starting values. The population Monte Carlo principle consists of iterated generations of importance samples, with importance functions depending on the previously generated importance samples. The advantage over MCMC algorithms is that the scheme is unbiased at any iteration and can thus be stopped at any time, while iterations improve the performances of the importance function, thus leading to an adaptive importance sampling. We illustrate this method on a mixture example with multiscale importance functions. A second example reanalyzes the ion channel model using an importance sampling scheme based on a hidden Markov representation, and compares population Monte Carlo with a corresponding MCMC algorithm.


There has been a problem that since the transmission period of a synchronization signal sometimes becomes longer according to the use situation of an unlicensed band, a terminal device requires a long time to measure the received powers of signals from a plurality of base station devices that perform communication in the unlicensed band. A base station device communicates with a terminal device in a second frequency band different from an exclusively usable first frequency band, comprises a DL signal generation unit for generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal device, a radio transmission unit for transmitting the signal, and a connected terminal management unit for receiving information relating to a plurality of subframes capable of transmitting a signal from another base station device that communicates with the terminal device in the first frequency band to the terminal device, generates a subframe composed of a synchronization signal and a reference signal by the DL signal generation unit, and transmits the subframe in at least one subframe among subframes included in the information relating to the plurality of subframes by the radio transmission unit.


Background: In the developing world, coronary artery disease (CAD) is considered to be a leading source of illness and ultimately death. Indians are nowadays linked to a more dangerous variant of coronary artery disease (CAD) with a lower age of onset and is more common in men.
Aim: To analyse the clinical profile of patients with ACS syndrome for the purpose of drawing predominance in demography, metabolic disorders and tobacco use.
Materials and Methods: We enrolled 50 patients with characteristic ECG alterations and clinical history who were admitted to the emergency department between January and August 2021 in a prospective research at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital. Every patient had a predetermined Performa filled out, which included a full clinical history and investigation procedures. The clinical history disclosed details regarding the patient's age, gender, and risk factors.
Results: On analysis, results were conclusive of male predominance probably accentuated by tobacco use, alcohol consumption and other metabolic disorders.
Conclusion: With prevalence of risk factors on rise, younger individuals are also affected. Proper risk factor management will help in preventing Acute coronary syndrome.


Language strategy training is an important means to the end of leaner autonomy in foreign language teaching .This paper reviews the empirical studies of strategy training, the factors affecting the training. The necessity of strategy training and some issues concerning the training are discussed. The author offers two suggestions as to how to implement strategy-based instruction in China: studying language teaching context; encouraging both reflective teaching and reflective learning.


This research proposes a theoretical model about how local firms' network embeddedness with international leading firms influences its tacit knowledge acquisition. Using data from 143 local firms in China, this research examines the association between network embeddedness and tacit knowledge acquisition. The results show that local firms' information embeddedness with international strategic partners can enhance their acquisition of explicit knowledge; local firms' work embeddedness with international strategic partners can enhance their tacit knowledge acquisition; local firms' explicit knowledge acquisition supports their understanding and acquisition of tacit knowledge; and explicit knowledge acquisition partially mediates the relationship between information embeddedness and tacit knowledge acquisition.


The introductory programming course at this university attempts to serve some 1500 students each semester. The attrition rate, due in part to the overload on the system and in part to the students' difficulties in "keeping up", has, at times, approached 25%. In response to this situation we have revised and reordered the curriculum for use in an experimental course designed for the novice user. The course is directed toward discovering and addressing the confusions of new programming students. It facilitates our ongoing study of the novice programmers' response to graphics, friendly interface packages and the revised curriculum which includes the teaching of procedures and control structures at the beginning of the course. In studying these responses we have learned some techniques in aiding the novice user to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the acquisition of programming skills. The course is constantly undergoing development in addition to being in its second semester as a departmental offering. It is detailed in this paper.


The Dasheping copper ore deposit is hosted in andesite of Jiaoyuan formation, Xionger Group. The vesicles of the andesite were filled by chalcopyrite,sphalerite quartz and calcite forming amygdaloidal fabric copper ores. The rare earth element distribution models of the ore is similar to that of the andesite. The components of the fluid inclusions in quartz and calcite separated from the amygdaloidal bodies indicate it has a deep-seated source region. CH4 and H2 are of reduced features. The homogenization temperature of the inclusions ranges 173℃ ~ 283℃. The pyroelectric coefficient of the chalcopyrites belongs to type N(-147μv/℃), the δ34S of the chalcopyrite offers a value of 10.26?indicating little enrichment of heavy sulphur, being similar to that of volcanic rocks, i.e. similar source regions. The deposit can namely called as volcanic gas-liquid filling deposit type. The metallo sulphides filled in amygdaloidal fabric ores were contented variety of gold indicating the activation, transferring and enriching of gold during magmatic intrusion and volcanic eruption in Xionger Age.


The last decades the world is changing at an even faster pace because of globalization, digitalisation, and the result of many recent innovations. The result of these rapid changes is an uncertain and unknown future. Universities have to make sure that what first year students need to learn, is still relevant after 5 years after graduating. Companies look for employees with both in-depth knowledge and skills that go beyond the current basic engineering skills. Solving complex problems for real-life challenges is necessary to make actual impact in the society. Complex problem solving requires interdisciplinary collaboration with multiple stakeholders and is challenging with only technicians with a monodisciplinary focus [1]. Future employees require creativity, organisational skills, international orientation and an entrepreneurial mind-set. This entails a different type of engineer, skill-set and a new


High occupancy toll (HOT) lanes increase the utilization of resources by allowing voluntarily users who are willing to pay a premium to access the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. The payment method for enabling HOT lanes is based on communication between a vehicle transponder and roadside communication systems. They can operate dynamically for a fixed or variable toll rate depending on peak or rush hour conditions. In this study, we focus on a dynamic toll pricing where drivers can choose between the HOT lane or the GP lane. In general, the objective of toll pricing strategies is to minimize the total travel time cost or the total travel time. Thus, we develop the two individual dynamic toll pricing models to determine the optimal toll rate for HOT lane.


Pregnancy is a period that is eagerly awaited by mothers. In conditions of pregnancy there are hormonal and physiological changes. The changes that occur are expected to be carried out by pregnant women in order to have a comfortable pregnancy. Sleep disturbance is one of the complaints that occurs during pregnancy, the complaint is caused by various physiological, hormonal, vascular and metabolic changes. Empirical studies show that up to 25% of pregnant women report significant sleep disturbances in the first trimester, with rates rising to 75% in the first trimester. third trimester. Overcoming sleep disorders during pregnancy can be done in various ways in order to stabilize good sleep quality, such as determining a good and comfortable sleeping position while sleeping, basic relaxation exercises, one of which is pregnancy exercise. This study aims to determine the relationship between pregnancy exercise and sleep duration of pregnant women. Quantitative research design. The subjects in this study were pregnant women in their third trimester at Puskesmas Putri Ayu Jambi City. The subjects of the study were seen the length of sleep for pregnant women before doing pregnancy exercise and the length of sleep for pregnant women after participating in pregnancy exercise classes. The research was conducted at the Putri Ayu Health Center, Jambi City. The collected data will be analyzed univariately. It is hoped that the results of this study can be used as a source of information for pregnant women about physiological changes during pregnancy and can overcome complaints of difficulty sleeping by doing pregnancy exercise. Keywords: exercise for pregnancy, pregnant women,  sleep duration


As we pen this editors' introduction for the final issue of our first year as a collective and in the journal's transition, we are delighted to announce that Raminder Kaur, of the University of Sussex, and Andrew Kipnis of the Chinese University of Hong Kong have agreed to join us on the journal collective. Unfortunately, this also is the final issue onwhichDeborahDurhamwill be amember of the editorial collective. Deborah had been trying to step down for some time, and it was only her abiding loyalty to—and belief in—HAU 's mission that kept her on as we struggled to transition to a more manageable and equitable governance model. We are all profoundly grateful to Debbie for her vital role inmanaging this process: she has been a tireless worker onmanuscripts, a creative and generous intellectual interlocutor for our contributors, and a priceless repository of institutional memory about the journal's recent past. She will be sorely missed, and we wish her well in her endeavors and hope that someday in the future she may return to our ranks. Scott MacLochlainn, in "Brand displaced: Trademarking, unmarking, and making the generic," examines the paradoxes embedded in the production of "prop brands," non-trademarked goods for use in movies and television. Fake brands encompass cartons simply labelled "milk," as well as highly specific "Duff Beer"— which comes with an (imaginary) factory, and its own advertising, to enhance the verisimilitude of "The Simpsons" animated show in which it is displayed. Sometimes these objects mimic the appearance of branded consumer goods in actual circulation beyond the media world, but in other cases they become "originals" of sorts, taking on a life of their own. In a case discussed by MacLochlainn, which vastly expands the discussion of simulacra inaugurated by the work of Baudrillard, a prop brand beer becomes the object of a "brandjacking" lawsuit heard


Metallation of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine, HN[CMe2CH2]2CH2(HL), by H3AlNMe3 in diethyl ether affords a monomeric, Lewis base-stabilised amidoalane Me3NAIH2L, 1[Al–Namido, Namine 1.838(2), 2.058(2)A], whereas treating AIH3 generated in situ with the same amine in diethyl ether yields a remarkably stable secondary amine adduct of alane H3Al(HL), 2(decomp. > 115 °C), also as a monomer in the solid [Al–NHL 2.04(1)A].


Result: One hundred twenty-three (31%) adolescents are eating fast food almost daily. Fifty-four (13.6%) adolescents are eating fruits. One hundred and seven (27%) are either overweight or obese. Females are less active and more obese than males. Two hundred seventy-seven (69.9%) have sedentary life style. Thirty-two (8.1%) had seriously considered attempting suicide. Females are feeling alone and had suicidal thoughts more than males. Males are more involved in physical fights compared to females. Three hundred and five (77%) adolescents are not using seat belts in the car. The most common medical problems were acne, dermatitis and scoliosis, which were found in eighteen (4.5%) of the adolescents. Conclusion: The high prevalence of risky behaviors in adolescents highlights the need for implementing comprehensive screening in primary care setting and to stress the role of psychosocial counseling. Most of the adolescents are physically inactive, have unhealthy dietary habits and sedentary life style, which emphasize the urgent need to stimulate physical activity in schools and homes.


The aim of this study was to assess clinical and seminal characteristics and endocrine changes in rams with scrotal insulation. Twelve Merino rams were randomly distributed into a control group (n=4) and a group with scrotal insulation (n=8), that was done with a cotton bag coated with plastic to increase the temperature to 39.0 °C for 48 h. The


This article considers the changes in the North Atlantic Ocean since the commencement of the RAPID array in 2004, which measures the Meridional Overturning Circulation. Emphasis is placed on the heat and freshwater transports associated with this circulation and its influence on the climate of the UK.


All frames show groups at the summer university congress at Curious Cove, run by the N.Z.U.S.A. in Marlborough Sounds. Erich Geiringer is seen in frames 6 and 12; Jim Kebble is seen in frame 6; and James Ritchie in frames 5, 6 and 12. Unless otherwise stated, all persons are unidentified. Photographs taken by Ans Westra.
Sourse of descriptive information - Notes written by Westra, accompanying the corresponding proof sheet
Quantity: 4 b&w original negative(s) 120 strips containing 12 images.
Physical Description: Cellulose acetate roll film


First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Huildore Bommanna Ranjitha is first author on 'Foot-and-mouth disease virus induces PERK-mediated autophagy to suppress the antiviral interferon response', published in JCS, and is a PhD Scholar in the lab of Dr Suresh H. Basagoudanavar at ICAR-Indian Veterinarian Research Institute, Bengalur, Karnataka, India, performing in vitro and in vivo analysis of the pathogenesis of animal diseases and working on the development of preventive/diagnostic medicine.


Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) film containing methyl cellulose (MC) serves as polymer host and lithium triflate (LiCF<inf>3</inf>SO<inf>3</inf>) as a doping salt are prepared by solution cast technique. The complexation between polymer and salt are confirmed by FTIR spectral analysis. The Li+ observed to form a coordination bond with the oxygen atom of the ether group (C-OC) at wave number 1051 cm−1 to form Li+→OC<inf>2</inf> complexes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectral studies confirm addition of salt increased the amorphousness of the films consequences improve in ionic conductivity. The sample with 30 wt. % of LiCF<inf>3</inf>SO<inf>3</inf> exhibited highest conductivity with the value of 2.1342 × 10−5 Scm−1 at ambient temperature. The conductivity-temperature dependence studies showed that the conductivity of all samples seems to obey Arrhenius behavior and the conducting species are predominated by ions.


In May, 1425, Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara, discovered that his wife, Parisina, and his bastard son, Ugo, were carrying on an incestuous affair. Concerned for his own reputation and that of the land over which he ruled, Niccolò enacted swift retribution: he ordered the young lovers to be arrested and then had them publicly beheaded. In the years following, news of what had transpired in Ferrara spread throughout Italy, and eventually reached other European countries as well, inspiring over time a number of fictitious re-creations of the shocking events. One of these is Lope de Vega's El castigo sin venganza; other appropriations of the historical record include a short story by Matteo Bandello, a narrative poem by Lord Byron, and an opera by Gaetano Donizetti. The basic contours of the story in each of these retellings are roughly similar, but there are significant differences among them in how the principal characters in the four works are portrayed, in how the action is developed, and in the thematic concerns that the works display. Some of these differences reflect the generic competences of each of the texts; others have to do with the interests and values of their creators and of their audiences. In the present study, I examine some of the most important variations that may be noted among the four adaptations of Ferrarese history, placing each insofar as possible in its own context of time and place.


This paper describes a collaborative self-reflexive practice using art-making, personal experience, womanist performance pedagogy (WPP), the Black Arts Movement, and poetry as the starting material for inquiry. Through arts-based inquiry, we reflected on our practice and Black personhood as art therapists, artists, and activists. We investigated the concepts of therapeutic and professional space in three areas: negotiating identity, co-creating our therapeutic practice, and making alternatives. We utilized the seven characteristics of WPP proposed by Khalilah Ali in her dissertation 'For Us Poetry is Not a Luxury': A Case Study of Six Black Women Artist-Educator-Activists as a framework, while drawing from care and healing practices from the Black Arts Movement, and using poetry as material. We merge our experience, theory, and action through this collaborative, self-reflexive, exploratory investigation, to better understand how to cultivate subversion and challenge the power structures and systems that we navigate on a daily basis. Our interest in this topic derived from the two alternative spaces that we created during our time as art therapy students: BIPOC Makespace and Sister Circle. We realized that our starting point does not always have to be in relation to whiteness, critiquing whiteness, or talking about our experiences in relation to oppression that has happened in our education. This paper is giving us the opportunity to choose our own starting point and material to investigate, putting Black knowledge, experience, and praxis at the center.


Max-linear Bayesian networks have emerged as highly applicable models for causal inference via extreme value data. However, conditional independence (CI) for max-linear Bayesian networks behaves differently than for classical Gaussian Bayesian networks. We establish the parallel between the two theories via tropicalization, and establish the surprising result that the Markov equivalence classes for max-linear Bayesian networks coincide with the ones obtained by regular CI. Our paper opens up many problems at the intersection of extreme value statistics, causal inference and tropical geometry.


in the cost of delivery between the two groups. This study used observational data from a self-selected patient group, further work is needed to con fi rm fi ndings.


Abstract The air-lifted catamaran (ALC) is an innovative fast marine transportation concept, comprising the application and variation of a new, skirtless air cushion and air-lubrication, thus rendering it a hybrid between catamaran and surface effect ship (SES). Its features and capabilities are beyond current conventional high-speed monohull and catamaran. The present paper presents pertinent studies on stability concerning this craft, including dynamic stability, stability in turning and directional stability. The stability analysis takes into account air compressibility in the cushion, and is carried out in time domain. Some simulated results are presented and discussed, and requirements for design and operation of the craft based on IMO HSC Code 2000 are briefly outlined.


Aesthetic education is an important part of the ethic education. With the full implementation of ethic education, great attention has been paid to the aesthetic education. In aesthetic education, it shows not only the vitality of the educator, but also shines over the educatees. Both educators and educatees will reach a harmonious level in the exchanges. This is the essential aspect of aesthetic education. Comparing with the ordinary education, aesthetic education has the three following functions: its rich ideological contents, which can raise the level of ideology of educatees ; its moral quality, which can exert a subtle influence on purifying the characters and forming the thinking; its new ideas and enterprising, which can greatly inspire the educatees.


In this work, electrochemically recyclable lithium is analyzed as high energy density, large scale storage material for stranded renewable energy in a closed loop. The strongly exothermic reaction of lithium with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) yields thermal energy directly comparable to the combustion of coal or methane in an oxygen containing atmosphere. The thermal level of the reaction is sufficient for re-electrification in a thermal power plant compatible process. The reaction of single lithium particles, avoiding particle-particle interactions, is compared to the combustion of atomized lithium spray in a CO 2 containing atmosphere. Particle temperatures of up to 4000K were found for the reaction of single lithium particles in a CO 2 , nitrogen (N 2 ), oxygen (O 2 ) and steam gas mixture. Furthermore the combustion of atomized lithium spray in both dry CO 2 atmosphere and CO 2 /steam gas mixture was analyzed. The identified solid reaction products are lithium carbonate, lithium oxide and lithium hydroxide. The formation of carbon monoxide (CO) as gaseous reaction product is demonstrated. Carbon monoxide is a valuable by-product, which could be converted to methanol or gasoline using hydrogen.


We utilize an enhanced gravity model to estimate the effect of lagged immigration waves on Canadian imports and exports by province. Empirically, this model was tested using Canadian data on import and export flows to the top 40 countries of origin for Canadian immigrants based upon the composition of the most recent immigrant wave. The results are consistent with previous studies, where immigrants increased both import and export trade flows. By adding the provincial immigrant wave variable, it was also found that new immigrants affect imports almost immediately, whereas for exports, the immigrant effect is not significant for at least five years and may take as long as 20 years to reach full impact.


Recently, I reread John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, a classic novel that many people first read in high school or college. Steinbeck tells the epic story of the struggles of an Oklahoma family, the [oabs, trying to escape the wrenching grip of poverty in the dust bowl conditions of the early 1930s. The [oabs are poor. In the best of times, their family farm provided for a modest lifestyle. Bad weather meant bad news, requiring the family to seek bank loans to make up for poor harvests. Eventually, the [oab family falls into a financial hole from which they cannot dig out. Steinbeck describes how new technology-in this case, the use of tractors-puts family farms at a competitive disadvantage to the new, large, absentee landowners. The banks and corporations are unforgiving, and the [oabs are evicted from their family farm. Steinbeck eloquently describes the Joabs desperate trip in a rickety old truck to the socalled promised land of California. The Grapes of Wrath is about right and wrong, good and bad, the :'haves" and the "have-nets.' Facing extremely difficult conditions, the family struggles to remain together and to survive. Steinbeck dramatizes the insensitivity of the wealthy to the poor farmers and movingly describes the generosity of the famished Joab family to other families just as poor as they. In the stunning final pages of the novel, the [oab daughter gives birth to a stillborn child, after which the Joab family takes shelter in an abandoned farmhouse where a farmer and his young son, also itinerants, are suffering from starvation. The father, having given his scraps of food to his son so that he might live, is dying. In the midst of Callfor-


For the fourth time an application for up to 450 homes near Cardale Park on Otley Road came before the councils planning committee.  On each of the ...


The increase in axle loads, heavy traffic, severe climate conditions and construction failures has led to the enhancement of bitumen properties. There is a wide range of applications of polymer modified bitumens, PmBs, in road construction. Polymer modification significantly influences the rheological characteristics of the binder; therefore the use of fundamental rheological testing methods is required rather than the empirical methods. This paper presents the polymer modification of road bitumen, BIT, with different contents of semi-crystalline thermoplastic copolymer ethylene- vinyl acetate, EVA, before and after thermo-oxidative ageing. The effects of EVA on the conventional, rheological and thermal properties of the modified bitumens were studied. The rheological characteristics of the EVA PmBs were analyzed by a dynamic shear rheometer, DSR. The primary viscoelastic functions were determined in dependence as a function of the frequency at temperatures in BIT use. The master curves were designed at a reference temperature of 30°C.The results indicated that the thermoplastic copolymer EVA improves the viscoelastic properties of PmBs. EVA PmBs increase stiffness and elasticity at high service temperatures and low loading frequencies. The increased stiffness compared to the conventional bitumen enhances the performance characteristics of the modified bitumen and provides better protection against increased traffic loads and adverse climate conditions. The process of ageing increased the complex modulus and phase angle, and reduced temperature susceptibility. These changes were mainly due to the chemical processes, such as degradation reactions, oxidation as well as secondary processes of cross-linking which take place during the ageing of BIT and EVA PmBs. PmBs modified with EVA significantly reduce the permanent deformation under loads compared to the unmodified bitumen.


A deterministic extractor for an elliptic curve, that converts a uniformly random point on the curve to a random bit-string with a uniform distribution, is an important tool in cryptography. Such extractors can be used for example in key derivation functions, in key exchange protocols and to design cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator. In this paper, we present a simple and efficient deterministic extractor for an elliptic curve E defined over a non prime finite field. Our extractor, for a given random point P on the curve, outputs the k-first coefficients of the abscissa of the point P. This extractor confirms the two conjectures stated by Farashahi and Pellikaan (2007) and Farashahi et al. (2008), related to the extraction of bits from coordinates of a point of an elliptic curve. As applications of our extractor, we show under the decisional Diffie-Hellman problem on an elliptic curve defined over a finite field of characteristic two, that the k-first or the k-last bits of the abscissa of a random point on the curve are indistinguishable from a random bit-string of the same length.


The violent vibrations due to regenerative effects occurring in machining processes, also known as chatter, are a classical problem that limits the productivity in machine tools. These effects motivate a reduction of the practical life of the tool and mechanical components of the machine, and prevent obtaining required surface quality. Therefore, the chatter has been a prevalent topic for academic and industrial research. On the other hand, experimental investigations on the active reduction of chatter may be difficult in a real machining environment, given the exigency of numerous machining tests and the associated problems of repeatability, due to the involvement of a large number of practical parameters. In this paper, a mechatronic Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulator for chatter in turning is presented. Such system reproduces experimentally, on a simple mechanical structure in the laboratory, certain regenerative chatter, described by stability lobes previously obtained from the real turning machine of interest. Then, by adding inertial actuators to the HIL simulator, the performance of different algorithms for the active control of such chatter may be realistically tested.


The global community is confronted with a number of challenges, mapped out below, leading to a bifurcation stage (Hofkirchner & Maier-Rabler, 2004), which offers the opportunity of a rare new window of decision making. The challenges referred to apply concurrently to the following areas of; (a) climate change (b) demographic change (c) the increasing urbanisation of society and (d) 'food security'. Robert Frost wrote the following lines in 1920 which can be seen as an allegory for the bifurcation challenges facing societal development and which demand discerned choice, not only by governments, but also by individuals. ABSTRACT


Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by loss of the FMR1 gene product FMRP, a repressor of mRNA translation. According to the mGluR theory of FXS, excessive protein synthesis downstream of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) activation causes the synaptic pathophysiology that underlies multiple aspects of fragile X syndrome (FXS). Here, we utilize an in vitro assay of protein synthesis in the hippocampus of male Fmr1 KO mice to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in this core biochemical phenotype under conditions where aberrant synaptic physiology has been observed. We find that elevated basal protein synthesis in Fmr1 KO mice is selectively reduced to wild type (WT) levels by acute inhibition of mGluR5 or ERK1/2, but not by inhibition of mTOR. The mGluR5-ERK1/2 pathway is not constitutively overactive in the Fmr1 KO, however, suggesting that mRNA translation is hypersensitive to basal ERK1/2 activation in the absence of FMRP. We find that hypersensitivity to ERK1/2 pathway activation also contributes to audiogenic seizure susceptibility in the Fmr1 KO. These results suggest that the ERK1/2 pathway, and other neurotransmitter systems that stimulate protein synthesis via ERK1/2, represent additional therapeutic targets for FXS.


The new aldobiuronic acid, 3-O-α-D-glucopyranuronosyl-L-rhamnopyranose, was isolated from the acid hydrolyzate of an acidic polysaccharide in cells of Chlorella vulgaris K-22. Its structure was elucidated by NMR spectroscopic analyses.


ATOPIC DERMATITIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD DISEASE IN THE PRACTICES OF THE PEDIATRICIAN. QUITE OFTEN, THE DEVElJOPMENT OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS AMONG CHILDREN IS ACCOMPANIED BY DYSBACTERIOSIS OF THE INTESTINES, WHOSE CORRECTION ASSISTED BY THE PROBIOTICS IS NOT ALWAYS EFFICIENT. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT RESEARCH WAS TO STUDY THE «PRIMADOPHILUS FOR CHILDREN» DIETARY SUPPLEMENT EFFICACY AND SAFETY TO RESTORE MICROBIOCENOSIS OF THE INTESTINES AMONG CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC DERMATITIS. 102 PATIENTS AGED BETWEEN 6 MONTHS AND 6 YEARS TOOK A PART IN THE OPEN RESEARCH. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MOST CHILDREN, WHO RECEIVED THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT ALONG WITH THE BASIC THERAPY, SHOWED RESTORATION OF THE NORMAL INTESTINAL MICROFLORA. THE POSITIVE DYNAMICS OF THE SKIN PROCESS EVALUATED ACCORDING TO SCORAD SCALE WAS MARKED AMONG 76% OF CHILDREN FROM THE MAIN GROUP AND AMONG 68% OF CHILDREN FROM THE SCREENING GROUP. THE MOST DRASTIC REDUCTION OF THE SCORAD INDEX (BY 16-20 POINTS) WAS NOTED AMONG 52% OF CHILDREN FROM THE MAIN GROUP AND ONLY AMONG 30% OF CHILDREN FROM THE SCREENING GROUP (P


Many organizations have serious challenges in maintaining complex legacy software systems to continue being competitive in today's fast-changing business. The challenges include a lack of documentation, absence of original developers, and embedded business knowledge in the source code. The challenges to maintain legacy industrial software and the benefits of developing new software implementation are investigated. In addition, a combination of model learning, model transformations, and equivalence checking is applied to refactor complex legacy software and to improve future maintainability. This combination of approaches can produce a new software implementation that has the same behavior as its legacy version and reduces its complexity.


This article is based on a talk given in Edinburgh Central Library on 30 October 2015 to mark the bicentenary of the First Edinburgh Musical Festival. The author examines contemporary accounts of the Festival and discusses the music performed, the artists who performed it and the social and economic aspects of the Festival, placing it in the context of the increasing popularity of provincial music festivals which spread across Great Britain in the wake of the Handel festivals of the late eighteenth century. Karen E. McAulay is Music & Academic Services Librarian at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. 14 John Leonard Cranmer, Concert Life and the Music Trade in Edinburgh c. 1780-c.1830, doctoral thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1991, and online: ; and Fiona Palmer, Domenico Dragonetti in England (1795-1846): the Career of a Double Bass Virtuoso. Oxford: Clarendon Press,


In reviewing the progress made in acoustic measurements in wind tunnels over the 5-yr span of the workshops, it is evident that a great deal of progress has occurred. Specialized facilities are now on line, special measurement techniques were developed, and corrections were devised and proven. This capability is in the process of creating a new and more correct data bank on acoustic phenomena, and represents a major step forward in acoustics technology. Additional work is still required, but now, rather than concentrating on facilities and techniques, researchers may more profitably concentrate on noise-source modeling, with the simulation of propulsor noise source (in flight) and of propulsor/airframe airflow characteristics. Promising developments in directional acoustic receivers and other discrimination/correlation techniques should now be regularly exploited, in part for model noise-source diagnosis, but also to expedite extraction of the lone source signal from any residual background noise and reverberation in the working chamber and from parasitic noise due to essential rigs or instrumentation inside the airstream.


I think the above cases are quite sufficient to convince all parties of the truth of my previous observations, and that they were not hypothetical. I am therefore inclined, and justified in coming to the conclusion, that persons who reside in these marshy districts, should not totally abstain from stimulants, for by so doing they render themselves more liable to an attack of fever, and greatly endanger their lives. I must confess that I am surprised that men of deserved eminence in our profession should step forward and totally condemn stimulants; why they do it, I know not, nor, I believe, do tbey; stimulants have been recommended in moderation from time immemorial. I would ask the question, what would the physician do without a stimulant? To wish totally to suppress the use of it because a few have suffered, is, I imagine, bad policy. Rather let each of us strive to impress upon the minds of all the beneficial effects of its mnoderate use, and its ruinous effects when taken in excess. Let us hear what a learned writer in the Medical Times says:-" If persons in such climates (i.e. hot climates) drink wine, spirits, or malt liquors, there is an excess of function in the whole nervous system incompatible witli health. and the person soon wears out. But if, on the contrary, the air be damp and stagnant, and the soil level, the respiratory function is worse performed; there, the air doing less, the food is required to do more, and the stomach and digestive organs not being able to digest the food in sufficient quantity to supply the nerves, the latter are empty and craving, though the former is full. Here we have the strange phenomenon of a person eating heartily, perhaps too heartily, and still craving more; such a person complains of a "sinking" of the stomach, and is always relieved by good wine and brandy; prorided that the digestive organs, and the liver in particular, are not previously injured by their use, this will be desired by all those who jare influenced by ' total abstinence' doctrines, because, until very recently, we have been in the habit of viewing all food for one use only-namely, nutrition, overlooking in our philosophy the other great function in the animal machine-namely, the generation of the galvanoid force, which is to the body what steam is to the ship, or what gravity is to the earth as a planet." Now, there is some good sound reasoning in the above remarks. I hold the man that cannot reason to be a fool; he that will not is a bigot; and he that dare not is a slave. I am most desirous that my observations should not be misunderstood, or that any wrong interpretation should be given. For a long time I have paid particular attention to malarious diseass. I ascertained that malaria had a peculiar effect upon the population, and that it was more destructive amongst a class of people called teetotallers. I published the result of my observations, but not with the view of annoying, or with any vindictive feeling towards, the teetotalers, but with the idea that, if my statement wa coafmed by the experience of others, it would put prties in possesion of a fact, that would make them hesitate before they adopted or recommended any dietetic rules, which would be prejudicial to healtb. No one can doubt for a moment the good effects, morally speaking, of teetotalism.; but ifV) En7ffinU7taitt dioes' in any-*ay esert-a-anefud effect in certain' localities, founded''upon pathologieal facts, we should not'hesitate to' speak out, eveu if it retard for a time its progress in the higher and healthier districts of England. Spalding, July 30th, 1844.


The Musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) is skeletal muscle disorders that lead to damage in nerves, muscles, joints and cartilages. The damage is caused by muscle tension and degeneration. From the preliminary research in virgin coconut oil (VCO) processing industry, Central Java, Indonesia, there are potential risk of MSDs for workers. The majority of operators complaining on the right thigh (score 37) and left thigh (score 35). In addition, 50% of operators is work with moderate risk (rapid entire body assessment scores 4-7) and 50% others at a high risk level (rapid entire body assessment scores 8-10). Therefore, improvement is needed to prevent MSDs through work facility design using an integrated quality function deployment (QFD) method. In QFD, there is a concept screening phase to select some product design concept. To determine the priority, the QFD method can be integrated with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The research shows that attributes of work facility needed by user are ergonomic, portable, durable and aesthetic. Concept design B have the highest priority score 0,32 and selected as the final work facility design. The technical specification are made from mahogany wood with an attractive design, red colour combination and developed based on user's anthropometry data.


This paper will investigate the effect of the Knockout of FGL1 by CRISPR on the EGFR signaling analyzed phosphorERK western blot and how it may control the gefitinib sensitivity of PC9/GR cells measured by the MTT Assay. Thisexperiment will knock out FGL1 using CRISPR. The Knockout will then be verified through Phospho-ERK westernblot. Moreover, the sensitivity of the gefitinib will be measured by the MTT Assay. The possible results generated fromthe reports' experiments may provide insight into future clinical trials of FGL1 Knockout consequences on gefitinibsensitivity. Gefitinib is a potential drug for lung cancer. Therefore, investigating this drug may help scientists betterunderstand how the FGL1 may increase the sensitivity of Gefitinib cells and potentially discover a breakthrough to curecancer.


Based on the work of Parent (2008) on mega sports events, this paper explores the relationships among events stakeholders in Olympic Games host/bid city marketing. It outlines research questions, identifies a theoretical framework to better understand Olympic city marketing, presents four essays related to issues within this framework, and provides conclusions and suggestions for future research.


We report on advances in ac voltage metrology made possible by a new generation of Multijunction Thermal Converters (MJTCs). Although intended for use primarily in high-frequency (1 MHz to 100 MHz) metrology, their exceptional low-frequency qualities, combined with a large dynamic range, makes these MJTCs excellent devices for the frequency range 10 Hz to 100 MHz at voltages from 1 V to 20 V, depending on the design. We anticipate that these devices will form the future basis for ac voltage metrology at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).


The process of surrounding rock crushing and water rushing under excavating or mining contains four phase, Darcy laminar flow in the aquifer, High velocity(relativity) Non-Darcy flow in transitional zone and fracture zone, and the Navier-Stokes turbulence in drift. In this paper, a model was suggested to simulate the process of fluid flows surround the fractured rock mass, in which Darcy flow and non-Darcy flow in Rock mass have been considered together. In this model, the aquifer, transitional zone, fracture zone and drift was connected together by coupling the Darcy Equation, Brinkman Equation, Forchheimer Equation and Navier-Stokes Equation. Some examples were performed, and the results show the reliability of this model.


The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a heterostructure comprising at least a first layer (102) of semiconductor material on a second layer (101) of a different material than the first layer. To prevent components of the semiconductor material to diffuse into the first layer (102) and adjacent layers in incomplete mode, the method of the invention comprises an enrichment step (S2) in interstitial defects (105a) of the first layer (102) so as to limit the spread in incomplete mode the first layer of elements.


Resin impregnation was used to densify carbon fiber preforms after they had been densified by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The characteristics of mechanical properties for selffabricated composites was compared with products obtained from the British Dunlop company and the American Bendix company. The results show that the compressive strength and the flexure strength of the composites are far above those of the foreign products, the interlaminar shear strength is also higher. The flexure strength and the interlaminar shear strength of the composites increase with increasing CVD carbon in the composites when the CVD density of the composites is not more than 1.45?g/cm3 and the flexure modulus exhibits a maximum at a CVD density of the composite of 1.06?g/cm3. At the same time the fracture surface of the composites was studied using SEM. The results show that the fracture of the composites impregnated by resin only is brittle, while the fracture of the other composites is pseudoductile type with increased ultimate strength, which indicates that the resin is not appropriate for impregnating the performs in the initial process due to the strong bonding between resin carbon and the carbon fiber.


This paper focuses on the new expression dynamics the unconscious accesses through the instant messaging app called Snapchat. In Anti-Oedipus , Deleuze and Guattari point out how the individual can no longer be defined through psychoanalysis, as Freud did with the Oedipus complex. From the understanding of its opposite attitude – the anti-Oedipus – the unconscious is a new type of machine acting inside a society made by screens. Having been released from the standard time-line history concept, the unconscious is now free to extend itself with different forms of social interactions.


Sample entropy can be used to investigate the complexity of precipitation series. However, the randomness of similar tolerance selection may lead to inaccurate results. To solve this problem, the distinction degree theory was introduced to optimize the similar tolerance of sample entropy, and a specific reference frame for the optimization process was provided. The optimized sample entropy was used to study the spatial differences in precipitation complexity and the possible causes from the perspective of the monthly precipitation (MP) and extreme daily precipitation (EDP) in Heilongjiang Province, China. The results demonstrated that the MP and EDP in Heilongjiang Province both had unsteady complex fluctuation characteristics and the optimal similar tolerances of the sample entropy were 0.24 and 0.13 times the standard deviation, respectively. The complexity of the EDP was higher than that of the MP, and their fluctuation ranges were 1.641–2.268 and 0.433–0.870, respectively. The complexity of the MP in the study area could be spatially represented as a basic pattern, which gradually decreased from east to west. The spatial distribution pattern of the EDP complexity indicated that the northern part was higher than the southern part. Altitude was the common influencing factor of the MP and EDP complexities, and it had a greater impact on the spatial pattern of the EDP complexity. Potential factors influencing the spatial difference in MP complexity also included changes in precipitation intensity, water area and residential and industrial land areas. Except for altitude, industrial economic development level may also affect the complexity of the EDP. The results may improve the application of sample entropy in climate system complexity measurements and could provide guiding significance for revealing the spatial variation of precipitation complexity.


The empirical base of the article is the materials of the survey conducted in 2012 in Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU), which is one of the largest universities in Perm. The study was conducted by the method of a questionnaire survey. The objects of the research were the second-year and fourth-year students of PNRPU and also master degree students. The size of a sample is 799 people. We investigated the personality awareness of information society, in particular the opinion of respondents about higher education and its role in the transformation of society. The position of students, which implies underdevelopment of the information society, is illustrated. The key differences between information society model and the modern stage are selected.


This paper introduces an experimental programme to determine the load bearing capacity of reinforced concrete columns using fly ash (FA) to partially replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a binder when subjected to uniaxial bending. Material tests were conducted on concrete having mean cylinder strength of 30 MPa to determine the most favorable by weight replacement percentage of 20% for FA/OPC. This so-called 20% fly ash concrete (FAC) was used for three pairs of column specimens having 150×200 (mm) rectangular crosssections, 1600 mm-height, and 4Φ14 longitudinal rebars with yield strength of 362.6 MPa. In the tests, the specimens were uni-axially loaded with various static eccentricities of 0, 40 and 80 mm until failure. The experimental measurements on deformation and load bearing capacity of the test specimens were compared to the calculation results based on design standard TCVN 5574:2018. It is shown that TCVN 5574:2018 is capable of providing good agreement with the test results in moment magnification factor with tolerance of ±5.2%. However, unconservative prediction for load bearing capacity with tolerance of +11.9% is observed when non-linear models for OPC concrete specified in TCVN 5574:2018 are applied. Hence, improvement of bi-linear and tri-linear models for FAC is suggested in the latter part of the paper.


A process for completely or partially filling voids with a coherent solid low density, by adding to said hollow of a thermally expandable, foamable and curable free-flowing powder, and causing the powder to expand, sinter and cure by heating, characterized in that said free-flowing powder, thermally expandable, foamable and curable composition is an epoxy resin.


TThe key technology in developing postprocessor of 5-axis numerical control milling machine based on PostBuilder of UGNX software was described in detail,including PostBuilder post-processing development mode,5-axis machine tool kinematics principle configuration and application of tool command language.The development of post-processing for FIDIA KR214 6-axis high speed milling machining center was taken as an application example.


Collaborative Systems can be constructed through Software Product Line (SPL) with the support of the Model-Driven Development (MDD) approach. However, models generated as SPL artifacts usually present only feature classification. Such models neither express the purpose of each SPL artifact of the systems composition nor the way they were associated with the collaboration elements. Therefore, to support the analysis and design of collaborative systems it is relevant to classify artifacts with the support of a collaborative model. This paper describes a way a collaboration model can be used to construct a UML profile. This profile is applied to MDD models that represent collaboration artifacts, enhancing the classification, location and reuse of artifacts in order to support the development of Collaborative Systems.


The Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial was designed to evaluate the commonly used active treatments for convergence insufficiency (CI). Researchers have concluded that the most effective form of treatment for CI in children is office-based vision therapy with a trained therapist combined with home reinforcement.


Saltmarsh tidal channels have often been recognized as being stable landscape features, despite highly sinous planforms, severely undercut banks, and high rates of bank erosion. In an effort to solve this paradox, a saltmarsh tidal channel in the San Francisco Bay was monitored from March 1995 to March 1996. The short-term rate of bank erosion was measured using erosion pins and found to be 57 ± 10 mm yr−1 on the outside banks of meander bends. In addition, a long-term maximum lateral migration rate of 23 ± 23 mm yr−1 was estimated from aerial photos, producing a dimensionless channel migration rate (defined as the rate of migration divided by channel with), of 0.5% yr−1. The difference in the rates of lateral migration and bank erosion is attributed to the persistence of failed bank material (slump blocks) in the channel. The slump blocks induce sedimentation, protect the banks, and prevent further bank erosion. A published stability analysis method for undercut banks is applied to determine a maximum overhanging width. Using the measured compressive and tensile strengths of rooted bank material, 16.55 ± 1.16 kPa and 2.93 ± 0.71 kPa, respectively, the maximum width of an undercut bank is calculated to be 0.69 m. The average width of slump blocks measured in the field is 0.67 ± 0.25 m. A simple numerical model predicting the rate of lateral migration is derived using the results from the stability analysis and data from sedimentation and erosion pins inserted throughout the channel. This model accurately predicts a rate of 23 ± 3 mm yr−1.


followed by sucralfate and ebrotidine showed the most potency in of reversing the effect of H. pylori lipopolysaccharide. Thus these antiulcer agents have a great promise in the treatment gastric diseases associated with H. pylori infection.


The functionality of prosthetic arms would be enhanced by incorporating cognitive feedback about tactile events, grasp force and hand position. This goal may best be met by interfacing directly with the peripheral nerves in the prosthesis user's residual limb. We are presently exploring a variety of interface designs based on arrays of fine wires. The efficacy of nerve fiber activation and the biocompatibility of the arrays are being studied by chronic implantation into the transected tibial nerve in the rabbit. A behavioral eye blink conditioning paradigm was implemented to assess the implant functionality over time. Our ultimate goal is to achieve stable activation of single tactile afferents. Results show that stable nerve activation with thresholds on the order of 2 nC/stimulus phase (100 /spl mu/s stimulus), can be achieved for a long period (at least 15 months has been verified in one animal that is still being observed). Using the eye blink test paradigm, it is not possible to verify if the behavioral threshold represents single fiber activation. However, in view of the low stimulus threshold, it is likely that only a few fibers are being activated.


This banded dissertation consists of three distinct but related scholarly works, and examines the role of trauma-informed educational practices in social work education. The ecological perspective and the trauma-informed perspective serve as conceptual frameworks throughout. Each scholarly work is represented, and overarching implications for social work education and research are discussed. The first portion of this banded dissertation is a conceptual analysis that examines the need for a trauma-informed perspective in social work education, possible reasons for this curricular gap in undergraduate social work education, and highlights models of curriculum change used in graduate level social work programs to incorporate trauma content. This analysis then presents a rationale for extending the CSWE guidelines offered for advanced generalist social work education to undergraduate social work education. The second portion of this banded dissertation describes a qualitative study that explores the experiences of faculty with teaching about trauma in undergraduate social programs. Using a semi-structured interview format, this study captured the perceptions and experiences of 14 faculty from social work programs in three states in the Upper Midwest. Participants were asked about their conceptualization of trauma, their observations of the trauma-informed care model, and their experiences with teaching this content at the undergraduate level. The third portion of this banded dissertation provides an overview of an interactive presentation given on November 20, 2016 at the 36 Annual Original Lilly Conference on College Teaching. The presentation described here proposes that the trauma-informed perspective can serve as a useful conceptual framework for the university classroom, as a tool for supporting pre-professional students, and as a means for introducing an important model for working with clients. EXPLORING TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES ii This banded dissertation brings awareness to the need for greater integration of the trauma-informed perspective in undergraduate social work education in particular, and recommends applications of trauma-informed educational practices for higher education. Future research opportunities include further investigation into the current use of these practices in social work programs and avenues for contributing to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning movement. EXPLORING TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES iii Acknowledgements This endeavor would not have been possible without the support, encouragement, and love of a cadre of folks who got me to the finish line. My family, my friends, my doctoral mateys, and my colleagues at Winona State University provided unconditional positive regard, patience, and wisdom. My greatest gratitude, however, goes to my children, Zoe and Charlie. You did not ask for this, but you also participated in this doctoral program. I could not have done it without your unfailing belief in me, and your uncanny abilities to say "come on, Doc, you've got this" at just the right time. I love you, I am so proud of you, and I hope I have shown you that you can achieve your goals, by putting your head down and going for it. EXPLORING TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES iv


Depression is an important problem among diabetic patients. We have investigated the effect of some antidepressant drugs on plasma glucose and insulin levels in normoglycaemic and alloxan‐induced diabetic mice. For this purpose the effects of nortryptiline (as an example of a tricyclic antidepressant) and fluoxetine and sertraline (as examples of selective 5‐HT re‐uptake inhibitors) were examined on plasma glucose and insulin levels.


The study applied non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate the efficiency of insurance companies in Pakistan over the period 2003 to 2007. Value added approach is followed to determine the output variables and selected gross premiums and investment incomes as outputs whereas, labor, business services, equity capital and debt capital were used as input variables. Technical efficiency, allocative efficiency and cost efficiency of the insurance companies were estimated to determine the real contributors of efficiency in the insurance industry of Pakistan. It was found that the insurance companies were on average 92.7 percent technical efficient, 81.12 percent allocative efficient and 75.44 percent cost efficient. Moreover, the study has also found that allocative and cost efficiencies are improved from 2003 to 2005 but significantly decreased in 2006 whereas; technical efficiency is increased over the study period.