Summary A new technology for electropainting fabrications such as car bodies, by reversing the conventional polarity, was introduced into the U.K. market in 1979. It was claimed that the new method greatly increased the resistance to corrosive attack in service of such items, but the implementation of the acid paint system used was recognised as a potential source of failure for customary and proven electropaint tank linings used with the original basic protection primer. It was essential that a newly formulated resin tank lining was provided to meet the needs of major consumers of the new cathodic painting process and this dissertation outlines the method chosen and the constraints and risks which applied. A series of trial formulations were prepared incorporating the theory and practice of polymer technology for a new and novel development which would meet the challenge of a brand new technology. The high financial risk involved in possible failure together with the limited time available for assessment was weighted against the potential of a new market, and both commercial and technical requirements were satisfied by extending the theory of surface coating science into practice, through laboratory evaluation.


To optimize the accuracy and precision of T2 measurements using the standard Carr‐Purcell‐Meiboom‐Gill (CPMG) sequence. T2 values obtained with this technique are normally sensitive to imperfect refocusing due to the formation of unwanted stimulated echoes.


The existing life skill education program is not effective to reduce community poverty as the program just focus on producing more community hardskills than community softskills. This research aimed to create a model of entrepreneurship based 4-H lifeskills to decrease rural poverty. This research was conducted as from May through November 2013, in three regions of Gunung Kidul, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The data were collected by interview, documentation, observation and questionaire then analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Research result shows: (1) most of the target research group members have dificulties in implementing several skills they obtained in the previous training; (2) the 4-H lifeskills model designed on the basis of empirical community condition is able to optimalize the use of the target group member resources; and (3) the model testing shows all of the three target groups have increasing mean of 4-H lifeskills perception. It means the model 4-H developed by researcher are effective.


What do we really know about A.F.? Given this definition, the HE community has a relatively poor body of research and theoretical insights concerning:  Varieties and constraints by country, eras, combinations of A.F. components  Actual beneficial outcomes; possible undesired outcomes ("formulae of A.F.")  Role of A.F. in the big shift and watersheds in history (geopolitics and political sciences perspective)  Any empirical way to trace A.F. worldwide Academic Freedom (A.F.) is the result of a void or interstice of power caused by a balance of powers (e.g. Emperor of the Roman Holy Empire vs. Pope of the Roman Church). The Western tradition is apparently more fertile as a context in comparison to Byzantine or Eastern one (aka "Second Rome — Ρωμαίοi")


Background status: In order to forecast with sufficient precision the geometrical profile of a cut obtained via a moving surgical CO2 laser beam emitting in Continuous Wave (CW), it is recommendable to produce a single crater with the same desired safety depth and acceptable superficial damage first. This precaution allows to reduce the risks of starting an uncontrolled cutting process with unfavorable consequences: a single crater allows to test the selected laser set-up (output power, focal length and beam profile) under minimal damaging conditions in a volume with the same structural and thermodynamic characteristics of the cut and where no significant irreversible and permanent large damages can occur. Goals and objectives: the next logical step is then to select a proper scanning speed of the same laser focal head and modified set-up over the surgical area to treat, which then would allow to produce a cut with the identical safe profile obtained with the single accepted test crater. In more mathematical terms, the incognita to determine is the correct power density distributed over the complete desired cut length which produces the identical geometrical profile of the original test crater. As consequence, the correct "cut – speed" equation must guarantee the production of the original test crater profile all the way from the start to the end of the desired arbitrary incision. Materials and methods: this Paper presents two separate analytical models and proposes some preliminary experimental results to be considered for both crater pre-testing and cut generation phases obtained via CW CO2 laser beams during forecasting and pre-simulations of challenging interventions in Operating Room. Conclusion: the experimental evidence of the presence of an acceleration phase during the early crater production process in both biological and non-biological is presented and discussed as well. The Author has already reported 16 several cases in which the clear presence of potential dangerous situations can raise safety alerts and recommend in-depth investigations. A less invasive single crater on the mass to be treated simulates acceptable limiting geometrical boundaries and it can therefore be used as safety reference margin for more complex and challenging longer incisions near vital organs. These ones must be protected during any surgical procedures when CO2 lasers are in use. Material and Methods A commercial TEM00CO2 laser has been coupled to regular focusing heads to be used for Continuous Wave (CW) laser beam delivery trials on in-vitro biological and non-biological samples. The TEM00 mode stands for "Gaussian Transversal Electromagnetic Mode" of the beam. Several experiments have been conducted (Tables 1 and 2) using particular combinations of laser optical parameters in output, depending on each case-by-case need. The total exposure time was kept to 10 sec. for the entire set of experiments. Several samples of the same tissue type have been irradiated under the same laser output conditions and all with the laser beam perpendicular to the surface and at the laser spot. All the irradiated samples have been considered for the final calculations and the resulting damage measurements. Research Article *Corresponding author: Franco Canestri, Research Fellow, University of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel and National Cancer Institute, Milan – Italy Received: April 27 2017; Accepted: May 12 2017; Published: May 19 2017


It has been increasingly common for the government to adopt non-market approaches to manage or interfere with the market during a stock market crisis. Taking Chinese government's bailout of the market during the COVID-19 epidemic as the research object, this paper examines the impact of Chinese government's direct bailout intervention on investors' crisis psychology. The findings are as follows: (1) The government "buy-in" bailout effectively smooths investors' crisis sentiment; (2) There is a downside of the government "buy-in" bailout, which compromises the market pricing effect and aggravates the herding effect; (3) For stocks not bought by the government, the government's "verbal" intervention can relieve investors' crisis sentiment in the short term; (4) Stocks with different characteristics are affected by the government's "verbal" intervention to different degrees, with financial stocks and problematic stocks more susceptible to it.


Abstract : ENERGY SECURITY: What's it all about? CHURCHILL'S LAW: Safety and certainty in oil lie in variety and variety alone. THATCHER'S LAW: The unexpected happens. You had better prepare for it. PALMERSTON'S LAW: We have no eternal allies and no perpetual enemies. Our interests are perpetual and eternal. VULNERABILITY: Rise in import quantity and balance of payments/currency issues; Disruptions/market failures; Political turmoil; Prince spikes/market pressures; Homeland infrastructure. TRADITIONAL RESPONSES TO ENERGY SECURITY: Demand restraint; Supply diversity; Surge production; Strategic stocks; International co-operation/IEA; Flexible markets.


AN EXTENSIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON THE RIGHT OF WAY DIVISION IN WASHINGTON STATE. AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF ALL TASKS PERFORMED BY RIGHT OF WAY PERSONNEL AT THE DISTRICT'S LEVEL. ANOTHER PHASE OF THE STUDY WAS DEVOTED TO REFINING THE BLOCKS OF TIME REQUIRED TO PERFORM EACH OF THE TASKS FOR WHICH RIGHT OF WAY IS RESPONSIBLE. ALL OF THE INFORMATION OBTAINED WAS CORRELATED AND A FORMAT ESTABLISHED TO PORTRAY THE FINDINGS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY COULD BE UTILIZED TO FULL ADVANTAGE BY ALL LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT. THIS PERMITS ADJUSTMENTS IN PROJECT SCHEDULING DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THE UTMOST IN EFFICIENCY IN MANPOWER UTILIZATION. THE DESIGNS FOR THE PROJECT ANALYSIS REPORT ARE PRESENTED. ONE IS AN ORIGINAL ESTIMATE AND THE OTHER A REVISED ESTIMATE FORM. THE TIME ALLOCATIONS FOR EACH ACTIVITY APPEARING ON THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE DIFFER FROM THOSE SHOWN ON THE REVISED ESTIMATE ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY REPRESENT AVERAGES BY GROUP INSTEAD OF BY THE INDIVIDUAL ALLOCATIONS WHICH ARE POSSIBLE WHEN THE LOCATION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND A CORRIDOR DEFINED. THE TRUE COST ESTIMATE FORM SETS FORTH THE JUST COMPENSATION ESTIMATED FOR EACH PARCEL AND PROVIDES THE ACCURATE BASIS POSSIBLE FOR REQUESTING THE FUNDS NEEDED FOR APPRAISING, REVIEWING AND ACQUISITION, INCLUDING ANTICIPATED CONDEMNATION COSTS BASED ON EXPERIENCE FACTORS, TOGETHER WITH REALISTIC MOVING COST ESTIMATES AND AN ESTIMATE OF THE AMOUNT REQUIRED TO PAY THE COST OF OWNERS EVALUATION ALLOWANCES. IT ALSO PROVIDES THE INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR ASSIGNING STAFF APPRAISERS AND/OR CONTRACTING THE SERVICES OF FEE APPRAISERS. IT DEVELOPS COMPARABLE SALES RELATED INFORMATION OF INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO REVIEW APPRAISERS AND, THE ESTIMATES OF JUST COMPENSATION. EXPERIENCE FACTORS WERE USED IN DEVELOPING THE MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF ESTIMATES FURNISHED BY RIGHT OF WAY PERSONNEL. THE STATE IS CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW SYSTEM WILL MEASURE MANPOWER NEEDS WITH MUCH GREATER ACCURACY.


In the work some approaches to education as a kind of activity and a process are considered. The main subjects of education, its target orientations and factors are singled out. An educational process is treated as a wide, multi-sided interaction of a person with the environment. The author distinguished a target of education, which is cultural development of the society as a detector for its self-consciousness.


In terms of matrix Hadamard product a new control model is proposed for regulating connection coefficients of the state variables of the systems.It combines the traditional feedback compensation and the direct regulations for the connections of system states.A new control law to stabilize the systems is obtained via bilinear matrix inequalities involving Hadamard product.This new control model is of significant application in many fields,especially in the emergency control such as isolation and obstruction control.


Let G =(V,E) be a simple connected graph with vertex set V and edge set E.The Wiener index W(G) of G is the sum of distances between all pairs of vertices in G,i.e.,{,}() G(,) u υ GW G d u υ ?= ∑ Where d G(u,υ)is the distance between vertices u and v in G.In this paper,we study the Wiener indices of unicyclic graphs.Using a formulation for calculating the Wiener index of an unicyclic graph according its struction,we characterize the graphs the second largest Wiener indices among all the unicyclic graphs of order n.


ISO 9000 is a series of international standards for quality management systems. It establishes the organizational structure and processes for assuring that the production of goods or services meet a consistent and agreed-upon level of quality for a company's customers. Whether or not a company decides to seek ISO 9000 certification, implementing such discipline can achieve greater quality and efficiency. This article describes the principles of the ISO 9000 series of standards, which are interpreted by ISO 9000-3 to software development and maintenance. It covers the following topics: an overview of ISO 9000 series standards; the registration process; the twenty clauses of ISO 9001; and implementation of ISO 9000 for software development and maintenance. >


In this plenary contribution, we review our recent progress on the use of computational biophotonics techniques for microscopy, tomography, sensing and diagnostics applications, with a specific emphasis on telemedicine and global health. The use of computational imaging and sensing techniques simplifies the design and the architecture of various microscopy and diagnostics tools while also providing new opportunities to collect and harness the power of large scale biomedical data due to the global connectivity of these emerging computational micro-analysis devices integrated on e.g., cellphones.


The Hungarian Competition Office ("HCO") initiated an investigation following the application of Hungarian Oil & Gas Company Plc ("MOL") in which MOL requested the approval for MOL's acquisition…


Recurrent neural network with feedback and self-connection seems suited for temporal dynamics which expresses the input-output relation depending on time. Two learning procedures of the recurrent networks for computing gradients of the error function have been proposed in the literatures. One is to use sensitivity equations, the other is to use adjoined equations. We propose a recurrent radial basis function (RBF) network and describe a procedure for finding the error gradients. We take advantage of the excellent function approximation capability of the RBF network.


The demand for Pterocarpus erinaceus, popularly known as African rosewood has grown significantly in recent years, particularly in Asia. This has led to high levels of illegal logging resulting in serious forest degradation across Taraba State. Although logging of forest trees have been going on in the state throughout the postcolonial era, the increasing spate of logging witnessed in recent times in the state is unprecedented. This high exploitation of P. erinaceus is like a rush gold in which the activity is highly organized in a coordinated network that has defied all existing forestry regulations in the state. This study examines the environmental impacts of the increased logging of rosewood trees in Taraba State Nigeria. Survey and participants' observation and structured questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. The findings of the study reveals that about 2,250 stands of P. erinaceus trees are felled weekly and 132,600 stands felled annually in one single location (Mayo Kam). Large forest areas have been opened up by the indiscriminate exploitation of logs, especially areas on the hilltops and along the major rivers where these trees are found. The findings of the study show that the logging activities have subsided drastically in most of the early sites of production as a result of depletion of the specie and the activities have shifted to other sites within the state especially Gashaka LGA where the largest National Park in west Africa, Gashaka-Gumti National Park is located. It is feared that the commercial exhaustion of P. erinaceus trees at the local level, can lead to focus on other endemic rosewood species, such as Diospyros crassiflora or Dalbergia melanoxylon, triggering new vicious cycles of intensive exploitation of the resource and expansion of illegal practices in the State. Field observation shows that logging activities have reduced in most of the early sites of the production. This reduction could be attributed to the depletion of the specie in the area. As the species are depleted, activities shift to other sites within the State. This has resulted in loss of biodiversity, animal fodder and important timber resources in the State. The paper recommends for total ban of rosewood exploitation and strict enforcement of the forestry regulation in the state.


German vocational education of "dual" system has continuously trained a large number of technology-based and application-based talents for Germany. Although China has contacted with the dual-track educational thought for a long time and has all along advocated carrying such thought out, but after many years of exploration, it has not yet formed a complete new-type vocational educational system due to various reasons. However, through the advanced educational system of "dual system", we can reflect on the current situation and shortcomings of current educational activities. Foreign language education is an educational behavior based on theory and with practice as its ultimate goal. Therefore, the education of dual system that focuses on the combination of theory and practice has great enlightening role on foreign language


Technological Knowledge is directly related to productivity, enhanced performance and service quality. Technology integration in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum is expected due to high application of technical knowledge and technology applications. TPACK is a professional knowledge framework that gives flexibility and provides dynamic strategies to TVET instructors to enhance and therefore improve the teaching and learning process. This study analyzed the impact of Field Specialization variation on the level of knowledge gained. It is found that regardless of the large variation and multiple perspectives of specialization existing among TVET instructors, specialization is not a factor that influenced the level of knowledge gained. Therefore, this study contributes to the understanding that there are other factors that may influence the knowledge gained among Malaysian TVET instructors.


A numerical prediction model suitable for computation using large-scale digital computers to forecast amounb of middle cloudiness, areas of precipitation, and precipitation amounts is lwesented. The model described u s e products derived from an o1,erational Joint Sumerical Prediction Unit forecast model. Background information, certain mathematical equations, and input-output format are 1,resented. Figures showing a sample series of prognostic charts


Image super-resolution is a very useful tool in science and art. In this paper, we propose a novel method for single image super-resolution that combines image vectorization and texture synthesis. Image vectorization is the conversion from a raster image to a vector image. While image vectorization algorithms can trace the fine edges of images, they will sacrifice color and texture information. In contrast, texture synthesis techniques, which have been previously used in image super-resolution, can reasonably create high-resolution color and texture information, except that they sometimes fail to trace the edges of images correctly. In this work, we adopt the image vectorization to the edges of the original image, and the texture synthesis based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test (KS test) to the non-edge regions of the original image. The goal is to generate a plausible, visually pleasing detailed higher resolution version of the original image. In particular, our method works very well on the images of natural animals.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid lesions in Ramathibodi patients.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
A retrospective review is performed on 469 cases of thyroid surgical pathology specimens with previous FNAC reports; during January 2005 to January 2008. All histopathology reports are compared to the latest previous cytopathology results which are categorized as unsatisfactory, benign, inconclusive, borderline and malignancy

RESULTS
The cytopathology results showed 74 cases (15.7%) of unsatisfactory specimens, 243 cases (51.8%) of benign lesions, 33 cases (7%) of inconclusive lesions, 15 cases (3.2%) of borderline lesions and 104 cases (22%) of malignant lesions. The histopathology results for benign lesions reveal multinodular and nodular goiter of 236 cases and other diagnosis of 54 cases. The histopathology results for malignant lesions were papillary carcinoma of 147 cases, follicular carcinoma of 24 cases and other malignancy of 8 cases. Among 243 cases of benign from FNAC; 23 cases turn out to be malignancy while 104 cases of malignancy from FNAC show no false positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of FNAC are 81.9%, 100%, 100%, 90.4% and 93.4% respectively.

CONCLUSION
FNAC is a minimally invasive, highly accurate and cost-effective procedure. In our setting the FNAC enable the clinician to "rule-in" malignant lesions with confidence.


Background: Intestinal surgery can present multiple complications that can lead to patient death; therefore, it is important to design early detection strategies to reduce complications in patients with intestinal anastomosis and thus avoid patient death. The aim of this work is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Dutch leakage score in 125 patients with intestinal anastomosis as a predictor of anastomotic leakage.Methods: In a sample of 125 patients undergoing intestinal anastomosis, demographic variables were identified and the Dutch leakage score was applied. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy were obtained using a 2×2 table.Results: The Dutch leakage score was positive in 23.2% (29 patients) of whom 24 had anastomotic leakage and 5 had no anastomotic leakage. It presents a sensitivity in the test of 100%, a specificity of 95%, a positive predictive value of 82.7%, a negative predictive value of 100%. The diagnostic accuracy is 96%.Conclusions: The Dutch leakage score is a versatile tool, inexpensive, easy to apply and available in any hospital center. It is capable of early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage. It favors early re-intervention, improves prognosis and survival, decreases hospital stay and health care costs.


Two important questions were addressed in this paper. Firstly, how to construct an accurate model of a sea floor canyon — its topography and associated seismic velocities. Secondly, how the effects of such canyons can be accounted for in obtaining depths to subcanyon reflections using conventionally processed seismic data. An answer to the first question is required not only for deriving depths from conventional data but is equally required of the various canyon‐solving data processing methods listed in the paper (p. 1397). The second question is important, as the authors say, to provide a quick and inexpensive reconnaissance method of mapping structures in depth with reasonable accuracy.


We show that under many of the probabilities on T ∞ , infinite-dimensional torus, a random system (1/ √ NN=1 f(xi + pαi)) converges to a centered Gaussian system whose covariance is deter- mined only by the distribution of (αi) ∞=1 over T. Moreover we show the convergence of a system of symmetric statistics to that of corre- lated multiple Wiener integrals defined by the Gaussian system. Also we study the central limit theorem for a sequence of the cor- related multiple Wiener integrals.


In this paper,we report the electronics of a timing measurement system of PTB(portable TDC board), which is a handy tool based on USB interface,customized for high precision time measurements without any crates. The time digitization is based on the High Performance TDC Chip(HPTDC).The real-time compensation for HPTDC outputs and the USB master logic are implemented in an ALTERA's Cyclone FPGA.The architecture design and logic design are described in detail.Test of the system showed a time resolution of 13.3 ps.


For effectively recognizing the type of the aerial target during the air-defense battle,this paper utilizes the intuitionistic fuzzy sets theory to quantitatively dispose the uncertainty of the recognized information,studies the ranking method for the intuitionistic fuzzy numbers and puts forward a method for recognizing the type of the aerial target based on the intuitionistic fuzzy sets theory.The following case analysis indicates that this method can describe the uncertainty of the recognized information quantitatively and dispose the highly uncertain recognized information effectively while avoiding the information lost.It supplies theoretical references to the type recognition for the aerial target during the air-defense battle.


Void formation in high performance composite structure was addressed in this study. Voids are known to be detrimental to the mechanical performance of aircraft structural composites. A toughened prepreg system commercially available for aircraft structural application was utilized in this study. This research focused on understanding void generation in composite structure caused by different lay-up procedures. The amount of voids was characterized via ultrasonic C-scan analysis, density measurements, and optical microscopy, with the objective of integrating the results of the three different void content characterization methods. Void distribution results obtained by ultrasonic C-sCan analysis were consistent with those of density measurements. The void content distribution caused by a metal plate was observed after the composite fabrication and this behavior was modeled into a caul plate number (CPN) definition. Through a vast array of composite fabrication and void content investigation, appropriate lay-up techniques were found to be indispensable in reducing the void content in the composite structure. Collectively, voids are detrimental to composite performance and voids should be reduced or eliminated by the use of appropriate autoclave processes. Void formation in the composite structure during autoclave processing was attributed to not only inherent material properties but also processing conditions and their proper specifications.


Antony Hudek: Could you introduce Excavated Mutilations, your Courtauld Gallery exhibition? Conrad Atkinson: The project started because I was on sabbatical from the University of California at Davis. Eric Fernie, [then] director of the Courtauld Institute, and I met, and I told him that I was going to be in England for most of 2002. We thought it would be good to create a link with the Courtauld. A little later I proposed to do an exhibition in response to the works in the collection, which is obviously the first thing that an artist would want to get involved with. Eric agreed that it was a good idea.


Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that, upon agonist activation, calponin co-immunoprecipitates and co-localizes with protein kinase Cε (PKCε) in vascular smooth muscle cells. In the present study we demonstrate that calponin binds directly to the regulatory domain of PKC both in overlay assays and, under native conditions, by sedimentation with lipid vesicles. Calponin was found to bind to the C2 region of both PKCε and PKCα with possible involvement of C1B. The C2 region of PKCε binds to the calponin repeats with a requirement for the region between amino acids 160 and 182. We have also found that calponin can directly activate PKC autophosphorylation. By using anti-phosphoantibodies to residue Ser-660 of PKCβII, we found that calponin, in a lipid-independent manner, increased auto-phosphorylation of PKCα, -ε, and -βII severalfold compared with control conditions. Similarly, calponin was found to increase the amount of 32P-labeled phosphate incorporated into PKC from [γ-32P]ATP. We also observed that calponin addition strongly increased the incorporation of radiolabeled phosphate into an exogenous PKC peptide substrate, suggesting an activation of enzyme activity. Thus, these results raise the possibility that calponin may function in smooth muscle to regulate PKC activity by facilitating the phosphorylation of PKC.


In this investigation, we present a novel label-free immunosensor platform based on inorganic barium strontium titanate (BST) thin film and interdigitated microelectrodes for clinical point-of-care application. The immunosensor is based on non-faradaic process, using DI water as electrolyte. As proof of concept, anti-human IgG, a common biomarker found and associated with many diseases was immobilized on the chemically modified BST film surface as sensing probe for human IgG detection. The BST immunosensor was also used for real clinical sample with pre-inactivated dengue virus as sensing probe to detect dengue antibody in human serum. Good linear correlations were observed for the measured electrical signals, AC impedances or current changes, versus the dilution of the human IgG concentration or the dengue serum samples. The measured signal changes in impedance/current without/with the presence of antibody were attributed to the surface conductivity change upon biomolecules immobilization and the dipole-induced interfacial polarization potential at the BST film/biomolecules interface. Promising specificity was proven with the interference tests by mixing human IgG solution with BSA and rabbit IgG. The performance of BST immunosensors exhibited good long-term stability with very low fluctuation/degradation even after storing dry at 4 °C for 60 days.


Many retailers in Canada have noted the increasing burden of transaction costs, in particular the interchange fees due for every credit card transaction that they process. After the Competition Tribunal rejected in 2012 an application that might have granted retailers the right to surcharge credit cards, retailers may look for other solutions to avoid these fees. Discounting cash or debit card transactions has often been suggested as one solution since discounts are currently allowed in Canada. The model of merchant cost incorporates the consumers' choice based on the pecuniary and non-pecuniary benefits of using cash, debit and credit cards. I estimate the choice model using data from the Bank of Canada's 2009 Methods of Payment Survey. The 2006 Merchant Survey provides data on the merchant cost. The results suggest that discounts cost more than the retailer saves by encouraging consumers to switch to lower-cost payment methods. This finding may explain why discounts are not frequently observed among Canadian retailers. I discuss non-pecuniary steering as an alternative to discounts. Non-pecuniary steering could be used by merchants to exercise third degree discrimination based on payment choice, while discounts only allow second degree discrimination.


The shelf break frontal shape and the T-S relationships in the frontal vicinity have been observed to undergo a transition in the spring. It is shown that this transition should result from two simple assumptions: (1) during the early spring, the offshore density gradient becomes reversed in a layer of intermediate depth; and (2) the front is gravitationally stable. Observations south of Nantucket preceding and following the transition during 1979 illustrate the metamorphosis from a monotonically sloping front to a convoluted shape which delineates two layers of shelf water and two of slope water. The convoluted shape of both the front and the T-S curves after the transition are found to be consistent with the observed density gradients if it is further assumed that the front is Margules-type with a velocity discontinuity of 5 cm/s.


Objective To investigate the Marmota himalayana plague natural focus in Dege county in Sichuan Province. Methods Bacteria isolation/culture,gold immune chromatographic assay(GICA),indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA)and reverse indirect hemagglutination assay (RIHA)were conducted to detect Marmota himalayana captured in Dege in 2008. Results Nine strains of Yersinia pestis were detected from 26 dead Marmota himalayana by bacteria isolation/culture. Three were positive out of 79 serum samples of Marmota himalayana and 3 were positive out of 29 serum samples of shepherd dog by IHA. Thirty samples of tissue suspension were detected by RIHA and 9 from Marmota himalayana were positive. Two were positive out of 79 serum samples of Marmota himalayana,9 were positive out of 29 serum samples of shepherd dog and 8 were positive out of 32 serum samples of Tibetan sheep by GIGA. Thirty samples of tissue suspension were detected by GIGA for the antigen and 11 were positive (10 for Marmota himalayana and 1 for domesticated cat).Conclusion Yersinia pestis was isolated from Marmota himalayana,indicating that animal plague epidemic occurred in Dege in 2008.


This study numerically examines the effect of actual gas turbine operating conditions on heat transfer characteristics in a ribbed passage with mist/steam cooling. A 60° ribbed passage with aspect ratio of 1/1 was investigated at Reynolds number of 300,000, and steam cooling was used to provide a contrast. Three main factors were considered: coolant temperature, operating pressure, and wall heat flux density. The heat transfer enhancement mechanism of mist/steam cooling was explored, and the results showed that the heat transfer performance of mist/steam cooling was superior to steam cooling. When the coolant temperature varied from 300 to 500 °C, the average Nusselt number of mist/steam cooling decreased by 26.6%, and the heat transfer enhancement ratio dropped from 15% to 10%. As operating pressure increased, the heat transfer performance factor of mist/steam firstly increased and then decreased. At an operating pressure of 1.5 MPa, the heat transfer achieved its optimal performance, and the heat transfer enhancement ratio achieved its maximum value of 15.9%. Larger wall heat flux density provided less heat transfer enhancement. When the heat flux density increased from 100,000 to 300,000 W·m−2, the average Nusselt number of mist/steam cooling decreased by 13.8%, while the heat transfer enhancement ratio decreased from 25.3% to 12.6%.


The expansion and integration of global financial capital markets has led to the changes in the composition of capital flows of the developing economies. FDI has gained wide recognition as a striking measure of economic growth and development in both developed and developing countries. This study intends to evaluate the trends and patterns of FDI inflows into India. The relationship between FDI inflows and its selected determinants are examined. The study is based on the secondary time series data collected for fifteen years ranging from FY 2000-01 to 2014-15. GDP, Index of Industrial Production, exchange rate, trade openness and inflation are the variables taken as the determinants of FDI inflows. The collected data was analysed by using Pearson's correlation analysis, linear regression analysis and compounded annual growth rate. The results revealed that FDI inflows exhibited a mixed pattern and the established trend line shows an upward trend. A significant relationship was found between GDP, IIP, TO, REER, CPI and FDI inflows and these variables were positively correlated. Equations were formulated using the regression analysis and they were found to be of good fit to predict the FDI inflows. Favourable measures should be taken by the policy makers to improve these variables under study which will result in increased foreign capital inflow.


In 2014 an outbreak of 162 cases of autochthonous transmission of dengue virus (DENV-1) was documented in metropolitan Tokyo, the first outbreak in


The importance of entrepreneurship is increasingly emphasized worldwide especially after the decline of centrally planned economic systems. The trends toward reducing the domination of governments in the economy put the entrepreneur, the sole actor who makes the markets work by starting and growing the businesses in any scale, in the center of the economy policies. In this context, the policies toward making entrepreneurship widespread and thereby achieve the aim of economic growth and wealth have been very common in both developed and developing countries for decades with a few exceptions worldwide. On the other hand, despite the increasing popularity of entrepreneur and entrepreneurship research, the number of entrepreneurs who undertake the risks of starting a business and grow it by innovation and thereby create new jobs is not that much in reality. It is not easy to motivate people to become entrepreneurs in the presence of different employment alternatives. So, the governments that chose free market economy system based upon entrepreneurship have been starting policies toward motivating individuals to choose entrepreneurship as a career alternative. Entrepreneurship education is one of the most common tools in this sense and has been used widely both in schools and out of school education. In this direction, programs supporting the entrepreneurs and people who have intentions to start their own businesses in Turkey is a government policy today. Aksaray University, a state university in Turkey, started a compulsory four hour Entrepreneurship course covering all undergraduate departments in Aksaray University. The senate of Aksaray University agreed on the compulsory entrepreneurship courses, which will be effective to all departments beginning from September 2012 -only selective for the departments which have curriculums determined centrally by the Ministry of Education or Higher Education Council of Turkey- and there is also an agreement between KOSGEB (Republic of Turke, Small and Medium Entreprises Development Organzation) and Aksaray University to provide students a certificate which gives them the right to apply for certain financial incentives to start their own businesses. The aim of this research is to find out the perception change of students towards entrepreneur and entrepreneurship. A survey was conducted among 925 students who participated in these courses and who did not in Aksaray University and the results show that the compulsory courses have positive impacts on perceptions toward Entrepreneurship, along with the intention to start their own businesses. We hope that similar studies which will focus on the context of the course, the qualifications of the lecturers, the practices of students after graduation, their innovative behaviours in their business life will contribute to the Entrepreneurship Education field.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Recently single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) has increased our depth of understanding of genomic features of distinct cellular populations. To reveal the dynamics of b...


The gene coding for the GM2 activator protein (GM2A) was previously mapped by us to chromosome 5 by an ELISA‐based technique. Here we confirm this assignment using a PCR analysis of somatic cell hybrids and descrive a regional localization to chromosome 5q32‐33 by in situ hybridization. We also confirm the assignment of pseudogene GM2AP to chromosome 3.


Archaeology is usually considered a science dealing with dead cultures and civilizations but could become an interesting topic for students to purposefully and meaningfully engage in project learning in the arts. By giving the students a purpose for engaging in specific activities, the work becomes more relevant to them. They will not be creating artworks because the teacher said so, but because they will feel the need to present what they were doing and learning throughout the project.


The disruption of African societies under the impact of Western advances is a familiar story. Less well known are those exceptions when African people broke down European institutions. In the Zambesi Valley one of the most striking examples of a European institution undergoing significant Africanization occurred during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The prazo system was intended as an ambitious colonialization scheme but lost its European identity. In fact, so completely were the Portuguese prazos transformed that the descendants of the early settlers fought Lisbon's encroachments of a later period.


The main objective of the paper is to determine the emotional state of a person, through his speech. The two most important features that are used to identify the emotional states of a person are i. Pitch and ii. Formant frequencies. To understand the three emotional states of a person, these two pitch and formant frequencies are first extracted from the speech signal and, later their analysis is carried out. The three emotions that are considered are Anger, Neutrality and Happiness. Simulations are carried out in MATLAB and the TU-Berlin database is used for the analysis. For the extraction of pitch frequency Cepstral analysis method is used and the formant frequencies are estimated to detect happy emotions. The objective of cepstral analysis is to separate the speech into its source and system components without any prior knowledge about source and / or system. This separation is done due to difference in occupancy of frequency ranges. Following it, noise filtration is implemented to remove inaudible ambient noises.


Building "cloud simulation CAE service system for mining machinery equipment" is an important drive to provide mining enterprises a platform for software calling, renting, sharing and technical support. An integrated design and analysis platform,objected to system architecture, physical and functional structures, has been established and key technology presented. Detailed discussions have been made regarding to the collaborative CAE common service platform. The platform provided three levels of services:tool collaboration, tasks collaboration and remote collaboration. A "Web-based CAE analysis system for key components of coal shearer", of practical application, had been developed. The system can remotely call and coordinate ANSYS FE analysis tasks through internet, which significantly speed up the CAD/CAE parametric design and finite element analysis services for the coal shearer manufacturers.


Distension of the left atrium for a 30 min period causes an increase in urine flow, osmolal clearance and free water clearance. The present experiments examine in detail the changes in urinary excretion during a 90 min distension of the left atrium. The experiments demonstrate that in anaesthetized dogs when distension of the left atrium is continued for a 90 min period the increases in urine flow, solute excretion, and free water clearance are transient. Urine flow, free water clearance, and urine osmolality returned completely to control values only after release of left atrial distension. In contrast, solute excretion returned to control values 40 min after the start of left atrial distension and was independent of any concurrent changes in the dilution of the urine. The results support the hypothesis that the diuretic response to left atrial distension is dependent upon two mechanisms: a decrease in the rate of release of antidiuretic hormone from the neurohypophysis, which may be prolonged; and a haemodynamic mechanism which under the conditions of the present experiments appears to be short lived.


In this article, the problems of sample preparation of annealed cold-work and plastic mold steels were gone into in more depth. Due to the characteristic microstructure, namely a relatively soft matrix with hard carbide inclusions, great problems arise with respect to quantitative analysis (e.g. purity analysis) of the section as the necessary quality can hardly be achieved with normal automatic preparation methods. The aim of this work is to optimise the preparation parameters for the two material groups on two chosen examples, in order to guarantee section surfaces as fault free as possible.


We describe a strategy for intermolecular branched-selective α-alkylation of ketones using simple alkenes as the alkylating agents. Enamides derived from isoindolin-1-one provide an excellent directing template for catalytic activation of ketone α-positions. High branched selectivity is obtained for both aliphatic and aromatic alkenes using a cationic iridium catalyst. Preliminary mechanistic study favors an Ir-C migratory insertion pathway.


straight chain aliphatic water soluable carbon-nitrogen the amino groups evenly distributed throughout. The first critical step is the synthesis of PUT by the decarboxylation of ornithine, which is accomplished by the rate limiting enzyme of the ornithine the conversion is added to PUT by SPD synthetase to produce SPD. A second DAM is then added to SPD by SPM synthetase to produce SPM. Catabolism of the latter two polyamines occurs via a single enzyme, SPD/SPM acetyltransferase The latter enzyme converts SPD and SPM to N-acetyl-SPD and N-acetyl-SPM, respectively. Further catabolism may occur via polyamine oxidase, which converts N-acetyl-SPD and N-acetyl-SPM to putresine and SPD, respectively, and yields and acetoamidopropanol (ap)


In multiple-antenna wireless communication systems,when the transmitter obtains the quantized channel direction by a limited feedback link from the receiver,benefits of improving throughput and reducing bit error rate can be realized.This paper presents an overview of codebook design for limited feedback,which is the most important problem in the system.The codebook de- sign can mainly classified as two schemes:one based on subspace packing in Grassmann manifold and another based on vector quan- tization in source coding.We highlight the principles and related algorithms of both schemes,which involve various modes about channels and data,and then compare the key characteristics of them.


This article analyses the educational and training elements from Graduate in Public Health Program in the University of Guadalajara, those conducive, incorporate and difficult the meaningful learning in students with previous studies in Public Health. It is a qualitative study of case study making to 15 students and 8 professors from PCSP. The technique used was focus groups and the information obtained five teams as: previous knowledge, educational experience in the classroom, teaching profile, contrasting with the new models of teaching and learning and tools to obtain meaningful learning in PCSP. The professors and students concluded that requires a climate of trust, motivation and necessary instruments to students display their potentials.


Mingcui Lake Wetland Park has a great diversity of tourism resources. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were combined to evaluate the tourism resources in the wetland park. Proposals were made on subsequent development plans for Mingcui Lake after analyzing the result of the evaluation according to field investigations. This provides a scientific basis for the relevant tourism agencies.


The solubilities of pure limonene and linalool in compressed carbon dioxide have been measured using a flow apparatus at 318.2 K and 328.2 K and pressures ranging from 69 bar to 111 bar. The solubilities were successfully modeled using equations of state (Peng−Robinson, Soave−Redlich−Kwong, 3P1T, Dohrn and Prausnitz nopolar) and a semiempirical equation (Chrastill model). The generalized parameters for the Peng−Robinson EOS were obtained for each system. These parameters were independent of temperature, and they reproduce successfully all data available in the literature. The results show that the solubility of limonene in supercritical carbon dioxide was bigger than the solubility of linalool. The behavior of the systems was discussed by estimation of the best conditions of supercritical extraction. Those conditions were elevated pressure and a temperature near the critical temperature of carbon dioxide.


This paper introduces the condition of false fire statistics based on the data from Si Chuan Province and analyzes the causes of this condition.The suggestions have been put forward.


Background: Many patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) insist to fast during the holy month of Ramadan against medical advice. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on diabetic nephropathy in patients with T2D. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on ninety patients with T2D who intended to fast Ramadan; they were divided into the following groups: Group 1: 30 patients with T2D, without albuminuria (normoalbuminuria); Group 2: 30 patients with T2D, with microalbuminuria; and Group 3: 30 patients with T2D, with macroalbuminuria. Laboratory tests including fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postprandial plasma glucose, haemoglobin A1c, serum creatinine, blood urea and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) were measured 2 weeks before Ramadan fasting and then repeated within 2 weeks after Ramadan. Results: On comparing data before and after Ramadan, there was a significant increase in creatinine and urea levels, while there was a significant decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and UACR in all the study groups. There was no significant difference between the study groups regarding the percentage of increase in creatinine (P = 0.204) and urea (P = 0.505), while the percentage of decrease in eGFR was significantly higher in the macroalbuminuria group (P = 0.038), and the percentage of decrease in UACR was significantly higher in the normoalbuminuria group (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Ramadan fasting adversely affects the renal function and causes a decrease in the eGFR in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy. Fasting should be under close medical supervision with strict attention to fluid intake and daily activity, as well as adjustment of drug regimens.


Several developed countries have implemented smart systems for public transport that provide mobility services for citizens. Most of these systems use special infrastructures to determine the location of citizens and public buses. However, the implementation of these systems does not take into account the poor infrastructure of developing countries. In Mexico, Urban Passenger Transport has insufficient transport units to meet the demand of passengers who move throughout the day, and these do not consider hardware infrastructure. Our solution is focused on inexpensive devices that are accessible to citizens, such as mobile phones. In this research work, a smart information system for passengers of urban transport is presented that allows passengers to know the expected arrival times and also to know the availability of seats on the bus that is heading towards their position. The solution was evaluated with real routes, and the results are promising for a pilot project to be put in practice.


This document describes how the currently specified IPv6 flow label
can be used to enhance layer 3/4 (L3/4) load distribution and
balancing for large server farms.


Introduction Extant studies have examined the extent in which the organizational commitments of professionals are linked to attitudes and affective reactions to the work environment and behavioral intentions such as intention to leave or actual turnover (Wilensky, 1965; Sorensen & Sorensen, 1974). Researchers have further argued that there is high cost associated with managerial failure to retain a body of well educated, effective employees (Cascio, 1991; Mirvis & Lawlwer, 1997). Sjoberg & Sverke (2000) find relationship between involvement, commitment and its interaction leading to turnover intentions which lead to turnover. Focusing on the work related attitudes such as job involvement (Kanungo, 1979), organizational commitment (Mowday, Steers & Porter, 1979), work involvement, job satisfaction as predictors of turnover, recent studies have called for a closer examination of the generality of withdrawal processes and their differentiation according to relevant work attitudes (e.g. Mowday, Koberg & McArthur, 1984). Therefore, the basic premise of this paper is that identification of work related behavior either with the job or the organization will make employee less inclined to leave the job. Among professionals, this work related behavior is such a contingency factor, which despite its relevance, has not been closely examined. Attitude of professionals has frequently been suggested as an important determinant of the incongruence between turnover intention, and many studies have stressed the importance of understanding the antecedents of the same (Miller, 1967; Hall, 1968; Brief & Aldag, 1976; Tuma & Grimes, 1981). However, only a few studies have studied the above gap empirically, and much lesser in the context of developing nations (Sorensen & Sorensen, 1974; Tuma & Grimes 1981; Aranya et al., 1986). India is characterized by high power-distance values and a collectivistic culture (Hofstede, 1988;1991; Routamaa & Hautala, 2008) and Indian manager's mind set includes submissive, prone to emotional and personal dependence, fatalism, in-group/clan orientation, status/hierarchy/power consciousness, materialism and holistic orientation (Amba-Rao et al, 2000; Garg & Parikh, 1986; Pradhan, Mishra & Mathur, 2001; Sinha & Kanungo, 1997; Sinha & Pandey, 2007). Furthermore, societal context, cultural diversity and political factors affect interpersonal relations (Cooke & Saini, 2010; Ramaswami & Dreher, 2010; Baruch & Budhwar, 2006; Bhawuk, 2008; Budhwar & Khatri, 2001), which may influence individual's attitudes. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to construct from the available literature a path model which will reflect the work related attitudes and behaviors affecting intention to quit for the employee in the Indian context and test the same (Fig. 1). [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Extant research suggests that attitudes towards the organization are more strongly related than attitudes toward the job to turnover intentions. Several authors (Peters, Bhagat & O'Connor, 1981; Shore & Martin, 1989; Williams & Hazer, 1986) reported organizational commitment had a stronger relationship with turnover intentions than did job satisfaction. Research also shows that organizational attitudes alone are related to turnover intentions (e.g. Angle & Perry, 1981; Mowday et al., 1979; Steers, 1977). In addition, a number of studies have shown a relationship between turnover intentions and overall job satisfaction (e.g. Angle & Perry, 1981; Mossholder, Bedeian & Armenakis, 1981). Perhaps job satisfaction is related to turnover intentions because of the high correlation between job and organizational attitudes (Angle & Perry, 1981; Mowday et al., 1979). Steel & Ovalle (1984) have discussed behavioral intentions and its expanding role in the field of turnover research. Their findings from the meta-analysis include four correlates of employee turnover: behavioral intentions, overall job satisfaction, work satisfaction and organizational commitment. …


Over the past 30 years the developed countries have accumulated rich experiences, and boasted rather mature theories, of lifelong education. At the beginning of the new century, it would be wise of us to make a good use of their valuable theory and experience, on the basis of a comparative study, which is assumed to yield a great enlightenment for launching lifelong education, establishing lifelong education system and learning society in China.


Satellite data for West Africa still struggle with local climate and farming practices. Despite the increasing data frequency, the rainy season in West Africa features such a dense cloud cover that many satellites cannot provide cloud free images. In addition, many farmers practice intercropping, where a single plot can be used to grow different crops such as maize and beans or even feature trees. Although the spatial resolution of satellites is ever increasing, this very small-scale intercropping still poses challenges for satellite data analysis. Yet, spatial data on vegetation status and distribution is required for running crop models.

Within the EU project TWIGA we therefore developed a smartphone app that allows farmers to collect vegetation data where it matters – on their plot!

Based on field trial that started in August 2019 we present vegetation metrics derived from smartphone photos as well as auxiliary data collected by test users in Ghana. The vegetation metrics are further combined with Sentinel 2A NDVI timeseries and fill a cloud cover caused data gap during the peak growing season.


Abstract. Introduction. The article deals with the features of using the interactive platform MyEnglishLabin teaching English for prospective economists. The role of distance and blended learning of prospectiveeconomists has been considered. The existing scientific concepts for teaching English for specific purposes havebeen analysed. The importance of information technologies in the process of professional foreign language training of prospective economists has been highlighted in the study.The efficiency and necessity of usingthe interactive platform MyEnglishLabin teaching English for prospective economists have been emphasized.The advantages of using the interactive platform MyEnglishLab in the process of distance and blended learningin a coronavirus pandemic have been identified. The purpose of this article is to single out the peculiaritiesof using the interactive platform MyEnglishLab in teaching English for prospective economists. Methods.The studies on methods of teaching prospective economists English conducted abroad and in Ukraine, as wellas scientific investigations on the usage of the interactive platform MyEnglishLab have been reviewed. Results.The components of blended learning and the concepts of distance learning have been outlined. The authordefines positive aspects of using the interactive platform MyEnglishLab both for students and Universityteachers, such as: itencourages students' involvement, provides constant individual feedback, allows 24/7to complete tasks, promotes interactive communication practice, supports various students' learning styles,balance synchronous and asynchronous learning. Moreover, the online platform also offers University teachersdiagnostic, and personalized intervention tools, including an automatic report of students' mistakes that allowsUniversity teachers to analyze them, understand language difficulties of every student and choose tasks forrevision to prevent such mistakes in the future. Besides, it contains grammar and vocabulary activities, listeningand reading comprehension tasks, phonetic exercises etc. The author clarifies functional and specific featuresof the innovative educational online platform MyEnglishLab.The examples of the exercises, that prospectiveeconomists can perform in the process of using the interactive platform MyEnglishLab, have been given.Conclusion. To sum up, peculiarities of using the interactive platform MyEnglishLab in teaching English forprospective economists have been analysed in the research. The value of the educational online platformMyEnglishLab as one of the most innovative tools for distance and blending learning of English for specificpurposes by prospective economists has been highlighted.


The work presented in this report was motivated by an interest in understanding the extent of soil degradation in Central America and the Caribbean, in knowing how farmers are in general responding to it, and in examining the possibilities that exist to help farmers better respond to the challenges they face. A cost-benefit perspective was used to examine both the extent of the problem and the cost-effectiveness of various proposed solutions. These calculations examine the conditions under which it pays for small farmers to adopt specified soil conservation measures. Moisture conservation as part of soil conservation was recognized as being very important, and increasingly so in dryer areas and/or those with less reliable rainfall patterns. Past and present soil conservation efforts were also examined for any institutional lessons they might contain for the design of future project, institutional, or policy interventions. The country studies undertaken and presented in this volume suggest that the problem, at least in the countries studied, is less severe than sometimes assumed. Furthermore, it is found that cultivation and cropping practices as well as vegetative barriers tend to be superior to mechanical structures that have sometimes been advocated in the past. The results of the case studies show that conservation is profitable in some cases but not in others. Given that farmers generally adopt conservation measures when it is in their interest to do so, unless some constraint prevents them from doing so, the role of government in conservation appears limited to three areas. First, there is considerable room for research efforts, in which government can play a role, aimed at incrementally improving conservation technology. Second, government has a role to ensure that constraints such as insecure tenure do not prevent farmers from adopting conservation measures. Finally, government assistance should be reconsidered since, in the past, it has often been unsuccessful.


The accuracy of an acoustic current meter, called the modular acoustic velocity sensor (MAVS), is evaluated. Sources of error, such as flow disturbance from potential flow around the sensor cage, wake effects from support structure and transducers, vortex shedding from the cage, and electronic zero-point offsets, are discussed. The electronic error dominates at velocities less than 5-10 cm/s, while flow disturbance dominates at higher speeds. The estimated RMS error of the MAVS will be on the order of 3.7% of the mean flow, with a low velocity error floor of 0.1 cm/s.<<ETX>>


At last there is explicit recognition of the fact that many countries worldwide face a health worker crisis. In 2004 the 57th World Health Assembly passed a resolution on the international migration of health personnel, recognizing that the migration of skilled health workers from poor countries to rich countries represented a serious challenge for health systems in developing countries, and asked WHO to undertake a number of tasks. It even asked the DG to consult the UN and specialized agencies on the possibility of declaring a year or a decade of Human Resources for Health Development. The Joint Learning Initiative, established by WHO and other agencies to develop a series of working papers on the human resource crisis, launched its final report at the Inter-Ministerial Summit on Health Research in Mexico, 2004. At regional and country level, public health professionals and NGOs are recognizing the need to strengthen human resource management systems if they are to make any headway in reaching the MDG targets. The realization that health worker problems in Africa are directly linked to policies in rich countries such as Canada, the UK and the US has resulted in global coalitions of NGOs and academics from different continents attempting to address the problem holistically. This chapter's focus is on the global dimension of health migration, although it recognizes that the agenda for coherent and comprehensive health systems development discussed in part B, chapter 1, must place human resources at its centre.


Mass media campaigns have been hailed as some of the most effective tobacco prevention interventions. This study examined the cost-effectiveness of the national tobacco prevention campaign, truth® FinishIt, to determine the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) saved and the return on investment (ROI). The cost–utility analysis used four main parameters: program costs, number of smoking careers averted, treatment costs, and number of QALYs saved whenever a smoking career is averted. Parameters were varied to characterize cost-effectiveness under different assumptions (base case, conservative, optimistic, and most optimistic). The ROI estimate compared campaign expenditures to the cost saved due to the campaign implementation. Analyses were conducted in 2019. The base case analysis indicated the campaign results in a societal cost savings of $3.072 billion. Under the most conservative assumptions, estimates indicated the campaign was highly cost-effective at $1076 per QALY saved. The overall ROI estimate was $174 ($144 in costs to smokers, $24 in costs to the smoker's family, and $7 in costs to society) in cost savings for every $1 spent on the campaign. In all analyses, the FinishIt campaign was found to reach or exceed the threshold levels of cost savings or cost-effectiveness, with a positive ROI. These findings point to the value of this important investment in the health of the younger generation.


Submitted for the DFD06 Meeting of The American Physical Society Extension of Boussinesq turbulence constitutive relation for partially-averaged velocity fields SUNIL LAKSHMIPATHY, SHARATH GIRIMAJI, Texas A&M University — Boussinesq hypothesis is still widely used to model Reynolds stresses in turbulent flows. Recently, there have been many attempts to extend the Boussinesq constitutive relation for modeling the sub-grid scale stresses (SGS) for filtered or partially-averaged velocity fields, for example, limited numerical scales method (LNS), flow simulation methodology (FSM), unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS), very large eddy simulation (VLES) and partiallyaveraged Navier-Stokes (PANS). The major proposals can be classified into two categories. In VLES, FSM, and LNS the effective SGS viscosity is given by: νT = fCμ k 2 ε where f is determined by the filter size. In PANS, the SGS viscosity is given by νTu = Cμ k2 u εu where ku and εu are the unresolved turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate respectively. The validity of these two proposals is investigated in two turbulent flow fields: (i) flow past a circular cylinder; (ii) flow past a backward facing step. We investigate the degree of eddy viscosity reduction obtained a posteriori in the computations and compare them to the prescribed value. The effect of the two viscosity reduction proposals on the unsteadiness of the computed velocity fields is also examined. Sharath Girimaji Texas A&M University Date submitted: 06 Aug 2006 Electronic form version 1.4


Adopting the simulation experiment technique in the well drilling cultivating can shorten cultivating time enormously, and decrease the expense, and cut down the hazard. Utilizing the virtual prototype to replace the physical prototype of a machine also may adjust well drilling production innovation design, testing and assessing, shorten the development cycle, cut down the cost, improve product design quality and enhance the capability to client and the demand in maketplace.


Glioblastoma is the most invasive type of glial tumors, rapidly growing and commonly spreading into nearby brain tissue. Internal radiotherapy, also called brachytherapy, is an advanced cancer treatment where radioactive seeds are placed in or near the tumor itself, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure in the surrounding healthy tissues. Among the available radioactive materials, 166Ho emits high-energy β radiation required for tumor destruction and low-energy γ radiation which can be used for quantitative SPECT imaging. In addition, Ho is a highly paramagnetic element and can therefore be visualized by MRI. In this context, we synthesized 400 nm particles via a sol-gel process in acidic conditions using holmium (III) oxide Ho2O3 as a nanostructured precursor. The objective was to design particles with a high 165Ho content combined with an enhanced stability suitable for brachytherapy of brain cancer following neutron activation. A sol-gel process was chosen to make Ho2O3 soluble in aqueous media and to improve particle's colloidal stability. The resulting suspension showed enhanced colloidal stability in water, as evidenced by zeta potential and sedimentation rate measurements, combined with a high Ho content (28% w:w). Injectability and preliminary acute toxicity of the suspension were assessed after stereotactic injection in the brain of healthy minipig. Computerized tomography (CT) imaging was performed to visualize the injection sites and to determine the holmium distribution. It turns out that our suspension provided high 165Ho concentration to the site of action by way of stereotactic injection. This procedure allowed identifying suitable experimental conditions for future intratumoral injections of activated suspension.


Local knowledge is a concept relative to universal knowledge.It is a concept of knowledge and knowledge orienta- tion,not the knowledge of a particular locality or knowledge of local characteristics.In the process of man's march to the knowledge economy,it is realized that the evolution of local knowledge into universal knowledge and the evolution of seem- ingly universal knowledge into higher-level local knowledge are both progress of knowledge and are of equal importance.


As the 1984 summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles approach, predictions in the media about possible record-breaking performances will abound. In addition, the current increase in interest in women's ath letics will focus attention on the question of whether the performance of women is ap proaching that of men in specific events. Although any extrapolations must be made cautiously, certain techniques do exist that students can use to make prelimi nary predictions about performances in the Olympics this year. This article presents an example of a method called point esti mation that is used to estimate a single value using a set of data. More able stu dents can be encouraged to study confi dence intervals and statistical tests using any basic statistics book. Regression analysis is a tool used by statisticians to study the relationship be tween two or more variables and to predict values for one of the variables. Although higher order relationships often exist be tween the variables, an adequate linear model is often preferred over a more exact complex model for ease of use and under standability by nonmathematicians. The goal of this activity is to predict data for 1984 Olympic championships in specific events, which can be modeled with a linear function. Basically, the functional form of the equation has been defined by Netter and Wasserman (1974, pp. 30-40).


Mycobacterial Diseases is a scientific journal deals with diseases caused by Mycobacterium species chiefly Tuberculosis, Leprosy and research on remedial methods for these diseases. Journal of Mycobacterial Diseases is one of the best Open Access journals of Scholarly publishing. Mycobacterial Diseases is an scholarly Open Access journal and aims to publish most complete and reliable source of information on the discoveries and current developments in the mode of original articles, review articles, case reports, short communications, etc. in all areas of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy and making them freely available worldwide. This scholarly Open Access journal is using Editorial Manager System for quality peer review process.


Measuring adherence to clinical guidelines using mobile health (mHealth) technologies when form field validation is enforced or turned on could potentially be viewed as skewing the dataset, leading to 100% adherence to the clinical rule base. In theory, healthcare providers should fully abide by clinical guidelines, whether in paper or digital format, to ensure that the patient receives appropriate care. However, what happens when mHealth form fieldvalidation is turned off? As part of a feasibility study in Malawi, Africa, we explored this phenomenon. Switching off validation on the mHealthartefact served its purpose within the context of a feasibility study where a parallel paper-based clinical assessment process remained in place. The design of this technical artefact with the turnkey validation feature afforded us the opportunity to turn validation on and off seamlessly. Ultimately, from an ethical, clinical and technical perspective the optimum approach is to ensurethat form field validation is switched on. With form field validation on adherence to the clinical guidelines is enforced which minimises incomplete assessment and the potential for suboptimal clinical decisions that could adversely affect patient care. (Less)


The invention discloses twist-resisting polyvinyl chloride synthetic leather which comprises a surface layer, a foaming layer, a bonding layer and fluffing cloth. The twist-resisting polyvinyl chloride synthetic leather is characterized by being prepared from the following components in parts by weight: 50-60 parts of SG-2 PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) resin, 30-40 parts of SG-6 PVC resin, 20-25 parts of isophthalic ester, 10-15 parts of phthalic polyester, 10-15 parts of trioctyl trimellitate, 5-6 parts of PVC color cream, 1-2 parts of zinc stearate, 1-2 parts of protein powder, 20-25 parts of zinc oxide, 10-15 parts of magnesium oxide, 10-15 parts of N660 carbon black, and 5-10 parts of modified attapulgite. Through improvement of formula and process provided by the invention, the flexibility of the synthetic leather is enhanced, and the synthetic leather has a natural and comfortable handfeel similar to that of natural leather. The synthetic leather is not easy to damage or tear within 3-5 years.


(p. 43). The comparison between craft union picketing (a single picket or a pair) and industrial union picketing (scores or hundreds) may be generally accurate, but industrial unions are often able to get by with token picketing, and craft unions, particularly in smaller or middle sized communities, are more troubled by nonunion craftsmen than the authors would lead us to believe. Taken as a whole, the book survives the shortcomings noted primarily because of some excellent descriptive material. On the assumption that this is what most instructors of collective bargaining are looking for, the reviewer reaffirms his opinion that the book is an adequate text. SANFORD COHEN ILO La Paz, Bolivia


To improve the performance and the robustness of finite control set predictive current control (PCC) under the influence of current measurement error in the actual system, robust exploration based finite control set predictive current control (RE-PCC) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, to analyze directly transient and steady state of system operation, a voltage cost function without weighting factor is designed based on predicted voltage error vector, reference voltage vector and evaluated voltage vector. Secondly, the robust exploration is designed to overcome the influence of measurement error by combing the amplitude and phase attribute between the predicted voltage error vector and the ideal reference voltage vector. Thirdly, based on the robust exploration, the desired sector and the prior vector set is derived for cost function evaluation. It is great benefit to computational burden and switching losses by reducing the seven vectors to three. Finally, the RE-PCC method is experimentally compared with an improved PCC method in terms of robustness, current quality, torque ripple, dynamic characteristics and efficiency. The experimental results verify the high robustness and superior control performance of RE-PCC method in surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) drives.


Layered anatomy is a both ancient and novel conception, which is derived from topographic anatomy. Topographic anatomy and phylembryogenesis are basic academic knowledges of layered anatomy. With the development of laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery, less bleeding, more meticulous dissection, faster postoperative recovery and lower recurrence rate are required in surgical operation, because of which layered anatomy is mentioned and valued again. Organs in abdominal cavity are composed of different layered tissues, between them are loose connective tissues which are poor in vessels. Layered anatomy in surgical operation can avoid the " en bloc"dissection of organs, which not only reach total lesion dissection, but also avoid hurting surrounded normal tissues, showing the best surgical results.

Key words:
Layered anatomy; Abdominal surgery; Phylembryogenesis; Topographic anatomy


In LTE co-channel heterogeneous network, the deployment of picos within macro-cell coverage is a cost-effective way to increase system capacity and keep up with the increasing demand for data capacity. Cell Range Extension (CRE) is considered as an effective scheme to make more users to associate with picos, to archive more off-load benefit from macro and increase the whole performance of the heterogeneous network. However every coin has two sides. When CRE is applied, it causes the severe co-channel interference between macro and pico cells, especially for system information, e.g. Master Information Block (MIB) and result in the user detection issue of system information. In this paper, we simulate and analyze the co-channel interference characteristics under CRE, furthermore propose the dominant interference cancellation scheme to improve the performance of MIB detection. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme can fulfill the target performance of MIB detection under 9 dB CRE.


Introduction The selection interview is the most frequently used method of personnel assessment for various jobs, despite its susceptibility to response distortion. Unfortunately, existing research indicates that experts in personnel selection are no better than chance in their detection of response distortion, irrespective of their interviewing experience. As one of the potential solutions for this challenge, some authors have proposed investigating the behavioural indicators of faking during the interview. According to various general theories and models of deception (i.e., Buller & Burgoon, 1996; DePaulo et al, 2003; Ekman, 2002; Walczyk et al, 2014), differences in behavioural cues should mirror the differences in psychological processes between honesty and deception. More precisely, deception should, at least under some circumstances, be more cognitively taxing, accompanied by more rigid behaviour and by less authentic facial expressions. Although there is an abundance of papers whose authors investigated the possibility of deception detection via behavioral cues in the context of forensic and cognitive psychology, research on this topic is still very scarce when it comes to the selection interview. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the possibility of detection of faking in the selection interview through a multimodal approach, based on paraverbal, verbal and nonverbal cues, and facial expressions. Additionally, it was examined whether it is possible to detect response distortion with two different algorithms: one based on logistic regression and the other on artificial neural networks. Methodology: In total, a convenience sample of 102 students/recent graduates (71% female, Mage=24.2, SDage=3.08) participated in a video-recorded mock structured selection interview for the position of call centre manager. There was a total of 16 interview questions that measured the dimensions of extraversion and honesty/humility. The interview consisted of two blocks: in one block participants had to answer honestly, while in another block their task was to present themselves as an ideal candidate for the position. The order of interview questions and blocks was balanced across participants and every question appeared just in one block. As an incentive to distort their answers effectively, participants were told that 10% of those with the most convincing self-presentations in faking condition would receive an award coupon of approximately 70 euros. At the end of the interview, some control variables and variables related to the experimental manipulation check were measured. Two independent coders analysed cues from every behavioural category. Additionally, facial expressions were analysed with the OpenFace application. Results and discussion: The manipulation check indicated that participants answered less honestly, used more faking strategies, experienced more cognitive load and fear of detection, and controlled their behaviour more when presenting themselves as ideal candidates. They achieved higher scores on extraversion and honesty/humility while faking as well. Interestingly, participants reported higher levels of motivation to present themselves convincingly in the honest condition. Regarding the differences in behavioural cues between honest vs. ideal candidate conditions, significant multivariate effects were obtained for paraverbal, verbal and facial expressions (both for human coders and OpenFace) categories. In the context of the paraverbal behaviour, participants demonstrated more filled pauses and fewer speech errors while presenting themselves as ideal candidates. Regarding the verbal behavior, faking was accompanied by more first-person pronouns and fewer terms indicating uncertainty. In the facial expressions' category, both the human coders and the OpenFace data indicate that, overall, the face was more rigid and "frozen" during faking. Additionally, an interesting pattern emerged: during the faking condition action units implicated in eyebrow raising (AU1 and AU2) were more active, while during the honest responding, there was more activation in action units related to smiling in general (AU10, AU12, and AU14), and especially to its honest, authentic variant (AU6). There was no significant multivariate effect for the nonverbal behavior in differentiating honest and faking conditions. The pattern of results described above is, at least to some degree, in line with some of the general models and theories of deception. A higher frequency of filled pauses and less activity in the face during the faking condition could indeed indicate that it was more cognitively taxing for participants to present themselves as ideal candidates, compared to responding honestly. Alternatively, this pattern of results could also have emerged as an unplanned consequence of overcontrolling one's behaviour during the faking, in accordance with hypotheses derived from a self-presentational perspective (DePaulo et al., 2003) and interpersonal deception theory (Buller & Burgoon, 1996). On the other hand, as evidenced by their results in the experimental manipulation check, participants didn't experience intense emotions during the interview, limiting their utility as an exploratory mechanism beyond behavioral differences between faking and honest responding. As for the classification of the interview conditions (honest vs. fake responding), the same levels of performance were achieved both with logistic regression and artificial neural networks, with 65% sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy rates on the test data. These rates are only slightly lower than the ones achieved on the training data, indicating a good generalizability of our models' performances to a new, previously unseen dataset. Additionally, these results are comparable to some previous findings in the field (e.g., Culbertson et al., 2016). Conclusion: It was demonstrated in this study that response distortion in the selection interview could be detected by its unique behavioural signature, but not all modalities and their cues were equally useful. Although statistically large effect sizes were obtained for various measures of the experimental manipulation, in an absolute and practical sense the psychological differences between conditions could have been more pronounced. This could have at least partly contributed to the absence of a larger number of significant behavioural cues. Regarding the classification of faking/honest responding, when investigating different algorithms, future researchers should remember that more powerful models are not necessarily more accurate.


ABSTRACT This article investigates Habermas's communicative ethic in relation to changes in the roles of institutions and the state. I reference Alexy, Weber and Taylor, arguing that an artificial delimitation of the public sphere as disparate from the private or religious cramps the capacity of those identified as outsiders to communicate within it. I question the ability of public reason as Habermas has outlined it to meet the challenges it faces regarding interreligious dialogue and integration in democratic societies, and I suggest, instead, an approach more open to dialogue with religions in terms that are more comprehensible to them.


Abstract : The introduction of directed energy weapons into twenty-first century naval forces has the potential to change naval tactics as fundamentally as the transition from sail to steam. Recent advances in directed energy technologies have made the development of both high-energy laser and high-power microwave weapons technically feasible. This study examines the potential adaptation of such weapons for the defense of naval forces. This study considers options for using directed energy systems on naval vessels in the context of the U.S. maritime strategy and emerging threats in international politics. The framework for this study is an integrated system of microwave devices, high-energy lasers, and surface-to-air missiles which are evaluated in terms of their ability to enhance anti-ship cruise missile defense, tactical air defense, and fast patrol boat defense. This study also examines collateral capabilities, such as non-lethal defensive measures and countersurveillance operations. The global proliferation of increasingly sophisticated weapons and the expanding demands placed on its ever-smaller navy require the United States to reassess its current approach to fleet operations. This study concludes that directed energy technology has made sufficient progress to warrant the development of sea-based weapons systems for deployment in the first two decades of the next century. For operational and technical reasons, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier may be the preferred platform for the initial implementation of directed energy weapons. If successful, the robust self-defense capability provided by directed energy weapons will permit a fundamental shift in carrier battle group operations from a massed, attrition oriented defense to a more dynamic, dispersed offense.


In the debate about urban school effectiveness and teacher quality, one proposition has emerged as indisputable: The success of urban schools depends heavily on the quality of the teachers who serve the schools and the administrators who support the teachers. Unfortunately, urban school district recruitment policies are often not aligned with research and practical knowledge about urban teacher effectiveness; thus, the best candidates are often ignored, neglected, or otherwise discouraged. To achieve challenging goals for student achievement, urban school districts must tailor their recruitment and retention efforts to address the characteristics and motivations of potential urban teachers.


D_ ecision analysis has been applied in healthrelated areas for about 20 years. However, many clinicians are wary of this method and the results it produces.'-3 Since decision analysis tends to involve many assumptions, either implicit or explicit, this distrust is not completely unwarranted. Nevertheless, decision analysis does have a role in the evaluation of clinical interventions and health services. In this article we briefly introduce the methods for decision analysis, present the limitations of those methods and discuss the potential uses of decision analysis.


The arm includes a large number of nerve fibres that transfer information between the central nervous system and the receptors, muscles and glands of the arm. In the nervous system there is continuous traffic. At rest, when only the receptors send information continuously towards the central nervous system, the traffic is not as intensive as during stress, e.g. during movements of the arm, when the central nervous system sends information towards the muscles, as well. From an information and communication engineering perspective the nervous system of the arm is an information channel, the other end of which is in the central nervous system and the other end at the periphery of the arm. One principal question about such a communication system is what the maximum information transmission capacity of the channel is, e.g. how the information channel is dimensioned. The arm is a highly complex system with over sixty muscles moving it, and a huge number of sensory receptors in it. Nature has dimensioned the information channel of the arm to satisfy the requirements of the nervous system. In this thesis a specific mathematical model is built in order to evaluate the maximum information transmission capacity of the nervous system of the arm. The model handles the nervous system of the arm as an entity in the light of information theory. The model uses the physiological and functional properties of the nervous system of the arm as the input and gives the estimate of the maximum information transmission capacity as the output. The modelling yielded the result that the maximum information transmission capacity of the arm is about 10 Mbit/s. Hence, if a complete neural prosthesis of the arm were built, a single USB bus (12 Mbit/s) would suffice as a communication channel for each arm. The mathematical model developed can also be applied to other parts of the peripheral nervous system. The aim of future research is to apply the developed model comprehensively to the human peripheral nervous system and to estimate the maximum information transmission capacity of the whole human peripheral nervous system.


By using 30/70 polyethersulfone/NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) solutions as an example, we have determined the role of air-gap distance on nascent fiber mor- phology, performance, and thermal properties. An increase in air-gap distance results in a hollow fiber with a less layer of fingerlike voids and a significant lower permeance. For the first time we have reported that the Tg of a dry-jet wet-spun fiber prepared from one-polymer/one-solvent systems is lower than that of a wet-spun fiber, and Tg decreases with an increase in air-gap distance. These interesting phenomena arise from the fact that different precipitation paths take place during the wet-spinning and dry-jet wet-spinning processes. Wet-spun fibers experience vigorous and almost instantaneous coagulations; it results in hollow fiber skins with a long-range random, unoriented chain entanglement, but loose structure. Dry-jet wet-spun fibers first go through a moisture-induced phase separation process and then a wet-phase inversion process; it results in external fiber skins with a short-range random, compact, and slightly oriented or stretched structure. As a result, the outskin of wet-spun fibers have a greater free volume and a higher first Tg than that of the dry-jet wet-spun ones. Both SEM (scanning electronic microscope) photomicrographs and DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) analyses support our conclusion. q 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1067-1077, 1997


This study describes an assessment of attitudes of farmers from the Lanja tehsil of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra in order to understand the information seeking behavior and reasons for the fa rmers seeking this agricultural information through different sources. To meet the objective of the study, a structured questionnaire and interviews were conducted to gather information on number of aspects related to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) from 100 randomly selected framers. Additional semi- structured questionnaire and checklist was provided to the key stakeholders. The farmer based questionnaire sought demographic data, information requirement data and uses of ICT data. Key stakeholders were also asked similar information and information related to their job position, their work experience and what further knowledge they would require to improve their work performance. This paper reports on the analysis of demographic data, educational qualification, family background, income range, land ownership, use of ICT, source of getting information, belief on the sources of getting the information and the information required by the farmer. The study provides an insight into information needs of the villagers and their attitudes to whether the information m ay facilitate better decision making about their agricultural activities.


A multidisciplinary, multilaboratory project is underway whose focus is optical and acoustic phonetic signals and their relationships to each other in speech production and perception. The goals are to quantitatively characterize optical speech signals, examine how optical phonetic characteristics relate to acoustic and to physiologic speech production characteristics, study what affects the intelligibility of optical speech signals, and apply obtained knowledge to optical speech synthesis and automatic speech recognition. We describe the data acquisition facility, which includes recording of video, acoustic, electromagnetic midsaggital articulography, and 3‐D motion capture data simultaneously and in synchrony. We also outline the design of the database of recordings being obtained and show examples from the database. [Work supported by NSF 9996088.]


Background Paraquat (PQ) poisoning induces severe acute kidney injury and causes extremely high rate of death. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of silymarin on PQ-induced acute kidney injury and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods A rat model was established through intraperitoneal injection of PQ. Rats were administrated with saline or silymarin for 3 days. Then, survival rate, physiological parameters, and renal injury score were evaluated. The apoptosis and oxidative stress in kidney tissues were determined through hematoxylin and eosin staining, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results Silymarin administration could significantly increase the survival rate of PQ-poisoned rats. It was found that silymarin treatment improved renal function, decreased injury score in kidney tissues, and inhibited the apoptosis and oxidative stress in PQ-induced acute kidney injury through the activating the signaling pathway of Nrf2 and promoting its nuclear translocation. Conclusion Silymarin exhibited a protective effect against PQ-induced kidney injury, suggesting that treatment with this flavonoid could be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of acute kidney injury.


Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a typical stem-cell driven malignancy, driven by leukemia stem cells (LSCs). LSCs are resistant to conventional therapies. This resistance is mediated by cell-intrinsic mechanisms and interactions with the microenvironment. LSCs depend on signals from a specialized microenvironment, a so called niche, to maintain their stem cell characteristics. In CML the bone marrow (BM) as a niche is well-investigated and several therapeutic targets, which aim at LSCs by interrupting their interaction with the BM-niche are under investigation. However, even though splenomegaly is a hallmark of CML the contribution of the splenic microenvironment to CML development has not been studied so far. This project aims to investigate the role of the splenic microenvironment as an independent secondary LSC niche and its contribution to disease development.
 To induce a CML-like disease in mice we retrovirally transduced FACS-sorted Lineage- Sca-1+ cKit+ BM cells with pMSCV-p210BCR/ABL-IRES-GFP and injected the transduced cells into non-irradiated mice.
 To find out if the spleen contributes to disease development we induced CML in splenectomized and sham operated mice. Splenectomized mice survived significantly longer compared to sham operated controls (median survival 31 vs. 22 days; p=0.0006) with 20% of the splenectomized mice surviving longer than 90 days. Moreover, the number of LSCs in the BM of splenectomized mice was reduced 3.7-fold (p=0.002).
 Flowcytometric analysis of the spleen and BM compartments of CML bearing mice revealed that the majority of the leukemic stem and progenitor cells (LSPCs) were located in the spleen (19-fold more LSCs in the spleen; p =0.007). Moreover we found the leukemic compartment in the spleen to be enriched for LSPCs compared to the BM (20 % spleen vs. 10 % BM; % LSPCs of total leukemic cells; p=0.01). To confirm this phenotypic observation functionally we performed a limiting dilution transplantation of leukemic cells from spleen and BM. In line with the phenotypic observation we found a higher frequency of LSCs in the spleen compared to the BM (1/41'703 vs. 1/432'594; p=0.02). We next analyzed the gene expression of LSPCs from spleen and BM. We found that the gene expression profile of splenic LSPCs showed higher expression of stemness-related genes and reduced expression of myeloid differentiation genes compared to BM LSPCs, indicating that the spleen is more supportive of primitive LSPCs.
 Knowing that the spleen contributes to disease development by providing an alternate niche for LSCs we next analyzed the spleens using confocal microscopy. We found that the LSCs resided exclusively in the red pulp. Previous studies have shown that HSCs reside in direct contact with red pulp macrophages (RPMs) during extramedullary hematopoiesis (Dutta et al., JEM, 2015). In addition we found that in spleens from human CML patients CD34+ leukemia cells localized together with macrophages (p=0.001). Furthermore we could show that RPMs are capable of producing both SCF and G-CSF. To test the role of RPMs as a potential niche component in vitro we co-incubated LSCs and RPMs overnight before plating the LSCs in a colony formation assay. We found that the co-incubation with RPMs improved the colony formation capacity of LSCs (CFUs 166 vs. 138; p=0.0356). To test the role of RPMs in vivo we depleted macrophages in CML mice using clodronate liposomes. This resulted in significantly reduced splenomegaly (867mg vs. 249mg; p<0.0001) and reduced numbers of splenic LSCs (23-fold; p=0.001). This was further confirmed in a genetically engineered mouse model lacking RPMs (Spic-/-) (735mg vs. 450mg; p=0.0112 and 22-fold fewer LSCs; p<0.0001). Finally, while in naïve mice RPMs can be differentiated into a CD24low and CD24high population, the CD24high population is lost in CML bearing mice.
 In summary, we found that the spleen provides an alternate niche for LSCs, thereby contributing to CML development. Compared to the BM niche the splenic niche is more supportive of primitive LSPCs, as shown by the higher frequency of LSCSs found in the spleen and the higher expression of stemness related genes in splenic LSCs compared to BM LSCs. Moreover we identified CD24low RPMs as a unique and central component of the splenic LSC niche. Even though we could show that RPMs are capable of producing SCF and G-CSF the exact mechanisms by which RPMs support LSCs remains to be investigated.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.