Much of the existing group model-building literature focuses on approaches to defining model boundary and conceptualizing overall model structure including the creation of a backbone stock-and-flow structure as well as mapping key feedback structures into the model. Detailed formulation and parameter estimates are often left to back room techniques. This paper reports on the use of three scripts designed to engage groups in tasks related to model parameterization. The paper describes the context of the study—a group model building session hosted by the Ohio State University and focusing on infant mortality in the state of Ohio—and then proceeds to lay out the agenda for the two-day group modeling project. We discuss in detail how three scripts were used and also present a summary of the data that was collected to parameterize the final model. The paper sketches how that data has been used to support the rapid prototyping of the first phase of a running simulation model. 1. Adding a Quantitative Emphasis to Group Model-Building Techniques Over the past three decades, system dynamics group model-building (GMB) has evolved by introduction of multiple scripts and applying them to diverse projects. These scripts combine the related group decision-making methods and system dynamics modeling approach to address issues arising when clients are directly involved in the development of a system dynamics model. The use of scripts in group model building was initiated by Andersen and Richardson (1997) and was extended by others (Hovmand et al., 2012; Luna-Reyes et al., 2006). Current scripts have been designed to define model boundaries and to conceptualize overall model structure. Parameter estimations were retained with specific values determined after the GMB. However, the GMB participants are subject matter experts and policy makers who are likely to contribute good estimates of parameter values or know where the values can be found. This article presents three scripts intended to elicit rough estimates of parameter values from participants, identify data sources, and set the scope of the model. These scripts were tested in a GMB conducted at The Ohio State University (OSU) for the Infant Mortality Research Partnership (IMRP) project. We apply the framework suggested by Hovmand et al. (2012) to document these scripts and explain the sequence in which they should be used. The paper is organized into six sections. The second section provides an overview of the IMRP and the third section summarizes the two-day GMB session conducted in Ohio. A description of the scripts used in the GMB is provided in the fourth section. The fifth section presents the results of a parameter estimation exercise and the final section provides concluding remarks and suggest next steps. 2. Infant Mortality in the state of Ohio Ohio ranks 45th out of 50 in the United States with an overall infant mortality rate (IMR) of 6.8 per 1,000 live births in 2014. More alarmingly is the racial disparity in terms of IMR. The rate among White and Black babies was 5.3 and 14.3, respectively. These dramatic statistics have incentivized Ohio to carry out various initiatives at multiple levels to reduce the overall IMR and remove racial inequities in birth outcomes and infant mortality among Ohioans. At the state level, initiatives have mainly focused on the following: i) increased sharing of data across multiple agencies, such as the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, ii) addressing the social determinants of health, iii) implementation of evidence-based community interventions, and iv) quality improvement initiatives in the health care system. At the county level, public health departments have implemented several maternal and child health programs to improve the coordination of care and allocation of resources. One example is the Celebrate One initiative, which is a partnership with Columbus Public Health that aims to educate pregnant women and connect them with resources before, during and after the birth of their baby to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes, such as preterm birth and post-neonatal death. At the city level, there are more focused programs such as Moms2B, which is a group prenatal care education initiative targeting very low income Black women in Columbus, Ohio through clinics in the poorest neighborhoods. The integration of these interventions may improve the effectiveness of individual and multi-pronged approaches to reduce infant mortality throughout the state. In March 2016, the State of Ohio released a request for proposal that sought research in multiple areas related to infant mortality using various methodologies. This broad research program, the Infant Mortality Research Partnership (IMRP), is administered and managed by the Government Research Center (GRC), a biomedical research center within OSU's Wexner Medical Center. The IMRP consists of four projects briefly described, below: • Systems modeling of infant mortality to identify optimal interventions for reducing infant mortality in Ohio; • Predictive (statistical) modeling of clinical and non-clinical factors to predict the probability of preterm birth, neonatal death and post-neonatal death; • Spatial analysis of infant mortality cases in Ohio to identify hotspots and geographical risk factors; and, • Evaluation of a home-visiting program for prenatal care among vulnerable communities. Our team was funded to conduct research in the area of systems modeling of infant mortality. The three primary objectives of our proposal include: 1. Conduct a group model building workshop and develop a system dynamics model of infant mortality in Ohio, 2. Develop a causal structural model of infant mortality interventions, and 3. Develop an agent-based model of infant mortality in Ohio. Members of our team include one principal investigator and multiple co-investigators, leading the research for each of the three objectives. The team also consists of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. The diversity of research expertise of our team members was perhaps the greatest strength of our proposal. This expertise includes knowledge of multiple modeling methodologies (e.g., system dynamics, agent-based modeling, and causal modeling), numerous disciplines (e.g., perinatal epidemiology, social work, public policy, and education) and broad ranging experiences (e.g. working with state agencies, federal programs, and healthcare partners). This diversity in expertise has also served our team members in being able to translate and bridge gaps in our individual knowledge regarding modeling and the clinical and nonclinical determinants of infant mortality. 3. Two-day Group Modeling Session for Infant Mortality Project The GMB in Ohio was conducted to collaboratively develop a system dynamics model of infant mortality in the state for examining the effects of different interventions intended to reduce infant mortality. To achieve this purpose, the two-day session was designed in alignment with GMB best practices (Andersen & Richardson, 1997; Luna-Reyes et al., 2006; Richardson, 2013). The number of participants was limited to 12-15 experts with relevant background/disciplines on the topic of infant mortality to encourage direct engagement. The project team strove to achieve balanced representation from relevant stakeholder groups, and to ensure that individuals with different content expertise relevant to infant mortality and its contributing factors were present. The facility chosen for the GMB event provided a flexible, convenient, and supportive space for the sessions. Members of the research team were assigned specific roles a priori, to ensure that the process and documentation of the model building session were seamless. In preparing for the GMB, the research team consulted with the client to identify appropriate candidates to recruit as participants, thereby assuring key stakeholder constituency representation. Individuals selected for invitation included those invested in addressing Ohio's infant mortality problem in one of three sectors: medical (including researchers and practitioners), policy, and community-based/non-profit organizations. Every effort was made to balance representation between these three groups, such that no stakeholder group was overrepresented. Additionally, consideration was given to the content expertise of each participant. Given the scope of the project it was critical that expert knowledge was inclusive of both medical contributors to infant mortality and social determinants of health, as both mechanisms are considered to be priorities by the IMRP. Thirteen content experts, or "core participants," were present during the full two days. The client and funder also requested the presence of seven additional attendees, or "participants." Participants observed activities early on the first day and at the conclusion of the second day. Integrated technology and the availability of white boards were prioritized in the facility selection process; the room had white boards spanning three walls and had two large screens for projecting (Andersen & Richardson, 1997). Tables were arranged in small clusters throughout the room to provide participants with ample working space while also fostering social interaction (Hovmand, Rouwette, Anderson, Richardson, & Kraus, 2013). Facility selection for the GMB session was designed to encourage all-day attendance by being somewhat removed from attendees' workplaces, but still convenient for the majority of participants to travel to the session. Prior to the two-day model building session, interviews were held with three major constituency groups. Representatives from Medicaid and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services were engaged, as well as a nationally renowned clinical researcher with content expertise relevant to infant mortality. These interviews had several


Abstract Alemtuzumab (Campath 1H -MabCampath), initially used for prophylaxis of graft versus host disease in allogenic transplantaion, is now increasingly used for refractory chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL). Its efficacy has been well documented in this--the commonest form of leukaemia. Alemtuzumab is associated with severe immunosuppression, allergic reactions and thrombocytopenia. Data sheet and information supplied by the manufacturer confirm the rare occurrence of serious immune thrombocytopenia, recommending discontinuation of therapy when platelet counts fall below 50×10 9 /l. We report a patient with refractory CLL in which relentless progressive cytopenia occurred despite the discontinuation of alemtuzumab therapy while the platelet count was over 97×10 9 /l. Marrow biopsy showed increased megakaryocytes, the patient bleed uncontrollably and died of cerebral haemorrhage with a platelet count <10×10 9 /l. Data on the predictive factors underlying this complication are few and deserve further study as this drug is increasingly used the treatment of CLL.


The study Hopewell S, Keene DJ, Marian IR, et al. Progressive exercise compared with best practice advice, with or without corticosteroid injection, for the treatment of patients with rotator cuff disorders (GRASP): a multicentre, pragmatic, 2 × 2 factorial, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2021;398:416-28. To read the full NIHR Alert, go to: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/one-off-physiotherapy-session-effective-for-shoulder-pain/


The relationship between leaf water potential and rooting was investigated in cuttings of Rhododendron (Hardy Hybrid) 'Mrs. W. Agnew', Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Esch. and Hebe (Garden Hybrid) 'Caledonia' (of the 'Mrs. Winder' group), during propagation under mist and polythene. Water potentials well below –10 bars frequently occurred and low mean water potentials related to poor rooting. Propagation under polythene gave better results than mist in the lower radiation conditions of winter but the reverse occurred under high radiation conditions. Treatment of cuttings with a poly-vinyl resin antitranspirant coating temporarily increased leaf water potentials in the consistently humid conditions under polythene but not under mist. The coating peeled and lost its effectiveness within 6 weeks.

Multiple regression analysis showed that much of the variation in water potential in cuttings under mist could be accounted for by inclusion of three variables, viz. current day's radiation, number of days from insertion of the cuttings and either the previous day's leaf water potential or radiation. Under polythene the influence of yesterday's water potential was relatively unimportant, probably because cuttings were able to take up water overnight from condensation on the under surface of the polythene.

For optimal rooting, propagation procedure must ensure that high leaf water potentials are maintained, but conventional methods do not always achieve this.


In order to make the most use of the equipment and to reduce the cost in mine- railway,a re- search on the problem of how to distribute the vacantcargoes optimally in mining area with computer was made,so thatthere will be a minimal quantity of unloaded- coal in the mine.The strictmathematical defi- nition and model were builtup on it.By discussing the characters of the problem,a series of optimal crite- rions and simplified methods were given,thus reducing the scope of the problem effectively. With the dy- namic program method,an computer algorithm on the optimal solution of the problem was designed,and the complexity and effectiveness on the algorithm were analyzed. Finally,with the solution of a practical instance and the analysis of its result,it is shown thatthe algorithm is feasible in the practical work.


Currie's expansive, practice-grounded account of how historical scientists "make their own [epistemic] luck" is a pivotal reset for philosophy of the historical sciences. I particularly welcome his arguments against the various forms of epistemic atomism that have inclined philosophers to an overstated pessimism about the epistemic status of fields whose subject domain is the past. Nonetheless I argue that there is more continuity between the evidence-constituting strategies recognized by trace-centric theorists and the non-trace, "surrogative" streams of evidence to which Currie draws attention.


The decreased heating demand in low-energy buildings affects the cost-effectiveness of traditionally-designed district heating (DH) systems. This paper presents the innovative low-energy DH concept, which is based on low- temperature operation. The annual energy performance of a low-energy network for low-energy houses in Denmark was investigated. We considered the influence of the human behavior on the energy demand, the importance of the degree of buildings connected to the network and a socio-economical comparison with ground source heat pumps. In the North European climate, the human behavior can lead to 50% higher heating demand and 60% higher heating power than expected according to reference values in standardized calculation of energy demand pattern in energy-efficient buildings. Next, we proved that low-energy DH systems are robust systems that ensure the security of supply to each customer in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way in areas with linear heat density down to 0.20 MWh/(m . year). This suggests that the mandatory connection of low-energy buildings to DH in specific areas, by means of detailed energy planning, would improve the energy efficiency and the overall socio-economy and it is strategic for effective energy policy. The levelised cost of energy in case of low-energy DH supply is competitive with the scenario based on ground source heat pumps. The investment costs represent up to three quarters of the overall expenditure, over a time horizon of 30 years; hence, the implementation of an energy system that fully relies on renewable energy needs substantial capital investment, which in the long-term period is sustainable, from the environment and socio-economical point of views. The low-energy district heating concept fits the vision of the future energy sustainable society.


Facing the neighborhood conflicts in the Florida Sur neighborhood at the Ciudad Bolivar district, the community's capacities were identified, characterized, prioritized and systematized to generate mechanisms for peaceful conflict resolution, through the notion of peace built from the territory. Such mechanisms and tools were summarized in a community conflict resolution manual co-built and based on the construction of trust, empathetic relational nexuses, cooperation for common benefit, and assertive communication from the analogical hermeneutics.

The present research is expected to be a pilot in processes of territorial peace building both in the Ciudad Bolivar district and in Bogota, prospectively.


This article develops and summarizes the compensating friction method represented by G. Fridman in his article. Unlike mentioned article where describes only a dry friction system there is an important practical example of simultaneous availability of dry and viscous friction in this article


Abstract:  Islam as a religion that comes from Allah does not only talk about the problems of ubudiyah and the hereafter, but also talks about various aspects of life, including governance. However, it is recognized that it is strictly and clearly not found the concept of government or caliphate in Islam, let alone the concept of the state in the sense of nation-state. Understanding the concept of the state will feel more complicated when we include various points of view and perspectives. Because the order to establish a state will not be found in the literature of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith of the Prophet. However, when we want to know the organs of this country, we find many in the Al-Quran and Hadith. Islam is a cooperative religion, discussing all issues, both ukhrawi and worldly problems. From this worldly discussion, it will definitely discuss constitutional issues including discussing the issue of the concept of the state according to Islam. The purpose of this research is to add and enrich the knowledge about the state as a positive side. Keywords: Concept, State, Islamic Scholar


Armenia was a region of great strategic importance to the Roman Empire, and in the early years of the principate, it was usually ruled by client-kings of Rome. In 51 AD, its client-king, Mithridates was murdered and the usurper was ultimately ejected by the Parthians, who set up their own nominee, A long period of instability in the region followed. Claudius, the Roman Emperor in 51, has been largely blamed by the Roman historian, Tacitus, and by modern scholarship following him, for allowing this to happen. It is the aim of this paper to show that Claudius actually handled this crisis a lot better than he has been given credit for and that historians have been too incautious and unquestioning, not so much in accepting the facts as Tacitus set them out, but in adopting his opinion of this crisis. If the approach presented here is accepted, repercussions could be felt not only in our perceptions of this major historical event, but also in modern historians' views of the capabilities of the emperor Claudius and in a more questioning acceptance o the opinions of so important a historical source as Tacitus.


We consider the simultaneous 3D CSEM inversion of data from a towed receiver array and a very coarse grid of stationary seabed receivers. The inversion results show that the shortoffset data from the towed receivers are effective at resolving a shallow resistor along the towlines. On the other hand, the data from the stationary seabed receivers have less noise and will resolve the 3D geometry of deeper resistive structure typical for a hydrocarbon reservoir. We discuss uncertainty contributions in the two receiver types, and contaminated the synthetic data with noise corresponding to realistic levels.


Increasing demand on reliable energy resources have led to an increased exploration activity for untapped hydrocarbon resources in deep-water. The recently discovered, but fast-tracked Turkey's Sakarya offshore natural gas field development is also a result of the country's commitment to energy independence. This paper describes the dynamic reservoir characterization considerations, challenges, and engineering solutions to de-risk field development decisions, confirmed by a well test campaign in a complex setting, with no tolerance to failure.
 In Sakarya field, a live field development planning approach was applied, where the development plans were updated rapidly, in parallel with the dynamic reservoir characterization process. Therefore, a strong link between static modelling, advanced logging and dynamic well behavior analysis had to be established. In addition, proof of concept for the well completion design had to be validated. Following an unprecedented, detailed formation evaluation, fine-scale reservoir and transient wellbore simulations, five well tests were designed and executed. The design considerations and execution challenges included the completion type, big fluid losses and high risk of hydrate formation in the deep-water environment.
 Five successful well tests were completed in ultra-deep water and led to the initiation of the first ultra-deep water natural gas field development in Turkey. The detailed formation testing campaign played a key role in selecting production intervals and optimizing well completion. In light of the high-resolution vertical formation evaluation, well tests were designed to prove reservoir extent, connectivity and long-term production potential of the field. Completion design and the actual conditions observed during the execution were compiled and simulated using fine-scale reservoir modeling and transient wellbore simulations to assess all potential risks during well test. The tests were executed successfully, revealing critical well deliverability and reservoir characterization information. Completion brine losses into the formation, hydrate formation risks at low subsea and surface temperatures, completion and formation differential pressure considerations were evaluated with real-time data analysis. Well test execution plan was updated real-time to achieve critical reservoir information. This closely integrated characterization and field development planning approach led to keeping the tested wells as production wells, thus improved efficiency, minimized cost, minimized environmental impact and accelerated time to first production.
 Many technical challenges and time limitations were overcome during this work. Application of detailed formation testing practices, cased hole gravel pack completion in an offshore environment with hydrate risks and closely integrating the observations with the well test design by a multi-skilled team led to accurate well test simulations, correct test design and successful execution with excellent quality information. This paper allows readers to experience technical considerations in the design and execution steps for successful well test.


Dynamics occurring in the Earth's outer core involve convection, dynamo action, geomagnetic reversals, and the effects of rapid rotation, among other processes. Inertial waves are known to arise in rotating fluids, and their presence in the core has been previously argued using seismological data (Aldridge and Lumb 1987). They may also be involved in flows affecting the geodynamo. We report experimental observations of inertial wave modes in an Earth-like geometry: laboratory spherical Couette flow with an aspect ratio 0.33, using liquid sodium as the working fluid. Inertial modes are detected via magnetic induction and show good agreement with theoretical predictions in frequency, wavenumber, and magnetic induction structure. Our findings imply that linear wave behavior can dominate the dynamics even in turbulent flows with large Reynolds number Re, where nonlinear behaviors might be expected (here Re ∼ 107). We present evidence that strong differential rotation excites the modes via over-reflection. Earth's inner core may also super-rotate and thereby excite inertial modes in the same way. Zonal flows in the core, likely to have higher speeds than the super-rotation, may be a stronger source for exciting inertial modes in the Earth.


In conditions of modernization of education, a problem of forming students' research activity in training mathematics becomes actual. Its solving demands introduction an additional component "forming of research activity" into the methodical system. The introduction of the additional component in methodics puts forward a problem of searching how it influences the content of the methodical system. Subsequently the task of defining the place of academic research in mathematics in the system of methods of achieving main educational results (formation of mathematical definitions, generalization and systematization of the material studied, training methods in mathematics and so no) being a part of the main problem becomes acute. In the article there are some results of the research of the problem about the role and the place of students' research activity in the process of mastering mathematical methods.


Cluster beam deposition is a solvent-free method to prepare films of nanoparticles, one obvious application being heterogeneous catalysis. To address the problem of low cluster deposition rates, a novel cluster beam source, the "Matrix Assembly Cluster Source" was invented recently. Following the proof of principle studies, here, we demonstrate a further scale-up by 2 orders of magnitude, equivalent to reaching a production of ∼10 mg of clusters (Au100) per hour. This allows the preparation of cluster-decorated powder catalysts at the gram scale, comfortably sufficient for practical catalysis studies of novel materials at the research level, as demonstrated here by the catalytic combustion of propylene.


When it comes to selecting a conducive climate for discussing multifaceted issues such as freedom of speech, freedom of expression, or a free market economy, most faculty members would probably not choose a lecture course with more than 250 students that is located in a large theater/ auditorium. However, for an introductory course in advertising, introducing the concepts of a free market economy and the need for free flow of consumer information through advertising, is avery important concept for students. For many students this course may be their only college level course in advertising so it is important to introduce these issues in this course. The problem, then, lies in how to teach and discuss effectively the concepts of freedom of speech in a large lecture class that inhibits interaction. A solution is what this author calls "Donahue in the Classroom." By using a combination of role-playing, talk show techniques, and some enthusiasm, many of the inherent problems of discussing complex issues in a large group setting can be overcome. Students have reacted very positively to this teaching format. They express interest, respond enthusiastically with questions and comments, and show a strong preference for this type of exercise over the traditional lecture when surveyed. The method described was used in teaching advertising, but it would be very adaptable to almost any course.


The competitive pressure to shorten product development time has necessitated the automotive industry to rely more on Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) for analyzing and proving product reliability and robustness. The challenge of this approach is the incorporation of product variability, due to manufacturing and customer usage variations in the analysis, requires a massive computation process which may be prohibitive even with today's advanced computers. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of an efficient computational procedure based on optimal Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) and a "cheap-to-compute" nonlinear surrogate model using Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) to emulate a computationally intensive complex CAE model. The result of the analysis is the identification of sensitivity of design parameters, in addition to a computationally affordable reliability assessment. Fatigue life durability of automotive shock tower is presented as an example to demonstrate the methodology.


We study the structure of non-unique factorizations in block semigroups over finite abelian groups G with #C7 > 3 . As an application we obtain asymptotic formulas for certain functions associated with the non-uniqueness of factorizations in algebraic number fields. § 1 . Fac tor i za t ions in b lock s e m i g r o u p s Throughou t this paper , let G be an additively writ ten finite abelian group with # G > 3 . We recall briefly the notion of block semigroups . Let J~(G) he the multiplicative free abelian monoid with basis G . The elements of J(G) are of the form geG where vg(S) G No , and we set B(G) = [Be T(G) | Y, 9()<J = ° e G } ; gee, B(G) is called the block semigroup over G , the elements of B(G) arc called blocks. More generally, for a subset Go C G , we set B(GQ)={BeB(G)\ vg(B) = 0 for all geG\G()}. T h e semigroups B(GQ) are Krull monoids; if Go -= G , then the embedding B(G) —> J~(G) is a divisor theory, the divisor class group is isomorphic to G , and every class contains exactly one prime divisor; see [7, Beispiel 6j and [G, §3]. A M S S u b j e c t C l a s s i f i c a t i o n (1991): Primary 11R27, 11R44. Secondary 20M14. K e y w o r d s : Factorizations, Block semigroups.


The microstructure and nanocrystallization of the amorphous finemet alloy induced by different heat treatment conditions were studied by XRD and TEM.The crystal size of α-Fe is calculated from XRD pattern using Scherrer formula.The figures measured by XRD and TEM indicate the effect of the annealing temperatures on the crystallization.The surface appearance of the alloy was studied by AFM.


We present the first time-course measurements of cytoskeletal anticancer drug action on osteogenic tumor spheroids through motility imaging based on the amplitude and phase information retrieved from digital holography.


1. A method for measuring the profile geometry of spherically curved, in particular cylindrical bodies 2.1. The invention relates to a method for measuring the profile geometry of spherically curved, in particular cylindrical bodies as the measurement objects (4) by means of two-dimensional light-section method, in which by means of at least one laser (1, 1 ') has a fan-shaped laser line (2, 2') as a light section displayed line on the surface of the body and reflected by the surface of the body beams are received by at least one area image camera (3), wherein the laser (1, 1 ') and the camera (3) at a triangulation angle in the normal plane are arranged in line the cylindrical axis and the measurement values are subsequently fed to an evaluation unit for displaying the profile geometry. Moreover, the invention relates to a device for performing the method. 2.2. The method, (1, 1 ') is pivoted out of the normal plane to the cylinder axis for measuring the profile geometry of the laser, wherein the angle is selected to the normal plane so that the optical axis of the surface-screen camera (6) relative to the surface of the cylinder in the glancing angle range the reflected beams is. Third 2


One of the problems encountered in neural network applications is the choice of a suitable initial neural network configuration for the given classification problem. We propose an idea of constructing initial neural network configurations by making use of decision trees and threshold logic. First, a decision tree is constructed from the given set of training patterns. Then the decision tree is translated into a neural network. Initial values for the weights and thresholds of the neural network are determined. Finally, the obtained neural network is trained by the back-propagation algorithm. Experimental results have shown that a neural network constructed in this manner learns fast and performs efficiently.


A radiological survey was made of the former Bridgeport Brass Special Metals Extrusion Plant in Adrian, Michigan, now owned by General Motors Corporation. This plant was operated to extrude uranium metal which was used in the fabrication of reactor fuel for the Hanford, Washington, and Savannah River, South Carolina, plants. Activities at the Adrian plant included preparation of material for extrusion, abrasive sawing, storing, packaging, and shipping. When the original contract was concluded, most of the equipment was dismantled and salvaged. The current property owner cleaned much of the building and conducted his own radiological survey. The results of the General Motors survey indicated that the area originally involved in the uranium handling and processing operation was within tolerances under the provision of guidelines applicable at the time the facility was decommissioned. A comprehensive survey was conducted in that area by a team of health physicists from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The results of this survey tend to confirm the findings of the General Motors report, except that some floor areas were contaminated in excess of applicable guidelines and some off-gas ducts which had been used in the cutting area were found to be contaminated with uranium. Thesemore » ducts were removed, the floor areas were cleaned, and a subsequent resurvey of the plant was made. An additional survey of a portion of the facility was conducted by ORNL health physicists after learning that service pits had existed beneath the extrusion units. Sometime after extrusion operations ceased, these pits were filled with sand and covered over at the existing floor level with concrete. Results of this survey revealed concentrations of /sup 238/U up to 21,000 pCi/g of residue, scale, and other miscellaneous materials collected from the bottom of service pits, service manholes, and holding tanks.« less


Historically, translation had served as a means of communication and civilisation between different nations of the world. Translation had earlier played a key role in educational development and exchange of knowledge between different languages and nations. The history of modern civilisation and contacts between nations was no doubt facilitated by translation and translators of earlier time. It is a well-known fact that quite a number of languages and people in quarter of nations attained a peak of scientific and technological development of the modern day, through translation of works done by some scholars and researchers from other languages. Translation has helped greatly in the development of issues relating to education, science and technology, religion, cultural dissemination as well as fostering mutual understanding and unity among the world populace. Translation and interpretation still play a key role in communication and educational development among people of different languages. This paper looks at some of the challenges of Hausa translation in the modern technology and recommends solutions to the challenges. Hausa is one of the most widely spoken languages in West Africa and is being studied in various schools and institutions in different parts of the world. The language has embraced all the present scientific and technological development, yet is faced with some challenges of translations.This paper, therefore is an attempt to discuss the challenges and recommends solutions.


Microrhizomes were produced from leaf disc derived callus of a threatened endemic medicinal plant - Decalepis hamiltonii. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mM 6-benzyleaminopurine (BAP) and 6 mM 1-napthaleneacetic (NAA) acid was found to be optimum for rapid callus induction and establishment from leaf disc explants. Further differentiation of callus into microrhizome was conquered in MS medium supplemented with 4 mM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 8 mM NAA. A maximum of 20 microrhizomes in a cluster was produced within 90 days. Yeast extract (0.05%) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (0.05%) further enhanced the microrhizome formation when supplemented along with plant growth regulators (PGRs). Keywords: Decalepis hamiltonii , microrhizome, herbal medicine, secondary metabolites African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(11), 1308-1313


The amounts of water use efficiency vary with climatic, soils and crop ability to extract water in the soil. It has been frequently reported, lack of water availability reduce the amount and yield of common bean. The aim of study was to determine the effect of soil moisture level on growth of two common bean cultivars. The study was conducted in greenhouse. The design was factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design. Forty eight treatment pots were used for two common bean cultivars.


Disaccharide trehalose ( α -D-glucopyranosyl-1,1- α -D-glucopyranoside) is common in nematodes where it plays a number of key functions: by energy source, assisting glucose uptake and protecting against environmental stress. In the majority of eukaryotes, including nematodes, trehalose synthesis is catalysed by two enzymes: trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS, EC 220.127.116.11) and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP, EC 188.8.131.52). This enzymatic system requires UDP-glucose and glucose-6-phosphate as the initial substrates and trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) as intermediate product. There is no information available on synthesis of trehalose in Cystidicola farionis – parasitic nematode of salmonids and osmerids. The research material consisted of larvae and adults of C. farionis isolated from the swim bladder of European smelt from Vistula Lagoon. In the larvae and adults of C. farionis the activity of TPS and TPP were determined. Activity of TPS and TPP was determined using the method by Giaever at al. (1998) and Kassen at al. (1992), respectively. The end product of the reaction – trehalose was determined using HPLC (Dmitryjuk et al. 2009). We marked an optimum pH and temperature on the activity of both enzymes examined. The effects of pH on the enzymes were determined by employing


The paper deals with a 3D-FEA based comparison of four topologies of claw-pole alternators equipped with a dual excitation, namely: (i) the series-hybrid excited claw-pole alternator (SHECPA), (ii) the parallel-hybrid excited claw-pole alternator (PHECPA), (iii) the hybrid excited brushless claw-pole alternator (HEBCPA), and (iv) the PM-assisted hybrid excited brushless claw-pole alternator (PMA-HEBCPA). The study is initiated by a description of their topologies and an analysis of their rotor-stator flux linkages. Then, a special attention is paid to their back-EMF production capabilities, with emphasis on the no-load characteristics and the back-EMF wave-forms and harmonic contents. In order to highlight the possible improvements introduced by the dual excitation, the comparison is extended to the case of the conventional CPA which is taken as a reference.


Wing laminarization is one of the ways of increasing the L/D/ ratio of sailplanes....  These test results, as well as the solutions of structural and technological problems for manufacturing the wing of the model sailplane with boundary layer control system, could be applied to the design of sailplanes with high L/D ratio....


In high-gain dye amplifiers, the effective storage time of the gain medium is only a few hundred picoseconds. Therefore, efficient amplification of ultrashort pulses places a stringent requirement on the synchronization between the pump pulse and the pulse to be amplified. We present a technique of short pulse generation using a dye laser synchronously pumped by a frequency-doubled CW mode locked Nd:YAG laser. Pulses as short as 70 fs are produced. The short optical pulses are subsequently amplified with two different synchronous amplification schemes using 100 ps pulses to establish the gain in the dye amplifier stages. Subpicosecond pulses with energies from a few hundred nanojoules at 500 Hz to a few hundred microjoules at 7 Hz can be obtained.


Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for most of the diseases leading in mortality. Nicotine dependence (ND), which sustains regular smoking, is now acknowledged to be under substantial genetic control with some environmental contribution. At present, however, genetic studies on ND are mostly conducted in populations that have been poorly characterized with regard to ND‐related phenotypes for the simple reason that the respective populations were not primarily collected to study ND. The German multi‐centre study 'Genetics of Nicotine Dependence and Neurobiological Phenotypes', which is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) as part of the Priority Program (Schwerpunktprogramm) SPP1226: 'Nicotine—Molecular and Physiological Effects in CNS', was intended to overcome some of these inherent problems of current genetic studies of ND. The multi‐centre study is a population‐based case‐control study of smokers and never‐smokers (n = 2396). The study was unique worldwide because it was the first large‐scale genetic study specifically addressing ND with the collection of a wide range of environmental, psychosocial and neurobiological phenotypes. Study design and major population characteristics with emphasis on risk prediction of smoking status were presented in this paper.


This study examined the effectiveness of intensive child-centered play therapy with children identified as having disruptive behaviors. Participants were recruited from public schools in the urban area of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia area. A total of 24 participants completed the study: 18 boys and 6 girls aged 6 to 9 years old (M = 7); 17 Australian Caucasians, 1 English (U.K.) Caucasian, 1 Asian, 3 Hispanic/Latino, and 2 Biracial. Participants were randomly assigned: 12 to the experimental group and 12 to the waitlist control group. Children in the experimental group received 20 intensive Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) sessions: twice daily for 10 days. For each child participant, a parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a teacher completed the CBCL Teacher's Report Form (TRF) 3 times: at pretest, posttest, and 1-week follow-up. Results of factorial ANOVAs indicated a statistically significant interaction effect on CBCL Externalizing score, F(2, 44) = 14.747, p < .001, with a large effect size of &eegr;2 = .277. Results also indicated a statistically significant interaction effect on the TRF Externalizing score, F(2, 44) = 4.042, p = .024, with a large effect size of &eegr;2 = .135. Therefore, both parents and teachers indicated that children with externalizing behaviors who received intensive CCPT showed a significant decrease in those behaviors.


Emotional artificial intelligence (EAI) is increasingly being used in educational settings. This raises several contentious issues regarding children's rights and freedoms. This article evaluates the impact of EAI on children's rights, focusing on freedom of thought (FoT), non-discrimination, privacy, and data protection. These rights are evaluated in turn before focusing on the fairness principle in Article 5(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), an 'underutilized' principle that lies at the heart of the United Kingdom (UK) Age-Appropriate Design Code's standard: best interests of the child. We argue that the use of EAI in education contexts contradicts the fairness principle and that EAI represents a potentially serious threat to children's rights to FoT, non-discrimination, privacy, and data protection and is an issue which requires urgent attention from policymakers and regulators in the UK.
Fairness, Emotional Artificial Intelligence, GDPR, Privacy, Freedom of Thought, Education


Goffman's construct of total institutions provides a metaphor for the study of pervasive control, as well as point of departure for further analysis of social control in the modern age. The present effort extends this concept to the mass media, and expecially television. The focus is on the way control is communicated and produced through formats which define the time, place and manner of activity


Structure and growth of ultrafine Cu-phthalocyanine particles produced in an inert gas of Ar or He have been discussed in comparison with the growth of fine metallic and metallic oxide particles. A new method to produce the particles a few tens of nm have been proposed. This method, called two-boat method, uses the convection flow of inert gas and temperatute distribution in the atmosphere. The particles were β-crystal of needle shape grown in b axis with a size less than a few tens of μm. The smoke ball of Cu-phthalocyanine have been produced in a He gas pressure less than 30 Torr. The coalescence growth of Cu-phthalocyanine particle has been discussed on the basis of size distribution and temperature distribution in the smoke.


Comprising a flow meter disposed in an intake passage of an internal combustion engine, in the intake air quantity measuring apparatus for an internal combustion engine for measuring the amount of intake air to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine based on an output signal of the air flow meter, air flow meter an output signal (AFM signal) in synchronization with the crank angle of the internal combustion engine is sampled. Treatment with such an angle synchronized, it is possible to acquire the AFM data at regular intervals within one cycle of the intake pulsation, it is possible to eliminate the influence of intake pulsation. Thus, it is possible to suppress the variation of the average value of the AFM data, the average flow rate of intake air can be calculated accurately.


An overview of resources available from CRL: formats include print, microforms, and electronic resources, available through ILL or online access.


AIMS
This study aimed to identify determinants of work readiness and to assess the influences of work readiness on work-related outcomes in graduate nurses.

BACKGROUND
Higher work readiness facilitates smoother role transitions of new graduate nurses. However, determinants of work readiness had not been fully examined. In addition, the relationships between work readiness and work-related outcomes, such as coping self-efficacy and occupational commitment, are also crucial but had not been assessed.

METHODS
We recruited 794 graduate nurses and assessed their work readiness before working as nurses. After they commenced their work, we assessed their occupational commitment, coping self-efficacy, and intention to remain. All assessments were conducted online.

RESULTS
There were 728 (92%) female respondents. The mean scores and standard deviation (SD) of work readiness, coping self-efficacy, occupational commitment, and intention to remain were 261.51 (SD: 45.40), 30.30 (SD: 6.13), 81.65 (SD: 11.56), and 11.01 (SD: 2.36), respectively. Based on a regression analysis, determinants of work readiness were positive school climate, student leadership experience, nursing as the primary choice of discipline, and perceived influences of COVID-19 on the honorability of being a nurse and the willingness to be a nurse (p < 0.001). Moreover, after adjusted by all demographics and characteristics variables, higher work readiness would result in higher coping self-efficacy (estimated coefficient = 0.06, p < 0.001), occupational commitment (estimated coefficient = 0.06, p < 0.001), and intention to remain (estimated coefficient = 0.01, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION
Work readiness is a composite concept affected by psychosocial and environmental factors, which can predict new graduate nurses' future self-efficacy, occupational commitment, and intention to remain.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
The management of new graduate nurses when they begin to work could target their work readiness. Transition programs that consider our identified determinants can be provided to those who show lower work readiness.


This study examines the effects of a person's appearence on grading. 80 teachers in Swedish have assessed a text, illustrated with a picture of the supposed author. The pictures were varied by attr ...


Cloud computing is a modern emerging trend in distributed computing technology that is rapidly gaining popularity in the network communication field. Such network communication is an Internet-based computing, where shared resources, software, and information are provided with computers and devices on-demand. The concept of "cloud computing" is not new, it has proven a major commercial success over recent times and it is also considered "the delivery of computing model" through shared resources, software and information over the internet (public) or intranet (private). This innovative technology affords a new era of an electronic-service in diverse subject areas. This paper shows the role of cloud computing services and applications in different sectors, which in turn helps individuals and organizations to understand how cloud computing can provide them with customized, engine requirements, reliable and cost-effective services in a wide variety of applications. Furthermore, this context discusses a number of affecting factors, such as security, resource availability, cost, interoperability, precautions, and roadmap in healthcare, education, financial, agriculture and library sectors. Finally, the paper showcased the pros and cons of using cloud computing technology in different sectors. It additionally diagnosed the security factor that is a critical element in slowing down the adoption of cloud computing in various applications and institutions.


e19690 Background: This study documents the physicians' perceptions in cancer care of elderly patients in a pilot unit of coordination in oncogeriatrics (UPCOG) in Paris (France). The goal of this study is then to understand how physicians become involved in these new practices, and how they develop new forms of teamwork with aim to "doctoring together." Methods: Based on various qualitative techniques such as literature review, participant observation of work sessions, and 28 semi-structured interviews with different physicians (surgeon, radiation therapist, organ specialist, oncologist, and geriatrician), the research strategy is set in the methodological perspective of Grounded Theory. The general analysis is based on the model proposed by the sociologists Amselm Strauss and Eliot Freidson to analyze how physicians become involved in these new practices, how they interpret oncogeriatrics in their daily work routines, and what social values influence their perception as their commitment. Results: The an...


We numerically investigate the distribution of extrema of 'chaotic' Laplacian eigenfunctions on two-dimensional manifolds. Our contribution is two-fold: (a) we count extrema on grid graphs with a small number of randomly added edges and show the behavior to coincide with the 1957 prediction of Longuet-Higgins for the continuous case and (b) compute the regularity of their spatial distribution using \textit{discrepancy}, which is a classical measure from the theory of Monte Carlo integration. The first part suggests that grid graphs with randomly added edges should behave like two-dimensional surfaces with ergodic geodesic flow; in the second part we show that the extrema are more regularly distributed in space than the grid $\mathbb{Z}^2$.


ABSTRACT The paper examines tourism and hospitality management training with a focus on an undergraduate tourism management programme, introduced in a Malaysian university. It assesses the overall effectiveness of the programme, in satisfying the institution's broad objectives, the needs and expectations of potential employers and that of the student. The paper identifies specific issues such as student admission policies, implementation of the practical industry training, divergent views on the value of the programme and internal course coordination activities as some of the significant difficulties experienced. Recommendations designed to help resolve those difficulties are then suggested.


Paroedura lohatsara, spec. nov. is described from Montagne des Francais, a deciduous dry forest on a karstic underground in the far north of Madagascar. The new gecko species is relatively large (up to 80.6 mm snout-vent length and 156.1 mm total length) and has blackish markings on the head which can form a vermiculated pattern. It is further characterized by having the nostril excluded from contact with the rostral scale, distinctly enlarged and spinous tubercles on the dorsal surface, and specific colouration of juveniles and adults. The relationships of the new species are obscure: Based on the nostril position, P. lohatsara belongs to the phenetic Paroedura picta species group which was hitherto considered as largely restricted to southern Madagascar. Other morphological and chromatic characters indicate a closer relationship of P. lohatsara with the syntopic P. stumpffi which is a member of the P. sanctijohannis species group. Two further species of Paroedura, P. stumpffi and P. karstophila, are recorded from Montagne des Francais for the first time.


This thesis combines the nonmonotone technique and proposes a nonmonotone trust region algorithm to solve equality constrained optimization.The nomnonotone degree is controlled by algorithm self-adapt,when we calculate the ratio of predicted reduction and actual reduction,we adopt the information of the frontal m_((k))dots.It is differ from previously adopted the information of the frontal a dot when we calculate the ration of predicted reduction and actual reduction.We prove that the algorithm is well defined and the global convergence of method is obtained without regular conditions.Preliminary numerical results show the algorithm is effective,and nonmonotone trust region algorithm is more effective than monotone trust region algorithm.


The Ti/Al/Ni/Au metallization system which is widely used in the technology of GaN based devices has a very important disadvantage: after annealing in nitrogen atmosphere for 30 sec. at temperature 850 о С it has rough surface with 300 nm hillocks. This creates troubles for lithographic processes. The aim of this work is to investigate the mechanism that generates the roughness of this surface and ways to minimize this disadvantage. We have studied the formation of rough surface in Ti/Al/Ni and Ti/Al/Ni/Au multilayer metallization systems. The resistivity of the metallization sheet increases with an increase of annealing temperature. This can be attributed to the mutual diffusion of metals and their active interaction with the formation of intermetallic phases. X − ray analysis proved the appearance of the following basic intermetallic phases: NiTi, Al 3 Ti, и Ni 2 Al 3 in the metallization systems. After annealing the surface of metallization system Ti/Al/Ni becomes rougher; however, large hemispherical convexes (as in the Ti/Al/Ni/ Au metallization system) are not generated. Thus, the hypothesis of balling − up of molten Al − Ni alloy on the surface of metallization system Ti/Al/Ni has not been confirmed.  To decrease the amount of Au–Al liquid phase that causes the rough surface of Ti/Al/Ni/Au metallization we reduced the thickness of the Au layer to 50 nm. At this Au layer thickness the surface morphology of metallization became much better: roughness reduced from 300 nm to 80 nm and the surface became specular.


This paper describes a three dimensional eco-epidemiological model consisting of susceptible prey, infected prey and predator. We consider the positivity and boundedness of the solution first and the local stability of the equilibrium is discussed. Obviously, the interior equilibrium A* is always locally asymptotically stable according to the Routh-Hurwitz criterion. At last, the geometric method of Li and Muldowney is used to investigate the global stability of the interior equilibrium.


A novel optimal two stage coding for finite set of parallel flat-fading MIMO channels with single common information source with specific constant rate requirement is derived. The optimality of suggested coding is achieved in terms of the capacity versus outage performance. The well-known optimal coding rule relies on Gaussian codewords spanned over the whole available finite set of parallel channels. We prove that the equivalent preprocessing to the ideal interleaving is to re-code independent parallel channels codewords by a linear inner precoder from a special class of unitary precoders complying with the optimality criterion derived in the paper. Performing such linear mixture of codewords sharing common Gaussian block-wise codebook, the same capacity versus the outage is guaranteed without any interleaving over parallel channels. We utilize a virtual multiple access (VMA) channel approach to derive the optimality criterion. Selected precoders with various space-time or time-only domain span were tested against this criterion and we provide the optimality results on variety of the channel parameters. We showed that the temporal processing is the most important one to achieve the optimality of the precoder. A full space-time precoding does not perform better than one which is temporal-only. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


A cDNA encoding a cysteine protease inhibitor (cystatin) was identified by immunoscreening a Haemonchus contortus cDNA library with antisera from lambs vaccinated with a protective membrane protein complex (H-gal-GP) derived from the gut of the parasite. The cDNA sequence, designated Cys-1, showed significant levels of similarity with cystatins from several species of nematode as well as with human cystatinNucleotide and amino acid sequence data reported in this paper are available in the GenBankTM database under the accession number AF035945. . Recombinant H. contortus cystatin was expressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble and functionally active form, which proved to be a potent inhibitor of both mammalian cathepsin B and native H. contortus cysteine proteases. Immunolocalization studies using antisera raised against recombinant H. contortus cystatin showed that the inhibitor was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm of intestinal cells. To determine whether H. contortus had any protective capacity against infection, lambs were vaccinated with the recombinant molecule and subsequently given a single challenge infection. Although vaccination did not confer any protection against infection with H. contortus, as judged by faecal egg output or worm counts, cystatin will be a valuable tool in the analysis of the function of the cysteine proteases which are the subject of on-going study as potential vaccine components.


Smart grid technology is the future of electricity ordered by computers. This article presents the characteristics of the new technological developments in this area and reveals the fractal nature of this architecture, leading to a holonic structure which presents smart grid as a system bottom-up organized from autonomous entities that are recursively clustered at various aggregation layers. Taking into account the novelty of the subject, this paper should bring new opportunities to explore and develop this domain.


To evaluate a 36‐core saturation biopsy scheme on autopsied prostate glands to estimate the detection rate based on the true cancer prevalence, and to compare the cancer features on biopsy with whole‐mount pathological analysis, as saturation biopsies have been proposed as a tool to increase the prostate cancer detection rate, and as a staging tool to identify potentially insignificant cancers before surgery.


Field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and surface potentiometry based on scanning probe microscopy, i.e. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM), have been applied to study microstructures consisting of organosilane self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) terminated with ‐CH3 or ‐CF3 groups. Onto cleaned Si substrates covered with a thin oxide layer of 2 nm thick, SAMs were formed by chemical vapour deposition using n‐octadecyltrimethoxysilane (CH3(CH2)17Si(OCH3)3, ODS) or fluoroalkylsilane (CF3(CF2)7(CH2)2Si(OCH3)3, FAS) as a precursor. Through a photolithographic technique employing vacuum ultraviolet light at 172 nm, microstructures composed of ODS, FAS or both were fabricated. Micropatterns of the SAMs on SiO2/Si substrates were clearly imaged by FE‐SEM at an acceleration voltage of the electron beam below 1 kV, but image contrasts became faint with an increase in the acceleration voltage. At a voltage of 5 kV there was almost no detectable contrast. An FE‐SEM image of the ODS–FAS microstructure acquired at an acceleration voltage of 0.8 kV clearly demonstrated that the region covered with ODS was brighter and thus, emitted secondary electrons more efficiently than the region covered with FAS. Furthermore, as indicated in a KFM image, the region covered with FAS had a surface potential ∼180 mV lower than that of the region covered with ODS. The origin of these image contrasts between ODS‐ and FAS‐SAMs was the large difference in electronic states between ODS and FAS owing to the electron negativity of fluorine atoms. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The Center for Highway Research at The University of Texas at Austin in cooperation with the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration has developed a new microscopic traffic simulation package called the TEXAS Model for Intersection Traffic. The TEXAS Model is a computer program that can be used to aid in evaluating the operational effects of various traffic demands, types of traffic control, and/or geometric configuraions at single intersections. This report provides detailed guidance for the user of the TEXAS Model by outlining the input requirements and explaining the output format of the package. Input to the TEXAS Model has been designed to be user-oriented and minimal. The input for two pre-simulation processors which are called GEOPRO, the geometry processor, and DVPRO, the driver-vehicle processor, includes (1) geometric features of the intersection; (2) descriptive traffic data such as volumes, speeds, percent turns, etc.; (3) types of vehicles; and (4) types of drivers. Input to the simulation processor, called SIMPRO, contains (1) control parameters for the simulation process and (2) specifications for the traffic control scheme at the intersection. The appendix deals with an auxiliary headway distribution analysis processor, called DISFIT, which aids the user in selecting an appropriate headway distribution to be used by DVPRO. /Author/


Effects of changes in medium composition on callus proliferation vvere examined in five varieties including Koshihikari and Norin No. 1, which could not be easily handled in cell culture. Calluses were induced from mature embryos and were transferred into liquid media with various compositions. Sucrose concentration affected differences ingrowth rates among the calluses from the five varieties. The differences in growth rates were smaller at a concentration of 0.375 % sucrose in any of the four media Tvit.h various compositions of nitrogen sources than at a concen-tration of 3 % sucrose. Reduced nitrogen ssource alsoaffected the varietal differences in growth rates. At a concentration of 0.375 % sucrose, the growth rates of the Koshihikari and Norin No. I calluses were lower than those of the calluses from other varieties in the media con-taining 20 mM potassium nitrate (KN03), 20 mM KNO3 and 2.5 mM ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2S04) or 20 mM KN03 and 5mM glutamine as nitrogen source, while thegroTvth rates of the Koshihikari and Norin No. I caluses were almost identical With those of the calluses from othe varieties in the medium containing 2O mM KNO3 and 5 mM alanine. In the nex. t experiment, changes in the medium pH, which were induced by the growth of the calluses, were monitored at a concentration of 0.375 % sucrose during the culture period and were compared between Nipponbare and Koshihikari.


The main history of sociology in Latin America include works of Hostos and Varona. Imbued by the dominant positivist perspective at that time. However, did not let themselves lead in a dogmatic manner by this epistemological position and knew how to develop a vision of social phenomena. They used their instruments sociological to analyze several phenomena in their respective countries and the social development in general as progress, inequalities, poverty, education, democracy, prostitution, etc., with the conviction that their ideas could contribute to the improvement of society.


I. Dr POSTGATE communicated the following proposals on passages in Lucretius. II 1169. The accepted emendation of Pius momen for nomen is unsatisfactory; and the corruption of nomen to mores in Phaedrus 1. 15. 2 suggests mores here ; if this be read, it appears possible to retain saeclumque. v 383 sqq. Reading amnis for otnnis in 383 (amnes an unknown emender) and in 385 patrarunt for patrantur with Goebel, we should correct exalto for ex alto in 387. VI 85. For quid faciant we should read qui faciant (quijiant Bockemueller) comparing for the construction Muuro on IV 1113 and Aetna 208 and for the sense Lucr. VI 380.


Frequency dependent resistivity of a selected type of soil, bentonite and their mixes by weight have been presented. The main objective is to provide the much-needed information for the industrial usage of bentonite-based backfilling materials in conjunction with electrical grounding systems. As expected the resistivity decreases with both the moisture content and frequency. However, for all materials, the decrement in resistivity with moisture content (by weight) at a given frequency is more prominent than that with frequency at a given moisture level. At a given frequency, the percentage drop-in resistivity of sand between 0 % (dry material) and 10% of moisture content is above 99%. At a given moisture content, the resistivity of soil shows a marked reduction from 0 Hz (steady state) to about 0.6 kHz. The resistivity remains at steady value from 0.6 kHz to about 1 kHz and then varies in a slow downward ramp. It attains rather insignificant variation after about 10 kHz and level of around 100 kHz. Bentonite and soil-bentonite mixes also show similar variation of resistivity. However, the absolute resistivity of bentonite is much less than that of soil at all frequencies and moisture contents. Mixing of bentonite, even in relatively small quantities, such as 25%, could achieve appreciable reduction in resistivity of backfilling materials in practical electrical earthing systems.


Background: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is rare otolaryngology disorder worldwide and in Saudi Arabia. It is a benign tumor that tends to bleed and occurs in the nasopharynx which most commonly occurs in men more than women.
Methods: A view of rare case report following a 27-year-old woman presented with recurrent attack of epistaxis for six months which was associated with nasal obstruction and snoring who was radiologically and surgically managed in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) Clinic of Khamis Mushayt General Hospital and follow up for one year who was completely asymptomatic. Conclusion: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in a female is very rare, and if confirmed sex chromosome studies must be performed. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment of JNA. Preoperative embolization result in less blood loss and complete resection.


The system of state and municipal management is being adaptively improved through the introduction of innovative solutions, digital tools and elements of digitalization. This trend carries a lot of promising discoveries and opportunities due to the optimization of management processes through the use of innovations to reduce time costs. However, the issue of the presence of citizens and authorities in the digital environment is put at risk due to the risks of data confidentiality and improper use of digital tools, which poses threats to the possession of information by third parties. In this work, it is proposed to get acquainted with the trend of digitalization in the personnel context. Because it is qualified specialists who can maintain the level of information security and promptly respond to external threats due to their skills in the IT field.


This is a guide to both print and electronic resources, encompassing cinema, television, video and digital media. Political Economy of Media


Four cases of cervical lymphnode metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin were reported. Three of these 4 patients were treated with radical neck dissection, and one patient was treated with removal of the tumor. Three patients died within 1 year from the initial treatment and 1 patient died from a neck recurrence 3 years and 5 months after the initial treatment.


This study took the title of the influence of ISO 9001-2008 QMS, Total Quality Management and Work Environment Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance at PT. Mount Dream Indonesia in Gresik.
The sample in this study of 175 respondents who are employees of the staff of PT. Mount dreams Gtesik the East Java Indonesia. Sampling technique in this study using population sampling techniques. The data were taken by using a questionnaire given to respondents. This study uses the method of calculating Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) with a program of Moment Structure Analysis (AMOS).
The relationship of these variables to five is causality. Model of the relationship between the variables studied SMM ISO 9001-2008 produce no significant positive effect on job satisfaction karyawa, while for Total Quality Management and the work environment positive and significant impact on employee job satisfaction. Then for Total Quality Management is not a significant positive effect on the performance of the employee but for the variable ISo 2001•
2008 QMS and the work environment positive and significant impact on employee performance. Next uhntuk satisfaction kerj positive and significant effect on employee performance.
For further research to be conducted a similar study is expected to take a sample with tenure, expanding not only in research at PT. Mount Dreams
Indonesia, but in some places that are relevant to this study.


With the exponential growth of digital video resources, huge amount of videos are uploaded onto the Internet. Therefore, the Content Based Copy Detection (CBCD) issue becomes a hot research topic and has been extensively studied recently. However, most of the approaches lack the power to efficiently handle large data corpus while maintaining a good detection quality. In this paper, we propose a fast CBCD approach based on the Slice Entropy Scattergraph (SES). SES employs video spatio-temporal slices which can greatly decrease the storage and computational complexity. It is based on entropy and its deviation so as to preserve as much as the video information. Besides, SES takes advantage of a scattergraph which is succinct and efficient to plot the distribution of video content. To effectively describe SES, we introduce three descriptors: Projection Histograms, Shape Contexts and Polynomial Coefficients. The experiments on CIVR'07 Copy Detection Corpus and Video Transformation Corpus show the performance improvement of our approach both on efficiency and effectiveness.


Migrating landbirds are known to follow coast lines and concentrate on peninsulas prior to crossing water bodies, es- pecially during daylight but also at night, creating enhanced potential collision hazards with man-made objects. Knowing where these avian migration "hot-spots" occur in time and space is vital to improve flight safety and inform the spatial planning process (e.g. environmental assessments for offshore windfarms). We developed a simple spatial model to identify avian migration hot- spots in coastal areas based on prevailing migration orientation and coastline features known, from visual and radar observations, to concentrate migrating landbirds around land masses. Regional scale model validation was achieved by combining nocturnal passerine movement data gathered from two tier radar coverage (long-range dual-polarization Doppler weather radar and short- range marine surveillance radar) and standardised bird ringing. Applied on a national scale, the model correctly identified the ten most important Danish coastal hot-spots for spring migrants and predicted the relative numbers of birds that concentrated at each site. These bird numbers corresponded well with historical observational data. Here, we provide a potential framework for the es- tablishment of the first three-dimensional avian airspace sanctuaries, which could contribute to more effective conservation of long-distance migratory birds (Current Zoology 60 (5): 680-691, 2014).


• Introduction Habitats throughout Mesoamerica have become increasingly fragmented in recent years. The issue of connectivity throughout Mesoamerica has been at the center of many corridor and conservation efforts over the past decade or more. Northern Belize, with well established communities and extensive habitat conversion for sugar cane cultivation and other agriculture, still has many pockets of forested habitats to the northeast, not yet subjected to fragmentation, that is the focus of ongoing conservation efforts.


Variation of the surface tension in a series of water – hexylene glycol (HG) two-component solvents has been studied. It is shown that HG, with its low value of hydrophilic – lipophilic balance (HLB), significantly decreased the surface tension of the mixture, which depends on the HG concentration and the structure of a mixed solvent. The dependence of the kinematic viscosity of water – HG two-component solvents on the HG content and temperature has been studied. Quasi-thermodynamic characteristics of the activation of viscous flow, bond energy according to Panchenkov, and energy of intermolecular interaction have been studied as dependent on the solvent composition. Specific features of the structure of water – HG mixed solvents (in particular, the breakage of water structure upon adding HG) are demonstrated. It is established that the bond energy in water – HG associates is higher than the energy of water – water and HG – HG bonds. The loss of surfactant characteristics of polysorbate 20 in water – HG binary solutions with a mixed solvent structure has been observed. It is suggested that HG influences the stability of heterogeneous dispersed systems with liquid dispersion media, depending on the HG concentration and the structure of a dispersion medium. Possibilities of using HG in the technology of liquid and soft solid medicinal forms are discussed.


An electrochemical technique is demonstrated for the synthesis of Si–Si and Si–Ge network copolymers poly(cyclohexylsilyne-co-phenylsilyne) and poly(cyclohexylsilyne-co-phenylgermyne); the molecular mass distributions of the electrochemically prepared polymers are more narrow in comparison to similar polymers prepared by the Wurtz coupling reaction.


Challenging the current poststructuralist interpretations of Foucault's analytic of power, the article explores the materialist borrowings Foucault has taken from Althusser. Conflating domination and politics into a single term, the Foucauldian concept of power appears to be equivocal. Starting from this, it is shown how the Althusserian distinction between ideology and violence haunts the concept of discipline, how the critique of the juridical model of power leads Foucault to a positivistic command model of law, and how Foucault eschews to elaborate the collective character of political action. Finally, the article pleads for reconsidering both Foucault's and Althusser's approach in terms of the critical-realist debates on structure and agency.


Reproductive isturbance of sow causing by chlamydin were diagnosed by epidemiology investigation,clinical observation,pathological anatomy,inclusion detection and serology investigation.In serology investigation,554 serum samples were detected by indirect hemagglutilation(IHA)test.A total positive rate of serum antibody was 55.69%. The positive rates of anti_chlamydia antibody of sows, boars and piglets were 61.99%,72.50% and 39.35% respectively.When swines were inoculated inactive vaccine of chlamydia,medication and taken strict measures for sterilization,the diseases were controlled in 3 to 4 weeks.


Since the 1990s, scholarly work surrounding women's football has focused on sexualities (Caudwell, 1999), gender identity development (Jeanes, 2006; 2011), international perspectives (Ben-Porat, 2011) and sexualisation through the media (Jones and Greer, 2011). Up until now the relationships between footballer and family have yet to be explored and analysed. Furthermore, research on youth studies has overlooked the importance of family relationships to young people over the past two decades (Wyn, Lantz & Harris, 2011). This paper will focus on one element from the Researcher's current PhD thesis, namely the relationship between parents and football playing daughters. A sport feminist lens was used to explore the spoken conversations shared with players and parents respectively during a season-long ethnographic study. Early findings indicate that the match-day car journey is an important transitional space needed to create, recreate and negotiate family relationships in connection to football.


Bartter syndrome is an inherited renal tubular disorder caused by a defective salt reabsorption in the thick ascending limb of loop of Henle. It characterized by urinary loss of sodium, potassium, and chloride; hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis; normal blood pressure, high plasma levels of renin and aldosterone. There is phenotypical and genetic variability of Bartter syndrome since were identified five genes responsible for five different forms of Bartter syndrome. The objective of this work is to report a clinical case to study the pathophysiological, clinical, biological and therapeutic features of this syndrome. Materials and Methods: We reported a case of 04-month-old male infant admitted for acute dehydration secondary to polyuro-polydipsia syndrome and vomiting. In clinical presentation the patient had a dysmorphic syndrome with triangular face, protruding ears and flattened nasal root. Laboratory tests revealed hypokalemia, hyponatremia, metabolic alkalosis and hypercalciuria. Treatment with indomethacin was started at 1 mg/kg per day with favorable outcome. Case Study Radi et al.; AJPR, 4(4): 1-7, 2020; Article no.AJPR.60914 2


Scientists are a core element of regional technological innovation and economic growth. Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) are outstanding representatives of Chinese scientists. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the characteristics of Chinese scientists' space migration, depict the structural topology of their flow network and to analyze the driving mechanisms behind the characteristics of their space migration. We mainly used spatial statistics, complex network analysis, and a modified location quotient. Our main conclusions are as follows: (1) The spatial distribution of Chinese scientists at different development stages tends to converge. The Chinese scientists' birthplaces are highly concentrated in the eastern coastal areas and the Yangtze River basin. Education locations are highly consistent, with clusters of global high-level educational resources at home and abroad, and their workplaces are mainly distributed in economically developed cities. (2) In terms of network characteristics, the spatial heterogeneity of the growth of Chinese scientists is obvious. Only a few cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, have higher degrees of node centrality, strength centrality, and betweenness centrality, so their networks' hierarchical structures are pyramid-shaped and their core-periphery structures are prominent. By identifying the roles of the cities as network nodes, we found that only Beijing plays accomplished and stable roles, whereas other cities play a single role. (3) Regarding driving mechanisms, Chinese scientists' spatial migration has been influenced by national policy, regional economic level, education level, and individual traits at national, regional, and personal scales. Therefore, the combined effects of various forces have driven the evolution of the flow network of Chinese scientists.


Cesarean delivery is linked to breastfeeding complications and child morbidity. These outcomes may disproportionately affect Latin American indigenous populations that are experiencing rising cesarean delivery rates, but often inhabit environments that exacerbate postnatal morbidity risks. We therefore assess relationships between birth mode, infant feeding practices, and childhood infectious morbidity in a modernizing Yucatec Maya community, where prolonged breastfeeding is the norm. We predicted that under these conditions, cesarean delivery would increase risk of childhood infectious morbidity, but prolonged breastfeeding postcesarean would mitigate morbidity risk.


Dynamometer performance of a South Coast Technology electric conversion of a Volkswagen (VW) Rabbit designated SCT-8 was tested. The SCT-8 vehicle was fitted with a transistorized chopper in the motor armature circuit to supplement the standard motor speed control via field weakening. The armature chopper allowed speed control below the motor base speed. This low speed control was intended to reduce energy loss at idle during stop-and-go traffic; to eliminate the need for using the clutch below base motor speed; and to improve the drivability. Test results indicate an improvement of about 3.5% in battery energy economy for the SAE J227a-D driving cycle and 6% for the C-cycle with only a minor reduction in acceleration performance. A further reduction of about 6% would be impossible if provision were made for shutting down field power during the idle phases of the driving cycles. Drivability of the vehicle equipped with armature chopper was significantly improved compared with the standard SCT Electric Rabbit.


Abstract Recently we conducted a mini-survey towards a sample of six massive clouds with surface density >1024 cm−2 in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way, with the SMA at 280 GHz in the compact array and at 230 GHz in the compact/subcompact arrays. The data reveal compact dust continuum peaks, some of which are also associated with organic molecular lines and thermal SiO emission. The subcompact array data helps recover more structures, e.g. the regularly spaced, well-aligned continuum fragments in the 20 km s−1 cloud. Shock tracers such as SiO are found in all the clouds. Our observations suggest potential protostellar origin for some of the dust continuum peaks in these regions.


This research was conducted to determine the effects of different doses of nitrogen and phosphorus on the hay yield and quality of vetch and triticale mixture under dry land conditions of Çukurova during the growing seasons of 2001-2002 and 2003-2004. The experiment was arranged in a factorial complete block design with three replications at the Experimental Farm of Agricultural Faculty of Çukurova University. Five different doses (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 kg/da) of nitrogen combined with four doses (0, 4, 8,12 kg/da) of phosphorus were applied to the experimental plots. The seed mixture used was 8 kg/da vetch and 10 kg/da triticale. The mixture was sown into rows 20 cm apart from each other in the plots. Hay and protein yields as well as vetch percentage in the hay yield of mixture were studied. Results of the study showed that interactions of nitrogen and phosphorus doses were statistically significant for characters studied in both years. The highest hay and crude protein yields in the first year were obtained from the plots fertilized with 4 kg/da nitrogen and 4 kg/da phosphorus while the highest hay yield from the plots fertilized with 6 kg/da nitrogen and 4 kg/da phosphorus in the second year. The highest crude protein yield was obtained from the plots fertilized with 4 kg/da phosphorus in the second year. Percentage of vetch in the hay yield was generally decreased by the nitrogen fertilization. From the results of the study, it was concluded that an increase of 60 % in the hay yield and 40 % in the crude protein yield of vetch and triticale mixture could be obtained through the application of 6 kg/da nitrogen and 4 kg/da phosphorus under dry land conditions of Çukurova.


The particle size dependence of BaTiO3 powder was investigated from the viewpoint of the crystal phase. The crystal phase of BaTiO3 powder was transformed from tetragonal to cubic at a critical particle size of 0.1 µm at room temperature. With decreasing particle size, the Ba ions in the BaTiO3 structure were absent at the surface, and these disordered surface areas increased in small-particle-size BaTiO3 powders and exhibited particle-size dependence.


In 2020, according to WHO, breast cancer affected 2.3 million women worldwide, resulting in 685,000 fatalities. By the end of the year, approximately 7.8 million women worldwide had survived their breast cancer making it the most widespread form of cancer globally. Surgical treatment decisions, including choosing between oncoplastic options, often require quick decision-making within an 8-week time frame. However, many women lack the necessary knowledge and preparation for making such complex informed decisions. Anxiety and unsatisfactory outcomes can result from inadequate decision-making processes, leading to complications and the need for revision surgeries. Shared decision-making and personalized decision aids have shown positive effects on patient satisfaction and treatment outcomes. This paper introduces Breamy, a prototype mobile health (mHealth) application that utilizes augmented reality (AR) technology to assist breast cancer patients in making informed decisions. The app provides 3D visualizations of different oncoplastic procedures, aiming to improve confidence in surgical decision-making, reduce decisional regret, and enhance patient well-being after surgery. To determine the perception of the usefulness of Breamy, we collected data from 166 participants through an online survey. The results suggest that Breamy has the potential to reduce patient's anxiety levels and assist them during the decision-making process.


In Cardiology the first use on ultrasound was described in 1953 by Inge Edler and Helmuth Herz in Lund, Sweden. They used the M-mode technique which is, in brief, the registration of moving echoes as recorded in a single ultrasound beam. Two dimensional (2D) real time echography appeared in the late sixties with mechanically and electronically swept spoundbeams. The linear- and phased array approaches are examples of electronic real time systems which today represent the majority of apparatus. Use of frequency analyses of the echoes allowed indication of blood velocity over the 2D image. This is called Colour Doppler where a colour coding separates velocity towards the transducer from blood velocity away from the transducer. This is very powerful since now 2D geometry becomes available together with the blood flow information. Echo contrast is an old technique to enhance the echo image at the location of the contrast fluid. This fluid contains small gas containing bubbles. Present use aims at better identification of cardiac chambers contours as well as myocardial perfusion. Semi invasive is the Trans Oesophageal Isographic (TEE) approach. Here a transducer is mounted at the tip of a long tube. It allows contact with the heart with improved image quality. The IntraVascular Ultrasound System (IVUS) uses echography at the tip of a catheter. Following this, techniques for real time 3D will be presented and a brief description of portable echo equipment is given.


This paper introduces the conception and version comparison of RSS,expounds the key technologies and principles of RSS information issuance and aggregation,puts forward and proves the possibility of improving library's network information service mode by using RSS technology,and describes the applicative form of RSS in library's network information service,and concretely realizes the information push service function of RSS.


Pervasive computing technologies can assist parents and occupational therapists in modifying behaviors in young children. In occupational therapy, an effective mean to motivate child behavior change is by designing playful activities which leverages the desire of children to play to induce their behavioral change. By embedding digital technology into activities, pervasive computing technologies can be used to enhance the effectiveness of play-based occupational therapy. We describe three playful activity designs targeting eating, tooth brushing, and water drinking behaviors in young children.


Rates of oxidation of aldoses with bromine have been reappraised and interpreted in the light of present concepts of conformation and reaction mechanism. It is suggested that differences in the rates of oxidation of the α and β anomers are largely determined by differences in the free energy required by the reactants for passing from the ground state to the complex in the transition state. Structures for the aldoses in the ground states and in the transition states are postulated, and factors affecting the energy required for reaching the transition states from the ground states are discussed. The relative rates of oxidation are in accordance with the hypothesis that each of the aldoses in the ground state has the conformation predicted by Reeves, and, in the transition state, has a conformation in which the oxygen atom of the C1-hydroxyl group lies in the plane formed by the ring oxygen atom, C1, C2, and C5. Presumably, this conformation is stabilized by resonance involving the oxygen atom of the ring. For aldoses having high stability in one chair conformation, the rates of oxidation of the anomers differ widely; in each instance, the anomer in which the C1-hydroxyl group is axial is oxidized more slowly than the anomer in which this group is equatorial. For aldoses having less stability in a chair conformation, the rates of oxidation of the anomers differ less widely, but, nevertheless, show a definite correlation with the angular position of the C1-hydroxyl group relative to the plane of the ring. For aldoses for which the stability in both chair conformations is so low that they probably exist in a variety of conformations, the rates of oxidation of the anomers show little difference and no particular correlation with the angular position of the C1-hydroxyl group. The presence or absence of an oxygen atom in the ring is used to account for the large differences between the rates of bromine oxidation of the aldoses and those of derivatives of cyclohexanol. Differences in conformation in the transition state, associated with the presence or absence of this oxygen atom, likewise account for the fact that the relative rates of oxidation of the axial and equatorial isomers in the two classes of compound are reversed. Because of uncertainty as to the anomeric configurations commonly assigned to some of the aldoses, the configurations of 22 aldoses were reappraised. Advantage was taken of the principle that the anomer preponderating in the equilibrium solution has trans hydroxyl groups at C1 and C2. Except for crystalline d-glycero-d-ido-heptose, the assignments of configuration based on this principle agree with the configurations generally accepted. Classification of crystalline d-glycero-d-ido-heptose as an α-d-pyranose necessitates correction of earlier records in which this sugar was considered to be a β-d-pyranose. In accordance with the author's earlier formulation, oxidation of the axial anomer is believed to take place by two courses: (1) direct oxidation and (2) conversion to the equatorial anomer by the anomerization reaction and the subsequent oxidation of this anomer. The relative importance of the two courses is not considered in this paper. It is pointed out, however, that the actual difference in the rates for the direct oxidation of the two anomers must be at least as great as that observed for the overall rates of oxidation.


As part of preventative maintenance, renovations, and repairs, conductors are disconnected from power distribution systems. To perform these services, qualified employees often disconnect phase, neutral, and ground conductors from equipment. The safest method of disconnecting these conductors is to first place the equipment into an electrically safe work condition, thus lowering the risk of electrical shock. This paper will demonstrate that while an employee is traditionally completing all steps to ensure a safe disconnection, there is still potential for significant hazards if the equipment has not been designed, constructed, and maintained to industry standards.


A computationally efficient, self-consistent complex scaling approach to calculating characteristics of excitons in an external electric field in quantum wells is introduced. The method allows one to extract the exciton resonance position as well as the field-induced broadening for the exciton resonance. For the case of strong confinement the trial function is represented in factorized form. The corresponding coupled self-consistent equations, which include the effective complex potentials, are obtained. The method is applied to the shallow quantum well. It is shown that in this case the real part of the effective exciton potential is insensitive to changes of external electric field up to the ionization threshold, while the imaginary part has non-analytical field dependence and small for moderate electric fields. This allows one to express the exciton quasi-energy at some field through the renormalized expression for the zero-field bound state. PACS numbers: 71.35.-y, 73.21.Fg, 78.67.De. I. INTRODUCTION The quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) has attracted a lot of attention since its discovery 1,2 due to its diverse optoelectronics applications (see for example Ref.3). In quantum well (QW) structures with a layer thickness less than the effective exciton Bohr radius, an electron and a hole are forced to orbit closer to each other, and the binding energy of the electron-hole pair increases by a factor between two and three. This additional stability makes exciton resonances in QW's observable even at room temperatures. More important, these resonances are still observable in a uniform electric field perpendicular to the growth direction, which is as large as 50 times the classical ionization field for a three-dimensional exciton. The latter also produces a relatively large red shift in the absorption peak up to 2.5 times the binding energy of the exciton, while the width of the exciton resonance grows only moderately. Such


Introduction:Painful diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes that affects multiple aspects of patients' lives, severely limiting daily functions and quality of life. The aim of this case study was to evaluate the efficacy of whole body vibration (WBV) to reduce pain and thereby improve quality of life, walking speed, and general clinical characteristics.
Methods: A 63-year-female with type-2 diabetes and seven years of pain symptoms volunteered for a 12-week WBV intervention receiving 12-minutes of WBV per day, three days per week. Pain severity and its interference in daily life, 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale to assess pain immediately before and after WBV, quality of life, walking speed, body composition, general clinical characteristics and medication usage were assessed.
Results: Pain severity and interference decreased by approximately 5.0 points post-intervention reducing the participant's pain levels from borderline severe to very mild. Pain levels immediately prior to and following WBV exposure decreased every week and continued to decrease throughout the intervention. The participant indicated at baseline that her foot pain had a significant impact on her ability to take part in leisure activities, made her physically dependent on others for help, significantly affected her relationships and her role in the family and significantly impaired her ability to perform activities of daily life. Post-intervention, she was able to take part in leisure activities, no longer felt dependent on others, improved her relationships and her role in the family and was now able to easily perform daily tasks. Her walking speed also improved by 13.7% thereby reducing her risk of death. Other beneficial changes included weight loss (15.91 kg) and decreases in fasting glucose, hypertriglyceridemia, lower limb and feet swelling, and hypertension while decreasing her daily intake of pain and diabetes medications.
Conclusion: WBV was effective at safely reducing pain and improving health related outcomes in our participant.


Comparison of Current Almond Pasteurization Methods and Electron Beam Irradiation as an Alternative. (December 2011) Mary Pia Cuervo Pliego, B.S., Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (México); M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Alejandro Castillo Two outbreaks of salmonellosis were linked to the consumption of raw California almonds in 2001 and 2004. Current federal regulations mandate that all almonds grown in California are to be treated with a process that results in a 4-log reduction of Salmonella. Since four out of the five approved technologies to pasteurize almonds rely on the application of heat to control Salmonella, the evaluation of alternative technologies against heat resistant Salmonella Senftenberg was imminent. In this study, almonds that were inoculated with S. Enteritidis PT 30 and S. Senftenberg, were treated with electron beam irradiation (e-beam), blanching and oil roasting. The thermal death time (D-value) for S. Enteritidis PT 30 when treated with e-beam was 0.90 kGy, 15 s when subjected to blanching at 88°C, and 13 s when treated with oil at 127 °C. Irradiation and thermal resistance of S. Senftenberg was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from S. Enteritidis PT 30. The commercial application of e-beam as a pathogen intervention was assessed through Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) and experimental