The usage of securitization as a credit risk management tool, involves the departure of loans from the bank's balance sheet. As such, the employment of securitization as a means for risk offloading may have an effect on the composition and the size of the securitizing bank's loan portfolio. In this paper, we examine the dynamics of such effect. Using data on 129 FDIC-member banks, we have found that as banks use securitization to manage their credit risk exposures, they end up with more risky consumer loans and larger portfolios. These outcomes, in turn, lead to the banks having riskier, higher yielding and more diversified loan portfolios. Securitization plays a credit risk management role through the transfer of the pool of loans from the asset-originating bank to the Special Purpose Entity (SPE). To illustrate, as the loans are moved to the SPE during securitization, the loans leave the asset-originating bank's balance sheet, which results to the securitizing bank having offloaded the risk of the securitized loans. In short, securitization peforms its credit risk management function by providing a vent for risk. A number of studies have shown that banks may have attempted to take advantage of the above property of securitization. Minton, Sanders & Strahan (2004), Pais (2005), Bannier & Hansel (2007) and Affinito & Tagliaferri (2010) have all shown that banks with more risky assets tend to securitize more, to address such high risk exposures. Meanwhile, Sakrisyan, Casu, Clare & Thomas (2009) and Panetta & Pozzolo (2010) have found that banks that securitize have less risky profiles, as a result of the removal of risk in the securitization process. In this paper, we extend the discussion on securitization as a credit risk management tool, by looking at how securitization may affect the bank's loan portfolio. More specifically, we investigate how securitization, as a vent for risk, may affect the composition and size of the loan portfolio of the bank. At the same time, we also examine what does such changes in the loan portfolio imply on the risks and returns that the bank eventually faces. Further, we also take a look if the changes in the bank's loan portfolio (as affected by securitization) may impact its diversification and if this entails the benefits of diversification (i.e. reduced portfolio risk and less volatile returns). Using data on 129 member-banks of the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC) from 2004-2010, we find that securitization is positively related to the portfolio share of Consumer Loans. This implies that the usage of securitization as a credit risk management tool, leads to the bank experiencing changes in its loan portfolio


The present invention relates to the use thereof for coloring high molecular weight organic material, such as pyrrolo [3, 4-c] pyrrole of the direct method (DPPs), pigment compositions and plastics and paints containing the same of the formula I. DPPs of formula I obtained has a charged color, high saturation, contrast, and more pure and opacity as compared to a commercially available DPPs corresponding. Formula I In the above formulas, R


This study investigates the fertility typology for seven Tall coconut accessions using artificial pollination characters. Ten traits describing fertility were considered for characterizing three groups of coconut individuals per accession. Ten males parental, twenty to forty female parental, and ten progenies were randomly explored per coconut accession. Except for the rate of seeds germination, the outcomes revealed the usefulness of the characters assessed for the discrimination of the accessions studied. The typology of the fertility of the accessions studied is independent of the origins and highlighted two main groups. The first group gathers Laccadive Common Tall (LCT) and West African Tall (WAT and WAT6) accessions including the most fertile male parents and the females showing great production of seed nuts. From this group, the progenies set out a lack of vigour. The second group is constituted of Panama Tall (PNT01 and PNT02), Solomon Island Tall (SIT) and Gazelle Peninsula Tall (GPT) accessions with characters opposite to the previous ones. The investigations of the Tall coconut accessions fertility are fundamental to address the low size of genitors and progenies for respective field genebank regeneration and representative field replanting.


In this perfect world, private sector business invests capital in ventures that bring a predictable target rate of return on investment. Thus, capital flows naturally to opportunities that best support forecasts for success. Elements that are commonplace in such a model include market demand for product or service, raw material supply, transportation, available work force, and lower taxes. In the perfect free-market world, supply and demand find a balance and support the collective needs of community. Arguably, as a modern free-market society, America represents the best-case example of how quality of life and standards of living can be improved through robust economic development supported by the free flow of capital.


Basic principle of the photoelectric conversion subsystem as well as application of Photo Multiplier Tube of Wuhan University Rayleigh Backscatter and Sodium Resonance Fluorescence LIDAR (Light detecting and ranging) is introduced. In order to put the PMT in proper working condition, its voltage-divider network inside the socket is analyzed and modification are made. In addition, design and implememtation of a self-diagnosis system for the photoelectric conversion system are reported, the simulation of Lidar photo backscatter signal and production of related control signal are interpreted in detail.


June 1985 near Glasgow • Special Weapons Incident Report. Reference: RN/AWRE/92A/5123 – dated 6 November 1985. • Special Weapons Incident at Helensburgh on 20 June 1985. Reference: D/SSC/CPT/7001 – dated 10 July 1985. • Special Weapons Incident Report. Reference: D/SSC/CPT/7001 – dated 30 June 1985. • Phase 2 Examination of 2 A3TK REBs involved in convoy vehicle incident at Helensburgh on 20/6/85. Reference: SDE/2065/JLD/127 – dated 21 August 1985.


Fitzpatrick and colleagues linked Scottish birth and education datasets to describe associations between planned mode of birth after prior caesarean section and special education needs. For some births, caesarean section is absolutely necessary. For the rest, whether to plan vaginal or caesarean birth remains an existential dilemma. Elective caesarean section eliminates intrapartum calamities, but at what price?


C. Mallows proposed a statistic, Cp , for variable selection in multiple regression. Gorman and Toman (1966) published the statistic, its derivation, and several examples of its use. The purpose of this note is to show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between Cp and the older, well established criterion known as adjusted R 2, e.g. Ezekiel (1930).


Forty residential areas in Nanning City were investigated.There was 273 species of green plants in the plot,belonging to 73 families and 161 genera.The species abundance and composition,occurrence frequency and community structure of plants were analyzed.The diversity of evergreen tree species and deciduous tree species,the diversity of indigenous plants and introduced plants and the diversity of ornamental parts were compared.And the diversity problem of greening plants in the residential areas was discussed.And some improving suggestions were put forward.


AbstractA juice mixer machine is generally agreed to be a machine that mixes the various kind of juice selected by the user. There are many juice mixer machine in commercial market, but most were complex and expensive. So, this paper focuses on the design and implementation of five channel juice mixer machine that is more accessible and on the hobbyist maker. This proposed system design has 5 different juice tanks, 5 channels, which are connected to water gear pump motors which are controlled by relays. The user can select the desired juice channel and juice content from keypad. The microcontroller calculates the corresponding juice content from user's desired percentage by using the weight sensor module. Moreover, the user has a favor to choose two options. First option is percentage based automated juice mixing and the second is the manual import.


Abstract This article describes a process of research and critical analysis of Catholic church pronouncements which I have used with both undergraduate and graduate students over the past ten years. Students are taught a method of "close reading" of Roman Catholic church pronouncements which involves their analysis of such issues as the statement's canonical significance, authorship, audience, historical context, content, and underlying ecclesiology. Through this method, students acquire a working knowledge of theological research methods and tools and learn how to practice a hermeneutics of suspicion and retrieval. They also learn how to recognize the various models of church which underlie particular formulations, the compromise nature of conciliar statements, and become acquainted with recent discussion concerning "reception" and the "hierarchy of truths." Student awareness of the historically conditioned nature of dogmatic statements and of the need for reforming the way in which universal church teaching is formulated is also heightened.


Since it was published in 1975, "Play for Today" has become a leading introduction to writing and producing drama on television. Irene Shubik, in a unique survey of British television in its Golden Age, describes the role of the producer in the making of an original television play, from initial discussions with writers to broadcast. In tracing the rise of television drama in the context of her own career, she details the intellectual, financial and technical problems of productions, and includes a fascinating chapter on the effect of reactions from critics and viewers. In this new edition, Shubik adds a firsthand account of how the popular "Rumpole of the Bailey" series evolved and how she developed the critically and commercially successful "The Jewel in the Crown."


Submitted for the DPP08 Meeting of The American Physical Society Wall-shaped hohlraum influence on symmetry and energetics in gas-filled hohlraums VERONIQUE TASSIN, FRANCK PHILIPPE, STEPHANE LAFFITE, LAURENT VIDEAU, MARIE-CHRISTINE MONTEIL, BRUNO VILLETTE, PHILIPPE STEMMLER, SOPHIE BEDNARCZYK, EMILIE PECHE, BENOIT RENEAUME, CHRISTIAN THESSIEUX, CEA/DIF, 91297 Arpajon, France — On the way to the LMJ completion, achieving ignition with 40 quads in a 2-cone configuration will be attempted as a first step. Theoretical investigation of a rugby-shaped hohlraum shows energetics optimization and a better symmetry control compared to a cylindrical hohlraum [1]. We recently conducted experiments on the Omega laser facility with 3 different wall-shaped methane-filled hohlraum configurations. We present here the experimental results. Energetics benefits are shown for reduced wall area hohlraums. The wall-shaped hohlraum influence on time-dependent radiation symmetry is also discussed. For the 3 gas-filled hohlraums configurations, we compare the foamball early-time radiographs, the D2Ar-filled capsule time-integrated images and the core self-emission images. [1] M. Vandenboomgaerde, Phys. Rev. Lett., 99, 065004 (2007). Veronique Tassin CEA Date submitted: 24 Sep 2008 Electronic form version 1.4


The generation of a concise building model has been and continues to be a challenge in photogrammetry and computer graphics. The current methods typically focus on the simplicity and fidelity of the model, but those methods either fail to preserve the structural information or suffer from low computational efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel method to generate concise building models from dense meshes by extracting and completing the planar primitives of the building. From the perspective of probability, we first extract planar primitives from the input mesh and obtain the adjacency relationships between the primitives. Since primitive loss and structural defects are inevitable in practice, we employ a novel structural completion approach to eliminate linkage errors. Finally, the concise polygonal mesh is reconstructed by connectivity‐based primitive assembling. Our method is efficient and robust to various challenging data. Experiments on various building models revealed the efficacy and applicability of our method.


Background— Human papillomavirus (HPV) has not been studied among homeless women in the United States. We assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding HPV infection and the HPV vaccine among homeless women. Methods— We enrolled 300 homeless women age 19 to 65 residing in multiple New York City shelters from 2012 to 2014. We used a national survey to collect HPV data. Results— Mean age was 44.7 (±12.16) received provider counseling regarding HPV testing and vaccine, respectively. Among participants, 65.4% reported that they would vaccinate their eligible daughters for HPV. Lower rate of up-to-date Pap test was associated with lack of knowledge regarding relationship between HPV and abnormal Pap test (p<0.01). Conclusions— We recommend improved HPV counseling by providers during any clinical encounter to reduce missed opportunities, coupled with employing patient teaching coach or navigators to improve health literacy and to connect patients to services regarding HPV and cervical cancer.


The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of shallow silicided p/sup +/-n and n/sup +/-p junctions are presented. In the former the diode behavior was same as in nonsilicided junction, while drastic change in diode I-V was observed in the latter. The formation of Schottky contact was conclusively shown to be the root cause of the modified I-V behavior of n/sup +/-p junction in the forward bias region. Poole-Frenkel barrier lowering predominantly influenced the reverse leakage current, masking thereby the effect of Schottky contact. The leakage current in n/sup +/-p diodes was higher than in nonsilicided diodes by two orders of magnitude and this is consistent with the formation of Schottky contact via titanium or titanium-silicide penetrating into the p-substrate and generating trap sites. There is no increase in the leakage current and no formation of Schottky contact in case of the p/sup +/-n junction. The Schottky contact amounting to less than 0.01% of the total junction area and not amenable for SEM or TEM observation was extracted for the first time by simultaneous characterization of forward and reverse characteristics of silicided n/sup +/-p diode.


ABSTRACT The burgeoning popularity of World Heritage Sites (WHSs) has negatively impacted the sustainability of the historic environment of the sites due to the increasing number of tourist arrivals. Too many pressures from human activity, especially tourists could potentially damage the physical condition of the site and compromise its Outstanding Universal Value. Understanding tourist behaviour is one of the important aspects in managing a WHS through their consumption at the destination. The study aims to measure international tourist behaviour by integrating their non-spatial and spatial characteristics. A total of 384 Free Independent Tourists participated in the survey in Melaka WHS. Questionnaires, trip diaries, and tracking devices were the main instruments for capturing data. The evaluation of tourist behaviour shows that international tourists consume more spaces and time at primary elements such as historical attractions. However, they consume more money at secondary elements such as food and shopping. The finding is important for responsible authorities as it provides a different point of view in managing tourist behaviour. The results can be used to establish effective tools to develop a better visitor management plan for Melaka WHS.


The paper deals with experiment of processing of balsampear cool sweets.The results indicate that it has good cementation and colour fixing effect by using 0.3 percent CaCl_2,0.5 percent Na_2SO_3,0.02 percent CuSO4 and 0.3 percent HCl to deal with the material of bitter melon.It can reserve the natural ingredients of the balsampear effectly by using sugar,lemon acid and the perfume of the aromatic ingredients.The cool sweets made from balsampear has peculiar flavor,cool and lingering taste.It has a wide perspective of development.


LHCb experiment offers a complementary phase-space to study electroweak processes, compared to the ATALS and CMS experiments, which benefits from the forward detector acceptance and large bandwidth of the triggers allowing low energy thresholds. The LHCb electroweak results provide sensitivity to PDF $x$ values, which is unexplored by other experiments. In this proceeding, electroweak measurements and prospects from the LHCb, using data collected in the LHC Run I and Run II, are presented.


The Bio-medical waste (Management and handling) Rules 1988 lay down clear methods for disposal of bio-medical waste, defined as "any waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities used in the production or testing of biologicals." The current scenario in the country reveals partial or no segregation at the time of generation, which at times is done by the contractors, or the rag pickers. However, the improper practice of segregation at the site of origin has been observed which causes mixing of infectious and non-infectious waste. A study was therefore, conducted to understand the awareness amongst the employees as regards to Bio-Medical Waste ( BMW) Management practices, policies and to assess their attitude towards it, in a premier tertiary level research and referral Institute in Haryana (India).


The present paper addresses systematic approach to Condition-Based Maintenance, and research results at the University of South Carolina Condition-Based Maintenance Research Center, directly related to U.S. Army rotorcraft Vibration Management Enhancement Program. The paper gives an analysis of the CBM concept and its functional layers, such as condition monitoring, diagnostics, prognostics and health management systems, followed by diagnosis and prognosis enabling technologies and concepts; followed by research and development of Health and Usage Monitoring Systems enhancing technologies, such as expansion of military aircraft condition sensing technologies through integration of multi-sensor data fusion, and exploration of new signal analysis techniques. The paper is concluded by Tail Rotor Gearbox case studies, and results of cost benefit analysis of the rotorcraft Condition-Based Maintenance program implemented at the South Carolina Army National Guard.


Human rights originated as a political claim made by movements contesting state power. Recently, they have become the property of states: a juridical right that is for the state to give. I track this transformation through changes in responses to humanitarian crises. Humanitarian crises are seen to issue from two sorts of states—rogue states and failed states—both of whom violate, by commission or omission, the rights of their subjects. Given the failure of these states to protect the rights of their citizens, policymakers and rights advocates call for external intervention, or state-building. In understandings of state-building, human rights are for the state; or more correctly the state-being-built; to give, reversing the development of human rights from a set of political movements that protested unjust state power.


For clinical implementation, a chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging sequence must be fast, with high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), 3D coverage, and produce robust contrast. However, spectrally selective CEST contrast requires dense sampling of the Z‐spectrum, which increases scan duration. This article proposes a compromise: using a 3D snapshot gradient echo (GRE) readout with optimized CEST presaturation, sampling, and postprocessing, highly resolved Z‐spectroscopy at 3T is made possible with 3D coverage at almost no extra time cost.


THE RESISTANT STRUCTURE produced by gradual desiccation of a myxomycete plasmodium is usually termed a sclerotium. Since this stage does not appear to be necessary for the completion of the life cycle of the Myxomycetes it has received relatively little attention. Sclerotization has been attributed to desiccation, low temperature, inadequate food supply and "other . . . unknown causes" (de Bary, 1887), but few critical studies of the causes of sclerotization have been made. A difference of opinion exists among students of the group regarding starvation as a factor, and no information upon the effect of temperature per se appears. Hodapp (1942) observed sclerotia of Physarum polycephalumn formed by desiccation for various time periods and at various temperatures between 70 and 35?C. He noted that gradual death rather than sclerotization took place at 5?-6'C. According to Luyet and Gehenio (1944), death or decreased viability of the sclerotium itself may occur in Physarum polycephalum when desiccation proceeds beyond the amount of water "naturally present." Sclerotia appear to be viable for only a few years, in contrast to the longevity of myxomycete spores which in some instances have germinated after 63 years of storage in an herbarium (Elliott, 1949). Jahn (1919) reported his inability to revive sclerotia of Badhamia utricularis after 40 months of storage, and Hodapp (1942) noted a greatly reduced germinating power of the sclerotia of Physarum polycephalum after 8-13 months of storage. A somewhat dubious account by Leveille, cited by de Bary (1887), of the viability of a 20-year-old myxomycete sclerotium of unknown species contrasts with a critical study of over 100 sclerotia of Physarum polycephalum by Gehenio (1944) which indicated that viability was completely lost after 3 years. The microscopic structure of dry, mature sclerotia has been described for Badhamia utricularis by J0rgensen (1925) and for 12 other species of Myxomycetes by Brandza (1928). The latter study did not include Physarum polyceplhalum. The object of this investigation was to study the process of sclerotization and plasmodial reconstitution. Factors inducing sclerotization, and the possible role of the sclerotium in the life history of Physarum polycephalum as well as the applicability of the term sclerotium to the structure in question were also considered. MORPHOLOGY OF SCLEROTIA.-Sclerotia produced by various methods in the laboratory as well as out of doors ranged from a reticulum resembling a typical active plasmodium to a thick irregular mass. Some sclerotia consisted of a thin plaque roughly


The coal seam floor′s distortion and failure would be found being because of the change of stress state after coal seam mining.The failure laws of the coal seam affected by mining are different.The exact failure depth of the coal seam floor is the primary condition to forecast accurately the capability of the floor to hold up water for the coal seam having the danger of floor water.So using the practical observation methods to get the floor′s failure depth and laws is a direction for the mine geophysical study.Many observation methods are studied to get the coal seam floor′s failure depth in the past decade years.But the effective observation methods are less because of the limitation of technique.The floor′s failure developing laws and characters can be gained by seismic wave CT combining with the detective section between bore and lane in the working face.It is shown that the failure laws are dynamic because the CT data collection and process are variable according to the mining schedule.Engineering practice shows that the seismic wave CT has notable effect on the failure depth detection of floor,and it has dynamic characteristic and better applicability.


Lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis was an major cause of locoregional recurrence of mid-low rectal cancer. Although long-term benefit of routine lateral lymph node dissection has not been proved by randomized controlled trial, retrospective studies have shown its efficacy in lowering local recurrence and increasing survival rate in patients with lateral lymph node metastasis. Recently, laparoscopic total mesorectal excision surgery was performed in patients with advanced low rectal cancer, followed by selective unilateral or bilateral lateral lymph node dissection based on pretreatment imaging after preoperative chemoradiation. This technique is safe and feasible with favorable short-term results. We will discuss it in this paper.

Key words:
Mid-low rectal neoplasms; Total mesorectal excision; Neoadjuvant chemoradiation; Lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis; Laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection


This case report presents a 39-year-old previously healthy man, who presented with typical obsessive-compulsive disorder and neurological symptoms and was found to have a right parietal lobe haemorrhage. His psychiatric and neurological recovery was associated with a complete radiological resolution. This report is consistent with recent imaging studies implicating the parietal lobe in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder and adds haemorrhage to the list of organic cerebral lesions causally associated with this disorder.


Seven vegetation management programs ranging from 100% cover of grass-dominated vegetation to bare soil were created on opposing north and south aspects. After 3 years, fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] survival had decreased when grown in bare soil, compared to survival in the other management programs. Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] survival was not affected by the management programs. Maximum stem diameter and root growth of Norway spruce were obtained with a bare row regardless of the interrow vegetation. Root growth in fraser fir was similar to spruce, but bare soil was required for maximum stem diameter growth. Height growth in both species was affected little by treatment. Stem diameter and root growth were negatively correlated with above-ground herbaceous biomass in the row. Forbs interfered less than grasses with fraser fir and Norway spruce diameter growth. Norway spruce growth was not affected by aspect, but fraser fir was larger (height and stem diameter) on the south aspect when grown in bare soil.


At his trial Socrates described himself as attached to Athens "as a gadfly to a horse." In Sixteenth Century Spain the Order of Preachers played a similar role. Dominican friars freely criticized royal officials, conquistadors and fellow churchmen. At times their meddling in affairs of state drew down on them the wrath of the authorities. Charles V, though favorably disposed toward the Indians, more than once angrily rebuked their defenders, the friars, for letting zeal outrun prudence. One of the most effective of these critics was Francisco de Vitoria. Vitoria was renowned as the founder of the Salamanca Thomist school. Not content with the elaboration of scholastic doctrines, he carried them into the political forum, delivering public lectures on the problems of his time.


The essential elements for the successful development of photonics in Taiwan can be attributed to proper government policies and the cooperation among industries, research institutes, and academia. These experiences are presented in this paper.


We designed and experimentally demonstrated a four-terminal superconducting device which can function as a non-latching (reversible) superconducting switch from the diode regime to the resistive state by applying a control current much smaller than the main transport current. The device utilizes a vortex-based superconducting diode mechanism which is switched back and forth via the injection of flux quanta through auxiliary current leads. Various applications in superconducting electronics can be foreseen.


This research was conducted to determine characteristics of virgin coconut oil emulsion drink with the addition of andaliman to increase body resistance during the pandemic. The research used completely randomized design with two factors, the addition of comparison virgin coconut oil and andaliman filtrate (V) : (25%:75%, 35%:65%, 45%:55%) and gum arabic (G) (3%, 5%, 7%). The resulting emulsion drink was analyzed for water content, pH, and free fatty acids. The final result of the study showed that the higher the concentration of virgin coconut oil, the higher the water content and free fatty acids, so that it has good quality for body health.


This editorial refers to 'Clinical outcomes of patients with estimated low or intermediate surgical risk undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation', by P. Wenaweser et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/eht086

Over the last decade, the technology of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has revolutionized treatment of patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) and strengthened the ties between interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery. In the recently updated European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) guidelines on valvular heart disease, TAVI has emerged as a class I recommendation for inoperable patients with severe AS and a viable treatment alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in those patients with a high operative risk provided a multidisciplinary heart team has confirmed the TAVI indication and there is a sufficient life expectancy.1

Operative risk assessment is thus a key element in patient selection for TAVI. Both the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Predicted Risk of Mortality (PROM) model and the logistic EuroSCORE were validated in standard surgical patients, but they lose accuracy and precision at the higher spectrum of operative risk.2 These surgical risk models consider baseline demographic and medical variables but do not assess relevant anatomical factors (chest radiation and deformity, prior coronary artery bypass grafting with use of the internal mammary artery or other grafts crossing the midline or adherent to the sternum precluding a safe re-sternotomy, or porcelain aorta) or the individual's biological age.3 Frailty is a phenotype characterized by impaired physiological reserve and decreased resistance to stressors, and is the resultant of physical status (muscle wasting, malnutrition, weakness, slow gait speed) and neurocognitive function and mental health.4 Overall, up to one-third of those …


The list of candidates for degrees, certificates, and diplomas appearing herein is subject to such corrections, with respect to additions, deletions, and changes, as may be necessary. The information as presented is current as of the program printing deadline. Graduates attending the ceremony are presented to the Chancellor alphabetically. The winner of the most prestigious award in each faculty, if attending, is presented first.


Introduction The prime management standard of the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) initiative*, ECSS-M-00, places risk management in a key position among the standards defining management practices. The details of the risk-management process, are defined in the standard ECSS-M00-03, 'Risk Management'. ESA was one of the main contributors to the definition of the ECSS risk-management process and the results of all ESA initiatives have been amalgamated into an approach to integrated risk management. Risks are introduced by potential problem situations in a project that have undesirable consequences in terms of cost, schedule, and technical performance. A risk scenario is the sequence of events leading from the initial cause to the undesirable consequence. The cause can be a single event, or an occurrence, which triggers a dormant problem.


Due to risks caused by goaf collapses in coal mines, it is urgent to detect coal mine goafs to prevent severe accidents. The borehole resistivity exploration techniques have been proven efficient in coal mine goaf detection. However, it is often difficult to accurately identify a goaf using a one dimensional (1D) or two dimensional (2D) geo-electrical model because of the presence of the nonlinearity in the geo-electrical structures. A three dimensional (3D) model can explore the nonlinear characteristics of coal mine goafs. Unfortunately, very limited studies report the 3D geo-electrical models in coal mine goaf detection. To address this issue, this work presents an original 3D borehole resistivity approach using borehole direct current resistivity imaging to detect goaf collapses. The forward and inverse mathematical models were established to support the presented approach. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed 3D borehole resistivity approach is valid not only for the detection of single-layer goaf but also for double-layered goaf. Hence, this newly proposed 3D approach has practical importance in exploring coal mine goafs.


The formation of nanobubbles at solid-liquid interfaces has been studied using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging technique. Nanobubble formation strongly depends on both the hydrophobicity of the solid surface and the polarity of the liquid subphase. While nanobubbles do not form on flat hydrophilic (silicon oxide wafer) surfaces immersed in water, they appear spontaneously at the interface of water against smooth, hydrophobic (silanized wafer) surfaces. From the experimental observations we draw the conclusion that the features observed in the AFM images are deformable, air-filled bubbles. In addition to the hydrophobicity of the solid surface, differences in solubility of air between two miscible fluids can also lead to formation of nanobubbles. We observe that nanobubbles appear at the interface of water against hydrophilic silicon oxide surfaces after in-situ mixing of ethanol and water in the fluid-cell. The shapes of the nanobubbles are well approximated by spherical caps, with width much larger than the height of the caps. We quantify the morphological distribution of nanobubbles by evaluating several important bubble parameters including surface coverage and radii of curvature. In conjunction, with an analytical model available in the literature, we use this information to estimate that the present nanobubble morphology may give rise to slip lengths ∼1–2 µm in pressure driven flows for water flowing over the hydrophobic surface. The consistency of the calculated slip length with the experimental values reported in the literature, suggests that the apparent fluid slip observed experimentally at hydrophobic surfaces may arise from the presence of nanobubbles.


We extend the literature on the bank lending channel in two aspects. First, rather than following the literature by analyzing the impact of banks' liquidity (measured via their asset portfolio) on monetary policy transmission, we study the role of banks' actual liquidity risk, as measured by the Basel III liquidity regulations. Second, we investigate the effect of complying with the Basel III liquidity standards on monetary policy transmission. We use highly detailed bank-level data from Luxembourg for the period 2003q1--2010q4. Our findings are that monetary policy transmission works its way through small banks that also have a large maturity mismatch, as measured by the Net Stable Funding Ratio. In contrast, large banks with a small maturity mismatch increase their lending following a monetary policy shock, which confirms existing results that Luxembourg's banks are liquidity providers to the European market. Based upon in-sample predictions and upon simulated data from an optimization model that takes the banks' business models into account, we conclude that the bank lending channel will no longer be effective once banks adhere to the new Basel III liquidity regulations.


Myoelectric powered prostheses provide upper limb amputees with some of the functionality of a missing limb. One key to the successful use of powered prostheses is adequate training so that amputees can learn how to activate their muscles as input control. However, existing myoelectric training tools are not accessible, and have been described as monotonous and unengaging. While game-based training tools have been proposed to increase user engagement, results about their effectiveness have been conflicting. We present the challenges we have identified that are unique to new prosthesis users, and describe how we have built a new training game with mechanics to address these challenges. We also describe our current work conducting user-centered design sessions with the patients and expert staff of a prosthetics clinic.


PurposeDespite the health benefits of physical activity (PA), participation rates Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) adults in the United Kingdom (UK) are low in comparison to the general population. This study aimed to explore the social-ecological factors related to PA participation among BAME immigrants.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 purposively selected adults from the BAME populace residing in one postcode district of a city in southern England.FindingsThe three main themes that developed from this study demonstrated that the barriers to PA participation among BAME were perceived to exist at intrapersonal, and environmental (social and physical) levels.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding these unique social-ecological factors may assist in intervention development.Originality/valueProminent barriers included intrapersonal factors such as deportation fear and cultural beliefs; and environmental factors such as the cost of accessing PA facilities. Length of residency appeared to be related to increased PA.

https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/fd8a5265-9570-49ed-a815-2fb2727ca008/1/Social-ecological factors related to physical activity participation among BAME - 2021 - Katito Davies.pdf


This work proposes a new algorithm to address the problem of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation in satellite-less environments by combining machine learning with existent model-based methods. The proposed network model is trained by using the predictions of two estimators, one based on a Generalized trust region sub-problem (GTRS) framework and the other one founded on a Weighted Least Squares (WLS) principle. The solutions of these two estimators are then fed to two Long Short-Term Memories (LSTMs) to create models whose predictions are averaged to achieve the final prediction output. Our numerical results show favorable performance of the new network, obtaining improved accuracy and higher robustness to noise when compared with the individual counterparts of the network used in the training phase. Consequently, the proposed method offers safer an more reliable navigation of the UAV in satellite-less environments.


The purposes of this study were: 1) to identify segments of employed women purchasers of apparel who display different information search patterns; and 2) to examine the relationship between information search patterns and consumer, product, situational, and market characteristics. Data from a national random sample of 1034 employed women were analyzed. Using a Principal Components Factor Analysis of information search activities, five factors were extracted and labeled: Print-Oriented, Audio-Visual Oriented, Store Intensive, Professional Advice, and Pal Advice Searchers. Based on the highly significant F-tests for each search pattern, it was concluded that employed female consumers' patterns of search for information to use in apparel selection were influenced by characteristics of the consumer, product, and situation, but not the market. By developing profiles of each search pattern, the research provided a basis for theorizing about the determinants of search strategies among apparel consumers. Three broad sets of implications were examined based on the findings of the study. Marketing strategies for the five information search segments are provided.


Dertermination of lead in tea was studied by FAAS.It was found that dertermination of lead in tea can be done directly by FAAS.The sample is not extracted by MIBK.The satisfactory results have been achieved with the optimum conditions.


In this paper, the effect of improving soil fertility on composition and characteristics of humus in cinnamon soil was studied After using organic fertilizer combining with chemical fertilizer, the content of the extractive humus acid of soil and that of HA and FA were raised The rate of HA/FA became higher HA was activated and renewed The soil fertility was improved However, no fertilizer or using mere constant chemical fertilizer would make the composition and characteristics worse and the soil fertility decline The composition and characteristics of humus were important indices to reflect the effect of improving soil fertility Organic manure used together with chemical fertilizer was the effective way to bring about sustainable development of agriculture


IL-17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that promotes autoimmunity and protects against certain pathogens. Here, we present a computational model of signaling downstream of the IL-17 receptor. To manage the complexity of the system we use a rule-based modeling approach, in which signaling proteins are modeled as structured objects and rules describe their biochemical interactions. The model includes 19 molecules and 46 reaction rules, which expand to a reaction network with 168 distinct chemical species - complexes and phosphoforms of the basic molecules - which are connected through a network of 5,145 unidirectional reactions. The model is defined and simulated using the BioNetGen software. This model encompasses major signaling components downstream of IL-17R, which activate NF-κB and in turn promote the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. NF-κB also promotes production of A20, a deubiquitinating enzyme that inhibits NF-κB activation in multiple settings. We recently showed that A20 is a negative regulator of the IL-17 signaling pathway. By modeling A20 interactions with TRAF6 and IKK, we are able to recapitulate experimentally-observed oscillations in NF-κB-dependent A20 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Further expansion of the model, along with additional experimental work tracking the dynamics of signaling intermediates, will enable us to explore novel hypotheses about the regulatory mechanisms of A20 and other potential regulators of IL-17 signaling.


A spectral atlas of the infrared spectrum of the bright K 2 giant Arcturus has been completed using the 4 meter Mayall telescope and FTS. The 0.9-5.3 micron spectrum of Arcturus was observed at high signal-to-noise with a resolution of 100,000. Telluric lines were removed by using telluric transmission spectra generated from McMath-Pierce solar spectra or 4 meter lunar spectra. The spectrum of Arcturus was observed on two different dates selected to give large opposite heliocentric shifts. The spectra observed on the different dates have been independently corrected for telluric absorption with the result that the telluric spectrum has been effectively removed from all but the most obscure wavelengths of the Arcturus spectrum. We attempted to identify lines with central depths stronger than a few percent. Identifications seem well in hand with the unidentified lines apparantly atmoic in origin. The atlas is available either on an AAS CD-ROM or as an ASP monograph.


Reply: We would like to thank Aurelién Duprè, Johan Gagniér, Heloı̈se Samba, Michel Rivoire, and Karem Slim for their comments about our article ''Procalcitonin Reveals Early Dehiscence in Colorectal Surgery: The PREDICS Study.'' It is very rewarding to realize that this paper is stimulating so many observations, this means that we are talking about an interesting topic. Thank you for underlining that PREDICS is a large prospective observational study, involving 3 high-volume colorectal centers in Italy. It is to note that we described study methods in our first preliminary paper; anyway, we are glad to share with you that sample size was calculated for a difference of at least 10% between the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves (AUCs) of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). In the pilot study, an AUC of 0.884 was observed for PCT at third postoperative day and used for the calculation. The prevalence of anastomotic leakage was assumed to be 14% according to the preliminary study, but was much lower in the PREDICS study data (5.6%). Total number of patients to include was estimated to be 441. The study was designed to have 80% power with an alpha error of 0.05. Regarding strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology checklist, we decided not to publish it because we consider it a useful tool only during study design; anyway, in the ''Materials and methods'' section, we carefully described all study characteristics (inclusion and exclusion criteria, variables reported in the database, and


1. Holder (1) with one or more electrodes (2) to create an electric field in the conduit (3) of the exhaust gas, wherein the holder (1) has a drive (4) of electrically insulating material with a side (5) and the incident flow side ( 6) flowing stream and capable of passing the exhaust gas (exhaust gas) from the side (5) of the incident flow to the side (6) flowing hole flow (7) and at least one fixed to the disc (4) and / or it electrical conductor (8), and wherein the electrical conductor (8) of at th least on the side (5) of the disc oncoming flow (4) is covered with an electrically insulating material and is in electrical contact with one or more extending to the side (6) flowing stream electrodes (2) .2. Holder (1) according to Claim. 1, wherein the electrical conductor (8) has an extension (9) for through the wall (10) of the pipeline (3) exhaust gaza.3. Holder (1) according to Claim. 1 or 2, wherein the electrical conductor (8) is mounted in at least one groove (11) in the disc (4) .4. Holder (1) according to Claim. 1 or 2, wherein the electrical conductor (8) is fixed on a disk (4) and / or in it by a connecting material (12) .5. Holder (1) according to Claim. 1 or 2, wherein the holder has a cover which is arranged on the side (6) flowing stream disk (4), wherein the lid (13) has a recess (14) for mounting the electrodes (2) .6. . The holder (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more electrodes (2) and the electrical conductor (8) are interconnected by at least one of the following operating principles: - a positive fit, - closure force, u solid compound .7. Holder (1) according to Claim. 1 or 2, wherein the drive (4) is made cup


Currently, with the increasing advancement of interactive learning technologies in MOOCs, a large number of student-generated comments (SGCs) have been substantially produced with two primary emotions (positive and negative). The emotional orientations are typically related with specific learning topics or aspects discussed, which is of value to offer abundant academic feedbacks for teachers and developers. Especially, the negative emotion and topics can be exploited to get an in-depth insight of the problems and barriers encountered by learners in online learning. However, it is challenging to capture relevant details from unstructured SGCs. In this paper, we propose a generative probabilistic model that extends Sentence-LDA (SLDA), namely Emotion Topic Joint Probabilistic Model (ETJM), to explore negative opinions in terms of pairs of which we call emo-topic. The model first automatically extracts the sentences with the high negative emotion density (NED), and then incorporates emotion and topic together to explore negative emotional feedbacks towards topics. The experimental results show that learners extended some negative comments towards the issues about learning content, online assignments and certificates of courses. The summarization of these issues can be given back to teachers to regulate and improve the teaching methods, strategies and design of learning contents.


After 1960s,research on the nature of reading developed swiftly and since 1980s,a few influential reading models: bottom-up model,top-down model,interactive model and schematic view have come into existence.This paper mainly discusses the interactive model and its contributions to reading comprehension,and finally the pedagogical implications of the theory for EFL reading is analyzed.


A firm deciding on its promotion practices will be concerned both with the efficient assignment of workers to tasks and with rewarding prior performance. This can result in a time-inconsistency problem because the promotion rule that is optimal at the time of the promotion decision may differ from the rule that is optimal before performance is determined. In this article I explore the role of time inconsistency in determining promotion practices. In particular, I show that the common practice of favoring internal candidates for promotion can be understood as a response by firms to the problem of time inconsistency. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.


Positivity of human personality is very essential to healthy life; similarly, negativity of human personality is a harmful aspect to an individual. Two types of human instincts have been identified by the physiologist and also by the psychologist. In psychoanalysis theory of libidinal development, two types of instinct have been identified. Both life instinct and death instinct are two fundamental units of human personality. Adolescence is very fluctuating stage in the phase of development. Rapid changes in human personality have been identified in human personality at the stage of adolescence. Higher level of libidinal flow has been observed in this stage. In present study, researcher has intended to determine the presence of life instinct among the secondary students. To carry out the present study, a data collection tool has been developed and also standardized properly. 253 secondary students from Uttar Dinajpur district have been selected purposively. In descriptive analysis, no variation of response has been found; but, difference between urban and rural students, slight difference has been found. Significant mean difference between urban and rural secondary students in terms of presence of life instinct has been found. Lower level of life instinct has been found among the rural boy secondary students. Similarly, higher level of life instinct has been found among the urban girl secondary students. So, negativity has influenced t he personality of rural boy students in higher level. Positivity in human personality has been found among the urban girl secondary students. So, it has suggested that urban girl has some unique adjust to perceive the situation properly.


The prophylactic effects of Chinese propolis against cypermethrin toxicity were evaluated by performing ovary and uterus histopathology, as well as by characterizing ovarian function, embryos, and litters. Cypermethrin induced atypia in the ovary and uterus, and decreased the ovulation sites and the number of embryos. Cypermethrin-induced oxidative stress during pregnancy, decreased the parturition rate as well as the number and weight of offspring and increased the incidence of morphological malformations in the offspring. Administration of propolis to cypermethrin-treated animals mitigated cypermethrin-induced reproductive toxicity.


The bacteria mushroom nutrition tea,which can be used as beverages or additives of sauce halogen products,has beneficial effects for health.The article study the best condition of releasing effective composition about the ratio of tea and bacteria mushroom,the ratio ol solid and liquid,time and polysaccharide quantity using response surface analysis.The result demonstrates that the optimized ratio of tea and bacteria mushroom is 3:l,the ratio of water is thirty two times.the tea-making time is five minutes in order to guarantee the functional composition.


The fabrication method of silica hard shell microcapsules containing disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate (Na 2 HPO 4 ・ 12H 2 O) has been developed. The effects of the mixing rates for the emulsification, of the volume ratios of solutions and of surfactant concentrations on the size of hollow microcapsules have been also studied. From the results, it was confirmed that silica hard shell microcapsules can contains Na 2 HPO 4 ・ 12H 2 O with the present method using hollow microcapsules. The present micro-encapsulated Na 2 HPO 4 ・ 12H 2 O was also found to cause the supercooling depression effect. As the fabricated microcapsules have no flammability, the present microcapsule was concluded to be a promising item not only for latent heat transportation media but also for the static thermal storage materials for architectural structures. From the studies on the fabrication parameters, it was concluded that the control of the surfactant concentration is effective for controlling the size of microcapsule.


Analysis of Actual Budget of the Financial Management Board and the Regional Asset (BPKAD) South Sumatra Province".
M.FaridAndrianto, 2015 , ( xiii + 47 pages )
E - mail : firstname.lastname@example.com

The final report entitled "Analysis of Actual Budget of the Financial Management Board and the Regional Asset (BPKAD) South Sumatra Province". In collecting the data, the authors use the method of literature study, direct interviews and documentation. The data used in this analysis is the data reports Actual Budget in 2012 and 2013. Issues to be discussed include How the application of Articles realization of revenue and expenditure on its realization are used effectively and efficiently. For the calculation of the budget realization report (LRA) and details on the use of the budget. Analysis carried out suggests that revenues and expenditures in 2012 and 2013 used effectively. It is seen from the level of use of budget revenues, which realization is 100%. For shopping the result that the comparison between actual revenue and spending less efficient because the comparison both exceeded 100% is supposed to be an efficient standard is less than 100%.


This paper has analyzed the importance of national costume from the perspective of the application of Tujia抯 costume to modern dress designing. It holds the view that national costume is the endless source of inspiration in our dress designing and creating. Only grasping its spirit can we transform it into modern dress culture. This paper enlightens us that it抯 necessary to carry forward national culture in traditional costume and accomplish the unity between the times and the national features.


By its nature, the emergency has an impromptu component, representing a serious and unexpected event; not surprisingly, the radio call "Mayday" repeated three times (from the French "venez m'aider"), which in aeronautics uniquely identifies this state, is our emergency call.An emergency can have different origins: technical, human, environmental.An emergency is defined as a particular condition of things, a critical moment, which requires immediate action, as it is potentially capable of causing serious damage, extended to things or people.As pilots we are faced with an emergency with the tools we have available, including training, technology and group resources.The concept of anticipation of the event is an integral part of the aeronautical culture; wanting to break down the emergency in a more articulated way, we have a before, a during and an after conceptualized by the avoid, detect, mitigate (avoid, recognize, mitigate) phases.


If we take any integral number, and suppose it written round the circumference of a circle, it is possible to form differences by subtracting each digit from its neighbour on the right. If the result is negative, 10 is added to bring the answer positive. The second and successive differences may be formed similarly. It is found that at some stage the lines of differences start to repeat those occurring before.


The integrated road transport environment (IRTE) tries to accomplish road transport enhancements via dedicated applications. Key problem is the connection of different application components. Therefore open distributed processing (ODP) provides suitable concepts. The paper introduces a formal approach for a uniform analysis of service importers, exporters and interface matching based on an algebraic model. The concept aims in providing the management of distributed road transport informatics (RTI) applications.<<ETX>>


Hu Shih ,a Pioneer of biography in contemporary China,is the first person to advance the term Biography ;the differences between Chinese and western biographies;the origin of biography and the effectiveness of personality education.He encouraged people to write autobiographies or biographies so as to provide material for historians and open new channel for literature.These ideas are of some starting significance in The Chinese Literary theory of biography.Meanwhile he published Biography of LI Chao,Self_Narration at Forty,Biography of DING Wen_jiang etc.No matter how conscientiously he pursued historical truth he attempted to employ liferary techniques in his writings.


The security of our country is constantly being threatened. In order to ensure protection for our society, it is necessary to detect vulnerabilities in critical systems before terrorists or other adversaries are able to exploit them. Part of these vulnerabilities could be solved by improving the effectiveness of certain systems, for example, the electric power system. This system, also known as an electrical grid, can be dramatically improved by utilizing Smart Grid technologies. These technologies can incorporate a large number of features to the current system, which facilitate the production and distribution of electrical energy from the power plants to the customers. Electric companies usually employ the use of a software called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to control this type of systems. The focus of this work is using cybersecurity in Smart Grid systems as a engineering education tool. Students will begin by examining, in a simulated environment with two different machines, the process in which an attacker could potentially penetrate and compromise a computer inside the running SCADA software. The attacker computer has a set of software tools that help in the penetration testing process and the victim computer runs a commercially available SCADA software. These experiments provide computer engineering students with a hands on experience in Smart Grid cybersecurity-related issues.


A Major geological event--Rodinia breakup occurred in the Meso-Neoproterozoic period. The recent study shows that the Jinning orogeny in the south China plate was related to the Rodinia breakup. A great amount of geological data indicate that metallic deposits hosted by the Pre-Cambrian on the Kangdian axis were formed 900-700 Ma ago and associated with large-scale basic and acidic magmatism and closely related with tectonic and hydrothermal process during the Jinning-Chengjiang epoch. Tectonic setting where the deposits were formed was an extensional environment which might be correlated to the Rodinia breakup. This paper deals with the response of the above-mentioned mineralization to the Rodinia breakup in terms of isotope geochronology and sedimentary environment.


The study investigated life-skills among undergraduate students. The respondents of the survey were 500 young adults aged 18 to 25 years from five universities in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Life-skills Development Inventory-College Form was used to measure life skills in four domains: interpersonal communication, decision making, health maintenance and identity development. The findings revealed significant gender difference regarding health maintenance. The findings also suggested that educators should provide opportunities for students to practice social skills, so that students will be better prepared in facing challenges
in their real life.


Various educational applications have been successfully utilized multimedia in learning environment. Many researchers agree that multimedia can facilitate learning through its advantages. However, there are differences in developing multimedia application for young children and for adults. Children are different than adults in the way they think and learn, and this difference evolves over time. Particularly, the challenges faced by designers of applications for children include determining strategies to design applications that meet children's capabilities, needs and expectations. Accordingly, this paper discusses the process of designing and discussing an application specifically for building-up children's knowledge about Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). This paper also measures children's knowledge before and after the demonstration of the application. During the design stage, guideline for Educational Websites for Children was referred to. The guidelines contain 10 elements of design guidelines for children and the elements are grouped into three categories which are navigation, appearance, and content. A group of 222 primary school children between 7 and 9 years old were involved. They were divided into gender groups. Knowledge and Awareness Survey (KAS) instrument have been used to evaluate the children's knowledge of child sexual abuse before and after they used the application. The results reveal that children's knowledge (in both groups) has increased after they used the application. Additionally, it was found that girls are more interested to the application compared to boys.


With the acceleration of proteomics research, various new technologies for high throughput separation and identification of proteins has been paid more attention,among which the rapid protein digestion is one of the key elements.


A laser medical device based on a system of laser diodes with a wavelength of 520-524 nm and a power of more than 3 W has been developed. The operating mode is pulsed with a pulse repetition rate of up to 1 kHz and a duration of 0.5 to 100 ms. A laser medical device is designed for selective photodestruction of vascular formations of the skin and subcutaneous tissue.


In an earlier paper [Shail, 1] one of the present authors considered the effect of a magnetic field on the frictional couple experienced by an axisymmetric solid insulator which rotates slowly in a bounded viscous conducting fluid, the applied magnetic field being parallel to the axis of rotation. Results for the couple in various geometrical configurations were obtained in the form of power series expansions in the Hartmann number M , and hence are valid only for M ≪ 1. However, because of the increased rigidity given to the fluid by the applied field, it is physically evident that the magnetic field will have a more dramatic effect on the flow pattern for large values of M . Thus one object of this paper is to investigate the frictional couple on a solid insulator rotating in an unbounded fluid for values of M ≫ 1.


A plating layer (4) is formed on the surface of a battery cover (3), and a peripheral portion (37b) of a cover case (37) is arranged on the upper surface of the plating layer (4). The front end portion of the peripheral portion (37b) is provided with a welding portion (40). The welding portion (40) has a melted portion (41), which is the melted front end of the peripheral portion (37b), and a run portion (42), which is a portion flowed over the plating layer (4) from the front end. The melted portion (41) and the run portion (42) is welded to the plating layer (4) on the upper surface of the plating layer (4).


The authors reported nursing management of 184 unknown patients with serious brain damage and held that:respecting patients' life value,contacting local civil administration department,making good case history and managing patients' checking,safety and convalescence were key to improve the curative rate of unknown patients and reducing disability rate as well as death rate. The authors placed stress on medical staff's humanism spirit of saving the wounded and curing the dying and hoped that government and all circles of society who were concerned about unknown patients could solve the medical fee problem.


Aim: The objective of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to assess the effect of pramlintide on glycemic control, weight and incidence of nausea and hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and in obese patients without diabetes (OBP).


Abstract We propose a class of power-transformed linear quantile regression models for time-to-event observations subject to censoring. By introducing a process of power transformation with different transformation parameters at individual quantile levels, our framework relaxes the assumption of logarithmic transformation on survival times and provides dynamic estimation of various quantile levels. With such formulation, our proposal no longer requires the potentially restrictive global linearity assumption imposed on a class of existing inference procedures for censored quantile regression. Uniform consistency and weak convergence of the proposed estimator as a process of quantile levels are established via the martingale-based argument. Numerical studies are presented to illustrate the outperformance of the proposed estimator over existing contenders under various settings.


Background: Chronic Cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors for coronary artery disease. However, it has additional cardiac adverse effects independent of coronary atherosclerosis. Objectives of study: To assess the effects of chronic smoking on right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions using Two-Dimensional Speckle Tracking. Patient and methods: This study was carried out in Baghdad Teaching Hospital\ Echo unit from June 2017 to May 2018.The participants whom divided into two groups smoker vs nonsmoker were examined by standard echocardiography protocol which was followed by TwoDimensional Speckle Tracking to assess the functions of the right ventricle. Results: Forty young smokers' men and 40 age-matched nonsmoking controls enrolled in this study, the baseline characteristics of two groups were similar. There were significant differences regarding the Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion ,P (<0.04) which were significantly reduced in smokers group. The peak late diastolic velocity (A wave) were significantly higher in smoker group P (0.016) and hence the E/A ratio were significantly lower P (0.017). The Tissue Doppler Imaging examination of right ventricular free wall reveal that the Peak systolic velocity of RV free wall (S'), and the peak early diastolic velocity of RV free wall (E') were found significantly lower in smokers group when compared to control group (P <0.02 for both ). The Global Longitudinal Strain as assessed by 2DSpeckle Tracking Echocardiography were also significantly reduced in smoker group P (0.04). There were significant correlations between the amount of smoking and right ventricular global strain by 2-D Speckle Tracking Echo study. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that chronic cigarette smoking causes alterations in long-axis systolic and diastolic functions of right ventricle in healthy young subjects. These changes can be early detected with 2-D Speckle Tracking Echocardiography. University of Mustansiriyah College Name Medicine Department Microbiology Full name as written in passport Shahad Alauldeen Hussein Al-Taie


What will be the relationship between human beings and artificial intelligence (AI) in the future? Does an AI have moral status? What is that status? Through the analysis of consciousness, we can explain and answer such questions. The moral status of AIs can depend on the development level of AI consciousness. Drawing on the evolution of consciousness in nature, this paper examines several consciousness abilities of AIs, on the basis of which several relationships between AIs and human beings are proposed. The advantages and disadvantages of those relationships can be analysed by referring to classical ethics theories, such as contract theory, utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics. This explanation helps to construct a common hypothesis about the relationship between humans and AIs. Thus, this research has important practical and normative significance for distinguishing the different relationships between humans and AIs.


This brief article represent the idea brainstorming and interesting offers on submiting various alternative about the new design of management system of civil servant that proposed by observer and bureaucrats but apparently it can not touch the problems that most basic, detailed and profound in characters.
For the policy makers both at central or district, should "immediate" making review even if needed performed special research on correction and completion upon the existing weakness at the management system of civil servant in Indonesia such as those suggested in this article.


We construct an empirical measure of expected network spillovers that arise through default cascades for the U.S. financial system for the period 2002-16. Compared to existing studies, we include a much larger cross section of U.S. financial firms that comprises all bank holding companies, all broker-dealers, and all insurance companies, and consider their entire empirical balance sheet exposures instead of relying on simulations or on exposures arising just through one specific market (like the fed funds market) or one specific financial instrument (like credit default swaps). We find negligible expected spillovers from 2002 to 2007 and from 2013 to 2016. However, between 2008 and 2012, we find that default spillovers can amplify expected losses by up to 25 percent, a significantly higher estimate than previously found in the literature.


Deception and the Need for Counterdeception. Introduction to Deception Principles. The Cognitive Aspects of Deception: Why Does Deception Work? The Technical Aspects of Deception: Simulation and Dissimulation. Deception Operations Illustrated. Approaches to Countering Deception. Proposed Principles of Counterdeception. Technical Approaches to Counterdeception. Cognitive Approaches to Counterdeception. Counterdeception Architectures and Technologies. Implementing Counterdeception Operations and Capabilities. Speculation on the Future of Deception and Counterdeception.


This paper introduces the types and a performance of the plastic used in the automobile manufacturing industry,expounds the present situation of the application of the plastic in the automobile manufacturing industry,and estimates the application prospect of the plastic in the future automobile.


Food features prominently in Hong Kong cinema, from the infamous "Eat my rice" scene in Woo's heroic bloodshed A Better Tomorrow 2 to the special recipes of dueling restaurants in the Hui Brothers' comedy Chicken and Duck Talk. While in many action movies, dramas and comedies, food brings people together, in Hong Kong horror films, food carries more ominous overtones. Cannibalism serves as the main course in Herman Yau's Untold Story (aka Human Pork Buns) and Fruit Chan's Dumplings (the former drawn from a real case and the latter a short and feature). Both explore the political and social underpinnings of their time. Untold Story (1993) is an excellent example of crisis cinema- in your face, low budget, high anxiety over the return of Hong Kong to China. Dumplings (2004) reflects the post-postmodern fascination with a youth culture, at any costs. Both films mark class distinctions and reflect the cultural importance of food in Chinese society as well as provide comment on their times.


In wireless sensor networks, adversaries can easily launch application layer attacks, such as false data injection attacks and false vote insertion attacks. False data injection attacks may drain energy resources and waste real world response efforts. False vote insertion attacks would prevent reporting of important information on the field. In order to minimize the damage from such attacks, several prevention based solutions have been proposed by researchers, but may be inefficient in normal condition due to their overhead. Thus, they should be activated upon detection of such attacks. Existing detection based solutions, however, does not address application layer attacks. This paper presents a scheme to adaptively counter false data injection attacks and false vote insertion attacks in sensor networks. The proposed scheme consists of two sub-units: one used to detect the security attacks and the other used to select efficient countermeasures against the attacks. Countermeasures are activated upon detection of the security attacks, with the consideration of the current network status and the attacks. Such adaptive countering approach can conserve energy resources especially in normal condition and provide reliability against false vote insertion attacks.


Objective. We assessed the changes in EEG and event-related potential (P300) in elderly patients with poststroke aphasia and epilepsy. Materials and Methods. We examined 57 patients with poststroke aphasia (age 55-79 years). Cortical aphasia was revealed in 47 cases, and 10 patients had subcortical aphasia. Control group consisted patients with chronic brain chronic brain ischemia and healthy persons. Results. Local slow activity in the left hemisphere in EEG were revealed in 78% of patients with cortical aphasia, and in 20% of cases with subcortical aphasia. Local epileptic activity along with slow activity was spike-and-slow-wave complexes and sharp waves; temporal intermittent delta activity (TIRDA); both spike-and-wave complexes and TIRDA. In two cases epileptic activity was revealed as periodic lateralizing epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) besides local slow waves, and may deteriorate the aphasia. According to P300 data patients with poststroke aphasia hadn't severe cognitive impairment, and the worst changes were noted in the group with chronic brain ischemia. In some patients with heavy aphasia it was possible to recorded P300 in passive perception of stimuli. Conclusion. In cases with PLEDs and persistent epileptic activity antiepileptic treatment probably reduces the aphasia. P300 is important in diagnostic of cognitive decline in patients with poststroke aphasia, especially when aphasia is heavy and neuropsychological tests can't be done.


One hypothesis for the evolutionary expansion of mammals after their emergence from reptiles is that mammals became nocturnal and were thus able to use an unexploited temporal niche (1, 2). To produce an exact 24-h rhythm in behavioral outputs, the circadian clock develops a temporal phase relation with the day/night cycle. In species studied thus far, the electrical and gene expression rhythms in the circadian clock in both diurnal and nocturnal animals have similar phases with respect to the light:dark cycle. This suggests that the phase difference in the activity of nocturnal and diurnal animals is not caused by differences in the circadian clock but rather by how the clock couples to output mechanisms (3). In this issue of PNAS, Doyle et al. (4) present a possible mechanism for how retinal mutations could also lead to a switch between nocturnal and diurnal behavior.


This study focused on investigating teachers' perception on literacy as a viable too against the outbreak of epidemics in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. In the course of the study, three (3) research questions were formulated to guide the study, while a survey research design was adopted for the study. From a total of three hundred and four (304) teachers who constituted the population of teachers in the twelve public secondary schools in Abakaliki metropolis, a sample of one hundred and twenty (120) teachers was simple randomly selected as the sample for the study. The instrument used was a structured questionnaire with four sections. Mean and standard deviation were used as instrument for data analysis.  The result of the findings revealed that the teachers, who were used in the study, agreed that literacy has really been very helpful in improving the health status of the people; it has also increased the quest for more knowledge on health education, and reduced the occurrence of the outbreak of epidemics respectively. Following some findings, recommendations and conclusions were made.


We develop a reduced-form approach for valuing callable corporate bonds by characterizing the call probability via an intensity process. Asymmetric information and market frictions justify the existence of a call-arrival intensity from the market's perspective. Our approach both extends the reduced-form model of Duffie and Singleton (1999) for defaultable bonds to callable bonds and captures some important differences between call and default decisions. A comprehensive empirical analysis of callable bonds using both our model and the more traditional American option approach for valuing callable bonds shows that the reduced-form model fits callable bond prices well and that it outperforms the traditional approach both in- and out-of-sample.


Abstract : The paper discusses results of interferometric measurements of the distribution of the electron concentration in a plasma flow obtained by means of an electromagnetic plasma accelerator with erosion of the dielectric.


AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were welded by CO2 laser welding with filler metal process.The effect of different amount of calcium(Ca) additions on the AZ31 laser welded joints was studiesd,and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated.In the fusion zone,the grains were refined with an appropriate amount of Ca addition(no more than 0.19wt%Ca),resulting in the improved mechanical properties of the joints.The optimum welds were obtained with the AZC04 filler metal strip(0.19wt%Ca contained in the fusion zone),the grains and the precipitates in the fusion zone were both refined,and the welding efficiency of the joints was up to 100% for the base metal.


This paper describes a user‐friendly frontend to a Fortran program that integrates coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The user interface is built using the NeXTSTEP Interface Builder, together with a public‐domain graphical palette for displaying intermediate and final results. The main obstacle was implementing communication between the Objective‐C environment governing the NeXTSTEP interface and the Fortran code. This was overcome by breaking up the Fortran into separate subroutines (which compile as C function calls), corresponding to the various control buttons in the interface. In running the code for a given set of equation parameters the user sees a plot of the solutions at each stage of the iterative process. In the case of a successful sequence of iterations, the initially discontinuous curves smooth out as the scale parameters of the solutions are adjusted to achieve a solution to the nonlinear equations. If the iterative process goes astray, as it often does for a poor choice of starting scale parameters, the user has the opportunity to stop and start over with a better choice, guided by the result of the previous run. The ease of interaction with the equations also allows the user to develop an intuition regarding their solutions and to explore the parameter space for the equations much more quickly.


No effort will be made in this paper to trace in detail the influence of Christianity, or of occidental modes of thought on Japanese ethics, nor to discuss at length the state of Japanese morals at the present time. But this discussion will confine itself to those phases of ethics that have been characteristic of the Japanese people for several generations or centuries. Neither is this an effort to describe the morals of the masses of the Japanese. Rather it is an attempt to set forth what might be termed the standard ethical code of .Japan. And "standard" will naturally mean that which is highest and best, just as the standard Christian ethics would not be the actual practices. not even the ideals of the average professing Christian--not to say those of many of the citizens of so-called Christian nations-but would be formed only in the hearts of the best and most enlightened Christians. If this fact is borne in mind, it will counteract the possible impression that the morals of .Iapan are being praised unduly. The subject will he treated under three main heads, as follows: 1. Are the Japanese ethical ~ II. Some sources of .Japanese ethical teaching. III. Some characteristics of .Japanese ethics.


Māori people and other minority groups such as migrants and their descendants from the tropical islands to the north of Aotearoa, China, and Thailand. The business mind-set of the neoliberal reformists explains the debate of the book and, although I had planned to go through the book chapter by chapter, Doerr has provided a straightforward explanation of the structure of the book between pages 21 and 23. Besides, in every chapter she introduces the ideas to be discussed and concludes with a reflection. As well, several subtitles in a chapter are useful and informative. I am not an historian, economist, or anthropologist. I am an indigenous Māori research fellow and project manager in the Faculty of Medicine and Health in the academy and, in the past, a teacher of indigenous and migrant students in the secondary school. Therefore, I can tiptoe past quite a lot of the chapters wrapped in anthropology, history, and education as a market. Indeed I pat myself on the back on being free of the malevolence of specialisation (cf. Paulo Freire). And this brings me to the disappointment that I have with the book—the editing. There are several indefinite and definite articles omitted throughout the text, as early as page 1, line 12. In the References, the title of the famous academic text written by the Māori statesman and anthropologist, Emeritus Professor Ranginui Walker, is written incorrectly (page 223, line 7). Surprisingly, the word Te reo is written as Te Rao repeatedly on page 25. So, I finish this brief review by saying that what indigenous and other minority group educators and educationalists, researchers, and the researched can draw from Meaningful Inconsistencies is indeed the wealth of cultural and political critique, supported by fieldwork, throughout the book. Therefore, I recommend highly this text to indigenous and minority group intellectuals, politicians, civil servants, other professionals, and spin doctors to improve their understanding of education as a commodity and to improve their understanding of biculturalism, citizenship, and nationhood in Aotearoa/New Zealand.


The rapid introduction over the last years and increasing use of wireless technologies nowadays led to public health concerns regarding adverse health effects. The general public, however, is not f...


Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is direct, intentional harm to one's own body performed without the intent to die. NSSI has a marked developmental onset reaching peak prevalence in adolescence. NSSI is present in the context of multiple psychological disorders and stands alone as a separate phenomenon. Research has accumulated over the past several decades regarding the course of NSSI. While great advances have been made, there remains a distinct need for basic and applied research in the area of NSSI. This chapter reviews prevalence rates, correlates and risk factors, and leading theories of NSSI. Further, it reviews assessment techniques and provides recommendations. Then, it presents the latest evidence-based treatment recommendations and provides a case example. Finally, cutting edge research and the next frontier of research in this area are outlined.


In an expanding number of worldwide clinical trials, conventional loop, dipole and square-patch antennas perform as external hyperthermia applicators for the adjunct treatment of cancer cells at superficial depths inside the human body. A smaller patch design in very close proximity with various phantom tissue models produces focused specific absorption rate (SAR) patterns without significant frequency detuning or impedance mismatch. Synthesized treatment conditions for different body phantoms suggest that the SAR profile of the compact antenna is stable for a range of tissue types and topologies. This paper will describe the miniaturisation and tissue coupling design characteristics for the near-field antenna applicator. Performance metrics are indicated with impedance matching, SAR and thermal profiles.


The invention provides a turbine emergency protective system capable of preventing misoperation, which comprises two sets of electronic traction support (ETS) devices. The turbine emergency protective system is characterized in that each ETS device is internally provided with two complex programmable logic arrays, the input end of each complex programmable lock array is connected with a turbine operation out-of-limit parameter switching value input signal, the output ends of the two complex programmable logic arrays in each set of ETS device are subjected to And logic through hardware and then output, the output ends of the two sets of ETS device are subjected to Or logic through the hardware and then output, the total output end trip signal is connected with a trip electromagnetic valve, and the complex programmable logic array comprises a complex programmable logic element and a field programmable gate array. The ETS systems greatly improve the safety of the whole system, achieve actual no misaction and no misoperation, and have low cost.


Malawi has been implementing nation-wide decentralization in the form of devolution since 2000 with the aim of meaningfully involving communities in the process of generating locally relevant development plans. Through decentralized planning, it was hoped that the much needed spaces for grassroots participation in local decision making had been realized. The rationale was that direct involvement of local people would afford them an advantage to animate the available spaces of decision making in order to shape their own futures. However, experience of decentralized planning in rural Malawi indicates that the question of participation is not a foregone conclusion as it is marked by complex relations in the contest of local decision making. Hence, using the political space approach, this paper interrogates the interplay of decentralized planning and citizenship participation in shaping local people's agency for contesting project selection in rural Malawi. It argues that decentralized planning is essentially a political process that sustains dynamic interactions of actors with competing interests who employ a diversity of incentives to manipulate resource allocation in their favour. This leaves local people at the margins of decision making where their prospects of moving from 'clients' to 'agents' of power are limited.


We formulate a phase field crack growth model for mode III fracture in a Maxwell-type viscoelastic material. To describe viscoelastic relaxation, a field variable of viscously flowed strain is employed in addition to a displacement field and damage phase field used in the original elastic model. Unlike preceding models constructed in the mechanical engineering community, our model is based only on the generic procedure for driving (uni-directional) gradient flow system from a physically natural system energy and employ no additional assumption such as the super-imposed relations for stress and strain (and their time derivatives) valid only for linear viscoelasticity. Numerical simulations indicate that the competition between increase in deformation by applied loading and the viscoelastic relaxation determines whether a distinct crack propagation has occurred from an initial crack. Furthermore, we consider the numerical results from an energetic perspective.


''At a fundamental level, Physical Geography has always sought to describe and understand the multiple subsystems of the environment and their connections with human activity: it is global and globalizing at its very roots'' (Clifford, 2009: 5). This quote is from our managing editor, Professor Nicholas J. Clifford. I would like to take this opportunity to discuss how it has shaped my view in serving as the new Asian editor of this journal. The first point is about the global nature of physical geography. Environmental systems are intimately linked. At the same time, many large-scale environmental problems are transboundary in nature (e.g. air pollution, water pollution, global warming, etc.). To better understand their intricacies, it is not only necessary to examine the interactions among different environmental systems, but also to collect empirical data and generate research findings across the world. This is about globalizing knowledge creation in physical geography. On the other hand, when large-scale environmental problems are downscaled to regional or lower geographical levels, regional contextual information becomes critically important. To this end, apart from globalizing knowledge production, globalizing author profiles seems to be equally important, as scholars from different continents may have different place-specific knowledge and wisdom. In 1986 Professor D.R. Stoddart gave me his famous book, On Geography, when I was a Chinese student in Nanjing University. I was very surprised by his viewpoint that geography is a European science supported by Americans and Africans (Stoddart, 1986). Nearly 30 years have since elapsed, and Asia has become important in the world in the political and economic domains. However, contributions of Asian researchers to many geography journals are still relatively few. Perhaps globalizing the author profile is one of the key directions that I should follow. The second point is about the inter-disciplinary nature of physical geography. Subject to global warming and various environmental issues, in recent years scholars have tended to focus on how human activities affect environmental systems. Yet, it is still very much a taboo to talk about how the environmental systems shape the well-being of human societies because it smacks of environmental determinism, which has been regarded in some quarters as an anachronistic if not superseded paradigm. As a


The 'haptic' – referring variously to the sense of touch and its artificial replication, to kinaesthesis and to the emotionally touching – is a term currently gaining scholarly attention in the fields of film theory, sociology and computer science. This article aims to explore the role of the haptic in Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage sequence, as a means of assessing not only the vital importance of the haptic sense within Richardson's oeuvre, but also the ways in which this haptic fascination might in fact be symptomatic of experimental modernist literature more generally. If this is the case, then study of the haptic must accommodate the literary, alongside the cinematic, the social and the technological. Here, the haptic will be considered at the level of content (where Richardson makes us touch her subject), and at the level of form (where the reader's own haptic sense is engaged). While an approach to literature that foregrounds tactile perception and related sensations appears at first a counter-intuitive move, understanding Pilgrimage as a haptic text aids its establishment as an exemplary literary expression of modernity.


This study is based on the market imperfection theory that tries to explain the reasons behind an enterprise's expansion and globalization. This theory argues that if a firm is going to expand internationally, it must possess four main kinds of advantages: Those related to technology, brand differentiation, control of distribution channels and scale economies. The study tries to apply this theory to the case of the Japanese enterprise Sony that was founded in 1946 as a small enterprise in a commercial center in Tokyo and managed to become in a short period of time a big multinational company. The study reveals the main reasons and factors that have contributed to the building of Sony's power as related to the four mentioned dimensions, and which was reflected in the impressive success of this company.


where newdata will continually drive societal attitudes. Theviruses ofxenograft donor species. There areabout 4000knownvirus species andabout 30,000 strains andvariants that infect humans, animals, plants, invertebrates, andmicroorganisms (4). Although therisk posed bymanyviruses will require further evaluation, attention mustbeconcentrated onviruses that areknowntobe pathogenic indonors orrecipients andviruses withother suspected risk potential. Knownpathogenic viruses thatmight posearisk inxenotransplantation include manyadenoviruses, papovaviruses, papillomaviruses, parvoviruses, hepadnaviruses, morbilliviruses, filoviruses, hantaviruses, arenaviruses, arteriviruses, flaviviruses, and togaviruses. Inevaluating thepathogenic potential ofspecific viruses, rather than whole categories such astheonesdescribed, itwill notbeeasy todetermine which viruses represent arisk tothexenograft recipient alone, which represent arisk tosociety asawhole asaresult ofspecies jumping, andwhich maybedismissed asrepresenting aminimal risk. An important aspect of policy development should betheconstruction ofalist oftheviruses ofconcern and anevaluation oftherelative risk each poses invarious xenotransplantation


This special issue on schools and delinquency prevention was designed to bring together a number of diverse opinions and research findings on the prevention and control of school-related delinquency as well as on the role of the public school in generating and/or controlling delinquency among its youth population. Schools have been widely criticized for contributing to delinquency, for failing to adequately prepare youth for responsible adult roles, for labeling children negatively, for dealing with problem students by expulsion, or for doing nothing at all about delinquency and youth crime. There have also been defenses of the schools, pointing out that public school systems have scarcely enough resources even to carry out thri primary educational functions without taking on the added responsibilities for dealing with deliquent or predelinquent youth. It must be mentioned that this guest editor is not merely a disinterested bystander on the issues of schools and delinquency. It is his personal belief that schools do contribute to delinquency, if only by neglect, and that radical changes in educational focus and policies are critical to delinquency prevention. His ideas on restructuring the public school system are outlined in a paper contained in this issue. Kenneth Polk similarly describes the processes of credentialing and status definition that occur in schools, with special attention to the institutional labeling of some youth as failures.


Cooperation relationships governed by international civil law in the business world between 2 (two) countries or more generally use written agreements to obtain legal certainty for both parties and as a manifestation of good faith / good faith in establishing work relations. The form of cooperation in business between countries is often not made in a permanent form, on the grounds that it is only in the form of an agreement or an initial agreement, there are negotiations until only for consideration. This then becomes the background for the birth of a Memorandum of Understanding in business agreements between countries.
The Memorandum of Understanding was initially only considered as a preliminary agreement that has no legal force in binding and forcing the parties concerned to fulfill their obligations and cannot be used as a means of proof in a court of law, this is the view of the general public and the court in a country adhering to the common legal system law, one of which is the state of Australia, whereas according to the Indonesian state which has no law in regulating the Memorandum of Understanding has the legal force in binding and forcing it like any other formal agreement, if it is linked to the Civil Code.
The method used in researching this thesis is a type of normative legal research as a guideline for writing, where the author collects data through library research or the results of library studies by reviewing the laws of Indonesia and Australia as the main data in writing this thesis report with the help of journals -journals obtained from electronic means that discuss problems in this thesis report so that the author can conclude from the problem under study.
Based on the results of research conducted by researchers, it can be concluded that a Memorandum of Understanding can be formed by two countries with different legal systems with the aim of creating a binding cooperative relationship and has the power to force both parties to fulfill obligations if there is an agreement between parties to state in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding there is an "intention to create legal relations" or intention to form a legal relationship.


The use of distributed loss compensation for on-chip interconnects is discussed. Results are presented for a 14mm 3Gb/s on-chip link in 0.18mum CMOS with a measured latency of 12.1ps/mm and an energy dissipation of 2pJ/b with a BER<10-14. A 3times improvement in power consumption and a 1.5times improvement in latency over an optimally-repeated RC line is demonstrated


Assessment can have far‐reaching consequences for future health care professionals and for society. Thus, it is essential to establish the quality of assessment. Few modern approaches to validity are well situated to ensure the quality of complex assessment approaches, such as authentic and programmatic assessments. Here, we explore and delineate the concept of validity as a social imperative in the context of assessment in health professions education (HPE) as a potential framework for examining the quality of complex and programmatic assessment approaches.