Editor We appreciate the work by Crippa et al.1 finding that robotic surgery for rectal cancer was associated with a lower risk of conversion. We agree with the authors that conversions should be categorized as reactive conversion and pre-emptive conversion. The definition is in accordance with the consensus of a Delphi study2, differentiating strategic and reactive conversion. The clinical significance of such distinction is that reactive conversion was shown to be associated with increased postoperative morbidity compared with pre-emptive/strategic conversion3. It is suggested that surgeons should have a low threshold for performing pre-emptive/strategic conversion rather than awaiting the need for a reactive conversion3. The authors did not further evaluate the rates of pre-emptive and reactive conversion. By extracting data from their study, we found that the reactive conversion rate was low and comparable between robotic and laparoscopic surgery (5 of 317 (1⋅6 per cent) versus 3 of 283 (1⋅1 per cent); P = 0⋅581) while the pre-emptive conversion rate was much higher for laparoscopic surgery compared with that for robotic surgery (36 of 283 (12⋅7 per cent) versus 11 of 317 (3⋅5 per cent); P < 0⋅05). In our opinion, this finding may indicate that patient selection is more critical in laparoscopic surgery. A more discreet patient selection may help reduce the rate of pre-emptive conversion in laparoscopic surgery. On the other hand, robotic surgery is not that 'picky' and it was found that the greatest benefit for robotic surgery was in high-risk patients with obese BMI, male gender and a history of previous abdominal surgery4, which were major causes of pre-emptive conversion in laparoscopic surgery. T. H. Yang and Y. Shen Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China


Thirty‐five patients with acne vulgaris were studied regarding vitamin A and E status, and the safety and efficacy of vitamin A supplementation over a 6‐week period. The patients studied had significantly lower plasma vitamin A levels than normal controls and a lower frequency of consumption of foods rich in vitamin A. Vitamin E status in the patients was similar to that of normal controls. Vitamin A supplementation had no significant effect on plasma vitamin A levels during the study, but the patients had significantly (P<0.005) higher levels at 6 weeks post‐supplementation when compared with pre‐supplementation values. Furthermore, vitamin A supplementation was associated with a significant and progressive increase in plasma retinol ester concentration. Vitamin A at the dose administered was ineffective in the treatment of acne and was associated with symptoms compatible with hypervitaminosis A only in a small percentage of patients.


This paper explores some of the key areas in the development of innovative clusters in European countries. It is worth noting that in European countries cluster policy is currently aimed not so much at the creation of new clusters as at the mobilization of available regional resources within clusters that are already in place. In addition to that, among the present-day trends is an increase in the share of small and medium-sized enterprises in clusters, which is determined by the special nature of these enterprises and the need for their integration with large companies and scientific centres. One is currently witnessing a trend whereby the focus of most cluster programs is on cluster development within highly specialized sectors of a region's economy as opposed to across all of its sectors indiscriminately. In a climate of the rapid development of cutting-edge information technology, there is taking place a transformation of both the very essence of innovative clusters and the way they associate with each other. One is witnessing the emergence of an increasingly great number of international clusters reaching beyond the region. Analysis of best practices helps determine some of the key areas for enhancing cluster policy. This is of significance for the Russian economy, with cluster development viewed as one of the priorities for Russia's economic policy today. At the moment, the process is, however, being carried on with much difficulty. To help streamline this process, the authors are putting forward a set of solutions which it may help to implement at different levels of economic management.


Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) present a class of materials originally developed to decrease the dependency on the mineral oil-based plastics. However, additives and coupling agents incorporated in these composites are usually derived via synthetic routes. The effect of hardwood distillate (HWD) on the properties of WPC was determined by adding various amounts (1–8 wt%) of distillate to a commercial WPC consisting of thermally treated saw dust (Scots pine) in a polypropylene matrix. The distillate was derived by converting hardwood (birch) into several liquid fractions in a two-part slow pyrolysis retort. The certain addition of particular HWD enhanced the tensile and flexural properties of the WPC studied. Furthermore, the water absorption of the samples decreased substantially, up to over 25%. Proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometric analyses indicated that the addition of the distillate increased the emission rates of studied volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but had no considerable effects on the emission rates of VOCs that are harmful for humans. The conversion of the emission rates into real room concentration revealed that guaiacol and monoterpenes exceed their odor thresholds and therefore can be smelled from the WPCs studied. The findings of this study show that this particulate HWD displayed good potential as an ecological additive in WPCs.


One of the important tasks of a power system engineer is to run the system in safe and reliable mode for secure operation with increase in loading. So, it is significant to perform voltage stability analysis by optimal reactive power dispatch with Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques. This paper presents the application of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and BAT algorithms for Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch (ORPD) to enhance voltage stability. The proposed ACO and BAT algorithms are used to find the optimal settings of On-load Tap changing Transformers (OLTC), Generator excitation and Static Var Compensators (SVC) to minimize the sum of the squares of the voltage stability L– indices of all the load buses. By calculating system parameters like L-Index, voltage error/deviation and real power loss for the practical Equivalent of Extra High Voltage (EHV) Southern Region Indian 24 bus system, voltage profile is improved and voltage stability is enhanced. A comparative analysis is done with the conventional optimization technique like Linear Programming (LP) for the given objective function to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed ACO and BAT algorithms.


Nucleic acid hybridization has been used in an attempt to determine the fraction of spleen DNA which is homologous to immunoglobulin messenger RNA (mRNA). Microsomes prepared from the mouse myeloma MOPC 104E and from spleens of mice hyperimmunized with Salmonella typhi were used as a source of RNA rich in immunoglobulin mRNA. It was shown that RNA extracted from microsomes contained a very limited number of RNA species and was essentially uncontaminated by other cytoplasmic and nuclear RNAs. Hyperimmune spleen DNA was hybridized with radiolabeled RNA from spleen and myeloma microsomes in the presence of unlabeled liver RNA. It was assumed that liver RNA should compete for the binding of most or all microsomal RNA species other than immunoglobulin mRNA. The amount of presumptive immunoglobulin mRNA bound indicated that spleen cells contain about 6 to 14 × 103 sequences per haploid genome for immunoglobulins of the size of the variable region of immunoglobulin polypeptide chains. The data favor germ line rather than somatic theories of the genetic basis of antibody variability.


As a part of the Micro Accelerator Platform (MAP) project, an electron source with a sub-micron size emitter is required. It is also desired that the source produces electrons with energies above the structure's minimum capture energy (about 25 keV) without the use of an external power supply. Field enhanced emission backed by field generation in pyroelectric crystals has been explored for this application. Here we present experimental progress towards characterization of electron, and x-ray emission. Purpose built diagnostics and specialized test assembly for optimized heat transmission are discussed.


The urban heat island (UHI) has been documented in large and small urban areas worldwide . Many metrics have been created to model the UHI . Among these, sky-view factor (SVF) has been accepted as a robust survey technique for capturing the urban geometry associated with longwave radiation storage and thus the urban heat island . SVF assessment has improved both in collecting and processing, but has limitations for modeling the UHI, as its accuracy is limited to areas of high urban density and geometry commonly found in the arrangement of human built landscapes . This paper develops a simple, more applicable, rapid and objective method for modeling UHI metrics using known surface geometry . We collected field data for SVF for 13 sites in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, and quantified SVF using fish-eye photography . Regression results sug gest that a geometric parameter (combining a height/width ratio and a built-up ratio) is the best predictor of SVF .


In this Paper,the feature of self-organization of multi-level marketing system was analyzed,and the necessity and the rationality of the existing multi-level marketing was discussed from the system point of view.Multilevel marketing is a key system within direct selling enterprise in building its self-organization development and sustaining a growing market operation which contribute directly towards the enterprise's core competence.


Pollensa villas for rent with private pool in the northern Mallorca coast. Private rental homes set in the stunning landscape of Pollensa.


We obtain conditional upper bounds for negative discrete moments of the derivative of the Riemann zeta-function averaged over a subfamily of zeros of the zeta function which is expected to have full density inside the set of all zeros. For $k\leq 1/2$, our bounds for the $2k$-th moments are expected to be almost optimal. Assuming a conjecture about the maximum size of the argument of the zeta function on the critical line, we obtain upper bounds for these negative moments of the same strength while summing over a larger subfamily of zeta zeros.


Equating Salafism with jihadism overlooks the growth of non-violent Salafi political groups in North Africa, the Middle East and the Sahel. Supporting their political inclusion can promote democracy and undermine violent jihadism.


Local political dynamics emerged due to the proposed changes in spatial and territorial layout in Bone Regency. If passed, the policy would increase the area of the mining area, meanwhile it is feared that additional mining areas will cause environmental damage. The research method used is qualitative by conducting interviews with several sources and making observations at the research location. The results showed that the mining area in Bone Regency which was originally 12 sub-districts will increase to 27 sub-districts if the spatial planning regulations regional regulation is passed. The government believes that increasing the area of the mining area in bone district will have a positive impact on local revenue, but this dynamic continues because there are still some protests from environmental activists. Not only that, the regional regulation on Regional Spatial Planning in Bone Regency also has to wait for synchronization with the spatial planning regulations at the provincial level.


Pollution of water bodies such as lagoons has rendered such natural resources unsustainable in terms of fishing activities. The Fosu lagoon in the Central Region of Ghana is suffering the same fate. The black chin tilapia catch which was the main source of fishing activity has reduced now-a-years while fishermen loose the economic incentive of their fishing activities. This study examines the perception of fishermen who fish in the lagoon. It looks at how the fishermen perceive the pollution of thelagoon ingeneral and how it is affecting fishing activities vis-a-vis sustainability of fishing in the lagoon. Sixty fishermen were sampled for the study. The purposive and snowball sampling methods were used in sampling the population. The Descriptive statistic technique was employed to analyze the data. Majority of the fishermen were of the view that the lagoon is not polluted though contaminated.They contended that fish catch was not sustainable when assessed in terms of lagoon habitat, overfishing, tilapia-stock depletion andpollution. It is recommended that measures should be taken to reduce if not eliminate pollution of the lagoon. The paper concludes that both sustainable fishing and pollution of the lagoon could be managed using modern scientific methods. Keywords: fish-stock depletion, habitat destruction, over-exploitation,pollution, sustainable fishing.


UV LED, which is used as the illumination source in the direct imaging (DI) exposure equipment, has the advantages of rich wavelengths and low cost. It has a good application prospect in the field of printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. An optical structure of the illumination system for DI lithography, which combines Kohler illumination and double telecentric imaging, is presented. First, the shape of the spot matched with Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is obtained by setting an aperture at the imaging plane of LED chips to filter out the stray light. Then the aperture is imaged onto the working plane of DMD by the posterior double telecentric lens. The uniform illumination spot without stray light can be achieved on the DMD in the end. In this design, fly eyes are not needed, and the stray light on the DMD surface caused by light outside the effective angle of the LED can be filtered out completely. Based on this idea, a lithographic illumination system with the numerical aperture (NA) of 0.1 is designed and fabricated for 0.95 inch DMD. According to experimental measurements, the effective illumination power is up to 10W, and the illuminance uniformity is more than 85%, which meet the lighting requirements of direct imaging lithography equipment used in PCB manufacturing.


The results of three new tests based on antigens CFP-10 аnd ESAT-6 were studied in 50 children: intradermal Diaskintest and tests in vitro QUANTIFERON and Tubinferon. Diaskintest and Tubinferon are developed and produced in the Russian Federation. QUANTIFERON test is performed by Cellestis (Australia). 20 children had active TB, 22 children had latent TB infection, and 8 were not infected by M. tuberculosis. It has been established that while the frequency of coincidence of the results is high (66 %), in some situations, tests may react differently and give additional information when used together in difficult diagnostic cases. In vitro tests were more sensitive compared with Diaskinintest in immunopathological conditions. Tubinferon test had higher sensitivity in latent TB infection (40.9 %) compared to Diaskintest (22.7 %) and QUANTIFERON test (31,8 %), but lower sensitivity in developed tuberculosis - 60, 80 and 85 % respectively. All three tests are more informative in TB disease than in latent TB infection. An important advantage of the Tubinferon test is the ability to evaluate in vitro postvaccinal allergy, due to presence of the sample with the tuberculin. This can be used in the differential diagnostic between tuberculosis and generalized BCG infection, including children with HIV. Mantoux test may be more effective then Diaskintest in children who was not vaccinated with BCG. Tubinferon test system deserves wide clinical application, further study and development.


The method of "sparse representations," based on the idea that observations should be represented by only a few items chosen from a large number of possible items, has emerged recently as an interesting approach to the analysis of images and audio. New theoretical advances and practical algorithms mean that the sparse representations approach is becoming a potentially powerful signal processing and analysis method. Some of the key concepts in sparse representations will be introduced, including algorithms to find sparse representations of data. An overview of some applications of sparse representations in audio will be described, including for automatic music transcription and audio source separation, and pointers will be given for possible future directions in this area. [This work has been supported by grants and studentships from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.]


In this work, technical micronized finishing in garments, which provide some properties, such as it, could be fire retardant, certain products' repellency, or antibacterial character, and more, is going to be developed. Then, the garments characterization is carried out, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to be able to check the performance obtained. With this project, an ecological and less harmful process to the environment than the traditional methods are tried to obtain. For this, a spray machine was provided (eFlow) to micronize products above garments and reduce considerably polluting chemicals, although, reduce water and energy wasting. Once checked that the process is ecologically profitable and satisfactory results are achieved, an industrial scale process was proceeded to design. Finally, an economic study to establish the process viability was realized.


There are key technology and acquisition issues of prime importance to the US Army as it develops plans to provision warfighters with capabilities that harness computing power to enhance combat power in the next century. This harnessing of computing power is the crux of the Army's "digitization" efforts. A critical component of this "digitization" provisioning will be a dependence upon industry standards and commercial best practice in system engineering and development, e.g., Acquisition Reform. This paper discusses issues related to the Department of Defense's (DOD) acquisition reform initiatives and how some of the challenges associated with Army "digitization" under these initiatives can be overcome through open architecture definitions. The paper also presents strategies on how the DOD and industry can help each other transition to the new acquisition and business environments precipitated by these initiatives.


The objective of this study is to verify if there are influences on subjective aspects of the organizational actors involved in an ERP system implementation. With this purpose, a case study in a food company located in Vila Velha, Espirito Santo was carried out. The implementation of the SAP R/3 ERP system was initiated in 1999. The data was collected by documentary research and 19 semi-structured interviews. The theoretical discussion analyzes the implementation of the ERP systems under the perspective of the system concept, considering the technological change not only under the perspective of the technology, but also of the organizational structure and people. The conclusion proved that, in the case studied, there was a significant influence of the individuals in the result of the implementation.


The purpose of this report is to reveal the natural and social changes of Ejene Banner using life stories. These life stories can teach us about the abundant ecological resources of Ejene Banner. Plants are especially important to the inhabitants of Ejene Banner for grazing animals, as feed for livestock, and for human use. The people therefore have abundant knowledge of various plants and their uses. This knowledge ranges from plants that have been overabundant in the past to those that have deteriorated or disappeared due to water shortages. Ejene Banner's social changes are that of the Cultural Revolution. The background, process, and results of this persecution are described in detail here.


The thesis of this chapter is: the body with its diseases can be experienced in a new way by listening. In the natural sciences we are used to getting into contact with natural phenomena via visual perception. But there is no a priori reason that this has to be like that necessarily. Scientific explanation, modeling and forming of a theory, is supposed to be independent from the modality of the individual perception. There is no reason to assume that a congenitally blind person cannot be as good a scientist as a deaf person. However, there is no guarantee that an exclusively visual and an exclusively auditory perception of phenomena will lead to the same models and theories. On the contrary, it is probable that the evaluation of perceptions by the visual and the auditory sense stresses different aspects and thereby will lead, for example, to complementary conclusions, particularly when complex phenomena are involved. Should this thought turn out to be correct, it would provide an important motivation to test how the modality of listening can be exploited systematically in the natural sciences and in medicine. The present contribution deals with the problem that arises first in this endeavor, namely the fact that in the case of human physiology many processes, among them the electric activity of neurons in the brain, do not generate any sound. So how can we listen to processes that cannot be heard?


Human awareness to maintain health provides an increase in consumption of natural products. This requires various efforts to explore natural products and process them into functional food. Herbal tea is one type of functional food from plant are produces in form dried herbs plant. Tatat leaves is rich in bioactive compounds such as alkaloid and polyphenols. This are actually quite well known in Sandai, which are believed to treat heat, lower blood sugar, hypertension, and immunomodulators. The purposes of this study is to make tatat leaf tea as functional food products with good quality especially for compotition and consumer preference using 2 different drying methods.
Based on the results, it was found that visually the color produced by tatat leaves from the processing results was brighter with a brownish orange color, in contrast to tatat leaves which were brewed without processing which resulted in a pale yellow color. Based on the results of hedonic analysis, panelists prefer the taste, aroma, and color of tatat leaves from the processing treatment. The results of the analysis of phenol levels showed that the tatat leaves tea from the processing process was 91.078 mgGAE / g higher than the tatat leaves tea without processing 40.643 mgGAE / g. The results of the vitamin C test showed that the percentage of tatat leaves tea from the processing process was lower at 29.74 mg / 100 g compared to the tatat leaves from the direct drying method of 44.92 mg / 100 g.


This paper presents a new method for dynamic channel assignment (DCA) in wireless cellular systems under random spatio-temporal variation of traffic demand. The method uses a twophase integer programming (IP) based heuristic to minimize the number of channels required to satisfy the traffic demand and a threshold criterion based on the carrier-to-interference ratio. The threshold determines a minimum reuse distance. Reuse distance motivates the use of local demand and solutions to small subproblems to obtain tight lower and upper bounds on the minimum number of channels within a practical amount of execution time. A core IP model (CIP) enforces demand satisfaction and cumulative interference constraints. Lower bounds are generated for each possible state of the random demand function using local demand requirements and solutions to small instances of the CIP. Upper bounds are found using a two-phase heuristic based on the CIP. The first phase, SHIFT-IP, attempts to assemble a provably optimal solution for the entire cellular system using optimal solutions generated for sub-regions whose size is related to the reuse distance. SHIFT-IP obtains global solutions by a fixed increment circular shift of each channel number assigned in a local solution. When SHIFT-IP cannot match the best lower bound a second phase, GREEDY-IP, is executed. GREEDY-IP uses the CIP iteratively by augmenting local solutions to an ordered list of ascending demand values. The performance of the new DCA approach is evaluated for spatial distributions where 20% of the cells exhibit random demand in time, dictated by a two-state Markov process. SHIFT-IP obtains optimal results for an average of 86% of the demand states. The results are compared with a non-IP greedy algorithm that sequentially allocates the first available channel that satisfies interference constraints. The methods are comparable in performance when variable demand cell groups are well separated in space. The IP solutions based on local optimization quickly yield globally optimal results for such cases. For densely packed variable demand cell groups where cumulative interference rather than reuse distance is the governing criterion, the IP-based solutions yield fewer channels than given by the sequential assignment algorithm. However, the IP approach is optimal less often for densely packed variable demand cell groups than for sparse ones. Introducing randomized permutations of local channel assignments into SHIFT-IP helps mitigate this density effect. (Dynamic Channel Assignment; Integer programming; Algorithms; Heuristics; Optimization; Cellular wireless; Markov Process)


In this paper we start by noting that policies that help growth by improving allocational efficiency may also help the poor. We then go on to consider cases where in view of serious agency costs and coordination problems (particularly involving processes in credit and insurance markets) there may be a great deal of scope for trying redistributive projects which at the same time enhance productive efficiency, contrary to the message of efficiency-equity trade-off central to mainstream policy economics. In this context we discuss the efficiency effects of asset distribution programs like land reform. We then examine the merits and costs of targeting transfers aimed at improving their cost-effectiveness, including issues of self-selection by the poor and of targeting disadvantaged groups and backward areas. Finally, we discuss governance structures and focus on the role of self-governing institutions at the local level in improving efficiency and equity in poverty alleviation.


Abstract : This progress report summarizes the major theoretical and experimental efforts performed during the first year of a two-year program sponsored by the Air Force and the Department of Transportation on Supersonic Jet Exhaust Noise. The overall objective of the program is to develop the technology to significantly reduce supersonic aircraft propulsion system noise with minimum associated performance and weight penalties. To reach the objectives of this program a varied and comprehensive research program is being carried out to develop the basic theory and experimental methods for understanding and quantizing the acoustic characteristics of simple supersonic jets for a range of velocities and temperatures typical of present and future military and commercial supersonic aircraft propulsion systems.


This article deals with the examination of the peculiarities of the conceptual sphere of CREATIVITY using the cognitive approach to the language study. Key concepts of this conceptosphere are defined and lexemes that represent it are analyzed


PURPOSE: To obtain a fluidizing composition for forming a stable gold seed layer with little degradation useful for preparing a tight adhesion electric circuit on a substrate by compounding an org. gold compd., an org. polymer having a specific thermal decomposition temperature and a fluidizing vehicle and firing it on the substrate. CONSTITUTION: A fluidizing composition contains an org. gold compd., a resin deriv. and a fluidizing vehicle. This composition is applied to a substrate and forms substantially a gold seed layer suitable for preparing an electric circuit on the substrate by decomposing and firing the composition on the substrate. This gold seed layer maintains adhesion to the substrate even after being exposed at 150°C for 1000 hours. In this case, the resin deriv. contains an org. polymer having a thermal decomposition temperature by at least 200°C higher than that of the org. gold compd. and the thermal decomposition temperature means a temperature at which 90% of wt. loss occurs in the thermogravimetric analysis. COPYRIGHT: (C)1994,JPO


The photopolymerization behavior and reaction kinetics of ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) monomers in styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS) were studied. For both monomers, di- and tetrafunctional, reaction diffusion was found to be the only mechanism of termination when the polymerization is carried out in this polymeric medium, that is, reaction diffusion controls the termination reaction from the beginning of the reaction. The polymerization of EGDMA in polystyrene and polybutadiene showed similar behavior to that in SBS. Also, the relationship between the individual rate constants k t and k p was studied, and a constant ratio of these kinetic constants was found.


Alan Breach Tayler, CBE, Director of the Oxford Centre for Industrial
 and Applied Mathematics, died on 28 January 1995, aged 63. Alan went up to Oxford in 1951 to read Mathematics at Brasenose College.
 He obtained a first, and after a brief excursion to the Bristol Aircraft Company,
 he returned to work for a DPhil with George Temple. His thesis, completed
 in 1959 and entitled 'Problems in compressible flow', contained a mixture
 of analytic, approximate and numerical solutions which foreshadowed the new practical
 applied mathematics that he embraced later. He became University Lecturer and Tutorial
 Fellow of St Catherine's Society in 1959. During the next twenty-five years, Alan Tayler brought a new ethos to
 applied mathematics. This change came about through his recognition that the status
 quo in the 1960s, which comprised a delicate balance between theory and practice
 in the area of applied mechanics, was capable of far-reaching generalisation; indeed,
 he saw that such a development was essential since the following decades were to be
 dominated by computers and an ever-increasing need for mathematical modelling. In
 1967, with Leslie Fox, he initiated the mathematical Study Groups with Industry ,
 wherein academic and industrial researchers interact in week-long workshops. These
 were an immediate success: (1) with industry, who found new insights into their
 problems and new recruiting possibilities; (2) with students, whose enthusiasm to
 use their theoretical knowledge soon led to the highly popular MSc in Mathematical
 Modelling and Numerical Analysis; and (3) with faculty, both pure and applied,
 who found an undreamed of source of fascinating new theoretical problems. For
 example, one intellectual consequence was the use of industrial case studies to
 uncover the new field of 'free boundary problems', on which several thousand
 learned articles have appeared since 1970.


ADDING WEIGHT TO A THINNING LIVE CATTLE MARKET Abstract Many segments of the beef cattle industry have raised concerns that the live cattle negotiated market has become so thin that it no longer reflects underlying beef supply and demand fundamentals. The percentage of live cattle procured through negotiations has declined to about 15% while the percentage procured through formulas has increased to almost 70%. Proposed legislation mandating that a larger percentage of live cattle be procured through negotiations represent a market intervention. We show that live cattle futures market prices could be used as a base in formulas and would be less restrictive in meeting specific cattle procurement percentages. Key Words: cattle prices, mandatory price reporting, thin markets JEL Codes: Q11, Q13, Q18


In 1999, the Uniting Church opened a Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) at the Wayside Chapel in the inner Sydney suburb of Kings Cross. The Uniting Church justified this overt act of civil disobedience against the State's prohibitionist model of drug usage by invoking the ancient right of sanctuary. This invocation sought to produce a specific sort of spatialisation wherein the meaning of the line constituting sanctuary effects a protected 'inside' governed by God's word – civitas dei – 'outside' the jurisdiction of state power in civitas terrena. Sanctuary claims a territory exempt from other jurisdictions. The modern assertion of sanctuary enacts in physical space the relationship between state and religious authorities and the integration and intersections of civitas terrena and civitas dei. This article draws upon conceptions of sanctuary at the intersection of the Catholic Christianity tradition and the State since medieval times to analyse the contemporary space of sanctuary in the MSIC, exploring the shifting and ambiguous boundaries in material, legislative, and symbolic spaces. We argue that even though the MSIC has now been incorporated into civitas terrena, it remains and enacts a space of sanctuary.


Sandia Laboratories is developing an improved technique for attaching the General Electric man-made diamond cutter, Stratapax, to drill bits. Recent progress made on the development of the diffusion bonding technique is described. Efforts include utilization of commercial suppliers to metallize and bond the Stratapax to stud or bit, various refinements to the bonding process, design of bits to be used in laboratory, and field testing of the bonds. The metallization and bonding procedures developed at Sandia Laboratories have been transferred to commercial suppliers, and these suppliers have been used to provide sample parts. The bond strengths obtained from the commercial sources approach the values obtained in the laboratory at Sandia (65,000 psi minimum shear strength). All suppliers were able to successfully metallize the first attempt, although some process control problems have become apparent on subsequent experiments. The process should be fully available for commercial utilization by the end of 1978, although production capacity will be limited. Additional experiments were conducted in an attempt to improve manufacturability and reliability. Results of investigations of pressure transfer materials and canning procedures are described. The test bits being fabricated include a 4/sup 3///sub 4/ inch all-Stratapax bit, a 7/sup 7///sub 8/ inch hybrid rollermore » cone Stratapax bit, and an NQ core bit. The 4/sup 3///sub 4/ inch bit has been fabricated by Sandia and tested at the Drilling Research Laboratory. The hybrid bit is being designed and fabricated in a cooperative program with Smith Tool Company and the NQ bit with American Coldset Corporation. Results of recent laboratory drilling tests with the 4/sup 3///sub 4/ inch bit are described.« less


Objective To explore the effect of methyl tertiary-butyl ether(MTBE) on ATPase and ultrastructure of brain tissue of fetal mice during gestation.Methods Forty healthy and pregnant KM mice were distributed in five groups randomly.The MTBE exposure doses were 800,400,100,25 and 0 mg /kg·bw by gavage from the 0 day to the end of gestation,once per day.The levels of ATPase activity were checked and the ultrastructure in the brain tissue of the fetal mice was observed.Results Compared with the control,the level of ATPase activity in brain tissue of fetal mice was increased at the exposure doses of 25 and 100 mg /kg·bw(P 0.05).The levels of Na +,K +-ATPase,Ca2 +-ATPase,Mg2 +-ATPase activity in brain tissue of fetal mice were decreased when the exposure dose was 400 mg /kg·bw(Na +,K +-ATPase = 5.28 ± 0.24 μmol pi/mg·prot/h,Ca2+-ATPase =5.92 ±0.50 μmol pi/mg·prot/h,Mg2+-ATPase =2.39 ±0.21μmol pi/mg·prot/hr,P 0.05).The levels of Na +,K +-ATPase,Ca2 +-ATPase dereased significantly when the exposure dose increased to 800 mg /kg·bw(Na +,K +-ATPase = 5.01 ± 0.57 μmol pi/mg·prot/h,Ca2 +-ATPase = 5.60 ± 0.37μmol pi/mg·prot/hr,P 0.01).The ultrastructural changes of brain tissue of fetal mice with pregnant mice exposed to MTBE during gestation were edema and degeneration of the nerve cell and neuroglia cell and the damages of mitochondria and cell membrane.Conclusion MTBE could induce subcellular structure changes of brain tissue of fetal mice and decreased the activity of ATPase during gestation.


In this paper, we introduce Pulsar, a wireless time transfer platform that can achieve clock synchronization to better than five nanosecond between indoor or GPS-denied devices. Nanosecond-level clock synchronization is a missing capability for many real-time applications like next-generation wireless systems that leverage spatial multiplexing to improve channel capacity and provide services like time-of-flight localization. With finegrained synchronization, both clock stability and propagation delays introduce significant sources of error. Pulsar leverages a stable clock source derived from a Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) along with an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) radio able to perform sub-nanosecond packet timestamping to estimate and correct for clock offsets. We design and evaluate a proof-ofconcept network-wide synchronization protocol for Pulsar that selects low-jitter links to both estimate the location of nodes and reduce cumulative synchronization error across multiple hops. The Pulsar platform and protocol together provide a phase synchronized one pulse per second (1PPS) signal and 10 MHz reference clock that can be easily integrated with typical enduser applications like software-defined radios and communication systems. We experimentally evaluate the Pulsar platform in terms of clock synchronization accuracy, Allan deviation between pairwise clocks and ranging accuracy to show a clock synchronization of better than five nanoseconds per hop with an average of 2.12 ns and a standard deviation of 0.84 ns. The platform is able to identify and avoid clock error in cases where there is heavy multi-path or non-Line-of-Sight signals.


The best model nitrile sensitizer is4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM, Fig. 2), which bears both strong electron-withdrawing nitriles and an electron-donating dimethylaminogroup. The dipolar structure of DCM provides directionalityof the electronic orbitals in the excited state. This direc-tionality should improve the direct, "one-step" electroninjection from the ground state of the dye to the CB of TiO


Magneto-electric effect in piezoelectric 0–3 composites of Lithium ferrite/Barium titanate is studied. Composites are synthesized using two techniques (1) the solid-state double sintering method and (2) the sol-gel method. Magneto-electric coefficient is found to depend on the physical, electrical and magnetic properties of the constituent phases. Magneto-electric coefficients are obtained in the case of composites prepared by sol-gel method. An effort is made to relate the observed magneto-electric output to the properties of the individual phases and their connectivity.


Introduction.-One of the elementary applications of measure theory is, using two dimensional terminology, the determination of areas in the Euclidean plane. Initially, area is defined only for certain rectangular or elementary figares. It is the object of the theory of measure to extend the definition of area to as large a class of subsets of the plane as possible. The set of figures which can be formed by a finite number of rectangles with sides parallel to fixed directions and with vertices with rational coordinates is dense and denumerable This set plays a r6le in the theory of measure analogous to that of the rational numbers in the construction of the real numbers. It is the object of this note to give an abstract formulation for measure theoretical constructions analogous to the various methods of defining real numbers in terms of rationals.' One starts with an abstract system of point sets which has the pertinent properties of the set of rectangular figures in the plane. This set is extended by methods analogous to those by which the real numbers are obtained. The elements of the extended sets so obtained are abstract, that is, they are not point sets, as were the elements of the original set. The next step is the assignment of point sets to these abstract elements. Certain of these point sets may be ordinate sets. To these, functions can be assigned and, by this means, integration2 is introduced. The integral of a non-negative function is the measure, or area, of its ordinate set. In particular, the ordinate set of a step function is a rectangular figure. A real number may be defined as a sequence of nested intervals of rationals. The analogue of this method yields the theory of content and Riemann integration. The analogue of the definition of real numbers by fundamental, or Cauchy, sequences gives Lebesgue measure and integration. The method of cuts does not lend itself readily to interpretation in terms of measure. The method of bounded monotone sequences, when applied first with ascending and then with descending sequences, is, in essence, the classical method for the definition of Lebesgue measure. A precise formulation of the first two of these methods follows. Definitions and Notation.-The domain of discussion is a basic set, I, of points. Subsets of I are denoted by a, b, c, .... The symmetric difference, a b, is the set of points in either a or b but not in both. a + b is the set of points in either a or b or in both. The iteration of this operation either a finite or an infinite number of times is denoted by 2M. ab is the set of points in both a and b and iteration of this operation is denoted 18% PROC. N. A. S.


Considering that the recent telecom market is entering into full service business and operator competition,the author puts forward the Customer Relation Management System which is customer oriented and full of enterprise core competence through the analysis of the existed problems in the recent operation supports.


Submitted for the MAR14 Meeting of The American Physical Society Superconductivity and magnetism in naturally occurring minerals RENXIONG WANG, S.R. SAHA, XIANGFENG WANG, R.L. GREENE, J. PAGLIONE, Department of Physics, University of Maryland College Park, C. SANTELLI, J. POST, Department of Mineral Sciences, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History — In a new and unique venture in collaboration with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History's Department of Mineral Sciences, we present preliminary results from a project focusing on the search for superconductivity in mineral specimens provided by Geologists/Curators of the Smithsonian Institution. Including magnetization and transport studies of Wittichenite, Pyrrhotite, Nagyagite, Pyrargyrite and other related compounds, we report preliminary findings of the physical properties of mineral specimens at low temperatures, including several unreported magnetic phases and unconvetional behaviors. Renxiong Wang Department of Physics, University of Maryland College Park Date submitted: 15 Nov 2013 Electronic form version 1.4


Power is the crucial criterion in the systems such as processors, filters and VLSI systems. The increase in the use of portable devices has increased the demand for low power devices. Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter is one of the basic building blocks of Digital Signal Processor (DSP). FIR filter is the building block of DSP and can be realized by integrating adders, multipliers and delay elements. Adiabatic logic is one of the promising techniques to minimize power dissipation of static CMOS circuits. In this paper, 8-tap direct form-I FIR filter is realized by integrating Square Root Carry Select Adder (SQRT CSLA) using Binary to Excess-1 Converter (BEC), Reduced Complexity Wallace Tree Multiplier (RCWTM) and Barrel shifter. SQRT CSLA overcomes the problem of carry rippling delay in Ripple Carry Adder (RCA). SQRT CSLA using BEC overcomes the problem of power dissipation and area in SQRT CSLA using RCA by replacing equal sized blocks RCA with unequal sized RCA blocks. RCWTM reduces the area and power dissipation in Wallace tree multiplier by replacing compressors with adders. Both static CMOS and Positive Feedback Adiabatic Logic (PFAL) based direct form-I FIR filter are realized in Cadence Virtuoso (180 nm technology) and simulated in Spectre. PFAL based SQRT CSLA using BEC, RCWTM, Barrel shifter and realized 8-tap FIR filter dissipates 75.89 %, 81.03 %, 97.6 %, and 83.4 % less power when compared to static CMOS based


The paper presents structure and experimental results of control system of the PWM rectifier with active filtering function. Proposed control system was designed for maximum filtering performance in steady state. This task is realized by predictive algorithms applied for both control as well as calculation of grid currents. Accuracy of these algorithms strongly depends on precise information about future samples of equivalent electromotive force of the grid, which is in general distorted and unbalanced. For this purpose, a novel estimator and predictor is proposed. The control of DC voltage is realized with application of variable gain PI controller. It ensures high dynamics in transient states and low gain for steady state oscillations of DC voltage. Proposed control system is AC voltages sensorless and has excellent active filtering performance, even at presence of grid voltage distortions. power quality, PWM rectifier, active filter, predictive control


The present study deals with the development and va li ation of a simple, rapid, precise and economical reverse phase liquid chromatographic technique for the dete rmination of Ciprofloxacin form marketed tablet dos age forms. Chromatographic analysis was carried out using C18 Xterra Column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5μm) and mobile phase consisting of a mixture of 5.3mM phosphate buffer ( pH = 3.5) and acetonitrile in the ratio 60:40 at a flow rate of 0.5ml per minute and the detection was done at 275n m. The retention time of analyte peak was 2.29 min. The linearity was obtained in the concentration range o f 0.01 to 0.50 μg/ml with correlation coefficient 0 .99. The analysis results of ciprofloxacin were validated st atistically and by recovery studies and the mean re cov ry was found to be 100.14%. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for ciprofloxacin was found to be 0.06 μg/ml and 0.20 μg/ml, respectively. The pro posed procedure was found to be accurate and precis e for the estimation of ciprofloxacin from marketed formulati ons and can be used for the regular analysis of thi s drug in quality control laboratories.


ous domains including body structure and function, activity and participation. Significant motor impairment in children born very preterm (VPT) has been established from infancy to adolescence, however studies investigating motor outcomes at preschool age across ICF domains are lacking. This review aims to systematically identify motor outcomes of VPT born children aged 3–6 years compared with term born peers within the ICF framework. Study Design: Systematic Review and meta-analysis. Study Participants & Setting: N/A. Materials/Methods: This study was conducted according to PRISMA and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. Electronic databases (Medline, Cinahl, Embase and PsycINFO) were searched up to 10th January 2017 using a detailed search strategy. Within each database, 3 discrete searches were conducted using terms specific for motor 'body structure or body function', 'activity', and 'participation'. Reference lists of included and other key articles were also searched. Studies met inclusion if they compared motor outcomes of 3–6-year-old children born VPT (<32wks' gestational age or with a birthweight <1500g) with term born peers (born > or=to 37wks' gestation and > or=to 2500g). Outcomes needed to be specific to selected ICF child and youth version code sets, and children had to be born after 1980 (due to changes in neonatal care). Meta-analysis was conducted, and summarized using standardize mean difference (SMD) for continuous outcomes, risk ratio (RR) for categorical outcomes, and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Two authors independently completed screening, data extraction and quality assessment. Results: 36 studies met inclusion criteria. Within the activity domain, 14 studies were able to be pooled for continuous meta-analysis, while 9 studies were pooled for categorical meta-analysis. Motor performance of VPT children was consistently poorer when compared with term born peers: SMD 0.74; (95% CI 0.82 to 0.65; p<0.001). Furthermore, VPT born children had a higher relative risk of motor impairment: RR 3.40 (95% CI 2.70, 4.29; p<0.001). Body structure and function outcomes were largely unable to be pooled because the assessment tools varied too widely. However, VPT born children had higher relative risk of any neurological dysfunction (Touwen Neurological Examination): RR 4.55 (95% CI 1.20, 17.17; p=0.026). Conclusions/Significance: Children born VPT experience significant motor impairment across ICF domains of body structure, body function, and activity compared with their term born peers at preschool age. There is limited evidence investigating participation in VPT preschool aged populations compared with controls, which needs further research. SP 15 Measuring neuroplasticity in cerebral palsy: what cohort sizes are needed for MR imaging? A PAGNOZZI, L REID, R BOYD, S ROSE Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO;, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (Lady Cilento Children's Hospital), Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research (Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland), South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


Effect of polysaccharide sulfate (PSS) on synthesis of protaglandin in the mouse resident peritoneal macrophages was studied. After the cells were treated with PSS10ug/mL for 6 h, the levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1 alpha (G-keto-PGF1a) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in the media were increased (P0.001). The stimulation of synthesis of 6-keto-PGF1a and TXB2 by PSS was concentration-dependent. It is suggested that stimulation of prostaglandin synthesis by PSS might be partially responsible for its cardiovascular efficacy.


Mesoamerican religions in the pre-Hispanic period perceived the animal and plant world as inseparably connected with the divine world, and, thus, having decisive influence on human existence. Animals could play different roles in them: from deity personification, through assuming a part of divine nature, to acting as messengers communicating divine and human reality. Due to the environment in which they live, bats became one of the leading figures in Indian culture. Since caves, being typical habitat of these mammals, were regarded as gateways for communication with the supernatural world, while bats, freely moving between the unexplored darkness of the caves (identified with the underworld) and the outside world (the world of living people), naturally became personification of divinity and/or messengers of gods. Moreover, as shown in the presented iconographic sources, bats aroused both curiosity, admiration and fear due to their ability of echolocation, feeding on blood and also due to their dual nature: although they were mammals, they could fly like birds. This article aims at analysing perception of bats in various Mesoamerican cultures over the centuries: from the Olmec civilization through the Maya, Zapotec to the Mexica.


Dr. Graciela Alarcón has successfully managed both academia and family life. Among her many achievements in the field of rheumatology, her research in lupus, particularly in Hispanic populations, has achieved global recognition. In this interview, she recalls passages of her life, her professional and academic career, her passion for rheumatology and what it means now to support the new generations.


Thermal Spray is a general term for a group of coating processes used for metallic or non-metallic coatings to protect a functional surface or improve its performance. There are several processing parameters defining the coating quality and they must be combined and planned in an optimised way in order to have the selected coating exhibit the desired properties. To have the proper combination is critical as it influences both the cost and coating characteristics. The plasma spray process combines the highest number of processing parameters and to have full control over the system, one of the major challenges is to understand the parameters interdependencies, correlations and their individual effects on coating properties and characteristics. A robust methodology is thus required to study these interrelated effects. This paper proposes a new approach based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to play this role. The obtained database of the input processing parameters and the output particle characteristics is used to train, validate and optimise the neural network. The optimisation steps are discussed and the predicted outputs are compared with the experimental ones.


The present invention discloses an uplink transmission method for the user terminal in a wireless network, which includes: receiving the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) signaling; determining the component carrier on which the wireless resource indicated by the signaling is located; according to a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) on which the signaling is based, performing the uplink transmission corresponding to the C-RNTI on the indicated wireless resource located on the component carrier. The present invention also discloses an uplink transmission scheduling method implemented by the base station for the user terminal, and the device corresponding to the scheduling method. The present invention enables the cross-carriers scheduling and the scheduling in the single carrier configuration for the data transmission between the base station and the user terminal under the condition of carrier aggregation in the Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) application scene, and thereby the flexibility of the data transmission scheduling is improved, and compatibility with the LTE application is provided.


Abstract A number of side chain liquid crystal polysiloxanes prepared from both homo-and co-polymeric backbones have been studied by 29Si N.M.R. and the chemical shifts assigned. Partly mesogenated poly(hydrogenmethylsiloxanes) have been similarly studied and chemical shift assignments made for sequence distributions. The data should prove helpful in studies of compositional variation in preparations of side chain copolymeric polysiloxanes.


Although a research base for nursing action has been encouraged for the past 25 years, recent initiatives have provided both the resources and organisational framework through which this might be achievedl-3. Largely underwritten by a governmental policy which is seeking effectiveness and efficiency, and the upsurge in evidence-based medicine, the issue of research-based nursing is now firmly on the professional and political agenda. At the forefront of this movement is a welcome realisation that the quality of research may very and therefore practitioners need to acquire the skills to evaluate both primary research and review articles. Many workshops teaching the skills of critical appraisal have therefore been developed. While these courses meet a need and are undoubt-


It is well established that early cannabis use during adolescence leads to neurobiological changes that can affect adult brain functions which in turn might lead to an increased vulnerability to drug abuse (Realini et al., 2009). Epidemiological evidence of cannabis use before other drugs has reinforced the idea of the "Cannabis gateway hypothesis" according to which early exposure to cannabis increases the risk of starting the use of harder drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamine (Kandel, 1975). Indeed, several studies have suggested the presence of significant functional interactions between the endocannabinoid and dopamine systems (Cheer et al., 2007; Gonzalez et al., 2002) in the mesolimbic pathways, but also between endocannabinoid and opioid systems (Fattore et al., 2005) and between endocannabinoid and the cholinergic-nicotinic systems (Scherma et al., 2008) necessary for the expression of heroin and nicotine reward-related behaviours. Moreover, sex-dependent differences are frequently observed in the biological and behavioral effects of drugs of abuse (Becker and Hu, 2008) and in keeping with epidemiological data in humans, differences in drug-intake and seeking have been well-documented in animal studies, and the most recent findings have implicated cannabinoid abuse as well. (Fattore et al., 2010). Clinical and preclinical findings indicate that sex and gonadal hormones may account for individual differences in susceptibility to the reinforcing effects of addictive substances, and that differences in vulnerability to drug abuse may be mediated by the same biological mechanisms (Fattore et al., 2009). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether exposure to THC, primary psychoactive substituent of cannabis, during adolescence is able to increase the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse such as nicotine, heroin and cannabinoids in adult male and female rats, and to compare the results obtained in order to identify possible sex-specific differences. To this end, behavioral studies have been conducted on both male and female rats using a validated experimental model to study dependence (O'Brien et al., 2005): the chronic intravenous self-administration (IVSA). Male, at 45 postnatal day (PND) and female adolescent, at 35 PND, Sprague-Dawley (for nicotine and heroin studies) and Lister Hooded rats (for WIN55,212-2 studies) (Deiana et al., 2007), were treated intraperitoneally (i.p) with increasing doses of THC (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) or with vehicle twice/day for 11 consecutive days. Once animals reached the adulthood (85 or 75 PND), we studied the effects of THC exposure on acquisition and maintenance of nicotine (30 μg/kg/infusion), heroin (30 μg/kg/infusion) and cannabinoid agonist WIN55,212-2 (12.5 μg/kg/infusion) IVSA using continuous fixed-ratio (FR-1) schedule of reinforcement with lever-pressing as operandum. Faster acquisition and higher rate of drug intake was considered as index of vulnerability to drug abuse. Behavioral data obtained with male rats showed that exposure to THC during adolescence produces an increased vulnerability to CB1 receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 and heroin but not to nicotine intake in adulthood with respect to each control group. Data from nicotine self-administration in adult female rats showed no differences in intake between animal exposed to THC in adolescence and vehicle-treated rats. On the other hand, THC adolescence exposure increased both heroin and WIN55,212-2 intake as compared to corresponding control groups. Comparison of results obtained in females and male rats of heroin and WIN55,212-2 IVSA experiments shows that average intake of drugs during the maintenance phase of self-administration training is significantly higher in females than in males. This increased vulnerability of female rats to drug taking as compared to males is in line with previous studies on sex-dependent differences showing that females are more sensitive than males to cannabinoid-induced behavioral effects. In summary, these studies seem to support the hypothesis that a previous exposure to THC during adolescence increases the vulnerability to heroin and cannabinoids, but not to nicotine abuse in adult rats with sex-specific differences.


Liver transplantation has become the most effective treatment option for end-stage liver diseases. The liver donation after cardiac death (DCD) had been increasingly used in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the DCD donated livers inevitably exposed to long-term ischemia and hypoxia makes the implanted organs with decreased function and more postoperative complications. Different from the conventional static cold sto-rage, machine perfusion (MP) can be continuously used in vitro liver perfusion, which could simulate the in vivo liver status. Through the observation of ischemia injury status, we could eva-luate the quality of donated liver, and thus reduce ischemia related complications. This review provides an overview and evaluation on the markers that have been investigated for the assessment of graft quality and viability testing during different types of MP.

Key words:
Machine perfusion; Markers; Parameters; Donated liver quality; Liver transplantation


This study analyzes all female homicide victims (912) in the State of North Carolina during the five year period 1972 through 1976. Verkko's static and dynamic laws of the relationship between sex and homicide victimization are investigated. The static law states that in places where homicide rates are high, female victimization tends to be low. The dynamic law holds that increases or decreases in the frequency of homicide primarily affects the male population. The findings do not support either of Verkko's laws. The sex ratio of homicide victims in North Carolina, a state with an above average homicide rate, is lower than that for the U.S. in general. The rate of victimization for both females and males has declined about the same percentage over the five years studied. Further analysis of individual characteristics of the victims and circumstances which surrounded the death scene itself are provided. Comparisons are made between female homicide victims and their male counterparts. Profiles of typical and atypical female homicides are drawn. The trends in homicide victimization over the five years under analysis are discussed.


Background: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a major health problem in many parts of the world particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries. The disorder is characterized by chronic hemolytic events that result in increased generation of free radicals leading to excessive consumption and depletion of body antioxidants. Aim: This study evaluated the total antioxidant status (TAS) of children with SCA, aged 1–17 years, comparing findings among steady state, vaso-occlusive crisis and hemoglobin AA (HbAA) matched controls. Materials and Methods: Study participants were 50 children with SCA and 50 HbAA matched controls. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical history were documented using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaires. Physical examination was conducted and blood samples collected for serum TAS estimation. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 21 and P-value of significance was set at <0.05. Results: SCA subjects in vaso-occlusive crisis had lower mean serum TAS level than those in steady state (7.4 ± 3.5 vs 8.4 ± 4.0mmol/L) but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.18). The mean TAS level of SCA patients either in steady state (8.4 ± 4.0 mmol/L) or vaso-occlusive crisis (7.5 ± 3.5 mmol/L) was higher than 7.0 ± 4.1 mmol/L for matched (HbAA) controls but the difference was also not statistically significant (F = 1.54, P = 0.09). Conclusion: This study shows that the TAS level of SCA children in steady state was higher than that of those in vaso-occlusive crisis, though not statistically significant. This may be an adaptive mechanism to counteract the oxidative stress seen in chronic inflammatory conditions like SCA.


A study of the retorting characteristics of large pieces of oil shale has been started to obtain information applicable to processing broken oil shale such as that which might be expected in a nuclear chimney. Oil shale charges ranging in grade from 26.0 to 48.0 gal per ton and in size from small grains up to pieces 20 by 20 in. have been processed using air rates lower than 2.0 scf per min. per sq ft. of bed. Yields of oil as high as 80.8% of Fischer assay were obtained.


In order to achieve complete wetting of the borehole with the hardenable mass, it is provided to use a certain amount of an organic or an inorganic acid in the composite mass.


Introduction: We have previously shown that the concentrations of D-dimer are significantly elevated in saliva compared with plasma. Saliva offers several advantages compared with blood analysis. We hypothesised that human saliva contains plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and that the concentrations are not affected by the time of saliva collection. The aim was to adopt and validate an immunoassay to quantify PAI-1 concentrations in saliva and to determine whether saliva collection time has an influence in the measurement. Materials and methods: Two saliva samples (morning and afternoon) from the same day were collected from healthy subjects (N = 40) who have had no underlying heart conditions. A customized AlphaLISA® immunoassay (PerkinElmer®, MA, USA) was adopted and used to quantify PAI-1 concentrations. We validated the analytical performance of the customized immunoassay by calculating recovery of known amount of analyte spiked in saliva. Results: The recovery (95.03%), intra- (8.59%) and inter-assay (7.52%) variations were within the acceptable ranges. The median salivary PAI-1 concentrations were 394 pg/mL (interquartile ranges (IQR) 243.4–833.1 pg/mL) in the morning and 376 (129.1–615.4) pg/mL in the afternoon and the plasma concentration was 59,000 (24,000–110,000) pg/mL. Salivary PAI-1 did not correlate with plasma (P = 0.812). Conclusions: The adopted immunoassay produced acceptable assay sensitivity and specificity. The data demonstrated that saliva contains PAI-1 and that its concentration is not affected by the time of saliva collection. There is no correlation between salivary and plasma PAI-1 concentrations. Further studies are required to demonstrate the utility of salivary PAI-1 in CVD risk factor studies.


In various parts of francophone Africa, farmers use 'pieces of paper' to record transactions such as the 'sale' (with all the inherent ambiguity of the term) of land or delegation of cultivation rights. The aim of these local institutional innovations is to certify that the transaction has taken place. The parties often try to get these contracts validated by a local government authority. Although the procedures may be incomplete and not legal, such 'informal formalisation' of transactions does help to reduce uncertainty and provide greater security within the complex web of tenure relations. New insights can now be gained into local dynamic processes and the role of the state in making tenure rights more secure. (Resume d'auteur)


Webinar presented by the Special Libraries Association Embedded Librarians Caucus on December 15, 2015. Webinar video link: https://bit.ly/2YB6Dz4 How come there are never any "Embedded Librarian" job ads? What are embedded librarian jobs? Where can you find them? What are their requirements? And most important, how do I get one? For this webinar, five members of the Embedded Librarians Caucus answered these questions, shared how they found their embedded librarian jobs, and more. Panel Moderator: David Shumaker. Panelists:
 * Nadine Anderson, Behavioral Sciences Librarian, University of Michigan-Dearborn * Rachel Altman, Corporate Research Analyst, Grant Thornton International, Ltd.
 * Mia Breitkopf, Online and Hybrid Learning Librarian, The College at Brockport, State University of New York
 * Jamie Marie Keller-Aschenbach, Head of Research and Access Services, Florida Coastal School of Law
 * George Peckham-Rooney, Data and Operations Specialist, Seyfarth Shaw


Asymmetry in the price-volume relation is investigated using cross-sectional data on the stock prices and trading volume of more than 100 companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange over 11 consecutive weeks. The results show that asymmetry can be concealed by missing vari- ables such as market capitalisation. There is some evidence for asymmetry that takes the form of higher trading volume in a declining market. Some explanations are put forward for the finding of asymmetry. 2 . Karpoff (1987) lists a variety of reasons for interest in the price-volume relation, but an important reason from a practical perspective is that if volume can explain price changes then it is possible to formulate a trading rule that is based on a model relat- ing price to volume, the latter being the explanatory variable. Almuraikhi (2005) shows that such a trading rule can be profitable in the emerging stock market of Kuwait (which is the market under investigation in this paper). For the purpose of formulating the rule, Almuraikhi estimated an ARDL model explaining prices in terms of trading volume. The problem with most of the work on the price-volume relation (including Almuraikhi's work) is that it is based on models that impose the assumption of symmetry. If we consider the causal effect of price change on volume, symmetry means that volume in a rising market is not significantly different from volume in a declining market, which may or may not be the case. Naturally, a trading rule based on a symmetric model when the relation is asymmetric is bound to be faulty, let alone all of the other implications and interpretations of the price-volume relation. This is why a number of empirical studies have been carried out to investigate asymmetry in the price-volume relation. A number of these studies revealed asymmetry in the relation, which prompted several financial economists to come up with theoretical explanations for this phenomenon. This work makes a contribution to this strand of research for at least two reasons. The first is that it investigates asymmetry in an emerging stock market, whereas most of the work has been done on developed markets. The second reason is that while most of the work has produced time series evidence on the hypothesis, we are unaware of any piece of work that has produced cross-sectional evidence. This study does this, presenting cross-sectional evidence on the relation in an emerging market using individual stocks as well as pooled data. The paper goes even further by augmenting the price-volume relation with a variable that proves to add some explanatory power to the model, which is company size as measured by capitalisation. At this stage it is suitable to ask the question: Why Kuwait? To start with, the Kuwait stock market has achieved "international recognition" through the spectacular crash of 1982,


In this paper we present a full solution to an open problem in Design of Experiments, a branch of Statistics, which can equally be seen as a problem in Algebraic Geometry. Given a complete set O of estimable terms, we are able to find all the fractions F of a full factorial design, such that O is a basis of P/I(F) as a K-vector space. This fact can be rephrased as a result in the theory of zem-dimensional schemes.


The unsatisfactory economic benefits of technical periodicals in current China can be solved in the following ways:perform industrial reform to adjust to market mechanism;improve the quality of and expand circulation of periodicals;take advantage of ads on periodicals;introduce capital investment through cooperation;act as a good media to transform from technologies into productivity.


Abstract The synthesis of mixed ligand of cobalt (II) with β-diketones (β-dik) (acetylacetone and hexafluoroacetylacetone) and pyrazinamide is proposed. The compounds were investigated by IR- and diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, differential thermal analysis. It is shown that Co (II) β-diketonates (acetylacetone, hexafluoroacetylacetone) mixed ligand complexes with pyrazinamide have a structure corresponding to a distorted octahedron, having D4h symmetry. The complexes are bonded through hydrogen bonds via water molecules.


This study aimed to identify the percentage of both supporters and opponents of the alternative evaluation, detect the reasons for both support and opposition to the alternative evaluation from the viewpoint of teachers of the Arabic language in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The survey descriptive method was used, the research sample consisted of (150) male and female teachers, and the researcher prepared a questionnaire to collect data. The results showed that (70.67%) of the total research sample are supporters for the alternative evaluation, whereas, (29.33%) of the total research sample are opponents to the alternative evaluation. The most important reasons of supporting the alternative evaluation were: the alternative evaluation is based on placing the student in real situations or simulating the reality and monitoring his responses in it, and achieving justice in the evaluation of students, and provides multiple opportunities for students to master the academic subject, and makes students use their skills and knowledge to accomplish any task, and allows continuity of learning. The most important reasons of Opposition to the alternative evaluation were: The alternative evaluation is not appropriate due to the density of students and the nature of the special courses in the Arabic language, and it is difficult to properly apply it according to its rules, and it strives for the student due to a large number of tests. In light of the study results, some recommendations were formulated.


In evolutionary grown mechatronic systems, the involved disciplines are often not sufficiently integrated. For optimization and improvement of this situation, the system and its functional dependencies are modeled. During the steps of defining objects and building up the model, the identification of functional dependencies is challenging. This contribution presents an approach to support these steps in order to improve the quality of the model. It addresses situations and systems, in which documentation and a system overview are not available adequately. Thus a modeling-scheme is developed and the elements are used to build up a Multiple Domain Matrix. The functional dependencies are derived from relations in the domains of "information" and "states". The approach is demonstrated by an example out of industrial context.


Competency-based education (CBE) "derives a curriculum from an analysis of a prospective or actual role in modern society and attempts to certify students' progress on the basis of demonstrated performance in some or all aspects of that role". This paper summarizes pertinent aspects of existing CBE models in health professions education; pharmacy education presented as an example. It presents a synthesis of these models to propose a new diagrammatic representation. A conceptual model for competency-based health professions education with a focus on learning and assessment is discussed. It is argued that various elements of CBE converge to holistically portray competency-based learning and assessment as essential in initial education and relevant to practitioners' continuing professional development, especially in the context and importance of pursing lifelong learning practices.


This study investigates the public health nurses who worked during Jim Crow seeking to alleviate many layers of disconnection and bring the promise of contemporary medicine to those who were left out. Race, custom, and innuendo complicated their reach, but they were the bridges that connected people physically, and just as importantly, mentally, by correcting misunderstandings, allaying fears, conducting community meetings, teaching home hygiene and care of the sick classes, educating midwives, holding clinics, and more. The nurses' interplay and interconnections with the midwives, country people, and others illustrated their commitment to meet the cultural challenges of Florida. Their work is significant in contemporary America, where maintaining healthy lives for all Americans is a matter of meeting the nation's deep-rooted cultural challenges. Some leaders in public health assert that today more than ever the sense of community and the goals of social justice will fall upon public health nurses—the community health nurses. This investigation can inform today's community health nurses and add to their conversation as they work towards connecting their social action with health policy, a necessity in caring for Florida's diverse and vulnerable population groups.


By reviewing the three ways of asking questions"what is it" "whose is it" and "how it could be" in the research of educational sociology from the perspective of postmodernism,we will find that there is a possibility of further discussion hidden in the underlying assumptions,so that we can reflect on the research of educational sociology.


4044Background: The choice of adjunctive therapy (AT) in localized GC varies by tumor location (TL): cardia (cGC) and non-cardia (nGC). We assessed the effectiveness of 3 commonly used ATs: ACRT, N...


The aim of this article is to present the methodology of reengineering projects, taking into consideration the systemic and systematic aspect of human factors so that it constitutes a crucial component of the methodology. The idea of considering this factor stems from investigations connected with the reengineering project that was implemented in a factory producing ship engines. On the one hand, the research resulted in identifying a gap in the reengineering methodology (i.e., not taking simulation into account). On the other hand, an idea appeared to use the simulation as a factor that can prevent or reduce unfavorable reactions and opposition from workers reluctant to accept changes that are an unavoidable effect of a reengineering project. This article presents a literature review on change management, reengineering methodologies, and simulation tools (putting special emphasis on Petri nets). The case study of the implemented project consists of two stages. At the first stage, the methodology of the project was defined, based on the simulation with the use of Petri nets; next, the project was implemented, and, as a conclusion, the need for additional investigations was determined. At the second stage, the scope of the additional research was determined based on Rapid Re methodology; then the investigations were conducted and the suggestions for specific changes in the investigated process were defined. The article ends with general conclusions and suggests changes in the methodology (providing Rapid Re as an example). The authors suggest introducing mechanisms that take into account the human factor based on the simulation technique. The proposed changes give a solid foundation for developing a precise solution for a company, and, as such, they will be the subject of further investigations by the authors. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


It is the task of this chapter to enter into an account of typical views of the end of activity, tracing the line of development, so far as space will allow, through the various types of subjectivistic riteria in ethical and social writing to the present transition to a functional and objective sociology. The writers here treated, together with the views they represent, can be classified most conveniently under six heads. First are the frankly hedonistic theorists and agitators who regard pleasure, happiness, self-gratification as the legitimate nd of all activity and abhor social control accordingly. This type may be illustrated by William Morris and Nietzsche. Closely related to these theorists in origin and growing up parallel and in close connection with them is another class of men who urge the same end of activity, but who do not conceive of the end as in any way opposed to legitimate and effective social control, but rather as an aid to it. Fourier and Bentham may be used to illustrate this type. Under the pressure of criticism Mill and Spencer and their contemporaries came to modify the bases of their doctrine of pleasure or happiness as the end; and their views furnish the material for the third division. After Mill and Spencer, and even contemporary with them, came a group of writers who may be called neo-utilitarians or social ethicists for lack of better terms. They make prominent he idea of


Mutations in RAS/RAF occur in large portion of malignancies and are associated with aggressive clinical behaviors and poor prognosis. Therefore, we developed a novel benzoxazole compound (KZ‐001) as a highly potent and selective MEK 1/2 inhibitor. Our efforts were focused on enhancing the activity of the known MEK inhibitor AZD6244 and overcoming the shortcomings existing in current MEK inhibitors. Here we show that compound KZ‐001 exhibits approximately 30‐fold greater inhibition against BRAF‐ and KRAS‐mutant tumor cells than that of AZD6244. These results were also demonstrated using in vivo xenograft models. Furthermore, pharmacokinetics (PK) analysis was performed for KZ‐001, and this compound showed good orally bioavailability (28%) and exposure (AUC0–∞ = 337 ± 169 ng h/mL). To determine its potential clinical application, the synergistic effect of KZ‐001 with other agents was investigated both in vitro and in vivo (xenograft models). KZ‐001 exhibited synergistic anti‐cancer effect in combination with BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib and a microtubule‐stabilizing chemotherapeutic agent docetaxel. In addition, KZ‐001 inhibited the MAPK pathway like known MEK inhibitors. In summary, KZ‐001, a structurally novel benzoxazole compound, was developed as a MEK inhibitor that has potential for cancer treatment.


Synthetic pulp for papermaking may be manufactured by beating the fibers of polyvinylalcohol (the PVA) mixed-spun with starch or the fibers of polyolefins mixed-spun with PVA polymer. Various papermaking tests were carried out with this synthetic pulp to obtain the following results. 1) The more the PVA or starch content in the fiber, the more easily can it be fibrillated and the better are the dispersibility and other properties for papermaking. 2) The PVA fibers, if pre-mixed with starch on spinning, can be made into paper by beating without mixing any other material such as wood pulp, wether the fibers have been subjected to only heat treatment or to both the heat treatment and formalization in their manufacturing process. The fibers heat-treated only may also be used as a bonding material. 3) If the beaten PVA fibers, heat-treated, are formalized to eliminate interfiber bonds, then the strength of the paper made will depend on only the tangle of the fibers and it can be estimated at a quarter of the whole strength of the same paper but not formalized. 4) Polyolefins can be converted into another synthetic pulp by means of flash-or mixed-spinning. This pulp can be made into synthetic paper, being mixed with wood pulp.5) Hydrophilic synthetic pulp may be obtained by beating the thicker fibers that are produced by mixed-spinning the three polymers : polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinylalcohol. Such synthetic pulp can be made into paper either by itself or by mixing wood pulp in any proportion, which will be, if calendered, not inferior at all in strength to the conventional paper of wood pulp


PurposeThis paper aims to design a composite, aiming to improve the static puncture resistance through polyurethane impregnated treatment with five concentration gradients.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between polyurethane concentration, the number of polyester nonwovens, component fiber type (filament or staple) and the static puncture resistance is explored respectively and elaborately.FindingsThis study provides a new perspective to design flexible composites with better static puncture resistance, feasible preparation process as well as low cost.Originality/valueThe results show that the static puncture resistance of nonwovens impregnated by polyurethane is improved obviously. Meanwhile the puncture strength-T of nonwovens increases first and then decreases with the increase of the number of layers, and the maximum puncture strength-T is found at 20 layers. Moreover, the composite with filaments illustrates better mechanical resistance.


Nannoceratopsis deflandrei from Liassic deposits of Denmark, whose description was published in July 1961, is synonymous with N.? gracilis from Dogger (Jurassic) deposits of Germany, whose description was published in June 1961.


To the Editor: Recent advancements in 3dimensional (3D) sonographic software and transducers enable us to use a large array of unique image display modalities, which at times enhance our diagnostic ability. The use of these techniques has been described to provide additional diagnostic information in several clinical scenarios, such as facial and skeletal malformations as well as in fetuses with neural tube defects.1 We describe a case in which the systematic use of 3D sonography with several different display modalities provided additional diagnostic and prognostic information in the evaluation of conjoined twins in the first trimester. A 41-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 0-0-1-0, came to our ultrasound unit at a postmenstrual age of 10 weeks 5 days for a first-trimester sonographic evaluation. Her obstetric history was noteworthy for advanced maternal age and for a previous first-trimester miscarriage in which the abortus had a trisomy 20 karyotype. The initial sonographic evaluation depicted a twin pair that appeared to be conjoined, leading to an extensive evaluation that scrutinized the fetuses with several 3D modalities. The multiplanar mode provided simultaneous display of the anomaly in the 3 orthogonal planes, with the reconstructed coronal plane showing the characteristic diagnostic evidence of the anomaly (Figure 1). This plane could not have been obtained by a 2-dimensional (2D) transvaginal technique, which was only able to depict the axial and sagittal planes. The tomographic display mode provided successive computed tomography–like 2D slices, imitating a 2D live-scan sagittal sweep through the conjoined twins. This facilitated our understanding of the level of fusion, confirming the diagnosis of thoraco-omphalopagus conjoined twins with a cystic hygroma of twin A (Figure 2). Subsequently, the surface-rendering mode, complete with


Multiple Description with Forward Error Correction (MD-FEC) coding provides the flexibility, easy adaptivity and distortion-rate optimality that are desirable for delivering streaming video in a network environment with time-varying bandwidth fluctuations and random packet losses. In this paper, we consider the issue of how diverse receivers of a video stream should be grouped - where each group receives a MD-FEC coded bitstream optimized for that group - so that the average video distortion is minimized across all receivers. We show that a sequential grouping solution is optimal for linear distortion-rate functions. For non-linear distortion-rate functions, while the optimal grouping structure may not be sequential in general, we observe that the approximation factor attained by the best sequential solution can be characterized in terms of the "degree of convexity" of the distortion-rate function. Numerical experiments with realistic distortion-rate functions reveal that the difference between the globally optimal grouping solution and the best sequential solution, is typically small. We provide a dynamic programming based polynomial-time algorithm to compute the best sequential solution.


Efficiency is a vital criterion in global competitive business and sustainable growth. Efficiency has always been reflected in company's performance based on the existing input or resources available against the optimum output generated. A highly strong organizations capability will attract higher revenue and more investors to the company. The purpose of this study is to evaluate, compare and rank the overall efficiency based on annual report of companies in Malaysia stock market by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The analysis is carried out on 15 government-linked companies (GLCs) where cross-sectional data between periods of 2013 to 2017 were evaluated. Three efficiency input were considered including return on assets, return on equity and tobin's q where the outcome or outputs were profitability. The results indicate the significance to the investors as the overall efficiency of the companies is ranked according to several years of reports using the DEA model. The implication of this research would benefit the organizations to perform better.


There have been some changes of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in DSM-5 in terms of its classification and description. First of all, it has been suggested that the disorder should be out of a lower cap of the anxiety disorders and with DSM-5 a new heading has become an issue like obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders. The ones that suggest the obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders fundamentally assume that the obsessive compulsive disorder and the disorders defined as related with the OCD come from the same etiologic origin unlike the other anxiety disorders. The purpose of this compilation is to mention on how OCD has been defined all along the history and what kind of conceptual changes it went through until DSM-5.


Rommetin, 3 reflecting the general consensu~s of opinion, tells us that however scorched and browned oat foliage may appear after a copper spray has been applied for the control of mustard, the injury caused is transient and {n no way affects the future development of the plant. Oats in sprayed fields no doubt apparently recuperate promptly following the application of a copper herbicide, but in reality do they recover as quickly and ss completely as currently supposed ? The authors have made a few experiments with oats which show that the injury produced by a copper herb{tide persists for a longer period than is commonly believed. The oats, both free from and admixed with mustard, were grown in pots in fertile soil the water content of which was held at 70% of saturation in the usual way. The herbicide used was in most instances copper nitrate, though in one case copper sulfate was also employed.


All Rights Reserved ii I certify that I have read this dissertation and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Abbas El Gamal (Principal Adviser) I certify that I have read this dissertation and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. I certify that I have read this dissertation and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Abstract Digital cameras are rapidly replacing traditional analog and film cameras. Despite their remarkable success in the market, most digital cameras today still lag film cameras in image quality and major efforts are being made to improve their performance. Since digital cameras are complex systems combining optics, device physics, circuits, image processing, and imaging science, it is difficult to assess and compare their performance analytically. Moreover, prototyping digital cameras for the purpose of exploring design tradeoffs can be prohibitively expensive. To address this problem, a digital camera simulator-vCam-has been developed and used to explore camera system design tradeoffs. This dissertation is aimed at providing a detailed description of vCam and demonstrating its applications with several design studies. The thesis consists of three main parts. vCam is introduced in the first part. The simulator provides physical models for the scene, the imaging optics and the image sensor. It is written as a MATLAB toolbox and its modular nature makes future modifications and extensions straightforward. Correlation of vCam with real experiments is also discussed. In the second part, to demonstrate the use of the simulator, the application that relies on vCam to select optimal pixel size as part of an image sensor design is presented. In order to set up the design problem, the tradeoff between sensor dynamic range and spatial resolution as a function of pixel size is discussed. Then a methodology using vCam, synthetic contrast sensitivity function scenes, and the image quality metric S-CIELAB for determining optimal pixel size is introduced. The methodology is demonstrated for active pixel sensors implemented in CMOS processes down to 0.18um technology. In the third part of this thesis vCam iv is used to demonstrate algorithms for scheduling multiple captures in a high dynamic range imaging system. In particular, capture time scheduling is …


Evolving technology in the shotcrete industry using a rapid-setting mixture with calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement in lieu of a more common portland cement mixture is helping to meet the challenges for shotcrete repairs and underground projects throughout the world. Repairs performed with ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete mixtures can take up to 28 days before they reach design strength. This can slow down projects and cycle time for mining and tunneling. Shotcrete using rapid-setting CSA cement can reach full design strength in only a few hours. In about 15 minutes—without any accelerator—dry-mix shotcrete commonly reaches strengths of 2200 psi (15 MPa); in an hour, the strengths can be close to 3600 psi (25 MPa).


The aim of this note is to show that given a positive integer $n \geq 5$, the positive integral solutions of the diophantine equation $4/n = 1/x + 1/y+1/z$ cannot have solution such that $x$ and $y$ are coprime with $xy < \sqrt{z/2}$. The proof uses the continued fraction expansion of $4/n$.


Respite is effective in alleviating the stress caused by caring for a person with dementia. A questionnaire survey examined the factors associated with the use of, and unmet need for, respite. In the past year, one third of carers had used respite monthly or more; 20% indicated an unmet need for respite at least monthly. Frequent users were likely to be female, providing care for a more elderly person, and obtaining respite from family and friends rather than from formal sources, Unmet need was associated with depression, restricted social activities, family illness, and negative perceptions of formal respite services. Flexibility may be the key element in enabling formal respite services to reduce unmet need.


Topologically protected defects have been observed and studied in a wide range of fields, such as cosmology, spin systems, cold atoms and optics as they are quenched across a phase transition into an ordered state. Revealing their origin and control is becoming increasingly important field of research, as they limit the coherence of the system and its ability to approach a fully ordered state. Here, we present dissipative topological defects in a 1-D ring network of phaselocked lasers, and show how their formation is related to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism and is governed in a universal manner by two competing time scales of the lasers, namely the phase locking time and synchronization time of their amplitude fluctuations. The ratio between these two time scales depends on the system parameters such as gain and coupling strength, and thus offers the possibility to control the probability of topological defects in the system. Enabling the system to dissipate to the fully ordered, defect-free state can be exploited for solving hard combinatorial optimization problems in various fields. As opposed to unitary systems where quenching is obtained via external cooling mostly through the edges, our dissipative system is kept strictly uniform even for fast quenches. INTRODUCTION Topological defects have been extensively studied in cosmology, spin systems and optics [1]. Their origin and scaling behavior was first explained by Kibble-Zurek (KZ) mechanism [2, 3], which was experimentally studied in various systems, such as atomic gases [4-9], nonlinear optics [10], and condensed matter systems [11-13]. Due to complexity and experimental limitations, these systems do not fulfil the exact KZ mechanism, and only deal with limited aspects [5, 11, 14, 15]. The formation of defects in the Zurek's approach relies on the notion of competing time scales in the system, and the density of defects follows a power-law behavior with respect to the rate at which the phase transition is crossed [13]. The topologically protected defects may prevent the system from reaching a globally stable state with spontaneous symmetry breaking and long range ordering [8]. In most of these works the phase transition into an ordered state was crossed by cooling the system from the outside, whereby the external cooling rate determined the density of defects. For the most interesting regime of fast cooling, it is hard to maintain uniformity over the entire system [4]. Here we present and characterize a new mechanism to form topological defects without external cooling in a dissipative system of coupled laser network [16-18]. In coupled lasers and polaritons networks, losses depend on the relative phase between all oscillators [18-21]. This provides dissipative coupling [20] that can drive the system to a stable steady state phased-locked solution with minimal loss that can be directly mapped to the ground state of the classical XY spin Hamiltonian [18, 19, 21]. However, when the dissipative dynamics is highly over-damped [22] and occurs on a complex landscape, the system fails to reach the globally stable solution and gets stuck in local minima. For a 1-D system on a closed ring, such local minima are topological defects [8], characterized by a non-zero phase circulated over the ring that must be an integer multiple of 2π (winding number or topological charge) [23]. The degeneracy of the co-existing degenerate