The operation of wastewater treatment plants results in direct emissions, from the biological processes, of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as indirect emissions resulting from energy generation. In this study, three possible ways to reduce these emissions are discussed and analyzed: minimization through the change of operational conditions, treatment of the gaseous streams, and prevention by applying new configurations and processes to remove both organic matter and pollutants. In current WWTPs, to modify the operational conditions of existing units reveals itself as possibly the most economical way to decrease N2O and CO2 emissions without deterioration of effluent quality. Nowadays the treatment of the gaseous streams containing the GHG seems to be a not suitable option due to the high capital costs of systems involved to capture and clean them. The change of WWTP configuration by using microalgae or partial nitritation-Anammox processes to remove ammonia from wastewater, instead of conventional nitrification-denitrification processes, can significantly reduce the GHG emissions and the energy consumed. However, the area required in the case of microalgae systems and the current lack of information about stability of partial nitritation-Anammox processes operating in the main stream of the WWTP are factors to be considered.


A systematic and timely monitoring of land surface parameters that affect the hydrological cycle at local and global scales is of primary importance in obtaining a better understanding of geophysical processes and in managing environmental resources as well as natural disasters. Soil moisture and snow water equivalent are two quantities that play a major role in these applications. In this paper an algorithm for hydrological purposes (called hereinafter HydroAlgo), which is able to generate maps of snow depth (SD) and soil moisture content (SMC) from AMSR-E data, has been developed and implemented within the framework of the JAXA ADEOS-II/AMSR-E and GCOM/AMSR-2 programs, as well as of a project of the Italian Space Agency that is devoted to civil protection from floods and landslides. As auxiliary output, the algorithm also generates maps of vegetation biomass (VB). An initial phase of pre-processing includes the improvement of spatial resolution, as well as masking for urban areas, water bodies, and dense vegetation. The algorithm was then split into two branches, the first of which focused on the retrieval of SMC and the second, on SD. Both parameters were retrieved using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods. The algorithm was calibrated using a wide set of experimental data collected on three sites: Mongolia and Australia (for SMC), and Siberia (for SD), integrated with model simulations. These results were then validated by comparing the algorithm outputs with experimental data collected on two additional sites: a part of a watershed in Northern Italy, and a large portion of Scandinavia. An additional test of the algorithm was also performed on a large scale, and included sites characterized by differing climatic and meteorological conditions.


"A house without windows" literally translates to a prison. Nadia Hashimi's novel A House without Windows (2016) personifies Afghan women's lives as prisoners in their own bodies while also dialogically situating their stories inside a prison–Chil Mahtab. This article focuses on the semiotic relationship between the spatial prison of Chil Mahtab and the temporal prison that women live in under the hegemony of men. The violated bodies of characters like "the little girl" carry the burden of patriarchal injustices in Afghanistan. And the horrifying stories of being rejected by male institutions, particularly the law, paint a picture of Afghan society and gender-based violence for the readers. This article studies the personified liberation of women in Chil Mehtab. When confined within an actual prison due to the hegemonic dictates of societal law, women, as victims of injustice, seek liberation within the prison alongside other women. The prison gains more significance in the text when it offers the space for women to create symbiotic bonds. The prisoners of Chil Mehtab feel belonging to a safe haven called home, repudiating their patriarchal house-of-a-man who owns them as a master. All these women, when sharing their tales, do not merely coexist but grow together. In this article, I argue that the prison is a vibrant space of both resistance and liberation at once. I also examine the silence maintained by Afghan women outside of the prison as a means of control over their voices. Silence thus becomes an active resistance rather than a passive resignation in the novel. In this article, I study the exigencies of a female writer fighting against patriarchal discourses and phallogocentricity through gynocriticism.


Background : Low birth weight is a global problem but presents a major burden on the neonatal services in developing countries such as Nigeria, and brings to bear a greater strain on the meagre resources available for health care delivery and family financing. In a resourceconstrained setting as ours, proper weighing of all newborn infants and medical surveillance of low birth weight infants, although highly desirable, are often not achieved due to unavailability of suitable, functional weighing scales. There are serial cut-off points for the various anthropometric indices for the normal birth weight babies below which any baby is termed low birth weight. This study assessed the predictive values of anthropometric measurements in the detection of low birth weight newborn babies and also determined the local specific cut-off points for these measurements in Nnewi, Southeast Nigeria. Methods: This was a crosssectional study in which length, occipitofrontal circumference, mid-arm circumference and maximum thigh circumference of 428 singleton babies were ascertained within 24 hours of delivery. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Correlation and linear regression analyses were done to examine the linear relationship between the predictors and birth weight. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated at serial cut–off points and the points of best discrimination determined. Results: The low birth weight prevalence was 15.2%. Maximum thigh circumference attained the highest correlation with birth weight (r = 0.904), greatest coefficient of determination (r2=0.817), and least measure of dispersion around the actual birth weight. Thus maximum thigh circumference, which has a cut-off point of 16.75cm, was the best predictor of low birth weight, with 98.5% sensitivity, 92.3% specificity and diagnostic accuracy of 93.2% (P<0.001). Conclusion: Routine measurements of maximum thigh circumference in resource-poor countries is an effective proxy for weight at birth in prenatal assessments and epidemiologic surveys. Key words : anthropometric parameters,low birth weight, newborn, Nigeria


Video salient object detection aims at discovering the most visually distinctive objects in a video. How to effectively take object motion into consideration during video salient object detection is a critical issue. Existing state-of-the-art methods either do not explicitly model and harvest motion cues or ignore spatial contexts within optical flow images. In this paper, we develop a multi-task motion guided video salient object detection network, which learns to accomplish two sub-tasks using two sub-networks, one sub-network for salient object detection in still images and the other for motion saliency detection in optical flow images. We further introduce a series of novel motion guided attention modules, which utilize the motion saliency sub-network to attend and enhance the sub-network for still images. These two sub-networks learn to adapt to each other by end-to-end training. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing state-of-the-art algorithms on a wide range of benchmarks. We hope our simple and effective approach will serve as a solid baseline and help ease future research in video salient object detection. Code and models will be made available.


Which kind of complex behavior may arise from self-organizing principles? We investigate this question for the case of snake-like robots composed of passively coupled segments, with every segment containing two wheels actuated separately by a single neuron. The robot is self-organized both on the level of the individual wheels and with respect to inter-wheel coordination, which arises exclusively from the mechanical coupling of the individual wheels and segments. For the individual wheel, the generating principle proposed results in locomotive states that correspond to self-organized limit cycles of the sensorimotor loop. Our robot interacts with the environment by monitoring the state of its actuators, that is, via propriosensation. External sensors are absent. In a structured environment the robot shows complex emergent behavior that includes pushing movable blocks around, reversing direction when hitting a wall, and turning when climbing a slope. On flat grounds the robot wiggles in a snake-like manner, when moving at higher velocities. We also investigate the emergence of motor primitives, namely, the route to locomotion, which is characterized by a series of local and global bifurcations in terms of dynamical system theory.


The antitumor activity of SSM consists in the activation and intensification
of collagen proliferation against carcinoma. The experiment in vitro and in
vivo (xenografts) indicates that SSM did no direct damage to the cancer cells, but that it
accelerated the proliferation of collagen fibers of the stroma. These collagen fibers enclosed
the cancer cells and prevented cancer cell proliferation. It was also made clear that the
proliferation of collagen fibers was accelerated remarkably by SSM under a certain condition
of immunity. Therefore, one of the basic activities of SSM is to stimulate the
proliferation of collagen fibers in the stroma invaded by cancer cells. Collagen serves in the
composition of small blood vessels, blood capillaries, muscle fibers, and nerve fibers.
Besides, the biosynthesis of collagen seems to be accelerated by carcinomatous infiltration, and it may also take place with fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and the amorphous matrix in the normal tissue or cancer cells themselves.


Graphical Abstract Abstract We report the synthesis of a new imine based ligand, 3-((3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)-1H-pyrazol-5-ol ( HL ) and its Cu(II) complexes in 2:1 ( HL :metal) and 1:1:1 ( HL :metal: HQ ) stoichiometric ratio using 8-hyroxyquinoline ( HQ ) as an additional bidentate ligand. The synthesized ligand ( HL ) and its Cu(II) complexes ( 1 and 2 ) are structurally characterized using FT-IR, electronic absorption and emission, NMR, MS and TGA techniques. Furthermore, the complexation of Cu 2+ with HL leads to the immediate formation of brown colored solution which indicates that HL can act as simple colorimetric sensor for Cu 2+ ions. We further investigated that, the sensor could selectively bind to the Cu 2+ ions even in the presence of competitive ions such as Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ag + and Na + ions in aqueous solutions which was studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. The HL ligand and corresponding Cu(II) complexes have been investigated for their reactive properties by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Quantum molecular descriptors describing local reactive properties have been calculated in order to identify the most reactive molecule sites of title compounds. DFT calculations encompassed molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), local average ionization energies (ALIE), Fukui functions and bond dissociation energies for hydrogen abstraction (H-BDE).


INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to characterize the use of the new commercial tests for aneuploidy screening using cell-free fetal DNA by women at high risk for fetal aneuploidy. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of women undergoing cell-free fetal DNA testing in the first 6 months the tests were offered in our maternal-fetal medicine practice. All patients were high risk for fetal aneuploidy: advanced maternal age, abnormal aneuploidy screening, abnormal ultrasound findings, personal or family history, or all of these. Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, indication for testing, pregnancy outcomes, and insurance information. RESULTS: One hundred forty-two patients underwent cell-free fetal DNA testing from January 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012. Mean maternal age was 32.3±6.5 years. Most patients were white (72%), non-Hispanic (83%), multiparous (64%), married (58%), had a private obstetrician (77%), had private insurance (52%), and were singleton gestations (95%). Median gestational age when the test was performed was 18 5/7 weeks. Four patients had positive test results (3%) and three had uninformative results (2%). There was one false-negative and no false-positive results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 80%, 100%, 100%, and 99%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study provides some information on the use of new commercial tests for aneuploidy screening using cell-free fetal DNA in clinical practice in a nonresearch setting. Although the potential for these tests to provide women with information regarding their pregnancies without the risk of invasive testing is exciting, additional studies are needed to validate their performance in both low- and high-risk populations, and health care providers and patients need to be aware of their limitations.


OBJECTIVES
The authors evaluate the results of preoperative imaging protocols and surgical re-exploration in a series of patients with missed parathyroid adenomas after failed procedures for primary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND
The success rate is lower and the complication rate is increased in patients undergoing reoperation for primary hyperparathyroidism compared with initial procedures. Scarring and distortion of tissue planes plus the potential for ectopic gland location leads to this worsened outcome.

METHODS
Two hundred eighty-eight consecutive patients with persistent/recurrent hyperparathyroidism were treated at a single institution after a failed procedure or procedures at outside institutions. Two hundred twenty-two of these patients (77%) were believed to have a missed single adenoma, and these patients underwent 228 operations and 227 preoperative work-ups. Preoperative evaluation consisted of a combination of four noninvasive imaging studies--neck ultrasound, nuclear medicine scan, neck and mediastinal computed tomography scan, and neck and mediastinal magnetic resonance imaging. Based on the noninvasive testing alone, 27% patients underwent surgery whereas the other patients underwent invasive studies, including selective angiography (58%), selective venous sampling for parathyroid hormone (43%), or percutaneous aspiration of suspicious lesions (15%).

RESULTS
Abnormal parathyroid adenomas were found in 209 of 222 initial procedures and 6 of 6 second procedures, with an overall success rate in terms of resolution of hypercalcemia in 97% (215/222) of patients. The single most common site of missed adenoma glands was in the tracheal-esophageal groove in the posterior superior mediastinum (27%). The most common ectopic sites for parathyroid adenomas are thymus (17%), intrathyroidal (10%), undescended glands (8.6%), carotid sheath (3.6%), and the retroesophageal space (3.2%). The most sensitive and specific noninvasive imaging test is the sestamibi subtraction scan, with 67% true-positive and no false-positive results. The rate of true-positive and false-positive results for ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and technetium thallium scans were 48%/21%, 52%/16%, 48%/14% and 42%/8%, respectively. The incidence of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve was 1.3%.

CONCLUSIONS
A single missed parathyroid adenoma is the most common cause for a failed initial parathyroid operation. Appropriate use of preoperative imaging tests and knowledge of the potential location or parathyroid adenomas can lead to very high cure rates with minimal morbidity.


Report discussing earthquake activity in the United States during 1960. The report is broken down by regions and has sections for specific earthquakes.


The infectivity of five populations of Tylenchulus semipenetrans were compared and differentiated on 10 hosts (5 Citrus spp., 1 Poncirus trifoliata, and 4 hybrids of Citrus spp. X P. trifoliata). Differences in levels of infection and development (P = 0.01) occurred between Citrus spp. and P. trifoliata cv. 'Pomeroy' and their three hybrids, C. paradisi X P. trifoliata cv. 'Swingle' citruntelo and C. sinensis, cv. 'Ruby' orange X P. trifoliata cv. 'Webber Fawcett 14-7', and '15-7'. Poncirus trifoliata cv. Pomeroy was susceptible to a California biotype 3 and highly resistant to the other citrus nematode populations. Low infection levels with California biotype 1, Arizona, and Florida populations on Swingle citrumelo, and the two Ruby orange hybrids indicated inherited resistance. Reproduction of the nematode population from Texas was greatest on the three hybrids, Swingle citrumelo, Ruby orange 14-7, and 15-7, from the California 1, Arizona, and Florida populations, but its comparable densities on P. trifoliata and Citrus spp. were not sufficiently different from these populations to consider it a separate biotype. California biotype 3 was sufficiently different from all other populations to be considered a different biotype, and it was named the "Poncirus biotype."


Biologic scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) have been successfully used as templates for the constructive remodeling of numerous tissues in preclinical studies and human clinical applications. The mechanisms by which ECM induces remodeling are largely unknown, but the degradation products of ECM may play key roles in constructive remodeling. This dissertation investigated the hypothesis that ECM degradation products possess chemoattractant properties for progenitor cell (PC) populations that participate in constructive remodeling. We investigated different methods of in vitro degradation of ECM and determined physiologically relevant methods of degradation yielded degradation products with chemoattractant activity. Both pepsin and collagenase digestion of ECM resulted in chemoattraction of two distinct PC populations. We then investigated if ECM degradation products from a given tissue have more potent chemoattractant properties for PCs derived from the same tissue type than for PCs derived from other tissues. Although ECM derived from skin, liver, small intestine, and urinary bladder were all chemoattractive for at least one PC population, a tissue-specific chemotactic effect was not observed in studies using skin, liver, and intestinal PCs. However, results showed that the age and species from which ECM is harvested has an effect on the chemoattractant potential of the ECM for some PC populations. We investigated if prevention or retardation of ECM degradation in vivo would reduce bone marrow-derived PC involvement in constructive remodeling, yielding a different histomorphologic outcome than normal ECM degradation. Bone marrow-derived cells (BMCs) participated in the early remodeling of wounded mouse skin treated with rapidly degrading ECM scaffolds. By 28 days post-surgery, the number of BMCs returned to normal levels, suggesting that these cells do not participate in long-term constructive remodeling of mouse skin. Slowly degrading chemically crosslinked ECM scaffolds did not recruit more BMCs than are found in normal uninjured mouse skin at any time investigated. Wounds treated with rapidly degrading ECM appeared to remodel more rapidly than other treatment groups. These results suggest that scaffold type affects the temporal remodeling of injured mouse skin and that while BMCs participate in remodeling of skin wounds in mice, local tissue cells may also play an important role.


This study attempts to identify the different types of risk embedded in the sukuk structure and to determine the relationship between the risks and the returns of sukuk. Data were collected from seven groups of the sukuk market from 2005 to 2013 on a periodic monthly basis and analyzed using correlation analysis and multi-regressions analysis. The test results confirm the significant influence of market risk, credit risk, operational risk and liquidity risk on the sukuk returns in different ways. The results of the analysis on the basis of maturity indicate that the longer the period of maturity the higher is the risk exposure. The results of the analysis on the rating indicate that the impact of risk is very high on lower- rated sukuk. The sectorial- based analysis indicate that the corporate sukuk return is highly exposed to risk compared to other sectors. Analysis on the Gulf countries' sukuk market indicates that the corporate sector is more exposed to risk than the financial sector. The analysis of risk impact on the basis of selected country indicates that Bahrain's sukuk market is highly exposed to risk when compared to the sukuk markets of the UAE and Malaysia. Although, there are some limitations, the findings pave ways for a number of recommendations, among others are; maintaining inflation- rate risk at an optimal level, hedging their interest- rate risk with Libor, replacing the conventional interest rate with the Libor rate, using a common currency in the Gulf region, forming a risk- steering committee to monitor and mitigate risk, formulating a common shari'ah board at the international level, and taking necessary measures to provide a conducive environment to promote secondary markets for sukuk


Hypertension, while being the most common condition of the circulatory system, it has been the greatest attributor to the burden of cardiovascular diseases. Despite the availability of a broad-spectrum pharmacological and non-pharmacological means to control blood pressure, the average blood pressure values over the past decades have remained unchanged. Moreover, in some countries, the trend has been increasing. Such occurrence precipitates a real demand for the discovery and development of newer drugs to treat this condition. In an earlier project, Schwarzinicine A (Sch A), a phenylethylamine alkaloid, was isolated from the leaves of Ficus Schwarzii. Sch A was shown to have similar vasorelaxation effect as dobutamine and isoprenaline (β-adrenoceptor agonists), and verapamil (a calcium channel blocker) in the rat aorta. Sch A, as compared with these molecules, was more effective in its ability to relax the blood vessel. N-phenethyl-1-phenyl-pentan-3-amine, (FK70) is a novel compound synthesized based on the main pharmacophore of Sch A as an alternative compound to study the mechanism of action of the novel compound. The primary goal of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of action of FK70 as a vasorelaxant. Initially, the primary pharmacological effects of FK70 were examined on different biological systems using rat isolated smooth muscle tissues (aorta, trachea, and bladder), porcine coronary artery (PCA), and guinea pig ileum. FK70 exhibited relaxation effect in all the tissue types tested, with the higher relaxation effect in the vascular smooth muscle tissues. Subsequently, an evaluation of the pharmacological actions of FK70 in rat aorta were performed. The effects of FK70 were tested in the presence of endothelium and nitric oxide (NO), alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors, potassium channels, and calcium channels. The findings showed that the aortic relaxation by FK70 was not affected by all modulators as mentioned earlier, except it inhibited extracellular calcium entry as suggested from the reduced contraction responses of potassium chloride (KCl) and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) linked contractile agents as well as the contractions by calcium chloride in calcium-free Krebs solution. Next, the role of extracellular and stored calcium (Ca2+) in contractile agents mediated responses were examined in rat aorta. The findings showed that (1) the role of stored and extracellular Ca2+ in Gq-protein activation (PE and 5-HT) are not the same and (2) the contractile agents (PE, 5-HT, and KCl) depends mostly on extracellular Ca2+ to cause a contraction in the rat aorta. To demonstrate the role of Ca2+ on FK70 effect, FK70 was tested with known calcium channel blockers, nifedipine (an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker) and SKF 96365 (a non-selective TRPC blocker) in normotensive rats (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The study exhibited that the relaxation effect of FK70 is comparable to that of known calcium channel blocker, SKF 96365 and the most important mechanism that seemed to be involved in FK70-induced relaxation is inhibition of extracellular Ca2+ influx in both SD and SHR. Finally, the effects of FK70 was examined in-vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The study allowed the assessment of both calcium inhibiting property and toxicity effect of FK70. The evaluation of pharyngeal pumping further confirmed the calcium blocking property of FK70 and prolonged exposure to FK70 did not induce a toxic effect on the lifespan of C. elegans. Taken together, FK70 exhibited an inhibitory role on calcium -dependent contraction in all the animal models tested. Hence the potential of developing FK70 as an alternative treatment for resistance hypertensive is promising.


The paper investigates the application of the multilayer perceptron structure to the packet wise adaptive decision feedback equalization of a M-ary QAM signal through a TDMA indoor radio channel in the presence of intersymbol interference (ISI) and additive Gaussian noise. Since the multilayer neural networks are capable of producing complex decision regions with arbitrarily nonlinear boundaries, this would greatly improve the performance of conventional decision feedback equalizer (DFE), where the decision boundaries of conventional DFE's are linear. Nevertheless, the applications of the traditional multilayer neural networks have been limited to real valued signals. To tackle this difficulty, a neural based DFE is proposed to deal with the complex QAM signal over the complex valued fading multipath radio channel without performing time consuming complex valued backpropagation training algorithms, while maintaining almost the same computational complexity as the original real valued training algorithm. Moreover, this neural based DFE trained by packet wise backpropagation algorithm would approach an ideal equalizer after receiving a sufficient number of packets. Results show that the neural based DFE provides a superior bit error rate performance relative to the conventional mean square DFE, especially in poor signal to noise ratio conditions.


The paper focuses on fault-tolerant distributed computations where processes can take local checkpoints without coordinating with each other. Several distributed online algorithms are presented which avoid rollback propagation by forcing additional local checkpoints in processes. The effectiveness of the algorithms is evaluated in several application examples, showing their limited capability of bounding the number of additional checkpoints.


-As new magnetic materials as well as applications emerge in electromechanical conversion systems, one finds that electrical machines are increasingly moving away from the mainstream power frequency to much higher frequencies. This shift is mostly being driven by the fact that for the same power a higher speed machine is smaller in size. Operating at higher frequencies has its advantages on size however one must ensure that this advantage is not offset by larger losses in the core as well as in the conductors carrying the high frequency currents. This paper discusses a method of calculating the slot losses in conductors. There are two aspects to this loss calculation, (a) most machines will have parallel conductors in a single coil, one must know the current distribution in these individual parallel paths and (b) the current in each conductor is not uniformly distributed through the cross-section but is skewed due to proximity and skin effects. Both these considerations must be accounted for when determining the dynamic loss factors.


KIT is detected in a variety of cells, also in acute leukemia. Inhibition of wild-type KIT is not always satisfactory. The aim of this work was to evaluate the frequency of the most common KIT mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and determine the correlation between mutation and expression level. Samples were obtained from 75 patients with AL. CD117 presence was shown in 45 of 51 patients with AML and in 1 of 16 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Asp816Val mutation was found in 3.5% of cases of AML and Val560Gly mutation in 1 sample with acute biclonal leukemia. Other genetic changes were found in 15 of 57 samples with AML: polymorphisms Met541Leu in 14% of cases, Lys546Lys in 7% and 1 case of acute biclonal leukemia, Ile798Ile in 5.3% of cases, Met541Leu in 1 acute biphenotypic leukemia and in 6.3% of ALL. Polymorphism Lys546Lys was also shown in 1 case of acute biclonal leukemia. Nonsilent genetic changes were detected in a total of 23% cases with core binding factor leukemia. There was no statistical significance between KIT expression and genetic changes. There was no correlation between the incidence and types of KIT mutations and its expression on cells in AML.


The work provides guidelines for instructors who wish to incorporate green engineering concepts into a typical non-green engineering course without diluting course content or modifying the course syllabus by identifying 5 critical elements necessary to the successful integration of green engineering concepts into any traditional, design-oriented, non-green engineering course. The 5 critical elements result from the assessment of the incorporation of green engineering concepts into a traditional, design and analysis oriented heat transfer course offered to chemical engineering students in the fall semester of their junior year. This work not only incorporates the instructor?s assessment of the newly greened course but also assessment of the same course by a student task force. This work includes portions of the instructor?s assessment, the student task force?s independent assessment of the course as well as the task force?s assessment of the instructor?s proposed modifications to the course. Even though this study focuses on green engineering as it relates to heat transfer, the assessment and suggestions are relevant to all non-green engineering courses that attempt to integrate green engineering topics.


In 2013, we released a position paper to launch a community effort to define a common set of building blocks for constructing graph algorithms in the language of linear algebra. This led to the GraphBLAS. We released a specification for the C programming language binding to the GraphBLAS in 2017. Since that release, multiple libraries that conform to the GraphBLAS C specification have been produced. In this position paper, we launch the next phase of this ongoing community effort: a project to assemble a set of high level graph algorithms built on top of the GraphBLAS. While many of these algorithms are well-known with high quality implementations available, they have not been assembled in one place and integrated with the GraphBLAS. We call this project the LAGraph graph algorithms project and with this position paper, we put out a call for collaborators to join us. While the initial goal is to just assemble these algorithms into a single framework, the long term goal is a library of production-worthy code, with the LAGraph library serving as an open source repository of verified graph algorithms that use the GraphBLAS.


ANALYSIS OF GROUND VIBRATIONS PRODUCED BY AN 80 IN3 WATER GUN IN THE CHICAGO SANITARY AND SHIP CANAL, LEMONT, ILLINOIS Carolyn M. Koebel, M.S. Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences Northern Illinois University, 2015 Philip J. Carpenter, Director Since its completion in 1910, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) has become a pathway for invasive species (and potentially Asian carp) to reach the Great Lakes. Currently, an electric barrier is used to prevent Asian carp migration through the canal, but the need for a secondary method is necessary, especially when the electric barrier undergoes maintenance. The underwater Asian carp "cannon" (water gun) provides such a method. Analysis of the ground movement produced by an 80 in3 water gun in the CSSC was performed in order to establish any potential for damage to the either the canal or structures built along the canal. Ground movement was collected using 3-component geophones on both the land surface and in boreholes. The peak particle velocities (PPVs) were analyzed to determine if damage would be caused to structures located along the canal. Vector sum velocity ground movement along the canal wall was as high as 0.28 in/s (7.11 mm/s), which is much lower than the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) ground vibration damage threshold of 0.75 in/s (19.1 mm/s), causing no potential for damage to structures along the canal wall. The dominant frequency of ground motion produced by the water gun is primarily above 40 Hz, so the wave energy should attenuate fairly quickly away from the canal wall, with little disturbance to structures further from the wall.


SUMMARYThe physicochemical characteristics of 25 samples of commercial Eucalyptus honey (Eucalyptus sp.), bought off the shelf, were analysed and 35 parameters were measured, including contents of sugars and minerals, total nitrogen, proline, water content, pH, acidity, HMF, diastase activity, colour, ash, insoluble solids and electrical conductivity. The samples contained a mean of 18 pollen types (range 14–27); the 64% of samples which contained more than 70% Eucalyptus pollen were considered to be unifloral. In 92% of the samples, Eucalyptus was the most abundant pollen, at over 45% of total pollen found. Maturity, purity, deterioration and adulteration criteria indicated that the quality of the honeys was good. Samples that did not have a dominant percentage of Eucalyptus pollen showed low values for the length of the main wavelength in spectrophotometric analysis and very small concentrations of magnesium.


This paper seeks to introduce an empirical finance analysis of the relationship between misreporting behavior in hedge funds at the return level and registration as an investment adviser with the SEC, a law that has been enacted, overturned and re-enacted in the last decade. We hypothesize that hedge funds that are not registered with the SEC will be more likely to misreport returns so that a fund will seem as if it is generating positive returns more often than not. We test our hypothesis on the return level by conducting several statistical tests and regression models on hedge fund monthly returns that fall within a certain monthly reported return bin width. We do not find compelling evidence to support our hypothesis that funds not registered with the SEC will be more likely to misreport returns, although we do find links between certain hedge fund characteristics and misreporting behavior that is supported by the existing literature. We check the robustness of our study according to a number of parameters, including, bin widths of misreporting returns, as well as specifications controlling for fund size, hedge fund style, incentives, backfill bias, survivorship bias and other robustness checks.


When I was a kid, I loved the original Star Trek.
Every time I heard "to boldly go where no man has
gone before," I got goosebumps. As I got older,
besides realizing the ungrammatical nature of the
construction (and the inherent sexism behind it), I
began thinking about some of the show's chief plot
points; namely, the United Federation of Planets'
altruistic "Prime Directive" which prohibited
interference with other civilizations. This directive,
supposedly ironclad, was consistently violated by the
Enterprise crew and usually on Captain Kirk's orders.
However, most of the violations were well intentioned
and generally resulted in a positive outcome for
whatever group of aliens was the object of the
Enterprise's meddling. This tendency of course only
reinforced Kirk's unstated philosophy that interfering in
others' affairs is sometimes the best way to get things
done.


Increasing dependence on groundwater as a reliable source of water in the rural areas has resulted in its indiscriminate extraction without considering the recharging capabilities of the aquifers as well as other environmental factors. As the availability of groundwater is highly inconsistent and exhibits substantial variations across the country, management of groundwater resources in the Indian context is an extremely crucial proposition. In this paper, we are discussing about a sustainable water management system based on Internet of Things (IoT), which automates the water distribution and storage as well as regulation of water wastage. The requirement analysis is performed for Gudipadu Cheruvu, a remote rural village in Andhra Pradesh, India, where frequent water scarcity issues occur. An IoT system designed for sustainable water management is proposed for the Gudipadu Cheruvu village. The results of the proposed design, and its evaluation are described in this paper.


A collection of microbiology resources in the library and on the web supporting the Bio 210 Adopt-A-Microbe assignment. Research Databases


Refugee experiences of integration is of growing importance, yet we know little about the lived emotional experiences faced by refugees themselves, the effects of their inclusion on organisational outcomes and the ways they regulate their emotions. Drawing on phenomenological interviews, this study probed the emotional experiences often refugees residing and already working in the UK. Utilising Gross's (1998, 2014) model of emotion regulation, we analysed how refugees used emotion regulation processes as they adapted to their new work and social environments. Findings illuminate the unfamiliarity experienced throughout their attempt to navigate to the labour market, with racism and harassment challenging their integration. However, their accounts revealed resilience and persistence to survive under adversity, which helped them develop career adaptability and contribute to their profession. This study is significant because it extends knowledge of refugee integration and highlights the ways in which refugees actively fight to survive in their new environments, ratherthan emphasising on their deficits.


A 55 year old female, diagnosed with scleroderma at 5 years of age, presented with gradual development of skin thickening and muscle atrophy in her right upper extremity that slowly progressed to involve her trunk (Figure 1). In addition, she had arthralgias, joint stiffness, Raynaud phenomenon, xerostomia, microstomia, dysphagia and dyspnea. Linear Scleroderma or Linear Morphea is a localized form of scleroderma that begins during childhood with plaques arranged in a unilateral dermatomal linear pattern which commonly involve the face and extremities.


The historiography of maritime archaeology is one of margins and peripheries. Linked to the development of underwater archaeology, efforts to advance theoretical frameworks within the discipline have been slow at best. There remains a widespread assumption—even among archaeologists—that maritime archaeology deals mostly with shipwrecks and underwater sites, and as such, has little to contribute to broader debates in archaeology. Archaeology remains a terrestrial affair that rarely engages with water worlds, and when it does, it retains its feet firmly on ground. So what do a land archaeologist and an economist have to offer to the world of maritime archaeology?

In spite of its terrestrial focus, The Dawn of Everything speaks to a number of recurring issues in maritime archaeology, where scholars worry about the relationship between terrestrial states and maritime worlds. Such concerns are central to the very constitution of maritime societies: are they hierarchical or heterarchical; are they the same as, or different from the wider societies in which they sit? In the maritime discourse, environmental determinism takes a greater role than Graeber and Wengrow would admit in their book. Graeber and Wengrow's interest in fluid societies that have the capacity to construct and deconstruct themselves seasonally find their best laboratory in maritime cultural worlds. Both the ancient past and the ethnographic present provide us with an opportunity to understand the contingency of power and decision-making, all within the framework of a seasonal environmental landscape. If nothing else, The Dawn of Everything encourages us to look at each society on its own terms, so let us start by getting our feet wet.


Abstract The immune responses to antigens from different stages of the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) life cycle were investigated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) to gain knowledge of EBV's involvement in the etiology of systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) and for an overview of the humoral immune responses against EBV. Investigations were performed by the use of ELISA. IgM, IgA, and IgG antibody binding to 11 EBV antigens: EBNA1, EBNA2, BALF5, EAD, BALF2, EA/R, VCA p18, VCA p23, gB, gp350, and gp42 were examined in serum pools from SAD patients and healthy controls (HCs). Increased antibody levels against the 11 EBV antigens in the SAD pools were seen compared to the HC pool. Specifically, SLE was characterized by strongly increased IgA to EAD both compared to HCs and other SADs, and RA was characterized by increased IgM levels to several EBV antigens. The SADs may be partly distinguished by their differential immune responses to various antigens in the EBV life cycle. All together, these findings support an association between EBV infection and SADs.


In e-commerce platform, the auction market is the most attractive channel for the general public. Because of low cost, making the entry barriers are low. Online sellers rely on the auction website as the platform. However, "What sellers should do to maximize the profit" is the main purpose for this paper. This study used Apple ipod nano as an auction object on Yahoo!Auctions, and we came up with eleven factors as research variables , and tried to use genetic algorithm to build a successful auction model for sellers. In this research , if the results showed that the optimal seller behavior of chromosomes are 1,6,9,11 from the portfolio, it means that the seller need to provide product images, accept "Buy it now" , inform buyers about deliver time and maintain a good seller reputation. Therefore, the seller might be recommend to make efforts on the provision of product information, include pictures of auction goods and answer all detail questions, accept "Buy it now" , inform the buyers when sending out the goods, and maintain good reputation.


Objective: Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer that improves cardiac contractility without increasing intracellular calcium level, hence energy demand. Theoretically, it is safer to use levosimendan than catecholamine in shocked patients who require inotrope support. Studies on the use of levosimendan in shocked patients are, however, limited. In this case series, we describe the pre- and post-infusion effects of levosimendan in shocked patients with reduced cardiac function and requiring catecholamine inotrope support. Design: A case-series report. Setting: The intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. Patients: Fifteen shocked patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and requiring catecholamine inotrope support were reviewed retrospectively. Intervention: 24 hour intravenous infusion of levosimendan with concomitant noradrenaline infusion. Results: In response to 24-h levosimendan infusion, the left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 25.7 ± 11.0% to 29.8 ± 8.6% (P = 0.0389), and the plasma B-type natriuretic peptide reduced from 993 ± 389 to 644 ± 408 pg/ml (P = 0.0015). The blood lactate also demonstrated a significant decrease. During infusion, the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was maintained above 65 mmHg by concomitant noradrenaline infusion. The noradrenaline dosages required to maintain the MAP were reduced at the end of infusion. No adverse event related to the drug was seen during the infusion. Conclusion: Levosimendan leads to an improvement in the hemodynamic status of the shocked patients with compromised left ventricular function. This improvement was reflected by an improvement in LVEF, the favorable changes in BNP and blood lactate levels. Levosimendan is safe to use and may present an alternative to catecholamine inotropes in the management of shocked patients with reduced cardiac function and requiring inotrope support.


ABSTRACT Individuals occupying high-status positions are sometimes victims of the tall poppy syndrome where people want to see them cut down to size. These attitudes reflect a tension between achievement, authority, and equality. In a pre-registered study (Study 1: N = 47,951), and a replication (Study 2: N = 5,569), of two representative New Zealand samples we investigated how social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, political ideologies and self-esteem predicted favoring the fall of the tall poppy. Novel findings showed individuals high in social dominance orientation favored the fall of the tall poppy. In both studies, high authoritarian aggression and submission, and low conventionalism (in Study 1 only) were also associated with negative tall poppy attitudes. So too were individuals with lower self-esteem and who were less conservative in their political ideology. These findings advance our understanding of how group-based hierarchy and inequality relate to attitudes toward individuals in high-status positions.


Digital video encoding plays an important role in many applications such as digital surveiance systems, video conference systems as wel as digital TV. In this thesis. a H.264 baseline encoder is implemented on Texas Instruments TMS320DM642 digital signal processor. The TMS320DM642 is a high-performance digital media processor with 2-level memory/cache hierarchy and very-long-instruction-word (VLIW) architecture. The proposed encoder system consists of almost al parts of standard H.264 baseline encoder except quarter-pel motion compensation and error resiliency tools such as Arbitrary Sice Ordering (ASO) and Flexible Macroblok Order (FMO). Instead of quarter-pel motion compensation, integer-pel motion estimation and compensation for both Luminance and Chrominance samples is implemented. The complete H.264 encoder system is verified to work on both computer and DM642 EVM (Evaluation Module) platform. Basicaly, the encoder takes the input of a QCIF video sequence (YUV) and converts it to the standard compressed H.264 AnnexB fie format. The encoder is fuly compliant with the standard H.264 JM Decoder. The reconstructed video, which is exactly the same with the output of the standard JM H.264 decoder, is being displayed on a TV screen. In addition, by making use of the TI development tools. performance of the complete encoder system is anayzed for real-time applications. Finaly, memory optimization, code optimizations and compier optimizations are applied to the encoder for higher performance. The proposed H.264 encoder is able to encode, display and store 26.7 QCIF frames per second.


The neuroteratogenicity of trichlorfon was evaluated in 3 groups of pregnant sows (8/group). The treatments were: control (no trichlorfon), trichlorfon (60 mg/kg of body weight) in the feed only on day 55 of gestation, or trichlorfon (60 mg/kg of body weight) in the feed on day 55 and day 70 of gestation. One week after farrowing, all newborn pigs were removed from the sows and were euthanatized. Brain and cerebellum weights of the newborn pigs were recorded. Mean cerebellum weights and cerebellum/total brain weight ratios of the neonatal pigs were 3.780 and 0.106 (group 1, n = 26), 3.183 and 0.098 (group 2, n = 42), and 2.986 and 0.088 (group 3, n = 61). Although trichlorfon interfered with cerebellar development and the severity of the trichlorfon-induced cerebellar hypoplasia was dosage-related, ataxia did not develop in the neonatal pigs.


Anatolia has a long and complex record of immigration from various regions. Here, we have used TAP1 and TAP2 gene polymorphisms as genetic markers to study the relationship between the Anatolian population and other populations. A neighbour-joining tree was constructed indicating the relatedness of European populations and the Anatolian population with respect to TAP1 and TAP2 allele frequencies.


It is important to research the existence of the top Ordovician water-resisting strata, under which the regional Ordovician karts aquifers pose great water pressure threat to the upper late Carboniferous coal seam mining. So we take the samples from JK-02 to do mercury test, SEM and microscopic identification. The results show: ① 0 ~10m of the top strata of Ordovician is made of crystal powder dolomite. Most of the pores of the strata are intercrystalline pores, intercrystalline dissolved pores, microspore as well as stylolite ,and part of which are filled by calcite and clay. Its porosity is 11.3242%; and permeability 6.2324;and diameter of volume median 66.3nm; capillary median pressure 6.88MPa; mercury withdrawal efficiency is 42.22%; maximum pore throat's diameter is 145.32μm, and effective pore volume is about 13% out of total pore volume. ②10 ~112m of the top Ordovician is mainly made of powder crystal limestone and calsilutites. The most of pores are micropore; its porosity is only 0.8409% and permeability 7.0438; and diameter of volume median 66.3nm; and capillary median pressure 5.497~34.391MPa; maximum pore throat's diameter is 0.0227~0.453μm; ③The number of pores and the porosity of the limestone are less than that of the dolomite. The limestone of the top Ordovician can serve as water-resisting layer for its lower permeability and compactness if there is no water-conducted faults.


Stable isotopes (δ18O and δ13C) of lacustrine carbonates (Chara spp. algae and Pisidium spp. molluscs) from a lake sedimentary sequence in central Sweden were analysed to infer changes in lake hydrology and climate during the late Holocene. Results from analysis of lake water isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) show that Lake Blektjärnen water isotope composition is responsive to the balance between evaporation and input water (E/I ratio). A high E/I ratio results from a dry and probably warmer climate, decreasing the relative importance of precipitation input. Under such conditions evaporation and atmospheric equilibration probably enrich lake water in 18O and 13C, respectively, which is reflected in the isotopic composition of the carbonates in the lake. From the relatively positive Chara δ18O values we infer that conditions were dry and warm between 4400 and 4000 cal. a BP, whereas more negative values indicate that conditions were wetter and probably cooler between 4000 and 3000 cal. a BP. A drier climate is inferred from more positive values between 2500 and 1000 cal. a BP. However, a successive depletion after ca. 1750 cal. a BP, also detected in several other δ18O records (carbonate and diatom), suggest increasingly wetter conditions in Scandinavia after that time, which is probably related to increased strength of the zonal flow. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Metabolic syndrome is a combination of obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Clinical evidence indicated the coexistence of metabolic syndrome and depression. However, relatively few studies have been attempted to determine the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome-associated anxiety. In the present study, the role of metabolic syndrome in the development of anxiety and the role of neurotransmitters in metabolic syndrome-associated anxiety were evaluated in Swiss albino mice. A high fat and high carbohydrate diet was used to develop the metabolic syndrome in mice while monitoring elevated fasting blood glucose, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Anxiety levels were measured using elevated plus maze and marble burying test with corresponding determination of serum corticosterone levels. The role of γ-aminobutyric acid and serotonin in metabolic syndrome-associated anxiety were also evaluated. The high fat and high carbohydrate fed animals developed metabolic syndrome, characterized by significant high fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance compared to controls. These animals also had significant increase in body weight and waist circumference, low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels, reduced high-density lipoprotein content and high blood pressure. Both metabolic syndrome and water avoidance-anxiety groups spent significantly lower time and showed fewer entries into the open arm of elevated plus maze. They also buried more marbles, thus showing clear signs of anxiety when compared to controls. The corticosterone level in metabolic syndrome and anxiety-induced animals were higher than controls. GABA agonists showed a dose-dependent reduction in metabolic syndrome-associated anxiety as revealed by more time spent on the open arm of plus maze with a corresponding decrease in plasma corticosterone levels. Metabolic syndrome animals spontaneously developed anxiety-like behavior. GABA agonists partially reversed the metabolic syndrome-associated anxiety, suggesting a role for GABAergic pathway.


This paper presents a new approach combining multi-representation databases with the generalisation and update process. It leads to a tightly integrated model, which is implemented as a part of the existing cartographic GIS axpand. The approach is based on the mathematical concept of relations and, in particular, on the three different types of relations: intra-resolution, inter-resolution and up-date. Intra-resolution relations allow the representation of relationships between features within one resolution. Examples are partitions, neighbourhood and topology. The inter-resolution relation represents the relationship between features of different resolutions. This originates from a generalisation or matching process. The update relation describes temporal changes of features. After a detailed theory about the introduced relation types the paper continues with a discussion of their similarities and differences with focus on implementation in a multi-representation database. Finally some exemplary results of the integrated model are presented.


A Comparative Imagological Study of the Irish and Ukrainian Great Famines in Novels by Samchuk, Macken, Motyl and Mullen compares and contrasts the formation of stereotypical perceptions between nations in Irish and Ukrainian fictions. Focusing on the novels The Silent People (1962) by Walter Macken, The Hungry Land (1986) by Michael Mullen, Maria: A Chronicle of a Life (1934) by Ulas Samchuk and Sweet Snow (2013) by Alexander J. Motyl, it examines the mechanisms in the development of negative stereotypes within the Self/Other dichotomy, intensified in the context of colonial oppression during An Gorta Mor in Ireland and the Holodomor in Ukraine. In these works of fiction, Comparative Imagology is applied to analyze the differences and similarities of ways in which the Irish and the Ukrainians identify, view and characterize their respective Other. To that effect, historical, cultural and socio-political developments of the 1840s in Ireland and the 1930s in Ukraine are studied, and the imagological analyses of the construction of auto- and hetero-images are carried out.
This examination of the Irish-British and Ukrainian-Russian relationships prior to and during An Gorta Mor and the Holodomor reveals that cruel treatment and injustice reinforce negative stereotyping. The investigation of the ways the negative characterization of a national character is maintained and perpetuated within the colonial contexts shows that negative perceptions of a group of people, leading to the rise of stereotypical and prejudicial attitude towards an entire nation, are largely power-based.
Demonstrating that the mechanisms of the formation of negative perceptions between people and nations have a similar pattern, this thesis explains that regardless of people's national belonging, stereotypical perceptions of a national character are determined by power relations and that cultural distinctions are used to define the Self against the Other.


The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of cinnamic acid on the physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of minimally processed pineapple. After the minimum processing, the fruits were immersed in the following treatments: water (control) and doses of 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg L of cinnamic acid. At the end they were packed in expanded polystyrene cartons covered with polyethylene film and stored at 5 °C and 85-90% relative humidity for a period of 10 days. The microbiological analyzes of total counts of mesophiles, psychotrophs, molds and yeasts and total coliforms were performed at 0, 3, 6 and 10 days of storage and physical chemical analyzes of fresh mass loss, pH, soluble solids content (° Brix ) and titratable acidity were performed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days storage. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the averages were compared by the Tukey test at 5% of probability. The application of cinnamic acid doses showed a positive effect on the maintenance of quality and reduction of microbial contamination of minimally processed pineapples, with 50, 150 and 200 mg L doses of cinnamic acid being the most suitable for this experiment. Key-words: Ananas comosus L. Merril., Natural Antimicrobial, Minimally Processed Fruits, Useful Life


Two subclones of L1210 murine leukemia (L1210-46.1 and L1210-56.3) were isolated in the absence of selective agents. Subclone 56.3 appeared to be more sensitive than was subclone 46.1 to treatment with dexamethasone, 1-/8-D-arabinofuranosyl cytosine, vincristine, and X-irradiatkxi. No differences between the parent cells and the two subclones could be observed in population-doubling time, cloning efficiency, number of chromo somes, and tumorigenic potential in DBA/2 mice. The subclones did not differ in the per cell number of glucocorticoid receptor sites. Animal experiments revealed an increase in life span of 65% in mice inoculated with cells from subclone 46.1 and of 130% of mice with subclone 56.3 after treatment with I-.-Õ-Darabinofuranosylcytosine. The present results indicate that the L1210 wild-type murine leukemia cells contained stable subpopulations with a different but collateral sensitivity to various cytotoxic treatments. It is postulated that differences in drug sensitivity between cells are partly determined by cellular properties which are independent of the mechanism of action of any specific treatment.


The essay argues that the Coleman Report helped give credence to contemporary deficit ideologies in education by proclaiming that schools do not make much of a difference in the educational outcomes of students in poverty including Latino communities. Furthermore, the author explores how deficit ideologies influence compensatory funding, in particular Title I, and concludes with recommendations to improve compensatory allotments that reject deficit views for low-income Latino students.


Why GAO Did This Study: 401(k) plan participants separating from their employers must decide what to do with their plan savings. Many roll over their plan savings to IRAs. As GAO previously reported, there is concern that participants may be encouraged to choose rollovers to IRAs in lieu of options that could be more in their interests. Because little attention has been paid to the distribution process, GAO was asked to identify challenges separating plan participants may face in (1) implementing rollovers; (2) obtaining clear information about which option to choose; and (3) understanding distribution options. To answer these questions, GAO reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations, interviewed federal officials and industry experts, conducted a nongeneralizable survey of plan sponsors, and made undercover calls to 401(k) plan service providers to determine what information is provided to plan participants.

What GAO Found: The current rollover process favors distributions to individual retirement accounts (IRA). Waiting periods to roll into a new employer plan, complex verification procedures to ensure savings are tax-qualified, wide divergences in plans' paperwork, and inefficient practices for processing rollovers make IRA rollovers an easier and faster choice, especially given that IRA providers often offer assistance to plan participants when they roll their savings into an IRA. The Department of Labor (Labor) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provide oversight and guidance for this process generally and can take steps to make plan-to-plan rollovers more efficient, such as reducing the waiting period to roll over into a 401(k) plan and improving the asset verification process. Such actions could help make staying in the 401(k) plan environment a more viable option, allowing participants to make distribution decisions based on their financial circumstances rather than on convenience.

Plan participants often receive guidance and marketing favoring IRAs when seeking assistance regarding what to do with their 401(k) plan savings when they separate from their employers. GAO found that service providers' call center representatives encouraged rolling 401(k) plan savings into an IRA even with only minimal knowledge of a caller's financial situation. Participants may also interpret information about their plans' service providers' retail investment products contained in their plans' educational materials as suggestions to choose those products. Labor's current requirements do not sufficiently assist participants in understanding the financial interests that service providers may have in participants' distribution and investment decisions.

In addition to being subject to inefficient rollover processes and the marketing of IRAs, 401(k) plan participants separating from their employers may find it difficult to understand and compare all their distribution options. Information participants currently receive is either too generic and without detail, leaving participants without understanding of the key factors they need to know to make decisions about their savings, or too long and technical, leaving participants overwhelmed and confused. Labor regulations do not ensure that 401(k) plans provide complete and timely information to participants on all their distribution options. Industry experts told GAO that participants could benefit from simplified, concise, and standardized information.

What GAO Recommends: Among other things, GAO recommended that Labor and IRS should take certain steps to reduce obstacles and disincentives to plan-to-plan rollovers. Labor should also ensure that participants receive complete and timely information, including enhanced disclosures, about the distribution options for their 401(k) plan savings when separating from an employer. In response, Labor and Treasury generally agreed with the findings and said they would explore ways to implement these recommendations.


Generally, implementation of a development project requires law peripheral in the form of agreement. Agreement is important to give a legal fundament in activity to finalizing building project till finish. Basically, every party involving in an implementation of construction contract is main party that have signing up construction, that is bath of employer and developer ones. To be able to the happening of contractual terms between construction service feeders and construction service user hence they must bind itself in an agreement based on principle of agreement reached.
Kata Kunci: Hukum, Perjanjian, Proyek, Bangunan, Kesepakatan


This paper tackles the excessive complexity facing the design of traffic controllers. This complexity, which is usually exponential in the number of agents, effectively limits planning to that of a small-size traffic. Here, an evolutionary approach to control design is suggested to free traffic controllers from such a limitation. Guidelines from self-organizing systems are used to derive a multi-agent motion controller that, among other things, has a computational effort that linearly increase with the number of agents; therefore, making it feasible to manage a large-size traffic. The controller is also required to be "open" in order for any agent to join or leave traffic without the others having to adjust the manner by which they sense, process information, or actuate motion. Along with self-organization, concepts from hybrid systems, and the potential field approach to control synthesis are utilized to realize the controller. Theoretical development as well as simulation results are provided.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of mold temperature, application of vacuum at resin exit ports, and initial resin temperature on the mechanical properties of epoxy matrix woven glass fiber reinforced composite specimens produced by resin transfer molding (RTM). For this purpose, six mold temperatures (25, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120°C), two initial resin temperatures (15 and 28°C), and vacuum (0.03 bar) and without vacuum (~1 bar) conditions are utilized. Specimens are characterized by ultrasonic C-scan inspection, mechanical tests (tensile, flexural, and impact), thermal analyses (ignition loss and TGA) and scanning electron microscopy. It is observed that mechanical properties of the specimens produced at a mold temperature of 60°C with the application of vacuum and initial resin temperature of 28°C proved to be the highest (e.g., 16, 26, and 43% higher tensile strength, flexural strength, and Charpy impact toughness, respectively, compared to the lowest values attained with mold temperatures other than 60°C while other variables are kept constant). It has been shown that application of vacuum contributes to the final mechanical properties of the produced composites by lowering the percentage of `voids'. In fact, without the application of vacuum, the deteriorations in mechanical properties are as high as 26% loss in Charpy impact toughness and 5% losses in tensile and flexural strength. Additionally, lowering the initial resin temperature is shown to alter mechanical properties (e.g., 14, 12, and 18% losses in tensile strength, flexural strength, and Charpy impact toughness, respectively, when the initial resin temperature is decreased from 28 to 15°C).


Horticulture is a key sector of the Kenyan economy. It improves household welfare through providing income, satisfying domestic food needs and improving human nutrition. Next to market access pests and diseases are the major constraints. With the adoption of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and Common Interest Groups (CIG) as information sources in horticultural production, it is not yet understood how effective the two approaches enhance environmentally and health friendly production practices such as integrated pest management (IPM). It is expected that IPM information is to a greater extent communicated among farmers belonging to farmer groups because of the enhanced interaction among group members. This paper presents findings of farmer preferences in the choice of information sources and assesses factors that influence IPM information reception and sharing. The analysis applies a bivariate probit regression model for reception and sharing of IPM information to survey data from a random sample of 487 smallholder horticultural producers who are either FFS members, CIG members or non-group based farmers. IPM information and knowledge in this paper is defined as a range of practices including scouting, sanitation, crop rotation, mixed cropping, hand picking, solarisation, planting resistant varieties, applying plant extracts and selective pesticide application. Findings show that government extension staff, NGOs, friends, and neighbours are the three most important information sources for horticulture production and IPM. FFS farmers have more knowledge on IPM practices than CIG and non-group based farmers. Regression results show that membership in farmer groups, gender, education, locality, household size, land per capita, distance to extension service, frequency of listening to radio and literate household members significantly influence information flow. FFS farmers are more likely to receive IPM information than individual farmers whereas CIG farmers are not distinguishable from individual farmers with respect to receiving IPM information. Unlike FFS and non group based framers, CIG farmers are more likely to share IPM information. Implications may be that the intensive training of FFS farmers promotes information reception and knowledge accumulation but promotes close knit interaction in the group which prevents information leaving the group. This is being further tested.


Introduction: Hospital malnutrition risk has prevalence values of 20%-50%, and it is a major health problem in the health institutions worldwide. Objective: To assess the accomplishment of nutritional screening and the prevalence of hospital malnutrition risk in a University Hospital. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out with nutritional screening, using primary data from six clinical areas obtained in the period between July 2012 and December 2013. According to previous results in Mexican health institutions and considering a mean malnutrition risk prevalence of 50%, it was calculated that a sample size of 3200 subjects was required for the assessment of valid risk values. Patients with values ≥3 on the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS, 2002) were classified as carriers of nutritional risk. Results: A total of 5611 patients (38% of all patients admitted) were studied. The rate of screening declined from 55% in 2012 to 31% in 2013. During the whole period, 3034 patients were classified with risk of malnutrition (54% prevalence). Conclusions: The prevalence of hospital malnutrition risk was high. The accomplishment of the nutritional screening was deficient, and declined between 2012 and 2013. The lack of nutri tional screening does not meet the vital care requirements of hospitalized patients and prevents the timely treatment of those at malnutrition risk.


steady state free precession sequence repeated at different echo times (TE 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 msec). For in-vitro measurements blood samples from the fetal carotid artery with different oxygenation levels were measured. For in-vivo measurements eight sheep fetuses were examined during a control, hypoxic and recovery phase to perform T2-weighted scans of the fetal blood in the heart. Signal intensities in the left (LV) and right ventricle (RV) were measured to calculate the MR blood oxygen saturation (MR-sO2). During each phase fetal carotid artery sO2 was directly measured and correlated with MR-sO2. A Bland-Altman plot was performed. Results: Fetal carotid artery-sO2 was 69% sO2% during control, 16% sO2% during hypoxemia and 67% sO2% during recovery. Mean values of the MR-sO2 were 49% sO2% and 40% sO2% for control, 6% sO2% and 3% sO2% for hypoxemia, 51% sO2% and 43% sO2% for recovery in LV and RV, respectively. Mean values of fetal carotid artery-sO2 and MR-sO2 were highly correlated (LV: r=0.87, p=0.000002 and RV: r=0.89, p=0.000001). According to the Bland-Altman plot MR-sO2 was lower compared to fetal carotid artery-sO2 (15% in LV and 20% in RV). Conclusions: Based on our preliminary results it seems to be possible to assess fetal oxygen saturation with MR oximetry. However, for practical application measurements have to be more accurate.


In recent years, real estate projects have become fast-emerging in Tanzania; hence the desire for this study to chose the National Housing Corporation (NHC) as the study area. The main objective is to look into how risks are managed in the execution of NHC's real estate projects. Key interest is on the risks encountered with in most of its projects, response measures as well as probability of risk occurrence and the impact. A sample of 50 respondents was selected. On methodology to solicit data, open-ended and close-ended questions were used. Descriptive statistics were done using SPSS statistical package, whereas a regression analysis was done to get models or equations. Frequencies were run together with crosstab and chi-square to analyze relationship between dependent variable and independent variables. The study established that the risks that NHC faces most of their projects include delayed payments. Another prominently featured aspect was change of political leadership from the fourth to the fifth phase. This was found to be unfriendly to NHC. The shift hitched building of residential houses since the latter president made a shift of emphasis to industrialization - "Tanzania ya Viwanda". This being the case, residential houses were no longer marketable and even the few individuals who had deposited the initial payments of 25%, went back to collect their money.


This thesis analysis the work course of the system, the match of major part, a fuzzy method for controlling the engine coolant temperature is proposed. The fuzzy rule base is correspondingly established based on the experimental data. The control query table is created through computing and analyzing via the fuzzy logic tools in MATLAB. The test indicates that only a little improvement of the current engine cooling system can better solve the problem that it is difficult to accurately control the engine coolant temperature.


Mutations in CHD7, a chromodomain gene, are present in a majority of individuals with CHARGE syndrome, a multiple anomaly disorder characterized by ocular Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genital hypoplasia and Ear anomalies. The clinical features of CHARGE syndrome are highly variable and incompletely penetrant. Olfactory dysfunction is a common feature in CHARGE syndrome and has been potentially linked to primary olfactory bulb defects, but no data confirming this mechanistic link have been reported. On the basis of these observations, we hypothesized that loss of Chd7 disrupts mammalian olfactory tissue development and function. We found severe defects in olfaction in individuals with CHD7 mutations and CHARGE, and loss of odor evoked electro-olfactogram responses in Chd7 deficient mice, suggesting reduced olfaction is due to a dysfunctional olfactory epithelium. Chd7 expression was high in basal olfactory epithelial neural stem cells and down-regulated in mature olfactory sensory neurons. We observed smaller olfactory bulbs, reduced olfactory sensory neurons, and disorganized epithelial ultrastructure in Chd7 mutant mice, despite apparently normal functional cilia and sustentacular cells. Significant reductions in the proliferation of neural stem cells and regeneration of olfactory sensory neurons in the mature Chd7(Gt/+) olfactory epithelium indicate critical roles for Chd7 in regulating neurogenesis. These studies provide evidence that mammalian olfactory dysfunction due to Chd7 haploinsufficiency is linked to primary defects in olfactory neural stem cell proliferation and may influence olfactory bulb development.


For Einstein's General Relativity (GR) or the alternatives suggested up to date$ the vacuum energy gravitates. We present a model where a new measure is introduced for integration of the total action in the D-dimensional space-time. This measure is built from D scalar fields $\varphi_{a}$. As a consequence of such a choice of the measure, the matter lagrangian $L_{m}$ can be changed by adding a constant while no gravitational effects, like a cosmological term, are induced. Such Non-Gravitating Vacuum Energy (NGVE) theory has an infinite dimensional symmetry group which contains volume-preserving diffeomorphisms in the internal space of scalar fields $\varphi_{a}$. Other symmetries contained in this symmetry group, suggest a deep connection of this theory with theories of extended objects. In general {\em the theory is different from GR} although for certain choices of $L_{m}$, which are related to the existence of an additional symmetry, solutions of GR are solutions of the model. This is achieved in four dimensions if $L_{m}$ is due to fundamental bosonic and fermionic strings. Other types of matter where this feature of the theory is realized, are for example: scalars without potential or subjected to nonlinear constraints, massless fermions and point particles. The point particle plays a special role, since it is a good phenomenological description of matter at large distances. de Sitter space is realized in an unconventional way, where the de Sitter metric holds, but such de Sitter space is supported by the existence of a variable scalar field which in practice destroys the maximal symmetry. The only space - time where maximal symmetry is not broken, in a dynamical sense, is Minkowski space. The theory has non trivial dynamics in 1+1 dimensions, unlike GR.


The European heatwave of 2018 led to record-breaking temperatures and extremely dry conditions in many parts of the continent, resulting in widespread decrease in agricultural yield, early tree-leaf senescence, and increase in forest fires in Northern Europe. Our study aims to capture the impact of the 2018 European heatwave on the terrestrial ecosystem through the lens of a high-resolution solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) data acquired from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite. SIF is proposed to be a direct proxy for gross primary productivity (GPP) and thus can be used to draw inferences about changes in photosynthetic activity in vegetation due to extreme events. We explore spatial and temporal SIF variation and anomaly in the spring and summer months across different vegetation types (agriculture, broadleaved forest, coniferous forest, and mixed forest) during the European heatwave of 2018 and compare it to non-drought conditions (most of Southern Europe). About one-third of Europe's land area experienced a consecutive spring and summer drought in 2018. Comparing 2018 to mean conditions (i.e., those in 2015–2017), we found a change in the intra-spring season SIF dynamics for all vegetation types, with lower SIF during the start of spring, followed by an increase in fluorescence from mid-April. Summer, however, showed a significant decrease in SIF. Our results show that particularly agricultural areas were severely affected by the hotter drought of 2018. Furthermore, the intense heat wave in Central Europe showed about a 31% decrease in SIF values during July and August as compared to the mean over the previous three years. Furthermore, our MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and OCO-2 comparative results indicate that especially for coniferous and mixed forests, OCO-2 SIF has a quicker response and a possible higher sensitivity to drought in comparison to MODIS's fPAR (fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) when considering shorter reference periods, which highlights the added value of remotely sensed solar-induced fluorescence for studying the impact of drought on vegetation.


Background Previous studies have reported an additive effect of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) on depressive symptoms. However, no studies have been conducted in rural community settings. This cross-sectional study investigated whether the additive effect of MVPA and ST was associated with depressive symptoms in rural Japanese adults. Methods We identified 2,814 participants from health examinations conducted in Shimane, rural Japan, in 2012 and analyzed data from 1,958 participants. We assessed depressive symptoms using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and measured the total time spent on MVPA and ST using a Japanese short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Poisson regression analysis examined the prevalence ratios (PR) of depressive symptoms in nine category combinations of MVPA level (no, insufficient, or sufficient MVPA) and ST level (high, moderate, or low ST). Results A total of 117 (6.0%) participants had depressive symptoms. Compared with the reference category (no MVPA/high ST), multivariate analysis showed that the likelihood of depressive symptoms was significantly lower in the sufficient MVPA/low ST category (PR 0.23; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.08–0.66), insufficient MVPA/low ST category (PR 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16–0.86), and insufficient MVPA/moderate ST category (PR 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17–0.90). Conclusion Analysis of the additive effect of MVPA and ST showed that the combinational category of sufficient MVPA and low ST had the lowest prevalence of depressive symptoms in rural Japanese adults. Moderate ST and low ST showed significantly lower likelihoods of depressive symptoms, regardless of insufficient MVPA.


In Bangladesh the labour absorption capacity of agriculture has declined because of population pressure, land distribution structure, increasing application of labour saving farm technologies, etc. As a result, the off-farm sector in the country has attracted attention in recent years as it has performed an increasingly significant rural income augmentation function. In the study area rural males utilized about 29 and 66 percent mandays on on-farm and off-farm activities and rural females utilized 17 and 42 percent women days on on-farm and off-farm activities respectively. Family size, educational level, higher family income and use of farm machinery were positively and farm size was negatively related to off-farm employment. For Bangladesh rural areas with acute employment and under employment, increased efforts should be made to create off-farm employment opportunities.


Nowadays it is beyond doubt that there is a high need of professionals with intercultural competence. As the world is rapidly growing towards a globalized, yet glocalized market, there is no doubt that society, and the business world as such, will gradually, but steadily and rapidly need more people with intercultural competences.
Though intercultural competence is often referred to as a soft skill, in many respects however it is a critical factor of success, and will become more and more decisive as the cultural background of people, working force, companies, institutions, ... will become more diverse and multicultural. The need to interact will always be there, the gap that is created by the lack of tuition needs therefore to be filled.
Teaching intercultural communication immediately raises the question of assessment. If you don't want to assess a student on his/her theoretical knowledge of his intercultural competence, you will have to organize a continuous professional development (CPD) scheme.
One of the methods can be a framework that is being used as a starting point in acquiring competence. To measure levels of proficiency the learner can make use of a portfolio in which there is place for self-evaluation and leading to personal action and development plans for students.
All these elements are included in a portfolio, which is the starting point for lifelong learning. For the students this means a self-evident step towards autonomous learning via shared guided learning to autonomous learning.
The educational process is a clear example of blended learning in which e-learning plays a great role. Assessment portfolios are a clear example of a methodology that is based in social constructivism.
As communication is a keyword within the framework the role of language knowledge is very important. Multilingualism is an enormous asset, it does not only open doors, but it keeps them wide ajar for further communication and cooperation.
In this talk we will also reflect on the different sorts of on-line possibilities to assess oneself in the field of intercultural competence and at the same time training foreign languages. E-methods like ICOPROMO, LOLIPOP, The autobiography of the CoE, INCA, CEFcult and IEREST will be introduced and discussed.


In this paper, a single electron transistor (SET)/metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET)-based static memory cell is proposed. The negative differential conductance (NDC) characteristics of the SET block help us establish the static memory cell circuits more compactly than those in conventional technologies. The proposed memory cell consists of one MOSFET and two back-to-back connected SET blocks exhibiting the NDC. The peak-to-valley current ratio of the SET block is above four with C/sub G/=5.4C/sub T/ (C/sub T/=0.1 aF) at T=77K. The read and write operations of the proposed memory cell were validated with SET/MOSFET hybrid simulations at T=77 K. Even though the fabrication process that integrates MOSFET devices and SET blocks with NDC is not yet available, these results suggest that the proposed SET/MOSFET hybrid static memory cell is suitable for a high-density memory system.


Human information processing is limited in capacity. Here, we investigated under which circumstances humans can better process information if they receive task-relevant sensory input via several sensory modalities compared to only one sensory modality (i.e., vision). We found that the benefits of distributing information processing across sensory modalities critically depend on task demands. That is, when information processing requires only spatial processing, distributing information processing across several sensory modalities does not lead to any performance benefits in comparison to receiving the same information only via the visual sensory modality. When information processing additionally involves the discrimination of stimulus attributes, then distributing information processing across several sensory modalities effectively circumvents processing limitations within the visual modality. Crucially, these performance benefits generalize to settings using sensory augmentation as well as a collaborative setting. Findings are potentially applicable to visually taxing real-world tasks that are either performed alone or in a group.


Glycosylation is one of the most common eukaryotic post-translational modifications, and aberrant glycosylation has been linked to many diseases. However, glycosylation and glycome analysis is a significantly challenging task. Although several lines of evidence have indicated that protein glycosylation is defective in Alzheimer's disease (AD), only a few studies have focused on AD glycomics. The etiology of AD is unclear and there are no effective disease-modifying treatments for AD. In this study, we found that the object recognition memory, passive avoidance, and spatial learning and memory of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) strain, an AD animal model, were deficient, and LW-AFC, which was prepared from the traditional Chinese medicine prescription Liuwei Dihuang decoction, showed beneficial effects on the deterioration of cognitive capability in SAMP8 mice. Forty-three and 56 N-glycan were identified in the cerebral cortex and serum of SAMP8 mice, respectively. The N-glycan profile in SAMP8 mice was significantly different from that of senescence accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1) strains, the control of SAMP8 mice. Treatment with LW-AFC modulated the abundance of 21 and 6 N-glycan in the cerebral cortex and serum of SAMP8 mice, respectively. The abundance of (Hex)3(HexNAc)5(Fuc)1(Neu5Ac)1 and (Hex)2(HexNAc)4 decreased in the cerebral cortex and serum of SAMP8 mice compared with SAMR1 mice, decreases that were significantly correlated with learning and memory measures. The administration of LW-AFC could reverse or increase these levels in SAMP8 mice. These results indicated that the effects of LW-AFC on cognitive impairments in SAMP8 mice might be through modulation of N-glycan patterns, and LW-AFC may be a potential anti-AD agent.


[1] Quantitative characteristics of the formation and growth events of nucleation mode aerosol particles occurred at three stations (Hyytiala and Varrio in Finland and Tahkuse in Estonia) have been compared. Aerosol size distributions were measured on all locations and, in addition, air ion mobility distribution at Tahkuse. Among 157 measuring days, nucleation events were identified on 62, 50, and 45 days at Hyytiala, Varrio, and Tahkuse, respectively. Eighteen days were found when nucleation events occurred on all three locations at the same day. The concentration of condensable vapor, its source strength, the growth rate, the total condensation sink, the formation rate of 3 nm particles, the formation rate, and concentration of 1 nm particles were estimated using measured aerosol number size distributions. The estimated growth rates were in the range of 2-9 nm hr -1 . The growth rates found from the measurements of air ion mobility distributions were comparable with that of nanometer particles. The condensable vapor concentrations were 1-12 x 10 7 cm -3 , which is smaller at Hyytiala than at Tahkuse and Varrio. At Tahkuse, source rates 6-55 x 10 4 cm -3 s -1 were estimated, whereas at Hyytiala and Varrio the rates were 2-14 x 10 4 cm -3 s -1 and 1-20 x 10 4 cm -3 s -1 , respectively. The condensation sink values were usually substantially higher at Tahkuse than on the other locations. Tahkuse size distribution data showed 5-10% underestimates in the total condensation sink considering particles in the diameter range <500 nm. At Tahkuse the charged fraction of nucleation mode particles estimated through comparison of aerosol size distribution and air ion mobility distribution turned to be much higher than steady state charging probability of a single charge on the particle. Analysis of air mass trajectories and meteorological data indicated that the nucleation events are synoptic-scale phenomenon occurring in horizontal extent more than 1000 km.


Abstract. In this study, we compare the simulated climatic impact of adding an Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) to the "greenhouse world" of the Eocene and removing the AIS from the modern world. The modern global mean surface temperature anomaly (ΔT) induced by Antarctic Glaciation depends on the background CO2 levels and ranges from −1.22 to −0.18 K. The Eocene ΔT is nearly constant at ~−0.25 K. We calculate an climate sensitivity parameter S[Antarctica] which we define as ΔT divided by the change in effective radiative forcing (ΔQAntarctica) which includes some fast feedbacks imposed by prescribing the glacial properties of Antarctica. The main difference between the modern and Eocene responses is that a negative cloud feedback warms much of the Earth's surface as a large AIS is introduced in the Eocene, whereas this cloud feedback is weakly positive and acts in combination with positive sea-ice feedbacks to enhance cooling introduced by adding an ice sheet in the modern. Because of the importance of cloud feedbacks in determining the final temperature sensitivity of the AIS, our results are likely to be model dependent. Nevertheless, these model results suggest that the effective radiative forcing and feedbacks induced by the AIS did not significantly decrease global mean surface temperature across the Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT −34.1 to 33.6 Ma) and that other factors like declining atmospheric CO2 are more important for cooling across the EOT. The results illustrate that the efficacy of AIS forcing in the Eocene is not necessarily close to one and is likely to be model and state dependent. This implies that using EOT paleoclimate proxy data by itself to estimate climate sensitivity for future climate prediction requires climate models and consequently these estimates will have large uncertainty, largely due to uncertainties in modelling low clouds.


THE STORY OF RESTRUCTURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT TEAMTammy S. Cavanaugh, Ed.D.University of Pittsburgh, 2006Dr. Charles J. Gorman, Advisor ___This study provides the story of one school district's experiences with a mandated program, the Instructional Support Team (IST), which was initiated with external funds. The program was implemented and validated to meet regulatory requirements and designed to provide support services to students in need. Eventually, the funding was removed and the mandate lifted; however, the concept remained. Local Education Agencies were provided the option to sustain the support services as validated or restructure the program. The district in this study restructured the program and sustained many of the support services. The purpose of the study was to provide an in-depth analysis of the accomplishments, obstacles, and future implications of the current screening team that were lifted from the IST concept when funds were removed and what were the implications of the change for student support services.A major accomplishment was sustaining many of the support services for children even with the elimination of funding and the position of the IST instructor. Other accomplishments included ongoing collaboration with parents, teachers, and outside agencies. This was done in an attempt to meet student needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE). As long as the needs of the student were met, the student was maintained in the general education setting. The continued use of technology and curriculum integration in every elementary classroom provided classroom provided opportunity for students to work at their own instructional level. A Study Buddy Program was developed in one elementary building to assist in providing individualized student assistance. The obstacles included expediently fulfilling many of the activities of the IST instructor, time management, and not as much individual student or instructor assistance.This study illustrates that change is ongoing and redefines many concepts in a system. Successful implementation does not predict the continuation of a program initiated with external funds. However, this district was able to sustain many of the student support services by restructuring the IST.


Hydrolethalus syndrome is a lethal malformation syndrome with hydrocephalus, micrognathia, and polydactyly as the most obvious symptoms. Many of the patients are stillborn and the survival of the others has not been long. Hydrolethalus syndrome was recognised as a consequence of a study on Meckel syndrome in Finland.' Apart from the first 28 cases, there are another 28 Finnish cases that we know about. This means an incidence of at least 1:20 000 in Finland. A few reports of the syndrome have been published from elsewhere.26


The provision of technically-relevant Industry-informed syllabi is the ongoing challenge for all 3rd level engineering and technology programme teams. This is particularly important in the industrial world of today when we consider the pace of development within the majority of technical sectors. 3rd level programmes who meet this challenge produce graduates who are much in demand and can transition from education to industry with ease. Exposure to industrially-relevant projects as well as access to the daily operation of such facilities provides real context for these students' studies and can enhance academic performance across the programme modules. This paper outlines benefits and challenges experienced from the integration of industrial projects into a level 7 engineering programme in DIT, Dublin, Ireland. Industry-informed education does come with a caveat. A balance must be struck between the academic rigour demanded by a professionally-accredited 3rd level academic engineering programme and the specific interests of industrial partners. 3rd level institutes of technology are not 'training centres' who can cater to the technical whims of all relevant industries. We must produce problem-solvers who can demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability required to successfully operate within a wide range of environments within relevant sectors. The primary aims of the programme are presented as well as the Background and evolution to the existing project arrangements. Identification of industrial partners, the nature of the projects, subsequent communication between students and industry personnel, grievance management, assessment and project ownership are discussed. The expectations of the industrially partners versus the requirements of the academic partner can differ and must be addressed at the early stages of project definition. The personal experiences of all the partners involved in the arrangement over the last 10 years have been used in the development of a presented framework which can be implemented by level 7 engineering providers elsewhere.