This Responsive Forest Governance Initiative Handbook defines basic democratic concepts and explains how democratic governance works. It then lays out responsive forest governance principles to be used when working with local government, parallelorganizations, and citizens. Finally, the handbook provides two assessment tools, the Preliminary Institutional Landscape Assessment (PILA) and the Local Environmental Governance Assessment (LEGA). This handbook is aimed at a general audience of practitioners, policy makers, activists, and students. It is designed to be used as a basic text in policy maker workshops and practitioner training courses and to guide policy and project assessments in the field. Policymakers and practitioners with more experience will be able to use this as a policy and project design tool and to guide implementation in project sites.


This study investigated the efficacy of terutroban, a specific thromboxane/prostaglandin endoperoxide receptor (TPr) antagonist, on stroke incidence in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP). The effects of terutroban were compared to those of aspirin, an another anti-platelet agent, and rosuvastatin, known to exert end-organ protection in SHRSP. Salt-loaded male SHRSP were treated orally once a day with vehicle, terutroban (30 mg/kg/day), aspirin (60 mg/kg/day) or rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg/day). Compared with vehicle, and regardless of any effect on blood pressure or serum TXB 2 levels, terutroban significantly increased survival (p<0.001) as a consequence of a delayed brain lesions occurrence monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (p<0.001), and a delayed increase of proteinuria (p<0.001). Terutroban decreased cerebral mRNA transcription of IL-1beta, TGF-beta and MCP-1 after 6 weeks of dietary treatment. Terutroban also prevented the accumulation of urinary acute-phase proteins at high molecular weight (HMW), identified as markers of systemic inflammation, and assessed longitudinally by one-dimensional electrophoresis. Terutroban has also protective effects on the vasculature as suggested by the preservation of endothelial function and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in isolated carotid arteries. These effects are similar to those obtained with rosuvastatin, and superior to those of aspirin. Terutroban increases survival in SHRSP by reducing systemic inflammation as well as preserving endothelial function. These data support clinical development of terutroban in the prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular complications of atherothrombosis.


Most research on sexual attraction to minor children and adolescents has viewed this phenomenon as a pathology, and has used clinical and forensic study populations. This study seeks to conceptualize minor attraction as a sexual orientation, and uses a sample of minorattracted people recruited from the internet (N = 160). Participants' sexual identities, sexual attractions, disclosures, and wellbeing are investigated. Results indicate that minor-attracted people have varied experiences, but common themes that emerged in these areas are discussed. Regarding wellbeing, minor-attracted people in general had higher loneliness and lower selfesteem than the general public. But positive disclosure experiences and having some level of attraction towards adults were related to lower loneliness, and more accepting attitudes towards sex between adults and children were found to be related to higher self-esteem. In general, findings supported the conceptualization of minor attraction as a sexual orientation.


During July 2019, a sequence of earthquakes, including an Mw 6.4 foreshock and an Mw 7.1 mainshock, occurred near Ridgecrest, California. ShakeAlert, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) earthquake early warning system being developed for the U.S. West Coast, was operational during this time, although public alerting was only available within Los Angeles County. ShakeAlert created alert messages for the two largest events and for many of the larger aftershocks. In this study, we dissect log files and replay data through the system to reconstruct the sequence of events and analyze the performance of the system during that period. Although the system performed reasonably well overall, the sequence also revealed various issues and short comings that will be addressed in impending and future system upgrades. ShakeAlert detected and characterized both the Mw 6.4 and Mw 7.1 earthquakes within 6.9 s of their origin times and created alert messages that were available to ShakeAlert's pilot users. No public alerts were sent out by the ShakeAlertLA cell phone app (the only publicly available alerting method at the time), because the predicted shaking for Los Angeles County was below the app's alerting threshold of modified Mercalli intensity 4.0. For the Mw 6.4 event, this was accurate. For the Mw 7.1 event, public alerts for Los Angeles County were warranted, but ShakeAlert underpredicted the shaking levels, because both the point-source and finite-fault algorithms underestimated the magnitude of the earthquake by 0.8 units. A number of software and hardware issues that were responsible for the magnitude underestimation of the mainshock have been identified and will be addressed in future ShakeAlert releases. We also analyze the hypothetical alerting performance of ShakeAlert had public alerting been available throughout southern California.


Kuh-E-Faryadoon and Kouli Kosh iron deposits are hosted by regional metamorphic rocks of Sanandaj-Sirjan zone around Deh-Bid area. Plugs and domes of acid rocks protrude these metamorphic rocks. A mylonitization event is super imposed on acid rock and metamorphic complexes. Field, petrological and geochemical studies have shown that (1) Iron mineralization have occurred during mylonitization in N45W shear zones. (2) Mineralization have many characteric pecularities of IOCG hydrothermal deposits. (3) Mylonitization is super imposed on regional metamorphism therefore early paragenesis of regional metamorphism are destabilized and new paragenesis are formed. (4) Iron is released through destabilization of biotite, clinopyroxene, epidote, ilmenite and titanomagnetite of mafic metamorphic rock (mainly greenschists) and acid rocks during mylonitization event. Petrographic evidences and relevant reaction are presented and discussed. (5) Iron is mainly and preferentially released from greenschists. (6) Transport of iron by carbonile complexes are proposed based on direct evidence of Co2 rich solutions during mylonitization.


There is a growing trend towards using mobile computing environment for several applications, and it is important that the mobile systems are given adequate support both at the systems level and at the communication level. Causal ordering is a useful property, particularly in applications that involve human interactions. (Such applications are common in mobile computing environments.) In this paper, we present three algorithms for causal ordering in mobile systems. The first algorithm handles the resource constraints of the mobile hosts, but the system is not easily scalable with respect to the number of mobile hosts and is not graceful to host disconnections and connections. Our second algorithm eliminates the above disadvantages at the cost of inhibiting some messages. The third algorithm is a combination of the first two algorithms.


Introduction: Chikungunya fever is an arboviral disease transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. It is characterized by acute onset of fever, associated with severe disabling arthralgia. Mucocutaneous manifestations occur in about half of these patients.
Aim: To study the mucocutaneous manifestations in suspected cases of chikungunya.
Materials and Methods: Patients attending dermatology outpatient department with fever and rash were screened for chikungunya. Clinical examination was done and mucocutaneous manifestations recorded. Diagnosis was confirmed by serological testing. A total of 50 patients were enrolled in the study.
Results: Generalized erythematous maculopapular rash was the most common cutaneous manifestation. Multiple ulcers with erythema over genital region in males was the second most common presentation. Centro facial pigmentation and discrete hyperpigmented macules on trunk and face, urticarial rash, crusted lesions near angle of mouth, erythema/edema over hands and feet were other findings. Generalized erythema multiforme like lesions were also observed in two patients. Vesiculobullous eruptions, which have been reported commonly only in infants, were found in one adult patient in our study. Exacerbation of pre-existing skin lesions and Erythema nodosum like lesions reported in literature were not seen in our study.
Conclusion: Vesiculobullous lesions have been reported as a common cutaneous manifestation of chikungunya fever in infants. Vesiculobullous lesions occurring in an adult, however, have not been reported previously, to the best of our knowledge.

Keywords: Chikungunya, Cutaneous manifestations, Vesiculobullous lesions.


The paper presents a P-wave detection algorithm based on fitting function in the optimal interval. In the algorithm we used quadratic function to fit the P wave by this means of least square method in every interval, which was shifted in local range. Then we found the optimal fitting interval of P wave by comparing the error of fitting. Finally, we obtained the characteristic points of P wave by using the fitting function to fit P wave in the optimal interval. The performance of the algorithm tested using the records of the MIT-BIH database was effective and accurate. The algorithm on the wide range of heart rate variation and small P wave of ECG P-wave detection has good effect. Also it has some capabilities of anti-interference, particularly the false dismissal probability is quite low.


we noticed mild xerosis of both lower extremities and the complete resolution of her linear porokeratosis, without residual scarring. This case is doubly unusual, not only in its late onset, but also in its regression. We consider her regression spontaneous as we do not think that she applied sufficient tretionoin for a sufficient period of time to cause her lesions to regress. Maria A. Bogaert, M.D. Daniel J. Hogan, M.D. Miami, Florida . References 1. Rahbari H, Gordero AA, Mehregan AH. Linear porokeratosis: a distinct clinical variant of porokeratosis of Mibelli. Arch Dermatol 1974; 109:526-528. 2. Eyre WG, Garson WE. Linear porokeratosis of Mibelli. Arch Dermatol 1972; 105:426-429. 3. Bogaert MA, Hogan DJ. A case of linear porokeratosis in an elderly woman. J Am Acad Dermatol 1991; 25:338.


We present an analysis of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 1.25 mm continuum observations of spiral structures in three protoplanetary disks from the Disk Substructures at High Angular Resolution Project. The disks around Elias 27, IM Lup, and WaOph 6 were observed at a resolution of ∼40–60 mas (∼6–7 au). All three disks feature m = 2 spiral patterns in conjunction with annular substructures. Gas kinematics established by 12CO J = 2−1 observations indicate that the continuum spiral arms are trailing. The arm–interarm intensity contrasts are modest, typically less than 3. The Elias 27 spiral pattern extends throughout much of the disk, and the arms intersect the gap at R ∼ 69 au. The spiral pattern in the IM Lup disk is particularly complex—it extends about halfway radially through the disk, exhibiting pitch angle variations with radius and interarm features that may be part of ring substructures or spiral arm branches. Spiral arms also extend most of the way through the WaOph 6 disk, but the source overall is much more compact than the other two disks. We discuss possible origins for the spiral structures, including gravitational instability and density waves induced by a stellar or planetary companion. Unlike the millimeter continuum counterparts of many of the disks with spiral arms detected in scattered light, these three sources do not feature high-contrast crescent-like asymmetries or large (R > 20 au) emission cavities. This difference may point to multiple spiral formation mechanisms operating in disks.


The purpose of this study was to determine if an on-site test battery would distinguish among three levels of giant slalom skiing ability. The test battery consisted of a 20-m shuttle run test, Wingate 60s cycling test, hexagonal obstacle test, high box test, double leg jumping test and vertical jump test. These tests were selected since previous studies have identified aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, power and agility as important components for Alpine skiers. Both construct validity and criterion related validity of the test battery were examined using data from 11 club skiers, 14 divisional level skiers, and 9 provincial level skiers. To establish construct validity, univariate F tests examined differences among the three levels of skiers. Significant (P less than 0.05) differences were found between the club skiers and the better skiers (divisional and provincial level) for the following test variables: peak power, mean power, and post-exercise lactate for a 60s Wingate cycle ergometer test, high box test, hexagonal obstacle test, double leg jumping test, and shuttle run test. Criterion related validity was established since there were significant correlations between giant slalom performance time and the hexagonal obstacle test (r = 0.82), high box test (r = -0.80), and double leg jumping (r = -0.86). These data illustrate that an on-site test battery can be used to distinguish among giant slalom Alpine skiers.


A growing literature has focused attention on 'expressive' rather than 'instrumental' behaviour in political settings, particularly voting. A common criticism of the expressive idea is that it is ad hoc and lacks both predictive and normative bite. No clear definition of expressive behaviour has gained wide acceptance yet, and no detailed understanding of the range of foundations of specific expressive motivations has emerged. This article provides a foundational discussion and definition of expressive behaviour accounting for a range of factors. The content of expressive choice – distinguishing between identity-based, moral and social cases – is discussed and related to the specific theories of expressive choice in the literature. There is also a discussion of the normative and institutional implications of expressive behaviour.


Purpose: This study aims to investigate the level of strain and various influencing factors among informal care providers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a single center in Malaysia via recruiting care providers of patients with TBI. The modified caregiver strain index (MCSI) questionnaires were utilized to ascertain the level of strain. The demographic data of informal care providers were also obtained. Independent sample t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and a linear regression model were processed for data analysis. Results: A total of 140 informal care providers were included in the study. More than half of informal care providers claimed to have strain (54.3%). Factors associated with increased strain include receiving tertiary education, being of Chinese background, and employed experience higher strain level. Informal care providers with characteristics such as being single, retired and provided care for 5 years experienced a lower level of strain. Conclusion: Guidance on integrating the TBI knowledge into practice, assessing the care provider's level of strain regularly and providing supportive measures may aid in supporting informal care providers at risk.


Abstract Mesozoic dinosaur fossils are exceptionally rare in Scandinavia. The Swedish record is typically depauperate, with the Kristianstad Basin of Skåne (Scania) yielding all of the known fossils from Swedish Cretaceous strata. Although highly fragmentary, these body remnants are important because they provide evidence of a relatively diverse fauna, including previously recognized hesperornithiform birds and leptoceratopsid ceratopsians, as well as indeterminate ornithopods that are confirmed here for the first time. In this paper, we describe three phalanges (from Åsen) and an incomplete right tibia (from Ugnsmunnarna) from the Kristianstad Basin. One of the phalanges appears to pertain to a leptoceratopsid ceratopsian, providing further evidence of these small ornithischians in the Cretaceous sediments of Sweden. The other two phalanges are interpreted as deriving from small ornithopods similar to Thescelosaurus and Parksosaurus. The tibia appears to represent the first evidence of a non-avian theropod dinosaur in the Cretaceous of Sweden, with a previous report of theropod remains based on fish teeth having been corrected by other authors. The remains described herein provide important additions to the enigmatic dinosaurian fauna that inhabited the Fennoscandian archipelago during the latest Cretaceous.


We report on the real-world use over the course of one year of a nickel-metal-hydride plug-in hybrid—the Toyota Plug-In HV—by a set of 12 northern California households able to charge at home and work. From vehicle use data, energy and greenhouse-emissions implications are also explored. A total of 1557 trips—most using under 0.5 gallons of gasoline—ranged up to 2.4 hours and 133 miles and averaged 14 minutes and 7 miles. 399 charging events averaged 2.6 hours. The maximum lasted 4.6 hours. Most recharges added less than 1.4 kWh, with a mean charge of 0.92 kWh. The average power drawn was under one-half kilowatt. The greenhouse gas emissions from driving and charging were estimated to be 2.6 metric tons, about half of the emissions expected from a 22.4-mpg vehicle (the MY2009 fleet-wide real-world average). The findings contribute to better understanding of how plug-in hybrids might be used, their potential impact, and how potential benefits and requirements vary for different plug-in-vehicle designs. For example, based on daily driving distances, 20 miles of charge-depleting range would have been fully utilized on 81% of days driven, whereas 40 miles would not have been fully utilized on over half of travel days.


To meet future mobility challenges, major original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are pushing forward various technical solutions. The electric drive is considered to be a particularly promising approach. Yet, the required battery technology brings new limitations: Besides long charging times and high costs, very limited range is seen as a major disadvantage. While most OEMs focus on charging the battery in the car, some pursue an approach that combines charging with battery swapping. This allows the driver to automatically get an empty battery replaced with a charged one in a switch station. Both the extensive infrastructure as well as the necessity of buying additional batteries result in additional cost for customers and switch station companies. With the help of a simulation model, this paper explores requirements for battery inventory as well as switching station utilization. We find that for a higher number of customers, the pooling effect of stochastic variables will greatly reduce the number of spare batteries per customer. Switching stations therefore provide a well-suited business case for station operators which enables efficient re-use of batteries and contributes to a greener mobility system. Additionally, customers could be incentivized to purchase cars with changeable batteries.


recommendations, as at present stated, are at risk of being interpreted as the ideal, physiologically speaking. Our further criticims are as follows. Firstly, in recommending a reduction in the consumption of fats and oils to 36 °, of dietary energy, the authors ignore the suggestion of the joint committee of the British Cardiac Society and the Royal College of Physicians that the reduction in fat intake should take place at the expense of the saturated fat sources. Secondly, while an increased consumption of potatoes would provide a good source of dietary fibre and vitamin C, it is unlikely, as the authors imply, to provide a significant quantity of protein, with <5 0 g protein/day. Thirdly, we wonder on what basis the authors feel that it is unrealistic to recommend a substantial increase in the consumption of fish, pulses, and nuts, especially considering the increasing use of textured vegetable protein by the catering industry and the apparent increased popularity of pulses with housewives. An increased consumption of pulses and pulse products, if substituted for meat, would permit a decreased intake of fat, while maintaining protein intake constant.


Cohesin is a protein complex known for its essential role in chromosome segregation. However, cohesin and associated factors have additional functions in transcription, DNA damage repair, and chromosome condensation. The human cohesinopathy diseases are thought to stem not from defects in chromosome segregation but from gene expression. The role of cohesin in gene expression is not well understood. We used budding yeast strains bearing mutations analogous to the human cohesinopathy disease alleles under control of their native promoter to study gene expression. These mutations do not significantly affect chromosome segregation. Transcriptional profiling reveals that many targets of the transcriptional activator Gcn4 are induced in the eco1-W216G mutant background. The upregulation of Gcn4 was observed in many cohesin mutants, and this observation suggested protein translation was reduced. We demonstrate that the cohesinopathy mutations eco1-W216G and smc1-Q843Δ are associated with defects in ribosome biogenesis and a reduction in the actively translating fraction of ribosomes, eiF2α-phosphorylation, and 35S-methionine incorporation, all of which indicate a deficit in protein translation. Metabolic labeling shows that the eco1-W216G and smc1-Q843Δ mutants produce less ribosomal RNA, which is expected to constrain ribosome biogenesis. Further analysis shows that the production of rRNA from an individual repeat is reduced while copy number remains unchanged. Similar defects in rRNA production and protein translation are observed in a human Roberts syndrome cell line. In addition, cohesion is defective specifically at the rDNA locus in the eco1-W216G mutant, as has been previously reported for Roberts syndrome. Collectively, our data suggest that cohesin proteins normally facilitate production of ribosomal RNA and protein translation, and this is one way they can influence gene expression. Reduced translational capacity could contribute to the human cohesinopathies.


This paper is concerned with the formal specification of program modules which control access to resources shared among concurrent proceses. The concept of state space is defined for such program modules and the formal specification is given in terms of a program module invariant and input-output assertions defined on the state space. Examples are provided to ilustrate the construction of sDecifications with this approach.


In smart cities, the number of citizen-operated sensor devices continues to increase. This development multiplies the amount of collectible data about our urban environment. Currently, many of those sensors are connected to proprietary cloud services with questionable effects on user privacy. Simply avoiding interconnecting those devices misses out on opportunities to collectively use data as a shared source of information. The city of Hamburg sponsored project Smart Networks for Urban Citizen Participation (SANE) aims at enabling citizens to connect existing sensors to create a city-wide data space while keeping control of devices and gathered data. Interconnecting these sensors enables all citizens to generate higher value information and thus improve their urban environmental awareness. In this paper, we describe the demo of our SANE architecture. The demo presents how citizens connect to the city-wide data space, how data can be collected, processed, and shared in a privately manner.


The field of conflict resolution is in constant evolution. Every day, theories are defined and redefined, and new contributions are made to the field. This continuous process challenges scholars, researchers, and practitioners to develop new conceptual and methodological frameworks for the analysis of conflict. This article highlights the potential of social cartography (participatory mapping) as a tool for the transformation of environmental and social conflicts at the household, community, national, and international levels. The advantages of social cartography as an appraisal, planning, and analytical tool for conflict transformation are illustrated here with a case study of the Afro-Colombian community of Robles.


Tarkhineh is a traditional fermented cereal based food which is produced in different rural areas in Kermanshah province, Iran. The aims of this study were to identify the predominant lactic acid bacteria isolates. A total of 75 Gram-positive and catalase-negative isolates were subjected to grouping and identifying using the carbohydrates fermentation profiles and 16S rDNA sequencing, respectively. The sequencing results showed that the majority of the strains belonged to the genus of Lactobacillus, and were dispersed into five species: L. plantarum (25.33%), L. fermentum (22.66%), L. pentosus (12%), L. brevis (10.66%), and L. diolivorans (1.33%). Minor populations of the other genera, included: Enterococcus (faecium and faecalis) (18.66%), Leuconostoc citreum (5.33%) and Pediococcus (acidilactici and pentosaceus) (3.99%). All of the strains of L. plantarum and L. brevis were subjected to rep-PCR typing. High intra-species diversity was found among L. plantarum and L. brevis isolates. It was concluded that poly-phasic strategies, based on molecular techniques, are necessary for reliable and accurate studying of the microbial composition of fermented products.


Shut Away is a window into a less-discussed immigration story in the United States. At present there are around fifty undocumented immigrants living in houses of worship after receiving deportation orders. It is the strategy of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to avoid raiding these "sensitive locations," allowing them to provide their occupants with insulation from the possibility of deportation. This act of taking sanctuary comes at a significant cost as the individual does not leave the property upon entering. Comprised of still photographs, video portraits and oral histories, Shut Away seeks a more nuanced account of life in sanctuary beyond the common depiction of victimhood.

This paper will analyze the foundation, creation and context of the project. It begins with the historical and political background of the topic and the participants, then analyzes the methodology of the social and creative approach to the work The paper ends with a contextualization of the project within the documentary field and a reflection on the traditions of photography in which the work falls.


Many RDF data systems are able to perform queries on different types of connected data structures for a scalable range of input. Partitioning techniques, graph algorithms, and mem- ory based indexing schemes have been heavily researched and integrated into different data systems, in order to produce faster query results with increasing data sizes and different query types. The focus of this work is on two types of powerful (top tier performance in aggregate processing capacity and bandwidth capacity) clustered systems to show conditionally, and de- finable, time improvements covering dataset preprocessing and query retrieval. Two different algorithmic approaches are used to evaluate query retrieval. One algorithmic approach utilizes a distributed linked data path indexing system to help retrieve queries, the other approach is graph exploration which is finding the linked data at query time according to the connected query patterns. Graph exploration is a common and effective approach used by a number of large scale proprietary RDF systems. In order to implement and evaluate both approaches, the work, called Mantona is developed. Mantona also makes it possible, through generating a preprocessed file cache-file, the ability to evaluate performance based on the contents of the cache-file and the type of query retrieval algorithm used. This dissertation includes a review of effective RDF query systems and shows the implementation and ramifications of creating a cache-file dataset from which the Mantona experiments are conducted over varied processor sizes and query types.


Multinational companies that suffer from the impact of piracy must recognize the important social and political differences between the local market and the international market to formulate their integrated market and nonmarket strategies. Little is known about the extent to which piracy affects the processes of strategic management of multinational companies operating in emerging countries, where institutional failures restrict the market, or about the type of nonmarket activities used by these companies to achieve their goals of political action. To study this phenomenon, three multinational pharmaceutical companies suffering from illegality were investigated. The evidences of the survey showed that there is a global strategic integration – market and nonmarket (BARON, 1995a). The companies that suffer from piracy tend to use a geocentric structure (PELMUTTER, 1969) formulating nonmarket centralized strategies with the support of specialists to maximize resources. Locally, the subsidiaries implement the global nonmarket strategies, choosing to perform collective activities - independently of the amount of resources available (HILMANN; HITT, 1999).


Young likens camping to a pilgrimage to nature but notes that, after more than a century of increasing popularity, the number of campers is declining. Although camping remains among the top five outdoor recreations in the United States, the rate of participation by Americans sixteen and older is down from its peak in the late 1990s. Automobile, trailer, and motorhome camping at developed locations and at primitive"locations has decreased approximately 7 percent overall. He argues this is due to modern camping, with its gadgets and more comfortable accommodations, not offering a meaningful break from everyday life, and also to efforts to rewild cities so that urban dwellers no longer need to escape to find nature.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Although pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has a prevalence of 3-8%, feelings of shame and confusion have kept women from addressing their concerns with medical providers. Previous studies have focused on smaller focus groups and questionnaires to understand the patient experience. We sought to conduct a large-scale online community-based research analysis where patients share information anonymously, to characterize the decision-making, behavioral, psychological and illness experience of patients. METHODS: We collected 3,541 posts from 117 social media sites using a Java-based natural language processing platform utilizing keywords to automatically identify relevant posts from sites such as Facebook, Healthmagic, and Reddit. Additionally, we contracted with Treato, a social media data mining service that maintains an extensive database of patient content derived from e-forum health-related websites to provide us with posts from their database. 200 randomized posts were analyzed using a qualitative grounded theory methodology to identify preliminary themes. To substantiate our qualitative analysis, we applied a Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) probabilistic topic modeling process to our dataset of 3,541 posts to allow for semantic theme discovery of the entire dataset. RESULTS: Our qualitative analysis generated four themes with various subthemes (Figure 1). The LDA topic modeling analysis identified overlapping themes and the discussion of specific sector defects (cystocele, rectocele, etc.), access to specialty care and alternative homeopathic therapies as three additional themes. The posts centered around women′s knowledge acquisition and symptoms to achieve either a surgical or non-surgical management resolution. Patients valued the practical advice from peers who had undergone similar surgeries. The online forums included both negative and positive perceptions regarding operation effectiveness and complications. Similar contradictory perceptions existed for non-surgical management, regardless of level of evidence. Additionally, many behavioral recommendations were given that are not supported in medical literature, such as having a "well-women posture" and avoidance of certain recreational outdoor activities. Other women felt they had not received appropriate counseling regarding birth trauma. CONCLUSIONS: This ethnographic analysis of social media interactions demonstrated that women need additional information to reach a decision regarding surgical management and have knowledge concerns about the repair of various sector defects. Figure. No caption available. Source of Funding: A pilot grant from NIDDK Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium.


The study was based on the clinical and X-ray analysis of 68 patients treated at the Thoracoabdominal Surgery, N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care, in 1992-1997. The paper gives pre- and postoperative X-ray findings of patients with mediastinitis. It shows it possible to define the precise location of a mediastinal inflammatory process, its severity and possible complications. The X-ray symptomatology of mediastinitis is presented according to the location and developmental stage of a mediastinal process. Jointly with surgeons, the authors have developed a procedure for X-ray examination of patients in the postoperative period, which involves the study of the course of the disease and the evaluation of the adequacy of performed treatment. The paper analyzes the most specific and severe complications of traumatic mediastinitis. Special emphasis is laid on the fact that during control X-ray studies it is important to keep the procedure that permits timely diagnosis of complications at different developmental stages of mediastinitis.


ABSTRACT Background Traumatic rotatory subluxation of the atlantoaxial joint is a rare but potentially life-threatening injury in adults. While acute cases have been shown to be managed successfully with closed reduction, chronic injuries in skeletally mature patients have rarely been reported. Methods We present management of a 64-year-old female who presents 2.5 years after a traumatic cervical injury with neck pain and torticollis. Imaging revealed rotatory subluxation of C1–C2 without cord impingement. A focused appraisal of the reported literature was also performed. Results Successful reduction was achieved with halo cervical traction, followed by definitive treatment with atlantoaxial arthrodesis. Conclusions Cases of fixed, chronic C1–C2 rotatory subluxation after traumatic etiology may be amenable to closed reduction with skeletal traction and fusion. Level of Evidence 4. Clinical Relevance Chronic, post-traumatic atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation in the adult population is extremely rare, without a well-described treatment algorithm. The purpose of this case report is to highlight the reduction and fixation of someone with this injury.


Abstract In this study, 3-(4-{3-[3-(dimethylamino)phenoxy]propoxy}phenyl)propan-1-ol, 3-(4-{3-[3-(diethylamino)phenoxy]propoxy}phenyl)propan-1-ol and axially disubstituted silicon naphthalocyanines (SiNc) bearing electropolymerizable bis-[(4-{3-[3-(dimethylamino)phenoxy]propoxy}phenyl)propanoxy] and bis-[(4-{3-[3-(diethylamino)phenoxy]propoxy}phenyl)propanoxy] units were synthesized for the first time. Aggregation behavior of SiNcs was examined in different solvents and concentrations in DMSO. In all solvents and concentrations, SiNcs were non-aggregated. Also, electrochemical studies of SiNcs were investigated by cyclic and square wave voltammetry. While SiNcs gave only naphthalocyanine-based reduction process during the cathodic potential scans, they were electropolymerized on the working electrode during the anodic potential scan because of the oxidative electropolymerization of (4-{3-[3-(dimethylamino)phenoxy]propoxy}phenyl)propanoxy and (4-{3-[3-(diethylamino)phenoxy]propoxy}phenyl)propanoxy groups on the substituents of the complexes.


In this paper, the effect of the temperature change on the vibration frequency of mono-layer graphene sheet embedded in an elastic medium is studied. Using the nonlocal elasticity theory, the governing equations are derived for single-layered graphene sheets. Using Levy and Navier solutions, analytical frequency equations for single-layered graphene sheets are obtained. Using Levy solution, the frequency equation and mode shapes orthotropic rectangular nanoplate are considered for three cases of boundary conditions. The obtained results are subsequently compared with valid result reported in the literature. The effects of the small scale, temperature change, different boundary conditions, Winkler and Pasternak foundations, material properties and aspect ratios on natural frequencies are investigated. It has been shown that the non-dimensional frequency decreases with increasing temperature change. It is seen from the figure that the influence of nonlocal effect increases with decreasing of the length of nanoplate and also all results at higher length converge to the local frequency. The present analysis results can be used for the design of the next generation of nanodevices that make use of the thermal vibration proper ties of the nanoplates.


: This investigation was initiated to study and correlate the clinical and ultrastructural aspects of glomerulonephritis induced in the laboratory mouse by the intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose of murine cytomegalovirus. An attempt was made to ascertain the pathogenesis of the glomerular changes and the resultant viremia. Murine cytomegalovirus infection caused an acute transient glomerulonephritis in young female mice of the HA/ICR strain. Mice that survived a sublethal inoculation of homogenized infected gland developed transient proteinuria and excreted tubular casts. The murine cytomegalovirus infection resulted in a glomerular lesion that was selective for the mesangial cell. After entering the mesangial cell by phagocytosis the virus replicated in the nucleus and was excreted into the channel of the mesangial matrix, with extension toward the periphery of the capillary loop and adjacent to the urinary space. Virus particles were rarely found in the glomerulus after the 5th day of infection and chronic renal disease was not observed.


In this article, two different perspectives on diversity and gender equality in boards of listed companies in The Netherlands are discussed: first, the diversity perspective which focuses on better decision-making capabilities of gender-diverse teams (i.e. the economic perspective), and second, the gender equality perspective which aims to realise gender equality in all levels of society pursuant to international human rights treaties and national law (i.e. the rights-based perspective).
This two-pronged approach is presented as follows: on the basis of a literature study and desk research, the authors first set out the views discussed in the extant literature on the economic perspective and, next, the legal context applicable to the rights-based perspective. Subsequently, the application in practice of these two perspectives are tested by analysing unique empirical data collected by the authors from listed companies in The Netherlands.
The empirical data are collected in two studies assigned by the Dutch Corporate Governance Code Monitoring Committee (the Committee) to the authors in 2014 and 2015. This Committee annually reports on the compliance by listed companies with the Dutch Corporate Governance Code (the Code). One of the areas of concern is diversity in corporate boards as, since 2008, the Code requires that companies have a policy to realise a diverse board composition, gender being one of the indicators. The Code applies on a comply or explain basis.
The empirical study revealed that Dutch companies, in their annual reporting on their board diversity policies, often referred to the Dutch corporate law provision concerning the gender quota. This provision requires of large companies that their corporate boards (both the board of directors and the supervisory board) comprise at least 30 per cent women and at least 30 per cent men. Like the Code, this legal provision also applies on a comply or explain basis. This law had been enacted for a limited period of time, i.e. from 2013 until 2016, but a legislative proposal is pending to extend the application of this quota provision until 2020.
The authors discovered that the two perspectives (i.e. the economic and the rights-based perspectives) are often mixed up by companies, government representatives and institutions, and other parties (together: stakeholders) who deal with the theme of (gender) diversity in corporate boards. In this article, the authors elaborate on these two perspectives, raise questions in regard to the application of the (semi-)legal norms in this area, and share innovative findings regarding the measures taken by progressive Dutch listed companies in order to realise a diverse board composition, and in particular to comply with the statutory quota on female board representation.


This paper presents a new approach to soft demodulation for MIMO channels. The proposed method is an approximation to the exact a posteriori probability-per-bit computer. The main idea is to marginalize the posterior density for the received data exactly over the subset of the transmitted bits that are received with the lowest signal-to-noise-ratio, and then marginalize this density approximately over the remaining bits. Unlike the exact demodulator, whose complexity is huge due to the need for enumerating all possible combinations of transmitted constellation points, the proposed method has very low complexity. Additionally, its complexity is fixed, which makes it suitable for pipelined implementation. Numerical examples illustrate its performance on slow fading 4times4 and 6times6 complex MIMO channels.


In this paper, an experimental study has been conducted to monitor the productivity of a single-slope active solar still with three lenses and one mirror. The lenses and the mirror were proposed to be attached to a basin-type single-slope active solar still because of their concentration effect for sunlight. After 24-hour performance monitoring, a higher yield was observed in the new style of solar still as compared with the conventional single-slope still. The lenses refract and aggregate the sunlight from three side walls, and one mirror set on the back of the evaporator can avoid sunlight loss. Model-3 with three lenses produced about a 21.03% yield increment, and an extra 8.77% yield was observed by adding one mirror in Model-4. The yield of the proposed solar still could reach the maximum freshwater production through Model-4 (adding three lenses and one mirror) of 0.8 kg/m 2 .d on 1/8/2016. Compared with the traditional still, there was a 29.8% increment in yield through Model-4 at 0.15 m water depth, and the production reached its peak at about 16:00.


The development and deployment of DFS-based 5 GHz spectrum-sharing technology has arguably been largely successful, though achieving this success has required considerable use of government resources on an ongoing basis. As spectrum sharing between radars and non-radar systems are considered in other bands, the lessons described above ought to be heeded. Fundamentally, substantial resources will likely be needed to support sharing in new bands. These resources will be needed on both the front end (in design and development phases of sharing technologies) and at the back end, on an ongoing basis after such technologies have been deployed. It is unlikely that complex spectrum-sharing schemes between radars and non-radar systems will ever be fire-and-forget in the sense that they can be deployed without the need for ongoing work by engineers and spectrum managers to keep them functional.


The SIOC Ontology can be used to express information from the online community sites in a machine-readable form using RDF. This rich data structure allows us to easily analyse and extract social relations from these community sites. We use SIOC information to analyse the social relations between users through the content that they create. We introduce metrics for social neighbourhood and social reputation, formally expressed as SPARQL queries over SIOC data. Finally, we demonstrate these algorithms in our Social SIOC Explorer prototype.


Background GS-9451 is a novel inhibitor of the HCV NS3/4A protease and demonstrates potent in vitro suppression of HCV genotype 1 replicons. Methods The safety, pharmacokinetics and antiviral efficacy of GS-9451 were evaluated in a Phase I study in treatment-naive, HCV genotype-1-infected patients. Patients were randomized to 3 days of once-daily dosing with placebo (n=8) or GS-9451 60 mg (n=8 genotype 1a), 200 mg (n=8 genotype 1a; n=8 genotype 1b) or 400 mg (n=9 genotype 1a). Plasma samples were collected up to and on day 14 for pharmacokinetic evaluation, serum HCV RNA quantitation and NS3 sequencing. Results No patients interrupted or discontinued dosing because of an adverse event. The median (range) maximal HCV RNA reductions from baseline were -0.88 (-1.24– -0.64), -3.19 (-3.31– -2.94) and -3.64 (-4.08– -3.54) log10 IU/ml in genotype 1a patients receiving 60, 200 and 400 mg/day GS-9451, respectively, and -3.48 (-3.54– -3.03) log10 IU/ml in genotype 1b patients receiving GS-9451 200 mg/day. Median half-life ranged from 14 to 17 h. Day 3 mean concentration at the end of dosing interval was 5.5- and 17-fold above protein-binding adjusted mean 50% effective inhibitory concentration in 200 mg and 400 mg cohorts, respectively. No resistance mutations were detected with GS-9451 60 mg/day. In the 200 mg/day or 400 mg/day groups, predominant mutations were NS3 R155 (R155K) in genotype 1a patients and D168 (D168E, D168V and D168G) in genotype 1b patients. Conclusions GS-9451 was well-tolerated. During 3 days of monotherapy, GS-9451 200 mg/day or 400 mg/day demonstrated potent antiviral activity in both HCV genotype 1a- and 1b-infected patients. GS-9451 is currently being evaluated in combination regimens with and without pegylated interferon-α.


Although a cellular manufacturing system can produce diversified products flexibly, its assembly efficiency is mainly limited by the operators' assembly performance. To improve the operators' assembly performance without longtime training, an assembly-skill-transferring method was proposed to realize the assembly skill transfer process from skilled operators to novice operators. In the cellular manufacturing system, the assembly skills consist of cognition skills and motor skills. Taking a "Peg-in-Hole Task" as an example, the effect of the proposed assembly transfer method was verified for motor skills. The results show that the proposed assembly-skill-transferring system can improve the novice operators' assembly performance greatly.


The parallel computing power offered by graphic processing units (GPUs) has been recently exploited to support general purpose applications – by exploiting the availability of general API and the single-instruction multiple-thread-style parallelism present in several classes of problems (e.g. numerical simulations and matrix manipulations) – where relatively simple computations need to be applied to all items in large sets of data. This paper investigates the use of GPUs in parallelising a class of search problems, where the combinatorial nature leads to large parallel tasks and relatively less natural symmetries. Specifically, the investigation focuses on the well-known satisfiability testing (SAT) problem and on the use of the NVIDIA compute unified device architecture, one of the most popular platforms for GPU computing. The paper explores ways to identify strong sources of GPU-style parallelism from SAT solving. The paper describes experiments with different design choices and evaluates the results. The outcomes demonstrate the potential for this approach, leading to one order of magnitude of speedup using a simple NVIDIA platform.


Colorectal cancer is one of the most significant causes of cancer death. A genetic model for colorectal cancer has been proposed in which the sequential accumulation of mutations in specific genes, including adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), Kirsten-ras (K-ras), and p53, drives the transition from healthy colonic epithelia through increasingly dysplastic adenoma to colorectal cancer. We have characterized tumor mutation spectra in a large cohort of colorectal cancer patients. In marked contrast to the predictions of the sequential model of mutation accumulation, only 6.6% of tumors were found to contain mutations in APC, K-ras, and p53, with 38.7% of tumors containing mutations in only one of these genes. The most common combination of mutations was p53 and APC (27.1%), whereas mutations in both p53 and K-ras were extremely rare. Statistical analysis (two-sided Fisher's exact test) confirmed that mutations in K-ras and p53 co-occurred less frequently than expected by chance (P < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). This finding suggests that these mutations lie on alternate pathways of colorectal tumor development. The heterogeneous pattern of tumor mutations in our patient cohort suggests that multiple alternative genetic pathways to colorectal cancer exist and that the widely accepted genetic model of cancer development is not representative of the majority of colorectal tumors.


Fracture repair continues to be widely investigated, both within the clinical realm and at the fundamental research level. Clinical application of low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has shown great promise as an effective, minimally invasive treatment for accelerating fracture repair and has warranted further investigation into the cellular manifestation of applied ultrasound. Toward this end much has been learned about the response of osteoblasts to LIPUS stimulation. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of cellular response to LIPUS have revealed an increase in proliferation, protein synthesis, collagen synthesis, membrane permeability, integrin expression, and increased cytosolic calcium, to name a few, further clarifying its utility and overall impact on cellular behavior. Considerable effects of LIPUS on the cells of musculoskeletal soft tissue have been reported as well. The growing body of research in this area suggests that LIPUS may be a powerful tool in the development of novel approaches to musculoskeletal repair and regeneration. Regenerative engineering-based approaches to musculoskeletal healing and regeneration that incorporate polymeric scaffolds and stem cells may be combined with LIPUS to move beyond bone repair to large scale multicomponent tissue repair.


Objectives Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive, life-limiting illness. Caregiving impacts greatly on family carers with few supportive interventions for carers. We report Stages 1 and 2 of a study to: (1) explore experiences of MND caregiving and use carer-identified support needs to determine suitability and acceptability of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT), (2) adapt the CSNAT as necessary for comprehensive assessment and support of MND carers, prior to (Stage 3) feasibility testing. Design Qualitative: focus groups, interviews and carer workshops. Setting Three UK MND specialist centres serving a wide range of areas. Participants Stage 1: 33 carers, 11 from each site: 19 current carers, 14 bereaved. Stage 2: 19 carer advisors: 10 bereaved, 9 current carers. Majority were spouses/partners ranging in age from under 45 years to over 75 years. Duration of caring: 4 months to 12.5 years. Results Carers described challenges of a disease that was terminal from the outset, of 'chasing' progressive deterioration, trying to balance normality and patient independence against growing dependence, and intensive involvement in caregiving. Carers had extensive support needs which could be mapped to existing CSNAT domains: both 'enabling' domains which identify carers' needs as co-workers as well as carers' 'direct' needs as clients in relation to their own health and well-being. Only one aspect of their caregiving experience went beyond existing domains: a new domain on support needs with relationship changes was identified to tailor the CSNAT better to MND carers. Conclusions Carers of people with MND found the adapted CSNAT to be an appropriate and relevant tool for assessment of their support needs. The revised version has potential for assessment of carers in other longer-term caring contexts. A further paper will report the Stage 3 study on feasibility of using the adapted CSNAT in routine practice.


A method for determining critical power spectral density matrix models for earthquake excitations which maximize steady response variance of linear multiply supported extended structures and which also satisfy constraints on input variance, zero crossing rates, frequency content and transmission time lag has been developed. The optimization problem is shown to be non-linear in nature and solutions are obtained by using an iterative technique which is based on linear programming method. A constraint on entropy rate as a measure of uncertainty which can be expected in realistic earthquake ground motions is proposed which makes the critical excitations more realistic. Two special cases are also considered. Firstly, when knowledge of autospectral densities is available, the critical response is shown to be produced by fully coherent excitations which are neither in-phase nor out-of-phase. The critical phase between the excitation components depends on structural parameters, but independent of the auto-spectral densities of the excitations. Secondly, when the knowledge of autospectral densities and phase spectrum of the excitations is available, the critical response is shown to be produced by a system dependent coherence function representing neither fully coherent nor fully incoherent ground motions. The applications of these special cases are discussed in the context of land-based extended structures and secondary systems such as nuclear piping assembly. Illustrative examples on critical inputs and response of sdof and a long-span suspended cable which demonstrated the various features of the approach developed are presented.


Why have critics of Vineland failed to agree on the nature and scope of the fascist menace looming over the novel? Brad Leithauser's review typified the book's negative early reception in claiming that Vineland lacked something "overarchingly malignant" for its characters to combat. Federal agent Brock Vond, while clearly intended as a scaling-down from the operatic portrayal of evil in Gravity's Rainbow' s Blicero, looked to Leithauser, "even by cartoon standards, . . . insubstantial," unable (as his budget line is miraculously cut at the end) to disturb the book's cloying recurrence to themes of family and home (9, 8). Subsequent, subtler readings noted Pynchon's reinventions of Orwell, from the 1984 setting to warnings against television's mind-control and new and improved Thought Police—"Tube Police, Music Police, Good Healthy Shit Police" (313). In more concrete terms, David Thoreen undercut critiques like Leithauser's by showing Vineland 's true backdrop of fascist apocalypse to lie in foreboding references to Reagan's potential invocation of emergency powers and a police state ("Fourth Amendment"). But the surprising trend of recent readings, more rooted in American political philosophy, has been to put Vond's vision of former radicals as infantilized members of an "extended national Family" on a rational and manageable footing, regarding Vond as extreme but placing him in the broad context of US liberalism's difficult relationship to community ( VL 269). Thus Jerry Varsava and Cyrus R. K. Patell independently argue for seeing Vond as representative of a communitarianism that is, in Patell's words, "coercive, majoritarian, and bad"—the wrong path for community to take, they show Pynchon arguing, but far from the accusations of a totalitarian America which Vineland still, however reduced its scale, seems intent to make (Varsava 65, Patell 171).


Most studies report the abundance of plastic items in the environment, but mass is an equally important currency for monitoring plastic pollution, particularly given attempts to balance the global plastic budget. We determined the size/mass composition of litter stranded on a remote, infrequently-cleaned sandy beach on the west coast of South Africa. Traditional surveys of superficial macro-litter were augmented by sieved transects for buried macro-litter (8-mm mesh), meso-litter (2-mm mesh) and sediment cores for micro-litter. Aggregating the data across all sampling scales, the total density was ∼1.9 × 105 anthropogenic particulate pollutants per linear meter of beach, 99.7% of which were microfibers (most of which are likely not 'plastic'). Plastics comprised 99.6% of beach macro- and meso-litter by number and 89% by mass. Small items dominated samples numerically, but were trivial relative to larger items in terms of their mass. Buried litter accounted for 86% of macro-plastic items, but only 5% of the mass of macro-plastics, because smaller items are buried more easily than large items. The total density of plastic (∼1.2 kg⋅m–1), at least half of which was from fisheries and shipping, is much lower than predicted by global models of plastic leakage from land-based sources. Ongoing degradation of plastic items already in the environment, particularly on beaches, is likely to result in a marked increase in plastic fragments, even if we stop leaking additional plastic. The collection of large items from beaches is a useful stop-gap measure to limit the formation of micro-plastics while we formulate effective steps to prevent plastic leakage into the environment.


Background: Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by eukaryotic protist of genus Plasmodium and transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Those living mainly in the world's poorest countries are at risk of malaria as it is more endemic in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Malaria spread has been linked to environmental changes, malaria vector dynamics, host immune status and individual or community factors such as the socio-economic status, knowledge of malaria and the protective behaviour. The objective is to assess knowledge, perceptions and practice of malaria management among non-medical students of higher institutions in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: An open-ended structured questionnaire was administered consecutively to 1198 consenting non-medical students by interviewer at various higher institutions. The crosssectional survey questionnaire comprised sections on socio-demographic data, knowledge about causes of malaria and knowledge about malaria management and practice. Results: The mean age (SD) was 21.7 (5.9) years. Five hundred and thirty respondents (44.2%) are male while 668 respondents (55.8%) are female. One thousand and seventy-seven students (89.9%) reported that malaria can be cured. Seventy-four students (6.2%) understand malaria prophylaxis to be a preventive treatment for malaria and 211 students (17.6%) said Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) are the most effective among the drugs they have used to treat malaria. Conclusion: Non-medical students have relatively reasonable knowledge about malaria management and practices, although, certain aspects are still not well understood, probably due to the scope of their educational curricula. Hence, there is need to intensify malaria public enlightenment programs and promote affordable treatment.


Background: Tibial spine fractures (TSFs) are relatively rare pediatric injuries. Postoperative arthrofibrosis remains the most common complication, with few studies having examined factors associated with its development. Purpose: To identify risk factors for arthrofibrosis and required MUA or lysis of adhesions in the largest known cohort of patients with TSFs. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: This was a multicenter study of 249 patients ≤18 years old who had a TSF between January 2000 and February 2019. Patients were separated into cohorts based on whether they developed arthrofibrosis, defined as a 10° deficit in extension and/or 25° deficit in flexion at postoperative 3 months or a return to the operating room for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) and/or lysis of adhesions. Results: A total of 58 (23.3%) patients developed postoperative arthrofibrosis, with 19 (7.6%) requiring a return to the operating room for MUA. Patients with arthrofibrosis were younger (mean ± SD, 11.3 ± 2.7 vs 12.3 ± 2.8 years; P = .029). They were more likely to have a nonsport, trauma-related injury (65.4% vs 32.1%; P < .001) and a concomitant ACL injury (10.3% vs 1.1%; P = .003). Those with arthrofibrosis had longer operative times (135.0 vs 114.8 minutes; P = .006) and were more likely to have been immobilized in a cast postoperatively (30.4% vs 16.6%; P = .043). In multivariate regression, concomitant anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury (odds ratio [OR], 20.0; P = .001), traumatic injury (OR, 3.8; P < .001), age <10 years (OR, 2.2; P = .049), and cast immobilization (OR, 2.4; P = .047) remained significant predictors of arthrofibrosis. Concomitant ACL injury (OR, 7.5; P = .030) was additionally predictive of a required return to the operating room for MUA. Conclusion: Surgeons should be cognizant of arthrofibrosis risk in younger patients with concomitant ACL tears and traumatic injuries not resulting from athletics. Furthermore, postoperative immobilization in a cast should be avoided given the high risk of arthrofibrosis. Concomitant ACL injury is associated with a higher return to the operating room for MUA.


Photovoice is a community based participatory research method that combines photography, community awareness building, group discussions, and social action. Photovoice seeks to enable both individuals and groups, particularly those facing marginalisation and disempowerment, to record and reflect on community strengths and challenges, through photography. This paper presents a Photovoice project, conducted with a group of former child soldiers living in urban Sierra Leone, exploring their post war lives and reintegration experiences. In addition to addressing how the project was conceptualised, developed and implemented, the authors also present the youth's photographs, highlighting the key issues and reintegration realities emerging from their images. The paper then discusses the strengths and challenges of the Photovoice method experience, and concludes with a set of recommendations for future initiatives.


A method of designing a multi-rate servo controller for a HDD that operates at a higher sampling frequency than that of the position error signal (PES) is proposed. Multi-rate sampling has an advantage for increasing the track density of a HDD without increasing the overhead of the servo information on the disk. A plant model for a design with a higher sampling rate is obtained by adding a zero-interpolator at the output of the position error signal. The controller is calculated by the H∞ method to suppress the noise at the PES sampling frequency that is created by the use of multi-rate sampling. The servo bandwidth and margins of the method are studied for 2.5 and 3.5 HDD's, and for a HDD with a dual-stage actuator. The multi-rate sampling is especailly effective for the dual-stage actuator because the MEMS actuator's transfer function is very clean.


The rapidly growing domain of entrepreneurship has lacked a clear statement of fundamental assumptions to guide theoretical development. In this paper, we delineate a set of assumptions about the individual we see as central to the domain and the development of theory that is distinct and consistent across various branches and applications. We suggest that a set of commonly accepted assumptions that harmonizes with the phenomena under study is of critical importance for entrepreneurship to develop into a distinct and vigorous domain of social science.


Many-body-localized (MBL) systems do not thermalize under their intrinsic dynamics. The athermality of MBL, we propose, can be harnessed for thermodynamic tasks. We illustrate this by formulating an Otto engine cycle for a quantum many-body system. The system is ramped between a strongly localized MBL regime and a thermal (or weakly localized) regime. The difference between the energy-level correlations of MBL systems and of thermal systems enables mesoscale engines to run in parallel in the thermodynamic limit, enhances the engine's reliability, and suppresses worst-case trials. We estimate analytically and calculate numerically the engine's efficiency and per-cycle power. The efficiency mirrors the efficiency of the conventional thermodynamic Otto engine. The per-cycle power scales linearly with the system size and inverse-exponentially with a localization length. This work introduces a thermodynamic lens onto MBL, which, having been studied much recently, can now be considered for use in thermodynamic tasks.


We present an investigation of the morphology and arrival times of integrated radio pulses from the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1022+1001. This pulsar is renowned for its poor timing properties, which have been postulated to originate from variability in its average pulse profile. Although a subclass of long-period pulsars is known to exhibit mode changes that give rise to very large deviations in their integrated profiles, this was the first millisecond pulsar thought to have an unstable mean profile. As part of a precision timing programme at the Parkes radio telescope, we observed this pulsar between 2003 January and 2004 March using a coherent de-dispersion system (the Second Caltech Parkes Swinburne Recorder). A study of morphological variability during our brightest observations suggests that the pulse profile varies by at most a few per cent, similar to the uncertainty in our calibration. Unlike previous authors, we find that this pulsar times extremely well. In 5-min integrations of 64-MHz bands, we obtain a weighted rms residual of just 2.27 μs. The reduced χ2 of our best fit is 1.43, which suggests that this pulsar can be timed to high accuracy with standard cross-correlation techniques. Combining relativistic constraints with the pulsar mass function and consideration of the Chandrasekhar mass limit on the white dwarf companion, we can constrain the inclination angle of the system to lie within the range 37° < i < 56°. For reasonable pulsar masses, this suggests that the white dwarf is at least 0.9 M⊙. We also find evidence for secular evolution of the projected semimajor axis.


Outcome after intraarterial therapy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke remains variable, suggesting that improved patient selection is needed to better identify patients likely to benefit from treatment. The authors evaluate the predictive accuracies of the Houston IAT (HIAT) and the Totaled Health Risks in Vascular Events (THRIVE) scores in an independent cohort and review the existing literature detailing additional predictive factors to be used in patient selection for IAT. They reviewed their center's endovascular records from January 2004 to July 2010 and identified patients who had acute ischemic stroke and underwent IAT. They calculated individual HIAT and THRIVE scores using patient age, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, admission glucose level, and medical history. The scores' predictive accuracies for good outcome (discharge modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 3) were analyzed using receiver operating characteristics analysis. The THRIVE score predicts poor outcome after IAT with reasonable accuracy and may perform better than the HIAT score. Nevertheless, both measures may have significant clinical utility; further validation in larger cohorts that accounts for differences in patient demographic characteristics, variation in time-to-treatment, and center preferences with respect to IAT modalities is needed. Additional patient predictive factors have been reported but not yet incorporated into predictive scales; the authors suggest the need for additional data analysis to determine the independent predictive value of patient admission NIHSS score, age, admission hyperglycemia, patient comorbidities, thrombus burden, collateral flow, time to treatment, and baseline neuroimaging findings.


ABSTRACT TATA-binding protein-associated factors (TAFIIs) within TFIID control differential gene transcription through interactions with both activators and core promoter elements. In particular, TAFII150 contributes to initiator-dependent transcription through an unknown mechanism. Here, we address whether TAFIIs within TFIID are sufficient, in conjunction with highly purified general transcription factors (GTFs), for differential core promoter-dependent transcription by RNA polymerase II and whether additional cofactors are required. We identify the human homologue ofDrosophila TAFII150 through cognate cDNA cloning and show that it is a tightly associated component of human TFIID. More importantly, we demonstrate that the human TAFII150-containing TFIID complex is not sufficient, in the context of all purified GTFs and RNA polymerase II, to mediate transcription synergism between TATA and initiator elements and initiator-directed transcription from a TAFII-dependent TATA-less promoter. Therefore, TAFII-promoter interactions are not sufficient for the productive core promoter-selective functions of TFIID. Consistent with this finding, we have partially purified novel cofactor activities (TICs) that potentiate the TAFII-mediated synergism between TATA and initiator elements (TIC-1) and TAFII-dependent transcription from TATA-less promoters (TIC-2 and -3). Furthermore, we demonstrate an essential function for TFIIA in TIC- and TAFII-dependent basal transcription from a TATA-less promoter. Our results reveal a parallel between the basal transcription activity of TAFIIs through core promoter elements and TAFII-dependent activator function.


An adapted, landrace Nigerian Arupo S barley was malted in the laboratory following the standard malting method developed for malting elite barleys. Our results showed that Arupo S barley showed both fast and even germination during the malting process. Friability results further established that Arupo S malted barley produced flours with high amounts of husks. This is an advantage for both the brewing and distilling industries in terms of wort filtration for the brewing industry or phenol retention during peating or kilning for the distilling industry. The proteolysis achieved when Arupo S barley was malted by using standard malting procedures for malting elite barleys showed that a progressive increase in the pattern of release of soluble nitrogen materials in terms of free amino nitrogen (FAN) and amino acid production was achieved. FAN released in Arupo S malt was 118 mg/L on day 4 of the germination period and was sufficient to support yeast fermentation. The amino acids released into the worts of mashed Arupo S malt were generally high. Extracts from mashed Arupo S malt produced a similar range of reducing sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, and maltotriose) found in standard (elite) malted barley varieties. Fermentability results showed that Arupo S malted barley produced maximum predicted spirit yield on day 4 of malting. This study also showed that for the brewing industry, Arupo S malted barley produced good head retention. Our results clearly showed that although the Arupo S six-row barley studied was grown in a hot tropical environment with irrigation (drought and flooding) and was malted using methods developed for malting temperate-grown elite barleys, it still produced overall results comparable to those obtained for adequately researched barleys. A genetic variability that enabled Arupo S barley to grow and produce crops under these harsh environmental conditions, as well as to produce malt, is worth exploring.


Objectives: To identify in the literature the nursing care in the hemodialysis room, as well as to evaluate the patient needs in the hemodialysis treatment.
Method: Bibliographic study of descriptive origin with exploratory investigation. The search was carried out at the bases: Scielo, Bireme and Google academic, from 2010 to 2016, using the descriptors: nursing, care, hemodialysis.
Results: Forty-eight articles were found and the final sample comprised 16. It was noticed that the nursing care in the hemodialysis room is very important for the safety and protection of the patients, who during the session should be observed, due to the risks that it offers. It is understood that the patient's need in hemodialytic treatment is to undergo various restrictions and be accompanied by a multidisciplinary team always aiming at the comfort and safety of the patient.
Conclusion: Therefore the changes that exist in the life of the chronic renal patient are several, such as fear of death, feel excluded from living with friends, gain weight because the body can not excrete toxins and liquids, and are indefinitely imprisoned to the dialysis machine.


Environmental Reporting is an important way in which the state of the environment can be assessed. In New Zealand, one of the most at risk elements of the natural environment is the freshwater, particularly freshwater quality in the Canterbury Region, on the South Islands east coast. This is due in large part to dairy farming, a huge contributor to New Zealand's economy. The Driver – Pressure – State – Impacts – Response (DPSIR) framework is one that has evolved over a number of years from other, more limited frameworks. It is now used worldwide for reporting on the environment, particularly with regards to water quality. Literature from around the world has explained the frameworks evolution, as well as pointing out its strengths and its shortcomings. Various implementations of the framework have been suggested. In 2014 New Zealand elected to introduce a Pressure – State – Impacts (PSI) model to carry out its environmental reporting. This paper assesses the decision of New Zealand to implement a truncated version of the DPSIR framework, looking at its reasoning and the probable consequences of the decision. The study concludes that the PSI framework is insufficient for dealing with the water quality issues in the Canterbury Region, and that a DPSIR model with a pressure based orientation would result in stronger, more proactive decision making.


Above- and below-ground growth, biomass, phenology and reproductive effort in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum were monitored monthly for 2 yr in the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas. Annual whole plant production (953 ± 136 g DW (dry weight) m -2 yr -1 ) was calculated from monthly measurements of leaf and rhizome production made using marking techniques. Leaf growth exhibited a seasonal pattern; monthly production ranged from 8 to 95 g DW m -2 mo -1 , equivalent to 614 ± 71 g DW m - yr -1 , Rhizome growth was seasonal, and areal below-ground production ranged between 14 and 40 g DW m -2 mo - 1 , equivalent to 339 ± 65 g DW m -2 yr -1 . On an annual basis, rhizome production accounted for 35 % of total plant production. Seasonal leaf and rhizome growth patterns were correlated with underwater irradiance, daylength and temperature. Total biomass ranged between 750 and 1500 g DW m -2 , with below-ground tissues accounting for 80 to 90 % of the total. There was no seasonal pattern in the below-ground biomass of T. testudinum; variability was a result of environmental heterogeneity. Flowering was variable between years; 13 to 30 % of the shoots flowered and about 15 % of total above-ground biomass was allocated to reproduction. Flowering phenology was positively correlated with underwater daylength. During 1996, maximum fruit abundance ranged between 20 and 70 fruits m -2 and on average each fruit contained 2 seeds. The annual flowering event represents a substantial resource (e.g. carbon and nitrogen) investment, which may influence individual plant production. Seasonal fluctuations in environmental parameters are the primary factors controlling seagrass growth rates and production. Determination of total plant productivity must take into account seasonal patterns, reproductive costs and the large fraction of production occurring in the below-ground tissues.


For Alexander Kluge (1) Let's start with the facts: two lovers are buried alive, their lungs are full of gas from the crypt; they are cramped with hunger and, as they perish, decay does its unspeakable work on their bodies. In the end, there are two skeletons, one now indifferent to the other. I am describing the end of an opera as Thomas Mann described it in a chapter from The Magic Mountain on the "Fullness of Harmony." (2) His point in 1924 was simple but critical. Surrounded by his desert-island disks, Castorp listens to a record of the last scene of Verdi's Aida over and over again, yet oblivious to the facts: he hears only the beauty and power of the music. Whatever the suffering of Aida and Radames, no trace of it reaches his ear. Or does it: is the fullness of harmony really enough for Castorp to forget the facts? 1. This essay investigates how Theodor W. Adorno, Edward Said, and Alexander Kluge read Verdi's opera Aida with respect to the theme of being buried alive, where being buried alive can occur not only to characters in an opera but, according to a discourse of fate, also to the opera itself. To write about being buried alive but living as it were to tell the tale, the three critics ask whether a residue of resistance in the opera remains that allows the opera to escape a totalizing discourse of fate or fatality that threatens to destroy it. I begin by presenting the more familiar views of Adorno and Said, although hopefully in a new light. After that, I present and develop the less familiar view (in an Anglo-American musicological context) of the Frankfurt filmmaker and critical theorist, Alexander Kluge. To focus on the work of these three exemplary critics is to show what it means to offer a critical reading of an opera that takes Aida as its example. This is the focus of my essay. To offer a critical reading is to refuse to take the opera at face value, which means in part, as it appears on the stage. The point is, nothing should be taken at face value, and certainly not a work of art. The three critics refuse in interestingly different ways. Adorno and Kluge read the opera against its grain first, with the aim, second, to find buried in its tomb the fragile terms of its resistant meanings or gestures. How they differ from one another is more subtle than how they jointly differ from Said, who engages the first task but not, as far as I can tell, the second. In general, critical theorists seek in an opera its aesthetic-political contradiction, blind spot, or tragic knot in order to undo it. The rescue of the opera, if such is possible, depends on how the knot is undone. The knot may be variously undone. One way is to show how the woman protagonist who, though almost completely undone by the opera, may still be heard as undoing that which undoes her. Another way is to refuse the opera's triumphant ending to subvert the inevitable closure to which the opera seems at first sight musically and dramatically to lead. A third way, which I develop here as the authorial thread of this essay, disrupts the explicit alliances that are set up between opera and nationhood, especially to the extent that these alliances suggest a history of fated nations. For critical theorists, the social significance of a great artwork--and Aida is exemplary--lies in its immanent potential to rescue itself from being experienced as merely "a thing of the past," which is to say, as a "museum piece" that no longer has meaning for us in the present. 2. In January 1929, the young Adorno positively reviewed a new Frankfurt production of Aida conducted by Clemens Krauss. (3) He commented particularly on the liveliness of the production by which he meant its non-dustiness. 1929 was a year in which opera was often proclaimed to be in a crisis, in fact to be in a moribund condition. Adorno wondered whether it was still possible to produce traditional operas in the grand old style. …


The cascade reactions of carbohydrates with methyl ketones in the presence of proline feature complex running reaction steps. By extensive quantum mechanical simulation, a coherent reaction mechanism was identified matching the experimental data. The present calculations indicate a Mannich reaction/proline hydrolysis/retro aza-Michael cascade to form an intermediate α,β-unsaturated ethyl ketone. This key precursor yields C-glycosides by a final intramolecular amine-catalyzed oxa-Michael addition. Additionally, the formation of this intermediate determines the rate and selectivity of the overall cascade reaction. Strongly matched and mismatched cases were observed when used with d- or l-proline. They are consistent with the calculated energy barriers of the corresponding transition states.


Background: The Story Retell Procedure (SRP) (Doyle et al., 1998) is a well‐described method for eliciting connected language samples in persons with aphasia (PWA). However, the stimuli and task demands of the SRP are fundamentally different from commonly employed picture description, narrative, and procedural description tasks reported in the aphasia literature. As such, the extent to which measures of linguistic performance derived from the SRP may be associated with those obtained from picture description, narrative, and procedural description tasks is unknown. This research was supported by VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Merit Review Project C3159R "Cognitive and linguistic mechanisms of language performance in aphasia" and the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. The authors gratefully acknowledge the generous participation of the volunteers for this study and the laboratory assistance of Jennifer Golovin and MaryBeth Ventura. Aims: To assess the concurrent validity of linguistic performance measures obtained from the SRP with those obtained from picture description, narrative, and procedural description tasks by examining the correlations and the magnitude differences across the linguistic variables among the elicitation tasks. Secondarily, we examined the relationship of the percentage of information units per minute (%IU/Min) to other linguistic variables within the SRP and across the other elicitation tasks. Methods and Procedures: This study compared the SRP to six different, frequently used sampling procedures (three sets of picture descriptions, one fairytale generation, one set of narratives, and one set of procedural description tasks) from which the same five verbal productivity, four information content, two grammatical, and two verbal disruption measures were computed. Language samples were elicited from 20 PWA, spanning the aphasia comprehension severity range. Tests of association and difference were calculated for each measure between the SRP and the other sampling methods. Outcomes & Results: Significant and strong associations were obtained between the SRP and the other elicitation tasks for most linguistic measures. The SRP produced either no significant or significantly greater instances of the dependent variable except for the type–token ratio, which yielded a significantly lower value than the other sampling procedures. Conclusions: The findings are interpreted as support for the concurrent validity of the SRP and as evidence that a single form of the SRP will yield a language sample that is generally equivalent in distribution to other sampling procedures, and one that is generally greater in quantity to those typically used to assess connected spoken language in PWA. Additionally, it was found that the %IU/Min metric predicted highly the information content linguistic measures on the SRP as well as on the other elicitation procedures. However, it did not predict well measures of verbal productivity, grammaticality, or verbal disruptions.


Vision is a beautiful gift to human beings by GOD. Vision allows people to perceive and understand the surrounding world. Till date blind people struggle a lot to live their miserable life. In the presented work, a simple, cheap, friendly user, virtual eye is designed and implemented to improve the mobility of both blind and visually impaired people in a specific area. The presented work includes a wearable equipment consists of head hat, mini hand stick and foot shoes to help the blind person to navigate alone safely and to avoid any obstacles that may be encountered, whether fixed or mobile, to prevent any possible accident. The main component of this system is the ultrasonic sensor which is used to scan a predetermined area around blind by emitting-reflecting waves. The reflected signals received from the barrier objects are used as inputs to Arduino microcontroller. The microcontroller carry out the issued commands and then communicate the status of a given appliance or device back to the earphones using SD Card Technology. The system is cheap, fast, and easy to use and an innovative affordable solution to blind and visually impaired people in third world countries.


We examined age group differences in hedonic adaptation trajectories of positive and negative affect (PA/NA) at different arousal levels during the severe societal restrictions that governments implemented to contain the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March to June 2020). Data from 10,509 participants from 33 countries and 12 weekly assessments were used (67% women, aged 18 to 85 +, on average 318 participants per country (SD = 434) and 5.6 assessments (SD = 2.5) per participant). Multilevel models (level 1: assessments, level 2: participants, level 3: countries) were fit to examine trajectories of low to high arousal PA and NA during the phase of tightening societal restrictions, the phase of stable peak restrictions, and the phase of easing restrictions separately. During the entire study period mean levels of PA were lower in emerging and young adults (aged 18-44) than older adults, whereas mean NA levels were higher. During peak societal restrictions, participants reported increasingly more PA, especially high-arousal emotions (d = .36 per month vs. .19 unaroused). NA levels decreased over time, especially high-arousal emotions (d = .35 vs. .14 p/month). These hedonic adaptation trajectories were largely similar across age groups. Nevertheless, up to 30% of the participants increased in NA and up to 6% decreased in PA, against the general trend, demonstrating substantial individual differences in emotional adaptation. Finally, heterogeneity in the effects of time on affect was larger on the individual level than the country level. Emotional recovery trajectories during the first lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic were virtually similar across age groups in 33 countries, across valence and arousal levels, suggesting age advantages in emotional well-being remain restricted to mean-level differences rather than emotion dynamics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).


This Office of Health Economics paper maintains the high standard of its predecessors, and presents the relevant factors about a common but neglected epidemic. Fat people die first, and actuarial studies show that men who are 20% overweight have a 30% higher mortality as well as more morbidity than the normal. Those who subsequently reduce their weight to normal achieve normal life spans; overweight in fact causes and is not -the result of disease. Diagnosis may be suggested by measuring the waist line or comparing the weight with average, but the "Tables of Desirable Weight," the weight which insurance companies associate with lowest mortality, is probably the best criterion of obesity, and one in every five men is 10% or more above it. Though basically caused by ingesting more calories than are expended, there are some odd anomalies about fatness. Frequent nibbling, for example, is less fattening than gorging the same number of calories in two big meals a day, and eating the calories as fat instead of as carbohydrate is less fattening still. Fat children usually become fat adults, so early treatment is important. It depends on modifying the individual's eating habits, which ought to be easier than the results of surveys suggest that it has hitherto been because ordinary people, if only for aesthetic reasons, want to get thinner and, in contradistinction to their attitudes to cigarettesmoking, are on the side of their doctors. Dr. Denis Craddock shows that obesity can be successfully managed in general practice. In a controlled trial he achieved weight reduction over five years in one-third of his fat patients by tailoring treatment to each individual's needs. In most cases he used a free diet with increased protein and normal fat but very little carbohydrate, taken at three or four meals per day. He prescribed an increase of moderate exercise and followed up his patients at frequent intervals. Anorexiant drugs were used sparingly only where there were precise indications and never for more than three months at a time; usually he did not prescribe them until the patient had shown that he could lose some weight initially by dieting alone. He condemns amphetamines because of their side-effects and the danger of addiction, and considers diethylpropion and fenfluramine are the drugs of choice. Apart from the author's own original work his book contains a masterly review of the literature on obesity and includes chapters on psychological aspects, childhood, diabetes, and pregnancy. It details the multiplicity of disorders which obesity causes. It is a syndrome rather than a specific disease, and, through Dr. Craddock's eyes, a fascinating one, because of the complex interplay of physiological, psychological, social, and nutritional factors which cause it. It may be a symptom of depression in some people and a depressive equivalent in others who get neurotic unless they overeat. It may be a status symbol: in poor countries the wives of successful men get fat, but in rich ones upper class wives -strive for a slim figurefatness is for the common people. Exercise is. a very important factor. Fat men walk half as much as thin ones, and fat girls contrive even to play tennis with far fewer movements than their thin opponents. Walking after over-eating burns up the excess calories by doubling the thermic response to the meal, which explains why some people get fat and others of the same original weight stay thin on the same calorie intake. Long-term treatment of obesity is one of the best forms of preventive medicine, and Dr. Craddock's results, bettered in the literature only by the specially motivated Anticoronary Club of New York, suggest that the family doctor is in the best position to practise it.


Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious health problem due to high mortality and morbidity, negative impact on the patients' quality of life (QOL), high diagnostic and therapeutic cost, and the burden on society. Sleep, which is one of the main needs of the human body, is important regarding the health and QOL in all ages. The objective of our study was to plan the quality of sleep and life quality in adults with CKD. Materials and Methods: Total 240 cases (91 healthy volunteers, 75 predialysis patients, and 74 hemodialysis (HD) patients) were included in our study. Our study was designed as a prospective survey with a face-to-face interview method. The sleep quality was evaluated with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The WHO Quality of Life-short version (BREF) survey questions were used for QOL, and scoring was performed. Results: The analysis showed that the results of PSQI scores, QOL scores, and evaluation of the age variable were statistically significant (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Likewise, the PSQI scores were low in healthy volunteers but were the highest in predialysis patients. The scores of the HD patients were between the scores of predialysis and healthy volunteers. The score of the QOL increased with educational level. There was a positive correlation between Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) level and QOL (P < 0.001; r = 0.260) and a negative correlation between MDRD level and PSQI score (P < 0.001, r = −0.202). Conclusion: Like in HD patients, close follow-up of predialysis patients with CKD is critical considering the resolution of the encountered problems. We believe that the increase in QOL and sleep in patients with CKD may decrease the morbidity.


Abstract : Tests were performed on the modified 4CX5000 (X552) and the modified 4CX3000 (X784) as well as on the EIMAC standard production 4CX5000R and the 5CX3000A. A 5000 watt tetrode with auxiliary electrode (X552-P), a 5000 watt pentode with auxiliary electrode (X552-R), and a 3000 watt pentode with auxiliary electrode (X784-N) were tested using a variety of DC auxiliary electrode voltages as well as combinations of DC suppressor voltages. The results of tests indicate that a DC voltage on the auxiliary electrode will cause a change in the intermodulation distortion characteristics. The pentode models with auxiliary electrodes gave the most encouraging results. From zero to 4500 watts PEP, a third order intermodulation distortion of -45 db and a fifth order intermodulation distortion of -50 db can be expected. However, at 5000 watts PEP the distortion becomes worse. When a saturated (non-linear) RF drive voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode in phase with the grid drive voltage, the distortion at optimum operating conditions is -50 db from zero to 5000 watts PEP. Attempts were made to use other methods in tube design to improve linearity. The EIMAC 5CX3000A (standard production) was tested and gave satisfactory results; however, at the 5000 watt PEP level, the fifth order intermodulation distortion level does not meet the proposed -50 db goal. An experimental pentode of the 5000 watt type was built. The test results indicate -45 db third order and -50 db fifth order intermodulation distortion from zero to 5000 watts PEP. An increased range of operating parameters (over the 5CX3000A) is available with the 5000 watt pentode. (Author)


Farmland is the primary resource for food production, related to food security and people's livelihood. The basic farmland is the essence of farmland, and it is necessary to improve the quality of farmland and strengthen the basic farmland protection in order to enhance comprehensive agricultural production capacity. Currently, the contradiction between urban development and farmland protection has been inevitable, and Huainan City is now in the period of rapid development of urbanization. How to better solve the contradiction between urbanization and farmland protection to promote sound and rapid economic development, is an important issue currently facing Huainan City.


This work describes the integration of data acquisition (DAQ) hardware and software for the purpose of acquiring not only data but real-time transport model parameter estimates in the context of subsurface flow and transport problems. Integrated DAQ parameter estimation systems can be used to reduce data storage requirements, trigger event recognition and more detailed sampling actions, and otherwise enhance remote monitoring capabilities. The contaminant transport problem is posed here as the analogous heat transfer problem in a three-dimensional, intermediate-scale physical aquifer model. A constant source of warm water is fed into a sandy aquifer undergoing steady, unidirectional flow. The spatial distribution of temperature in the medium is monitored over time using 17 thermocouples embedded in the medium. These sensors log temperatures via conventional analog-to-digital conversion hardware driven by commercially available DAQ software (LabVIEW ). Parameter estimation routines programmed in MATLAB -based M-files are embedded in the LabVIEW DAQ routine and access parameter estimation libraries, such as the descent method employed here, via the Internet. The integrated DAQ parameter estimation system is demonstrated for the estimation of (1) the thermal dispersion coefficients (analogous to mass dispersion coefficients), given a known heat source; and (2) the location of a heat source, given known thermal dispersion coefficients. In both cases, the parameter estimation procedure is executed repeatedly as the data are acquired. For the case of source location, the effect of the number of sensors on the parameter estimation procedure is also demonstrated. Reasonable parameter estimates are provided rapidly during both the transient and steady-state phases of the experiments, with accuracy increasing with time and with the number of observations employed.


This paper considers about the onco-hematologic assistance policies and their implications in caring for a child with cancer diagnosis and his/her family. It emphasizes that the existential changes of the child-family unit may be minimized by the policies that assure access to resources. The study shows how Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) are inserted in the context. The conclusion is that the engagement of families as well of health professionals and institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, may contribute to the implementation of policies that enlarge the network of assistance to children who suffer from an onco-hematologic disease.