Background: Anthropogenic global warming, interacting with social and other environmental determinants, constitutes a profound health risk. This paper reports a comprehensive literature review for 1989–2013 (inclusive), the first 25 years in which this topic appeared in scientific journals. It explores the extent to which articles have identified potentially catastrophic, civilization-endangering health risks associated with climate change. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were primarily used to identify articles which were then ranked on a three-point scale. Each score reflected the extent to which papers discussed global systemic risk. Citations were also analyzed. Results: Of 2143 analyzed papers 1546 (72%) were scored as one. Their citations (165,133) were 82% of the total. The proportion of annual papers scored as three was initially high, as were their citations but declined to almost zero by 1996, before rising slightly from 2006. Conclusions: The enormous expansion of the literature appropriately reflects increased understanding of the importance of climate change to global health. However, recognition of the most severe, existential, health risks from climate change was generally low. Most papers instead focused on infectious diseases, direct heat effects and other disciplinary-bounded phenomena and consequences, even though scientific advances have long called for more inter-disciplinary collaboration.


Accurately retrieving tree stem location distributions is a basic requirement for biomass estimation of forest inventory. Combining Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is a commonly used positioning strategy in most Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) systems for accurate forest mapping. Coupled with a tactical or consumer grade IMU, GNSS offers a satisfactory solution in open forest environments, for which positioning accuracy better than one decimeter can be achieved. However, for such MLS systems, positioning in a mature and dense forest is still a challenging task because of the loss of GNSS signals attenuated by thick canopy. Most often laser scanning sensors in MLS systems are used for mapping and modelling rather than positioning. In this paper, we investigate a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM)-aided positioning solution with point clouds collected by a small-footprint LiDAR. Based on the field test data, we evaluate the potential of SLAM positioning and mapping in forest inventories. The results show that the positioning accuracy in the selected test field is improved by 38% compared to that of a traditional tactical grade IMU + GNSS positioning system in a mature forest environment and, as a result, we are able to produce a unambiguous tree distribution map.


Growing innovation capacity among emerging markets and increasing investment flows between them are creating new, reciprocal opportunities through the deployment of technological innovations and knowledge transfer. The case of Brazil and China is particularly relevant in this context. Between 2005 and 2012, the Brazilian energy sector absorbed USD 18.3 billion worth of investments from China. Sino-Brazilian trade and political relations have intensified over the past decade.
This report focuses on three main questions: What are the drivers behind Chinese investment in the Brazilian energy sector? What potential exists for inter-firm technology transfer between the Chinese and Brazilian companies involved? Do government-sponsored activities and academic exchanges complement inter-firm technology transfer? The analysis highlights the potential of energy technology co-operation between Brazil and China, the deployment of innovations in third countries and, more generally, the intensification of global co-operation in


Learning discriminative global features plays a vital role in semantic segmentation. And most of the existing methods adopt stacks of local convolutions or non-local blocks to capture long-range context. However, due to the absence of spatial structure preservation, these operators ignore the object details when enlarging receptive fields. In this paper, we propose the learnable tree filter to form a generic tree filtering module that leverages the structural property of minimal spanning tree to model long-range dependencies while preserving the details. Furthermore, we propose a highly efficient linear-time algorithm to reduce resource consumption. Thus, the designed modules can be plugged into existing deep neural networks conveniently. To this end, tree filtering modules are embedded to formulate a unified framework for semantic segmentation. We conduct extensive ablation studies to elaborate on the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. Specifically, it attains better performance with much less overhead compared with the classic PSP block and Non-local operation under the same backbone. Our approach is proved to achieve consistent improvements on several benchmarks without bells-and-whistles. Code and models are available at https://github.com/StevenGrove/TreeFilter-Torch.


Introduction: Cyberpornography is an act of using cyberspace to create, display, distribute, impart or publish pornography or obscene materials, especially materials depicting children engaged in sexual acts with adults. Cyberpornography on one hand, has opened up the new terrain of 'safe sex', and a positive space for sexual non-conformists. At the same time, it has negatively impacted many offline relations, and a new space for sexual predation and exploitation. Objective: To find out the prevalence, type and form of risk towards cyber pornography addiction amongst the students. Methods & Materials: A prospective cross sectional study was conducted after obtaining an ethical approval from the institute and an informed consent from volunteers fulfilling the eligibility criteria. The Internet sex screening test (ISST) questionnaire with score sheet was used and was collected by complete anonymity and confidentiality. 300 medical students were considered for the study and data collected was analysed by Microsoft-office excel. Results: 57.15% of the volunteer are in low-risk group whereas 30% are vulnerable and 12.85% are in highest-risk group. For boys, 65% are vulnerable whereas 21% in low-risk and the remaining 14% are in highest-risk group. For girls, 73% are in a low-risk, 19% are vulnerable and 8% are in highest-risk group. Conclusion: It is concluded that the majority of boys come under vulnerable category whereas the girls comes in low-risk group showing male preponderance towards addiction. The study reveals that, questions coming under the subgroup of online sexual behaviour-isolated have been answered the maximum number of times, by both the sexes. Whereas, the questions coming under the subgroup of online sexual spending has been answered the least by both the sexes.
KEYWORDS: Cyberpornography; Addiction; Sexual behaviour; ISST Questionnaire.


Many ski areas, backcountry avalanche centers, highway departments, and helicopter ski operations record and archive daily weather and avalanche data. The objective of this thesis is to present probabilistic techniques that allow avalanche forecasters to better utilize weather and avalanche data by incorporating a Geographic Information System with a modified meteorological nearest neighbors approach. This nearest neighbor approach utilizes evolving concepts related to visualizing geographic information stored in large databases. The resulting interactive database tool, Geographic Weather and Avalanche Explorer, allows the investigation of the relationships between specific weather parameters and the spatial pattern of avalanche activity. In order to validate these new techniques, two case studies are presented using over 10,000 individual avalanche events from the past 23 years that occurred at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The first case study explores the effect of new snowfall, wind speed, and wind direction on the spatial patterns of avalanche activity. Patterns exist at the slide path scale, and for groups of adjacent slide paths, but not for either the entire region as a whole or when slide paths are grouped by aspect. Since wind instrumentation is typically located to measure an approximation of the free air winds, specific topography around a given path, and not aspect, is more important when relating wind direction to avalanche activity. The second case study explores the spatial variability of hard slab and dry loose avalanches, and characterizes these avalanche types with respect to their geographic location and associated weather conditions. I analyzed these data with and without the incorporation of three weather parameters (wind speed, 24-hour maximum temperature, and new snow density). Slide paths near each other often had similar proportions of hard slabs and a higher proportion of hard slabs occurred on exposed ridges. The proportion of loose avalanches also was similar for adjacent slide paths, and these paths were typically sheltered from strong winds. When I incorporated the three weather parameters I found significant increases in the average proportion of hard slabs with increases in new snow density, but not for changes in the 24-hour maximum temperature or wind speed. When I analyzed the proportion of loose avalanches associated with the three weather parameters I found a more direct relationship than with hard slabs. Changes in both wind speed and density significantly changed the average proportion of loose avalanches, with low wind and low density resulting in higher proportions of loose avalanches. My results quantify what operational avalanche forecasters have long known: Geographic location and weather are both related to the proportion of hard slab and dry loose avalanches.


E-marketing is an important area for leading edge businesses. The paper discusses new and practical ways to enhance business-to-customer e-marketing, such that strategically enhanced marketing solutions may result. New approaches to e-marketing now capture strategic marketing solutions. The business strategic marketspace may be constructed into a combined product life cycle and time-lined strategic toolkit. Website tools may allow the business to test its product - from idea generation to product launch, and then through into a product life-cycle selling situation. To build these early stage e-marketing solutions, recently released interactive tools, termed web 2.0 tools, including Facebook (www.facebookcom)andSecondLife(www.secondlife.com) may be engaged. These web 2.0 tools, may be further strategically deployed across various components of the business's new product e-marketing life cycle development.


OBJECTIVE
The growth and differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) gene is recognized for its role in the development, repair, and maintenance of cartilage and bone. The present case-control study was conducted to detect the genetic association between GDF5 (+104T/C) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and primary knee osteoarthritis (KOA), as well as the possible association of SNP with the severity of KOA.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study included 50 patients with primary KOA and 50 healthy control subjects. The severity of the disease was assessed by using the Kellgren-Laurence (K-L) grading system and aided by the Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, and tenderness score. The genetic association of the SNP with primary KOA was assessed by means of the TaqMan® allelic discrimination technique.

RESULTS
The radiological assessment of patients according to the K-L grading system revealed a statistically significant association between the wild-type (TT) genotype and disease severity in both the right and left knees (p=0.049). The frequency distribution of patients with VAS score ≤6 was significantly higher in patients carrying the TT genotype (p=0.005) as compared to the CT and CC genotypes. The mean WOMAC score was significantly higher in patients carrying the TT genotype as compared to patients carrying the CC and CT genotypes (p=0.017). No statistically significant association was detected on comparing the frequency distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of the SNP in patients and healthy controls.

CONCLUSION
The results of the current study revealed a possible genetic association between GDF5 (+104T/C) SNP and the severity of KOA, which might be of benefit for the detection of patients with a high risk for disease progression. The present study did not detect an association between the SNP and development of KOA.


Coherence is a widely used measure for characterizing linear dependence between a pair of signals. For nonstationary signals, the autospectrum, cross spectrum, and coherence between signals may evolve over time. A standard approach is to divide the signals into overlapping blocks of fixed width and then smooth (over frequency) the periodogram matrix at each time block. In this paper, a consistent estimation procedure is developed using time-localized linear filtering. The proposed method automatically selects, via repeated tests of homogeneity, the optimal window width for estimating local coherence. It is pointwise adaptive in the sense that the width of the optimal interval is allowed to change across time. Under the locally stationary process framework, we develop a central limit theorem on the Fisher-z transform of our time-localized band coherence. We apply our method to a pair of highly dynamic brain waves signals whose coherence is shown to evolve during an epileptic seizure.


This complex practice as research project was designed to interrogate the potential of `Traumaturgy', an emergent dramaturgical methodology, in addressing the many challenges of writing, staging, and performing, autobiographical trauma narratives and to understand the impact of this process on the psychic, and somatic memories, of the autobiographical performer. The methodology was designed to motivate complex reflections on personal and cultural traumata as critical provocations for the re-writing and performing of the memory-scripts associated with the autobiographical traumatic life events such as adoption, which are explored through the traumaturgical performance process.
Rather than distracting the psyche from the autobiographical traumatic experience, the traumaturgy model functions by seeking to establish new internal cognitive networks: positive associations that might facilitate an empowering, liberating transition, initiated through the act of traumaturgically framed
narrative performance. Models of trauma intervention locate narrative reconstructions of the traumatic experience as a central focus for the process of recovery (Eagle., 2000; Herman, 1992; Schwartz & Prout, 1991) etc, however, unlike expressive therapies (see Glading, 1991; Moreno, 1975) which exist within the relative safety of the applied theatre space, key to this methodology is the achievement of strategic closure, by returning the performance to the traditional theatre environment and inviting an audience to play the role of witness. This creative synthesis between trauma theory and dramaturgical responses to the staging, and performing of post-traumatic memory based materials, forms the axis of this methodological approach. The research-sharing event In Search of Duende, which represented the performative articulation of this thesis, culminated in the performance of the play Dancing For Franco, which sought to re-write, and re
process the researcher's autobiographical trauma-based memory scripts through its witnessed performance. The play takes the somatic language of flamenco intertwoven with the adoption narratives of the researcher, and individuals affected by the Francoist system of illegal baby theft which are
collectively known as the Ninos Robados (Spain's Stolen Children), and the fictional narratives of created characters, to understand how the traumaturgy model might instigate transformational processes within the autobiographical performer.


This paper argues that there is a fundamental difference between alienable and inalienable possession in the syntax of the noun phrase, and that this difference involves direction of predication. A possessum is the subject of a predicate that is or contains the possessor; the configurational relationship between the possessive predicate and its subject is established by a relator that takes the possessum either as its specifier or as its complement, with the possessive predicate occupying the other position in the small clause. Alienably possessed noun phrases involve an underlying syntax in which the possessum is the relator's specifier; inalienable possession constructions are built on a structure in which the possessum is the complement of the relator. The paper provides an analytical sketch of a partial typology of possessed noun phrases and an account of the cross-linguistic generalisation that for languages that show a systematic structural distinction between alienable and inalienable adnominal possession, it is the inalienably possessed noun phrase that is morphosyntactically simpler than the alienably possessed one. The focus of the discussion is on Hungarian, a language whose 'possessedness marker' -(j)a/-(j)e is teased apart into two component parts: an affixal 'spurious' article -a/e lexicalising the relator of DP-internal possession, and an additional -j- that in noun phrases that show a morphological alienability split has morphemic status, functioning as the linker that facilitates the Predicate Inversion derivation of alienably possessed noun phrases.


Agricultural products are mostly perishable and require special logistics operations for
storage, transportation and distribution to guarantee food safety and freshness. Logistics
integration is critical for improving perishable food distribution. Although successful
logistics integration has offered competitive advantage to firms operating in a wide range of
industries, it has not yet achieved its full potential in the Thai agricultural sector. In Thailand,
semi-industrial (commonly referred to as small and medium sized in extant literature) egg
industry as an important agricultural sector. However, the industry presently faces critical
issues primarily stemming from inadequate logistics. This results in suboptimal performance,
such as unreliable delivery of goods and long or unpredictable order fulfilment lead times.
Empirical evidence indicates that lack of comprehensive logistics supply chain and the
absence of full integration of all related processes are the cause of these issues. On the other
hand, in the extant studies in this field, factors such as information integration, logistics
operations coordination, organisational relationship, and institutional support, are posited to
play the main role in logistics integration. Hence, the present study aims to examine the role
of these logistics integration factors in the ability to improve the logistics performance
(specifically perfect order fulfilment and order fulfilment lead times), and identify the factors
that have the potential to significantly affect the above relationships. The findings yielded by
this study will assist in a better egg distribution logistics integration and will thus benefit the
egg farmers, wholesalers, and retailers operating in the chain with the potential for improving
distribution performance.


In temporal-difference reinforcement learning algorithms, variance in value estimation can cause instability and overestimation of the maximal target value. Many algorithms have been proposed to reduce overestimation, including several recent ensemble methods, however none have shown success in sample-efficient learning through addressing estimation variance as the root cause of overestimation. In this paper, we propose MeanQ, a simple ensemble method that estimates target values as ensemble means. Despite its simplicity, MeanQ shows remarkable sample efficiency in experiments on the Atari Learning Environment benchmark. Importantly, we find that an ensemble of size 5 sufficiently reduces estimation variance to obviate the lagging target network, eliminating it as a source of bias and further gaining sample efficiency. We justify intuitively and empirically the design choices in MeanQ, including the necessity of independent experience sampling. On a set of 26 benchmark Atari environments, MeanQ outperforms all tested baselines, including the best available baseline, SUNRISE, at 100K interaction steps in 16/26 environments, and by 68% on average. MeanQ also outperforms Rainbow DQN at 500K steps in 21/26 environments, and by 49% on average, and achieves average human-level performance using 200K ($\pm$100K) interaction steps. Our implementation is available at https://github.com/indylab/MeanQ.


The information revolution and the advent of digital technologies have ushered in new social practices, business models, legal solutions, regulatory policies, governance structures, consumer preferences and global concerns. This unique book series provides an interdisciplinary forum for studying the complex inter-actions that arise from this environment. It examines the broader and deeper theoretical questions concerning information law and policy, explores its latest developments and social implications, and provides new ways of thinking about changing technology.


In dynamic ridesharing systems, both operational and economic policies impact Quality-of-Service (QoS). Field experiments have found that firms benefit from proactively compensating users whose QoS expectations are violated. This motivates a broader analytical study of how behavioral perceptions of QoS impact operational and economic policy design in ridesharing systems. We introduce a novel, QoS-centric framework with the following elements: (a) users' state-dependent utility model that bridges operational (detours) and economic effects (prices or cost shares), (b) dynamic QoS notion, sequential individual rationality, defined on the sequence of (dis)utilities from successive stages of a shared ride, influenced by behavioral drivers (reference/recency effects, loss aversion), and (c) QoS-sensitive economic objectives (profit or fairness) that endogenize users' choices and QoS constraints. Our framework can be used to extract key operational insights from QoS-sensitive economic objectives in two different environments: (i) commercial ridesharing, which involves pricing exclusive/shared service to maximize profit (considering penalties for QoS-violations), and (ii) community carpooling, which involves designing fair cost sharing schemes.

In the commercial setting, we characterize a ride's optimal shareable region, and show that it may be optimal for a QoS-sensitive service provider to violate QoS and get penalized, no matter how strong the users' loss aversion. In the carpooling setting, we characterize routes that admit budget-balanced, QoS-compliant cost sharing schemes, resulting in a ride's QoS-compliant shareable region. We define sequential fairness and characterize fair, QoS-compliant schemes that bring out insightful structural properties, including a strong requirement that commuters must compensate each other for the detour-inconveniences they cause.


Ethanol is a low chain alcohol that could partially substitute diesel fuel to operate compression ignition engines. Its renewable origin and oxygenated structure make ethanol a candidate fuel for internal combustion engines. Main drawbacks of ethanol as a fuel are its low heating value, viscosity, lubricity, cetane number and limited miscibility if mixed with diesel fuel. Additives may enhance its solubility, although with a cost increase. In the present study, castor oil is proposed as an additional component to be added to ethanol-diesel fuel blends. Castor oil and its seeds are not suitable as food neither for humans nor for animals, thus avoiding the possible conflict about the use of land for food or energy, as arises from the use of edible oil/seeds. The presence of a hydroxyl group in the ricinoleic acid increases the polarity of this oil, enhancing ethanol-diesel fuel miscibility. As a result, ternary blends of ethanol, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and castor oil have been analyzed considering blend solubility, heating value, kinematic viscosity and cold flow properties, among most critical properties of diesel fuels. Ternary-component mixture prediction models of relevant fuel properties, i.e. kinematic viscosity, cold filter plugging point and high calorific value have been developed. Blend composition that simultaneously optimizes the three fuel properties has been proposed using the desirability function of Derringer. Results from simulation have been experimentally validated, providing a fuel blend composed by diesel fuel, ethanol and castor oil that shows satisfactory values of the most significant physical and chemical fuel properties. The presence of a hydroxyl group in the ricinoleic acid provides superior ignitability, lubricant and solubility characteristics with respect to other additives/components, making it a potential suitable candidate as a blend component to enhance ethanol/diesel fuel blends.


Introduction This paper, as the title suggests, deals with a broad-ranging and difficult subject, and one that anthropology, for the most part, has eschewed and left to history and geography. However, anthropology, with its emphasis on holism and its insistence that societies be viewed as a system of interrelated parts, has much to offer in explaining what happens to a particular human ecological system when it becomes incorporated into the larger world system. During the period of European colonization and mercantile expansion, many indigenous societies around the globe evolved into different systems, and in this process their relationships with the environment also changed. This paper is a preliminary assessment of some methodological aspects involved in examining the changes in a society's relationship to the environment that occur when a society becomes incorporated into the world-wide market. I also present some models that explore the dynamics of these changes. Ecological anthropology of the 60s and 70s took a particularistic approach and generated much good work on the relationship particular groups had with their environments. Much of this work, however, fell into the traps of functionalist explanations and the ethnographic present, treating the societies under observation as relatively isolated entities in which culture served as an adaptive tool to maintain an ecological equilibrium. Ecological anthropology of the past was criticized on these accounts, and, for the most part, abandoned by anthropology. The legacy of ecological anthropology is mixed. On one hand, these works forced us to see that humans are part of an ecosystem and that the human relationship to nature was not that much different from other animals. I view this as a major contribution to understanding humans. On the other hand, because these anthropologists did not extricate their works from functionalist explanations and the ethnographic present, their methods and theories leave us very little with which to explain change. The underlying goal of this project derives from the University of Georgia, Department of Anthropology's goal to revitalize ecological anthropology. I understand this goal to be a long-term project in which new and pertinent questions are formulated covering human/environment interactions. One area of inquiry concerns the evolution of human ecological systems-how these systems evolve and why. The question of social evolution encompasses the broad pattern of human existence: the long-term social organization of hunters and gatherers, the domestication of plants and animals, the rise of the state, the emergence and duration of the modern world system and capitalist economy, the industrial revolution, and the contemporary global ecological system. Each of these transformations in human existence directly affected the ways in which humans conceived of, related to, and used their environment. Anthropology, with its long-term view of humanity is in a unique position to address questions concerning these major transformations in human existence. But to do so, we must learn from the mistakes of the giants upon whose shoulders we stand. We cannot slip into the comfortable confines of functionalist explanations. Nor can we afford to ignore the global economic system and its effect on indigenous peoples. As this paper shows, capitalist development can be deleterious, disruptive, and malfunctional. European colonization and mercantile expansion form the nascence of the modern world system and capitalist economy; this project is but a beginning stage of formulating questions on how and why the modern world system served as a catalyst for the evolution of indigenous societies. Methodology In order to examine the changes wrought in a human ecological system by colonialism, mercantile expansion, and incorporation into a capitalist market economy, one should begin by pinpointing those factors that one must consider as well as the relationship between those factors. …


Advanced oxidation processes, like UV/H2O2 oxidation, are important barriers against organic micro pollutants in drinking water treatment. In order to guarantee safe drinking water, it is important to be able to predict the reactors' performance to adjust the operating conditions to the actual influent water characteristics (like UV transmission) and lamp performance. Therefore, a design tool was developed, which is based on a kinetic model that describes and predicts the direct photolysis and oxidation of organic compounds in pilot experiments, using Low Pressure (LP) UV-lamps. This model has been combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), in order to be able to accurately predict the results of pilot and full scale installations, and also to design reactor systems. The model was applied to three model compounds (atrazine, ibuprofen and NDMA) in two different pilot reactors, and it has been shown that reactor performance can be fairly predicted by applying this 'UVPerox' model. The model takes into account the water quality and power of the lamps, and the properties of the compounds involved. © IWA Publishing 2011.


The fact that birds have feathers and ice is cold seems trivially true. Yet, most machine-readable sources of knowledge either lack such common sense facts entirely or have only limited coverage. Prior work on automated knowledge base construction has largely focused on relations between named entities and on taxonomic knowledge, while disregarding common sense properties. In this paper, we show how to gather large amounts of common sense facts from Web n-gram data, using seeds from the ConceptNet collection. Our novel contributions include scalable methods for tapping onto Web-scale data and a new scoring model to determine which patterns and facts are most reliable. The experimental results show that this approach extends ConceptNet by many orders of magnitude at comparable levels of precision.


Candida albicans is responsible for the majority of cases of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), an infection which occurs mainly during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle or during the pregnancy, when levels of progesterone are elevated. One of the most important candidal virulence factors is the ability to adhere to host surfaces and form biofilms. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of progesterone on C. albicans virulence, namely biofilm formation and colonisation/invasion of a reconstituted human vaginal epithelium (RHVE). Biofilm formation on the RHVE was evaluated by enumeration of culturable cells, total mass quantification and scanning electron microscopy. The capacity of C. albicans strains to invade and colonise the tissue was examined by fluorescence microscopy using species-specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe hybridisation, and quantitatively evaluated by RT-PCR Candida quantification methodology. Furthermore, gene (BCR1 and HWP1) expression of biofilm and RHVE-colonising cells was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR. Results confirmed that progesterone reduced the capacity of C. albicans strains to form biofilms and to colonise and invade RHVE. Additionally, it was demonstrated that progesterone decreased expression of BCR1 and HWP1, which are important virulence determinants of C. albicans. In conclusion, it was evident that progesterone can have a major influence on C. albicans pathogenicity on vaginal epithelial cells and may partly explain susceptibility of women to VVC at different stages of the menstrual cycle.


Concerns over the two-legged march towards sustainability and biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes have sparked debates globally; both in research and development, socioeconomics and policy planning. While others argue that sustainable and biodiversity conserving agriculture is impractical, an increasing body of evidence continues to recognise the importance of biodiversity for human survival and environmental stability. Because of this recognition, the UN decided to integrate and prioritise biodiversity conservation in its sustainable development goals. Although the concept of biodiversity is recognised as a potential coping strategy for climate change and crop production challenges; the practicality of its integration in agriculture remains a challenge. In this paper, some of the important prospects that can support and facilitate biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes are briefly discussed. While we recognise that the path to sustainability is not going to be easy, we emphasise the need for integrated research from both the sectors of agriculture and conservation to be prioritised, to reconcile productive sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation. Such research should target trade-offs and synergies which can make it possible for these sectors to coexist and survive in their coexistence. This will be highly beneficial to facilitate and guide the sustainability and conservation policy planning.
Keywords: sustainable intensification; resilience; biodiversity conservation; ecosystem services; food security


The usefulness of tigernut milk (TNM) in reversing acetaminophen-induced liver injury was investigated. Twenty-five rats were randomized into five equal groups. Four groups were challenged on day 0 with 2500 mg/kg bodyweight (bw) acetaminophen. Subsequently, from days 1 to 7, they were treated with 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 kg/mg bw TNM, respectively, per os. The fifth group served as the normal control group. On the 8th day, the rats were sacrificed humanely and biochemical markers of toxicity and oxidative stress were determined in their sera. TNM at the tested concentrations significantly reversed liver injury as shown by liver function markers. For example, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations decreased dose-dependently and significantly (p<0.001) from 298.9±32.3 in the negative control group to 159.3±22.1 in the 2000 mg/kg bw TNM group. In fact, the serum ALP concentrations of all test rats were statistically similar (p>0.001) to those of the normal control rats. These biochemical data are corroborated by histological findings. Superoxide dismutase activity (U/mg protein) was increased significantly (p<0.001) from 108.0±7.4 in the negative control group to 283.9±20.5 in the 500 mg/kg bw TNM group, and indeed in all test groups. Malondialdehyde concentrations in the test rats suggest less efficient clearance of the break-down products of lipid peroxidation. Phytochemicals in the TNM may have acted directly as antioxidants, or induced the synthesis of glutathione (which exerts downstream positive effects on antioxidant systems), thereby aiding recovery from drug-induced liver damage.


Much of the new theory of macro-economics that has been built upon micro-economic models of imperfect information leads to conclusions which are surprisingly close in spirit to Keynes' original analysis. This paper summarizes the macro-economic implications of information-based models of efficiency wages, credit-rationing and the breakdown of financial markets for equity-type securities. It shows how these models lead to behavior by firms and interactions among economic agents that account for many of the phenomena identified by Keynes in qualitative terms which were largely lost in subsequent formalizations of the Keynesian model. These imperfect information macro-models provide consistent theoretical explanations in the Keynesian spirit in unemployment, investment concentrated business cycles, rigid prices and the effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policy interventions. In doing so, they reconcile macro and micro-economic analysis in a way that has so far been achieved neither by the traditional Keynesians, who assumed away the micro-dimension of the problem, nor by the new classical economists who assumed away the macro-dimension of the problem.


Objectives. We explored the effect of a culturally targeted calorie label intervention on food purchasing behavior of elementary school students. Method. We used a quasi-experimental design with two intervention schools and one control school to assess food purchases of third through fifth graders at standardized school food sales before and after the intervention (immediate and delayed) in schools. The intervention comprised three 1-hour assembly-style hip-hop–themed multimedia classes. Results. A mean total of 225 children participated in two baseline preintervention sales with and without calorie labels; 149 children participated in immediate postintervention food sales, while 133 children participated in the delayed sales. No significant change in purchased calories was observed in response to labels alone before the intervention. However, a mean decline in purchased calories of 20% (p < .01) and unhealthy foods (p < .01) was seen in immediately following the intervention compared to baseline purchases, and this persisted without significant decay after 7 days and 12 days. Conclusion. A 3-hour culturally targeted calorie label intervention may improve food-purchasing behavior of children.


A systematic study of the influence of the excitation angle, the light polarization and the coating thickness of commercial SPM tips on the field enhancement in an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope is presented. A new method to optimize the alignment of the electric field vector along the major tip axis by measuring the resonance frequency was developed. The simulations were performed with a MNPBEM toolbox based on the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The influence of the coating thickness was investigated for the first time. Coatings below 40 nm showed a drastic influence both on the resonance wavelength and the enhancement. A shift to higher angles of incidence for the maximum enhancement could be observed for greater tip radii.


The provision of health care in contemporary developed societies has become a so-called "wicked problem." Tackling the many important challenges is a daunting task—so much so, in fact, that it may prove to be a "mission impossible." This reality has significant implications for the crafting of health care reforms and policies. Moreover, and more fundamentally, there exists no widely accepted standard by which to generate, evaluate, and prioritize reform and policy proposals. In view of these difficulties, turning to the public for guidance may be the wisest course of action. Specifically, a democratic mechanism is needed by which the public can consider a range of policy directions and can deliberate the consequences and trade-offs in view of people's values and priorities. In short, some form of deliberative democratic exercise is called for. The chief aim of the present article is to highlight the possibilities for bringing the principles and methods of deliberative democracy to bear on health care in Finland, and in particular on developing proposals for reform and policy. The essay consists of four parts. First, I offer a theoretical perspective on deliberative democracy and its potential for dealing with "wicked problems." Second, I situate the theory in the context of the crisis of the Finnish welfare state. In part three, I consider the relative dearth of existing forms of deliberative democracy in Finland, and present an upcoming Finnish experiment on public deliberation. Finally, in part four, I examine the views of two groups: representatives of Finnish patient and disability NGOs, and a group of Finnish citizens. I ask whether they see the need for or value in increased citizen involvement in the planning of health care reforms and policies.


A study on the characteristics of the Malaysian field and
vaccine strains of Pasteurella multocida type B was conducted .
In addition , the immunogenic potential of haemorrhagic
septicaemia ( HS ) vaccines was evaluated in buffaloes .
A total of 48 P. multocida isolates including the five HS
vaccine strains were included in the study . Initial studies
showed significant cross-protection in mice amongst the five
vaccine strains . The 48 isolates , when subjected to
biochemical tests had very little or no variability amongst
them. Type-specific hyper immune sera were prepared in rabbits
and buffaloes . The sera were then absorbed using antigens
prepared from the 48 isolates . A series of serological tests
were conducted using the pre- and post-absorbed sera and the
antigen preparations . The protein profile of the five vaccine
and five randomly selected field strains of this organism
revealed that there appeared to be no variation amongst the
field and vaccine strains .
The antibody responses of buffaloes immunised with three
conventional HS vaccines viz . , broth bacterin ( BB ) ,
alum-precipitated vaccine ( APV ) and oil adjuvant vaccine ( OAV )
and one experimental double emulsion vaccine ( DEV ) were
determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA ) .
Antibody levels were significantly higher in buffaloes
immunised with the adjuvanted vaccines ( APV , OAV , DEV ) .
Buffaloes immunised with BB alone were protected at 6 weeks but
not at 12 weeks post-immunisation . Buffaloes immunised with
APV were protected at 24 weeks but only partially at 52 weeks
post-immunisation . On the other hand , buffaloes immunised with
OAV or DEV were fully protected at 52 weeks but only partially
at 76 weeks post-immunisation .There was also a positive
relationship between the ELISA titres and protection in
buffaloes .


"Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher is a phenomenal "New York Times" number one bestseller. It tackles the aftermath of teen suicide from the critically acclaimed young adult author Jay Asher - perfect for fans of John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars". You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret ...is to press play. Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide. Hannah's voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself and Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discovers changes his life ...Forever. Bestselling US author Jay Asher had the idea for his debut young adult novel "Thirteen Reasons Why" at a museum. Whilst taking an audio tour, he was struck by the eeriness of the voice in his ear - a woman who described everything he was looking at but wasn't there.


Background: Mass media depictions of people with mental illness have a strong influence on public attitudes, to the extent that changes in these depictions can reduce public stigmatization of people with such illness. Journalists' mental health may influence their depiction of those with mental illness, but little is known about this. Aims: To investigate mental illness among journalists in five key areas: (1) journalists' mental health status; (2) journalists' personal attitudes towards mental illness; (3) attitudes and support journalists expect or have experienced from colleagues when they have a mental health problem; (4) effect of journalism's professional culture on the course of mental illness; and (5) effect of journalism's professional culture on mass media depictions of people with mental illness. Methods: We performed a systematic screening of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library regarding the study aims. Results: We identified 19, 12, seven and four studies for aims 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. No articles were found for aim 5. Conclusions: The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among journalists is higher than that among the general population. Journalists have positive personal attitudes towards mental illness, but there are perceived workplace disincentives to disclose mental health problems.


Surface losses of nitrogen from horticulture farms in coastal Queensland, Australia, may have the potential to eutrophy sensitive coastal marine habitats nearby. A case-study of the potential extent of such losses was investigated in a coastal macadamia plantation. Nitrogen losses were quantified in 5 consecutive runoff events during the 13-month study.

Irrigation did not contribute to surface flows. Runoff was generated by storms at combined intensities and durations that were 20–40 mm/h for >9 min. These intensities and durations were within expected short-term (1 year) and long-term (up to 20 years) frequencies of rainfall in the study area. Surface flow volumes were 5.3 ± 1.1% of the episodic rainfall generated by such storms. Therefore, the largest part of each rainfall event was attributed to infiltration and drainage in this farm soil (Kandosol). The estimated annual loss of total nitrogen in runoff was 0.26 kg N/ha.year, representing a minimal loading of nitrogen in surface runoff when compared to other studies.

The weighted average concentrations of total sediment nitrogen (TSN) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) generated in the farm runoff were 2.81 ± 0.77% N and 1.11 ± 0.27 mg N/L, respectively. These concentrations were considerably greater than ambient levels in an adjoining catchment waterway. Concentrations of TSN and TDN in the waterway were 0.11 ± 0.02% N and 0.50 ± 0.09 mg N/L, respectively. The steep concentration gradient of TSN and TDN between the farm runoff and the waterway demonstrated the occurrence of nutrient loading from the farming landscapes to the waterway. The TDN levels in the stream exceeded the current specified threshold of 0.2–0.3 mg N/L for eutrophication of such a waterway. Therefore, while the estimate of annual loading of N from runoff losses was comparatively low, it was evident that the stream catchment and associated agricultural land uses were already characterised by significant nitrogen loadings that pose eutrophication risks. The reported levels of nitrogen and the proximity of such waterways (8 km) to the coastline may have also have implications for the nearshore (oligotrophic) marine environment during periods of turbulent flow.


Purpose – The purpose of this research is to seek to understand and explain the non-governmental organisation (NGO) and its location in civil society in order to provide a basis for future research work. The paper aims to explore and develop understandings of accountability specifically in the context of the NGO and then extend these insights to the accountability of all organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is framed within a theoretical conception of accountability and is primarily literature-based. In addition secondary data relating to the issues of concern are collated and synthesised. Findings – The research finds that the essence of accountability lies in the relationships between the organisation and the society and/or stakeholder groups of interest. The nature of this relationship allows us to infer much about the necessary formality and the channels of accountability. In turn, this casts a light upon taken-for-granted assumptions in the corporate accountability and reminds us that the essence and basis of success of the corporate world lies in its withdrawal from any form of human relationship and the consequential colonisation and oppression of civil society. Research limitations/implications – The principal implications relate to: our need to improve the analytical incisiveness of our applications of accountability theory; and the possibility of the accounting literature offering more developed insights to the NGO literature. The primary limitations lie in the paper in being: exploratory of a more developed understanding of accountability; and a novel excursion into the world of the NGO and civil society – neither of which feature greatly in the accounting literature. Practical implications – These lie in the current political struggles between civil society and capital over appropriate forms of accountability. Corporations continue to avoid allowing themselves to be held accountable whilst civil society organisations are often accountable in many different and informal ways. Ill-considered calls from capital for more oppressive NGO accountability are typically, therefore, hypocritical and inappropriate. Originality/value – NGOs are introduced in a detailed and accessible way to the accounting literature. The concept of accountability is further developed by examination of relationships and channels in the context of the NGO and, through Rawls' notion of "closeness", is further enriched.


Identification of genetic structure and diversity of T‐cell receptor (TCR)α and β genes for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) infiltrating human cancers is important for the better understanding of molecular mechanisms of host defense at tumor sites. cDNAs of TCRα and β genes of 22 different melanoma‐specific CTL clones established from the tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes of 2 patients were sequenced for analysis of their genetic structure and diversity. Vα7.2‐Jα10‐Cα was found in 4 of 22 clones, 2 of which also used the same β‐chain. The other 20 clones showed different combinations of α and β use. At deduced amino‐acid levels, 7 of 9 clones from one patient used a threonine residue at the 26th position in the complementarity‐determining region (CDR)1 of TCRα. Eight of 13 clones used a threonine at the 99th or a serine residue at the 100th position in CDR3 of TCRα. CTL clones with the same or different TCRα showed the same or different patterns of cytotoxicity, respectively. These results suggest that CTLs usually do not demonstrate clonal expansion at tumor sites of metastatic melanoma's but rather that polyclonal T cells capable of binding to multiple melanoma determinants through CDR3 of TCRα accumulate in the tumor.


Plants and animals affect morphological evolution in many environments. The term "ecogeomorphology" describes studies that address such effects. In this opinion article we use the term "biomorphodynamics" to characterize a subset of ecogeomorphologic studies: those that investigate not only the effects of organisms on physical processes and morphology but also how the biological processes depend on morphology and physical forcing. The two‐way coupling precipitates feedbacks, leading to interesting modes of behavior, much like the coupling between flow/sediment transport and morphology leads to rich morphodynamic behaviors. Select examples illustrate how even the basic aspects of some systems cannot be understood without considering biomorphodynamic coupling. Prominent examples include the dynamic interactions between vegetation and flow/sediment transport that can determine river channel patterns and the multifaceted biomorphodynamic feedbacks shaping tidal marshes and channel networks. These examples suggest that the effects of morphology and physical processes on biology tend to operate over the timescale of the evolution of the morphological pattern. Thus, in field studies, which represent a snapshot in the pattern evolution, these effects are often not as obvious as the effects of biology on physical processes. However, numerical modeling indicates that the influences on biology from physical processes can play a key role in shaping landscapes and that even local and temporary vegetation disturbances can steer large‐scale, long‐term landscape evolution. The prevalence of biomorphodynamic research is burgeoning in recent years, driven by societal need and a confluence of complex systems–inspired modeling approaches in ecology and geomorphology. To make fundamental progress in understanding the dynamics of many landscapes, our community needs to increasingly learn to look for two‐way, biomorphodynamic feedbacks and to collect new types of data to support the modeling of such emergent interactions.


Many studies have been concerned about the extent to which attitudes are influenced by or affect learning in mathematics but little attention has been paid to the student perspective of how attitude affects their perceived performance and career aspirations. To look for relationships between these factors, the study used an attitude questionnaire designed for Form 4 and 5 students in Botswana senior secondary schools which included supplementary questions on student perceived performance in mathematics and future career choices. Results indicate that student attitude towards mathematics is strongly related to how they perceive their performance in the subject and students with positive attitudes appear to equally choose mathematics or non-mathematics related careers. Attitudes to mathematics also seem to determine student level of aspiration: students with positive altitudes wish to opt more for degree and diploma courses after completing their secondary schooling.


The present paper deals with morphological and structural investigation of 3C-SiC layers grown by sublimation epitaxy on on axis 6H-SiC(0001) at source temperature 2000 °C, under vacuum conditions (<10-5 mbar) and different temperature gradients in the range of 5-8 °C/mm. The layer grown at a temperature gradient 6 °C/mm has the largest average domain size of 0.4 mm2 assessed by optical microscope in transmission mode. The rocking curve full width at half maximum (FWHM) of (111) reflection is 43 arcsec which suggests good crystalline quality. The AFM image of the same layer shows steps with height 0.25 nm and 0.75 nm which are characteristic of a stacking fault free 3C-SiC surface and c-axis repeat height, respectively.


This volume critically interrogates, from different angles and dimensions, the resilience of conflict and violence into 21st century Africa. The demise of European colonial administration in Africa in the 1960s wielded fervent hope for enduring peace for the people of Africa. Regrettably, conflict alongside violence in all its dimensions ? physical, religious, political, psychological and structural ? remain unabated and occupy central stage in contemporary Africa. The resilience of conflict and violence on the continental scene invokes unsettling memories of the past while negatively influencing the present and future of crafting inclusive citizenship and statehood. The book provides fresh insightful ethnographic and intellectual material for rethinking violence and conflict, and for fostering long-lasting peace and political justice on the continent and beyond. With its penetrating focus on conflict and associated trajectories of violence in Africa, the book is an inestimable asset for conflict management practitioners, political scientists, historians, civil society activists and leaders in economics and politics as well as all those interested in the affairs of Africa.


Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees (the genus Apis ). The purpose of the present study was to determine in vitro antibacterial activities of different honey against various pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms. Antibacterial activity of honey was determine by using well diffusion method in which different concentrations (20, 40, 60, 80, & 100 % v/v) of honey were used against various test pathogen. These organisms also tested against artificial honey for study of effect of sugar on its antibacterial activity. The results of these study was shown that wide range of variation in Zone of Inhibition (mm) of each type of honey and only very few organism inhibited due to effect of sugar. That shows there are also other components other than the sugar present in honey which ultimately responsible for antimicrobial activity. Due to obtaining maximum level of antibacterial activity of each honey it allow further investigation for treatment various infection and in curing of disease. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9179 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 279-281


After the structured program theorem by Böhm & Jacopini (1966), different computer programming languages spread out. In fact, in spite of the fact that most programming languages are Turing-complete and hence the same expressive power, some programming languages are more equal than others in accomplishing specific goals, although no particular programming language is better than the others in absolute terms. This paper addresses the research question of what changes in terms of the programmers' knowledge in choosing one programming language instead of another. The method of levels of abstraction by Floridi (2008) is used in analysing four prototypical paradigms of computer programming: procedural, functional, object-oriented, and logicbased. The analysis clarifies the epistemological commitments adopted by the programmer within each paradigm, and in particular the levels of abstraction that get hidden. Some consequences in terms of programmer's responsibility (ethics) and in terms of beauty of source code (aesthetics) are envisaged in the conclusion.


We summarize findings from across a range of methods, including behavioral measures of overall processing speed and accuracy, electrophysiological indices that tap into the early time course of language processing, and neural measures using structural and functional imaging. We argue that traditional claims about rigid constraints on the ability of late bilinguals to exploit the meaning and form of the morphology and morphosyntax in a second language should be revised so as to move away from all or none command of structures motivated from strict dichotomies among linguistic categories of morphology. We describe how the dynamics of morphological processing in neither monolingual or bilingual speakers is easily characterized in terms of the potential to decompose words into their constituent morphemes and that morphosyntactic processing is not easily characterized in terms of categories of structures that are learnable and those that are unlearnable by bilingual and nonnative speakers. Instead, we emphasize the high degree of variability across individuals and plasticity within individuals in their ability to successfully learn and use even subtle aspects of a second language. Further, both of the bilingual's two languages become active when even one language is engaged, and parallel activation has consequences that shape both languages, thus their influence is not in the unidirectional manner that was traditionally assumed. We briefly discuss the nature of possible constraints and directions for future research.


Purpose: According to previous reports about the experimental study of transport disk distraction osteogenesis (TDDO) for the reconstruction of bone defects, TDDO showed great feasibility of successful bone regeneration. However, those studies had some limitations in their design and analysis of the results, either. In this report, we intended to verify the effect of TDDO in the reconstruction of skull defects with a combined result of distraction osteogenesis and bone graft of transported disk (TD). Methods: Six female dogs were operated on and were given a 35 × 15-mm bilateral skull defect. In the experimental group, TDDO with internal distractors (7 × 14-mm TD) was performed. On the other side, in the control group, the bone defects were left to heal naturally. The distraction was performed from the postoperative fifth day at a rate of 1 mm/d. The distraction progressed for 14 days, and then the TD was maintained in the middle of the bone defect area. The 40% of the original bone defect area was left the same as the control side. The TD was expected to be survived as a bone graft during the consolidation period. After 3½ months of a consolidation period, the remained bone defects were measured by three-dimensional computed tomography. The solidity of the new bone was compared with the bone tissue of the normal skull bone. Results: In the study group, the new bone formation was estimated to be 62.3% (SD, 25.1%) of the defect area, and in the control group, it was 44.8% (SD, 27.3%). The difference between the 2 groups was significant (P = 0.04). The solidity of the newly generated bone by TDDO was not different from the normal skull (P = 0.74). Conclusions: In this study, the concept of TDDO and bone graft seemed to promote new bone formation. The role of the TD could include bone regeneration from distraction osteogenesis as well as autogenous bone graft, although it needs more investigation. The relationship between the duration of distraction and the positive role of the TD as an autogenous bone graft in TDDO for better clinical application may be investigated.


Purpose: To characterize a unique cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated retinopathy in patients with limited immune dysfunction. Methods: Retrospective observational case series. CMV was confirmed as the pathogenic agent via polymerase chain reaction analysis of aqueous or vitreous humor samples or via immunohistochemical analysis of retinal biopsy specimens. Results: Five non-HIV patients with granular necrotizing retinitis, vitritis, and severe occlusive vasculopathy were identified. Patient histories all suggested a basis for limited immune dysfunction including advanced age (n = 4), diabetes mellitus (n = 4), and noncytotoxic immunotherapy (n = 3). Diagnosis of CMV retinitis was delayed in all cases and patients received either no antiviral therapy (n = 2) or incorrect antiviral therapy (n = 3) for presumed herpes simplex/varicella zoster-related acute retinal necrosis. Retinitis subsequently regressed in all cases with introduction of systemic ganciclovir/valganciclovir (n = 5) and/or intravitreal foscarnet (n = 2). Four of five patients developed neovascularization because of extensive retinal ischemia. Conclusion: The clinical expression of CMV-associated retinopathy is strongly related to immune status. In patients with limited immune dysfunction, a mixed clinical picture of intraocular inflammation with panretinal occlusive vasculopathy, more characteristic of acute retinal necrosis, and peripheral slowly progressive granular retinitis, more characteristic of classic CMV retinitis, is observed. Recognition of this atypical clinical presentation, which the authors term chronic retinal necrosis, should prompt molecular testing for CMV to determine the appropriate antiviral therapy. Consideration should also be given to prophylactic panretinal photocoagulation in such eyes, given the high risk of neovascular complications.


The source location of the 16 September 1994 Taiwan Strait earthquake was relocated based on the beam-forming method using joint seismic observations from regional seismic networks in Taiwan and Fujian and the International Seismological Center Bulletin. The revised epicenter is located at latitude 22.37° N (±0.03°) and longitude 118.63° E (±0.03°). Results of this study showed that the location uncertainty has been significantly reduced using this approach. Decomposition tests of this study showed that the epicenters of Taiwan Strait events can be determined by the beam-forming method using data from densely distributed seismic stations in Taiwan. However, source depths of Taiwan Strait events can not be determined unambiguously using the first P-arrivals only. Seismic waveform data should be carefully re-examined using this method to investigate earthquake source properties and seismicity of the Taiwan Strait region.


Due to the sharp increase in the severity of the threat imposed by software vulnerabilities, the detection of vulnerabilities in binary code has become an important concern in the software industry, such as the embedded systems industry, and in the field of computer security. However, most of the works in binary code vulnerability detection has relied on handcrafted features which are manually chosen by a select few domain experts. In this paper, we attempt to alleviate this severe binary vulnerability detection bottleneck by leveraging recent advances in deep learning representations and propose the Maximal Divergence Sequential Auto-Encoder. In particular, latent codes representing vulnerable and non-vulnerable binaries are encouraged to be maximally divergent, while still being able to maintain crucial information from the original binaries. We conducted extensive experiments to compare and contrast our proposed methods with the baselines, and the results indicate that our proposed methods outperform the baselines in all performance measures of interest.


Background: The rapid occurrence of multiple drug resistance and adverse side effects of aliphatic medicine threatens human health. Medicinal plants are known to possess phytocompounds with antibacterial activity and less toxic effects. Objective: This study aimed at determining the chemical composition of the methanolic Ricinus communis` leaf extract and evaluate their antibacterial and toxic effects . Methods: R. communis leaves were extracted by acetone, chloroform, ethanol and methanol. The extracts were assessed for antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10102), Escherichia coli (25922), Staphylococcus aureus (25923) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) using agar-well diffusion and microwell dilution methods. The extracts were screened for alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids. The chemical constituents of the methanolic extract were analysed by gas chromatography – mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). In silico toxicity of the phytocompounds were investigated using PreADMET tool. Results: The methanol extract showed the antibacterial activity against the bacterial strains, with the MIC values of 1.56 mg/mL against B. cereus, 3.13 mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL against P. aeruginosa and E. coli. The extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, tannins, terpenoids and saponins. The GC-MS showed phytocompounds namely hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (0.62%), tridecanoic acid (0.76%), pentafluoropropionic acid, nonyl ester (0.85%), 10-octadecanoic acid, methyl ester (2.93%) and cis-vaccenic acid (94.84%). Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester was predicted not to have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. Moreover, all compounds exhibited low inhibitory risks against hERG gene. Conclusion: R. communis leaf extract has potential to be used as a safe source of therapeutic compounds.


Subsea pipelines are prone to be damaged by the falling objects from ships or offshore platforms, which may result in economic losses and pollution. The dimensions of dent were commonly used to evaluate the impact resistance of pipes made from carbon steel. Thermoplastic composite pipes (TCPs), due to their superior properties including corrosion resistance, thermal insulation, fast installation, etc., are increasingly used as the subsea pipelines. The TCP is made from thermoplastic resins and reinforced by continuous fibers. Because of the brittle nature of carbon fibers and glass fibers, the dimensions of dent are not suitable for assessment of impact resistance of a TCP. In the present work, a procedure was proposed using the internal pressure capacity as an indicator to evaluate the lateral impact resistance of a TCP. First, the internal pressure capacity of an intact TCP was evaluated. Second, a quasi-static simulation was conducted by applying a lateral compression force on the intact TCP using a rigid ball, until one of the composite plies in the reinforcement layer failed. The quasi-static simulation provided an initial estimate of the minimum energy that causes the start of damage of the TCP. Third, the impact simulations were performed by using a rigid ball hitting the TCP and, then, the internal pressure capacity of the damaged TCP was evaluated. Finally, the internal pressure capacity of the damaged pipe, compared with that of the intact pipe, was used as an indicator to evaluate the lateral impact resistance of the TCP. In this study, a glass-fiber reinforced polyethylene (PE) pipe of an inner diameter of 150 mm was modeled by ABAQUS to illustrate the procedure. A theoretical method was proposed to calculate the impact energy of a dropped object in a shallow water. The example studied in the present work showed that the modeled TCP was not strong enough to survive the lateral impact caused by the dropped object and should be buried to a certain depth beneath the seabed if used as a subsea pipeline.


BACKGROUND The hormonal response to surgical trauma can have detrimental effects on patients. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block, which can improve analgesia after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) might attenuate the peri-operative stress response. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the ability of the TAP block to reduce stress response, opioid consumption and pain following TAH and multimodal analgesia. DESIGN Randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind study. SETTING The current study was conducted at a university hospital from July 2016 to September 2017. PATIENTS Fifty patients scheduled for TAH were included. Anaesthesia and postoperative analgesia were standardised. INTERVENTION After induction of anaesthesia, patients were allocated into two groups: ultrasound-guided bilateral mid-axillary TAP block with 20 ml of bupivacaine 0.25% (Group T) or 0.9% saline (Group C). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Levels of free serum cortisol, metanephrine and normetanephrine at 60 min and 6, 12 and 24 h after surgical incision. Pain scores and opioid consumption during the first 24 h after surgery. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference between the median [IQR] peri-operative levels of stress hormones and pain scores between groups. Compared with baseline value 9.90 [4.2 to 23.1], free serum median cortisol levels were significantly high at 6 h in Group T, 23.6 [10.1 to 42.9] P = 0.015 and Group C 23.6 [9.9 to 46.3] P = 0.014. Only Group C showed significant elevation from the baseline median levels of plasma metanephrine at 60 min, 52.8 [33.4 to 193.2] P = 0.001, 6 h, 92.70 [2.4 to 202.6] P = 0.005 and normetanephrine at 60 min 83.44 [28.98 to 114.86] P = 0.004, 6 h 78.62 [36.6 to 162.31] P = 0.0005 and 24 h 80.96 [8.6 to 110.5] P = 0.025. Mean ± SD opioid consumption was similar in both groups: 39.60 ± 14.87 in Group T vs. 43.68 ± 14.93 in Group C (P = 0.338). CONCLUSION Mid-axillary TAP block does not improve stress response and analgesia in patients undergoing TAH receiving multimodal analgesia. TRAIL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT03443271.


Co-teaching is a practice in which "two professionals co-plan, co-instruct and co-assess a diverse group of students. Both teachers provide substantive instruction to all students on a daily, consistent basis. Neither is considered the main teacher of the class; they are equals" (Murawski, 2008, p. 29). Unfortunately, co-teaching in practice is often characterized by one teacher handling most of the instruction and the other operating in an assistant role (Murawski & Lochner, 2009, 2010; Volonio & Zigmund, 2007). Co-teaching should also be characterized by the use of multiple models that facilitate small group instruction, which should increase student to teacher interaction and student engagement (Friend, 2014). A way to address these gaps is to provide co-teachers with ongoing coaching support (CEC, 2012). The goal of this study was to increase the quality of co-teaching through different levels of coaching to facilitate small group instruction through parallel teaching and increase student engagement. This study used a MTSS model with a multi-probe design to respond to the level of support co-teachers need, starting with peer coaching, then traditional coaching, and finally bug in ear (BIE) coaching. There were three sets of co-teaching pairs who participated. There was an intervention effect for all three pairs of teachers with peer coaching, the first tier of the intervention. Therefore, the other two levels of support were not needed as all participants met criteria in peer coaching. Additionally, there was an effect in increasing student engagement with peer coaching. These procedures can be used and adapted for future research in coaching co-teachers to improve their practices.


Objective: To evaluate the influence of dimethyl fumarate (DMF, Tecfidera) treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) on leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets. Methods: Peripheral blood leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets, including CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells; CD19+ B cells; and CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, were obtained at baseline and monitored at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after initiation of DMF treatment. Results: Total leukocyte and lymphocyte counts diminished after 6 months of DMF therapy. At 12 months, lymphocyte counts had decreased by 50.1% (p < 0.0001) and were below the lower limit of normal (LLN) in one-half of patients. CD3+ T lymphocyte counts fell by 44.2% (p < 0.0001). Among subsets, CD8+ T cell counts declined by 54.6% (p < 0.0001), whereas CD4+ T cell counts decreased by 39.2% (p = 0.0006). This disproportionate reduction of CD8+ T cells relative to CD4+ T cells was significant (p = 0.007) and was reflected by a 35.5% increase in the CD4/CD8 ratio (p = 0.007). A majority of CD8+ T cell counts, but not CD4+ T cell counts, were below the LLN even when total lymphocyte counts were greater than 500 cells/μL. CD19+ B cell counts were reduced by 37.5% (p = 0.035). Eosinophil levels decreased by 54.1% (p = 0.006), whereas levels of neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, and NK cells were not significantly altered. Conclusion: Subsets of peripheral blood leukocytes and lymphocytes are differentially affected by DMF treatment of MS. Reduction of CD8+ T cells is more pronounced than that of CD4+ T cells. These findings may have implications for cell-mediated antiviral immunity during DMF treatment.


Abstract. Chloride is commonly used as an environmental tracer for studying water flow and solute transport in the environment. It is especially useful for estimating groundwater recharge based on the commonly used chloride mass balance (CMB) method. Strong spatial variability in chloride deposition in coastal areas is one difficulty encountered in appropriately applying the method. A high-resolution bulk chloride deposition map in the coastal region is thus needed. The aim of this study is to construct a chloride deposition map in the Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR), a coastal hilly area of approximately 9000 km2 spatial extent in South Australia. We examined geographic (related to coastal distance), orographic, and atmospheric factors that may influence chloride deposition, using partial correlation and regression analyses. The results indicate that coastal distance, elevation, as well as terrain aspect and slope, appear to be significant factors controlling chloride deposition in the study area. Coastal distance accounts for 70% of spatial variability in bulk chloride deposition, with elevation, terrain aspect and slope an additional 15%. The results are incorporated into a de-trended residual kriging model (ASOADeK) to produce a 1 km×1 km resolution bulk chloride deposition and concentration maps. The average uncertainty of the deposition map is about 20–30% in the western MLR, and 40–50% in the eastern MLR. The maps will form a useful basis for examining catchment chloride balance for the CMB application in the study area.


Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have been heavily used to predict various downstream clinical tasks such as readmission or mortality. One of the modalities in EHRs, clinical notes, has not been fully explored for these tasks due to its unstructured and inexplicable nature. Although recent advances in deep learning (DL) enables models to extract interpretable features from unstructured data, they often require a large amount of training data. However, many tasks in medical domains inherently consist of small sample data with lengthy documents; for a kidney transplant as an example, data from only a few thousand of patients are available and each patient's document consists of a couple of millions of words in major hospitals. Thus, complex DL methods cannot be applied to these kind of domains. In this paper, we present a comprehensive ensemble model using vector space modeling and topic modeling. Our proposed model is evaluated on the readmission task of kidney transplant patients, and improves 0.0211 in terms of c-statistics from the previous state-of-the-art approach using structured data, while typical DL methods fails to beat this approach. The proposed architecture provides the interpretable score for each feature from both modalities, structured and unstructured data, which is shown to be meaningful through a physician's evaluation.


The focus in machine learning has branched beyond training classifiers on a single task to investigating how previously acquired knowledge in a source domain can be leveraged to facilitate learning in a related target domain, known as inductive transfer learning. Three active lines of research have independently explored transfer learning using neural networks. In weight transfer, a model trained on the source domain is used as an initialization point for a network to be trained on the target domain. In deep metric learning, the source domain is used to construct an embedding that captures class structure in both the source and target domains. In few-shot learning, the focus is on generalizing well in the target domain based on a limited number of labeled examples. We compare state-of-the-art methods from these three paradigms and also explore hybrid adapted-embedding methods that use limited target-domain data to fine tune embeddings constructed from source-domain data. We conduct a systematic comparison of methods in a variety of domains, varying the number of labeled instances available in the target domain (k), as well as the number of target-domain classes. We reach three principal conclusions: (1) Deep embeddings are far superior, compared to weight transfer, as a starting point for inter-domain transfer or model re-use (2) Our hybrid methods robustly outperform every few-shot learning and every deep metric learning method previously proposed, with a mean error reduction of 34% over state-of-the-art. (3) Among loss functions for discovering embeddings, the histogram loss (Ustinova & Lempitsky, 2016) is most robust. We hope our results will motivate a unification of research in weight transfer, deep metric learning, and few-shot learning.


Cloud computing is an evolution of computing technology and re- flects a shift in the way it is delivered to businesses and individuals. Enterprises can significantly lower their cost of ownership, reduce time to value and faster adapt to changing needs in a globalized economy. Despite research and practice predict productivity increases and cost savings when migrating to the cloud one question remains unanswered: Does the adoption of cloud computing increase the market value of the firm? We try to answer this question by applying the event study methodology on companies that recently announced the deployment of cloud computing. Overall, we find significant positive abnormal returns. We find that investors specifically reward innovative and strategically motivated adoption of cloud computing. As a key implication of our results, we recom- mend in particular IT executives in large companies within the service industry to reassess their portfolio and foster the adoption of strategic and innovative cloud services.


A method for preparative separation and purification of trans-resveratrol, δ-viniferin, e-viniferin and trans-vitisin B from the roots of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon was successfully established and is reported on in this paper. The four important stilbenes were purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with a suitable quaternary solvent system composed of chloroform–methanol–n-butanol–water (4:3:0.05:2, v/v). A total of 7.1 mg ± 0.2 mg of trans-resveratrol, 1.1 mg ± 0.1 mg of δ-viniferin, 18.7 mg ± 0.5 mg of e-viniferin, and 12.2 mg ± 0.2 mg of trans-vitisin B, with purities of 97.89%, 90.61%, 94.37% and 78.38% respectively, were obtained from 241 mg of crude sample in a one-step HSCCC separation. The chemical structures of trans-resveratrol and δ-viniferin were further confirmed with the retention time using the method of standard addition, while the structural identification of e-viniferin and trans-vitisin B was performed with LC-ESI/MS, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR.


Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) involves treated drinking water that is stored underground by injection into a suitable storage zone during those months of the year when available supply and capacity of treatment facilities exceeds system demand. The stored water is recovered from the same wells, chlorinated, and pumped to the distribution system to meet peak demands exceeding treatment plant capacity. Seven ASR systems are reported to be operational in the United States while testing is underway at nine additional sites. The operational sites are in Florida (Manatee County, Peace River, Cocoa, and Port Malabar); New Jersey (Gordons Corner and Wildwood); and California (Goleta and Santa Monica). Testing is underway in Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington. From this experience, criteria have been developed for ASR feasibility at other potential sites and for ASR well design.


As a matter of fact, airports are considered as the bottleneck to increasing the capacity of the overall Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. While augmenting throughput in high performing airport operations, attention has rightly been placed on doing it in a safe manner. Many of the advances in airport operational safety come in the form of visualization tools for tower controllers.
The increasing interest in Synthetic Vision (SV) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies has led various analysts to positively esteem the adoption of new tools enabling both pilots and controllers to seamlessly operate under Visual Meteorological Conditions and Instrument Meteorological Conditions.
This paper presents the motivations, the objectives, the proposed methodology and the expected impacts of the RETINA (Resilient Synthetic Vision for Advanced Control Tower Air Navigation Service Provision) project that has recently been granted by the SESAR (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research) Joint Undertaking.
The two-years exploratory research project will investigate the potential and applicability of SV tools and Virtual/Augmented Reality (V/AR) display techniques for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) service provision by the airport control tower.


The ability of an organisation to recognise and evaluate technologically relevant information can be impeded by outdated processes, structures and knowledge. Organisations need therefore a capacity for "intended memory loss", which has been labelled as unlearning. Although a number of scholars have examined unlearning, research is still only beginning to understand unlearning especially in the area of technology identification and evaluation. The goal of this study is therefore to examine unlearning on an organisational and individual level in this context. Unlearning on an organisational level comprises team composition strategies and directives as well as the implementation of unlearning mechanisms. On an individual level, unlearning highlights cognitive prototypes which exert an influence on the perception of technologies and their evaluation. A qualitative approach has been chosen to examine those aspects, in which technological gatekeepers serve as sample subjects. Technological gatekeepers take a crucial role in the technology identification and evaluation as decision makers and due to their influence on organisational structures and processes. The results of this study suggest that unlearning plays currently only a minor role on an organisational and individual level, which is mainly caused by existing rigidities and in the missing understanding of the necessity to unlearn.


The main objectives of this book are (i) to investigate the electrochemical behavior and the analytical performance of a novel ultramicroelectrode array (UMEA); (ii) to assess the analytical parameters of square-wave anodic stripping voltammetric measurements (SWASV) using the UMEA; and (iii) to estimate the potential of the UMEA in developing decentralised analytical equipments for the determination of trace concentrations of heavy metals in natural waters.
Surface analytical techniques (SEM, ESEM, and AFM) showed that the UMEA chips are of high quality in manufacture. Cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric experiments proved that the electrochemical behavior of the UMEA is dominated by the features characteristic for single microelectrodes.
Chronocoulometry was found to be the most suitable method in generating the Hg-film of good quality. A new UMEA chip could be plated at least ten times, corresponding to about 500 measurements of trace metals in synthetic aqueous solutions. Using SWASV, detection limits of <0.1 i?g/l could be achieved for the metals (Pb, Cd). Precision and accuracy were found to be approx +/-10% of RSD.
In natural waters, the results obtained with the UMEA sensor showed a reasonably good agreement with HR-ICP-MS analyses. Different experimental parameters were optimised and investigated. Interferences (e.g., DOC) were significantly reduced through medium exchange and standard addition. Ultrasonic bath proved to be very efficient in resurfacing electrodes in laboratory.
The UMEA sensor shows a great potential in developing a portable trace metal analyzer. However, for in situ and on-site measurements, the protection of the UMEA sensor from fouling seems to be inevitable. In order to achieve a pure microelectrode behavior with the UMEA, increasing the ratio of interelectrode distance to electrode diameter is recommended for further developments.


Abstract.
 The study area (16 km2) in "Ujście Warty" National Park, W Poland — was the valley of a lowland river at its confluence with the River Odra, covered by a mosaic of grassy vegetation and willow scrub. 111 breeding attempts were recorded during 2000–2002. The mean nest density (3.2 nests/km2) was higher than that recorded by other authors in agricultural landscapes, but lower than in urban areas. The nest construction was adapted to fit young willow trees. The mean clutch size was similar to that recorded in other populations (4.43), but eggs were smaller (41.2 mm × 29.1 mm). The hatching success was lower (76%) in comparison with other studies, but the mean number of fledglings (2.15 per nest and 2.96 per nest in successful broods) was relatively high. The main reasons for losses were unhatched eggs, predators, starved nestlings and poor nest construction. We hypothesise that the smaller egg size and lower hatching success recorded in this population was due to unfavourable and unpredictable feeding conditions (floods) during the period of egg formation and egg laying. Later in the season, receding floodwaters laid bare areas suitable for foraging on invertebrates; waterfowl eggs also became readily available. Predation was low (lack of nonbreeding stock of Hooded Crow). As a result of good conditions during chick rearing, the overall reproductive output was relatively high in comparison with other populations.


The happy-productive worker thesis states that happy workers are more productive. Recent research in software engineering supports the thesis, and the ideal of flourishing happiness among software developers is often expressed among industry practitioners. However, the literature suggests that a cost-effective way to foster happiness and productivity among workers could be to limit unhappiness. Psychological disorders such as job burnout and anxiety could also be reduced by limiting the negative experiences of software developers. Simultaneously, a baseline assessment of (un)happiness and knowledge about how developers experience it are missing. In this paper, we broaden the understanding of unhappiness among software developers in terms of (1) the software developer population distribution of (un)happiness, and (2) the causes of unhappiness while developing software. We conducted a large-scale quantitative and qualitative survey, incorporating a psychometrically validated instrument for measuring (un)happiness, with 2 220 developers, yielding a rich and balanced sample of 1318 complete responses. Our results indicate that software developers are a slightly happy population, but the need for limiting the unhappiness of developers remains. We also identified 219 factors representing causes of unhappiness while developing software. Our results, which are available as open data, can act as guidelines for practitioners in management positions and developers in general for fostering happiness on the job. We suggest considering happiness in future studies of both human and technical aspects in software engineering.


The intermolecular quadratic stretching force constants kcalc.σ of a series of hydrogen-bonded and halogen-bonded complexes B⋯HX and B⋯XY, where B is N2, CO, HCCH, C2H4, H2S. PH3, H2O or NH3 and X and Y are F or Cl, have been calculated ab initio at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. The values obtained are compared with those kexp.σ values available from experimental centrifugal distortion constants by the use of a model based on the assumption of rigid, unperturbed component molecules at their equilibrium separation. Although the expressions resulting from the model involve equilibrium spectroscopic constants of B, HX (or XY), and B⋯HX (or XY), only zero-point quantities are normally available and are therefore used. A graph of kexp.σversus kcalc.σ for all complexes investigated can be fitted by linear regression as a straight line through the origin and with gradient 0.94(3), with a small scatter of points relative to the line. The scatter is attributed mainly to the use of zero-point spectroscopic constants in place of equilibrium values. Values of the equilibrium dissociation energy De(CBS) calculated at the CCSD(T)/CBS level (where CBS indicates complete basis set extrapolation using aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets) for all complexes are found to be directly proportional to kcalc.σ to a good degree of approximation, with a constant of proportionality obtained from the fit of the hydrogen-bonded complexes identical to that for halogen-bonded complexes within two standard deviations.


Essays in Development Economics collects many of Jagdish Bhagwati's writings that have established him as a major postwar developmental economist. The selection is diverse and highlights the close relationship and mutual reinforcement in Bhagwati's research between economic theory, empirical validation, and policy debate. Volume I, Wealth and Poverty, addresses domestic or internal development problems. Its 22 essays are divided into five parts covering Development Theory and Strategy; Economic Structure: Regularities and Explanations; Class Structure, Poverty, and Redistrbution; Technology and Employment; and Eminent Economists: Sketches and Commentary. Volume 2, Dependence and Interdependence, deals with international or external problems and its 20 essays are in four parts covering North-South Issues; Developmental Strategy: Import Substitution versus Export Promotion; Foreign Assistance; and International Migration and Investment. Within each volume, the essays are topically grouped and preceded by brief introductions by the author discussing his current views of the nature of the contributions and the relationship among them. In several cases, previously unpublished papers or postscripts to previously published papers have been added to round out the sections. Jagdish N. Bhagwati is Arthur Lehman Professor of Economics and Director of the International Economics Research Center at Columbia University. Essays in Development Economics, in conjunction with the two-volume work, Essays in International Economic Theory (edited by Robert C. Feenstra, MIT Press), constitute a comprehensive selection of Bhagwati's influential and important contributions to the theory and policy ofdevelopment and of international trade. Gene M. Grossman is Assistant Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Princeton University.


Phagosome-lysosome membrane fusion is a highly regulated event that is essential for intracellular killing of microorganisms. Functionally, it represents a form of polarized regulated secretion, which is classically dependent on increases in intracellular ionized calcium ([Ca2+]i). Indeed, increases in [Ca2+]i are essential for phagosome-granule (lysosome) fusion in neutrophils and for lysosomal fusion events that mediate host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes. Since several intracellular pathogens survive in macrophage phagosomes that do not fuse with lysosomes, we examined the regulation of phagosome-lysosome fusion in macrophages. Macrophages (MO) were treated with 12.5 IxM bis-(2-amino-S-methylphenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N',-tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl ester (MAPT/AM), a cell-permeant calcium chelator which reduced resting cytoplasmic [Ca2+]; from 80 nM to ~<20 nM and completely blocked increases in [Ca2+]i in response to multiple stimuli, even in the presence of extracellular calcium. Subsequently, M ~ phagocytosed serum-opsonized zymosan, staphylococci, or Mycobacterium bovis. Microbes were enumerated by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining, and phagosome-lysosome fusion was scored using both lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP-l) as a membrane marker and rhodamine dextran as a content marker for lysosomes. Confirmation of phagosomelysosome fusion by electron microscopy validated the fluorescence microscopy findings. We found that phagosome-lysosome fusion in MO occurs normally at very low [Ca2+]i (~<20 nM). Kinetic analysis showed that in MO none of the steps leading from particle binding to eventual phagosome-lysosome fusion are regulated by [Ca2+]i in a rate-limiting way. Furthermore, confocal microscopy revealed no difference in the intensity of LAMP-1 immunofluorescence in phagolysosome membranes in calcium-buffered vs. control macrophages. We conclude that neither membrane recognition nor fusion events in the phagosomal pathway in macrophages are dependent on or regulated by cal-


This presentation, abundantly illustrated with both sound and visual materials, will explore the experience of pain by organ transplant patients. Drawing on our previous research and creative practice with heart and lung transplant recipients and our current work with kidney and liver transplant patients and live donors, we will look at the ways in which pain and trauma are normalised. As Victoria Hume writes about one of our participants…
Transplant patients live with trauma. To listen to Justine, a lung transplant patient, describe having a drain put in her chest, or her latest collapsed lung, is to appreciate that the greatest dramas are absorbed into everyday lives.

But despite such acceptance, pain doesn't lose its transformative power: "…these events that happen, and painful at the time albeit they were, looking back on it… I'm still here, I'm still happy. There's still so much in spite of those painful things." (Sanjay, heart transplant recipient). Of course, transplantation itself holds out a powerful promise of transformation, a promise which paradoxically pushes against the "sheer aversiveness" of pain (Scarry).

Pain in the medical setting crystallises several of the attributes of physical pain delineated by Elaine Scarry in the context of torture. Agency becomes a complex and sometimes troubling concept as the patient struggles to maintain identity and a sense of self-control over their body, access to which must be surrendered to varying degrees over long periods of time. In hospitals there is also an 'almost obscene conflation of private and public' (Scarry). Although privacy curtains are sometimes employed, sound doesn't respect such flimsy barriers:

"Night-time was always more difficult and the noises more disturbing. Then you could hear other patients in nearby rooms and their distress, pain and desperation." (Heart transplant recipient Kate Dalziel)

Our sound recordings of patients go beyond the limitations of linguistic expression for understanding pain and suffering: they are made with sensitive microphones at close proximity, permitting an intimacy that can at times be uncomfortable, as one listens to the effects of the malfunctioning body on the voice and hears the paralinguistic evidence of emotion:

"Feelings of fragility are pervasive and clearly audible in these bedside recordings: every tremor and lapse; the halting and wheezing of breath; the breaks in which speech is overwhelmed by tears; the pain of what is said; the grain of how it is said." (David Toop)

Wilfred Bion distinguishes between knowledge of suffering and experience of suffering and emphasises the essential role of experience in emotional development. Although some patients turn down the offer of a transplant (a choice that inevitably leads to other kinds of pain), transplant recipients voluntarily assent to experience pain of varying degrees across the spectrum from physical to psychological. They may arrive at the need for a transplant due to a painful condition, they may spend a tortuously long time on the transplant list "either waiting to live or waiting to die" (Claire Hallas); the medical procedures may bring both intense physical pain and psychological trauma in the form of 'ITU psychosis', and many are tormented by the somewhat misguided notion that in order for them to live "someone had to die." (Jill Edwards).