Purpose: To explore variables related to how well the information and communication technologies (ICTs) related needs of students with different disabilities are being met on campus at institutions of higher education, at home and in e-learning contexts. We also explore the disciplines and programmes pursued by students with different disabilities and the specialised ICTs they use. Method: A total of 1,354 Canadian university and junior/community college students with various disabilities completed the POSITIVES Scale. Results: Post-secondary students often have several disabilities which may affect how easily they can use ICTs. Students' disabilities also influence the specialised ICTs they use and how well their ICT-related needs are being met. While the findings indicate that, overall, students' ICT-related needs are generally well met, the results also show that these are better met on campus than at home, and at colleges than at universities. This is not related to institution size or to students' disciplines. Conclusions: Our results show more favourable than unfavourable findings. Nevertheless, there are concerns around the availability of computers with adaptive software/hardware in specialised laboratories as well as with institutional ICT loan programmes; funding for ICTs for personal use; training, both on and off campus; and technical support off campus. Keywords: college university students; disabilities; POSITIVES Scale; ICT needs; e-learning (Published: 19 December 2012) Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2012, 20 : 18646 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v20i0.18646


Norgren is a world leader in motion and fluid control technologies. We engineer advantage for our customers by solving their problems and enabling them to operate faster, more efficiently and more cost effectively.


During vaccination, an additional stimulus to the immune response is often needed and is provided by a material called an adjuvant. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is a potent stimulant of the innate immune response, but the potential for toxic shock does not allow for its use in humans. A recently approved adjuvant, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA), has limited side effects compared with LPS, from which it is derived (see the Perspective by Fitzgerald and Golenbock). Mata-Haro et al. show that MPLA activates only a specific signaling component of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway and avoids the myeloid differentiation factor 88 arm of TLR4 signaling, which can account for the much higher toxicity associated with LPS. Ohto et al. determined crystal structures of the TLR4 co-receptor MD-2 alone and in complex with the antiendotoxic tetra-acylated lipid A core of LPS. MD-2 has a deep hydrophobic cavity that accommodates the four acyl chains of the lipid core. V. Mata-Haro, C. Cekic, M. Martin, P. M. Chilton, C. R. Casella, T. C. Mitchell, The vaccine adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A as a TRIF-biased agonist of TLR4. Science 316, 1628-1632 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text] U. Ohto, K. Fukase, K. Miyake, Y. Satow, Crystal structures of human MD-2 and its complex with antiendotoxic lipid IVa. Science 316, 1632-1634 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text] K. A. Fitzgerald, D. T. Golenbock, The shape of things to come. Science 316, 1574-1576 (2007). [Summary] [Full Text]


The rate of visibility deterioration in Ya'an city in the Sichuan Basin has been accelerating since the 2000s. Issues related to the air quality as well as meteorological conditions are reported in this study. Fine particulate matters (PM2.5) were collected in Ya'an from June 2013 till June 2014. The chemical compositions of the samples were determined. The annual average visual range (VR), PM2.5 concentrations, and ambient light extinction coefficient (bext) were 11.9 ± 9.2 km, 64.1 ± 41.6 µg m–3, and 452 ± 314 Mm–1, respectively. The highest concentration of PM2.5, the highest bext, and the lowest VR were all seen in winter, followed by spring, autumn, and summer. Organic matter (OM), ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4], and ammonium nitrate [NH4NO3] were the major constituents, accounting for 32.8%, 28.3%, and 12.1%, respectively, of the total PM2.5 mass. The revised Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) equation was applied to estimate ambient bext. On an annual basis, (NH4)2SO4 was the most significant contributor (43.1%), followed by OM (27.1%) and NH4NO3 (22.4%), which, in total, accounted for 92.6% of the ambient bext. Rayleigh, elemental carbon, fine soil, nitrogen dioxide, and chloride salt accounted for a minor fraction (7.4%). Up to ~40.8% of the ambient bext was ascribed to relative humidity (RH), of which 26.4% and 14.0% were attributed to the hygroscopic growth of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3, respectively. More efforts are needed to reduce the average daily PM2.5 concentration of < 59 µg m–3 to avoid the occurrence of haze under a high average RH of 78.3 ± 10%, which significantly impacts visibility through various physico-chemical processes. Emissions of precursor gases, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds, should be reduced to improve the air quality and visibility in Ya'an.


This article poses a question concerning the possible source(s) of the appearance, in an eleventh-century-bce egyptian narrative, of a legal injunction that, surprisingly, finds its closest written analogue in eighteenth-century babylonian law. The author attempts to answer that question by postulating that the long process of idea transfer could have been facilitated by the Hurrians, a very culturally influential people oen overlooked in general studies and discussions of the ancient Near east. This possible cuneiform legal presence in "The Report of Wenamun" (P. Moscow 120) concerns a babylonian juridical concept known as surqa(m) mullu(m), which involves, under particular conditions, the replenishment of the value of stolen goods to a victim of the through municipal compensation. This concept is found on the law stele of babylonian ruler Hammurabi, as well as in the laws of the Hurrian- influenced Hittites and the Hurrian- controlled municipality of Nuzi in the northeastern Mesopotamian kingdom of Arrapha. The potential Hurrian influence inside the pharaonic palace of egypt, through royal marriages in the fifteenth, fourteenth, and thirteenth centuries, will also be discussed. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v01i3_campbell


Electronic Trading is a business relationship that relies upon the use of computer and
telecommunication technology for information exchange. In order to understand the
development of electronic trading between construction firms, the CONNET model was
developed. This model identifies the factors and variables determining whether firms
adopt electronic trading systems, and its configuration. The model is grounded in the
relationship perspective and network approach, and assumes that there is mutual
commitment and an economic rationale behind the development of electronic trading.
The CONNET model explains that electronic trading systems emerge from the complex
interplay of three major factors. These are: a) the relationship between the two firms,
i.e. what is exchanged (information, product, financial, social) and how
(power/dependence, co-operation, closeness, mutual expectations); b) the business and
IS/IT strategies, and the organisational and IT infrastructures and processes of each of
the firms; and c) the characteristics of the web of relationships - production network, in
which the firms are embedded, i.e. interconnections, input-output structure, governance
structure and territoriality.
In order to validate the model, six case studies were conducted in construction situations
and four in automotive and retailing situations. Analysis of the data collected concluded
that some variables have a more important role in the adoption decision, e.g. social
contacts, business strategies or territoriality. Other variables are influential on the
adoption but more important on the configuration of the systems, e.g. TT strategies and
organisational and IT infrastructures. Most variables have an influence on both the
adoption decision and the configuration of systems, e.g. information and finance
exchanges, co-operation, individual interconnections, or governance structure, though
the importance of their influence varies.
It was concluded that, in general, electronic trading and sophisticated systems emerge
where there is a higher concentration of enabling factors. The implications of the
validated model lie in its potential use in explaining when and how electronic trading is
likely to occur in construction. By exerting influence over variables in the model it can
be used by construction organisations to create an environment to encourage electronic
trading to take place.


To date, critical examinations of smart cities have largely ignored their temporality. In this paper I consider smart cities from a temporal perspective arguing that they produce a new timescape and constitute space-time machines. The first half of the paper examines temporal relations and rhythms, exploring how smart cities are the products of and contribute to space-time compression, create new urban polyrhythms, alter the practices of scheduling, and change the pace and tempos of everyday activities. The second half of the paper details how smart cities shape the nature of temporal modalities, considering how they reframe and utilise the relationship between the past, present and future. The analysis draws from a set of 43 interviews conducted in Dublin, Ireland, and highlights that much of the power of smart urbanism is derived from how it produces a new timescape, rather than simply reconfiguring spatial relations.


Species of the Polydora-complex (i.e. polydorids) are the most common shell-boring polychaetes found on cultured molluscs. However, which species become problematic depend on their ability to reach mollusc farms and flourish under culture conditions. We therefore hypo thesise that the planktonic larval phases of pest polydorids on molluscs grown on-shore will be short (as is typical of adelphophagic larvae, which can maintain large local populations) while those of polydorids on molluscs grown off-shore will be long (as is typical of planktotrophic larvae, which can disperse long distances to farms). Principal component and discriminant analyses of information extracted from the literature partly supported this hypothesis by identifying larval developmental mode and pest species as contributing more to pest status than host species and culture mode, with differential influence on pest status in different situations and potential bias through incorrect identification of polydorid species. χ2 analyses confirmed that pest status depended on host culture method and pest larval mode. Pest polydorids producing adelphophagic larvae in on-shore systems may reflect the development of large local populations on hosts with culture periods >2 yr. The many records of pests in off-shore and near-shore systems with pest species producing planktotrophic larvae may reflect shorter host culture periods and the higher incidence of planktotrophy among polydorid species in general. Polydora websteri, P. uncinata, P. hoplura and P. haswelli are the most frequently recorded and widespread pest species globally, although the taxonomy of these and shell-boring P. ciliata and Boccardia polybranchia need to be clarified. The positive relationships between the numbers of alien shell-borers and pests, and the number of hosts cultured per country confirm that mollusc aquaculture is an important vector and reservoir of alien pest polychaetes.


Abstract It is often claimed that industrial restructuring leads to diminished roles for trade unionism and other forms of labour organisations by informalising employment and relocating production. Drawing on selected case studies from long-term fieldwork in regions of India, this article shows that trajectories of industrial restructuring and the responses by organised labour over the past two decades have been diverse. It is argued that the diverse response not only reflects structural opportunities and constraints for labour to be organised in particular ways, but also different histories and experiences of labour association. Contrary to the presumption about the general demise of trade unionism and the apparent unattainability of class solidarity in contemporary globalised capitalism, it is observed that India's labour movement is experiencing a degree of resurgence, and new forms of labour organisations and activism are emerging, especially involving informal workers in the formal sector. That these innovative forms of mobilisation are shaped by experiences and aspirations that do not conform to the established institutionalised frameworks for dispute resolution has important policy and political implications.


Up-conversion luminescent materials have emerged recently for the improvement of the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor electrodes, such as TiO2 and Fe2O3, used for the sustainable production of hydrogen via water-splitting. Here we present novel up-conversion luminescent organic resins doped with heavy rare-earth ions, which are used as constructive elements in the 3D technique, that open a fully unexplored path for the development of cost-effective, room-temperature and endlessly shaped 3D photonic structures, avoiding the technical difficulties of glass melting or crystal growth when used as rare-earth hosts. Moreover, these synthesized resins also present outstanding UV-Vis up-conversion luminescence of Er3+ and Tm3+ ions sensitized by Yb3+ ions under near-infrared excitation at 980 nm, and have been extensively analyzed as a function of the doping concentration. Furthermore, the increase in the Yb3+ to Er3+ and Tm3+ ratio results in a notable enhancement of the UV-blue high energetic emission bands, allowing the tailoring of the overall up-conversion luminescence to match the different band-gaps of selected photocatalysts.


Premise of research. One of the most conspicuous aspects of island floras is the relatively high proportion of woody species. Often, but not always, these woody species have developed wood on the islands and have evolved from herbaceous continental ancestors, a phenomenon known as insular woodiness. Shifts from herbaceousness toward increased woodiness also occur on continents (the broader term "secondary woodiness" is more appropriate here and includes insular woodiness), but comprehensive worldwide knowledge about secondary woodiness within angiosperms remains lacking. We update hypotheses regarding the herbaceous ancestry of woody Canarian lineages in a molecular phylogenetic context and investigate the possible link of secondary woodiness and paedomorphic wood features in the Carlquistian sense. Methodology. We have assembled available literature data from molecular phylogenetic studies, wood anatomical descriptions, floras, and taxonomic revisions to identify the native secondarily woody taxa. Pivotal results. In total, at least 220 native Canary Island species of flowering plants, from 34 genera representing 15 families, are truly insular woody. This represents a significant portion of the native nonmonocot angiosperm species on the Canaries, and all of the insular woody species have paedomorphic wood features in the Carlquistian sense, although this wood anatomical syndrome might be more related to particular life forms. The majority of these insular woody groups typically grow in the markedly dry lowland regions, suggesting a possible link between secondary woodiness and increased drought resistance. Conclusions. The Canary Island flora is characterized by at least 38 independent shifts toward insular woodiness, representing an important portion of the endemic angiosperms on the archipelago. These convergent evolutionary events emphasize the remarkable lability in growth forms between herbaceous and woody lineages, but it remains puzzling which environmental variables trigger these shifts and how these independent shifts are regulated genetically.


The blending of polymers is a relatively inexpensive method of manipulating their properties and is common practice in the industry. Phosphate glass/polymer hybrids are an emerging class of nanomaterial with peculiar characteristics derived from nano-micro interactions of their components. Inorganic phosphate glasses are made up of chain-like molecules and are similar to polymer chains in their structure. These glasses are also unique in exhibiting similar processing temperatures to polymers, which opens up the possibility of co-processing and of greatly extending the range of obtainable properties. Both components being fluid during processing allow controlling and tailoring hybrid morphologies, and avoiding the problem of the intractable viscosity inherent from a high solid filler concentration. This work investigates the blending of an organic semi-crystalline polymer, polyamide 11 (PA 11), with different compositions of phosphate glasses. Experimental and theoretical studies of miscibility and phase behaviour of these unusual blends were analysed. In particular the research investigated the effect of glass composition on the rheological and thermo-chemical properties and nano/microstructure of these new materials, focusing on the tin fluoride (SnF2) content in the glasses. The Flory Huggins equilibrium depression point model was employed to correlate and predict miscibility behaviour in these new systems. The experimental results showed that a high amount of SnF2 could act as a proper compatibilizer for the novel Rilsan ® PA 11 matrix. Experiments showed that the halogen content lowered the glass transition temperature (Tg) and softening point (Ts) of the glasses, allowing both phases being fluid during melt-blending. However the water stability of the glasses was improved with increasing SnF2 content in the network. The particle size of glass in the hybrids was inversely correlated with SnF2 in the glass composition. This phenomenon resulted in lowering the equilibrium melting point (Tm0) in the hybrids. The load force (F) generated during the extrusion process and the hybrid viscosities decreased, without compromising chemical and thermal stability of the materials. The Tg of PA 11, measured as shifts of the major peak in dissipation factor against temperature plot, was inversely correlated with SnF2 content in the
v
glass composition, phenomenon often attributed to the partial miscibility of components in a system. The stiffness of the hybrid was improved by higher amount of SnF2 in the glass compositions with polyamide reinforced by the glass having the lowest Tg (60 SnF2 mol%). The longitudinal storage modulus was inversely correlated with temperature for PA 11 and all hybrids and increased with melting each phosphate glass with the polymer matrix. The storage modulus increased with SnF2 content in the glass composition in the matrix at lower temperature and reached a constant value for all hybrids at higher temperature. The viscosity and shear modulus decreased and increased respectively with increasing angular frequency. Shear modulus of polyamide matrix was lowered by each phosphate glass. All samples showed a small upturn in the modulus versus angular frequency curve at the lowest viscosities, behaviour related to the presence of yield stress in the hybrids, more evident in the hybrids with the highest content of SnF2 in the glass.


Objectives: To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of low back pain (LBP) in an automotive production company, evaluating the relationship between selected risk factors, type of occupational activity and the prevalence of LBP. Methods : This was a descriptive study at a large automotive production company entailing 200 physical production employees and 200 sedentary employees. Using a cross sectional study design, a retrospective analysis investigated the LBP prevalence, by means of a questionnaire. Individuals reported on demographics, injury location, injury aetiology, injury nature, extent of treatment rendered and time lost from work. Additionally, data was obtained regarding smoking, occupational stress and fitness.Results: A significant difference was found between sedentary and manual employees with regards to age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education and medical aid. Similarly a significant difference between the groups was found for the point prevalence of LBP, current LBP description (sharp, shooting, dull aching, stabbing and catching pain descriptions), past LBP description (catching pain description), sidedness/ location of pain as well as associated features of the current LBP (viz. pins and needles, pain to the knees, numbness, bed rest, absence from work, pain at work and pain on weekends) and associated features of past LBP (viz. pins and needles, pain to the knees, numbness, bed rest, absence from work, pain at work and pain on weekends). There were no noted psychosocial factor that impacted on a difference between the groups, but there was a significant difference between the manual and sedentary employees with regards to absenteeism. Conclusion: A significant rate of LBP was reported amongst both the sedentary (59.6%) and the manual (89%) employees, implying that the costs to the company are relatively high. It is, therefore, suggested that the company looks at a variety of strategies to reduce the burden of LBP in their employees.


To better prepare the offshore workforce for emergencies, operators and regulators need to use evidence-based safety training. This research aims to provide such evidence by employing an experimental program to evaluate virtual environment (VE) training as a plausible means to enhance mandatory offshore egress training. Combining VE technology with a well-designed, pedagogically informed training program, and carefully selected data-mining tools, can support the development of trainee competence in emergencies by providing artificial experience in credible situations and tracking trainee performance throughout the VE training.
Evidence from this research supports the use of VE training to address pedagogical gaps in the training. Key gaps include the following: 1) conventional training is predominantly provided by fixed-time instruction, which results in crews with nominal competence, 2) the frequency of recurrency training is not informed by evidence on crews' susceptibility to forget training, 3) crews' learning outcomes are not measured or monitored, which results in no information to assess training transfer, and 4) due to safety constraints, muster drills lack the realism of how emergency situations unfold in real life.
Lessons from pedagogical theory and data-mining methodology were used to provide empirical and modeling evidence to inform offshore and maritime domains on the application of VE training. The scope of the research involved using the VE training as a human behaviour laboratory during a longitudinal study. The context of the study was to teach the necessary egress skills to evacuate a virtual oil platform during an emergency.
To address the pedagogical gaps and evaluate VE training, this thesis is comprised of four research papers. The first paper investigates the influence of the simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) pedagogical framework on the development of competence at the different learning phases, specifically the acquisition, retention, and transfer of egress skills. The second paper uses human performance data from the VE training to develop a decision tree (DT) diagnostic tool to compare the efficacy of different delivery methods for VE training. The third paper evaluates the retention and maintenance of the VE training after a period of 6 to 9-months. The fourth paper uses DT modeling to evaluate skill transfer and develop a predictive tool to analyze the efficacy of VE training on a systemic level to support future adaptive training programs.
The overall contribution of this research is the use of pedagogical frameworks and data-mining tools to improve the design, delivery, and assessment, of VE training. The concept of this work is established in the context of offshore and maritime safety, however the approaches are generalizable to many virtual training applications in other domains.


Abstract Degradation data, frequently along with low-dimensional covariate information such as scalar-type covariates, are widely used for asset reliability analysis. Recently, many high-dimensional covariates such as functional and image covariates have emerged with advances in sensor technology, containing richer information that can be used for degradation assessment. In this article, motivated by a physical effect that microstructures of dual-phase advanced high strength steel strongly influence steel degradation, we propose a two-stage material degradation model using the material microstructure image as a covariate. In Stage 1, we show that the microstructure image covariate can be reduced to a functional covariate while statistical properties of the image are preserved up to the second order. In Stage 2, a novel functional covariate degradation model is proposed, based on which the time-to-failure distribution in terms of degradation level passages is derived. A penalized least squares estimation method is developed to obtain the closed-form point estimator of model parameters. Analytical inferences on interval estimation of the model parameters, the mean degradation levels, and the distribution of the time-to-failure are also developed. Simulation studies are implemented to validate the developed methods. Physical experiments on dual-phase advanced high strength steel are designed and conducted to demonstrate the proposed model. The results show that a significant improvement is achieved for material failure prediction by using material microstructure images compared with multiple benchmark models.


This paper reports on a study investigating the role of working memory in predicting L2 development under
 immediate and delayed corrective feedback (CF) conditions. A total of 106 seventh-grade EFL learners were assigned to three
 groups: Immediate CF, Delayed CF, and Task Only. Each group underwent three treatment sessions during which they performed six
 focused communicative tasks – two in each session – involving the use of the English past tense. The Immediate CF group received
 feedback on their erroneous use of the target structure during their task performance in Session 1; the Delayed CF group did not
 receive feedback until the final treatment session; and the Task Only group performed the communicative tasks without receiving
 any feedback. Treatment effects were measured through a grammaticality judgement test and an elicited imitation test. Working
 memory was measured by means of an operation span test. The results revealed that working memory was a significant predictor only
 of the effects of delayed CF, not those of immediate CF or task only. The findings suggest that delayed CF may have imposed a
 heavier processing burden on the learners' working memory due to the need to match the delayed feedback with the errors in their
 procedural knowledge manifested in previous sessions. Based on the results of this and other empirical studies, the authors argue
 for the superiority of immediate feedback over delayed feedback.


Purposes: This study aimed 1) to evaluate perceived stress of a cohort of bachelor physical therapy (PT) students from Ariel University in Israel across three clinical practice periods; 2) to evaluate the relationship between perceived stress and academic achievements; 3) to evaluate the relationship between students' perceived stress and clinical practice periods' order and content; and 4) to identify clinical and socio-demographic variables related to perceived stress. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted among a cohort of undergraduate PT students during their first, second, and third clinical practice assignments. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. The Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS) and the Scale for Assessing Academic Stress (SAAS) were used to evaluate perceived stress. A ten-degree Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate perceived difficulty. Students' grade point averages from the first three years of study were considered academic achievements. An ANOVA was used to evaluate the relationship between perceived stress and academic achievements, and between clinical practice order and area and the socio-demographic characteristics. Results: A total of 39 undergraduate physical therapy students participated in the study. The degrees of PSS and SAAS were higher than those reported previously in undergraduate PT students. Perceived stress was not related to academic achievement, clinical practice order or area, or to socio-demographic characteristics. Conclusions: Participation in clinical practice in general might be a stressful situation, but no specific clinical or socio-demographic factors that might be a source of higher levels of perceived stress were identified. As undergraduate students are away from the campus during clinical practice periods, it is suggested that clinical instructors, who are in daily contact with the students, should receive guidance regarding the ways to identify individuals who present signs of increased stress and the types of strategies that can help students cope with stress in real time.


During the 19-century a global warming has been observed, which includes increases in global air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of ice and snow, and rising global sea level. There is a clear connection between emissions of greenhouse gases caused by the human and the increase in temperature. Climatic changes caused by global warming can be stopped trough decreased emission of fossil fuels, for example by an increased use of biogas. Biogas is a renewable energy source which is produced through anaerobic (oxygen free) digestion of organic material. The gas is a mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and can be among others used as fuel in vehicles. Greengas is biogas produced from grains. The aim with this master's thesis was to investigate a two-stage process for digestion of a rest by product from ethanol production, called drankvatten. Laboratory experiments were carried out with two process sets, each with two continues stirred tank reactors (CSTR). The process consisted of a thermophilic (55oC) reactor as the first step in which the substrate was added. Afterwards there was a mesophilic (38oC) second reactor in which the material from the first reactor was further degraded to produce more gas. The results were intended to be used for an assessment of whether a two-stage process is more efficient then a single-stage process in a full-scale production facility. One of the reasons to have a thermophilic first reactor is that the material has an average temperature around 80 oC when it arrives to the facility today. It was proved that a two-stage process with this type of substrate generated a higher gas production but the improvements weren't big enough to motivate a reconstruction of the facility into a two-stage process. The thermophilic process was stable with a retention time of 15 days and a loading rate of 6 g VS/(l•dygn). This retention time was the shortest which was achieved during that loading rate. During earlier mesophilic experiments a higher loading rate was achieved however the used retention time was longer. On the basis of this work no conclusions could be drawn whether a thermophilic process could withstand a higher loading rate then a mesophilic one. Longer adaptation times is probably needed to reach higher loading rates. In this work it also has been studied if it's necessary to have continues mixing in the biogas reactors. The conclusion of this experiment is that continues mixing isn't necessary, which results in less mixing and in that way less energy costs.


Parental involvement in children's education from an early age has a significant effect on educational achievement and continues to do so in adolescence and adulthood (Siraj-Blatchford & Taggart, 2004). This study was set to investigate the effects of parents' involvement in their children's academic achievement in twenty one public secondary schools in Kieni West District in Nyeri County-Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: (i) Investigate the nature of parents' involvement in their children's academic achievement; (ii) Establish to what extent factors influencing parental involvement contribute to their children's academic achievement; (iii)Investigate teachers' views about parents' involvement in the learners' academic achievement; (iv) Explore the learners' views about parents' involvement in their academic achievement. The literature reviewed indicates that parents are concerned with the education of their children and that parents and teachers talk together about problems concerning students. This study used a descriptive survey design because it was a onetime study seeking the opinion of parents, teachers and students. Mugenda and Mugenda, (2003) support the use of descriptive survey because it gives the researcher a chance to create rapport with the respondents as the researcher gets to the bottom of the study. Twelve public secondary schools were randomly selected. The population of the study was five thousand three hundred and eighty one students. In total, 130 form three students, 76 teachers and 113 parents participated in this study. The research study employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques in collecting and analyzing data. The study purposively sampled form three students. The study used two sets of instruments namely: questionnaire for teachers and students and a structured interview schedule for parents. These instruments were piloted for reliability and validity. Once piloted, the instruments were administered and data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).The findings of the study were presented using statistical and graphical techniques. Results based on research area indicated that 45% of the teachers agreed that parents are positive about the school in which their children are. Students strongly agreed (89%) that their parents attend all school programmed meetings while70.8% of their parents check homework. The study showed that 76% of the students strongly agreed that their parents had high hopes in them. The findings of the study indicated that 84.7% of the parents interviewed participated in school events and activities while 71.6% monitored homework. Parents' responses indicated that 92% believed that their involvement is beneficial to the teachers in aiding in their children's education progress. In addition 98.2% felt that organized parental involvement programmes can improve their relationship with their children. The findings further indicated that lack of school fees, poor education background of the parents, and lack of adequate time to assist their children affected their level of involvement. Major recommendations included among others identifying the type of parental involvement in place, parent's awareness programmes through seminars and workshops and holding teacher parents conferences. Areas of further research were identified.


Passive cylindrical disturbance generators mounted near the leading edge of an airfoil significantly improved its performance under dynamic stall conditions. Time-resolved particle image velocimetry and simultaneous pressure measurements were conducted at the midchord of a pitching airfoil equipped with passive disturbance generators. The disturbance generators were effective in reducing the strength of the dynamic stall vortex and therefore the negative pitching moment peak and hysteresis effects. When the disturbance generators were applied, the flow separation type was altered from leading- to trailing-edge stall. In contrast to the clean case, reattachment was initiated immediately after the separation reached the leading-edge region. In addition to the circular shape, also backward- and forward-wedge-shaped disturbance generators were investigated. Although the backward wedge also showed favorable results, the forward wedge was less successful. The shape of the disturbance generators appears to have ...


Grey literature is information not available through commercial publishers. It is a sizable and valuable information source for public health (PH) practice but because documents are not formally indexed the information is difficult to locate. Public Health Information Search (PHIS) was developed to address this problem. NLP techniques were used to create informative document summaries for an extensive collection of grey literature on PH topics. The system was evaluated with PH workers using the critical incident technique in a two stage field evaluation to assess effectiveness in comparison with Google. Document summaries were found to be both helpful and accurate. Increased document collection size and enhanced result rankings improved search effectiveness from 28% to 55%. PHIS would work best in conjunction with Google or another broad coverage Web search engine when searching for documents and reports as opposed to local health data and primary disease information. PHIS could enhance both the quality and quantity of PH search results.


Autostereoscopic multi view displays require multiple views of a scene to provide motion parallax. When an observer changes viewing angle different stereoscopic pairs are perceived. This allows new perspectives of the scene to be seen giving a more realistic 3D experience. However, capturing arbitrary number of views is at best cumbersome, and in some occasions impossible. Conventional stereo video (CSV) operates on two video signals captured using two cameras at two different perspectives. Generation and transmission of two views is more feasible than that of multiple views. It would be more efficient if multiple views required by an autostereoscopic display can be synthesized from these sparse set of views. This paper addresses the conversion of stereoscopic video to multiview video using the video effect morphing. Different morphing algorithms are implemented and evaluated. Contrary to traditional conversion methods, these algorithms disregard the physical depth explicitly and instead generate intermediate views using sparse sets of correspondence features and image morphing. A novel morphing algorithm is also presented that uses scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) and segmentation to construct robust correspondences features and qualitative intermediate views. All algorithms are evaluated on a subjective and objective basis and the comparison results are presented.


Rapid removal of pathogens from the circulation by secondary lymphoid organs is prerequisite for successful control of infection. Blood-borne Ags are trapped mainly in the splenic marginal zone. To identify the cell populations responsible for Ag trapping in the marginal zone, mice were selectively depleted of marginal zone macrophages and marginal metallophilic macrophages. In the absence of these cells, trapping of microspheres and Listeria monocytogenes organisms was lost, and early control of infection was impaired. Depletion of marginal zone macrophages and marginal metallophilic macrophages, however, did not limit Ag presentation because Listeria-specific protective T cell immunity was induced. Therefore, marginal zone macrophages and marginal metallophilic macrophages are crucial for trapping of particulate Ag but dispensable for Ag presentation.


The paper investigates the effects of a humanoid robot's online feedback during a tutoring situation in which a human demonstrates how to make a frog jump across a table. Motivated by micro-analytic studies of adult-child-interaction, we investigated whether tutors react to a robot's gaze strategies while they are presenting an action. And if so, how they would adapt to them. Analysis reveals that tutors adjust typical "motionese" parameters (pauses, speed, and height of motion). We argue that a robot – when using adequate online feedback strategies – has at its disposal an important resource with which it could proactively shape the tutor's presentation and help generate the input from which it would benefit most. These results advance our understanding of robotic "Social Learning" in that they suggest a paradigm shift towards considering human and robot as one interational learning system. Keywords: human-robot-interaction; feedback; adaptation; multimodality; gaze; conversation analysis; social learning; pro-active robot conduct


INTRODUCTION
To investigate the use of a high-arginine immunonutrient supplement prior to radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We recruited 40 patients to consume a total of four high-arginine immunonutrient shakes per day for 5 days prior to radical cystectomy. The primary outcome measures were safety, tolerability and adherence to the supplementation regimen. Ninety-day postoperative outcomes were also compared between supplemented patients and a cohort of 104 prospectively identified non-supplemented radical cystectomy patients. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to compare overall complications, infectious complications, and readmission rates between groups.

RESULTS
There were no serious adverse events during supplementation. Four patients (10%) stopped supplementation due to nausea (n = 2) and bloating (n = 2). Thirty-three patients (83%) consumed all prescribed shakes. Immunonutrient supplementation was not significantly associated with overall complications (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-2.33), infectious complications (OR 1.23; 95% CI 0.49-3.07), or readmissions (OR 1.48; 95% CI 0.62-3.51) on multivariable analyses.

CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative supplementation with a high-arginine immunonutrient shake was safe and well tolerated prior to radical cystectomy. Contrary to prior reports, immunonutrient supplementation was not associated with lower postoperative infectious complications in this cohort, perhaps owing to the 5 day supplementation period. Further study is needed to identify the optimal immunonutrient supplement regimen for radical cystectomy patients.


Conflicts are a ubiquitous part of our life. One of the main reasons behind the initiation and escalation of conflict is the identity, or the sense of self, of the engaged parties. It is hence not surprising that there is a consistent area of academic literature that focuses on identity, conflict, and their interaction. This area models conflicts as contests and focuses on the theoretical, experimental, and empirical literature from economics, political science, and psychology. The theoretical literature investigates the behavioral aspects—such as preference and beliefs—to explain the reasons for and the effects of identity on human behavior. The theoretical literature also analyzes issues such as identity-dependent externality, endogenous choice of joining a group, and so on. The applied literature consists of laboratory and field experiments as well as empirical studies from the field. The experimental studies find that the salience of an identity can increase conflict in a field setting. Laboratory experiments show that whereas real identity indeed increases conflict, a mere classification does not do so. It is also observed that priming a majority–minority identity affects the conflict behavior of the majority, but not of the minority. Further investigations explain these results in terms of parochial altruism. The empirical literature in this area focuses on the various measures of identity, identity distribution, and other economic variables on conflict behavior. Religious polarization can explain conflict behavior better than linguistic differences. Moreover, polarization is a more significant determinants of conflict when the winners of the conflict enjoy a public good reward; but fractionalization is a better determinant when the winners enjoy a private good reward. As a whole, this area of literature is still emerging, and the theoretical literature can be extended to various avenues such as sabotage, affirmative action, intra-group conflict, and endogenous group formation. For empirical and experimental research, exploring new conflict resolution mechanisms, endogeneity between identity and conflict, and evaluating biological mechanisms for identity-related conflict will be of interest.


t-Butyl alcohol is widely used in the manufacture of perfumes and a variety of cosmetics. It is also used as a raw material in the production of isobutylene, which may be used to produce methyl tertiary butyl ether, a common gasoline additive, or to produce butyl elastomers used in the production of automobile tires. The National Cancer Institute nominated t-butyl alcohol to the NTP for study as a result of a review of chemicals found in drinking water. In addition to the high annual production and the potential for occupational exposure, there is also a potential for human exposure to t-butyl alcohol by the inhalation route from its use as an additive in unleaded gasoline. Therefore, toxicity studies of t-butyl alcohol were conducted in male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice by whole-body inhalation. Animals were evaluated for hematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, reproductive toxicity, and histopathology. The genetic toxicity of t-butyl alcohol was assessed by testing the ability of the chemical to induce mutations in various strains of Salmonella typhimurium and L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells or sister chromatid exchanges and chromosomal aberrations in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells, and by measuring the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes in rat bone marrow and mouse peripheral blood. In the 18-day inhalation studies, groups of five male and five female rats and mice were exposed to t-butyl alcohol by inhalation at concentrations of 450, 900, 1,750, 3,500, and 7, 000 ppm for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 12 exposure days. All rats and mice exposed to 7,000 ppm were killed moribund following a single 6-hour exposure. One 3,500 ppm male mouse died on day 3. Final mean body weights of 3,500 ppm male and female rats were significantly lower than those of the controls. Final mean body weights and body weight gains of all other exposed groups were similar to those of the controls. In animals exposed to 3.500 ppm, the thymus weights of male and female rats and female mice were less than those of the controls. The liver weights of male and female mice exposed to 3,500 ppm were greater than those of the controls. No grss or microscopic lesion were present in rats or mice. In the 13-week inhalation studies, groups of 10 male and 10 female rats and mice were exposed to t-butyl alcohol at concentrations of 0, 135, 270, 540, 1,080, and 2,100 ppm for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 13 weeks. One 2,100 ppm and five 1,080 ppm male mice died before the end of the studies. The final mean body weight of 2,100 ppm female mice and the mean body weight gains of 1,080 and 2,100 ppm female mice were significantly lower than those of the controls. Clinical findings of toxicity in the 1,080 ppm male mice died during the studies included rough coats and emaciated appearance, hypoactivity, and prostration. Minimal decreases in hematocrit values, hemoglobin concentrations, and erythrocyte counts occurred in the 1,080 and 2,100 ppm male rats at week 13. Hemoglobin concentrations and/or hematocrit values were also minimally decreased in male rats in the lower exposure groups. At week 13, a minimal decrease in urine pH occurred in the 1,080 ppm female and 2,100 ppm male and female rats. Neutrophilia occurred in the 2,100 ppm male mice. Organ weight differences in exposed rats included increased absolute and relative kidney weights of 1,080 ppm males and 2,100 ppm males and females and increased relative liver weights of 1,080 and 2,100 ppm females. There were no treatment-related gross findings in male or female rats or mice; no microscopic lesion occurred in female rats or male or female mice that survived to the end of the study. In male rats, there was an exposure concentration-related increase in the severity of chronic nephropathy. Splenic lymphoid depletion was present in male mice that died during the studies; this lesion was presumed to be secondary to stress. t-butyl alcohol produced no adverse effects on reproductive parameters in male or female rats or mice. The results of all tests of t-butyl alcohol for induction of genetic damage in vitro and in vivo were negative. In vitro, t-butyl alcohol was negative in Salmonella typhimurium and mouse lymphoma cell mutation test, and it did not induce sister chromatid exchanges or chromosomal aberrations in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells. These in vitro studies were conducted with and without metabolic activation (S9). In vivo, no increase in the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes was observed in peripheral blood samples from mice administered t-butyl alcohol in drinking water for 13 weeks. Also, induction or micronucleated erythrocytes was noted in bone marrow cells of rats administered t-butyl alcohol by intraperitoneal injection. In summary, inhalation exposure of rats and mice to t-butyl alcohol resulted in deaths following a single 7,000 ppm exposure and clinical findings of alcohol toxicity (hyper- and hypoactivity, ataxia) at concentrations of 900 ppm and greater in rats and 1,750 ppm and greater in mice. In 13-week studies at concentrations up to 2,100 ppm, only one death (that of a 2,100 ppm mouse) was attributed to chemical exposure. The most notable evidence of toxicity at the end of 13 weeks was limited to males and consisted of increased kidney weights, which correlated microscopically to increased severity of chronic nephropathy. Reproductive parameters in male and female rats and mice were unaffected after 13 weeks of exposure, and the results of all tests for genetic toxicity were negative.


Purpose: This study was undertaken to examine the role of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway in the response of ovarian cancer cells to Taxol and to evaluate the significance of this pathway in human epithelial ovarian tumors. Experimental Design: The effect of Taxol treatment on AKT activation in A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells was evaluated using antibodies specific for phospho-AKT. To study the drug-resistant phenotype, we developed a Taxol-resistant cell line, HEY-T30, derived from HEY ovarian carcinoma cells. IGF2 expression was measured by real-time PCR. A type 1 IGF receptor (IGF1R) inhibitor, NVP-AEW541, and IGF2 small interfering RNA were used to evaluate the effect of IGF pathway inhibition on proliferation and Taxol sensitivity. IGF2 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 115 epithelial ovarian tumors and analyzed in relation to clinical/pathologic factors using the χ2 or Fisher's exact tests. The influence of IGF2 expression on survival was studied with Cox regression. Results: Taxol-induced AKT phosphorylation required IGF1R tyrosine kinase activity and was associated with upregulation of IGF2. Resistant cells had higher IGF2 expression compared with sensitive cells, and IGF pathway inhibition restored sensitivity to Taxol. High IGF2 tumor expression correlated with advanced stage (P < 0.001) and tumor grade (P < 0.01) and reduced disease-free survival (P < 0.05). Conclusions: IGF2 modulates Taxol resistance, and tumor IGF2 expression is a candidate prognostic biomarker in epithelial ovarian tumors. IGF pathway inhibition sensitizes drug-resistant ovarian carcinoma cells to Taxol. Such novel findings suggest that IGF2 represents a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer, particularly in the setting of Taxol resistance. Clin Cancer Res; 16(11); 2999–3010. ©2010 AACR.


We present Tangram, a programming system for writing performance-portable programs. The language enables programmers to write computation and composition codelets, supported by tuning knobs and primitives for expressing data parallelism and work decomposition. The compiler and runtime use a set of techniques such as hierarchical composition, coarsening, data placement, tuning, and runtime selection based on input characteristics and micro-profiling. The resulting performance is competitive with optimized vendor libraries.


Synopsis A field and petrographic study of Lewisian- and Torridonian-hosted clastic dykes near Gairloch, NW Scotland indicates that these generally trend NE and align in an up to 1 km wide NE trending fracture zone extending over a distance of approximately 10 km. Clastic dykes are not pure opening mode fractures, but possess a component of horizontal shear displacement (strike-slip) as well. Margins of dykes are sharp and unaltered and clasts of lithified, host sandstones are found within those dykes hosted by the Diabaig and Applecross Formations sandstones. This suggests that fracturing and clastic filling took place when a considerable amount of Torridonian sediment was already deposited and lithified and a source from the upper Torridon Group (Aultbea and/or Cailleach Head Formations) is inferred. We suggest that fracturing within the Lewisian basement and lithified lower Torridon Group (Diabaig and Applecross Formations) sediments took place under the influence of an extensional strike-slip regime causing forceful downward intrusion of water and sediment due to: (a) suction of water from the Torridonian sediments into the fractures created in the underlying, dry basement, and (b) loading of unlithified sediments on top of fractures in the lithified lower Torridon Group (Diabaig and Applecross Formations) strata.


Although some might consider the appellate review of remand orders as something of a jurisdictional backwater, recent developments suggest that the rules need attention. The Supreme Court has decided no fewer than four cases in the past few years and has failed to develop a persuasive framework. Indeed, one member of the Court, Justice Breyer, has invited "experts" to solve the problem. In this essay, I suggest that the solution lies in the Court's own hands. Rather than proposing legislative or rulemaking solutions, I call on the Court to re-invigorate its supervisory powers and conduct direct review of district court remand orders under the All Writs Act. Such review would allow the Court to address important problems and would free the Court from the obligation to umpire the divisions that have arisen at the circuit court level as to the proper interpretation of 28 U.S.C. § 1447(d). The essay concludes with some thoughts about the respective roles of the Congress, the Court, and the rule makers in the crafting of jurisdictional law.


ABSTRACT Beliefs may be described as Type A, scientific and verifiable (objective), or Type B, not verifiable and personal (subjective). Type B might be considered subjective opinion, something other than empirically confirmed, objective truth. Nevertheless, Type B is asserted as truth by some and can be valued over Type A. Both kinds of belief are important in special education, and both have advantages and disadvantages. When Type A belief is available, it must be given precedence over Type B for informing and determining public policies and for choosing special education interventions. Unjust treatment of disabilities, including children with exceptionalities, is one predictable consequence of ignoring Type A belief, although it is also possible for injustice to be the result of ignoring Type B.


Oil palm kernel shell (OPKS) is an organic lightweight aggregate (LWA) used as coarse aggregate in tropical countries for concrete in low-cost buildings. Concrete mixture proportioning is used to calculate the quantities of different constituents required to achieve different properties. For LWA concrete with mineral aggregate, there exist mix design methods that follow rigorous sequence of steps that consider performance specifications. However, no such method exists for concrete using organic coarse aggregate, namely, OPKS. The methods that exist for OPKS concrete that satisfy technical specifications for structural lightweight concrete (LWC) are based on trial and error or empirical methods. With trial and error method, it is not always possible to predict the value of specific prop - erties of the concrete; however, engineers are mainly concerned with obtaining specific properties when proportioning a concrete mixture. The present topic presents a struc- tured method for trial mix proportioning of structural LWC using OPKS as coarse aggregate. Based on the principle of the absolute volume method in ACI 213, the method is presented, following the below headings: (1) properties of constituents of OPKS concrete; (2) mix design procedure; and (3) results and discussion. Technicians in tropical oil-palm- producing countries for low-cost buildings can use the presented method.


The U.S. health care system faces well-known problems: 47 million people without health insurance, rapidly rising costs that consume 16 percent of the country's economic output, and widely uneven quality of care. Even many people with coverage are experiencing serious problems paying for the rapidly rising costs of health care and insurance. This book - a joint product of the National Academy of Public Administration and the National Academy of Social Insurance - undertakes a sweeping analysis of the management and administrative issues that arise in expanding health care coverage. The book identifies the core administrative functions that need to be performed in assuring access to health coverage, describes how these functions are performed at present and under proposed alternatives, draws lessons from experience in the U.S. and abroad, and assesses suggested administrative approaches designed to facilitate the improvement and expansion of health care coverage. Adequate health care is one of today's most crucial domestic policy concerns. Expanding Access to Health Care is designed to bring together in one place some of the best thinking on the subject, not as an exercise in advocacy, but rather to lay out the issues in a balanced way so that policymakers, researchers, and citizens can better understand the complex details of health care reform.


"The King James Bible" or "Authorized Version" (1611) comprises the Old Testament, the "Apocrypha" and the New Testament, from God's creation of the heaven and earth and the fall of man in Genesis, through the life of Jesus Christ, to St John the Divine's foretelling of the end of the world and God's final judgment in Revelation. Among the most influential texts of all time and the cornerstone of the Christian faith, the "King James Bible" is the work of the great scholars and theologians of the early seventeenth century and reflects their desire for greater stability in the Christian religion. They revised and retranslated existing versions, including that of William Tyndale, to create a standardized Bible that would be accessible to all speakers and readers of English. Definitive and highly readable, this superb edition brings new vigour to one of the finest pieces of English prose.


Background This article is concerned with professional learning within multi-agency settings. Since the publication of the government document Every child matters in 2003, professionals involved in working with children and young people have been moving into newly organized services that are required to deliver improved services for vulnerable children and their families. Although new ways of professional working are described in the plethora of government guidance that has followed Every child matters, there has been little examination of how this is being achieved in different teams around the country. Purpose This paper describes a current national research project, 'Learning in and for Inter-agency Working', which is investigating new ways of learning that develop, while teams of professionals work together around children and young people who are at risk of social exclusion. Programme description The research project is theoretically based and draws upon sociocultural and activity theory research to understand the practices that develop within the different agencies involved. The paper describes the derivation of the theory and the particular aspects of activity theory that are central to the project. In particular, the use of developmental work research (DWR), as the method of intervention with a number of local education authorities, is described and explained. Sample Some of the early work undertaken within phases 3 and 4 of a five-stage project which began in 2004 and ends in 2007 is described. Five different inter-agency teams of professionals working as part of Children's Services, from different geographical locations in England are the participants in the study. Design and methods The research uses activity theory to structure a series of DWR workshops with members of the multi-agency teams. Ethnographic data, including observations and interviews, are collected and form the subject-matter of the workshops. Results The data gathered are used to facilitate workshops where participants discuss their developing working practices and plan changes. The reporting phase of the project, where the findings across all sites will be analysed and summarized is not until mid-2007. However, early themes emerging from the research are included in the paper. These themes include: issues around co-location and co-working, evolving of professional identities, discussion of divisions of labour and professional expertise. These are described and illustrated using data from the research project. Conclusions As this is still 'work in progress' no firm conclusions can be drawn. However, it has become clear that new ways of thinking about professional working with children and families is necessary as old ways of working do not necessarily provide better outcomes for children.


Using internal conical refraction, we demonstrate an Yb:KGW laser where the polarization state can be arbitrarily altered without any additional cavity components. The extinction ratio can also be altered between 1:1 and 40:1. The maximum output power achieved was 8.6 W at a slope efficiency of 60.5% with respect to incident pump power. This equals the power performance of a standard Yb:KGW laser used for reference.


ABSTRACT Exploration well 50/26b-6 in the UK Southern North Sea discovered a trap containing a gas-bearing Rotliegend Group (Leman Sandstone Formation) reservoir which was a major surprise at the time of drilling in that its gas composition was approximately 50% CO2 (with 9% N2 and the remainder methane). Christened the 'Fizzy Discovery', the accumulation was appraised by well 50/26b-8. Subsequently, another CO2-rich discovery (Oak) was made along-strike in nearby block 54/1b. Column heights at the well locations are of the order of a few tens of metres, but at the Fizzy Discovery the column height at the trap crest is estimated to be over 200 m. Interpretation of a high fidelity PSTM 3D seismic dataset has been constrained by 33 exploration wells allowing fault geometries and stratigraphic offsets to be determined with confidence. Despite late-stage (Late Cretaceous) structural inversion, the net boundary-fault offset is sufficient in both the Fizzy and Oak discoveries to almost breach the Zechstein Group evaporite super-seal, and the CO2-bearing Rotliegend Group in the footwall is now juxtaposed against hanging wall sediments of the uppermost Zechstein Group. Hence, these Zechstein Group units evidently act as a robust long-term side-seal for the carbon dioxide column. The Fizzy and Oak accumulations are noteworthy in providing a natural demonstration of top seal and fault side-seal integrity for carbon dioxide in a subsurface reservoir, that has remained intact over a geological timescale in what is otherwise a prolific methane-rich reservoir play fairway.


UNLABELLED
This study was performed to assess if laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is an improved method for the detection of revascularization of replanted teeth. Teeth were extracted and reimplanted under different experimental conditions. LDF readings were taken before extraction and weekly for 3 months. In control teeth, LDF baseline readings were taken and then repeated after the apical blood vessels were cut surgically. At the end of 3 months it was determined radiographically and histologically whether revascularization had occurred, i.e. vitality had returned.

RESULTS
LDF readings correctly predicted the pulp status (vital vs. non-vital) in 83.7% of the readings. 73.9% (17 of 23) were correct for the vital teeth and 95% (19 of 20) were correct for the non-vital teeth. Fisher's exact test (2-tail) indicated that there was no significant association between the efficacy of LDF and tooth type (P = 0.166), although P2 was the least accurate tooth tested. Wilcoxon's matched-pair signed rank test demonstrated that in the revascularized (vital) teeth, the flux value between the baseline and week 2 dropped significantly (P = 0.0001), increased significantly from week 2 to week 4 (P = 0.0001) and then decreased steadily until week 12. However, at week 12 the flux was still significantly higher than at week 2 (P = 0.010). In the teeth that failed to revascularize, the flux value dropped significantly by weeks 1 and 2 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.0001, respectively). Flux values did not increase from week 2. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis confirmed a pulse of dominant frequency of 2 Hz in the teeth that returned to vitality and the lack thereof in those that stayed non-vital. One tooth in which the flux value evaluation indicated a non-vital tooth but the radiographic/histologic findings showed vital (false negative) possessed a pulse of dominant frequency and proved by this method to have successfully revascularized.


Economic growth is often in conflict with environmental goals. Biodiversity offsetting attempts to resolve this conflict by requiring industries to compensate for the biodiversity loss they cause, by generating an equivalent biodiversity gain elsewhere. Offsets for environmental impacts are increasingly being seen as a way to help meet preexisting conservation targets, such as those relating to the establishment and management of protected areas. We examine how using offsets to meet a state or organization's genuine commitments, which are not contingent on the offsets, results in no additional conservation benefit. In this case, either the offset or the preexisting commitment is invalid. For example, the use of offsets to meet commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity requires an admission that those commitments would otherwise not be met. This interaction between international agreements around protected areas and offset policy can generate perverse incentives, which must be carefully managed to avoid poor conservation outcomes. We propose separate accounting for conservation gains generated using offsets, and that future conservation agreements and targets should explicitly separate commitments met using offset gains from those which are not reliant on equivalent losses.


This thesis addresses methodological issues in estimating the value of a statistical life (VSL). Two main approaches have been used to estimate the VSL, the indirect and direct methods; the indirect method is based on revealed preferences, such as the wage premium demanded for a risky job. The direct method is based on surveys where respondents are asked about their willingness to pay for risk reductions. There are several methodological problems with both approaches. This thesis mainly concentrates on methodological problems with the direct approach; more specifically with the contingent valuation approach. Some problems are universal for all survey based research in economics, but there are also specific problems in using surveys to ask respondents about the willingness to pay for a small risk reduction. The first paper concerns the findings that individuals often show inadequate sensitivity to the scale of the provided good, i.e. the willingness to pay is almost the same for a risk reduction of 0.0001 as for a risk reduction of 0.00005. The results in the first paper show that there is a systematic bias with respect to scale insensitivity such that individuals with lower score on a basic cognitive ability test are more likely to not show scale sensitivity. Hence, scale bias can be considered as (at least partly) a problem based on respondents lack of understanding of the small changes in probabilities. The second paper concerns the problem of hypothetical bias, i.e. that respondents usually overstate their willingness to pay in a survey scenario. The paper proposes that more reliable VSL estimates may be calculated if only the most certain respondents are included in the final calculations. It has been shown in social psychology that certain (uncertain) respondents have a strong (weak) attitude-behavior relationship. In several recent lab and field experiments in economics; it has been shown that if the uncertain respondents that say they will buy the good are excluded: hypothetical surveys answers match individual behaviour in a "real market situation". The results in the paper indicates that value of life estimates are approximately reduced by half if only trusting the answers from the certain respondents, and only trusting the certain respondents creates almost identical VSL estimates from two completely different surveys at around 20 million Swedish kronor (SEK). The third paper focuses on the consistent findings that the value of a statistical life is higher (lower) if the hypothetical good is described as a private (public) abstract good. We hypothesize that this is not, as previously discussed in the literature, dependent on different types of altruistic behaviour, but is dependent on pure preferences regarding the provider of the good. Results indicate that the private VSL is much higher among respondents that dislike public provision of goods in general, hence, even if the risk reductions are of equal magnitude, the goods are not considered equal dependent on the provider of the good. The fourth paper estimates the value of a statistical life based on stated willingness to pay and on stated behaviour regarding seat belt and bicycle helmet use. VSL estimates are in the range of 38 to 75 million SEK (highest for stated WTP). Further, as a validity test, it is found that individuals that state a high willingness to pay are also, as theoretically expected, more likely to wear seat belts. The fifth paper in the thesis differs from the first four, in that it rather concerns how the value of life estimates can be put to use in other contexts than only cost-benefit analysis. It estimates the relationship between changes in the unemployment rate and heart attack incidence, lethality and mortality. Results, based on regional panel data analysis in Sweden, indicate that among individuals aged 20-49 an increase in the unemployment rate increases heart attack incidence and mortality. Using value of life estimates, it is estimated that a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate has a monetized "health cost" of 350 million SEK. The findings may be used to consider a broader societal cost of unemployment.


Since the Second World War, the dominating paradigm of societal development has focused on economic growth. While economic growth has improved the quality of human life in a variety of ways, we posit that the identification of economic growth as the primary societal goal is culture-blind because preferences for developmental pathways likely vary between societies. We argue that the cultural diversity of developmental goals and the pathways leading to these goals could be reflected in a culturally sensitive approach to assessing societal development. For the vast majority of post-materialistic societies, it is an urgent necessity to prepare culturally sensitive compasses on how to develop next, and to start conceptualizing growth in a more nuanced and culturally responsive way. Furthermore, we propose that cultural sensitivity in measuring societal growth could also be applied to existing development indicators (e.g. the Human Development Index). We call for cultural researchers, in cooperation with development economists and other social scientists, to prepare a new cultural map of developmental goals, and to create and adapt development indexes that are more culturally sensitive. This innovation could ultimately help social planners understand the diverse pathways of development and assess the degree to which societies are progressing in a self-determined and indigenously valued manner.


We iteratively improve a 3-D tomographic model of the southern California crust using numerical simulations of seismic wave propagation based on a spectral-element method (SEM) in combination with an adjoint method. The initial 3-D model is provided by the Southern California Earthquake Center. The data set comprises three-component seismic waveforms (i.e. both body and surface waves), filtered over the period range 2–30 s, from 143 local earthquakes recorded by a network of 203 stations. Time windows for measurements are automatically selected by the FLEXWIN algorithm. The misfit function in the tomographic inversion is based on frequency-dependent multitaper traveltime differences. The gradient of the misfit function and related finite-frequency sensitivity kernels for each earthquake are computed using an adjoint technique. The kernels are combined using a source subspace projection method to compute a model update at each iteration of a gradient-based minimization algorithm. The inversion involved 16 iterations, which required 6800 wavefield simulations. The new crustal model, m_(16), is described in terms of independent shear (V_S) and bulk-sound (V_B) wave speed variations. It exhibits strong heterogeneity, including local changes of ±30 per cent with respect to the initial 3-D model. The model reveals several features that relate to geological observations, such as sedimentary basins, exhumed batholiths, and contrasting lithologies across faults. The quality of the new model is validated by quantifying waveform misfits of full-length seismograms from 91 earthquakes that were not used in the tomographic inversion. The new model provides more accurate synthetic seismograms that will benefit seismic hazard assessment.


We shall seek to analyze two aspects of Salvadoran society-- one prevalent for a long period of time, the other a response more recent in origin.1 First, we will investigate the conditions that have been developing in recent years in the countryside of El Salvador and the ramifications of these developments for the peasantry. Second, we will analyze the political response, namely the land reform that has been formulated and partially implemented in a calculated effort to ameliorate a century-long process of rural stratification and, thereby, terminate rule by a landed oligarchy while frustrating a radical revolution.


This report presents results of a US Bureau of Mines study of longwall gob material. The objective of this work was to determine material stiffness properties of the gob for use in numerical models of rock mass response to longwall mining. Photographs of actual mine gob were digitized to obtain approximate particle size gradations of gob material. The gradation curve was shifted down to a laboratory scale, and 20 uniaxial compression tests were conducted. Varying the maximum particle size was not found to affect the stress-strain behavior, but changing the gradation appeared to influence that behavior. The stress-strain relationship of the simulated gob material was nonlinear, the stress-secant-modulus relationship was approximately linear, and the stress-tangent-modulus relationship was approximately a second-order polynomial function. Equations were generated from these curves, providing numerical modelers with a means to estimate gob moduli based on the stress level. In addition, the experimental data were statistically evaluated using multiple regression analyses, producing a series of equations to predict the secant and tangent moduli from the given stress level, bulking factor, rock strength, and thickness-to-width shape ratio of the particles.


The concept of composite materials using fibers as reinforcement is not new. The aim of composing materials is to improve some properties of the original materials. In civil engineering, fiber reinforced concrete was one of the topics of interest. Using fibrous concrete in reinforced concrete structures arises a question of how does it affect the bond strength between the concrete and reinforcing steel bars. Thus, the present experimental study are carried out to have a clear understanding of the bond strength between normal concrete with two selected types of fibers which were carbon and glass fiber and steel reinforcing bars. Forty five pullout cubic specimens of size 150mm were fabricated and tested to serve that purpose. They were divided into five groups to study the effect of some selected parameters such as, type of fiber (carbon and glass),reinforcing bar diameter(12mm,16mm and 20mm)and fiber to cement ratio(f/c) by weight(0.75% and 1% ). Also, three concrete cubes having the same size of the pullout specimens from each concrete mix were tested in compression to find their compressive strength. It was found that the addition of glass fiber with bar diameter=16mm has much effect in enhancing bond strength than that enhancement accrued by addition of carbon fiber, the bond strength increases by about 13.6 % and 4.5 % with the addition of 0.75% and 1% glass fiber. On the other hand, the bond strength increases as bar diameter decreases.The addition of the carbon or glass fibers increases the bond strength for specimens with smaller bar diameter and vice versa and the fiber(either glass or carbon) to cement ratio of 0.75% give higher bond strength than that of 1.0%.


MANET (Mobile Ad-hoc Network) is a dynamically changing network which is self-configuring and used in infrastructure less environment. The nodes in MANET act as router and due to its dynamically changing topology it is more open to attacks that causes network issues and service failures. The malicious node(s) causes dropping of packets are black hole and nodes which are dropping and forwarding only selective packets are called as gray hole which is very difficult to detect as other reasons such as congestion and low bandwidth are also responsible for dropping of packets. So, the security solution must be developed to detect and manage black and gray hole attack. In this paper we attempted to mitigate the black hole and gray hole attack and how these attacks are managed.


In recent years a growing body of academic research has identified the distinct phenomenon of rural racism. Despite this, the problem is largely unknown outside of academia and therefore those charged with a General Duty to promote effective race relations in the rural are often 'blind' to the problem. At the heart of the issue is the social and cultural conflation of notions of the rural as a problem free traditional 'white landscape' and the exercise of power and prejudice over those constructed as 'other'. Whilst the Scottish Government has recognised the significant issue of racism in Scotland, the paucity of research means that little is known about the exact 'nature', 'extent' and 'impact' of the problem within specific rural localities. Accordingly, this research explores those key variables within five distinct rural areas of southeast Scotland and reveals how the process of 'othering' works to exclude and marginalise visible ethnic minorities by actively suppressing their diversity. The research methodology involved both qualitative and quantitative aspects and included a public attitudes survey questionnaire and focus groups with white residents, analysis of racial incidents reported to the police, a quality of life survey questionnaire and interviews with visible ethnic minorities who had been victims of racism. This analysis was conducted against an analytical framework provided by Philo's (1992) 'othering theory'. The research findings reveal a disturbing, complex and multi-dimensional landscape of endemic racism within rural southeast Scotland that has a profound impact on victims. In doing so, it also reveals and challenges the shifting lens of 'agency' and 'state' as the advocacy of multiculturalism so embraced after Macpherson has now apparently come to be seen as 'yesterdays news' through new post 7/7 state racisms which appear to reconstitute certain ethnic minority communities as a 'problem' that now requires to be 'controlled'.


1. Maternal hormones during embryogenesis act as a bridge between the maternal and the offspring environment and consequently may allow maternal pre-programming of offspring phenotype to the environment, assuming that maternal environment is a reliable predictor of offspring environment.

2. We use an orthogonal experimental design in which we increase plasma corticosterone concentration (vs. control) in placentotrophic gravid female spotted skinks (Niveoscincus ocellatus) and their offspring. We hypothesize that high concentrations of maternal corticosterone allow offspring phenotype to be pre-programmed to better cope with high concentrations of corticosterone after birth and, consequently, offspring would not suffer from its deleterious effects. We use growth as a measure of performance as corticosterone typically affects growth in reptiles.

3. High concentrations of maternal corticosterone had significant effects on offspring body condition at birth which could have resulted from corticosterone passing through the complex placenta and/or from the indirect effects of corticosterone on maternal body condition.

4. There was no indication of maternal pre-programming to high concentrations of corticosterone postpartum: growth rate of offspring placed in the same treatment (corticosterone vs. control) than their mother was not different to growth rate of offspring placed in a different treatment than their mother.

5. Maternal pre-programming to corticosterone may not have been selected for in this species either because maternal chronic stress is not a reliable predictor of offspring chronic stress or because maternal pre-programming does not outweigh the costs of having reduced sensitivity to the hormone, resulting in slower, less appropriate reactions in stressful conditions. This study further demonstrates the highly versatile and context-dependent nature of maternal effects and the trade-offs between costs and benefits of maternal pre-programming.


The expansion of urban areas and adjacent farming land into natural landscapes modifies habitats and produces small isolated pockets of native vegetation. This fragmentation of the natural habitat subdivides animal communities, reduces population sizes and increases vulnerability to extinction. In this paper we investigate whether fragmentation decreases lizard species richness, composition, overall abundance and abundance at the species level. Urban remnants consisting of five small ( 10 ha) fragments of natural bushland were paired with continuous bushland areas located near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. These remnants were surveyed six times, using pitfall traps, from November 2001 to March 2002. Lizard species richness and abundance were not significantly influenced by habitat fragmentation or fragment size. Egernia whitii was the only lizard species significantly influenced by fragment size, and was only present in large fragments and continuous bush. Vegetation type and structure as well as environmental variables (geology and aspect) influenced the structure of reptile communities. Lizard species that were able to use a number of different habitat types were found to persist at most sites, irrespective of fragment size. Edge environment did not significantly influence lizard species richness or abundance in remnant areas. Lizard species richness was significantly lower in sites that had a high ratio of exotic to native plant species. Therefore, if remnants continue to be invaded by exotic plants, lizard species that require native plant communities will become increasingly vulnerable to local extinction. Our results suggest that lizard species requiring specialized habitats, such as E. whitii, may persist in large urban remnants rather than small urban remnants because large reserves are more likely to encompass rare habitats, such as rocky outcrops. Habitat heterogeneity, rather than size, may be the key to their persistence.


Abstract. In this study a one-dimensional numerical cloud electrification model, called the Explicit Microphysics Thunderstorm Model (EMTM), is used to find quantitative relationships between the simulated electrical activity and microphysical properties in convective clouds. The model, based on an explicit microphysics scheme coupled to an ice–ice noninductive electrification scheme, allows us to interpret the connection of cloud microphysical structure with charge density distribution within the cloud, and to study the full evolution of the lightning activity (intracloud and cloud-to-ground) in relation to different environmental conditions. Thus, we apply the model to a series of different case studies over continental Europe and the Mediterranean region. We first compare, for selected case studies, the simulated lightning activity with the data provided by the ground-based Lightning Detection Network (LINET) in order to verify the reliability of the model and its limitations, and to assess its ability to reproduce electrical activity consistent with the observations. Then, using all simulations, we find a correlation between some key microphysical properties and cloud electrification, and derive quantitative relationships relating simulated flash rates to minimum thresholds of graupel mass content and updrafts. Finally, we provide outlooks on the use of such relationships and comments on the future development of this study.


Transvaginal ultrasound for infertile woman: from pre-implantation evaluation to the birth.

Introduction
Transvaginal ultrasound (USG TV) plays a fundamental role in different applications in infertile women, from the study of uterine cavity to the evaluation of follicular and endometrial blood flow in IVF (in vitro fertilization) cycles. It's also commonly used to identify patients at high risk for spontaneous preterm birth. For all this capacity, transvaginal ultrasound represents an excellent and irreplaceable instrument for the study of infertile women.

Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of transvaginal ultrasound to improve pregnancy outcome in infertile women, from pre-implantation evaluation to the birth.

Study design
We conducted three lines of research:
First research line: "Transvaginal ultrasonography to evaluate uterine cavity in infertile woman". The capacity of transvaginal ultrasound as to study intracavity disease, was evaluated in this line. The role of power Doppler USG TV in differentiating septate and bicornuate uterus was investigated too.
Second research line: "Transvaginal ultrasonography in IVF cycles. Improvement of implantation rate". This research investigated the role of USG TV in IVF cycles and in particular the follicular vascularization and intrafollicular leptin levels in oocyte selection.
Third research line: "Transvaginal ultrasonography in the prediction of preterm delivery in ART (assisted reproductive technique) pregnancy", to identify the patients at the risk of preterm labour on the basis of the measure of cervical length that underwent to tocolytic treatment.

Results:
First research line: the results about intracavity diseases was published in "La patologia uterina benigna", in: Ecografia transvaginale, E.L.I. Medica editor, 2008. About the second endpoint, the 3D USG TV Power Doppler, with the identification of "gamma sign" seems to be the less invasive and the most sensitive, hamless and conclusive diagnostic tool to perform the differential diagnosis between septate and bicornuate uterus. The results haven't been published yet.
Second research line: the results about the application of USG TV in IVF cycles were published in "L'ecografia transavaginale e riproduzione assistita", in: Ecografia transvaginale, E.L.I. Medica editor, 2008. About the second endpoint significative correlations weren't found between perifollicular vascularization and intrafollicular levels. The results are poor and so they will not be published.
Third research line: the results were published in "Atosiban vs ritodrine used prophylactically with cerclage in ICSI pregnancies to prevent pre-term birth in women identified as being at risk on basis of transvaginal ultrasound scan", J of Obstet and Gynecol, 2006; 26(5):396-401.

Conclusion:
Transvaginal ultrasound can improve fertility rate and pregnancy outcome in infertile women.

Key words: uterine malformation, perifollicular vascularization, preterm delivery.


Abstract Hb J-Meerut [HBA2: c.362C>A (or HBA1)] is a rare, stable, nonpathogenic α-globin gene variant that peaks in the area between the P3 and A0 windows on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Few cases from different ethnic origins have been published but the majority were Asian Indians. Coinheritance with other hemoglobin (Hb) variants are rarer and can change the Hb J-Meerut phenotype making a diagnostic dilemma. In this study, we have reported 15 cases of Hb J-Meerut, discovered during a wide spectrum study of α-globin chain variants in the UK. The diagnosis was confirmed by forward and reverse DNA sequencing of the α1- and α2-globin genes. The average of the Hb J-Meerut expression was 20.9% of total Hb and characterized by a retention time (RT) of 1.9 min. (on average) on HPLC. The median of isoelectric focusing (IEF) was 5.6 mm above Hb A. Among the 15 cases studied, one case coinherited the Hb E (HBB: c.79G>A) mutation in heterozygosity and another case was associated with the Cap +14 (C>G) [HBA1: c.-24C>G (or HBA2)] variant. We noticed that the coinheritance of the Hb E mutation reduced the Hb J-Meerut expression with the formation of a hybrid peak missed on the HPLC chromatograph. We also noticed an increased expression of Hb J-Meerut in the case showing the coinheritance of the HBA2: c.-24C>G (or HBA1) variant.


We analyze the D-branes of a type IIB string theory on an orbifold singularity including the possibility of discrete torsion following the work of Douglas et al. First we prove some general results about the moduli space of a point associated to the "regular representation" of the orbifold group. This includes some analysis of the "wrapped branes" which necessarily appear when the orbifold singularity is not isolated. Next we analyze the stringy homology of the orbifold using the McKay correspondence and the relationship between K-theory and homology. We find that discrete torsion and torsion in this stringy homology are closely-related concepts but that they differ in general. Lastly we question to what extent the D-1 brane may be thought of as being dual to a string.


Vasectomy is the method of contraception chosen by more than 500,000 American men annually, and by upwards of 8% of married couples worldwide. However, following the procedure, nearly 20% of men express the desire for children in the future, and approximately 2–6% of American men will ultimately undergo vasectomy reversal (VR). VR is a complex microsurgical procedure. Intraoperative decision-making, surgical technique, and postoperative management are each critical step in achieving high success rates. The aim of this article is to provide a detailed description of the operative and perioperative procedures employed by surgeons performing VRs.


There are many varieties of rules-based, or smart beta, equity strategies. In this article, we provide 10 insights that focus on the equity strategies that are currently the most commonly used among institutional investors: fundamental and low volatility. Rules-based strategy returns are largely driven by exposure to equity risk factors—especially value, small, and low volatility—but also momentum, quality, and several others. Several factors have produced above-market returns in the past, and there is reason to expect that they will do so over sufficiently long periods of time in the future. Factors will go through long periods of underperformance and require close monitoring. There are several ways to potentially profit from factor premiums, including traditional active strategies, timing strategies, and rules-based strategies. Using adaptive skill that adjusts strategy based on complex and changing market conditions is still the best way to exploit market inefficiencies. Asset allocation, not equity strategy, remains the most impactful portfolio decision. The right equity portfolio is dependent on an investor's suitability factors, which include return objectives, tolerance for risk and cost, and oversight resources. Rules-based strategies are most attractive for investors with cost constraints, aversion to significant active risk from concentrated portfolios, or a desire to reduce market exposure at relatively low cost in the medium or long term through low-volatility investments.


Interactions Between Social Support, Acculturation and Health Among Mexican Immigrants Christopher D. Anderson Department of Psychology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy The impact of acculturation and poor social support as potential risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic disease amongst Mexican immigrants to the United States (U.S.) is a developing area of research. One theory is that acculturation to U.S. society is negatively associated with health due to the stress of immigration as well as the less healthy diet and lifestyle in the U.S. It is also theorized that positive social support is associated with better health during immigration due to the buffering effect relationships have on stress. Despite these theories, mixed findings have been found regarding the associations between acculturation and social support to health outcomes in this population. Some research has also noted that significant differences exist between the manner in which men and women experience social support and their acculturation patterns. Consequently, the primary purpose of this study was to test the associations between acculturation and health as well as assess gender, social support, and acculturation for potential moderator effects in a sample of Mexican immigrants in Provo, Utah. Acculturation was measured using the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARMSA-II) which consists of the Anglo Orientation Scale (AOS) and Mexican Orientation Scale (MOS). Social support was determined using both the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) and Sarason Social Support Questionnaire (SSSQ) which has two dimensions: satisfaction with support network and size of support network. Hierarchical multiple regression did not find significant associations between acculturation or social support and health outcomes as measured by ambulatory blood pressure or blood draw values including triglycerides, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and highdensity lipoprotein (HDL). A significant association was observed between Anglo Orientation and social support as measured by the ISEL-II. A moderation effect was observed between gender and Anglo orientation with satisfaction in one's support network. No other moderation effects were observed in this study. Implications of the findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.


This white paper explores the current state of data, both personal and social, in the context of the social graph. ?We will begin, as we must, with the question of privacy, but we wish to underscore that while privacy provides a necessary starting point to this discussion, privacy typically delimits a particular question about how much data about yourself is known to others. ?Our concern here is both related and distinct, in that we are concerned with the wealth of data being collected about semi-public interactions between social agents, even if those agents are themselves tightly curtailing who has access to their personal, ?private? data.


The edible mushroom Agaricus brasiliensis contains a large amount β-glucan, which is mainly composed of a β-1,6-glucan structure. In this study, we investigated the effect of A. brasiliensis strain KA21 on the anti-β-glucan antibody titer in healthy humans and the role of antibodies as an immunomodulator. Twenty-two healthy volunteers were fed the dried fruiting body of A. brasiliensis (900 or 1500 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The anti-β-glucan antibody titer in the serum was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) against β-glucan was significantly upregulated after intake of A. brasiliensis. Murine experiments demonstrated improvement of anti-β-glucan antibody production after intraperitoneal injection of Agaricus-derived β-glucan. To understand the role of antibody against β-glucan in exclusion of pathogenic fungi, we examined the interaction between HL-60 cells and antibody-treated heat-killed Candida albicans. Flow cytometry analysis indicated the upregulation of Candida-positive HL-60 cells after treatment with human IgG, whereas the competitive assay demonstrated that the main epitope of Candida-reacted IgG was the β-1,6-glucan structure. Binding between HL-60 and IgG-opsonized C. albicans was suppressed by anti-Fcγ receptor 1 (FcγRI) neutralizing antibody. Finally, using FcγRI-expressed cells with the nuclear factor of activated T-cell reporter assay, we demonstrated that higher titers of anti-β-glucan IgG can induce stronger Fc receptor-mediated cell activation through the formation of an antibody-β-glucan complex. In conclusion, oral ingestion of A. brasiliensis KA21 promotes anti-β-glucan antibody production and may contribute to preventing fungal infection through the activation of immune cells by forming antibody-β-glucan complexes via an FcγR-dependent pathway.