Job performance for a nurse is very important. One effort to improve job performance is by following training and develop the job characteristics. Langsa DistrictGeneral Hospital has striven to enhance the job performance for the nurses through training and development of job characteristics, but there is no equality in training and for all nurses and they do not have positive attitudes toward job characteristics, either that can satisfy them push it to improve their performance. Aim of this study to find out how the effect of training and job characteristic on job performance of nurses and to know differences of the performance beetween before and after training at Langsa District General Hospital. The problems to be solved in this study is what the effect of training and job characteristics on job performance of the nurses and differences in job performance before and after training. This research used descriptive survey and the comparative method.The population in this study are all nurses who attended the training with minimal education DIIIof nursing or equivalent. The population is consist of 152 nurses and 63 are chosen to be the samples. The result of the first hypothesis of research show that training and job characteristics of task significance, autonomy and feedback simultaneously have significance affect 32,3% of job performance while the rest equal to 67.7% is not included in this research., partial test showed training variables, job characteristic of task significance, autonomy and feedback have significance effect on job performance and dominant variable is training. The results of second hipotesis showed the difference about the increase perfomance obtained by the nurse at Langsa General Hospital earlier from 81.43 to 81.93 with a correlation of 0.963. The resultsshows that there are significant differences that the nurses achievement before and after training.


One model for improving theological training is Avondale's Mission Immersion Experiences for ministry students. These intercultural service-oriented experiences have provided opportunities for transformative learning by placing students in a new and challenging context. This immersion has initiated the refashioning of students' communication and relational skills. It has caused them to be more self-aware and increased their confidence levels in ministry. As their cultural competencies have risen they have experienced confirmation of their calling and an increase in their confidence in their own readiness for ministry. This paper reports on the research into the personal, spiritual and professional impact upon Avondale's ministry students of the 2013 Mission Immersion in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. It compares the results of the extensive questionnaire with the 2012 results to show how student transformational learning is being optimised. It assessed the students' responses to gauge the level of success in reaching the following goals: to build spirituality and personal transformation, to mature student ministry readiness and identity, and to improve student's commitment to mission. Strengths and weaknesses of the current program are reviewed and student's responses to new questions on their personal development are presented. The students' responses, from the more intercultural and evangelistically experienced 2013 cohort, show a continuing personal and professional transformation of students by this intercultural learning. The students' responses of increased spirituality are staying optimal. Manuscript received Feb. 6, 2015; revised March 5, 2015; accepted Aug, 21,


Network virtualization enables programmability to the substrate network provider who provisions and manages virtual networks (VNs) for service providers. A mix of software-defined and autonomic technology improves the flexibility of network management, including dynamic reconfiguration in the virtualized networking environment (VNE). Virtual router (VR)s run at a logical level where software failures may be more frequent. Thus, a VR failure is more frequent than a physical router failure on the substrate network. In this paper, we present a software-defined resilient virtualized networking environment where a VN topology can be restored by using a preserved standby virtual router (S-VR) after a VR failure. We illustrate a preliminary autonomic setup of a VNE on the GENI testbed.


Abstract Background: The onset of motor neuron disease (MND), a neurodegenerative disease, results in physical and communication disabilities that impinge on an individual's ability to remain functionally independent. Multiple aspects of the marital relationship are affected by the continuously changing roles and responsibilities. Communication is one of the most constructive ways of dealing with emotions that are elicited by these changes. Method: This study explored the association between the deteriorating speech of persons with MND and couples' perception of marital communication. Fourteen couples participated in this non-experimental correlational research study. Data were collected over a 12-month period through the administration of objective and subjective measures. Results: Results showed that despite decreased speech intelligibility, the relationship between the deteriorating speech and the couples' perception of marital communication was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Overall, the results proved that the supposition that communication between couples will invariably deteriorate as a result of progressively reduced speech intelligibility is not necessarily valid. The fundamental importance of effective communication in marriage is highlighted. It is well established that augmentative and alternative communication strategies can preserve the ability to develop and maintain intimate rewarding relationships, even in the face of profound physical disabilities.


In our previous reports [see ibid., vols. 19/20, p, 593/176, 1996/1997], geometries of the delaminations which are most likely to lead to resin cracking in large scale integration (LSI) packages subjected to temperature cyclic loading were identified for both Cu alloy and alloy 42 leadframe packages. In this paper, assuming these delaminations, we conduct comprehensive numerical stress analysis of resin cracking to study the effect of properties of encapsulant resin and die-bonding materials and the package geometry factors. The impacts of these design parameters on resin cracking are determined and a package design guide is established.


In this paper, we propose Sequential Grouping Networks (SGN) to tackle the problem of object instance segmentation. SGNs employ a sequence of neural networks, each solving a sub-grouping problem of increasing semantic complexity in order to gradually compose objects out of pixels. In particular, the first network aims to group pixels along each image row and column by predicting horizontal and vertical object breakpoints. These breakpoints are then used to create line segments. By exploiting two-directional information, the second network groups horizontal and vertical lines into connected components. Finally, the third network groups the connected components into object instances. Our experiments show that our SGN significantly outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in both, the Cityscapes dataset as well as PASCAL VOC.


In this study, the quantitative determination of gaseous biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) including monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes was accomplished using a solid-phase extraction-type collection device. The collection device was fabricated by packing styrene-divinylbenzene polymer particles into a specially designed glass cartridge. The retention performance of the collection device for BVOCs was quantitatively evaluated at 35°C with different volumes of air samples. The device showed good retention performance for the investigated BVOCs, that is, no breakthrough occurred for monoterpenes up to an air sampling volume of 150 L or for sesquiterpenes up to a sampling volume of 30,000 L. The elution performance was evaluated by passing organic solvents into the collection device, and an excellent elution recovery was obtained with 10 mL dichloromethane. Finally, the analytical method using the collection device was applied to determine the gaseous monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes from a grated carrot and the air inside a wooden house, and the results demonstrated the applicability of the method for the quantitative determination of BVOCs in several sample matrices.


Using a chromatin immunoprecipitation-paired end diTag cloning and sequencing strategy, we mapped estrogen receptor α (ERα) binding sites in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We identified 1,234 high confidence binding clusters of which 94% are projected to be bona fide ERα binding regions. Only 5% of the mapped estrogen receptor binding sites are located within 5 kb upstream of the transcriptional start sites of adjacent genes, regions containing the proximal promoters, whereas vast majority of the sites are mapped to intronic or distal locations (>5 kb from 5′ and 3′ ends of adjacent transcript), suggesting transcriptional regulatory mechanisms over significant physical distances. Of all the identified sites, 71% harbored putative full estrogen response elements (EREs), 25% bore ERE half sites, and only 4% had no recognizable ERE sequences. Genes in the vicinity of ERα binding sites were enriched for regulation by estradiol in MCF-7 cells, and their expression profiles in patient samples segregate ERα-positive from ERα-negative breast tumors. The expression dynamics of the genes adjacent to ERα binding sites suggest a direct induction of gene expression through binding to ERE-like sequences, whereas transcriptional repression by ERα appears to be through indirect mechanisms. Our analysis also indicates a number of candidate transcription factor binding sites adjacent to occupied EREs at frequencies much greater than by chance, including the previously reported FOXA1 sites, and demonstrate the potential involvement of one such putative adjacent factor, Sp1, in the global regulation of ERα target genes. Unexpectedly, we found that only 22%–24% of the bona fide human ERα binding sites were overlapping conserved regions in whole genome vertebrate alignments, which suggest limited conservation of functional binding sites. Taken together, this genome-scale analysis suggests complex but definable rules governing ERα binding and gene regulation.


ABSTRACT This paper is geared toward answering the questions of the small to intermediate-size oil and gas operator, who does not have the resources to hire an environmental consultant or manager to handle all of his environmental compliance problems. The paper presupposes no prior understanding or familiarity with the applicable environmental laws or regulations. The main objective is to convey, in very concise format, exactly what an oil and gas producer (onshore and/or offshore) needs to do in order to be in compliance with all current federal and state environmental regulations regarding oil spills. Relevant legislation and regulations contained in and resulting from the Clean Water Act; the Oil Pollution Act of 1990; the Texas Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act; national, regional, area, and state spill contingency plans; and Texas Railroad Commission regulations are briefly reviewed. This legislation and regulations are summarized in a checklist of seven essential requirements for operators to follow in order to comply with all applicable federal regulations and state regulations specific to Texas. Regulations in other states will vary. Texas is utilized here as an example which is representative of most states in the U.S.


Socio-economic related properties of a city grow faster than a linear relationship with the population, in a log–log plot, the so-called superlinear scaling. Conversely, the larger a city, the more efficient it is in the use of its infrastructure, leading to a sublinear scaling on these variables. In this work, we addressed a simple explanation for those scaling laws in cities based on the interaction range between the citizens and on the fractal properties of the cities. To this purpose, we introduced a measure of social potential which captured the influence of social interaction on the economic performance and the benefits of amenities in the case of infrastructure offered by the city. We assumed that the population density depends on the fractal dimension and on the distance-dependent interactions between individuals. The model suggests that when the city interacts as a whole, and not just as a set of isolated parts, there is improvement of the socio-economic indicators. Moreover, the bigger the interaction range between citizens and amenities, the bigger the improvement of the socio-economic indicators and the lower the infrastructure costs of the city. We addressed how public policies could take advantage of these properties to improve cities development, minimizing negative effects. Furthermore, the model predicts that the sum of the scaling exponents of social-economic and infrastructure variables are 2, as observed in the literature. Simulations with an agent-based model are confronted with the theoretical approach and they are compatible with the empirical evidences.


Traditionally, different diagnostic characters have been used in the identification of fossil and Recent coralline algal genera. The taxonomy of fossil coralline algae has focused on well calcified features such as basal filaments and conceptacle perforation. In contrast, the taxonomy of Recent material uses a combination of several features with a low fossilization potential, such as epithallial cells and structures of sexual reproductive organs. In the studied material of the Late Eocene Austrian Molasse Zone Lithoporella, Neogoniolithon, Spongites, Phymatolithon and Sporolithon are identified and described applying features of neontological taxonomic concepts. These features are: (1) the arrangement of basal filaments; (2) the occurrence of cell fusions; (3) the relative length of subepithellial initials; (4) the conceptacle perforation; (5) the orientation of filaments around the conceptacle pore; and (6) the type of conceptacle roof formation. Some of these features were thought to be unpresentable in fossil material until recently. The fossilization potential of diagnostic features and the identification of the documented genera and species are discussed in detail. Moreover, a checklist for the description of fossil taxa is provided.


2516 Background: We have previously reported a high Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) prognostic score (RPS) of 2- 3 predicts 90-day mortality and reduced overall survival (Arkenau et al BJC & EJC 2008). In this study, we explored the significance of unplanned hospital admissions (UHA) as a potential surrogate indicator of poor clinical outcome.

METHODS
All pts admitted to RMH Phase I Unit, UK, during 2-month intervals over 3 consecutive years were included in this analysis (2005-2007). We collated pt baseline characteristics, demographic and laboratory profiles, reasons for hospital admissions and relevant clinical trial data.

RESULTS
A total of 172 pts accounting for 310 admissions were seen on the Phase I unit during the stipulated time periods (amounting to 6 months in total). Median age: 61 years (range: 19-84); male to female admissions ratio 1.3:1. Pts were on trials of single-agent targeted therapies (69%), cytotoxic combinations (26%), vaccine/viruses (3%) and hormonal modulation (2%). Reasons for planned admissions (n=246) included treatment commencement, PK/PD sampling, paired pre/post treatment biopsies and insertion of central lines. 20.6% (64/310) of overall admissions were unplanned: 50 (78%) were due to disease-associated symptoms/complications and 14 (22%) treatment-related toxicities (TRT). 71% of pts with TRT were on cytotoxic combination trials. Median duration of UHA was 2 days (range:1-20) and there was no relation between length of stay and predicted outcome. 78% of pts in the UHA cohort had a high RPS of 2-3 (i.e. poor outcome) vs 43% in patients whose admission was planned (p=0.001). Of pts who required UHA, only 27% resumed their trial drug after recovery. The main statistically significant risk factors for UHA include >2 metastatic sites, (RR 2.6 [1.64 - 4.38], p=0.001), poor performance status (RR 2.47 [1.48 - 3.72] p=0.003), low albumin (RR 2.17 [1.36 - 3.52] p=0.001) and cytotoxic combination trials (RR 1.7 [1.09 - 2.86] p=0.025).

CONCLUSIONS
Unplanned admissions constitute 20.6% of Phase I inpatients, with the majority being disease rather than treatment-related. Regardless of length of stay, UHA portend poor outcomes for patients who are on treatment, with a risk profile underscoring the importance of pt and trial selection. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


The preparation of single-layer TiS2 and TaS2 nanosheets is realized by optimizing the electrochemical lithium interaction and exfoliation method. As a proof of concept, Pt and Au nanoparticles are grown on the aforementioned ultra-thin nanosheets to form functional composites. Notably, the Pt–TiS2 hybrid presents good electrocatalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction.


European integration has increased to encompass security-related policies. One such policy is defense industry policy, which traditionally has been a national concern rooted in defense and security policy. Efforts have been made since the 1990s to create a European defense industry market. However, there have been different ideas of how this goal should be achieved or which model for state—industry relations the market should rest on. Using Sweden to illustrate the development, this article argues that for the Europeanization of defense industry policy, marketization has played a vital role. Building on official documents and interviews, the article analyzes the efforts to create a European defense industry market, marketization of Swedish defense industry policy, and the increased interaction between Swedish and European defense industry policy processes. The analysis also shows domestic challenges that the processes of Europeanization and marketization have brought about.


The process of intense social change in South Africa unpreparedly thrusts the children forming the first generation of western-type educated members, into an individualist world. An exploration of multiple and diverse explanations of reality is used to find ways of integrating solutions in creating a context within which clients can move forward. The inclusion of traditional rituals at times is prescribed. This serves to link the problems experienced in the new way of life with traditional solutions. Thus alienation from cultural roots is lessened and the possibility for clients to carry; a sense of traditional identity forward is created. Three case studies on an adaptation of western counselling methods to (South) African indigenous coping or helping interventions employed in the face of challenges presented by rapidly changing socio-cultural contexts within South Africa today are presented. Adaptations of western counselling methods may contribute to discussions on the development of a dynamic evolutionary indigenous psychology in South Africa in the area of counselling.


Soils from humid regions have traditionally been considered to have stable aggregates. Some humid southeastern U.S. soils have demonstrated poor structural stability. We hypothesized that a sensitive measure of aggregate stability of southeastern U.S. soils would demonstrate that stability of macroaggregates may depend on some soil properties and may not correlate with soil erosivity. This study evaluated the stability of aggregates from southeastern U.S. soils employing a sensitive aggregate stability test, and compared it with previously published data for the same soils. Stability of 0.5- to 1.0-mm aggregates of 11 Georgia topsoils were determined using the high-energy-moisture-characteristic method, where the destructive force used to break the aggregates is a controlled wetting process. Aggregates were wetted either rapidly by a matric potential of 0.0 J kg -1 , or slowly where they were initially subjected to a matric potential of -2.0 J kg -1 , which was then gradually increased to 0.0 J kg -1 . Two water qualities were used for wetting: tap water (electrical conductivity [EC] 0.097 mS cm -1 ) and a saturated CaSO 4 solution (EC 2.24 mS cm -1 ). Stability ratio (ratio of fast to slow structural indices) of the soils ranged between 0.40 and 0.95. Six soils had a stability ratio of ≤0.5 (low aggregate stability). Aggregate stability in unstable soils with pH >6.5 rose to ≥0.62 when saline solution was used. The measured aggregate stability indices significantly correlated with published infiltration rate data (R = 0.622), but not with soil splash or soil loss.


This text provides an overview of the complex history of the concept of information in the Greek-Latin as well as in the Medieval and Modern traditions. It connects the Latin etymology of the term informatio with the Greek concepts of eidos/idea and morphe and shows how the objective meaning of information ('giving form to something') becomes obsolete in modernity where only the communicational meaning ('telling something (new) to someone') remains. Information theories in the 20th Century are related to the development of technical systems of message transmission. They give rise to a renaissance of the objective notion of information but under a different framework as the one of the classic pre-modern philosophy. Establishing a connection between the concepts of information and message several options are presented leading to a concept of information based on a theory of messages.


: Adaptive skywave estimation techniques that can monitor the delays and strengths of skywave components in real time are desirable in Loran-C receivers since they allow optimal sampling points to be selected. Such techniques should enable the receiver to minimize the errors due to skywave interference while maximizing signal-to-noise and signal-to-interference ratios. This paper reports on novel signal processing techniques employing classical Fourier analysis and modern high-resolution algorithms for identifying skywaves and measuring their delays. The benefits of these methods are assessed, together with the cost in computing resources of implementing them in receivers. The paper includes theoretical analysis, computer simulations, and the results of tests using off-air signals. A prototype Loran-C system employing the proposed techniques is described.


The formation of cristobalite and tridymite compounds is described in the system SiO 2 -V 2 O 5 -M 2 CO 3 (M = Na, K). Syntheses were performed with various vanadium concentrations at annealing temperatures between room temperature and 1000°C. Crystallization of cristobalite occurs at much lower temperatures (about 800°C) in the presence of vanadium than observed in the pure silica system, which remains amorphous in this temperature range. With increasing amounts of vanadium, the crystallization of NaVO 3 or K 3 V 5 O 14 is observed along with the formation of cristobalite and tridymite. XRD, IR, and NMR indicate that cristobalite is formed by catalytic processes in the presence of vanadium without measurable V-substitution in its structure. Variations in the thermal behavior of cristobalite are attributed to different states of crystallinity.


The implementation of the Common Core Standards (CCSS) or other similar academic standards is well underway in most states, and the corresponding assessment systems are set to go live in the current academic year. As implementation continues, there are a variety of challenges that K-12 and higher education leaders will face in the coming years related to student movement across state lines. To begin the conversation about these challenges, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, convened higher education and K-12 leaders from the Western region and additional bordering states in October 2014. The meeting had four goals: 1) to gain an increased awareness of issues related to readiness for college and careers, common academic standards, and assessments that may emerge as students cross state lines to enroll in postsecondary institutions after high school; 2) to forge relationships with colleagues in other states to assist with the ongoing implementation of common academic standards and assessments in the region, particularly where cross-state collaboration is necessary; 3) to identify principles of good practice as a basis for a national framework for preempting some of the obstacles related to student movement across state lines as common academic standards and assessments are implemented; and 4) to determine whether an ongoing conversation (perhaps through a formal network of K-12 and higher education leaders) would be valuable and lead to more successful student transitions. Organized to address four key areas, the October 2014 meeting focused on data and reporting, admissions, college and career readiness, and communications. This brief describes the major challenges ahead for states, institutions, and most importantly, students as the standards and assessments are implemented and offers recommendations to create a network structure that would assist K-12 and higher education leaders in addressing those challenges.


Weed invasion in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) may be reduced by seeding with a perennial forage grass. Our objectives were to determine if any of four perennial forage grasses influenced weed invasion when seeded with alfalfa, with and without an oat companion, and if this reduction was consistent among harvests and throughout the duration of the stand. Alfalfa was seeded alone and in binary mixtures with smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leysser), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), or Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). All forages were seeded with and without an oat (Avena sativa L.) companion crop in May of 1993 and 1994. Seeding grasses with alfalfa occasionally reduced weed yield in the first 2 yr of the stand Weed density was not influenced by the perennial grasses in the seeding year. In the third year, mixtures containing orchardgrass or Kentucky bluegrass reduced weed yields by 20 to 130 kg ha - in three of four harvests and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Wigg.) density up to 5.4 plants m 2 (71%). Bromegrass and timothy did not persist with four annual harvests. Seeding the mixtures with an oat companion reduced weed and perennial grass yield in the seeding year and perennial grass yield the following year. As a result, dandelion density in the third year was 2.6 plants m 2 (70%) greater in mixtures established with oat than without oat. Including perennial forage grasses can be effective at reducing weed invasion by the third year of the stand if grass is maintained as a major component of the forage.


Purpose
Fast-changing customer demands and rising requirements in product performance constantly challenge sports equipment manufacturers to come up with new and improved products to stay competitive. Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, can enhance the development of new products by providing an efficient approach of rapid prototyping. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current adoption of AM technologies in the innovation process of the sports industry, i.e. level of awareness; how it is implemented; and it impact on the innovation process.

Design/methodology/approach
This work followed a qualitative research approach. After conducting a research of the current literature, this paper presents findings that include case studies from different companies, as well as a semi-structured interview with an outdoor sports equipment manufacturer. Companies from all over the world and of different sizes from under 100 employees to over 70,000 employees were considered in this research.

Findings
Literature research shows that AM brings many possibilities to enhance the innovation process, and case studies indicated several obstacles that hinder the technology from fully unfolding. AM is still at the early stage of entering the sports equipment industry and its potential benefits have not been fully exploited yet. The findings generated from the research of real-life practices show that AM provides several benefits when it comes to the innovation process, such as a faster development process, an optimised output, as well as the possibility to create new designs. However, companies are not yet able to enhance the innovation process in a way that leads to new products and new markets with AM. Limitations, including a small range of process able material and an inefficient mass production, still restrain the technology and lead to unused capability. Nevertheless, future prospects indicate the growing importance of AM in the innovation process and show that its advancement paves the way to new and innovative products.

Research limitations/implications
Limitations exist in the qualitative approach of this study, which does not include the quantitative verification of the results.

Originality/value
Very few studies have been conducted to investigate how firms can harvest AM to increase their innovation capabilities. How firms can use AM to shorten product development time is an emerging topic in business and operations but has not been studied widely. This paper aims to address this gap.


To date, various psychiatric disorders such as disruptive behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity and autism spectrum disorders have been associated with deficits in empathy in school-aged children and adolescents. In this dissertation, behavioral and physiological measures were used to study empathy in 6-7 year old children with disruptive behavior (DBD), attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A better understanding of the nature of empathy deficits in children with psychiatric disorders ultimately may help in better differentiating between children with these disorders and may serve as a guidance for developing novel treatment approaches. First, it was demonstrated that facial mimicry, as a psychophysiological marker of empathy, can be reliably assessed using facial electromyography. Children aged 6-7 years old showed emotion-specific facial EMG activity following the presentation of happy, angry, fearful and sad expressions. Second, with regard to empathy in children with DBD and ADHD inconsistent results were found. Teachers reported reduced affective empathy in response to sadness and distress in children with DBD as well as in children with ADHD. Parents, however, did not report empathy deficits of their child. Children with DBD or ADHD showed no deficits in facial mimicry, nor in their self-report of empathic feelings in response to sad story vignettes. Finally, empathy induced prosocial behavior in response to sadness and distress was assessed with a computer task; results suggest that impairment in children with a diagnosis is related to symptoms of DBD rather than to symptoms of ADHD. Third, an attempt was made to explore empathy in response to sadness and distress of others assessed with multiple measures as a risk factor in the persistence of proactive aggressive behavior. In order to obtain sufficient variance in proactive aggressive behavior, children with ADHD and DBD were combined with typically developing (TD) children. At baseline, low levels of parent-reported empathic traits in response to distress of others were associated with high parent-reported proactive aggression. Similarly, teacher-reported empathy was negatively related to teacher-reported proactive aggression. At follow-up one year later, a higher level of parent-reported empathy at baseline was associated with a relatively larger decrease in parent-reported proactive aggression. However, no associations were found between pro-active aggression and empathy assessed with any of the three paradigms in children. Finally, results show that 6-7 year old children with ASD have deficits in fear recognition and fear mimicry, but only when they have severe deficits in social responsiveness. In line with the empathy imbalance theory, lower levels of parent- and teacher-rated cognitive empathy were found, and similar levels of affective empathy in children with ASD compared to typically developing children. Prosocial behavior in response to distress signals of a peer was similar in ASD as in TD children. Taken together, some questions have been answered and new questions have been raised regarding empathy in children with psychiatric disorders. Some directions have been provided for further study on how we can stimulate empathy and provide environments and treatments that help children in clinical population to hurt less and help more.


PURPOSE
In the field of Computed Tomography (CT) dosimetry, there remains a need to accurately measure organ doses. Such measurements are only meaningful if they are performed under actual clinical scanning conditions, for this purpose, a cadaver can serve as the measurement subject that most closely mimics a living patient. Organ doses were measured in 7 adult female cadaveric subjects with varying body mass indices (BMIs) and for various CT protocols.

METHODS
A tube placement system allowed external access to internal organs, in which optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs) were placed and used to measure dose. Dosimeter placement and location was based on organ size and distribution. In order to determine organ doses of real patients, a correlation between various patient size parameters and the measured organ doses was explored. Only measurements that could be performed on a CT image or subject-specific parameters or data which could otherwise be obtained for an actual patient were considered for this correlation. The size parameters that were examined included: body mass index (BMI), the AP and lateral dimensions of the patient, and patient perimeter.

RESULTS
The BMIs for the 7 subjects ranged from 16.6-43.9, spanning from underweight to extreme obesity. Overall average organ doses from a CAP exam for all subjects ranged from 11.8-24.4 mGy. Generally, organ doses were shown to increase with all size parameters examined.

CONCLUSION
For the purpose of accuracy, the estimation of patient dose in CT must be based on actual physical measurements. A complete set of direct organ dose measurements for 7 adult female cadavers has been accomplished for common CT exams with this research. It has been shown before that patient size parameters can be indicative of patient dose. This work has shown further validation of this concept.


Direct-touch interaction on mobile phones revolves around screens that compete for visual attention with users' real-world tasks and activities. This paper investigates the impact of these situational impairments on touch-screen interaction. We probe several design factors for touch-screen gestures, under various levels of environmental demands on attention, in comparison to the status-quo approach of soft buttons. We find that in the presence of environmental distractions, gestures can offer significant performance gains and reduced attentional load, while performing as well as soft buttons when the user's attention is focused on the phone. In fact, the speed and accuracy of bezel gestures did not appear to be significantly affected by environment, and some gestures could be articulated eyes-free, with one hand. Bezel-initiated gestures offered the fastest performance, and mark-based gestures were the most accurate. Bezel-initiated marks therefore may offer a promising approach for mobile touch-screen interaction that is less demanding of the user's attention.


Distribution and abundance of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri, has declined across the historic range because of anthropogenic influences. Habitat has been fragmented and non-native species have been introduced that compete with, feed upon, or interbreed with cutthroat trout. As a result, many cutthroat trout populations are now isolated in headwater streams and life-history forms are lost or reduced. The upper Yellowstone River basin, above Yellowstone Lake, offers a rare opportunity to study Yellowstone cutthroat trout in a large, intact, river system with few anthropogenic influences. Understanding of life-history forms present in the upper Yellowstone River basin assist in proper conservation and management of the watershed. To determine cutthroat trout life-history forms present, their abundance, and habitat preferences, a combination of radio-telemetry, electrofishing, underwater census, habitat assessment, and age and growth were used. Movements of 151 cutthroat trout were tracked by aircraft, 2003-2005. Most relocated fish (98%) followed a lacustrine-adfluvial life history migration pattern, spending an average 24 days in the river. Cutthroat began entering the river in April and most emigrated by August. Fish migrated as far as 67 km to spawn and spawning aggregations within the system were found in only 11 locations. Underwater census and electrofishing surveys were used to determine fish distribution and abundance in the Yellowstone River and its tributaries. Main stem cutthroat trout densities were low and not evenly distributed. A mean of 8 fish/500 m reach were sampled with the majority in 8 reaches. Juvenile ( 330 mm, >4 years old) cutthroat trout were found in the main stem, but fish from 151–330 mm (age 3) were absent. Within tributaries, fish densities ranged from 1.7–49.5 fish/100 m reach. Fish up to 305 mm were sampled and ranged 1 to 4 years in age. Data from this study suggest most cutthroat trout in the upper Yellowstone River express a lacustrine-adfluvial life history, however, some fluvial fish are present in tributaries. These findings will be important in driving conservation and management decisions in this drainage and provide critical information in future ESA listing considerations.


Even though there are various source code plagiarism detection approaches, only a few works which are focused on low-level representation for deducting similarity. Most of them are only focused on lexical token sequence extracted from source code. In our point of view, low-level representation is more beneficial than lexical token since its form is more compact than the source code itself. It only considers semantic-preserving instructions and ignores many source code delimiter tokens. This paper proposes a source code plagiarism detection which rely on low-level representation. For a case study, we focus our work on .NET programming languages with Common Intermediate Language as its low-level representation. In addition, we also incorporate Adaptive Local Alignment for detecting similarity. According to Lim et al, this algorithm outperforms code similarity state-of-the-art algorithm (i.e. Greedy String Tiling) in term of effectiveness. According to our evaluation which involves various plagiarism attacks, our approach is more effective and efficient when compared with standard lexical-token approach.


Objective To determine the significance of bruises in cases of infant death to ascertain if their presence was associated with other injuries or homicide. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Forensic Science South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Patients 135 infants aged between 7 and 364 days autopsied over a 9-year period from June 1999 to May 2008. Outcome measures Coronial forensic autopsy reports. Methods Examination of autopsy reports to determine how many infants had bruising and whether bruising was associated with other injuries or lesions of concern. Cause and manner of death were also recorded. Results There were 83 boys and 52 girls. Twenty-one infants (15.6%) had one or more bruises, and 114 had no bruises. In the group of 21 infants with bruises, 17/21 had other injuries/lesions (81%), with 5/21 homicides (24%). Of the 114 non-bruised infants, only 9 (8%) had other injuries/lesions with only 4 homicides (3.5%). The incidence of other injuries/lesions was significantly higher in bruised infants compared with the non-bruised group (p<0.001), as was the occurrence of homicide (p=0.003). Bruises were found in 15.6% of infants presenting to coronial autopsy, with a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 96% as markers for other injuries (positive predictive value 0.81; negative predictive value 0.92). At <6 months of age, this increased to a sensitivity of 71%, with a similar specificity of 95%. Conclusions Bruising is a significant marker for other injuries in infants presenting to coronial autopsy. Homicide occurs more commonly in this group.


With an aim to enhance the electrochemical performances of the high capacity layered oxide solid solution Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2 cathode, its surface has been modified with 2 wt.% Al2O3, 2 wt.% RuO2, and 1 wt.% Al2O3 + 1 wt.% RuO2. The bare samples and the surface-modified samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), charge–discharge measurements in lithium cells, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface-modified samples exhibit much improved electrochemical performances, particularly the 1 wt.% Al2O3 + 1 wt.% RuO2 coated sample exhibiting the highest discharge capacity and rate capability. Specifically, the Al2O3 + RuO2 coated sample delivers ∼280 mAh g−1 at C/20 rate with a capacity retention of 94.3% in 30 cycles and ∼ 160 mAh g−1 at 5 C rate. The superior electrochemical performances of the Al2O3 + RuO2 coated sample are attributed to the suppression of SEI layer formation and the facilitation of fast electron transfer and lithium ion diffusion channels as evident from the EIS and XPS data.


Objective: To investigate the characteristics of pathogenic bacteria and related risk factors for postoperative infection in episiotomy of puerpera and provide basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of postoperative infection in episiotomy.
Methods: The clinical data of 1200 cases of full-term parturient receiving vaginal delivery receing lateral incision hospitalized in obstetrics from March 2012 to April 2015 were retrospectively analysed with the pathogen distribution statistics, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the related risk factors; spss20.0 software was adopted for statistical analysis.
Results: After the single factor analysis, it was found that age>30 y old, BMI>28 kg/m2, vaginal examination>3 times, emergency delivery, birth process>8 h, postoperative hospitalization time>5 d, premature rupture of membranes, delivery in summer, reproductive tract infections in puerpera, incision length>3 cm, operate time of suture personnel ≤ 10 y, complication with basic diseases were risk factors for maternal episiotomy infection after operation (P 28 kg/m2 (OR: 2.136, 95% CI: 1.117~4.086), Vaginal examination>3 times (OR: 1.850, 95% CI: 1.162~2.945), postoperative hospitalization time>5 d (OR: 2.620, 95% CI: 1.363~5.032), premature rupture of membranes (OR: 1.627, 95% CI: 1.059~2.502), reproductive tract infections in puerperal (OR: 1.865, 95% CI: 1.053~3.300), complication with basic diseases (OR: 2.022, 95% CI: 1.220~3.350) were independent risk factors for postoperative infection in episiotomy of puerpera (P<0.05).
Conclusion: In this study, BMI, Vaginal examination, postoperative hospitalization time, premature rupture of membranes, reproductive tract infections in puerpera, complication with basic diseases were risk factors for postoperative infection in episiotomy of puerpera, thus it is desired to take corresponding intervention measures to reduce rate of postoperative infection in episiotomy and prevent incision infection.


Reflecting on the link between religion and religious tradition(s) on the one
hand and school and education on the other, and reflecting on the reasoning
strategy to make sense of this link, people seem to tend strongly to think,
argue and reflect in a deductive mode (this point is elaborated in par. 3). This
part of the argument is followed by considering the religious claims people
make concerning the impact of religion on the day-to-day educational
practice, it is, empirically speaking. It is apparently wrong to take this
deductive reasoning serious as a road to undisputable and unambiguous links
between claims and practices (this point is elaborated in par. 4). Having
identified deductive reasoning as wishful thinking or as a supposed but
inadequate religious legitimatization of educational practices, which is
demonstrated by the empirical educational praxis itself, the final part of the
article deals with the question that arises again and anew, viz. how
educational practices could be understood in their connection to religious
beliefs (see par. 5). Here a paradigm-shift is needed.


Sustainable finance taxonomies can play an important role in scaling up sustainable finance and, in turn, in supporting the achievement of high-level goals such as the Paris Accord and the UN sustainable development goals. This paper develops a framework to classify and compare existing taxonomies. Several weaknesses emerge from this classification and comparison, including the lack of usage of relevant and measurable sustainability performance indicators, a lack of granularity and lack of verification of achieved sustainability benefits. On this basis, the paper proposes key principles for the design of effective taxonomies. The principles are then employed to develop a simple framework for transition taxonomies. The key policy messages of the analysis are: (i) Endeavor that taxonomies correspond to specific sustainability objectives; (ii) Encourage the development of transition taxonomies and focus alignment with the objectives of the Paris Agreement; (iii) Monitor and supervise the evolution of certification and verification processes; and (iv) Shift to mandatory impact reporting for green bonds.


In the present work, a simulation system is proposed that can be used as an educational tool by physicians in training basic skills of minimally invasive vascular interventions. In order to accomplish this objective, initially the physical model of the wire proposed by Konings has been improved. As a result, a simpler and more stable method was obtained to calculate the equilibrium configuration of the wire. In addition, a geometrical method is developed to perform relaxations. It is particularly useful when the wire is hindered in the physical method because of the boundary conditions. Then a recipe is given to merge the physical and the geometrical methods, resulting in efficient relaxations. Moreover, tests have shown that the shape of the virtual wire agrees with the experiment. The proposed algorithm allows real-time executions, and furthermore, the hardware to assemble the simulator has a low cost.


We present a theory of the frequency-detuning properties of various oscillators
 formed by four-wave mixing in photorefractive crystals. It is shown that the
 detuning originates from the self-induced grating dynamics in the mixing
 crystal, governed by phase conditions of the optical paths and several other
 parameters, such as external and internal electric fields in the mixing
 crystal.


This study presents a practical approach to select plasticizers for proteins. It is a case study on thermoformed wheat gluten, considered here as a model protein, and it involved 30 plasticizer candidates. The approach consisted of selecting plasticisers (30 wt%) based on visual examination, rheological and molding behavior of the dough, and finally tensile data. There was no unique relationship between the torque behavior of the dough and the mechanical properties of the films. Nevertheless, the extensibility and dough analysis indicated that the most promising plasticizers were as follows: glycerol, linear glycols, ethanol amines, diols, and trimethylolpropane. Further, considering also the stiffness, it was concluded that the most efficient plasticisers were those that contained three hydroxyl groups and the linear glycols of intermediate size. Out of those, glycerol stood out as having the highest extensibility and lowest stiffness and strength. In an attempt to predict the mechanical properties of the films based on several physical data of the compounds, it was observed that there was a weak nonlinear relationship between the stiffness/strength and the size (molecular weight/molar volume), polarity and molar refractivity of the compound. The stiffness/strength decreased with an increase in these physical parameters.


Context. S106, one of the best known bipolar HII regions, has been thoroughly studied and modeled at infrared, submillimeter, and millimeter wavelengths. This region is one of the nearest examples of the late stages of massive star formation, in which the newly formed star that ionizes it is still surrounded by vast amounts of gas and dust. However, little is known about the heavily obscured central source of this region, S106IR.
Aims. We investigate the possible binarity of the central source is investigated; this binarity is considered to be likely given the high binarity fraction among massive stars.
Methods. We have carried out visible and near-infrared photometric monitoring looking for short-term variability, and we took special interest in that related to the presence of a close binary companion to S106IR, which may produce periodic eclipses or tidal distortion of the shape of the members of the system.
Results. A periodic variability of S106IR in the J band is found with a period of 5.0 days and an amplitude of ≃0.1 mag. The light curve displays a slow rise from minimum to maximum followed by a steep decrease, and can be well reproduced by a close binary system composed of two stars with different luminosities orbiting each other in an elliptical orbit of moderate eccentricity. S106IR also shows hints of short-term variability that is possibly related to accretion. We also report variability of four other stars previously classified as members of the S106 cluster, all of which are strong X-ray emitters.
Conclusions. The newly discovered close binarity of S106IR adds a new element to the modeling of the nebula and the understanding of the dynamics of the gas around the ionizing source, which suggests that the components of the binary are accreting via a circumbinary disk. Binarity also helps to explain the apparent mismatch between the spectral type of the ionizing source inferred from the nebular spectrum and its high brightness at near-infrared wavelengths.


This paper draws upon symbolic interactionism in order to assess and discuss the findings from a longitudinal, single sector, case-based analysis of information system strategy (ISS) formation within two public sector institutions institutions that are often characterised as bureaucratic in form, and culture. Each case acquired sought large, complex applications off-the-shelf that required customisation. These are discussed as configurational technologies. The research has been informed by differences in perspective about the nature of ISS formation as reported in the literature with discussions of ISS often portrayed in bipolar terms; e.g. ISS as either planned or emergent. Literature suggests that the greater the sectoral stability, and the more oriented towards bureaucracy the institutional form, the more likely ISS planning will be formal as opposed to emergent or evolutionary for example. First, an argument is presented against the logic of bi-polarity that is evident in many debates about ISS. Second, a case is made for the use of interactionist thinking as a means of better understanding the political processes that shape ISS formation. From symbolic interactionism, we utilise concepts of social worlds, trajectories, and boundary objects. Findings from the empirical study are presented, from which the discussion focuses upon the social shaping of trajectories, and the politics of configuration as constituents of the complex practice of ISS formation.


Background Microbial dysbiosis and microbiome-induced inflammation have emerged as important factors in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumorigenesis during the last two decades. However, the "rare biosphere" of the oral microbiome, including fungi, has been sparsely investigated. This study aimed to characterize the salivary mycobiome in a prospective Sudanese cohort of OSCC patients and to explore patterns of diversities associated with overall survival (OS). Materials and Methods Unstimulated saliva samples (n = 72) were collected from patients diagnosed with OSCC (n = 59) and from non-OSCC control volunteers (n = 13). DNA was extracted using a combined enzymatic–mechanical extraction protocol. The salivary mycobiome was assessed using a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based methodology by amplifying the ITS2 region. The impact of the abundance of different fungal genera on the survival of OSCC patients was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression survival analyses (SPPS). Results Sixteen genera were identified exclusively in the saliva of OSCC patients. Candida, Malassezia, Saccharomyces, Aspergillus, and Cyberlindnera were the most relatively abundant fungal genera in both groups and showed higher abundance in OSCC patients. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed higher salivary carriage of the Candida genus significantly associated with poor OS of OSCC patients (Breslow test: p = 0.043). In contrast, the higher salivary carriage of Malassezia showed a significant association with favorable OS in OSCC patients (Breslow test: p = 0.039). The Cox proportional hazards multiple regression model was applied to adjust the salivary carriage of both Candida and Malassezia according to age (p = 0.029) and identified the genus Malassezia as an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio = 0.383, 95% CI = 0.16–0.93, p = 0.03). Conclusion The fungal compositional patterns in saliva from OSCC patients were different from those of individuals without OSCC. The fungal genus Malassezia was identified as a putative prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for OSCC.


Plants use fatty acids to synthesize acyl lipids for many different cellular, physiological, and defensive roles. These roles include the synthesis of essential membrane, storage, or surface lipids, as well as the production of various fatty acid-derived metabolites used for signaling or defense. Fatty acids are activated for metabolic processing via a thioester linkage to either coenzyme A or acyl carrier protein. Acyl synthetases metabolically activate fatty acids to their thioester forms, and acyl thioesterases deactivate fatty acyl thioesters to free fatty acids by hydrolysis. These two enzyme classes therefore play critical roles in lipid metabolism. This review highlights the surprisingly complex and varying roles of fatty acyl synthetases in plant lipid metabolism, including roles in the intracellular trafficking of fatty acids. This review also surveys the many specialized fatty acyl thioesterases characterized to date in plants, which produce a great diversity of fatty acid products in a tissue-specific manner. While some acyl thioesterases produce fatty acids that clearly play roles in plant-insect or plant-microbial interactions, most plant acyl thioesterases have yet to be fully characterized both in terms of their substrate specificities and their functions. The biotechnological applications of plant acyl thioesterases and synthetases are also discussed, as there is significant interest in these enzymes as catalysts for the sustainable production of fatty acids and their derivatives for industrial uses.


Time and again a poem of such magnitude and power is written that it achieves what Whitman called a "tallying." T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land was such a poem for the Victorian era turned Modern, but it is A.R. Ammons's Garbage that tallies up for us the meaning of the twentieth century on the eve of the birth of the twenty-first. In contrast to Eliot's images of physical and spiritual barrenness, Ammons depicts a world cluttered with mounds of garbage. Positioning himself before the grotesque backdrop of the landfill site in contemporary America, the poet as archeological garbologist ponders the significance of garbage in an attempt to construct a cultural mirror that will allow us to see who we are and how we can meaningfully advance to the next age. The value and power of his philosophical and spiritual insights are brought clearly into focus if we first consider the cultural context of garbology since the late nineteenth century. By placing Garbage in the history of discourse on America's war with its waste, we can see it as the poetic product of an old man who dares to turn his eyes down to his and his culture's rejectamenta so as to liberate us from an increasingly apocalyptic cultural discourse that would rivet us in anxiety. Ammons's fin de siecle long poem is anything but a nightmare portent of the next age. Construction of the cultural mirror through the examination of refuse is essential to Garbage as "a scientific poem" (20). We can best understand this process by considering briefly the science of garbology, its origins and purpose. Rathje and Murphy explain the scholarly interest in garbage by analyzing the Garbage Project, founded at the University of Arizona in 1973. The Garbage Project entered the "terra incognita" (23) of garbage to study "consumer discard patterns" (15) in the belief that "behavior is reflected in artifacts" (55), "that what people have owned -- and thrown away -- can speak more eloquently, informatively, and truthfully about the lives they lead than they themselves ever may" (54). What began as the sorting of fresh garbage to study human behavior ultimately shifted to the excavation of landfills so as to study "garbage management" in the "aggregate" (21). They make the point only too vividly that garbology is anything but an abstract study: "To understand garbage you have to touch it, to feel it, to sort it, to smell it" (9), a comment which they follow up with a vile catalogue of the kinds of organic and non-organic material one finds in a typical day's work. This particular type of archeologist makes it his or her job to "investigate human behavior `from the back end', as it were" (14), because the garbologist believes that unlike most artifacts that cultures leave behind that are "little more than self-aggrandizing advertisements," garbage is "a kind of tattle-tale, setting the record straight" (12). In short, garbage never lies. As James Deetz argues in In Small Things Forgotten: The Archeology of Early American Life, "the disposal of refuse is one of our most unconscious acts" (125) Similarly driven to expose something essential about who we are, as we shall discuss later in fuller detail, let it only be established at this time that Ammons poses as a garbologist, drawn to the things we cast off as opposed to our written records about ourselves. When he engages "a monstrous surrounding of / gathering -- the putrid, the castoff, the used, // the mucked up -- all arriving for final assessment" (32) he does so out of a desire to know "[s]imple people doing simple things, the normal, everyday routine of life and how these people thought about it" (Deetz 8). He will assess, "like an analyst / or critic of action or behavior" (64), who we are and what it is to be alive during this century. To get the real, behind-the-scenes look, he must also enter by the rear door: "the very asshole of comedown" (21). For only by examining and embracing our personal and collective garbage -- our "failure, loss, error" (21) -- can we hope to find "redemption" (21). …


Since its inception, "The National Interest," the leading realist journal of international affairs, has devoted a good deal of attention to the relationship between Moscow and Washington, from the dying days of the Cold War to the prospect of true Russian-American partnership following 9/11. This work brings together the reflections and ruminations of statesmen, policymakers, and academics on developments and forecasts about one of the world's leading geo political actors. This edited volume is the third in a series of readers co-produced by "The National Interest" and Transaction Publishers. Each brings together in one place prescient analysis and provocative assessments, this case, about Russia, published in the last decade. For some of the contributors, Russia is to be viewed with suspicion, a state whose current weakness has only retarded, not extinguished, its hegemonic ambitions to dominate Eurasia. For others, Russia is a strategic partner and prospective ally. This volume tackles the hard questions. Readers have the opportunity to listen in on a number of the great debates surrounding Russia policy. Is Russia finished as a great power, or will its influence grow in the coming years? Can a true partnership be forged between Washington and Moscow based on common interests and values? To what extent can Russia be integrated into the institutions of the Euro-Atlantic community? Has American policy aided or harmed the course of market reforms and democratization over the past decade? Is the "war on terrorism" a sufficient foundation for a new U.S.-Russia relationship? How can conflicting interests, whether in Iran, Iraq, or North Korea, be dealt with? This book presents a fascinating and multifaceted look at a country that is likely to remain a major factor in U.S. foreign policy in the twenty-first century. The list of distinguished contributors to this volume includes Zbigniew Brzezinski, William Odom, Stephen Sestanovich, Robert Legvold, Martin Malia, Alexey Pushkov, and Dimitri K. Simes.


The Lake Maracaibo Bridge in Venezuela was built in 1959. It ranks as one of the largest and longest bridges in the world at the time it was built and contained the longest concrete cable-stayed spans in the world. The bridge inspection and structural inspection recently completed by T. Y. Lin International, dramatically illustrates the challenges and limitations facing engineers today as they work to preserve older bridge structures. The comprehensive investigation included bridge inspection and the collection and analysis of test data; development of structural evaluation criteria; development of a computer structural model; a stress analysis of various bridge components; a load rating analysis using actual truck weights; a fatigue analysis of the stay cables and a corrosion analysis of the piles and caps. The study revealed that the start of cable corrosion as the most urgent and immediate problem to be addressed to prevent further irreversible damage. Trucks regularly using the bridge weigh about five times the design truck weight and have produced distress in some elements of the bridge. The study recommended the creation of an organization responsible for controlling truck weights allowed on the bridge, performing inspections and routine maintenance and repair of the structure. To support the effort T. Y. Lin International is now in the process of preparing a Maintenance and Operations Manual for the institution of a maintenance program.


Atomic mercury in the atmosphere was detected by the differential-absorption lidar technique. Laser light at the mercury resonance wavelength of 253.65 nm was generated by anti-Stokes shifting in H(2) of the frequency-doubled output from a Nd:YAG-pumped dye laser. The measurements demonstrate that a concentration of 4 ng/m(3), corresponding to a typical background value, can be detected if a path length of 2 x 1 km is used.


Abstract To date, no academic analysis has investigated the representation of transgender individuals by Australia's news media (ANM). This paper conducts a discourse analysis of ANM's representation of Cate McGregor, the highest ranking Australian transgender military officer. The author offers this analysis as a case study in which 28 articles were selected from a three-year period, beginning November 2012, when McGregor 'came out'. By employing a feminist and transgender theory framework the author concludes that, on the one hand, ANM reproduces traditional transgender tropes (e.g. publishing 'before/after' photographs). On the other hand, ANM gives voice to McGregor's views pertaining to living as a woman and a transgender woman, which are aligned with transgender theory. Thus, this author argues that ANM engages in a remediation of transgender theory. McGregor acknowledges that she has enjoyed the privilege of being socialized as a man and therefore her life as a woman, a transgender woman is different to other women. Moreover, as an 'out' transgender woman she is refusing to 'pass' and hide her sex/gender history. Subsequently, McGregor views on what it means to be a man, a woman, and a transgender woman, are disruptive to sex/gender normativities and she thereby embodies a 'gender fuck'.


Spatial structures may occur in nonlinear systems far from equilibrium. Chemical waves, which are concentration variations of chemical species propagating in a system, are an example of such structures. A survey is given of some experiments on chemical waves by spectroscopic and microphotographic techniques, arranged according to different types of waves, different geometries, and various properties.


Automatic detection of vehicles data has been widely used in the area of traffic surveillance system where the efficient traffic management along with safety is the main concept. This project depicts the count of the vehicles present at that particular area of traffic using the data provided by the satellite. The satellite captures the image of the particular traffic junction. This satellite image is further processed in order to find the count of the vehicles. The image contains unwanted objects along with the vehicles. For that image, apply thresholding techniques to detect the vehicles and such that unwanted objects whose gray scale values are below the threshold level will be removed. The designed system converts the satellite captured image into gray scale image. This gray scale image is then converted into binary image. It is proposed to develop a unique algorithm for detecting the vehicles using thresholding techniques. If the intensity value is greater than the threshold value, 8-bit of value 255 is assigned else 8-bit of value 0 will be assigned. The edges of the objects present in the binary image will be obtained. Noise will be reduced using filters. The bright areas which are bounded will shows the vehicles present in the image. Boundary formation is useful for detecting the objects in the image. Using Blob detection method, the properties of the objects are depicted and using the Moore Boundary tracking algorithm the boundaries of the objects are detected. Detecting the vehicles and finding the count of the vehicles are the objectives of this project.


Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare pediatric ciliopathy characterized by marked clinical variability and extensive genetic heterogeneity. Typical diagnosis of BBS is secured at a median of 9 years of age, and sometimes well into adolescence. Here, we report a patient in whom prenatal detection of increased nuchal fold, enlarged echogenic kidneys, and polydactyly prompted us to screen the most commonly mutated genes in BBS and the phenotypically and genetically overlapping ciliopathy, Meckel–Gruber syndrome (MKS). We identified the common Met390Arg mutation in BBS1 in compound heterozygosity with a novel intronic variant of unknown significance (VUS). Testing of mRNA harvested from primary foreskin fibroblasts obtained shortly after birth revealed the VUS to induce a cryptic splice site, which in turn led to a premature termination and mRNA degradation. To our knowledge, this is the earliest diagnosis of BBS in the absence of other affected individuals in the family, and exemplifies how combining clinical assessment with genetic and timely assays of variant pathogenicity can inform clinical diagnosis and assist with patient management in the prenatal and neonatal setting.


This thesis is a practical application of Systems Engineering in a full-scale project. The author has participated as a member of NTNU's Eco-marathon team, who has spent the last two semesters designing and manufacturing an energy-efficient car for the Shell Eco-marathon competition 2012. The author made an assessment of the project to find the areas where he should focus his effort. The author also applied Lean Thinking to find the Systems Engineering methods that would best aid the team improve within the areas uncovered in the assessment. The areas where the team needed improvement were Knowledge management and Continuous improvements of the product development process. By using Model-based Systems Engineering processes the author produced a system model acting as a knowledge repository. Then, the author used methods from Lean Thinking for knowledge capture, namely Knowledge Briefs and learning events. For improving the product development process, the author introduced the team to Visual Workflow Management to help the team become more agile, and to visualize project progress from multiple perspectives in order to discover parts of the system which is not evolving at the desired rate. Key concepts in this thesis include: Lean Thinking, Lean Systems Engineering, Model-based Systems Engineering, Model-based Documentation, Knowledge management, Knowledge briefs, A3 method, system modelling, functional analysis, functional flow block diagrams (FFBDs), system architecture, Visual Workflow Management, Stand-up meetings, Visual project board, risk management


1. The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from human heart has been partially purified and shown to be regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle similar to that previously found for other mammalian tissues. 2. Incubation of the complex with ATP (2 mmol/1) led to its inactivation associated with the concomitant incorporation into the protein of 32P from the terminal phosphate group of the ATP. Pyruvate, ADP, thiamin pyrophosphate and dichloroacetate diminished the rate of inactivation by ATP. 3. Pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase from human heart requires Mg2+ for activity and is sensitive to Ca2+ at concentrations of a few mumol/1. Similar ionic requirements of the skeletal muscle phosphatase have been demonstrated in a crude tissue extract. 4. The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in human adipose tissue was less than 10% of typical values in rats. This could be due to the high level of dietary fat consumed by humans, which is known to repress the enzyme activity in rats.


Immunity to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm) is complex and requires both cell mediated and humoral immunity at different stages of infection. In infants in sub-Saharan Africa infection with non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS), such as STm, can commonly cause fatal invasive disease. Evidence indicates that disease may be preventable by antibody, which makes vaccine development against these devastating infections a promising option. This work has explored the cell-mediated and humoral response to STm and its component antigens, their intrinsic properties, and capacity to act as protective immunogens in a mouse model. In particular, responses to surface exposed structures such as the outer membrane proteins (Omps) and the flagellar protein FliC, which are potent, immunodominant antigens and frequent targets of antibody, that may offer potential as vaccine candidates have been examined. Immunisation with soluble flagellin (sFliC) induces a potent Th2 response. Despite this, immunisation with sFliC results in accelerated clearance of STm after the first week of infection in an antibody independent, but T-bet-regulated manner. This suggests that the Th2 responses to flagellin are flexible since they can promote Th1 mediated clearance of STm. This moderate protection conferred by sFliC contrasts with the potent benefit conferred by porins. These proteins induce, and can mediate protection through a T-independent B1b cell population. In particular, antibody to OmpD is key for this protection. These results suggest that vaccines that induce protective antibody to STm may be more effective than vaccines that induce T cell-mediated protection, since they reduce bacterial numbers at the earliest stages of infection. Lastly, experiments using N. brasiliensis show that infectious history can impact on the host's ability to control primary STm infection and the efficacy of antibody-mediated protection against infection. These projects further our understanding of the relationship between host and pathogen and the mechanisms used to control infection, but also identify the need to consider the impact of infectious history on the host's capacity to implement protective immunity.


A theoretical and experimental investigation into the characteristics of photoelastic optical waveguides in bulk silicon and Si1-xGex/Si heterostructures is presented. This is the first experimental demonstration of this type of waveguide in these material structures. The bulk silicon structures are also the first demonstration of channel waveguides defined using only photoelastic confinement. The photoelastic constants of silicon and Si1-xGex, which give the change in refractive index with strain, are calculated from the strain-induced shifts in the energy band structure of silicon and germanium which modifies their extinction coefficient, from which the strain-induced refractive index changes are found from the Kramers-Kronig relations. A finite element model of the waveguide structures is presented which uses the calculated photoelastic constants to determine the refractive index profiles of the waveguides. Subsequently, finite difference calculations are used to calculate the optical mode profiles of the waveguides. Photoelastic waveguides are fabricated by depositing SiNy stressor films onto bulk silicon and Si1-xGex/Si heterostructures which are subsequently cleaved and polished to produce waveguide facets before narrow stressor stripes are defined from the SiNy films using photolithography and wet etching. The characteristics of the waveguides are investigated at wavelengths of 1.15mum and 1.523mum. Measurements show that there is always one guiding region outside each edge of the stressor stripe. The Si1-xGex/Si heterostructures also allow a third mode to be confined under the centre of the stressor stripe, and the relative intensity and the distance between the guided modes is controlled by the stripe width, in good accordance with the modelling results. These structures are interesting in that up to three guiding regions can be defined by the deposition of one stressor stripe on the waveguide surface, which provides a particularly simple and compact way of fabricating waveguide couplers. An interferometer is used to study the force generated by the SiNy stressor layers. It is shown that the as-deposited stressors produce low and poorly defined stresses, although significant forces of up to 2-3.106 dyn/cm are measured after rapid thermal annealing of the structures. Annealing of photoelastic waveguides in bulk silicon show a corresponding increase in photoelastic confinement which produces waveguides with excess losses of down to 4.3dB/cm. Photoelastic waveguides in Si1-xGex/Si heterostructures, due to the additional confinement from the heterojunction, are reported with zero excess losses. At 1.15mum, the band-edge absorption increases the waveguide propagation losses by up to several dB/cm, and the waveguides show multimode behaviour, making these structures unsuitable for applications at this wavelength. At 1.523mum, however, measurements show low excess propagation losses and single-mode behaviour, and they exhibit a low degree of birefringence. The simple fabrication process and compact design of these structures make them appropriate for optoelectronic intragration, and several possible applications for photoelastic waveguides in optical devices are suggested.


University of Wollongong acknowledges that never has there been a more exciting or important time to do Geography. There are new global challenges, problems and anomalies emerging that need creative solutions. University of Wollongong recognised that a Geography degree provides graduates with an eclectic and interdisciplinary skill-set necessary to address these challenges. Graduates will be trained in both the skill sets of a scientist and a social scientist, alongside communication, writing, and analytical skills. UOW Geography graduates will be analytical and critical thinkers toward social, cultural and physical problems and issues. The UOW Bachelor of Geography provides graduates with a broad range of transferrable skills setting up a lifetime of career opportunities.


T regulatory (Treg) cells are a subset of lymphocytes specifically dedicated to maintain the correct balance between efficient immune responses towards harmful events (such as a viral infections) and tolerogenic responses towards self and non-harmless antigens (such as food antigens). This is a delicate process that needs to be finely tuned. It is clear that Treg cells can be infused in animals and induce tolerance thus leading to, for example, reversal of autoimmunity. However, how much data generated in animals can be successfully translated into humans remains one of the key questions.

There are two distinct ways to perform Treg-cell–based therapy:

(i) via infusion of ex vivo manipulated Treg cells or (ii) via the direct in vivo induction of Treg cells. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Aim of our work was to address some of the still open and key questions to be solved to make Treg-cell therapy in humans a reality.

Some of the key issues related to the infusion of ex manipulated Treg cells that need to be addressed - and that were subjects of this thesis - are: (i) the definition of an efficient and safe protocol for the ex vivo manipulation of Treg cells; (ii) the demonstration that that the ex vivo treated Treg cells can promote tolerance in vivo; and (iii) the demonstration that the protocol is equally efficient and safe by using human cells obtained from both healthy donors and patients.

We showed that a drug commonly used in the field of transplantation (named rapamycin) can efficiently expand functional Treg cells ex vivo and that these cells, when infused in transplanted mice, protect from graft rejection. In addition, the same protocol is efficacious for the ex vivo manipulation of Treg cells from both healthy donors and patients with autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

Some of the important issues that need to be addressed in case of direct in vivo induction of Treg cells - and that were subjects of this thesis- are: (i) the definition of a therapy that allows control of aggressive and unwanted immune responses while permitting induction of functional Treg cells; (ii) the demonstration that such a Treg-cell–permissive therapy is efficient in inducing tolerance in more than one disease animal models; and (iii) the clinical relevance of the findings eventually reported in animals.

We showed that two drugs already used in patients (namely, rapamycin and interleuchin-10 (IL-10)) can control unwanted aggressive immune responses and at the same time boost Treg cells that can control allograft rejection and autoimmunity. In addition, we observed that patients with autoimmunity and treated with rapamycin have more functional circulating Treg cells as compared to those isolated before therapy.

Overall, we developed an efficient, safe and clinical translatable protocol for the expansion of functional Treg cells and we showed that induction of tolerance via Treg-cells directly in vivo is also feasible and efficient.


Over the past four decades, top economics journals have virtually eliminated critical commentary (comments, replies, rejoinders, and the like). This article shows the data and discusses these steep declines in critical commentary. To the extent that critical commentary is beneficial to scientific inquiry, editorial opposition to critical commentary is detrimental to the advancement of economic knowledge.


Surface disinfection is essential for the prevention of infection in the households, hospitals, laboratories and other high-risk areas. The current surface disinfectants in use such as Phenolic compounds, Quaternary ammonium compounds, Aldehydes, Sodium hypochlorite etc., have associated health hazards. Clinister is an alcohol-free, citric acid based disinfectant routinely in use for disinfection in the Food Industry in Japan. In this study, the efficacy of Clinister for surface disinfection was assessed by contact plate method in a microbiological lab set-up in India. The Clinister powder was mixed with water at appropriate concentrations and applied over the surfaces of instruments, tables and the floor employing standard disinfection protocols. The microbiological sampling was done by applying the contact plate with the surfaces before and after application of Clinister, following which the plates were incubated. After incubation for six hours, there was a significant reduction in the number of colony forming units (CFUs) of the organisms isolated from these surfaces which were Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Micrococcus spp., Penicillium spp and A. fumigates. Thus, use of Clinister as a surface disinfectant is recommended in hospitals, laboratories, households, child care centres, public areas, poultry etc., wherever the risk of spread of infection is high.


State-of-the-art optical remote sensing of vegetation canopies is reviewed here to stimulate support from laboratory and field plant research. This overview of recent satellite spectral sensors and the methods used to retrieve remotely quantitative biophysical and biochemical characteristics of vegetation canopies shows that there have been substantial advances in optical remote sensing over the past few decades. Nevertheless, adaptation and transfer of currently available fluorometric methods aboard air- and space-borne platforms can help to eliminate errors and uncertainties in recent remote sensing data interpretation. With this perspective, red and blue-green fluorescence emission as measured in the laboratory and field is reviewed. Remotely sensed plant fluorescence signals have the potential to facilitate a better understanding of vegetation photosynthetic dynamics and primary production on a large scale. The review summarizes several scientific challenges that still need to be resolved to achieve operational fluorescence based remote sensing approaches.


Paralegals provide a crucial link to justice services and legal redress in South Africa, particularly for the rural poor. Although post-Apartheid constitutional reforms guaranteed a broad range of rights and benefits to all South Africans, including the right to legal assistance, accessing many of these benefits remains a challenge for those who live in remote areas and those who cannot afford legal representation. Community-based paralegals fill this gap by providing dispute resolution and legal support that is both geographically and financially accessible and informed by a deep understanding of the social issues and everyday challenges facing their clients. Despite the prevalence and importance of paralegals in the South African justice sector, their role remains largely under-formalized and understudied. This report seeks to address this gap by providing a broad analysis of the current state of the paralegal sector. It begins with a historical overview of paralegal services in South Africa from the apartheid period to the present. The study then maps the current state of the paralegal sector, and provides detailed information on the structure and function of key organizations that provide paralegal services. Through an analysis of twelve case studies of paralegal-assisted cases, the report identifies facilitating and hindering determinants of Community Advice Offices (CAO) functions at both the institutional and organization level.


Abstract. The production of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) by the dark ozonolysis of gas-phase β-caryophyllene was studied. The experiments were conducted in a continuous-flow environmental chamber for organic particle mass concentrations of 0.5 to 30 μg m −3 and with ozone in excess, thereby allowing the study of second-generation particle-phase products under atmospherically relevant conditions. The particle-phase products were characterized by an ultra-performance liquid chromatograph equipped with an electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-ESI-ToF-MS). Fragmentation mass spectra were used for the structural elucidation of each product, and the structures were confirmed as consistent with the accurate m / z values of the parent ions. In total, fifteen products were identified. Of these, three are reported for the first time. The structures showed that 9 out of 15 particle-phase products were second generation, including all three of the new products. The relative abundance of the second-generation products was approximately 90% by mass among the 15 observed products. The O:C and H:C elemental ratios of the 15 products ranged from 0.13 to 0.50 and from 1.43 to 1.60, respectively. Fourteen of the products contained 3 to 5 oxygen atoms. A singular product, which was one of the three newly identified ones, had 7 oxygen atoms, including 1 carboxylic group, 2 carbonyl groups, and 3 hydroxyl groups. It was identified as 2, 3-dihydroxy-4-[2-(4-hydroxy-3-oxobutyl)-3, 3-dimethylcyclobutyl]-4-oxobutanoic acid (C 14 H 22 O 7 ). The estimated saturation vapor pressure of this product is 3.3×10 −13 Pa, making this product a candidate contributor to new particle formation in the atmosphere.


The use of smart electronic signal processing is emerging as a key technology to enable economical high-performance transceivers for high-speed optical networks (10 Gb/s and beyond). This paper surveys the role, scope, limitations, and challenges of this technology for enterprise, access, and core networks to enable cost-effective optical transceivers and to reuse the installed fiber infrastructure. Further, the state-of-the-art technology results in these areas will also be presented


Horsehair worms Horsehair worms or hairworms (Figure 1) are a group of nematode-like long worms (Phylum Nematomorpha; Class Gordioidea). Their name is based on an old superstition that the worms arise from horsehairs that happen to fall into the water. The body of a horsehair worm is threadlike (less than 4⁄100 inch in diameter) and can be up to 14 inches long. They vary in color from almost white to light tan to dark brown. The adults, which do not feed, are free-living and can be found in water (running or standing) and damp soil. Eggs are deposited in water or damp soil. After hatching, the juvenile worm enters the body of an arthropod — such as a beetle, cockroach, cricket, grasshopper, centipede, millipede or cabbage worm — or possibly one of many other insects. The larva either penetrates the host's body wall or is ingested. After a period ranging from several weeks to months, during which numerous molts occur, the worm leaves the host. Emergence from the host only occurs when the host is near water. The presence of the mature worm inside seems to "drive" the host to water. Adult horsehair worms may attract attention by forming a loose, intertwined "ball" squirming and twisting about on the soil, vegetable plants (such as cabbage heads), water troughs, toilet bowls or any place the host happened to be when the worm left its body. Horsehair worms do not cause any injury to people or plants but are actually beneficial because they kill the insect in which they develop. Mermithid nematodes Other common worm parasites of insects belong to the roundworm Family Mermithidae (Phylum Nematoda). These nematodes are free-living in the adult stage and parasitic in an animal host for at least part of their juvenile stage. Mermithid nematodes are long and slender, similar to horsehair worms, and usually range in length from 4 to 8 inches. They range in color from gray to black. The adult mermithid is found in the soil (occasionally under stones) or mud and does not feed. Its life span varies from a few days to months, depending upon the stored food supply. Eggs are deposited in the soil. After hatching, the larvae enter a host's body, either through ingestion or by penetrating the host's body wall. After a period of time, the immature worm will leave its host to complete its development in the soil. Mermithid nematodes parasitize almost all groups of insects and are considered beneficial organisms.


Cloud computing (CC) is rising rapidly; an expansive number of clients are pulled in towards cloud administrations for more fulfillments. Distributed computing is most recent developing innovation for expansive scale dispersed processing and parallel registering. CC gives vast pool of shared assets, program bundle, data, stockpile and a broad variety of uses according to client requests at any example of time. Adjusting the heap has turned out to be all the more intriguing examination zone in this field. Better load adjusting calculation in cloud framework builds the execution and assets use by progressively dispersing work stack among different hubs in the framework. Virtual machine (VM) is an execution unit that goes about as an establishment for distributed computing innovation. Bumble bee conduct propelled stack adjusting enhances the general throughput of handling and need construct adjusting centers with respect to decreasing the measure of time an errand needs to look out for a line of the VM.


The article by Livingston et al. (2012) reporting the evaluation of a campaign to improve awareness and attitudes of young people towards mental health issues makes some insightful points regarding the impact of media campaigns on the stigma of mental illness. The particular Canadian campaign evaluated featured a prominent male sports figure talking about mental health issues and used online social media to reach young people. The effectiveness of the campaign was shown to be limited to the proximal outcomes of increasing awareness and use of a mental health website, but did not impact the distal outcomes to improve attitudes toward people with mental illness. The authors acknowledge that these findings are consistent with Corrigan's recent summary that such campaigns show evidence of penetration but little meaningful impact (Corrigan, 2012). Notably, this campaign used social media rather than traditional media, which would be expected to have a greater impact for young people, but the anticipated outcomes remained elusive. Livingston et al. make the points, however, that increased market penetration is a worthwhile outcome and that improving mental health literacy, rather than reducing stigma, should be the goal of such media campaigns.


This paper explores the interactional foundations of markets as it examines a puzzle in banking technology. Customer Relationship Management was introduced at a Hungarian bank to personalize clerks' interactions with clients. The software assembles customer profiles and calculates individualized sales offers, yet the outcome in face-to-face use is standardized. To explain this result the paper asks how the process of buyer-seller interaction accomplishes market exchange, complementing structural economic sociology, particularly its sampling bias and concept of social relationships as independent variables. Based on ethnographic methods - observation and interviews at a bank - the paper provides fine-grained analysis of the interaction process, finding that bank clerks try to smoothly interact simultaneously with the software-generated client profile and with the client in person, which limits their capacity to personalize. The paper contributes to the theory of markets in two ways. First, interaction dynamics structure market exchange. The specific spatial and temporal order of interacting enables and constrains how products can be offered and accepted. Exchange unfolds as actors negotiate and exploit the social and technical demands of interaction. Second, social relationships and fleeting impersonal transactions are not mutually exclusive ways of doing exchange. Interaction between buyer and seller completely blends anonymous calculative and familiar-trusting elements. Strategic market action may be oriented towards turning strangers into relationships and vice versa by reconfiguring how interactions are accomplished.


To determine the effects on total light scattering of deep holes in the scattering particles, the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye and anomalous difffraction equations were solved by numerical methods for x = 0.1–1200, n = 1.05. Scattering by randomly oriented spheres with holes was compared with that from homogeneous smooth ones of equal net volume and refractive index. The effects of hole formation are found to be similar to those of projection formation that were previously reported. They also resemble those of uniform particle swelling with no change in mass. The results indicate that the influence of detail formation on total scattering is caused primarily by changes in the overall radial distribution of the mass, not by the generation of scattering centers.


China's rapid economic growth has monopolized the news in recent months. The annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates of around ten percent that were common in the 1990s have continued in the early years of the 21st century. China's investments in new factories, offices, and other infrastructure have driven this growth. The implications for global supplies of raw materials are considerable. In 2003, China accounted for 27 percent of world steel consumption, 31 percent of global coal demand, and 40 percent of world cement demand. As a result of this growth, China's demand for oil has also risen steeply, with imports up 40 percent in the first half of 2004. China's economic development has significant implications for national and global energy supplies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But what does this growth mean for China? The speed of this development has posed the most serious challenges for Chinese policy makers. One of the most pressing problems in China is the increasing frequency of power shortages. Power companies are struggling to build enough generation and transmission capacity to meet soaring demand, particularly for air conditioning in the prosperous eastern provinces. Meanwhile, there is pressure to tackle the environmental impacts of China's coal-dominated energy system. Tensions between economic growth, energy security, and environmental protection goals are familiar to many countries. For a developing country the size of China, however, they are particularly acute. While experts agree that one way to help resolve these tensions is to invest in cleaner, more efficient technologies, they disagree on the best way to do this. Most tend to advocate a move away from coal towards other supply options such as natural gas, renewable energy, and nuclear power. Many also point to the huge potential for improvements in energy efficiency, particularly in Chinese industry. While Chinese firms and research institutions have capabilities in relevant energy technologies, there is still a significant gap between their means and the international standard. Technology transfer from foreign companies will be crucial for the Chinese government to achieve its policy goals. Unfortunately, past experience has shown that this kind of technology transfer is difficult. Contrary to statements by some Chinese policymakers, technology transfer does not simply involve commitments by industrialized states to donate new technology to developing countries. These difficulties, however, have also shown that real progress is possible if collaborative arrangements are carefully planned. Moving Away from Coal Opportunities for a technology transfer of cleaner energy to China will depend on the historical legacy of coal as the dominant energy source. Due to large domestic reserves that are cheap to mine, coal accounts for almost two-thirds of national energy consumption (see "Burned Out"). Coal is used to generate 80 percent of China's electricity. It is also used to meet a significant proportion of energy demand in industry and households. Although its share of national energy consumption has fallen in recent years, coal is expected to continue to be China's largest source of energy. Absolute annual consumption is now on the rise after the declines that were reported in the late 1990s. According to the US Embassy in Beijing, consumption increased from 1.4 billion tons in 2002 to 1.6 billion tons in 2003. But the declining share of coal in Chinese energy supply coincides with steeply rising demand for other sources of energy. Oil consumption in China is growing particularly rapidly and is beginning to replace coal in many economic sectors, partially because of the huge rise in car ownership and use. The increase in oil consumption has reinforced China's position as a net oil importer, which has also contributed to rising global oil prices. Gas has historically played a limited role in China's energy system and currently supplies only three percent of consumption. …


Since previous work indicated U.S. alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa L.) cultivars are limited as genetic sources of acid soil tolerance, new germplasm needs to be identified and used. The objective of this paper was to screen the PI Core Collection for acid soil tolerance in the greenhouse. Initially, 192 of the 200 PIs in the core collection were screened during 1992 and 1993 in Georgia using replicated cups containing a lower zone of unlimed, unfertilized subsoil with an upper seed germination zone containing the same soil, but limed and fertilized. Acid soil tolerance of each PI was estimated by recording the root dry weight entering the unlimed layer and comparing it with an acid soil tolerant check, GA-AT. A repeat study using the same screening procedure with 14 PIs was then performed during 1994. Among these 14, seven had initially shown superior root growth to GA-AT, while seven demonstrated poorer root growth than GA-AT. None of the seven superior PIs were found to possess better root, crown, or top growth compared with GA-AT, while the poor rooting PIs remained inferior to GA-AT for all measured variables. Within the limits of this screening procedure, these findings indicated that germplasm with exceptional acid soil tolerance will be difficult to isolate from the alfalfa PI collection.