Although several years of research and experiment are dedicated to Total Hip
Replacement (THR) of the conventional implant, there is yet no reliable answer
for those patients who are very active and young. In this study, a modelling of
the bone around two different types of implant has been carried out. Currently
proposed design studied here, is the generic concept of stemless implant. The
stemless implant reconstruction was compared to the conventional implant and
also to the intact bone as control solution. A modelling approach with Finite
Element (FE) method was adopted. A model of femur was developed and
element optimisation was carried out to find the best mesh refinement.
The models were divided into two regions from proximal head to 40 mm
distance toward distal end (R1) and 40 mm distance from proximal head toward
the distal end (R2). For two different loading conditions of bending and torsion,
the models were solved by ANSYS software. The results were compared with
those of the experimental literature for validation. The results of this study showed that the stem less implant had less deviation
from the control sol ution of the bone in a l l reg ions and in both loading
cond itions, com pa ring to the large d eviation of the stemmed i mplant fro m the
intact bone.
The stemless i mplant showed perfect fit to the control sol ution i n R2 region
except for the 14 m m highest part of this reg ion where the ste m le ss i mplant
showed strain red uction in the i nterface of the bone and the implant. This region
wa s sub-trochanter and wa s concluded to practically be the weak point of this
type of implant. Meanwhile, the stemless i mplant type had sign ificant changes
in stress and strain d i stribution i n R1 reg io n . This region was the im plant region
itself and it was concluded that a g reat amount of care m u st be taken for this
region when designing such an i m plant.
The results of this study ind icated that the stem less type of i m p lant could
become a suitable alternative fo r conve ntional type of implant in hemia
rthroplasties. However, the fixation of this type of i mplant and its effect on subtrochanter
region m u st be con sidered for d esigning the fi nal prod uct. More
comprehensive numerical investigations on specific designs, with more loading
cond itions and contact algorithms inclusion, could be of major benefit to
improve the fi nal o utcome of the design process.


The Central Anatolian Volcanic Province (CAVP) in Turkey preserves widespread deposits of Quaternary tephra, presently associated with a small but growing number of Paleolithic archaeological sites. We use multivariate analyses of the abundances of a suite of nine major and minor element oxides determined by electron probe microanalysis. From these data, we construct a classificatory model for correlating distal tephra to one of five volcanic edifices or eruptive phases within the CAVP. Application of this model to distal deposits of primary tephra-fall and reworked tuffaceous sediments from the archaeological sites of Körkuyu and Kaletepe Deresi 3 indicates Late to possibly Early Pleistocene ages for the artifact assemblages there, and provides a fundamental tephrostratigraphic framework to examine spatial and temporal variation in hominin behavior comparable to that of other regions, such as eastern Africa. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


OBDD's are the state-of-the-art data structure for Boolean function manipulation. Basic tasks of Boolean manipulation such as equivalence test, satisfiability test, tautology test and single Boolean synthesis steps can be performed efficiently in terms of fixed ordered OBDD's. The bottleneck of most OBDD-applications is the size of the represented Boolean functions since the total computation merely remains tractable as long as the OBDD-representations remain of reasonable size. Since it is well known that OBDD's are restricted FBDD's (free BDD's, i.e., BDD's that test, on each path, each input variable at most once), and that FBDD-representations are often much more (sometimes even exponentially more) concise than OBDD-representations. We propose to work with a more general FBDD-based data structure. We show that FBDD's of a fixed type provide, similar as OBDD's of a fixed variable ordering, canonical representations of Boolean functions, and that basic tasks of Boolean manipulation can be performed in terms of fixed typed FBDD's similarly efficient as in terms of fixed ordered OBDD's. In order to demonstrate the power of the FBDD-concept we show that the verification of the circuit design for the hidden weighted bit function proposed Bryant can be carried out efficiently in terms of FBDD's while this is, for principal reasons, impossible in terms of OBDD's. >


Syntagmatic Lexical Relations in Afrikaans. Since the work by Porzig 934) it has come to be accepted that syntagmatic lexical relations (a type of lexical relation that ~~/dS between two lexical items on a syntagmatic level, such as the relationship between dog and bark) has to be incorporated in a theory of lexical structure. Although quite a number of scholars have dealt with the phenomenon over the years, one has to agree that it suffers from a long tradi tion of neglect. As far as linguistic research in Afrikaans goes, no substantial work has been done. In this article I will contrast syntagmatic relations with its paradigmatic counterparts, draw atten tion to different types of syntagmatic relations and show what relevance this phenomenon has for lexicographY·


The flow in the heated rotating cavity of an aero-engine compressor is driven by buoyancy forces, which result in pairs of cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices. The resultant cavity flow field is three-dimensional, unsteady and unstable, which makes it challenging to model the flow and heat transfer. In this paper, properties of the vortex structures are determined from novel unsteady pressure measurements collected on the rotating disc surface over a range of engine-representative parameters. These measurements are the first of their kind with practical significance to the engine designer and for validation of computational fluid dynamics. One cyclonic/anticyclonic vortex pair was detected over the experimental range, despite the measurement of harmonic modes in the frequency spectra at low Rossby numbers. It is shown that these modes were caused by unequal size vortices, with the cyclonic vortex the larger of the pair. The structures slipped relative to the discs at a speed typically around 10% to 15% of that of the rotor, but the speed of precession was often unsteady. The coherency, strength and slip of the vortex pair increased with the buoyancy parameter, due to the stronger buoyancy forces, but they were largely independent of the rotational Reynolds number.


Reliable evidence from the Jahn-Dunne studies conducted over several decades indicated that human proximity can affect the dynamics of certain processes that strongly depend upon "random" processes. Random Event Generators (REG) operate through "random" electron tunneling through spaces that are within the same order of magnitude as synapses. If the mechanisms by which these human-machine interactions occur involve electromagnetic processes, then application of specific temporally patterned magnetic fields to the human volume should affect the strength of the deviation from "random" variations. Whole-body exposure to ~400 nT, complex-patterned magnetic fields based upon 3 ms point durations reversed the effects of normal "intention" upon the operation of REGs. The energies generated within the cerebral volume by that field if emitted as irradiative power were within the range of the mass equivalent of an electron at the level of p-n junction of the semiconductor. These results support the hypothesis that "intention" can be affected experimentally and the energies within the vicinity of the actual dynamic space (~1 µm 2 ) of the p-n junction of the REG match the extended power of the magnetic energy contained within the cerebrum.


While constituting a well functioning interface with the aqueous environment in utero, the skin offers a poor barrier after very preterm birth. As a result, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is high, a fact which has important clinical consequences in these infants. To investigate the transport of water through perinatal skin and the potential role of aquaporin (AQP), a water channel protein, in this process, we determined TEWL in a group of extremely preterm infants, and in an experimental rat model we analyzed the expression and distribution of AQP in perinatal skin in relation to TEWL, skin surface hydration and water content. The effects of antenatal corticosteroids (ANS) and of restricted intake of fluids and nutrients on barrier characteristics of the perinatal skin and its AQP expression were also studied.In infants born at 24 and 25 weeks of gestation TEWL was very high in the first days after birth and decreased with increasing postnatal age. At a postnatal age of 4 weeks, TEWL was still twice as high as previously reported in infants born at a gestational age of 25-27 weeks and four times higher than in infants born at term. In the rat model, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AQP1 and AQP3 are abundantly expressed in the skin. AQP1 was expressed exclusively in dermal capillaries and AQP3 in basal layers of the epidermis. AQP1 and AQP3 mRNA as assessed by semiquantitative RT-PCR was higher in fetal than in adult skin. As in infants, TEWL and skin surface hydration were inversely related to gestational age in the rat. In preterm rat pups exposed to ANS, TEWL and skin surface hydration were lower than in unexposed controls, and AQP3 expression was selectively induced by ANS. In term newborn rat pups, restriction of fluid and nutrient intake resulted in a higher skin water content and higher TEWL early after birth, while at an age of 7 days TEWL was lower in fasting rat pups than in controls, although skin water content was still higher.To conclude, TEWL is very high in extremely preterm infants early after birth and then decreases at a slower rate than previously reported for a group of slightly more mature infants. This is the first time that the distribution and gene expression of AQP1 and AQP3 have been demonstrated in perinatal skin. The localization and expression of AQP in the skin might indicate that these water channels are involved in the regulation of skin hydration and transepidermal water transport in the fetus and newborn infant.


There is mounting evidence that for prostate cancer patients treated with EBRT,dose escalation to the prostate increases local control. This benefit comes at the cost of toxicities and complications. Therefore, restricting the dose to normal tissue becomes of utmost importance. Image guidance for accurate treatment delivery and intra‐fraction motion monitoring is critical in this environment of dose escalation and hypo fractionation.A variety of systems could be utilized for this purpose, such as transabdominal ultrasound, KV X‐rays, and KV/MV CBCT. However, these systems have several disadvantages: they only provide snapshots of the prostate position; they are not available during radiation delivery; they cause an additional ionizing radiation exposure; and they may be subjective and operator dependant in acquisition and interpretation. A newer technology using non ionizing electromagnetic field and implanted fiducial markers (transponders) to locate and track patient tumors is available by Calypso Medical. In this presentation, our experience with IMRT and SBRT prostate treatments at the Cleveland Clinic will be presented. The treatment plans are generated with the Pinnacle treatment planning system, the localization and tracking is performed by the 4D Calypso system, and the treatment delivery is done on an Elekta Synergy S linac. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the clinical rationale for localization and tracking 2. Understand the necessity of hybrid technologies and systems 3. Understand the physics behind the Calypso localization mechanism and its principles of operation 4. Understand operational and quality assurance aspects of Calypso combined with Synergy‐S and Pinnacle TPS 5. Understand the technical limitations of the hybrid system 6. Describe clinical implementation of the system and typical cases treated


We report a novel method for detecting ionizing radiation by employing the phenomenon of upconversion luminescence. Nanocrystalline SrFCl:Yb3+/Er3+ was prepared by ball-milling and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photoluminescence properties of nanocrystalline SrFCl:Yb3+, SrFCl:Er3+ and SrFCl:Yb3+/Er3+ before and after X-irradiation were investigated. The results demonstrate that both Yb3+ and Er3+ ions in the SrFCl host are reduced to their divalent state upon X-ray exposure. Under 980 nm infrared excitation, SrFCl:Yb3+/Er3+ nanocrystals displayed efficient upconversion luminescence. The upconversion luminescence intensity gradually decreased with increasing X-irradiation in a double exponential fashion with rate constants of k1 = 0.08 Gy-1 and k2 = 0.01 Gy-1. In comparison with other X-ray storage phosphors, the present system shows a much higher stability of stored information since it is not subject to photobleaching in the read-out process. This is the first report on detecting ionizing radiation by upconversion luminescence, with the potential for improved read-out performance over traditional storage phosphors. Possible applications of the present phosphor include bioimaging and in vivo cell-level X-ray dose monitoring.


1. 6-Hydroxykynurenic acid (4,6-dihydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid, 6-HKA) was isolated in crystalline form from both green and cured tobacco leaves. 2. A method for the determination of 6-HKA by paper chromatography and fluorimetry is described. 3. The content of 6-HKA in the flowers, stem and roots of the tobacco plant was much lower than that in the leaf. 4. The 6-HKA content increased throughout leaf development and senescence. 5. 6-HKA was detected in the leaves of plants representing 11 out of 27 families sampled. 6. 6-HKA was found to be devoid of antibacterial and antifungal activity, and was inactive in the Avena-coleoptile and cress-seed-germination tests. 7. The presence of 6-HKA is taken as evidence in plants of the tryptophan-catabolic pathway already known in mammals and micro-organisms.


German-speaking Jews arrived in Palestine in vast numbers from 1933 onwards. They are not Olim (ascenders, Jewish immigrants to Palestine/Israel) in the classical, Zionistic sense but emigrated out of necessity from Europe. Their history in Europe, and their arrival in Palestine reflect a particular integration into the nascent Jewish society, and resulted in a pronounced particularism that was transmitted across generations. To understand the interdependence of self-definition and superimposed ascription within a society that aims at absorbing immigrants, this paper chronicles the different definitions of Germanness amongst three generations of Yekkes (German-speaking Jews) in Palestine, later Israel, by focusing on community building, familial tradition, and everyday praxes of expressing Germanness.


The global financial crisis revealed a need for macro-prudential policy tools to mitigate the build-up of systemic risk in the financial system and to enhance the resilience of financial institutions against such risks once they have materialised. In the EU, macro-prudential policy is an area that is in an early stage of development. This is also true as regards the use of instruments to address systemic risk for which there is so far only limited experience to draw on. Hence, there is general uncertainty about the effectiveness of such instruments in practice. Nevertheless, country-level experience can serve as a useful yardstick for formulating macro-prudential policy in the EU. This special feature considers the experience of European countries with macro-prudential policy implementation. Overall, the evidence surveyed here indicates that macro-prudential policies can be effective in targeting excessive credit growth and rapidly rising asset prices, although other policies can be a useful complement to reduce the build-up of imbalances. At the same time, the appropriate timing of macro-prudential policy measures remains a challenging task. JEL Classification: G00


This paper studies the effect of financial repression and contract enforcement on entrepreneurship and economic development. We construct and solve a general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents, occupational choice and two financial frictions: intermediation costs and financial contract enforcement. Occupational choice and firm size are determined endogenously, and depend on agent type (wealth and ability) and credit market frictions. The model shows that differences across countries in intermediation costs and enforcement generate differences in occupational choice, firm size, credit, output and inequality. Counterfactual experiments are performed for Latin American, European, transition and high growth Asian countries. We use empirical estimates of each country's financial frictions, and United States values for all other parameters. The results allow us to isolate the quantitative effect of these financial frictions in explaining the performance gap between each country and the United States. The results depend critically on whether a general equilibrium factor price effect is operative.


Purpose of review The control of pain after scoliosis surgery is a real challenge for the anesthesiologist. The first reason is that major spine surgery for correction of scoliosis deformation causes severe postoperative pain, and second that patients undergoing these operations are most often children or adolescents who are known to suffer from increased pain sensation compared with adults. Recent findings A multimodal postoperative pain therapy is a well established procedure to control the pain after scoliosis surgery. Recently, prospective, well controlled studies have emphasized the key role of regional techniques in this context. Epidural analgesia has shown significant benefits regarding pain score, bowel recovery and patients' satisfaction. However, different modes of epidural analgesia application have been performed. Several issues including local anaesthetic concentration and infusion rate, duration of application and number of catheters placed will be discussed. The safety concerns associated with this type of analgesia will also be emphasized. Summary Significant improvements have been made in the control of postoperative pain after correction of scoliosis deformation in recent years. The introduction of epidural analgesia has cleared the way for better analgesic techniques in this surgical context. Properly performed and assessed, the addition of epidural analgesia after scoliosis surgery is a safe and effective form of analgesia and the benefits far outweigh the risks.


Objective: To examine the prospective associations between airflow obstruction and total and cause-specific mortality. Methods: The study was based on China Kadoorie Biobank, in which 199 099 men and 287 895 women aged 30-79 years at baseline survey were included after excluding those with heart disease, stroke and cancer. The Global Initiative on Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guideline was used to classify airflow obstruction. Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted HR and 95%CI. Results: During 3 494 079 person-years of follow-up between 2004 and 2013 (median 7.2 years), a total of 21 649 people died. Absolute mortality rates were 5.5, 9.9, 13.1, 32.4 and 63.3 deaths per 1 000 person-years for participants who had normal airflow, GOLD-1 to GOLD-4 airflow obstruction, respectively. After adjusting potential confounders, compared with participants with normal lung function, the HRs for death were 0.98 (95%CI: 0.88-1.09), 1.03 (95%CI: 0.97-1.09), 1.62 (95% CI: 1.53-1.73) and 2.83 (95% CI: 2.59-3.10) for those whose airflow obstruction were classified as GOLD-1 to GOLD-4, respectively. The airflow obstruction was also associated with increased risk for deaths due to ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusion: Airflow obstruction is associated with total and certain cause-specific mortality, the higher the airflow obstruction degree is, the higher the death risk is.


Context. Despite progress in the theoretical knowledge of open cluster remnants and the growing search for observational identifications in recent years, open questions still remain. The methods used to analyze open cluster remnants and criteria to define them as physical systems are not homogeneous. In this work we present a systematic method for studying these objects that provides a view of their properties and allows their characterization. Aims. Eighteen remnant candidates are analyzed by means of photometric and proper motion data. These data provide information on objects and their fields. We establish criteria for characterizing open cluster remnants, taking observational uncertainties into account. Methods. 2MASS J and H photometry is employed (i) to study structural properties of the objects by means of radial stellar density profiles, (ii) to test for any similarity between objects and fields with a statistical comparison method applied to the distributions of stars in the CMDs, and (iii) to obtain ages, reddening values, and distances from the CMD, taking an index of isochrone fit into account. The UCAC2 proper motions allowed an objective comparison between objects and large solid angle offset fields. Results. The objective analysis based on the present methods indicates 13 open-cluster remnants in the sample. Evidence of the presence of binary stars is found, as expected for dynamically evolved systems. Finally, we infer possible evolutionary stages among remnants from the structure, proper motion, and CMD distributions. The low stellar statistics for individual objects is overcome by means of the construction of composite proper motion and CMD diagrams. The distributions of remnants in the composite diagrams resemble the single-star and unresolved binary star distributions of open clusters.


Background: To assess changing patterns of injury and liability associated with central venous or pulmonary artery catheters, the authors analyzed closed malpractice claims for central catheter injuries in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims database. Methods: All claims for which a central catheter (i.e., central venous or pulmonary artery catheter) was the primary damaging event for the injury were compared with the rest of the claims in the database. Central catheter complications were defined as being related to vascular access or catheter use or maintenance. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, Fisher exact test, or Z test (proportions) and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (payments). Results: The database included 110 claims for injuries related to central catheters (1.7% of 6,449 claims). Claims for central catheter injuries had a higher severity of injury, with an increased proportion of death (47%) compared with other claims in the database (29%, P < 0.01). The most common complications were wire/catheter embolus (n = 20), cardiac tamponade (n = 16), carotid artery puncture/cannulation (n =16), hemothorax (n =15), and pneumothorax (n =14). Cardiac tamponade, hemothorax, and pulmonary artery rupture had a higher proportion of death (P < 0.05) compared with the rest of the central catheter injures. The proportion of claims for vascular access injury increased (47% to 84%) and use/maintenance injury decreased (53% to 16%) in 1994–1999 compared with 1978–1983 (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Claims related to central catheters had a high severity of patient injury. The most common complications causing injury were wire/catheter embolus, cardiac tamponade, carotid artery puncture/cannulation, hemothorax, and pneumothorax.


The diet of the Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata was examined using food samples regurgitated by adult birds during five breeding seasons at Bird Island, South Georgia. In all years the diet was mainly crustaceans, with a small proportion of myctophid fish and trace amounts of ephalopods. Antarctic krill Euphausia superba was the dominant prey item in three years and was replaced by calanoid copepods, especially Rhincalanus gigas and Calanoides acutus, in two years of low krill abundance. Differences in the prey species taken and observations of foraging behaviour suggest that in years of low krill availability Antarctic Prions forage closer inshore, taking copepods by filtering surface water through their palatal lamellae. By switching to feeding on copepods Antarctic Prions are apparently able to maintain a comparable level of reproductive success, unlike most other krill feeding species which suffer much reduced reproductive performance in years of reduced krill availability.


Background Dexmedetomidine is a useful sedative drug with various uses. We designed this study to investigate the clinical effects and complications of different loading doses, 0.5 and 1.0 µg/kg. Methods Forty six patients, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, who required elective and emergency operation under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to group L or group H. Group L received a loading dose of 0.5 µg/kg for 10 minutes while group H received 1.0 µg/kg. Bispectral index (BIS), systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and Ramsay score were recorded at T0 (before loading), TL (just after loading) and T10, 20, 30 (10, 20, 30 minutes after TL). Complications, drug use, lowest BIS and time to reach BIS 80 after termination of dexmedetomidine were recorded during this study. Results In group H, BIS value decreased significantly after TL compared to the baseline (T0), while in group L after T10. Between two groups, BIS values showed a significant differences only at T10, BIS of group H was lower than that of group L. Ramsay score showed no significant differences except in TL; the score of group L was significantly lower than that of group H. Other vital signs and complications showed a minimal differences between two groups. Conclusions Higher loading dose (1.0 µg/kg) of dexmedetomidine can lead to faster sedation without any severe complications.


We give the first polynomial-time algorithm for agnostically learning any function of a constant number of halfspaces with respect to any log-concave distribution (for any constant accuracy parameter). This result was not known even for the case of PAC learning the intersection of two halfspaces. We give two very different proofs of this result. The first develops a theory of polynomial approximation for log-concave measures and constructs a low-degree'1 polynomial approximator for sufficiently smooth functions. The second uses techniques related to the classical moment problem to obtain sandwiching polynomials. Both approaches deviate significantly from known Fourier-based methods, where essentially all previous work required the underlying distribution to have some product structure. Additionally, we show that in the smoothed-analysis setting, the above results hold with respect to distributions that have sub-exponential tails, a property satisfied by many natural and well-studied distributions in machine learning.


The purpose of this study was to investigate whether simulated differential motivation between the stakes for operational tests and anchor items produces an invalid linking result if the Rasch model is used to link the operational tests. This was done for an external anchor design and a variation of a pretest design. The study also investigated whether a constrained mixture Rasch model could identify latent classes in such a way that one latent class represented high-stakes responding while the other represented low-stakes responding. The results indicated that for an external anchor design, the Rasch linking result was only biased when the motivation level differed between the subpopulations to which the anchor items were administered. However, the mixture Rasch model did not identify the classes representing low-stakes and high-stakes responding. When a pretest design was used to link the operational tests by means of a Rasch model, the linking result was found to be biased in each condition. Bias increased as percentage of students showing low-stakes responding to the anchor items increased. The mixture Rasch model only identified the classes representing low-stakes and high-stakes responding under a limited number of conditions.


Abstract Measurements from the NOAA Boulder Atmospheric Observatory (BAO) 300 m tower, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Sabreliner aircraft, and the NOAA GOES-5 satellite, give evidence for the cross-front scale collapse of nonprecipitating surface cold-frontal zones to horizontal distances of ∼1 km or less. The leading edges of these frosts possess the characteristic structure of density current flows: an elevated hydraulic head followed by a turbulent wake. Vertical motions at the frontal heads exceed 5 m s−1 at 300 m (AGL). The ascent at the frontal head may act as a (∼1 km-scale) triggering mechanism for the release of potential instability and the formation of intense squall-line mesoconvection.


M any different cell types of the innate immune system can recognize pathogens and tumor cells, and it is their quick response that constitutes the first line of defense against infectious agents and malignant transformation. Innate immunity against microbes and tumors can be initiated and/or executed by macrophages, dendritic cells, NK cells, NKT cells, and others. The biological consequences of pathogen recognition by these cell types are elimination of the pathogen and the induction of expression of costimulatory molecules, cytokines, and chemokines that facilitate development of the adaptive immune response. In addition, macrophages and dendritic cells can internalize apoptotic cells and cellular debris, as well as pathogenic organisms, and in this fashion eliminate cellular waste and noxious agents.


AN EXAMINATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SCORES by Winston A. Riddle The purpose of this study was to consider the specific demographic characteristics of elementary school principals in conjunction with the academic achievement of students in an attempt to identify characteristics that might assist in the identification of effective principals. The character istics tested were the principal's age, sex, race, tenure in the current position, total experience as a principal, level of previous teaching experience, and level of education. During and following the review of the literature, a list of characteristics was compiled and refined and a survey instrument constructed. The survey was sent to 255 randomly selected elementary school principals in North Carolina. A total of 222 responses was received. For each responding principal, third and sixth grade student achievement scores were obtained from the Departent of Research, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. These scores were the result of the spring 1986 administration of the California Achievement Test in the North Carolina Annual Testing Program. The scores were grouped according to the characteristic being studied and compared for significant differences using one-way analysis of variance or t_ tests. Grade-wide significant differences were found only in third grade scores when compared by the principal's race and sixth grade scores when compared by the principal's tenure in the current position. Significant differences were found for some student sex/race group scores when compared by the teaching experience, race, and the sex of the principal.


Physiological changes and loss of hand grip strength are natural consequences of the ageing process. Previous studies have shown that physiological changes will affect the hand grip strength of elderly people. However, to date, there are no studies which have developed models that predicts the hand grip strength of elderly Malaysians as a function of anthropometric dimensions. Knowledge on the correlation between these variables is crucial in order to create a suitable living environment as well as designing and developing products that cater specifically to the needs of the elderly. Hence, the main objective of this study is to examine the correlation between anthropometric dimensions and hand grip strength in a representative sample of the elderly population in Malaysia and developing the regression models that predicts the hand grip strength of elderly Malaysian males and females.
In order to achieve the objectives, a total of ninety one (91) anthropometric dimensions along with hand grip strength data are collected from a sample of 112 subjects aged 60 years and above. The subjects comprises of 56 males and 56 females, recruited from a densely populated urban area in Selangor, namely, Petaling Jaya. The anthropometric parameters are measured using standard anthropometric set whereas hand grip strength is measured using Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer. Statistical analysis was then carried out to identify the anthropometric dimensions that significantly influence hand grip strength, and the results indicate that only 37 anthropometric dimensions significantly influence the hand grip strength of elderly Malaysians.
In addition, the anthropometric dimensions and hand grip strength data were obtained and compared with the data for two age groups (20-30 years and 50-59 years) in order to determine if there is a significant difference in the measurements between these groups. In general, it can be observed that the ageing adult group exhibits lower values for the
iv
majority of anthropometric parameters and hand grip strength compared to the young adult group. This finding indicates the importance for product designers to gain an understanding on the differences in the physiological dimensions of elderly people with those of other age groups in order to create ergonomic products that account for their special needs.
Two regression models have been developed in this study, which predicts the hand grip strength of elderly Malaysian males and females. In both of these models, the hand grip strength is predicted by a regression equation as a function of anthropometric dimensions. A case study has been carried out to validate the prediction models, in which the subjects are required to open bottles of different sizes. Five bottles are chosen for this purpose; the first one, a perfume vial, second, a vitamin supplement bottle, the third, a tall, narrow-mouthed jar of blueberry jam, the fourth, a short, wide-mouthed jar of orange marmalade and the fifth, a mini shower cream bottle. These bottles are typical objects which are available at home and are therefore representative of the actual scenario faced by the elderly. The results indicate that there is a relationship between hand anthropometric dimensions and hand grip strength for elderly Malaysians, whereby the size and surface texture of the lid affects their ability to open the bottles.
The significant contributions of this study are as follows. First, the findings of this study can be used to build a database of anthropometric and hand grip strength measurements for the elderly population in Malaysia. Second, the regression models developed in this study can be used as a means to predict the hand grip strength of the elderly populations in Malaysia, which will assist product designers in creating ergonomically designed products. Third, an improved methodology was being proposed in this study which will be useful for researchers who intend to deepen their understanding
v
on the relationship between anthropometric parameters and hand grip strength of elderly Malaysians.


A sample of 134 (93 female, 41 male) university students were evaluated with measures of relational and physical aggression, as well as measures of the five personality factors (NEO Five-Factor Inventory; Costa and McCrae, 1992), depression and anxiety (Beck Depression Inventory; Beck, 1987 and Anxiety Inventory; Beck, 1990), and general emotional understanding and functioning (Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory; Bar-On, 1997). Gender differences were found such that the men reported more physical aggression and less Extraversion, with trends for less Neuroticism and less Agreeableness, than the women (NEO-FFI). Additionally, the women had higher Bar-On Interpersonal overall factor scores, including higher scores for the component Empathy, Social Responsibility, and Interpersonal Relationship subscales, than the men. Relational and physical aggression showed different patterns of association with other personality and emotional measures for men and women. In men, higher physical aggression was associated with lower Agreeableness and lower Extraversion. In women, higher physical aggression was associated with higher Conscientiousness, more depression, lower Bar-On EQI Stress Management and higher adaptability. Relational aggression was associated with lower Agreeableness and a lower Bar-On EQI overall score for both men and women. In men, higher relational aggression was additionally associated with more Neuroticism. In women, higher relational aggression was also associated with lower Conscientiousness, and lower Bar-On EQI Interpersonal factor scores.


Mouth ulcers are extremely common, occurring in one in five people in the population. Although they usually heal without serious consequences, they can be very painful and can cause discomfort to patients, leading to difficulty in chewing and swallowing, which can result in weight loss. Occasionally, mouth ulcers may be due to more serious diseases, such as cancer, and it is important to identify and refer these patients for appropriate assessment and treatment.


A Mn-promoted intermolecular oxidative radical heteroannulation of N-(2-cyanoaryl)-acrylamides and tertiary silanes has been described, which provides an efficient route to produce silicon/nitrogen heterocycles, sila-analogues of the known carbon-based structural motifs prevalent in bioactive natural products, pharmaceuticals and materials. The reaction enables Si-incorporation by controlling accurately several chemical bond cleavage and formation processes. Moreover, this reaction represents a new one-step construction of 1,3-azasiline-fused quinolinones that was achieved via silyl C(sp3)-H functionalization using an oxidative radical strategy.

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An undergraduate first-semester general chemistry laboratory experiment introducing face-centered, body-centered, and simple cubic unit cells is presented. Emphasis is placed on the stacking arrangement of solid spheres used to produce a particular unit cell. Marbles and spherical magnets are employed to prepare each stacking arrangement. Packing efficiency is calculated using simple measurements of marble or magnet diameters and the dimensions of the stacking arrangement. Edge effects are introduced. Packing efficiency is subsequently calculated for various metal samples employing density measurements and literature atomic radii values. The stacking arrangement for each metal and its corresponding unit cell are determined by comparing packing efficiency values. Estimated percent unoccupied space values for water and air are also determined.


Intravenous artesunate improves survival in severe malaria, but clinical trial data from nonendemic countries are scarce. The TropNet severe malaria database was analyzed to compare outcomes of artesunate vs quinine treatment. Artesunate reduced parasite clearance time and duration of intensive care unit and hospital treatment in European patients with imported severe malaria.


We consider a revenue-maximizing seller with n items facing a single buyer. We introduce the notion of symmetric menu complexity of a mechanism, which counts the number of distinct options the buyer may purchase, up to permutations of the items. Our main result is that a mechanism of quasi-polynomial symmetric menu complexity suffices to guarantee a (1 - epsilon )-approximation when the buyer is unit-demand over independent items, even when the value distribution is unbounded, and that this mechanism can be found in quasi-polynomial time. Our key technical result is a polynomial-time, (symmetric) menu-complexity-preserving black-box reduction from achieving a (1 - epsilon )-approximation for unbounded valuations that are subadditive over independent items to achieving a (1 - O(epsilon ))-approximation when the values are bounded (and still subadditive over independent items). We further apply this reduction to deduce approximation schemes for a suite of valuation classes beyond our main result. Finally, we show that selling separately (which has exponential menu complexity) can be approximated up to a (1 - epsilon ) factor with a menu of efficient-linear (f (epsilon) · n) symmetric menu complexity.


A complete research of seismic risk assessment is presented herein focused on the existing build- ings of the extended urban region of Athens in Greece. The seismic risk assessment is fulfilled by discriminating the current study in two approaches, probable and actual, conducting afterwards between them a comparison analysis. In the first part, a pilot methodology is developed for the seismic loss assessment in monetary terms regarding the buildings damages, consistent with the National Programme for Earthquake Management of Existing Buildings (NPEMEB). The building stock consists of typical building types of Southern Europe and refers to 750,085 buildings (18.80% of buildings in Greece) situated in the entire region of Athens according to the results of the 2000-1 statistical census. A wider research of seismic risk assessment could include direct losses of infrastructures and indirect economic losses. The evaluation of loss due to building damage in a certain region requires an assessment of both seismic hazard and vulnerability of the building stock in the study area. Four different existing damage scenarios are applied for the vulnerability assessment. The results of the seismic risk assessment for the four different aspects of the es- timated damage and the different soil conditions are presented in a map of the study region. The existing vulnerability curves corresponding to defined types of buildings have been derived from the National Technical Chamber of Greece and also from recently developed DPMs. The last DPMs were obtained in a previous research (Eleftheriadou, 2009) from the process of a created damage database after the 7th of September 1999 Parnitha's earthquake and comprised 180,945 buildings which developed damage of varying degree, type and extent. In the second part of the research, the seismic risk is evaluated from the available data regarding the mean statistical repair/ strengthening or replacement cost for the total number of damaged structures (180,427 buildings) after the same (1999 Parnitha's) seismic event. Data regarding the compatible (budget approved according to the ministry's provisions) repair cost has been collected. The structural losses in monetary terms for the 180,427 buildings damaged structures are evaluated equal to 2450.0 Μ€, 1887.8 Μ€ and 2118.9 Μ€ based on the previously mentioned statistical seismic risk data. The statistically derived repair cost for Attica is compared with the results of the economic loss esti- mation for buildings using the aforementioned risk assessment methodology. From the analysis results, the seismic scenario based on the recently developed DPMs (Eleftheriadou, 2009) pre- sented the better correlation (2627.77 M€) with the total statistically evaluated repair cost (2450.02 M€). It is important to stress that the inclusion of the coefficient parameter S overes- timates significantly the seismic losses. The last result should be taken into consideration in future risk researches. The comparison of the estimated economic loss with the statistical repair cost calibrates the reliability of the commonly used risk assessment method and serves in the im- provement of seismic security prioritizing the criteria for seismic rehabilitation programmes of existing buildings.


The objective of this study was to compile a profile of some selected health risk indicators (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, smoking and physical inactivity) of South African women, aged 30-65 years ( x = 41.6 ± 12.8 years) which can be influenced by lifestyle. The respondents comprised 3 818 women who were members of a comprehensive national health insurance in South Africa. Data were collected by means of a demographic questionnaire (including smoking habits), a physical activity questionnaire as well as field tests assessing nonfasting total cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity (BMI). The respondents were selected in two age groups (≤ 49 and ≥ 50 year) primarily representing the pre and postmenopausal life stages of women. From the descriptive data it appears that the younger group (≤ 49) tends to be physically less active than the older group (≥ 50). In all the other parameters the older group revealed higher mean values. However, none of these differences are of practical significance. When a profile is constructed, results indicate that a higher percentage of the younger group fall into the poor category suggesting a more destructive lifestyle in this category. The only exception is smoking where the older group indicated that 5.2% and 9.3% are in the poor and moderate category in comparison with the 2.4% and 11.5% of the younger group respectively.


At the confluence of three major rivers, Madison County, Illinois, was also the intersection of the nation's struggle for a free press and the right of access to appellate review in the historic case of the Alton Telegraph. The newspaper, which helps perpetuate the memory of Elijah Lovejoy, the first martyr to the cause of a free press, found itself on the losing side of the largest judgment for defamation in U.S. history as a result of a story that was never published in the paper—a case of immaculate defamation. Because it could not afford to post an appeal bond of that magnitude, one of the oldest family-owned newspapers in the country was forced to file for bankruptcy to protect its viability as a going concern. Attention must be paid to a case in which plaintiff's counsel earns a place in the Guinness Book of World Records and his adversary is honored for distinction in the defense of a free press and the people's right to know. Notwithstanding subsequent reform of the supersedeas bond process, the inability to appeal a defamation award for lack of sufficient resources to secure a bond still presents an existential threat to all but the largest media companies. The appeal bond process thus has a chilling effect on organizations engaged in newsgathering and dissemination, abridging freedoms protected by the First Amendment. This Article proposes a re-imagination of the appeal bond to accommodate the legitimate interests of the judgment creditor while protecting a media defendant's constitutional right to appeal.


In a semester-long, pen pal exchange between 3rd and 4th graders with college students enrolled in a Children's literature class, I wanted to engage students in critical thinking about what they read and to involve students in authentic literacy activities. Using qualitative methodology of recognizing patterns and culling themes from more than 200 letters about books, I examined the nature of the letters, categorized the kinds of questions asked, and noted the patterns of communications between the pen pal pairs in order to glean the benefits to both groups. Both elementary and college students learned about books, about themselves, and about one another. Literary pen pals: Correspondence about books between university students and elementary students


The decline of the Corncrake population has been reported since the 19th Century, and has even accelerated in the second half of the 20th century. Over the past 50 years, the global population appears to have undergone a loss of more than 50 %. In many areas where the species was once abundant, it has disappeared since the 1980s.


Background: The risk of injury or fatality (driver, passenger or pedestrian) associated with motor vehicle accidents has been determined to increase with age, as a result of age-related declines in vision, motor and cognitive functioning. Elderly drivers with age related macular degeneration are particularly vulnerable to sensory visual impairment when driving at night, as they suffer declines in both Contrast sensitivity (CS) and Glare recovery (GR). Objective: This study evaluates the relationship between carotenoid supplementation, CS and GR and the relationship between driving ability and retinal macular pigmentation. Methods: Self-described driving performance is the basis of this report, with data derived from the Zeaxanthin and Vision Function (ZVF) Study (FDA IND #78,973), a 1 year, n=60, 4 visit, prospective randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) of predominantly elderly male veterans (74.9 SD 10 y) with mild / moderate Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The twenty five question - National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VFQ-25) v. January 2000, Rand Corporation® includes 3 questions assessing driving performance and were completed at baseline and 1 year after nutritional supplementation with approximately equal daily doses of the retinal macular carotenoids: lutein (9 mg) or zeaxanthin (8 mg). Replicate measures of foveal 1 degree estimated retinal macular pigment optical density were evaluated with the QuantifEye® (ZeaVision, Chesterfield, MO) heterochromic flicker photometer. Results: VFQ25 self-described driving ability was notably associated with baseline pre-supplementation macular pigmentation. Linear regression modeling suggests that self-described ability to safely drive a car was strongly associated with final macular re-pigmentation post supplementation (P=0.02). Moreover, the greatest effect was found with zeaxanthin (ns but P = 0.057 for trend) even though lutein had greater effects than zeaxanthin with respect to CS and GR, suggesting that unique zeaxanthin post-receptorial processes may be at play. Discussion: Carotenoid supplementation and subsequent macular repigmentation improved the self-described driving ability of patients with macular degeneration. Older male drivers with AMD should be encouraged to have their foveal macular MP measured at yearly eye examinations. If low macular pigment is found, these patients should attempt macular re-pigmentation via diet and/or supplementation to improve the sensory aspect of driving.


Numerous studies have shown that fibrin-bound thrombin (IIa) is protected from inhibition by antithrombin (AT) + heparin (H) due to the formation of a ternary fibrin.IIa.H complex. We investigated factors affecting the inhibition of fibrin.IIa by a covalent complex of AT and H (ATH). The rate of IIa reaction with ATH was decreased 2-3-fold by fibrin monomer as compared to 57-fold for AT + heparin with high AT affinity. Furthermore, although the reaction of AT + H with a IIa mutant with decreased H binding (RA-IIa) was inhibited 2-3-fold in the presence of fibrin, reaction rates of ATH + RA-IIa were not reduced by fibrin. The relative difference in the effect of fibrin on the ATH reaction with RA-IIa compared to that for reactions of AT + H with RA-IIa is consistent with the fact that, in the absence of fibrin, the rate of the ATH reaction with RA-IIa relative to IIa was much less reduced (8-fold) compared to the corresponding reactions of AT + H (decreased 306 fold). Similarly, the addition of excess H in the absence of fibrin gave only a small decrease in rate of ATH + IIa reaction. However, in the presence of fibrin, the addition of 40-fold excess H decreased the rate of ATH inhibition of IIa by 1 order of magnitude. Experiments with ATH containing low molecular weight heparin chains with low AT affinity showed that IIa inhibition requires ATH with long chains that activate the AT moiety. Finally, electrophoresis of fibrin +/- ((125)I-)IIa +/- ((125)I-)ATH on native and denaturing gels showed that ATH forms ATH-IIa complexes that remain bound to fibrin through the ATH component. Thus, ATH is a potent inhibitor of fibrin-bound IIa, likely due to the formation of fibrin.ATH-IIa as opposed to fibrin.IIa.H ternary complexes.


Contemporary seismic design codes have become more stringent with respect to the requirements for design forces and deformations in building design. This paper demonstrates that it could be worthwhile to consider the introduction of soil-structure-interaction provisions into local design codes. This is partly to be able to offset the costs incurred by the high magnitude of base shear demand in most buildings attributed to site amplifications due to soft soil sites, as per the requirements of current codes, including the recent South African seismic design code. This beneficial effect of site soils is as a result of lengthening of the fundamental period and of the increased effective damping of the overall system due to soil-structure interaction, which in most cases lead to reduced design spectral values. The paper shows that, if pertinent provisions in some international codes are properly adapted, a substantial reduction in the base shear force can be achieved, in many cases resulting in structural-work cost saving. With this, the paper attempts to address the legitimate concern of design engineers regarding the potential escalation of construction costs associated with the introduction of stringent requirements of contemporary seismic design spectra, especially for soft soil sites.


Abstract This study characterizes the teacher learning that stems from successive enactments of innovative curriculum materials. This study conceptualizes and documents the formation of curriculum-context knowledge (CCK) in three experienced users of a Standards-based mathematics curriculum. I define CCK as the knowledge of how a particular set of curriculum materials functions to engage students in a particular context. The notion of CCK provides insight into the development of curricular knowledge and how it relates to other forms of knowledge that are relevant to the practice of teaching, such as content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. I used a combination of video-stimulated and semistructured interviews to examine the ways the teachers adapted the task representations in the units over time and what these adaptations signaled in terms of teacher learning. Each teacher made noticeable adaptations over the course of three or four enactments that demonstrated learning. Each of the teachers developed a greater understanding of the resources in the respective units as a result of repeated enactments, although there was some important variation between the teachers. The learning evidenced by the teachers in relation to the units demonstrated their intricate knowledge of the curriculum and the way it engaged their students. Furthermore, this learning informed their instructional practices and was intertwined with their discussion of content and how best to teach it. The results point to the larger need to account for the knowledge necessary to use Standards-based curricula and to relate the development and existence of well-elaborated knowledge components to evaluations of curricula.


Low-speed wind-tunnel tests were conducted as preliminary steps in the study of fuselage-air-inlet arrangements believed suitable for use at transonic speeds. The forward part of the model consisted of an NACA 1-85-050 cowling located at the base of the long protruding fuselage nose designed to maintain substream surface velocities everywhere ahead of the entrance and thereby to avoid or minimize adverse boundary-layer-shock interaction effects up to low supersonic speeds. Pressure-recovery and surface-pressure measurements are presented for the model with three fuselage nose shapes for ranges of angle of attack and inlet-velocity ratio useful for high-speed flight.


The thesis presents an approach to on-demand capacity expansion in communities of Internet users that aggregate their resources to achieve a common objective. Such commu- nities are emerging as forms of organisation taking advantage of an increasing broadband access and computational capacity. Volunteer computing such as SETI@home, Collab- orative Grids such as OurGrid and LaCOLLA, Ad-hoc and Peer-to-Peer Grids, such as P-Grid and the XGrid project from Apple, Open Grids such as those addressed by SORMA and Grid4All and many other approaches of Grid Computing based on Virtual Organisa- tions are the focus of our work. These systems are characterised by the purpose of their participants, i.e. to achieve a common objective taking advantage of the aggregation of other resources. The cited systems, in contrast to high performance computing Grids, are open to new participants, which makes their behaviour unpredictable and dynamic, and resources are usually connected and disconnected spontaneously. While the critical aspect of high performance Grids is computational performance, stability and availability are the main issues for the systems addressed in this work. The thesis homogenises the concepts of those paradigms under the term Contributory System, which is used throughout the thesis to refer to the systems where users provide their resources to be used collectively to achieve a common objective. Resource expan- sion in Contributory Systems is required so as to increase the limited capacities of ad-hoc collaborative groups under unexpected load surges, temporary resource requirements or other policies defined by the objectives of the Virtual Organisation that they constitute. Four aspects are addressed by the dissertation. Firstly, it identifies the main properties and applications of Contributory Systems and motivates the need for infrastructures to enable on-demand resource expansion. This goes in the direction of Utility Computing trends which are main business lines for IT companies. Thus the thesis proposes the on-demand provision of idle resources from the extremes of the Internet, other Virtual Or- ganisations or Resource Providers to those organisations that have resource needs. In this work, resource allocation is handled by market models which provide efficient while simple mechanisms to mediate the allocation of resources. This proposal enables new emerging opportunities to Internet users to make their business on the Internet by selling their idle resources. Besides, this brings the opportunity to small communities to grow and to bring super-computing capacities to Internet end-users. Secondly, the thesis describes semantically Computational Resources so as to build a common knowledge about the Internets resources. The semantic description enables a common understanding of the nature of resources, permitting the pooling and aggrega- tion of distinct types of technologies while maintaining the same semantics. This makes applications and resource management frameworks independent of the real nature of the resources which we claim as a fundamental aspect to keep resource management indepen- dent of the dynamics and evolution of technology in computational environments, such as in Contributory Systems. A semantic description permits the development of generic specifications to provide bid and offer descriptions in computational markets. Thirdly, the architecture for on-demand resource expansion in Contributory Systems is presented. It has been designed to provide the main functionalities to on-demand provi- sion of resources through markets to scenarios characterized by dynamism, evolution and heterogeneity. The architecture provides the main market oriented functionalities and en- ables dynamic and on-demand execution of market mechanisms. Finally, a specific Grid-oriented market mechanism is presented. The approach is moti- vated due to the unsuitability of current auctions to efficiently allocate time-differentiated resources (usually provided by many different resource providers) such as most of the re- sources in a Contributory System. The thesis builds a roadmap to achieve flexible and decentralized resource expansion in communities where resources are shared by their participants by analysing the main scenarios where it can be applied, providing the semantics and specification to enable the description of the user's requirements, proposing a flexible and configurable architecture to deal with on-demand resource expansion in Virtual Organisations and proposing an specific mechanism adapted to trade computational resources.


Toward an Artificial Muscle In designing materials for artificial muscles, the goals are to find those that will combine high strokes, high efficiency, long cycle life, low hysteresis, and low cost. Now, Haines et al. (p. 868; see the Perspective by Yuan and Poulin) show that this is possible. Twisting high-strength, readily available polymer fibers, such as those used for fishing lines or sewing thread, to the point where they coil up, allowed construction of highly efficient actuators that could be triggered by a number of stimuli. Polymer fibers can be transformed into highly efficient artificial muscles through the application of extreme twist. [Also see Perspective by Yuan and Poulin] The high cost of powerful, large-stroke, high-stress artificial muscles has combined with performance limitations such as low cycle life, hysteresis, and low efficiency to restrict applications. We demonstrated that inexpensive high-strength polymer fibers used for fishing line and sewing thread can be easily transformed by twist insertion to provide fast, scalable, nonhysteretic, long-life tensile and torsional muscles. Extreme twisting produces coiled muscles that can contract by 49%, lift loads over 100 times heavier than can human muscle of the same length and weight, and generate 5.3 kilowatts of mechanical work per kilogram of muscle weight, similar to that produced by a jet engine. Woven textiles that change porosity in response to temperature and actuating window shutters that could help conserve energy were also demonstrated. Large-stroke tensile actuation was theoretically and experimentally shown to result from torsional actuation.


MR is a powerful modality. At its most advanced, it can be used not just to image anatomy and pathology, but to investigate organ function, to probe in vivo chemistry, and even to visualise the brain thinking. However, clinicians, technologists and scientists struggle with the study of the subject. The result is sometimes an obscurity of understanding, or a dilution of scientific truth, resulting in misconceptions. This is why MRI from Picture to Proton has achieved its reputation for practical clarity. MR is introduced as a tool, with coverage starting from the images, equipment and scanning protocols and traced back towards the underlying physics theory. With new content on quantitative MRI, MR safety, multi-band excitation, Dixon imaging, MR elastography and advanced pulse sequences, and with additional supportive materials available on the book's website, this new edition is completely revised and updated to reflect the best use of modern MR technology.


The accompanying apparatus has been revised in accordance with recent biographical and critical materials. The Backgrounds and Criticism sections provide important essays that shed light on major critical issues relevant to Candide and to the intellectual climate of the period. In addition to the reports of five English visitors to Ferney, essays by Haydn Mason, Erich Auerbach, Ernst Cassirer, and Robert M. Adams are included. The final section of the edition, "The Climate of Controversy," summarizes the debate surrounding Voltaire's works and includes essays by Peter Gay, Raymond Naves, Gustave Lanson, and John Morley. Also included are a series of quotations about Voltaire by such prominent figures as Gustave Flaubert, Frederick the Great, and Stendhal, as well as the text of "Pangloss's Song," a ballad from the 1956 Candide-based operetta by Richard Wilbur.


McBride, Genevieve G. On Wisconsin Women: Working for Their Rights from Settlement to Suffrage. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1994. 352 pp. $43. It is rare when the history of women's political culture is explicitly linked to the press and the emergence of public relations. Too often, historians treat the press and journalists as peripheral to the narrative of women's struggles for legislative, judicial and social equality, while journalism historians often neglect broader questions about gender and social structure. In her book On Wisconsin Women, Genevieve McBride has done an admirable job of bringing these important threads together in a readable and revealing text. McBride, who teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has worked for the state's top newspapers and in public relations. The title On Wisconsin Women is somewhat misleading. The central focus of this book is the role of women in Wisconsin's reform press of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the ways women journalists marshaled the press in the fight for suffrage. Relying on a wealth of resources collected by the Historical Society of Wisconsin and local history organizations, she presents a detailed array of people, publications and events that provide a context for understanding the state's history as well as the story of the suffrage movement. On Wisconsin Women begins in the late antebellum years, with the emergence of abolitionism, temperance and other reform movements. Wisconsin, which has a reputation for progressive reform politics, was a hotbed for these activities, and women were the foot soldiers of the movement. From the urban centers such as Milwaukee, to the vast prairies, women hosted meetings, did fundraising, wrote for reform papers and agitated for women's rights. In March 1852, a German immigrant, Mathilde Fransziska Anneke, founded the state's first women's newspaper, the Deutsche Frauen-Zeitung, "a radical, free-thinker's journal dedicated to the complete emancipation of women." While Anneke faced strong opposition in hiring and training women to work in the paper's composing room, she started a tradition of strong, woman-centered journalism that would persist in Wisconsin throughout the suffrage battle. McBride demonstrates that while the state's women activists were working for sanitary commissions during the Civil War, for temperance, or other reform causes, they learned to gain access to, and use the press, to promote women's rights. …


Seventeen accessions of ground nuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) were characterized at the University of Ghana, Legon, 10 identity useful variation tor the genetic improvement of the crop. Using morphological and agronomic markers based on six qualitative and: 11 quantitative descriptors, wide variations were shown among the accessions. Each of the accessions was distinct except four, which fell into two groups of two each. Starch gel electrophoresis of crude protein extracted from the root-tip tissue of the accessions to study variation in esterase, peroxidase and acid phosphatase, also exposed variations among the accessions. Acid phosphatase showed the most variation while peroxidase showed the least variation. When all of the three isozymes were considered, it was possible to unambiguously distinguish 13 of the 17 accessions. The remaining four tell into two groups of two each. The results of the study indicated that isozymes are useful in the characterization of groundnuts.


This paper overviews recent developments in series estimation of stochastic processes and some of their applications in econometrics. Underlying this approach is the idea that a stochastic process may under certain conditions be represented in terms of a set of orthonormal basis functions, giving a series representation that involves deterministic functions. Several applications of this series approximation method are discussed. The first shows how a continuous function can be approximated by a linear combination of Brownian motions (BMs), which is useful in the study of the spurious regressions. The second application utilizes the series representation of BM to investigate the effect of the presence of deterministic trends in a regression on traditional unit-root tests. The third uses basis functions in the series approximation as instrumental variables (IVs) to perform efficient estimation of the parameters in cointegrated systems. The fourth application proposes alternative estimators of long-run variances in some econometric models with dependent data, thereby providing autocorrelation robust inference methods in these models. We review some work related to these applications and some ongoing research involving series approximation methods.


Trump, the Alt-Right and Public Pedagogies of Hate and for Fascism: What Is To Be Done? uses public pedagogy as a theoretical lens through which to view discourses of hate and for fascism in the era of Trump and to promote an anti-fascist and pro-socialist public pedagogy. It makes the case for re-igniting a rhetoric that goes beyond the undermining of neoliberal capitalism and the promotion of social justice, and re-aligns the left against fascism and for a socialism of the twenty-first century. Beginning with an examination of the history of traditional fascism in the twentieth century, the book looks at the similarities and differences between the Trump regime and traditional Western post-war fascism. Cole goes on to consider the alt-right movement, the reasons for its rise, and the significance of the internet being harnessed as a tool with which to promote a fascist public pedagogy. Finally, the book examines the resistance against these discourses and addresses the question of: what is to be done? This topical book will be of great interest to scholars, to postgraduate students and to researchers, as well as to advanced undergraduate students in the fields of education studies, pedagogy, politics, and sociology, as well as readers in general who are interested in the phenomenon of Trumpism.


Objective: The objective of our present study is to analyze the relationship between ethical marketing and strategic balance in the sample companies represented by the private and public companies operating in the industrial sector in the provinces of Babylon and Holly Karbala.
Methodology/ Design: The problem of the study was formulated through several questions regarding the relationship between the variables of the study and its nature by which the objectives of the study were identified and represented in hypothetical scheme which shaped the formulation of the hypotheses that were scaled in the advanced statistical program "partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)" by analyzing data provided by the research tool (questionnaire) after applying it on the research community members who have been picked randomly: sections and branches managers from different administrative levels. (57) Questionnaires were distributed to public and private sector companies, (54) have been retrieved and (4) were excluded for being invalid so the final number is (50). For the analysis of data, the researcher used a set of statistical methods in the advanced statistical program (SmartPLS V.3) for data analysis because of the scarcity of research and studies using this advanced program and the accuracy of its results that can help in reaching objective and precise conclusions, as well as the use of (SPSS v22) to evaluate the scaling tools.
Theoretical results: there is an ambiguous perception concerning the nature of relationships among current study variables represented in the independent variable (Ethical Marketing) and subsidiary variable (Strategic Balance).
Practical results: the most important practical results reached by the researcher can be summarized in the presence of a relation of direct, positive and moral effect between ethical marketing and strategic balance of both sectors.
The value and authenticity of the study: The value of the research lies in establishing the rules of knowledge and concepts of its variables through clarifying the relation of direct, positive and moral impact on these variables after applying them to the constituents of the study society and through a comparison that resulted in the superiority of private sector companies in their application of ethical marketing that achieves strategic balance and directing it towards the sector of a great impact on the Iraqi economy.


A technique for automated face detection and its pose estimation using single image is developed. The algorithm includes: face detection, facial features localization, face/background segmentation, face pose estimation, image transformation to frontal view. Automatic face/background segmentation is performed by original graph-cut technique based on detected feature points. The precision of face orientation estimation based on monocular digital imagery is addressed. The approach for precision estimation is developed based on comparison of synthesized facial 2D images and scanned face 3D model. The software for modelling and measurement is developed. The special system for non-contact measurements is created. Required set of 3D real face models and colour facial textures is obtained using this system. The precision estimation results demonstrate the precision of face pose estimation enough for further successful face recognition.


Using a randomized controlled trial, we examine the impacts of cash and input transfers, and a cross-randomized program of intensive agricultural extension over two years. We find large effects on the total value of agricultural production from the transfers (both cash and inputs) in both years. Gains to production are driven by an increase in resources allocated to inputs, specifically pesticides (in the first year) and casual labor (both years). We see no direct evidence that intensive extension is more effective than lead farmer extension support after one year. However, we do find evidence of production gains attributable to intensive extension in the subsequent year, highlighting important time dynamics. In the first year, farmers experience the best outcomes when they receive both transfers and extension, though that pattern is less clear in year 2.


This study was designed to characterize sludge of three different ages (36 months old, 3 months old and fresh sludge referred to as Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 sludge respectively) in an endeavor to appreciate their suitability for use as manure for arable agriculture. Sludge properties including volatile solid and nutrient contents, concentrations of the heavy metals As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni and Zn as well as coliform population were determined. The concentrations of plant nutrients in the sludge followed the order Type 3 sludge > Type 2 > Type 1 sludge with nutrient content scores of 1.4, 2.1 and 2.6 respectively. Scores for potential leachability of heavy metals from the three sludge were 2.1, 1.9 and 2.3 for Type 1, 2 and 3 sludge respectively, indicating that Type 2 sludge would release a higher concentration of heavy metals to the environment than the other two sludge types. The faecal coliform population in Type 3 sludge was higher than in Types 2 and 3 sludge with values of 5.6log 10 MPN/10g dry solid, 4.6log 10 MPN/10g dry solid and 2.7log 10 MPN/10g dry solid respectively. These results revealed that the nutrient contents and heavy metal concentrations in the three sludge types may not hinder their application to soil for arable purposes but steps to allow for further pathogen reduction need to be taken to reduce health risks. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10(3) 2006: 109-115


How to balance the objective and constraints is always the key point of solving constrained optimization problems. This paper proposes a hybrid differential evolution with double populations (HDEDP) to handle it. HDEDP uses a two-population mechanism to decouple constraints from objective function: one population evolves by differential evolution only according to either objective function or constraint, while the other stores feasible solutions which are used to repair some infeasible solutions in the former population. Thus, this technique allows objective function and constraints to be treated separately with little costs involved in the maintenance of the double population. In addition, to enhance the exploitation ability, simplex method (SM) is applied as a local search method to the best feasible solution of the first population. Simulation results based on three well-known engineering design problems as well as comparisons with some existed methods demonstrate the effectiveness, efficiency and robustness of the proposed method.


This report is part of the description of a tentative version of the three-dimensional regional air quality model LOTOS-HPCN. The starting-point of these models is the solution of the continuity equation that describes the change in concentration of a chemical species in the air as a result of transport, emissions, chemistry and some other processes. The physical domain of the model is part of a shell around the earth. In the vertical direction hybrid coordinates are used: the lower boundary is given by the orography of the earth and the upper boundary by a surface having equal pressure. For reasons of computational simplicity such an irregular physical domain is often transformed into a rectangular computational domain. The necessary transformation of the model equation is also described in this report.


Twitter is one of the most prominent social media platforms nowadays. A primary reason that has brought the medium at the spotlight of academic attention is its real-time nature, with people constantly uploading information regarding their surroundings. This trait, coupled with the service's data access policy for researchers and developers, has allowed the community to explore Twitter's potential as a news reporting tool. Finding out promptly about newsworthy events can prove extremely useful in crisis management situations. In this paper, we explore the use of Twitter as a mechanism used in disaster relief, and consequently in public safety. In particular, we perform a case study on the floods that occurred in the United Kingdom during January 2014, and how these were reflected on Twitter, according to tweets (i.e., posts) submitted by the users. We present a systematic algorithmic analysis of tweets collected with respect to our use case scenario, supplemented by visual analytic tools. Our objective is to identify meaningful and effective ways to take advantage of the wealth of Twitter data in crisis management, and we report on the findings of our analysis.


This paper highlights the importance of housing welfare system in shaping family formation decision and family dissolution. The paper builds on the notion of the meaning of home as a spatial context in which human existence are performed. The meaning of control of housing space is often linked to the meaning of the family and the concept "ontological security". Ontological security can be attained more through parental home ownership which leads to family cohesion and child well-being. A very limited number of studies examine the effects of housing welfare system on family formation and family dissolution. Qatari government is now encountering new challenges in the face of rapid economic growth and social transformation in the country. According to a 2011 report released by the Social and Economical Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University, about two-thirds of women either marry late or never get married. The average age gap between bride and groom is dwindling from five years to 2–3 years. The fertility rate in Qatar has dropped from 5.7 per woman in 1990 to 3.6 in 2012. According the Qatar Statistic Authority, the number of divorces per 1,000 married Qataris has increased from 17.4 in 1995 to 19.2 in 2009. According to official data, 61% of divorces took place within the first five years of marriage, and 29% happened before consummation in 2009. What is behind these demographic and social changes and why has the number of never married women and divorce rate increased? Previous studies have explained some of these changes. This paper suggests that housing welfare system is affecting family formation decision and family dissolution in Qatar. How Housing welfare system have affected family formation and dissolution in Qatar is not only an interesting topic but also illustrates how "family policies" operate in a generous welfare state. The Government of Qatar takes a holistic approach in strengthening family cohesion, one of the main goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 2011–2016. For instance, the government supports programs that reduce economic and social vulnerability Qatari families and provide support systems for families with special circumstances. In addition, the government of Qatar aims to reduce the number of Qatar couples seeking divorce before consummation by 20% and after consummation by 40% by 2016. Qatar Housing welfare system has achieved at least two major goals in the last decades. One is the achievement of an urban development process that has urbanized the Qatari population. The other is the improvement of the standard of living of Qatari families. Utilizing a mixed-methods design and given the lack of careful studies and data on the subject, this paper attempts to assess the impact housing welfare system on family formation and dissolution in Qatar. The paper questions the sustainability of current practice and interrogates the ways in which it is open to abuse. Keywords Housing, Welfare, Polices, Qatar, Family, Formation, Dissolution


The present study deals with the shedding process of the von Karman vortices at the trailing edge of a 2D hydrofoil at high Reynolds number. This research focuses mainly on the effects of cavitation and fluid-structure interaction on the mechanism of the vortex generation. The vortex shedding frequency, derived from the flow-induced vibration measurement, is found to follow the Strouhal law provided that no hydrofoil resonance frequencies are excited, i.e., lock-off. For such a regime, the von Karman vortices exhibit strong spanwise 3D instabilities and the cavitation inception index is linearly dependent on the square root of the Reynolds number. In the case of resonance, the vortex shedding frequency is locked onto the hydrofoil eigenfrequency and the spatial coherence is enhanced with a quasi-2D shape. The measurements of the hydrofoil wall velocity amplitude and phase reveal the first torsion eigenmotion. In this case, the cavitation inception index is found to be significantly increased compared to lock-off conditions. It makes clear that the vortex roll-up is amplified by the phase locked vibrations of the trailing edge. For the cavitation inception index, a new correlation relationship that encompasses the entire range of Reynolds numbers, including both the lock-off and the lock-in cases, is proposed and validated. In contrast to the earlier models, the new correlation takes into account the trailing edge displacement velocity. In addition, it is found that the transverse velocity of the trailing edge increases the vortex strength linearly. This effect is important in the context of the fluid-structure interaction, since it implies that the velocity of the hydrofoil trailing edge increases the fluctuating forces on the body. It is also demonstrated that cavitation developing in the vortex street cannot be considered as a passive agent for the turbulent wake flow. In fact, for fully developed cavitation, the vortex shedding frequency increases up to 15%, which is accompanied by the increase of the vortex advection velocity and reduction of the streamwise vortex spacing. In addition, a significant increase of the vortex-induced vibration level is found at cavitation onset. These effects are addressed and thought to be a result of the increase of the vorticity by cavitation.


Epidemiological studies over the past decades have documented the importance of trace elements in human health and disease. Prompted by this development the pharmaceutical companies have been marketing as general tonics a variety of formulations containing combinations of different trace element contents.

The importance of herbal medicines in the health care system of the larger section of the worlds' population, the developing countries, is also an undeniable fact. They form and inseparable part of the traditional systems of medicine and in many cases bridge the gap between the availability of and demand for modern medicine.

Thirty eight indigenous medicinal plants, which are used in the traditional system of medicine (Unani) Practiced in Pakistan, were investigated as potential natural sources of trace elements. The medicinal plant samples we analyzed for calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc.

Calculated on the basic of lg dry plant sample, the trace element concentrations ranged between 0.967 to 104.126mg for calcium; 0.0004 to 0.024mg for copper; 0.028 to 0.881mg for iron; 0.0845 to 9.86 mg for magnesium; 0.002 to 0.072mg for manganese; 3.287 to 89.114mg for potassium; 0.124 to 12.30 mg for sodium, and , 0.0005 to 0.0317 mg for zinc.

Twelve pharmaceutical multimineral formulations, marketed in Pakistan by various manufacturers, were also selected for determining their calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc contents. As compared to the trace element contents indicated on the products, labels, the results of the present work were generally on the higher side for calcium and magnesium but in contrast were lower for iron, although nearly of the same magnitude as comparable labeled contents, were somewhat lower. The results for potassium were for the most part consistent with the labeled contents. The possible reason for the variations are discussed.

The effects of trace element contents of four medicinal plants and a multimineral pharmaceutical product were studied on rabbit serum after oral administration of calculated doses. The concentrations of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc in the serum were measured as a function of time. The pattern of change in the trace element levels in the serum suggests that though present in much weaker concentrations the naturally occurring trace elements of plant origin compare favorably with those contained in the pharmaceutical formulation. Pending further studies in human subjects the results of this study are suggestive of the usefulness of plant derived trace elements.


Abstract Background: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have been previously used as vectors for gene therapy of systemic disease. The effectiveness of HSC-mediated gene therapy largely depends on efficient gene delivery into long-term repopulating progenitors and targeted transgene expression in an appropriate progeny of the transduced pluripotent HSCs. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of using HSC transduced with self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vectors for the delivery of gene therapy to the central nervous system (CNS). Material and methods: We constructed two SIN lentiviral vectors, EF.GFP and DR.GFP, to express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene controlled solely by the promoter of either a housekeeping gene EF-1α or the human HLA-DRα gene, which is selectively expressed in antigen-presenting cells. Results: We demonstrated that both vectors efficiently transduced human pluripotent CD34+ cells capable of engrafting NOD/SCID mice. Only the DR.GFP vector mediated transgene expression in the murine CNS containing human HLA-DR+ cells. These cells express surface markers characteristic of resident CNS microglia. Furthermore, human dendritic cells derived from transduced and engrafted human cells potently stimulated allogeneic T cell proliferation. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated successful targeting of transgene expression to CNS microglia after stable gene transduction of pluripotent HSC.


Background: Most of the parts of neem tree were studied in details by many researchers but neem root bark was not screened for antidiabetic effect. To evaluate antidiabetic effect of neem root bark this study was conducted.

Aims & Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the 70% alcoholic neem root bark extract (NRE) in diabetes.

Materials and Methods: Basal blood sugar levels were estimated in overnight fasted wistar albino rats of either sex. To evaluate antihyperglycemic action of Neem root bark extract (NRE) OGTT was done by giving glucose orally 60 minutes after giving standard drug (Glibenclamide),Test drug (NRE) in the dose of 200,400 and 800 mg/kg and blood sugar levels were estimated every half hourly up to 4 hours. To evaluate hypoglycemic activity in alloxan induced diabetic rats similar doses once daily for 15 days. Blood sugar levels were estimated by using glucometer.

Results: For glucose tolerance test Glibenclamide significant (p< 0.01) reduction in blood sugar levels. The NRE showed statistically significant results in only 800 mg/kg dose. In comparison to glibenclamide it did not show. In alloxan induced diabetes Glibenclamide showed significant (p


The use of a portfolio curriculum approach, when teaching a university introductory statistics and probability course to engineering students, is developed and evaluated. The portfolio curriculum approach, so called, as the students need to keep extensive records both as hard copies and digitally of reading materials, interactions with faculty, interactions with other students and work they have completed on their own, is designed to encourage active learning, mainly in the areas of cooperation and collaboration. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the portfolio curriculum, a controlled experiment applying a pre-test-post-test control group design is conducted. Two tests are conducted, one before the commencement of the course (pre-test) and one after the completion of the course (post-test). The effectiveness is evaluated by comparing within-subject post-test and pre-test scores and by comparing the scores between subjects in the experimental group, i.e., those who learned using the portfolio curriculum approach and subjects in the control group, i.e., those who learned using a traditional method of teaching. In addition to analysis of the controlled experiment, a Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) was completed on the first and last day of the semester by the participants so as to give a measure of student confidence, understanding, liking, and difficulty of the portfolio curriculum approach as opposed to using a traditional method of teaching and learning. The findings of these investigations are reported and discussed, as are the merits and problems encountered regarding the methodology and student attitudes regarding the portfolio curriculum approach.


Vaginal examinations are routine procedures on dairy farms to diagnose puerperal diseases. Cows express their discomfort in certain situations with discrete behavioural reactions. These reactions can be described in their occurrence and extent. Although there is evidence that human contact is potentially stressful for cows, the impact of vaginal examinations on animal welfare has not been evaluated. Therefore, we hypothesized that 1) cows show discomfort before and during vaginal examination with different behavioural reactions, 2) these reactions can be semi-quantitatively scored and 3) the examination with a Metricheck device is less invasive than an examination with the gloved hand. In experiment 1, the behaviour of 10 cows during vaginal examination was videotaped and analysed. In total, 15 different behavioural reactions were identified. Based on these observations, a numerical rating system was created. The avoidance reactivity score (ARS) includes evasive reactions, which are scored on a 4-point scale, and signals of discomfort, scored with 1 point each. In Experiment 2, evasive reactions of cows were videotaped and scored by two observers and three times by the examiner. The interand intra-repeatability was 0.70 and 0.87, respectively. In experiment 3, vaginal examinations of 30 cows were videotaped and scored with the ARS by four observers and three times by one observer. The interand intra-observer repeatability during examination was 0.71 and 0.87, respectively. In experiment 4, 435 vaginal examinations were conducted either with the gloved hand (group GH) or the Metricheck device (group MD). Behaviour before and during examination was scored. The median ARS increased from 1 before (IQR: 1 – 2) to 3 during examination (IQR: 2 – 4) and cows in the group MD showed less avoidance reactions compared to cows in the group GH (P < 0.05). Parity, days in milk, vaginal discharge or repeated examinations did not influence the ARS. Our study provides evidence that vaginal examinations cause stress in cows. Furthermore, we demonstrated that behavioural reactions can be assessed with a score. Substantial interobserver and substantial intra-observer repeatability proves that the ARS can be applied in practice. The ARS –although imperfectmight be a useful tool in the field and in research to estimate a cow's stress level.


Air pollution is becoming a very important issue for the transportation sector, particularly car emissions in urban areas, and there is much interest in evaluating the actual level of emissions across Europe and around the World. The effects of vehicle emissions can be seen from both a human perspective and an environmental perspective. The emissions from cars can have a deadly consequence on human life, as seen with the CO emission, which has been proven to be fatal to human life in a confined space. In addition, research has shown that the exposure to fuel emissions can have a carcinogenic effect on humans. This is a huge concern for people as the amount of traffic increases globally. On the other hand, energy consumption from the transport sector in many developing countries has not been dealt with the same intensity as that of developed countries. Due to the rapidly expanding mobile populations in the developing world, the issue of low carbon development and transport needs to be urgently addressed. For these reasons, Aleppo city in the developing country of Syria was under investigation through this research in order to evaluate the traffic emissions in such a busy city and provide local government access to reliable tools that can accurately estimate the contribution of traffic related pollutant levels to local emissions inventories.

In this research, COPERT, one of most commonly deployed tools has been used which makes use of bulk traffic movements and average vehicle speeds in order to estimate emissions. The combination of On-board diagnostic data extraction incorporated in all modern passenger cars and COPERT emission factors have been employed to allow for the real world vehicular activity in order to better estimate the contribution of private cars to local emissions inventories. A built-in data acquisition package has been developed in LabVIEW in order to log and save the data extracted from OBD system. This data is then analyzed to obtain driving cycles of specified routes which have been plotted so that emission factors could be obtained. Advantages of this method are that it is easy to follow, inexpensive and the results are in a good fit to the estimated values. A common method involves the use of gas analyzers which measure resultant emissions directly from the exhaust manifold. Such equipment is generally expensive, difficult to calibrate and rather bulky. However it has been used at the early stage of this research for evaluating the results obtained by the estimation method where different routes of Dublin city, time and cars have been used in order to give a preliminary case study of a standard driving cycle in the urban area of Dublin city. Good correlations between the predicted results of the modeling packages and the actual data obtained by direct measurement are still maintained. After this stage, the same method has been employed in Aleppo city in order to establish a representative tool for the local authority in identifying the air quality caused by traffic emissions. As each country has a unique driving cycle which represents the characteristics of the driving and the real amount of emissions from vehicles, individual testing is necessary for each region. Comprehensive study of the two cities with all data obtained has been done and recommendations for future work have been included.


The kinetics and thermodynamics of thermal decomposition of naphthalene and several mono- and dimethylnaphathalene derivatives have been established through reactive molecular dynamics simulations using ReaxFF. These results were compared to previous theoretical and experimental studies and also compared to density functional theory calculation results. This work demonstrates that the kinetics and thermodynamics of the initial activation reaction is directly impacted by the position and number of methyl substituents. Subsequently, the activated molecules react to form either small organic or large char molecules. The char formation mechanism is shown to occur in three steps: activation, dimerization/trimerization, and condensation. Finally, temperature effects on the char formation reaction were also studied.