In this paper, we explore the role of the lived body in meaningful understanding beyond linguistic conceptualization in phenomenologically oriented inquiries. In this exploration we consider the role of visuality (i.e., still photography) and enactment (i.e., tableau) as possibilities for accessing meaning beyond language-bound descriptions of the phenomenon of moving childhoods--that is, children's lived experiences of immigration. We suggest that immigration is an experience that interrupts the familiarity of the lifeworld, and thus brings immigrant children's awareness of their bodies to a conscious level. We ask: What methods of inquiry can be used to access more directly the "embodied understanding" and, in particular, the lifeworlds of immigrant children as they leave the familiar "home world" and enter the "alien world" of a new school? In addressing this question, we focus on one aspect of phenomenological inquiry--gathering experiential accounts, or lived experience descriptions, in investigating childhood phenomena--which presents a particular challenge to researchers working with young children. We present an example of a method that bridges hermeneutic phenomenology and arts-based research methodology (i.e., fotonovela) developed specifically to engage immigrant children bodily in accessing their lived experiences of their first day of school in the host country, and in the development of a polymedia text showing these experiences. We believe that the example demonstrates how fotonovela facilitates immigrant children's recollection of and reflection on their experience of being at the door of a new classroom. Moreover, the production of visual texts, when shared with or read by others, has an evocative power similar to that of a phenomenological text. Thus, we argue, fotonovela is a particularly suitable method for engaging children in developing polymedia descriptive texts about their lived experiences.


Previous studies have shown that adults and 8-year-olds process faces using norm-based coding and that prolonged exposure to one kind of facial distortion (e.g., compressed features) temporarily shifts the prototype, a process called adaptation, making similarly distorted faces appear more attractive (Anzures et aI., 2009; Valentine, 1999; Webster & MacLin, 1999). Aftereffects provide evidence that our prototype is continually updated by experience. When adults are adapted to two face categories (e.g., Caucasian and Chinese; male and female) distorted in opposing directions (e.g., expanded vs. compressed), their attractiveness ratings shift in opposite directions (Bestelmeyer et aI., 2008; Jaquet et aI., 2007), indicating that adults have dissociable prototypes for some face categories. I created a novel meth04 to investigate whether children show opposing aftereffects. Children and adults were adapted to Caucasian and Chinese faces distorted in opposite directions in the context of a computerized storybook. When testing adults to validate my method, I discovered that opposing aftereffects are contingent on how participants categorize faces and that this categorization is dependent on the context in which adapting stimuli are presented. Opposing aftereffects for Caucasian and Chinese faces were evident when the salience of race was exaggerated by presenting faces in the context of racially segregated birthday parties; expanded faces selected as most normal more often for the race of face that was expanded during adaptation than for the race of face that was compressed. However, opposing aftereffects were not evident when members of the two groups were presented engaging in cooperative social interactions at a racially integrated birthday party. Using the storybook that emphasized face race I


The conditions prevailing in the cohesive zone of the blast furnace have been determined from published data and applied in a study of burden materials on an experimental scale. The mechanism of softening and melting of burden materials has been evaluated and it was found that two opposing reactions are important, namely the liquid slag formation reaction and the gaseous reduction reaction. At high temperatures the permeability of burden materials was found to be strongly dependent upon the degree of reduction and the pertaining temperature. A concept, summarised by Temperature-Reduction-Isobar Diagrams, was developed to portray this relationship, each burden material having its own characteristic diagram which can be used to predict the permeability of materials at elevated temperatures.The influence of gaseous sulphur and alkali vapour in the reducing gas upon the softening and melting behaviour of acid pellets has been evaluated. Sulphur is detrimental because of the formation of a low melting point Fe-S-O eutectic phase which hinders gaseous reduction and lowers the melt-down temperature. Alkali vapours increased the reduction rate of acid pellets, creating a rise in the melt-down temperature. Although the pellets absorbed alkali from the gas phase it had no discernable influence upon the liquid slag formation process. A joint sulphur/alkali study showed that the detrimental influence of sulphur was capable of eliminating the beneficial effect of alkali vapour. The information accrued from the experimental studies has been used to explain the structure of the cohesive zone found in dissected blast furnaces and to suggest methods to improve the performance of existing furnaces.


To be effective road safety policies must be informed by accurate information about accident risk factors and measures. Recent research suggests that infrastructure design guidelines may not always guarantee safety, and policy-makers and infrastructure managers need evidence-based support to identify problems and apply the right interventions. The SafetyCube Safety Causations, Benefits and Efficiency is a research project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 research framework programme, involving 17 partners from 12 EU countries. SafetyCube aims to generate new knowledge about accident risk factors and the effectiveness of measures relevant to Europe, and to structure this information in a Decision Support System (DSS). Particular emphasis is put on road infrastructure safety, within a safe systems approach. A taxonomy of infrastructure risk factors and measures was developed alongside a methodological framework which was implemented in order to identify and quantify the relevant risk factors, and where possible to undertake a meta-analysis of existing research on infrastructure risk factors and the effects of measures (e.g. Crash Modification Factors, but also other forms of safety effects). Particular emphasis is placed on a number of "hot topics" within road infrastructure safety, namely: (i) road safety management (road safety impact assessment, road safety audits, roads star rating e.g. EuroRAP, etc.); (ii) self-explaining and forgiving roads (simpler and more readable road design standards, related traffic arrangements for VRUs, etc.); (iii) ITS applications (V2I, cooperative systems, etc.); (iv) urban road safety measures (stop-advanced-zones for motorcycles, traffic calming measures, bicycle lanes etc.). The analyses are carried out in close cooperation with road infrastructure stakeholders across Europe.


Solid particle erosion occurs when small high speed particles impact surfaces. It can be either destructive such as in the erosion of oil pipelines by corrosion byproducts, or constructive such as in abrasive jet machining processes.

Two dimensional finite element (FE) models of single rhomboid particles impact on a copper target were developed using two different techniques to deal with the problem of element distortion: (i) element deletion, and (ii) remeshing. It was found that the chip formation and the material pile-up, two phenomena that cannot be simulated using a previously developed rigid-plastic model, could be simulated using the FE models, resulting in a good agreement with experiments performed using a gas gun. However, remeshing in conjunction with a failure model caused numerical instabilities. The element deletion approach also induced errors in mass loss due to the removal of distorted elements.

To address the limitations of the FE approach, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) which can better accommodate large deformations, was used in the simulation of the impact of single rhomboid particles on an aluminum alloy target. With appropriate constitutive and failure parameters, SPH was demonstrated to be suitable for simulating all of the relevant damage phenomena observed during impact experiments.

A new methodology was developed for generating realistic three dimensional particle geometries based on measurements of the size and shape parameter distributions for a sample of

150 µm nominal diameter angular aluminum oxide powder. The FE models of these generated particles were implemented in a SPH/FE model to simulate non-overlapping particle impacts. It was shown that the simulated particles produced distributions of crater and crater lip dimensions that agreed well with those measured from particle blasting experiments.

Finally, a numerical model for simulating overlapping impacts of angular particles was developed and compared to experimental multi-particle erosion tests, with good agreement. An investigation of the simulated trajectory of the impacting particles revealed various erosion mechanisms such as the micromachining of chips, the ploughing of craters, and the formation, forging and knocking off crater lips which were consistent with previously noted ductile solid particle erosion mechanisms in the literature.


Unfractionated heparin (UFH) therapy is commonly used for the management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter (A-Flutter). Weight based heparin nomogram is widely used to determine the dosage of continuous intravenous infusion. Frequent monitoring is required due to the variable responses to its anticoagulant effects. We investigated factors that may influence the dose of UFH. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients who received continuous UFH for ACS, AF, or A-Flutter from January 2008 to December 2008 and reached maintenance dose of UFH within 48 hr. A total of 199 patients were included in this study: 42.7% were females and mean age was 66.6 ± 2.0 years. Univariate analysis revealed that age, gender, weight, serum albumin, and serum protein level were significantly associated with maintenance of UFH dose. After adjustment with multivariate analysis, age (R = ―0.27, P ≤ 0.001), gender (R = -0.14, P ≤ 0.044), and weight (R = 0.54, P ≤ 0.001) remained to have significant association with maintenance UFH dose. In conclusion, we have identified not only weight but also age and gender as significant factors that may affect the maintenance of heparin dose in clinical setting.


The emerging field of next-generation sequencing (NGS) is rapidly expanding capabilities for cutting edge genomic research, with applications that can help meet marine conservation challenges of food security, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Navigating the use of these tools, however, is complex at best. Furthermore, applications of marine genomic questions are limited in developing nations where both marine biodiversity and threats to marine biodiversity are most concentrated. This is particularly true in Southeast Asia. The first Pan-Pacific Advanced Studies Institute (PacASI) entitled "Genomic Applications to Marine Science and Resource Management in Southeast Asia" was held in July 2012 in Dumaguete, Philippines, with the intent to draw together leading scientists from both sides of the Pacific Ocean to understand the potential of NGS in helping address the aforementioned challenges. Here we synthesize discussions held during the PacASI to provide perspectives and guidance to help scientists new to NGS choose among the variety of available advanced genomic methodologies specifically for marine science questions.


Disability is an issue of human rights and equal opportunity and is no
longer focused on impairment and medical intervention. Adolescents
with disabilities (AWD) are marginalised throughout the world (UNICEF,
2005), particularly in low- and middle-income countries where they are
affected by poor access to resources, and by stigma and local taboos.
Poverty has been shown to accentuate the impact of disability. The cycle
of poverty and disability is marked by poor access to education,
vocational training, and employment. The need of AWD for inclusion
and participation in education, health and social life are the same as
their non-disabled peers. For many AWD, these needs continue to go
unmet (Groce, 2004).
The research question was: 'How do adolescents with physical
disabilities perceive the factors that determine their participation and
inclusion in their communities in South India?' Quantitative and
qualitative techniques were used. Thirty-seven AWD, 25 parents of AWD,
and 24 non-disabled adolescent peers participated in the study in
Bangalore, India. A background information questionnaire and two
measures of quality of life (QOL) were conducted with all participants.
Qualitative data was gathered with each participant group using
interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Photography was used
with the AWD to facilitate discussions.
Analysis of QOL data revealed no differences between AWD and
parent-proxy scores. Differences exist in QOL scores between AWD and
their peers. Analysis of interview and FGD data revealed three key
themes that influence the perception of Participation and Inclusion
among AWD. These are: 1) Personal Factors; 2) Interpersonal
Relationships; and 3) External Factors. Belief in themselves and parental
support were two key facilitators of participation. Negative attitudes of
others, physical barriers, and poorly implemented legislation were
significant barriers to participation. Recommendations are suggested to
enhance the participation and inclusion of AWD and to facilitate success
in adulthood.


Turn-taking interactions with humans are multimodal and reciprocal in nature. In addition, the timing of actions is of great importance, as it influences both social and task strategies. To enable the precise control and analysis of timed discrete events for a robot, we develop a system for multimodal collaboration based on a timed Petri net (TPN) representation. We also argue for action interruptions in reciprocal interaction and describe its implementation within our system. Using the system, our autonomously operating humanoid robot Simon collaborates with humans through both speech and physical action to solve the Towers of Hanoi, during which the human and the robot take turns manipulating objects in a shared physical workspace. We hypothesize that action interruptions have a positive impact on turn-taking and evaluate this in the Towers of Hanoi domain through two experimental methods. One is a between-groups user study with 16 participants. The other is a simulation experiment using 200 simulated users of varying speed, initiative, compliance, and correctness. In these experiments, action interruptions are either present or absent in the system. Our collective results show that action interruptions lead to increased task efficiency through increased user initiative, improved interaction balance, and higher sense of fluency. In arriving at these results, we demonstrate how these evaluation methods can be highly complementary in the analysis of interaction dynamics.


Objective This article provides a description of a pilot telepsychology programme introduced in the Australian Men's Hockey programme in the lead‐up to our gold medal World Cup and Commonwealth Games campaigns in 2014. Method This article is a case description of a novel application of videoconferencing technology and a reflective practice evaluation of our initial clinical experiences with this technology. Results Observations and feedback from players and coaches augur well for the acceptability and effectiveness of new technologies in responding to the considerable psychological demands of an increasingly globalised elite sporting context. Despite the usual array of technological challenges, not only did individual sessions become a critical part of ensuring individual well‐being but group sessions also contributed to team cohesion. Coaching staff also utilised video links to access timely psychological input during tours, and to strengthen multidisciplinary assessments and treatment planning. Conclusions The successful application of telepsychology with these exceptionally high‐functioning clients in a high‐stakes context allayed some of the concerns about telepsychology among the coaching and sport science team. This novel application of telepsychology has provided a base from which to explore the use of communication technologies more routinely in our practice and to catch up to the digital natives that are our elite athlete clients.


Mammals lack robust regenerative abilities. Lost cells in impaired tissue could potentially be compensated by converting nearby cells in situ through in vivo reprogramming. Small molecule-induced reprogramming is a spatiotemporally flexible and non-integrative strategy for altering cell fate, which is, in principle, favorable for the in vivo reprogramming in organs with poor regenerative abilities, such as the brain. Here, we demonstrate that in the adult mouse brain, small molecules can reprogram resident astrocytes into functional neurons. The in situ chemically induced neurons (CiNs) resemble endogenous neurons in terms of neuron-specific marker expression and electrophysiological properties. Importantly, these CiNs can integrate into the mouse brain. Our study, for the first time, demonstrates in vivo chemical reprogramming in the adult brain, which could be a novel path for generating desired cells in situ for regenerative medicine.


The never-before-published narrative of Evander Holyfield's life reveals a man of character behind the larger-than-life public image. He rose from an impoverished background to become history's only four-time World Heavyweight Champion, commanding fees of up to $30 million a fight. Never the biggest, nor the meanest (Tyson), nor the prettiest (Ali), he is nevertheless among the most respected and beloved. BECOMING HOLYFIELD is a treasure-trove of behind-the-scenes stories of people who have become legend, including promoter Don King and boxers Lennox Lewis and, of course, Mike Tyson, whose two showdowns with Evander -- including the infamous 'Bite Fight' -- have gone down as all-time classic contests. It is also one legend's honest look back over his life and the many lessons he learned to become a fulfilled father, husband and simply a good man.


Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are often of sophisticated design with numerous learnable parameters for the accuracy reason. To alleviate the expensive costs of deploying them on mobile devices, recent works have made huge efforts for excavating redundancy in pre-defined architectures. Nevertheless, the redundancy on the input resolution of modern CNNs has not been fully investigated, i.e., the resolution of input image is fixed. In this paper, we observe that the smallest resolution for accurately predicting the given image is different using the same neural network. To this end, we propose a novel dynamic-resolution network (DRNet) in which the input resolution is determined dynamically based on each input sample. Wherein, a resolution predictor with negligible computational costs is explored and optimized jointly with the desired network. Specifically, the predictor learns the smallest resolution that can retain and even exceed the original recognition accuracy for each image. During the inference, each input image will be resized to its predicted resolution for minimizing the overall computation burden. We then conduct extensive experiments on several benchmark networks and datasets. The results show that our DRNet can be embedded in any off-the-shelf network architecture to obtain a considerable reduction in computational complexity. For instance, DR-ResNet-50 achieves similar performance with an about 34% computation reduction, while gaining 1.4% accuracy increase with 10% computation reduction compared to the original ResNet-50 on ImageNet.


This report (RE-288) presents the evaluation conducted by the Office of Evaluation and Oversight of the poverty reduction efforts carried out by the IDB since the mid 1990's. Its purpose is to provide an account to the Bank's directors regarding the results achieved by the institution in terms of poverty reduction, and an input for reflection and lesson-learning regarding how to improve the effectiveness of its future poverty strategy. This report evaluates through a set of dimensions including: as a "strategy per se" (Chapter II); The 1997 strategy with respect to what the Bank has defined as what a strategy "should be" (Chapter III); The actions undertaken by the Bank in the field (Chapter IV); The delivery and efficiency of delivery of pro-poor projects (Chapter V); The evaluability of these projects (Chapter VI); The implicit model underlying the poverty strategy and the evolution of its key components during the nineties (Chapter VII).


Civil Procedure A desk reference for lawyers and their clients faced with the prospect of litigation in foreign jurisdictions, this book is a guide to the civil procedure rules and practices in thirty-two major countries and in the European Community. Local rules relating to arbitration and, where available, mediation are also covered. It is designed primarily to orient a litigant and its domestic lawyers so that they can determine the probable course of litigation and, once they have retained foreign counsel, ask more intelligent and relevant questions. A country-by-country analysis of civil procedure for thirty-two major countries and the European community (Canada is divided into two sections reflecting common law and civil law jurisdictions). Jurisdictions included are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England & Wales, the European Community, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States of America. Primary focuses on those courts, concepts and processes which are most likely to be involved in resolving business disputes. Standardized sections for each country except the European Community. Contributors are prominent attorneys in their respective jurisdictions. This book will be of interest to legal practitioners, in-house counsel, bankers, senior executives, and others involved in doing business or resolving disputes in foreign jurisdictions


"Dress by Schiaperelli, photographs by Cecil Beaton, flowers by Constance Spry The decorator of the moment, the photographer of the moment, the florist of the moment what more could you ask?" Thus Vogue magazine described the wedding in 1937 of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, but today Constance Spry is better known as the author of that bible of middle-class housewives throughout the land, The Constance Spry Cookery Book. But who was she? Those of us who recognize the name think only of recipes, but her story is in fact that of a profoundly unconventional woman, who went from a poverty stricken childhood to the height of London society, taking in a career as rich and varied as it was unusual for a woman of her era. Connie began her life teaching slum children and ended it creating the floral displays for the coronation Queen Elizabeth II. Along the way, she escaped a violent marriage, had a lengthy affair with a cross-dressing lesbian artist and built a hugely successful business as a society florist. Today, her influence can be seen in every unorthodox flower arrangement, every 'natural' bouquet tied with rattan and, of course, in the gardens up and down the country planted with the Constance Spry rose.


Aims. The aim of the LOFAR epoch of reionization (EoR) project is to detect the spectral fluctuations of the redshifted HI 21 cm signal. This signal is weaker by several orders of magnitude than the astrophysical foreground signals and hence, in order to achieve this, very long integrations, accurate calibration for stations and ionosphere and reliable foreground removal are essential. Methods. One of the prospective observing windows for the LOFAR EoR project will be centered at the north celestial pole (NCP). We present results from observations of the NCP window using the LOFAR highband antenna (HBA) array in the frequency range 115 MHz to 163 MHz. The data were obtained in April 2011 during the commissioning phase of LOFAR. We used baselines up to about 30 km. The data was processed using a dedicated processing pipeline which is an enhanced version of the standard LOFAR processing pipeline. Results. With about 3 nights, of 6 h each, effective integration we have achieved a noise level of about 100 μJy/PSF in the NCP window. Close to the NCP, the noise level increases to about 180 μJy/PSF, mainly due to additional contamination from unsubtracted nearby sources. We estimate that in our best night, we have reached a noise level only a factor of 1.4 above the thermal limit set by the noise from our Galaxy and the receivers. Our continuum images are several times deeper than have been achieved previously using the WSRT and GMRT arrays. We derive an analytical explanation for the excess noise that we believe to be mainly due to sources at large angular separation from the NCP. We present some details of the data processing challenges and how we solved them. Conclusions. Although many LOFAR stations were, at the time of the observations, in a still poorly calibrated state we have seen no artefacts in our images which would prevent us from producing deeper images in much longer integrations on the NCP window which are about to commence. The limitations present in our current results are mainly due to sidelobe noise from the large number of distant sources, as well as errors related to station beam variations and rapid ionospheric phase fluctuations acting on bright sources. We are confident that we can improve our results with refined processing.


One of the most difficult survival situations is a cold weather scenario. Remember, cold weather is an adversary that can be as dangerous as an enemy soldier. Every time you venture into the cold, you are pitting yourself against the elements. With a little knowledge of the environment, proper plans, and appropriate equipment, you can overcome the elements. As you remove one or more of these factors, survival becomes increasingly difficult. Remember, winter weather is highly variable. Prepare yourself to adapt to blizzard conditions even during sunny and clear weather.


In this Article, we ask whether some liberal justices have followed a strategy of judicial appeasement in recent cases involving religious freedom, especially under the Establishment Clause. We begin by specifying a conception of appeasement, which we define as a sustained strategy of offering asymmetric concessions for the purpose of avoiding further conflict, but with the self-defeating effect of emboldening an adversary to take more assertive actions. This conception is a general one, and to avoid confusion, we disclaim moral comparisons to historic instances. We then apply this conception to leading cases in three areas of doctrine: government religious speech (with special attention to the Bladensburg Cross case), state funding of religion, and religious exemptions. Across these cases, a pattern of decision-making has emerged that provides evidence of judicial appeasement by some liberal justices. We then argue that appeasement carries risks for worsening legal outcomes, legitimating bad decisions, and shifting the set of feasible constitutional options. In response, it might be objected that liberal justices are not engaging in appeasement but rather in strategies of compromise or cooptation. Although these alternatives have some plausibility, we argue that the pattern of decision-making in recent religious freedom cases should raise concerns about appeasement and the risks associated with it.


Spectral domain polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (SDPS-OCT) is a depth-resolved polarization-sensitive interferometry which integrates polarization optics into spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). This configuration can obtain birefringence information of samples and improve the imaging speed. In this paper, horizontally polarized light is used to replace natural light of the source. Then, right-rotated circularly polarized light is the incident sample light. To obtain two orthogonal components of the polarized interferogram, the reflected light of the reference arm is set to be 45O linearly polarized light. These two components are acquired by two spectrometers synchronously. The system was employed to achieve 12.8-\mum axial resolution and 4.36-\mum transverse resolution. We have imaged in vitro chicken tendon and muscle tissues with these system.


Presently, many primary education schools in the Netherlands are in the middle of implementing a new way of dealing with diversiy (HGW), which tries to avoid the labeling of deficiencies, but emphasizes the cooperation between all parties involved (parents, teachers, students) to encourage student learning. The teacher is supposed to first identify the educational needs of all students and then cluster them. Conversations with children is recommended as one of the ways in which educational needs can be identified (Pameijer, Van Beukering & De Lange, 2009). The present study focuses on the experience of teachers in conducting these conversations. Our research question is: What role do conversations with children play in identifying the educational needs of students.


CONTEXT
Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common problems in pediatrics. An accurate diagnosis of AOM can guide proper treatment and follow-up.

OBJECTIVE
To systematically review the literature regarding precision and accuracy of history taking and physical examination in diagnosing AOM in children.

DATA SOURCES
We searched MEDLINE for English-language articles published from 1966 through May 2002. Bibliographies of retrieved articles and textbooks were also searched.

STUDY SELECTION
We located studies with original data on the precision or accuracy of history or physical examination for AOM in children. Of 397 references initially identified, 6 met inclusion criteria for analysis.

DATA EXTRACTION
Two authors independently reviewed and abstracted data to calculate likelihood ratios (LRs) for symptoms and signs.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Four studies of symptoms used clinical diagnosis as the criterion standard and were limited by incorporation bias. Ear pain is the most useful symptom (positive LRs, 3.0-7.3); fever, upper respiratory tract symptoms, and irritability are less useful. One study of clinical signs used tympanocentesis as the criterion standard, and we adjusted the results to correct for verification bias. A cloudy (adjusted LR, 34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 28-42), bulging (adjusted LR, 51; 95% CI, 36-73), or distinctly immobile (adjusted LR, 31; 95% CI, 26-37) tympanic membrane on pneumatic otoscopy are the most useful signs for detecting AOM. A distinctly red tympanic membrane is also helpful (adjusted LR, 8.4; 95% CI, 6.7-11) whereas a normal color makes AOM much less likely (adjusted LR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.19-0.21).

CONCLUSIONS
Although many of the studies included in this analysis are limited by bias, a cloudy, bulging, or clearly immobile tympanic membrane is most helpful for detecting AOM. The degree of erythema may also be useful since a normal color makes otitis media unlikely whereas a distinctly red tympanic membrane increases the likelihood significantly.


Heuristic search remains a leading approach to difficult combinatorial optimization problems. Search algorithms can utilize pruning based on comparing a target score with an admissible (optimistic) estimate of the best score that can be achieved from a given state. If the former is larger they prune the state. However, when the target score is too high the search can fail by exhausting the space without finding a solution. In this paper we show that such failed searches can still be valuable. Specifically, best partial solutions encountered in such failed searches can often bear a high similarity to the corresponding part of a full high-quality or even optimal solution. Thus, a new search for a full solution, with a lower target score, can start with a best known partial solution, rather than starting from scratch. We demonstrate our ideas in a constraint optimization problem modelled on the Romanian Crosswords Competition, a challenging problem where humans perform much better than computers. Utilizing partial solutions produced by a failed search cuts down the running time of an existing state-of-the-art solver by orders of magnitude on competition-level crossword puzzle instances and allows to solve more instances.


With the aim of getting closer to the performance of the animal muscleskeletal system, elastic elements are purposefully introduced in the mechanical structure of soft robots. Indeed, previous works have extensively shown that elasticity can endow robots with the ability of performing tasks with increased efficiency, peak performances, and mechanical robustness. However, despite the many achievements, a general theory of efficient motions in soft robots is still lacking. Most of the literature focuses on specific examples, or imposes a prescribed behavior through dynamic cancellations, thus defeating the purpose of introducing elasticity in the first place. This paper aims at making a step towards establishing such a general framework. To this end, we leverage on the theory of oscillations in nonlinear dynamical systems, and we take inspiration from state of the art theories about how the human central nervous system manages the muscleskeletal system. We propose to generate regular and efficient motions in soft robots by stabilizing sub-manifolds of the state space on which the system would naturally evolve. We select these sub-manifolds as the nonlinear continuation of linear eigenspaces, called nonlinear normal modes. In such a way, efficient oscillatory behaviors can be excited. We show the effectiveness of the methods in simulations on an elastic inverted pendulum, and experimentally on a segmented elastic leg.


SUMMARY International networks in community forestry face challenges in linking with local social movements. We examine four efforts of international networks to overcome these challenges and better link with local people in Peru, Brazil, India and Kenya. The examples demonstrate that the networks created effective links by making funds available for meetings and local data collection; providing international analyses that helped people understand their own situation better; sharing strategies for media, policy and letter campaigns; helping to disseminate information about local people's priorities, providing independent assessments and building local people's confidence. Efforts to improve communications technologies required a better understanding of local conditions. Networks will be more relevant to local movements to the extent that they are regularly active at the local level, can respond flexibly to local needs and small-scale events, and work with an array of national partners. The effectiveness of networks in carrying out these tasks may require a careful balance between linking to versus working at the local level.


SUMMARY Poor water solubility of novel drugs is a key challenge in drug discovery and development as it results in low drug bioavailability upon local or systemic administration. The prodrug approach is commonly utilized to enhance solubility of hydrophobic drugs. However, for rapid drug absorption, supersaturated solutions need to be employed. In this work, a platform technology based on prodrug/enzyme systems was developed wherein prodrug and enzyme are co-administered at the point of absorption (e.g. nasal cavity) to form in situ supersaturated drug solutions for enhanced bioavailability. This accelerated absorption was demonstrated by developing prodrug/enzyme systems for two seizure emergency drugs phenytoin (fosphenytoin/alkaline phosphatase) and diazepam (avizafone/A.O. protease). Enzyme kinetics was performed in assay buffer pH 7.4 at 32 o C. In vitro permeability studies were performed using Madin Darby canine kidney II-wildtype (MDCKII-wt) monolayers as a nasal epithelia model. Results indicated that drug absorption with prodrug/enzyme system increased proportionately to the degree of supersaturation; this flux was 1.5 to 6fold greater and 2-17.6 fold greater compared to saturated phenytoin and diazepam, respectively. The experimental data fitted reasonably well to a two compartment pharmacokinetic model with first order conversion of prodrug to drug. The developed prodrug/enzyme systems remarkably enhanced drug (phenytoin, diazepam) transport across model membrane. This strategy could be particularly useful when fast action is required, for example for intranasal therapy of seizure emergencies.


Triassic volcanic rocks, stratigraphically associated with pelagic or reef limestones, are tectonically juxtaposed with Mesozoic ophiolites in the Tethyan realm. From the central (Dinarides, Hellenides) and eastern Mediterranean (Antalya, Troodos, Baer Bassit) to the Semail nappes (Oman), they occur either associated to the tectonic sole of the ophiolitic nappes or as a distinct tectonic pile intercalated between the ophiolites and other underthrust units. In the Dinaro-Hellenic belt, the Pelagonian units represent the lower plate, which is underthrust beneath the ophiolites. Middle to Late Triassic volcanic sequences are interpreted as the eastern flank of the Pelagonian platform and are therefore considered as a distal, deep-water part of the Pelagonian margin.

The Triassic volcanics from Albania and Othrys are made up of basaltic pillowed and massive flows, associated locally with dolerites and trachytes. New elemental, Nd and Pb isotopic data allow to recognize four types of volcanic suites: (1) intra-oceanic alkaline and tholeiitic basalts, (2) intra-oceanic arc-tholeiites, (3) back-arc basin basalts, (4) calc-alkaline mafic to felsic rocks. Nd and Pb isotopic initial ratios suggest that the within-plate volcanic rocks were derived from an enriched oceanic island basalt type mantle source, devoid of any continental crustal component. The lower {varepsilon}Nd value of the trachyte could be due to assimilation of oceanic altered crust or sediments in a shallow magma chamber. Island arc tholeiites and back-arc basin basalts have a similar wide range of {varepsilon}Nd. The absence of Nb negative anomalies in the back-arc basin basalts suggests that the basin floored by these basalts was wide and mature. The high Th contents of the island arc tholeiites suggest that the arc volcanoes were located not far away from the continental margin.

Albania and Othrys volcanics contrast with the Late Triassic volcanism from eastern Mediterranean (SW Cyprus, SW Turkey), which displays solely features of oceanic within plate suites. The presence of back-arc basin basalts associated with arc-related volcanics in Central Mediterranean indicates that they were close to a still active subduction during the Upper Triassic, while back-arc basins developed, associated with within-plate volcanism, leading to the NeoTethys opening.


The study aims to examine the effects of environmental audit and economic sustainability as facilitation on company profit measures. Two Samples are drawn from dominant cement companies out of three functional companies quoted on the Nigerian stock exchange. Data content were reviewed through qualitative and quantitative reports of the companies from 2009-2016 and values were assigned from 1-5 based on the level of disclosure. The analysis technique used is the multiple regression. Research results indicate that companies are negligent of adhering to environmental and regulatory laws, this contributed to decrease in employee life expectancy and profit. The study therefore recommended among others that Government through it relevant agencies, should incorporate environmental audit report as a statutory requirement for Cement Company's enlistment in the Nigeria stock exchange.


EDAS (EGNOS Data Access Service) is the EGNOS internet broadcast service, which provides free of charge access to the data generated and collected by the EGNOS infrastructure. EDAS gathers all the raw data coming from the GPS, GLONASS and EGNOS GEO satellites collected by all the receivers located at the EGNOS reference stations, which are mainly distributed over Europe and North Africa. Once the data are received and processed, EDAS disseminates them over the Internet in real time and also through an FTP archive. The EDAS services portfolio is the result of various protocols and formats supported, along with several types of information made available to users by each service. This paper investigates the potential use of EDAS Differential GNSS corrections to support precision agriculture applications, by analysing the achieved performance during a dedicated in-field test campaign that has been conducted by ESSP and Topcon Agriculture. EDAS service provision is performed by ESSP, as EGNOS Service Provider, under contract with the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the EGNOS program manager. The European Commission (EC) is the owner of EGNOS system (including EDAS) and has delegated the exploitation of EGNOS to the GSA. ESSP also manages the EGNOS Helpdesk, which provides technical support to users by answering to any potential question or by providing clarifications about EGNOS services, thus including EDAS. In 2016, ESSP presented at the ION GNSS+ conference [21] the EDAS DGPS corrections performance achieved by applying EDAS DGPS corrections to the GNSS measurements from public reference GNSS stations (EUREF) at selected European locations in real-time during a 5-week period [21]. That study showed that horizontal accuracies below 1 meter (95th percentile) can be achieved using EDAS DGPS corrections up to a distance of 250 km from the designated EGNOS station and that, within that range, pass-to-pass accuracies (15 minutes, 95%) were expected to remain below 20 cm. However, those pass-to-pass results were considered preliminary since they were based on post-processed static data (according to ISO 12188-1) and needed to be confirmed by in-field tests, i.e. considering the environmental and dynamic conditions of farming operations. This year, ESSP complements the study presented last year by conducting in-field tests aiming at measuring the pass-to-pass accuracy that can be supported by EDAS DGPS corrections in a dynamic and real-life environment. In order to assess and validate the in-field tests, Topcon Agriculture joined ESSP for the activity. Topcon receivers, vehicles and guidance systems were used in order to confirm the suitability of the EDAS DGPS corrections for precision agriculture. Firstly, this paper introduces the EDAS system and its architecture, presenting the main types of data disseminated through its services and the online information available to the users. As part of this introduction, special attention is put on the description of the EDAS Ntrip service. This service has been the main enabler for the performance tests presented in the scope of this paper, since it provides differential corrections to the GPS and GLONASS satellites in RTCM format, taking the EGNOS stations as reference stations. Then, the paper describes the test scenarios and setups at the selected farm in Europe. Two different Topcon guidance systems on board tractors were running simultaneously to assess the EDAS DGPS positioning performance with respect to a reference, which was provided by an RTK-based Topcon solution. In each test, multiple runs with the rover tractor were performed over the reference patterns previously defined in the Topcon guidance systems. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the data recorded during the tests, especially in terms of the key performance indicators of the EDAS DGPS solution with respect to the RTK one. The in-field tests results show that the DGNSS corrections broadcast by EDAS could be a suitable solution for cereal farms (in particular for spraying/spreading of any crop type and tilling and harvesting of cereal), when located within a reasonable distance (below 250 km approximately) to the target EGNOS reference station. It is to be noted that cereal farms represent around 80% of the farms in Southern Europe.


Presents a probabilistic and information-theoretic framework for a search for static or moving targets in discrete time and space.Probabilistic Search for Tracking Targets uses an information-theoretic scheme to present a unified approach for known search methods to allow the development of new algorithms of search. The book addresses search methods under different constraints and assumptions, such as search uncertainty under incomplete information, probabilistic search scheme, observation errors, group testing, search games, distribution of search efforts, single and multiple targets and search agents, as well as online or offline search schemes. The proposed approach is associated with path planning techniques, optimal search algorithms, Markov decision models, decision trees, stochastic local search, artificial intelligence and heuristic information-seeking methods. Furthermore, this book presents novel methods of search for static and moving targets along with practical algorithms of partitioning and search and screening.Probabilistic Search for Tracking Targets includes complete material for undergraduate and graduate courses in modern applications of probabilistic search, decision-making and group testing, and provides several directions for further research in the search theory.The authors:Provide a generalized information-theoretic approach to the problem of real-time search for both static and moving targets over a discrete space.Present a theoretical framework, which covers known information-theoretic algorithms of search, and forms a basis for development and analysis of different algorithms of search over probabilistic space.Use numerous examples of group testing, search and path planning algorithms to illustrate direct implementation in the form of running routines.Consider a relation of the suggested approach with known search theories and methods such as search and screening theory, search games, Markov decision process models of search, data mining methods, coding theory and decision trees.Discuss relevant search applications, such as quality-control search for nonconforming units in a batch or a military search for a hidden target.Provide an accompanying website featuring the algorithms discussed throughout the book, along with practical implementations procedures.


: Present paper deals with the investigation of the surface morphology of pure titanium after anodization. Round samples of CP Ti were anodized at different voltages (16V, 20V, 25V, 30V and 40V) in an electrolyte containing 0.5 wt.% HF. The process duration varied from 30min to 7 hours. The samples' surface was observed and EDX analysis was made by SEM. Surface morphology of CP Ti after anodization is defined by the surface roughness before anodization, electrolyte type and process parameters – voltage and duration. It was established that the surface of pure titanium after 3h-7h anodization at all voltages characterizes with large number of craters increasing the surface micro-roughness. At short-term processes only pores with about 2µm diameter were observed. Depending on the regimes used different oxide nanostructures were observed. After short-term anodization in lower voltages the titanium surface was covered with nanodots, nanorods and nanoflakes. Increasing the voltage up to 25 V led to originating of nano-tubular structure in some areas and sponge-like nano-structure at 30 V and 40 V. Increasing the process duration caused increase of the proportion of nanotubes and sponge-like structure to that of nanorods.


Most actinomycete species have the capability to synthesize many different biologically active secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, anti-parasitic and enzyme inhibitors. The main focus of the present study was to isolate some new actinobacterial strains from the Saudi habitats and study the biological effects of their secondary metabolites on the heart development of the zebra fish embryos as a drug discovery screening model. For this purpose, 6 soil samples were collected and 100 strains were isolated. Out of the isolated strains, 5 isolates were selected for extraction and screening based on differences in morphological appearance. The selected strains were characterized morphologically to confirm that they belong to actinobacteria. All of them were Gram-positive and rod or spherical in shape with variable lengths or diameters and arrangements. Most of the extracts induced abnormalities in the developing heart in zebra fish embryos on a dose dependent manner if exposed to sublethal concentrations (less than 20 µg/ml) of these extracts. The embryos exposed to the extracts had cardiac edema with enlarged cardiac chamber (cardiac hypertrophy). Some extracts also induced teratogenecity in developing brain. While on the other hand, some extracts even at higher concentration did not induce any significant abnormalities in developing zebra fish embryos. The current study highlights the significance of the biomedical applications of the actinobacteria isolated from the Saudi habitats.

 Keywords: Actinobacteria, extracts, developmental effects, heart, zebra fish.


Hypertension prevalence around the world has risen over the last few years. The gulf countries has become one of the most affected countries in the world. Saudi Arabia only estimated that 24% of the current population is suffering from hypertension. This has been attributed to elements such as lack of proper management systems for hypertension and inadequate education systems in the region. In addition to this health problem, gulf countries have increased its use of smart phones. The country's access to the internet has also increased. Therefore, SHAMS aims to fill the gap of lacking special hypertension education program in gulf countries using mobile health technology such as a private social network for hypertensive patients in gulf countries. The system contains of two units: (1) medical staff whom might be hypertension educator. (2) hypertensive patients. SHAMS system allows the medical staff to taught the hypertensive patient through private social network. The hypertension educator can Post information, Videos and pictures and also answer the hypertensive inquiries through the SHAMS. On the other hand, the hypertensive patients can share his thoughts with his doctor/educator and with other hypertensive patients in the SHAMS network. In conclusion, there is substantial support for the adoption of the use SHAMS in order to improve the health awareness of hypertensive patients in Saudi Arabia. The research work is currently on-going, with a focus on the design and implementation of the integrated architecture with regard to SHAMS to be further evaluated and developed in the KSA.


textabstractAbstract : Cellular immunity plays an important role in the
control of viral infections, including those caused by influenza
viruses. However, viruses can exploit a variety of strategies to
evade cellular immunity, like the accumulation of amino acid
substitutions in CTL epitopes. It was unclear to what extent these
amino acid substitutions affect the influenza virus-specific CTL
response. In this thesis, this issue was addressed by assessing the
effect of the loss of immunodominant epitopes on the human influenza
A virus-specific CTL response in vitro. To this end, recombinant
influenza viruses with and without the HLA-B*2705-restricted epitope
NP383-391 or the HLA-B*3501-restricted epitope NP418-426 were
generated, which were used to induce IFN-gamma production or lytic
activity in clonal and polyclonal virus-specific CD8+ T-cell
populations (chapter 2 and 7). During this study, it was found that
recombinant influenza viruses with a single amino acid substitution at!
 position 384 of the NP (R384G) could not be rescued. We
hypothesized that one or more co-mutations were required to
compensate for the detrimental effect of the R384G mutation, which is
described in chapters 3 and 4. In line with these results, we
hypothesized that influenza A viruses need to overcome functional
constraints to accumulate mutations in CTL epitopes and escape from
CTL. The inability to overcome these functional constraints may
explain the highly conserved nature of most identified influenza A
virus CTL epitopes, limiting escape from CTL. To assess the impact of
amino acid substitutions in conserved epitopes on viral fitness and
recognition by specific CTL, we performed a mutational analysis of
CTL epitopes (chapter 5). Since examples of evading mutations in
influenza A virus CTL epitopes are limited, we assessed the extent of
variation in CTL epitopes using virus-specific CD8+ T-cell clones
(chapter 6). In addition to CD8+ T-cell clones, we also observed CD4!
 + T-cell clones that recognized a variable epitope. To date, no evadin
g activities from CD4+ T-cells have been described in influenza virus
infection. The variable CD4+ T-cell epitope was located and the amino
acid substitution responsible for abrogation of CD4+ T-cell
recognition was identified (chapter 8). The studies described in this
thesis are discussed in the light of evasion of influenza A virus
from human T-cell immunity.


Fair measure of a constitutional norm requires that we consider whether the scope of the norm can be broader than its enforcement. This query is usually answered in one of two ways: some constitutional theorists argue that the scope and enforcement of the norm are co-terminous, while others argue that the norm maintains its original scope and breadth even if it is underenforced. This Article examines the right to vote when it exists as a constitutional norm and is underenforced by both judicial and non-judicial actors. First, I adopt the position that the scope and meaning of a constitutional norm can be greater than its enforcement. Second, I rely on the argument that underenforcement results not only from judicial underenforcement but also from underenforcement by the legislative and administrative actors that are obligated to enforce constitutional norms to the fullest extent.By employing these two principles, this Article analyzes the underenforcement of the right to vote that has evaded the force of some of the most liberal contemporary constitutions. To illustrate this point, I use Ghana, West Africa - a newly designated "maturing democracy" - as a case study. In particular, I examine Ghana's prior underenforcement of the constitutional norm of universal adult suffrage through its failure to allow incarcerated citizens to vote. This underenforcement created what I term a "systemic electoral inconsistency."A systemic electoral inconsistency occurs when a nation's electoral laws, systems, policies, or practices are at odds with a nation's democratic ideals. When a systemic electoral inconsistency manifests as a derogation of the constitution, it becomes a matter of constitutional underenforcement. I argue that the underenforcement of constitutional norms, especially in maturing democracies, results from the entrenchment of illiberal extra-constitutional norms among judicial and non-judicial actors despite the existence of a liberal constitution within a democracy. Fair measure of the right to vote should be guided instead by the democratic ideals that define the norm, not the systemic electoral inconsistency that results from its underenforcement. In other words, fair measure of the right to vote is as broad as the democratic ideals that animate the underlying norm. Ghana's recent judicial triumph over administrative underenforcement of the right to vote both reinforces the fair measure of a fundamental right and instructs maturing - and mature - democracies that underenforcement is not irremediable.


A mouse model is a laboratory mouse used to study some aspect of human physiology or disease. A variety of different model organisms are used in this regard, but mice are especially useful because they share mammalian features with humans and suffer from many of the same diseases. A large number of mouse models have been created to target specific human diseases using selective breeding and genetic engineering. Qeios · Definition, November 26, 2019


One of the most exciting and successful ideas pursued in string theory is gauge/gravity duality. We consider the example of the AdS/CFT correspondence, which maps maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills (N = 4 SYM) in four dimensions with gauge group U(N) to closed strings propagating in a background of Anti de Sitter space crossed with a sphere (AdS5 × S5). Much progress has been made understanding this duality in the planar 't Hooft limit, where we fix the coupling of the gauge theory λ and take N large. On the gravity side the string coupling gs is proportional to 1/N for fixed λ, so in this limit we get classical string theory. In this thesis we use symmetric group methods to study the AdS/CFT correspondence exactly at finite N , without taking the planar limit. This takes the string theory into the quantum regime and allows us to probe phenomena which are non-perturbative in gs. First we enumerate the spectrum. While the spectrum is non-trivial in the planar limit, it is further complicated at finite N by the Stringy Exclusion Principle, which truncates the usual trace spectrum. We organise local operators in the gauge theory using representations of the gauge group U(N), which for heavy operators are interpreted in terms of giant graviton branes in the bulk. To do this we sort the different fields of the theory into representations of the global superconformal symmetry group using SchurWeyl duality. We then compute twoand three-point functions of these operators exactly to all orders in N for the free theory and at one loop. We use these correlation functions to resolve certain transition probabilities for giant gravitons using CFT factorisation.


Comparisons were made between phenological phase dates of 2 common ornamental shrubs, purple common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) and Zabeli honeysuckle (Lonicera krolkowii Stapf, var. Zabelii (Rehd. Rehder)), and rangeland grasshopper (composite of 6 common species) development for 3 years at 9 sites throughout Montana. Results indicated that spring hatch (75% instar 1) occurred about 10 days after the begin bloom phase of purple common lilac. Peak occurrence of grasshoppers for instar 2 coincided, on average, with the end bloom phase of Zabeli honeysuckle, whereas peak instar 3 occurred about 10 days later. On average, peak instar 4 preceded the first red berry phase of Zabeli honeysuckle by about 8 days, and 75% adult stage occurred about 14 days after red berries first appeared. Our results provide rangeland managers and ranchers with a simple method for the improved timing of assessment and control of rangeland grasshoppers.


Aim: To explore the Cypriots surgical-oncology nurse's perceptions on postoperative wound management and to identify factors involved in decision-making on this topic. The risk factors that influence the quality of wound management were also explored. Methods and design: A survey design was employed in combination with semi-structured interviews that was undertaken between January-February 2009. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to all surgical nurses of seven surgical wards in a Cyprus Hospital (132 nurses). Seven nurses were randomly selected and interviewed.The completed questionnaires were coded and analyzed with the SPSS program.The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed manually with the use of thematic analysis. Results: The absence of nurse's up-to-date knowledge and the absence of wound care guidelines appear to negative influence the postoperative wound care decision-making. Furthermore, the influencing role of the doctors in deciding how to manage postoperative wounds is one of the factors that nurses identified as a negative influence to their autonomy. Workload was identified as a major factor that influences the quality of postoperative wound care and maximizes the occupational risks in nurse's area of practice. The nurses have influences which hindered them to make decision on postoperative wound management and the findings are consistent with the relevant literature.The findings can become a useful tool for policy makers and hospital administrators in order to find ways to improve postoperative wound care decision-making.


This collection of papers is part of the Values In Free Enterprise project organized by the Gruter Institute for Law and Behavioral Research. The program brought together a highly interdisciplinary team of leading experts, in fields ranging from business, economics, primatology, philosophy and law, to answer the question, Do values matter in a free enterprise system? During a series of six conferences, we looked at genes and animal models, law and economics, philosophy and neuroscience, to support our proposition that values such as honesty, trust and fair play are essential to the modern free-market economies. The centrality of values has been missed both by supporters of free markets, who too often focus on unbridled self-interest, and by their detractors, who argue that economic exchange devalues our humanity. Project participants battle this so-called cartoon model, and conclude, by contrast, that values are essential to both personal and impersonal exchange. Further, some argue that market exchange itself can elevate human dignity and freedom - i.e., a virtuous circle is possible. In addition to the publication of the papers and commentary on this SSRN research platform, this project has culminated in a scholarly volume which will include these papers, entitled Moral Markets: the Critical Role of Values in the Economy (forthcoming, Princeton University Press, estimated Spring 2007). Further activities in the program include two debates set for the Spring of 2007 (one in London, one in New York; details to be provided at www.gruterinstitute.org) as well as additional popular and academic publications. For further information on this project, please see www.gruterinstitute.org. This project was made possible by significant funding from the John Templeton Foundation, UCLA-Sloan Research Program on Business Organizations, and the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.


Fantasy is a creation of the Enlightenment and the recognition that excitement and wonder can be found in imagining impossible things. From the ghost stories of the Gothic to the zombies and vampires of twenty-first-century popular literature, from Mrs Radcliffe to Ms Rowling, the fantastic has been popular with readers. Since Tolkien and his many imitators, however, it has become a major publishing phenomenon. In this volume, critics and authors of fantasy look at the history of fantasy since the Enlightenment, introduce readers to some of the different codes for the reading and understanding of fantasy and examine some of the many varieties and subgenres of fantasy; from magical realism at the more literary end of the genre, to paranormal romance at the more popular end. The book is edited by the same pair who edited The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (winner of a Hugo Award in 2005).


Context: Adopting agile practices has proven to be successful for many practitioners both academically and practically in development scenario. But the context of agile practices adoption during software maintenance is partially studied and is mostly focused on benefits. The success factors of agile practices during development cannot be related to maintenance, as maintenance differs in many aspects from development. The context of this research is to study the adoption of different agile practices during software maintenance.Objectives: In this study, an attempt has been made to accomplish the following objectives: Firstly, to identify different agile practices that are adopted in practice during software maintenance. Secondly, identifying advantages and disadvantages of adopting those agile practices during software maintenance.Methods: To accomplish the objectives a case study is conducted at Capgemini, Mumbai, India. Data is collected by conducting two rounds of interviews among five different projects which have adopted agile practices during software maintenance. Close-ended questionnaire and open-ended questionnaires have been used respectively for first and second round interviews. The motivation for selecting different questionnaire is because each round aimed to accomplish different research objectives. Apart from interviews, direct observation of agile practices in each project is done to achieve data triangulation. Finally, a validation survey is conducted among second round interview participants and other practitioners from outside the case study to validate the data collected during second round interviews.Results: A simple literature review identified 30 agile practices adopted during software maintenance. On analyzing first round of interviews 22 practices are identified to be mostly adopted and used during software maintenance. The result of adopting those agile practices are categorized as advantages and disadvantages. In total 12 advantages and 8 disadvantages are identified and validated through second round interviews and validation survey respectively. Finally, a cause-effect relationship is drawn among the identified agile practices and consequences.Conclusions: Adopting agile practices has both positive and negative result. Adopting agile practices during perfective and adaptive type of maintenance has more advantages, but adopting agile practices during corrective type of maintenance may not have that many advantages as compared to other type of maintenance. Hence, one has to consider the type of maintenance work before adopting agile practices during software maintenance.


In recent years, response to intervention (RTI) has been the focus of research, debate and educational implementations, especially regarding early reading instruction. RTI provides an educational framework characterised by different tiers or layers of instruction, providing increasingly more intense and individualised interventions for children in primary school. The purpose is to provide high-quality instruction to meet the needs of all learners by means of a systematic and dynamic approach. RTI can also serve as a source of information for disability determination. Dynamic assessment (DA) is a concept closely related to RTI, although DA focuses on individual learners regardless of the educational system and has a much shorter time frame than RTI. The present article provides a description and comparison of RTI and DA and an analysis of the merits and limitations of these concepts, based on the debates between researchers. It also discusses how DA could be used within a broader RTI system. Finally, we discuss the roles of cognitive or neuropsychological assessments in relation to RTI.


A NOVEL APPROACH TO THE PART ORIENTATION PROBLEM FOR ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY APPLICATIONS Brian J. Slaboch, B.S. Marquette University, 2011 SCARA (Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm) type robots are the most common type of assembly robots. These robots have four degrees of freedom (three rotational and one translational). Typically these robots are used for assembly tasks that take place along a vertical axis. Many times, however, assembly tasks take place along a non-vertical axis. To account for non-vertical axis assembly, parts must be fed in a proper orientation to allow for correct assembly. Parts feeders and specialized end-effectors are typically used to feed parts in their proper orientation. This thesis investigates a novel end-effector that can be used to feed parts for industrial assembly applications. Specifically, the purpose of the novel end-effector is to provide a SCARA robot with an added selectable degree of freedom. This end-effector aims to bridge the gap between complex anthropomorphic grippers and simple binary grippers. The approach is novel in that the end-effector interacts with the environment to produce the added degree of freedom. New path planning algorithms were developed to work in conjunction with the novel end-effector. A prototype end-effector was designed, built, and tested to prove the validity of this new approach.


Abstract Magnetic material may be added to proppant, as the magnetic marker allows to determine the range and efficiency of hydraulic fracturing. However, magnetic proppant may be also used in flowback fluid treatment and monitoring of environmental pollution. As a result of shale gas hydraulic fracturing, large volume of flowback fluid is created. Flow back fluid have similar properties to fracturing fluid, but it is potentially enriched with large amount of salts and organic compounds leached from shale. Magnetic proppant may serve as a heterogeneous catalyst during organic pollutants decomposition. Additionally, in case of leakage and consequently the fracturing fluid pollution, magnetic proppant is placed into the soil environment. It can be detected using magnetometric methods. This article discusses the above-mentioned issues based on the knowledge and experience of the authors and the literature review.


Introduction: Based on the available evidence, there appears to be a higher risk of onset of diabetes in patients post partial pancreatectomy. Autologous islet transplantation is currently offered selectively after total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis and for benign pancreatic lesions. The indication for autologous islet transplantation has been expanded to avoid surgically-induced diabetes in post-traumatic pancreatic resections. Four such cases have been previously reported in the literature, all of which are adult patients. Case Report: Following a motor-vehicle accident, pancreatic trauma occurred in a 3-year old boy. Partial jejunal resection and distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy were performed. The resected pancreas was processed and the isolated islets were infused into the liver. The patient maintained euglycemia at 3and 10-months post-operatively. Conclusion:We report the first pediatric case of autologous islet transplantation post partial pancreatectomy due to pancreatic trauma. It is evident from our case and other similar cases in adults that autologous islet transplantation may be performed safely after pancreatic trauma and surgical resection to reduce the risk of future onset of diabetes. CLINICAL REPORT


The dorvilleid polychaete Ophryotrocha orensanzi is reported from the vicinity of Casey station, East Antarctica, an astounding range extension from its previous records in the South Shetland Islands to the opposite side of the Antarctic continent, suggesting that it is a circumpolar species. Genetic studies confirmed the conspecificity and the inferred haplotype network suggests that the two populations studied are genetically connected. Morphological studies of the newly collected material revealed that the jaw apparatus consists of the P- and K-type, in accordance with other members of the 'lobifera' clade. We are reporting a previously undocumented button-like structure that we are referring to as 'nuchal papilla' for its association with the nuchal region, and present an emended diagnosis for the species. The Casey station population was collected in a clean, unpolluted intertidal environment associated with stones and seaweeds. We are challenging the generally held opinion that Ophryotrocha species are specialists of organically enriched substrates, suggesting that, at least for the particulars of O. orensanzi, they might also be unspecialized opportunists, able to exist in the most pristine environments and having the ability to rapidly increase their population sizes under favourable conditions.


Mapping of linear antibody epitopes of the glycoprotein of VHSV, a salmonid rhabdovirus Antibody Linear epitopes of the glycoprotein G (gpG) of the viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), a rhabdovirus of salmonids, were mapped by pepscan using overlapping 15-mer peptides covering the entire gpG sequence and ELISA with polyclonal and monoclonal murine and polyclonal trout antibodies. Among the regions recognized in the pepscan by the polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) were the previously identified phosphatidylserine binding heptad-repeats (Estepa & Coll 1996; Virology 216:60-70) and leucocyte stimulating peptides (Lorenzo et al. 1995; Virology 212:348-355). Among 17 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), only 2 non-neutralizing MAbs, I10 (aa 139-153) and IP1H3 (aa 399-413), could be mapped to specific peptides in the pepscan of the gpG. Mapping of these MAbs was confirmed by immunoblotting with recombinant proteins and/or other synthetic peptides covering those sequences. None of the neutralizing MAbs tested reacted with any of the gpG peptides. Previously mapped MAb resistant mutants in the gpG did not coincide with any of the Linear epitopes defined by the pepscan strategy, suggesting the complementarity of the 2 methods for the identification of antibody recognition sites.


The new pest, Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), poses a formidable threat to blueberry growers and other thin-skinned fruit growers in the United States. It lays its eggs inside of ripening fruit, rendering the berries unsalable. The yield loss due to SWD damage has already caused considerable economic impact since its arrival in the United States in 2008. It was found in Vermont in 2011, where blueberries are an important crop, and as such, growers need support adapting their management strategies. Fine mesh netting can be used to physically exclude the fly from ripe blueberries. This is a promising option for Organic growers, who are limited to only one effective, Organic-approved chemical control. Netting could represent one more tool in an integrated pest management program. Given the novelty of the emergent SWD situation, little research had previously been done to answer questions surrounding netting technology in the context of blueberry growing. This project sought to answer the questions: What are the advantages and challenges of using insect netting on blueberries? What would be an ideal way to trellis netting over a support-structure? What are some practical, relevant pieces of information that other farmers have to offer about this technology? In researching these questions, the goal was to address the lack of information about using physical control as a management strategy to protect smalland medium-sized blueberry farms from SWD. It was found that the major challenges were how netting limited access to the blueberry field, altered the harvest experience, and could be hard to handle. Some advantages found were its potential ability to exclude other wildlife pests, and how it may ripen the berries earlier. However, these two advantages need to be researched further for verification. Similarly, the project produced three suggestions for how to trellis the netting on supportive structures. A field scale trial would be needed to validate these suggestions. Lastly, an outreach document was prepared that included the three suggested support-structure designs, information about available insect netting brands, and some practical advice gathered from farmers over the course of this research. Of great benefit to this growing body of research would be a field-scale trial that tested the suggested support-structure designs, studied the two previously mentioned advantages, and developed an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of fine mesh exclusion netting for smalland medium-sized blueberry operations in Vermont.


Almăj Land represents one of the "land" types of territorial entities from Romania and the only one of this type from the Mountainous Banat. It is a purely rural regional system where the hierarchy and the centrality are the two defining attributes for the 31 villages that represent the region's habitat component. The geographic location of Almăj Land constitutes the main element of restrictiveness regarding the region's development and the setting of the interrelations with the neighboring regional systems, aspect that has recorded the region in the category of the mountainous rural landscape. For this reason, the economic practices are not very diversified, being based only on the revaluation of the local resources (especially forests and agricultural resources). This has accelerated the anthropogenic impact on its landscape and components, causing transformations in the typology of the rural landscapes. The changes occurred were identified following the calculation of several indicators of landscape quality assessment for a period of 20 years, choosing 2010 as the reference year.. The results obtained (the naturality index - 0.56, population density 15.1 inhabitant/km², the human pressure through agricultural – 2.84 ha/inhabitant, non-agricultural lands – 4.54 ha/inhabitant and forests – 4.35 ha/inhabitant, the environmental transformation indicator 1.5) present the current state of the environment, practically emphasizing the more and more obvious anthropization of the mountainous rural landscape after the change of the political regime and the transition to the market economy, especially through massive deforestation. The evaluation of the current condition of the landscape quality and of the changes in the landscape of the study area, should have a very important role for the mountainous rural community, in order to identify several protection measures of the ecosystems for the assurance of the sustainable development process, especially of the forest ecosystems, which are the most affected and the most important for maintaining ecological balance.


The report consists of seven chapters and an appendix. The first chapter is background: it sets forth rather briefly the history of the organized delivery of mental health services in American disasters, the general research and analytical framework we used to study the delivery of such services in Xenia, and concludes with a discussion of the nature of the data we obtained in the study, including its limitations. Chapter II selectively describes pre-impact Xenia, the damage, destruction and disruption of community life occasioned by the tornado, and the expected as well as the actual post-impact reactions manifested by victims as well as others in the general population. The pre-impact mental health delivery service system existing in Xenia is described in Chapter III; it is seen as having evolved out of a general historical context. Chapter IV details the characteristics of the mental health delivery services attempted and provided after the tornado hit: it answers such questions as what services were delivered, how, where, and by whom. The following chapter analyzes the specific post-impact conditions, both those which arose after the tornado impact and those that were carried over from before the disaster, which lead to the kind of services described in Chapter IV. In Chapter VI we trace out at system, organizational and individual levels, some of the more salient consequences of the delivery of mental health services. The concluding chapter of the report spells out some policy implications of our study and indicates what is suggested by the research for disaster planning as well as for the
pre-, trans- and post-disaster delivery of services by mental health systems. The appendix contains copies of the field instruments used.


Geochemical models of atmospheric evolution predict that during the late Carboniferous, ca . 300 Ma, atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were 35% and 0.03%, respectively. Both gases compete with each other for ribulose–1,5–bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase–the primary C–fixing enzyme in C3 land plants: and the absolute concentrations and the ratio of the two in the atmosphere have the potential to strongly influence land–plant function. The Carboniferous therefore represents an era of potentially strong feedback between atmospheric composition and plant function. We assessed some implications of this ratio of atmospheric gases on plant function using experimental and modelling approaches. After six weeks growth at 35% O2 and 0.03% carbon dioxide, no photosynthetic acclimation was observed in the woody species Betula pubescens and Hedera helix relative to those plants grown at 21% O2. Leaf photosynthetic rates were 29% lower in the high O2 environment compared to the controls. A global–scale analysis of the impact of the late Carboniferous climate and atmospheric composition on vegetation function was determined by driving a process–based vegetation–biogeochemistry model with a Carboniferous global palaeoclimate simulated by the Universities Global Atmospheric Modelling Programme General Circulation Model. Global patterns of net primary productivity, leaf area index and soil carbon concentration for the equilibrium model solutions showed generally low values everywhere, compared with the present day, except for a central band in the northern land mass extension of Gondwana, where high values were predicted. The areas of high soil carbon accumulation closely match the known distribution of late Carboniferous coals. Sensitivity analysis with the model indicated that the increase in O2 concentration from 21% to 35% reduced global net primary productivity by 18.7% or by 6.3 GtC yr–1. Further work is required to collate and map at the global scale the distribution of vegetation types, and evidence for wildfires, for the late Carboniferous to test our predictions.


A study regarding the influence of seasonal changes on . physico-chemical characteristics of seawater was conducted in coastal area of Sepangar and Gaya Bays, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The objectives of study were to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of seawater (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, total suspended solid and nutrients) and the effect of seasonal changes and current on the distribution of those parameters. Sampling were conducted at eight stations during inter monsoon (March - May), Southwest monsoon (July - September) and Northeast monsoon (December - February) from 2006 to 2007. Temperature, DO, salinity and pH were measured in-situ using multi probe sensor (Hydrolab surveyor 4a). Current measurements were recorded using current meter (Aquadop Nortex). Total suspended solids and nutrients (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate) were performed using Standard method as suggested by APHA and Parsons respectively. The results of study showed that salinity were ranged between 29.47 - 34.75 ppt which achieve its peak value during 1M season due to low precipitation, nitrate concentrations ranged between 0.15 - 202.41 µg/I and achieve its peak value during SW monsoon due to high precipitation. While, DO, pH, TSS, N02 and P04 were found relative higher during NE monsoon compared to other season which in range from 2.03 - 16.18 mg/l, 6.5 - 8.74, 0.20 - 298.0 mg/l, 0.07 - 46.43 µg/I and 0.04 - 156.25 µg/I respectively. Current circulation at the study area was influenced by local wind and tidal current. Total suspended solid, seawater temperature, ammonia and nitrite were higher during ebb current. The pH, nitrate-nitrogen and phosphate-phosphorus were higher during flood current. Whereas, dissolved oxygen and salinity did not show significant difference during ebb current and flood current.


Much of the popular outcry against the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London can be understood in terms of the public's commitment to the conception of the home as a castle. This familiar metaphor is typically viewed as aligned with libertarian conceptions of property and of the right to exclude. Taken to its logical conclusion, the metaphor's connotation of an owner's "absolute dominion" would seem to rule out the exercise of eminent domain altogether. A different understanding of the castle metaphor is possible, however, one rooted in notions of the dignity of home ownership. While such a dignitary understanding of the home as the castle remains true to the intuitions underlying the metaphor, it yields a far more flexible stance towards eminent domain.


The activities of phosphorylase kinase and myosin light-chain kinase are regulated by Ca2+ binding to calmodulin. However, differences in the activation properties of the purified enzymes are apparent, since calmodulin binds to phosphorylase kinase in the absence of Ca2+ whereas prior formation of a Ca2+ . calmodulin complex is necessary for calmodulin to bind to and activate myosin light chain kinase. Since the phenothiazines have been implicated as anticalmodulin drugs and inhibit contractile activity in smooth muscle, we examined the effects of the phenothiazine, fluphenazine, on isometric tension development and phosphorylation of phosphorylase and the phosphorylatable light chain (P-light chain) of myosin in intact bovine tracheal smooth muscle. Preincubation with 50 microM fluphenazine for 5 min inhibited the maximal rate and extent of isometric tension development and P-light chain phosphorylation in the presence of 60 mM KCl. Application of fluphenazine after tension and the phosphate content of the P-light chain had reached steady-state levels in response to 60 mM KCl produced little relaxation or dephosphorylation of the P-light chain. KCl-mediated phosphorylase a formation was not inhibited by preincubation with fluphenazine for 5 min. However, long periods of preincubation (30-60 min) produced significant inhibition of phosphorylase a formation and proportionally greater inhibition of tension and P-light chain phosphorylation. Since phosphorylase a formation was not inhibited during short-term preincubation with fluphenazine, KCl-dependent increases in the concentration of free intracellular Ca2+ may not have been affected. Moreover, since both isometric tension development and P-light chain phosphorylation were attenuated in a parallel manner, inhibition of contractile activity in intact smooth muscle by anticalmodulin agents may be directly related to inhibition of P-light chain phosphorylation.


Reactions of different carbonaceous materials in alkaline hydrothermal media have been studied in a batch reactor. In general, hydrogen gas production increased in the presence of sodium hydroxide for all samples. Based on experimental evidence, a chemical reaction model was developed for hydrogen gas production from these reactions. Evaluation of gaseous reaction products suggested that two main reaction types could have occurred with the samples. These were alkaline oxidation (degradation) leading to hydrogen gas and methane production, and thermal degradation (pyrolysis) leading to the production of tars and hydrocarbon gases. The carbohydrate-rich samples including glycerol, xylan and lignin produced more hydrogen gas via alkaline oxidation than coal, waste tyre and phenol. Pyrolysis was found to be the predominant reaction for coal and waste tyre. In the presence of NaOH, glycerol produced the highest hydrogen gas yield of 76%, while waste tyre produced the lowest yield of 8.2%. The proportions of hydrogen gas and methane in the gas product could be linked to the role of the stoichiometric reacting water during and after alkaline degradation. In addition, phenol was highly resistant to thermal degradation but less so to alkaline degradation. Results suggest that the chemical nature of the carbon atoms in the samples was crucial in influencing the dominant reaction type.


The aim was to investigate relative susceptibility of stumps of spruce and pine to airborne infections by Heterobasidion following pre-commercial thinnings. The proportions of infected stumps and colonized stump surface areas were analysed in 16 forest stands. In total, 746 spruce and 1063 pine stumps were sampled, and 184 and 105 infected stumps, respectively, were analysed. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that in the investigated area: i) both Heterobasidion infection frequency and the extent of surface colonization correlated positively with stump diameter of both spruce and pine; ii) spruce stumps were significantly more often subjected to primary infections than pine stumps; iii) the pathogen exhibited more extensive surface colonization of spruce stumps than of pine stumps.


i ABSTRACT This thesis explores two hybrid systems employing a core material reinforced by an external skin, namely, cladding walls composed of polyurethane foam core sandwiched between fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) skins, and beams composed of concrete-filled FRP or steel tubes. The walls were studied in two phases. In phase I, the polyurethane foam core was injected between two carbon-FRP (CFRP) skins. Ten panels were tested to investigate their structural performance and failure modes. Test parameters included quality control in terms of reproducibility of test results, moment-shear ratio, and the orientation of an architectural masonry-like coating. The study showed that design is governed by stiffness and not strength and that the CFRP was underutilized. Also, quality control was shown to be poor for this method of fabrication. As such, in phase II, ten panels were fabricated by laminating glass-FRP (GFRP) skins to prefabricated polyurethane foam blocks. Similar flexural testing was carried out to investigate two different densities of foam, and moment-shear ratio. The study showed evidence of high quality control and that the density of the foam core significantly affected flexural capacity and stiffness. Rectangular concrete-filled tubes (CFTs), with either steel or pultruded GFRP tubes were fabricated and tested as beams in three-point bending, at different shear span-to-depth (a/d) ratios of 1 to 5 to examine crack patterns, strength and failure modes. It was shown that the critical (a/d) ratio, at which moment capacity drops, is between 4 and 5 for CFTs with GFRP tubes and between 1 and 2 for CFTs with steel tubes. It was also shown that ductility is drastically reduced at (a/d) ratios below 3 for steel tubes. Crack pattern and size were highly dependent on the magnitude of slip between the concrete and tube. A major full depth flexural crack developed in all CFTs with GFRP tubes. However, when


Objective: The current study aims to evaluate the effect of ibuprofen on women with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with copper intrauterine devices (CuIUDs). Study design: A prospective cohort study conducted at Assiut Woman's Health Hospital, Egypt, from October 2015 to September 2016 included women complaining of heavy menstrual bleeding with Cu-IUDs. Eligible women received 1200 mg ibuprofen per day for 5 days starting from the first day of menses for three consecutive cycles. The primary outcome was the clinical response of ibuprofen. The secondary outcomes included the observation of its effect on uterine blood flow and the patient's quality of life. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to identify the potential predictors for responsiveness to ibuprofen. Results: One hundred three patients (80.5%) showed response to ibuprofen after three months of treatment. There was a significant decrease in the mean number of bleeding days and sanitary pads after ibuprofen treatment (p=.000). The uterine blood flow was decreased obviously after 3 months following the treatment (p=.000). The bleeding days, uterine volume and uterine pulsatility index were significant predictors for responsiveness to ibuprofen after 3 months of use (p=.003, p=.04, p=.002; respectively). Conclusion: Ibuprofen can effectively decrease the menstrual bleeding associated with Cu-IUDs. This effect may be secondary to the decrease in the uterine blood flow. Satisfactory response to ibuprofen could be anticipated in women with fewer bleeding days, smaller uterine volume and higher uterine pulsatility index at the beginning of treatment.


This thesis contributes to the coordination chemistry of aziridines, 2H-azirines and P-mesitylphosphirane
as ligands towards transition metals. The focus is set on transition metal halides
and organometallic complexes of electron rich transition metals like for example W(0), Re(I),
Rh(III), Ir(III), Ni(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Cu(II) or Zn(II). Different strained mono- and bidentate
three-membered ring systems are used as ligands. In many cases the purified complexes
were characterized by routine analytical methods like NMR, IR, UV/Vis, elemental analysis
and mass spectrometry and also by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Beyond the discussion
of solid state structures, selected NMR- and IR-spectroscopic data of the complexes and the
free ligands are compared and the coordination induced effects of various transition metals
are discussed. In the case of aziridine and 2H-azirine ligands a remarkable stabilization of
the ligand system was observed. This effect is rather surprising, if Lewis- or Bronsted-acid
induced polymerization reactions of aziridine or transition metal induced rearrangement reactions
of 2H-azirines are taken into consideration. The ionic chain polymerization mechanism
of aziridines is obviously disfavoured compared to complexation and template reactions under
the applied reaction conditions. Nevertheless when excess ligand stoichiometry was applied,
metal mediated template dimerization reactions of aziridines yielding N-aminoalkylaziridine
complexes could be observed. In collaboration with Budzisz et al. the cytotoxic activity of
selected aziridine and 2H-azirine complexes towards cancer cells was studied and is presented
in this work.
A series of 2H-3-(4-R-C5H4)-azirine (R = H, Me, Cl, Br) derivatives with electron withdrawing
and weak electron donating substituents were prepared and used as novel highly strained
imine ligands in the coordination chemistry of zinc(II)- and palladium(II)halides as well as
organometallic rhodium(III), iridium(III) and rhenium(I) complexes. In the 2H-3-arene-azirine
ligand series a surprisingly strong reduction of the sigma-donor strength from methyl to chlorine
substituents was observed. This effect is primarily due to the negative inductive effect of the
halogeno substituent of the phenyl moiety. The high reactivity of the strained, monodentate
2H-3-phenyl-azirine ligand system towards nucleophiles was demonstrated by the reaction of
zinc(II) and palladium(II)-azirine-complexes with alcohols like methanol and ethanol. Their
nucleophilic attack yielded in the template dimerization of the azirine ligands in vicinal position
to each other in the case of zinc(II) or ring opening reactions of the azirine ligands in trans
position to each other in the case of palladium(II). Postulated mechanisms for both reactions
are presented in this work. Four of the solvolysis products were characterized by single crystal
X-ray diffraction. Finally the bulky three membered P-heterocycle P-mesitylphosphirane was
prepared and used as ligand. It was possible to isolate two phosphirane complexes of ruthenium(II) and iridium(III). The iridium(III) complex was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and exhibits interesting structural information concerning the three-membered ring
geometry compared to analogous aziridine complexes.
In summary a series of by the majority electron rich complexes of aziridines, 2H-aryl-azirines
and P-mesitylphosphirane were synthesized. In many cases structural characterization by single
crystal X-ray diffraction was possible and yielded manifold coordination geometries. Additionally
promising results concerning the biological activity of selected ligands and complexes against a series of cancer cells are presented.


This research was aimed to observe the effect of usage of Aspergillus niger for fermenting coconut dregs (Cocos Nucifera L. ) on its nutrition quality. Aspergillus niger obtained from Biochemical and Nutrition Laboratory of Animal Science Faculty on UGM, Yogyakarta was optimalized at coconut oil and coconut dregs as substrat. Variable was perceived for example enzyme lipase production, the quality of physical (pH, texture, color, aroma), and chemical composition of coconut dregs, steamed coconut dregs, fermented coconut dregs and steamed fermented coconut dregs. The result showed that Aspergillus niger producted highest enzyme of lipase in four days incubation either at coconut oil (0.85U/ml) and coconut dregs (1.81U/ml) as substrat. The treatment of steaming and fermenting of coconut dregs affected of pH, tekstur, color, aroma as will as decreased dry materials (12.75 and 16.24%), crude fat (13.11 and 29.20%), organic materials (5.21 and 16.89%) but increased crude protein (11.84%), crude fibre (24.85 and 36.81%) and extract materials without nitrogen (10.28 and 23.97%). It could be concluded that Aspergillus niger have activity of lipase which high enough so that can degraded fat content of coconut dregs. (Key word: Aspergillus niger, Coconut dregs, Fermentation)