This study is based on employer to employee relationship and finding out the reasons for maintain good relationship. Present research paper attempts the review about organizational culture that has a relationship between employee and business organizations. Employer- Employee relationship will built from Recruiting stage itself. For smooth running of any organization a good relation between employee and employer is important but there are many constraints for organizations in managing the relation according to strategic needs. Here employee is considered as the main asset to any organization for managing the relationship for business success, employee happiness and also in increase the productivity by reducing the conflicts of today's era. In order to forward the healthy and good organization the employer and employee are considered as the two wheels of the engine. Present research paper tells about the main adjective that affects the factors for motivational enhancement of employee.


The finite element method (FEM) based on the Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman (GTN) model was used to investigate the ductile crack growth behavior at different weld joint locations in X80 pipeline steel. The X80 weld joints are inhomogeneous and can be divided into five different zones. By fitting the results of uniaxial tension and single-edge notched bending tests, the GTN model parameters were determined using FEM in consideration of the inhomogeneity of the weld joint. The calibrated GTN model was then used to analyze the fracture toughness in single-edge notched tension tests. The results show that the different weld joint zones produce different mechanical properties and crack growth resistance curves. To accurately assess the integrity of X80 weld joints, the calibrated GTN model is a reasonable method for obtaining fracture toughness data and resistance curves for different joint locations under different loading conditions.


[Abstract]: Multicultural policies and language policies claim to provide a favourable environment for the maintenance of immigrant languages. However, the relationship between multiculturalism and multilingualism is complex and contested. Rates of language loss and shift in Australia show that the multilingual heritage is very vulnerable even within the context of a highly multicultural society. This paper examines the effect of multicultural policies on the linguistic and cultural adjustment of the Hungarian diaspora in Queensland. The research contrasts two vintages of Hungarian migrants in terms of their acculturation strategies, attitudes to the host and source cultures, ethnic identity and language maintenance and shift patterns. The conclusions drawn have implications for the theoretical framework of language maintenance and shift, as well as additive vs subtractive bilingualism. Period of arrival is singled out as a main factor in influencing patterns of social adjustment, as well as language maintenance and shift. The paper argues that the wider social and policy context plays a significant role in the language development of ethnolinguistic minority communities. It provides some evidence that the Anglo-Celtic host society in Australia is seen as favourable for minority language maintenance, and this potentially leads to increased societal bilingualism.


Melting by impact heating is thought to have been a significant process in the modification of early planetary crusts; however, crustally derived melt bodies in ancient terrestrial crust are frequently presumed to be absent due to erosion. Here we demonstrate that in the central basement uplift of the 2.020 Ga Vredefort impact basin (South Africa), components of mafic impact melt have survived amid Archean gneiss as decimeter-scale dikes and lenses of variably foliated gabbronorite. Zircon microstructural, trace element, and isotopic analyses (U-Pb, Lu-Hf) of the gabbronorite reveal a dominant population of 2.02 Ga unshocked igneous zircon with apparent Ti-in-zircon temperatures of 800–900 °C, similar to those from the mafic sublayer of the Sudbury impact melt sheet. Highly negative subchondritic e Hf values of −1.4 ± 1.1 to −7.9 ± 1.4 are consistent with a depleted mantle model age of ca. 3 Ga and gabbronorite derivation from the once superjacent Witwatersrand basin lithologies. The recrystallized igneous mineral textures and Archean felsic gneiss inclusions in the gabbronorite are attributable to the effects of emplacement and crater modification following ∼20 km elevation of the central uplift. Long mistaken as preimpact basement, the setting and characteristics of the Vredefort gabbronorite may provide new benchmarks in the search for remnants of large cratering events and melt residua on Earth's cratons.


N-ary conjunctive queries, i.e., queries with any number of answer variables, are the formal core of many Web query languages including XSLT, XQuery, SPARQL, and Xcerpt. Despite a considerable body of research on the optimization of such queries over tree-shaped XML data, little attention has been paid so far to efficient access to graph-shaped XML, RDF, or Topic Maps. We propose the first evaluation technique for n-ary conjunctive queries that applies to both tree- and graph-shaped data and retains the same complexity as the best known approaches that are restricted to tree-shaped data only. Furthermore, the approach treats tree and graph-shaped queries uniformly without sacrificing evaluation complexity on the restricted query class. The core of the evaluation technique is based on dynamic programming using a memoization data structure, called "memoization matrix". It can be populated and consumed in different ways. For each of population and consumption, we propose two resp. three algorithms each having their own advantages. The complexity of the algorithms is compared analytically and experimentally.


This study explores how members of the LGBT community experience support systemically during family formation and parenting. Six Caucasian women, who identified as lesbians, were interviewed in relation to their perceptions of support during family formation and parenting. The researcher asked 12 semi-structured questions to capture the level of support LGBT members receive by family, friends, general public and professionals (i.e., social workers). The majority of the respondents felt supported systemically in part because of the intentional environment they chose to live in and the family of choice chosen as a support system. Although the participants felt supported by the environment they interact in, all shared a level of uncertainty and fear in relation to their children receiving support, specifically in school and away from the intentional environment chosen for them. Similarly, this fear came from the heteronormative lens in which society views family in that there is one mother and one father. Currently, families that do not consist of having one mother and one father are considered "untraditional." Most literature that depicts families identifies families from this heteronormative perspective and fails to recognize families such as the LGBT population. As a result, children who come from untraditional families are often targeted. In response, this paper provides implications and suggestions for future research and advocacy. LGBT COMMUNITY MEMBERS EXPERIENCES OF SUPPORT iii


The inclusion and the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) configure a field of great scientific interest in the current society. In this context, the attitudes of the teachers towards the ICT play an important role. The present article gathers the results of a study whose purpose was to determine how a teacher will use and integrate the 'Information and Communication Technologies' (ICT) in inclusive classrooms. This will also identify the factors that promote good educational practices supported by ICT. Towards this we prepared a case study of multiple cases. The questionnaire and group discussion are the techniques that are used for collecting required information. To validate the questionnaire, it was used the expert judgment method selected by the "Coefficient expert Competence" procedure or also named "K coefficient". The Reliability was established by Cronbach's Alfa method with a value of 0.87. The result shows that teachers in general have a positive attitude towards ICT, especially the male teachers with greater possibilities of interaction with ICT. This will also promote inclusive and cultures policies between networks of schools and it is presented as an important factor in developing good educational practice with the support of ICT.


This book examines the changes in politics, economics, society, and foreign policy in South Korea since 1980. Starting with a brief description of its history leading up to 1980, this book deals with South Korea's transition to democracy, the stunning economic development achieved since the 1960s, the 1997 financial crisis, and the economic reforms that followed and concludes with the North Korean nuclear crisis and foreign relations with regional powers. The theoretical framework of this book addresses how democratization affected all of these dimensions of South Korea. For instance, democratization allowed for the more frequent alternation of political elites from conservative to liberal and back to conservative. These elites initiated different policies for dealing with North Korea and held different views on South Korea's role in its alliance with the United States. Consequently, ideological divides in South Korean politics became more stark and the political process more combative.


Radioactive fission gases (krypton and xenon) are observed in boiling water reactor (BWR) plants without defective fuel under various operation conditions. The off-gas in a BWR plant without defective fuel arises from fissile impurities within the cladding materials and/or fissile material deposited on the cladding surface. To estimate the off-gas source in operating plants, the source estimation method considering the off-gas transport time from production to measurement was applied to the data collected under various plant operation conditions. This method was verified by the adaptation of three sets of off-gas data groups to the source of cladding impurity and/or deposition actually observed in the plants. The judgment as to whether off-gas derives from a cladding impurity or a deposition was made by analyzing the data of 11 BWRs with different off-gas levels.


What is the role of financial regulation in the field of micro-finance? This paper identiles two features of micro-finance which call for unique treatment in policy considerations as compared to policy thinking in the mainstream body of financial law. These features are credit recovery and the credit risk of the MFI, when credit access is enabled through the structure of the joint liability group. The paper goes on to offer draft law which embeds a regulatory treatment of micro-finance that flows from this analysis.


Scattering from multilayer coatings depends on the roughness of each interface as well as their cross-correlation properties. By depositing thin film coatings under oblique incidence, the cross-correlation properties can be specifically adapted and consequently also the scattering characteristics. This will be illustrated for Mo/Si multilayers, for which a scattering reduction of more than 30% can be achieved. The characterization techniques used comprise of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and angle-resolved light scattering measurements at a wavelength of 13.5 nm.


Gatekeepers Inside Out challenges the conventional wisdom that in-house counsel are simply "too captured" by their senior managers in their corporations to serve as effective gatekeepers of our securities markets. The author revises classical gatekeeping theory introduced by Prof. Reinier Kraakman in his seminal article (Gatekeepers: Anatomy of a Third Party Enforcement Strategy, 2 J.L. Econ. & Org. 53 (1986)). In that article, Kraakman clarified that a gatekeeping strategy requires gatekeepers "who can and will prevent misconduct reliably, regardless of the preferences and market alternatives of wrongdoers." Although Kraakman did not make much of the distinction, he recognized that successful gatekeepers must not only be "willing" but also "able" to prevent misconduct. Now, consider also that gatekeepers must not only be prepared to "interdict" misconduct but also to "monitor" to detect such happenings in the first place. By combining these two simple observations, we see that potential gatekeepers can be evaluated by their: (1) willingness to interdict, (2) willingness to monitor, (3) capacity to monitor, and (4) capacity to interdict. Using this new framework of analysis, the author compares inside and outside counsel for the gatekeeping role. Along the way, the author departs from traditional gatekeeping theory's exclusive reliance on rational choice theory and imports empirical findings from social psychology and sociology that illuminate the four conditions of effective gatekeeping. By running inside and outside counsel through this rigorous mill of analysis, the author comes to unexpected conclusions. The analytical framework set forth by the author can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of other traditional gatekeepers, including investment bankers, securities analysts, accountants, and, yes, even credit agencies.


Azeotropic and quasi-azeotropic mixtures of organic compounds are becoming the most effective candidates as replacement fluids. Heat and mass transfer phenomena in organic compound mixtures have been theoretically studiedfrom several different points of view. Despite these efforts, theoretical models are frequently inaccurate while empirical methods are usually more accurate but they are often specialised and tuned to cover a small number of compounds and/or a limited temperature range. Based on the development of effective prediction formulas for several families of pure organic compounds, the problem of the evaluation of mixture dynamic viscosity is approached from a rather different point of view. Azeotropic mixtures are treated as pure compounds rather than a combination of several pure substances, and a single, specialised formula for the evaluation of saturated liquid dynamic viscosity is developed. The prediction method requires the knowledge of few equilibrium properties of the mixture to be analysed thus becoming a simple and powerful tool for exhaustive analysis of alternatives. It has been tested against experimental data leading to deviations far below those required for engineering purposes.


Polio is a communicable disease caused by poliovirus that may attack nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. The victims develop neurological complications, likes stiffness of the neck, muscular weakness, or paralysis of one or more limbs. In severe cases, it may be fatal due to respiratory paralysis. The world has seen tremendous gains in polio eradication over the past year. India and Nigeria saw a reduction in cases of almost 95% from 2009 to 2010, and cases of wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) fell by 92% globally over the same period. In fact, no case has been reported in India since February 2011, such that India may be on the verge of eradicating polio. Nevertheless, polio control experts are particularly worried about Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV). Global surveillance efforts picked up 430 cases of VDPV from several countries between July 2009 and March 2011. In India, 7 cases of VDPV were reported during the year 2011. As long as OPV is used, virologists say that the world is at risk of VDPV causing polio in unprotected children. Achieving a polio-free world will require the "cessation of all OPV" and with it the elimination of the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP) or VDPV infections. To this effect, in 2011 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will produce and develop a new roadmap for VDPV Elimination. Several countries have shifted from all OPV to sequential OPV-IPV schedules and all-IPV schedules with elimination of live poliovirus. IPV will be indispensable in the post-eradication era when use of OPV has to stop but "vaccination against polio" cannot stop. IPV offers complete individual protection and has been considered as an additional tool at present for those who can afford the vaccine, and since we are nearing the eradication of polio, it is time to shift from OPV to sequential OPV-IPV schedule in India. Such a strategy will avoid inevitable problems with VAPP.


Spherical agglomerates of benzoic acid crystals have been successfully prepared by drowning-out crystallization in three solvent partial miscible mixtures. Benzoic acid is dissolved in ethanol, bridging liquid is added and this mixture is fed to the agitated crystallizer containing water. Fine crystals are produced by crystallization of the substance, and the crystals are agglomerated by introduction of an immiscible liquid called the bridging liquid. The concentration of solute, agitation rate, feeding rate, amount of bridging liquid and temperature are found to have a significant influence on the physico-mechanical properties of the product. The product particle characterization includes the particle size distribution, morphology and mechanical strength. Many of the solvents such as chloroform, toluene, pentane, heptane, cyclo hexane, diethyl ether and ethyl acetate were used as bridging liquids. Among the selected solvents ethyl acetate and di ethyl ether could not form the spherical agglomerates. Characteristics of the particles are changing with the bridging liquid used. Range of the operation for spherical agglomeration is very narrow and was shown that only at certain conditions the spherical agglomerates are produced. Increased amount of bridging liquid, decrease in feeding rate and temperature causes the particle size to increase. Particle morphology depends on the bridging liquid used, amount of bridging liquid and the temperature. Particles look completely spherical from the experiments where toluene is used as bridging liquid. The mechanical strength of single agglomerates has been determined by compression in a materials testing machine, using a 10N load cell. For single particle compression an approximate estimation of the true stress is presented. Compression characteristics for single agglomerates are compared with data on particle bed compression. Low elastic recovery and high compressibility of the single particles and of bed of particles reveals that the spherical agglomerates prepared in this work have a plastic behavior which is expected to be favorable for direct tabletting. Some of the stress–strain curves are J-shaped with no clear fracturing of the particles, and are well correlated by an exponential–polynomial equation.


The term seronegative myasthenia gravis (SNMG) refers to the generalized disease without detectable anti-acetylcholine receptor (anti-AChR) antibodies. In these patients, IgG antibodies against the muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) have been described, which reduced agrin-induced AChR clustering in vitro. We have assayed anti-MuSK antibodies in 78 patients with SNMG, who have been followed for many years in our Institution. Here we describe the clinical phenotype of the 37 patients whose results were positive on this assay. MG with anti-MuSK antibodies was characterized by a striking prevalence of female patients (eight men and 29 women). Age of onset ranged from 6 to 68 years, with 56.8% of patients presenting under 40 years of age. All these patients shared a similar pattern of muscle weakness, with prevalent involvement of cranial and bulbar muscles and a high frequency of respiratory crises; the involvement of limb muscles was comparatively less severe and inconsistent. Single-fibre-EMG confirmed the most sensitive examination in the EMG diagnosis of MuSK-positive disease, while, owing to weakness topography, repetitive nerve stimulation in limb muscles was diagnostic in 56.8% of cases. The effect of edrophonium (or neostigmine) injection was equivocal or negative in 11 of 37 patients (29.7%), and the response to oral pyridostigmine was even more unsatisfactory, ranging from mild benefit to overt intolerance. In thymectomized patients, thymus was normal for age or atrophied, and no benefit from surgery was noticed. Thirty-five of 37 patients were given immunosuppressive therapy and 22 received plasma-exchange. The course of the disease was often characterized by periodic exacerbation phases requiring hospitalization and even assisted ventilation; plasma-exchange produced marked improvement in these cases. At the end of the observation period, most patients, although improved, were still symptomatic, having developed permanent facial and pharyngeal weakness together with some atrophy of facial muscles. MuSK-negative disease was comparatively more heterogeneous. Most patients were affected with mild to moderate symptoms and responded well to pharmacological treatment; however, a few subjects in this group had severe refractory disease, poorly responsive to both acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and immunosuppressants.


Expression of the SUC2 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which encodes invertase, is repressed about 200-fold by high levels of glucose. Mig1p is a Cys2His2 zinc-finger-containing protein required for glucose repression of SUC2 and several other genes. However, SUC2 expression is still about 13-fold repressed by glucose in a mig1 mutant. We have identified a second repressor, Mig2p, containing zinc fingers very similar to those of Mig1p that is responsible for this remaining glucose repression of SUC2 expression. Overexpression of MIG2 represses SUC2 under nonrepressing conditions, and a LexA-Mig2p fusion represses transcription of a lexO-containing promoter in a glucose-dependent manner, supporting the idea that Mig2p is a glucose-activated repressor. We have shown that Mig2p binds to the Miglp-binding sites in the SUC2 promoter. Even though Mig1p and Mig2p bind to similar sites and share almost identical zinc fingers, they differ in their relative affinities for various Mig1p-binding sites. This could explain our observation that MIG2 appears to have little role in glucose repression of other promoters with MIG1-binding sites.


Albian carbonate reservoirs are prominent in the subsurface of the South Atlantic. Equivalent exposures in southern Angola (Benguela and Namibe basins) have received relatively little detailed sedimentological work. In the Namibe Basin, carbonates form metre-thick beds interbedded with shallow-marine and continental alluvial fan siliciclastics. Characteristic carbonate mounds (≤5 m high, 1–2 m in diameter) rise above a basal carbonate bed, which consists of oncoid–peloidal rud-grainstones with oysters and echinoderms. Thrombolite mound microfacies include red algae and microbial–algal crusts. The microfacies are marine, and compare with documented occurrences of algal–microbial–oncoidal textures in Albian carbonates of the Congo and Angola. Burial processes dominated diagenesis and have reset carbonate geochemistry from marine values, with the probable exception of Mg concentrations. Up to 22% of primary (intergranular) and secondary (microporosity, mouldic, vuggy, fracture) porosity developed as a consequence of important dissolution and partial cementation. Two depositional models for the localized mound occurrence are discussed: (1) marine ingression into a coastal embayment and the formation of shallow-water microbial bioherms; and (2) a submarine groundwater spring discharging in coastal areas downdip from alluvial siliciclastics. Marine fauna, similarity with marine Albian strata elsewhere and a partly preserved marine Mg geochemical signature favour a marine ingression. Environmental conditions were likely to have been stressed on account of the siliciclastic input, variable salinity and elevated nutrients, all of which are consistent with the observed microfacies. A submarine spring is conceptually feasible, but is considered to be less likely owing to the absence of a clear meteoric signature and the low likelihood of bicarbonate-rich groundwater in the region. Using the discussion of depositional models for the studied outcrop, and incorporating a literature review, the study proposes a set of criteria to distinguish various marine and non-marine carbonate mounds in the subsurface. The most diagnostic criteria are: (1) marine or continental fauna; (2) sediment geochemistry, in particular Mg, Sr, and δ13C and δ18O isotopes where preserved through diagenesis; and (3) carbonate fabrics, such as crystalline shrubs, that are diagnostic of thermogenic continental mounds. The scale of geobodies and the mineralogy of mounds can sometimes be used as additional criteria. This set of criteria can help exploration and production geologists who need to devise exploration and development strategies in unconventional carbonate reservoirs of the South Atlantic and other rift basins.


The aim of the study was to identify and quantify the concentrations and potential sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in dust particles at fuel filling stations in the Tamale Metropolis. Sixteen USEPA recognised PAHs were identified after samples were analysed and their potential sources identified using PAH isomeric ratios. Sample extraction was conducted using an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE) and PAH levels in samples were further analysed using the GC-MS system. The total PAHs concentrations in the High-Vehicular Traffic Areas fuel filling stations ranged from 38.70 µg/kg to 1,423,280 µg/kg with an average concentration of 158,080 ± 102,650 µg/kg, while that of the Low-Vehicular Traffic Areas ranged from 305 µg/kg to 3,176,400 µg/kg with an average concentration of 370,220 ± 218,140 µg/kg. Amongst the 16 PAHs identified, Benzo(a)Anthracene had the highest concentration for both Traffic Areas. The average concentration of Benzo(a)Pyrene was 39,310 µg/kg and this was 200 times higher than that recorded from the US urban background soils. The PAH isomeric ratios indicated a strong influence from petroleum and combustion sources on PAH concentration in the fuel filling stations. It is therefore necessary that appropriate measures are taken with regards to pollution control and risk management at fuel filling stations.
Keywords: Benzo(a)Anthracene, Benzo(a)Pyrene, Pyrene, Source Identification, Fuel Filling Stations


Eurasian fall snow cover changes have been suggested as a driver for changes in the Arctic Oscillation and might provide a link between sea-ice decline in the Arctic during summer and atmospheric circulation in the following winter. However, the mechanism connecting snow cover in Eurasia to sea-ice decline in autumn is still under debate. Our analysis is based on snow observations from 820 Russian land stations, moisture transport using a Lagrangian approach derived from meteorological re-analyses. We show that declining sea-ice in the Barents and Kara Seas (BKS) acts as moisture source for the enhanced Western Siberian snow depth as a result of changed tropospheric moisture transport. Transient disturbances enter the continent from the BKS region related to anomalies in the planetary wave pattern and move southward along the Ural mountains where they merge into the extension of the Mediterranean storm track.


Article type: Original Article Received: Mar. 2017 Accepted: May 2017 e-Published: 22 Jul. 2017 Corresponding author: Azam Bakhteh e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Background & Aim: Mother's intense fear of and anxiety about labor pain lead to muscle contractions. Intense muscle contractions especially uterine contractions interfere with the normal process of labor. So, this study aimed to investigate the effect of salvia aroma on reducing the women's anxiety level during labor. Methods & Materials: The present study was a two-group randomized clinical trial (IRCT2016042727633N1) conducted in 2015 on 160 pregnant women laboring in Motazedi Hospital in Kermanshah. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups. Prior to the intervention, the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was completed by both groups and the anxiety scores were determined. In the intervention group, immediately after the onset of the active phase of labor, a gauze impregnated with three drops of the salvia essence was attached to the samples' collars and repeated every half an hour. In the control group, a placebo was administered in a similar way. After the intervention, anxiety was measured at a cervical dilation of 5-7 cm. The chi-square test, Fisher test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were employed to analyze the data. Results: The mean score for anxiety was similar in the two groups prior to the intervention (P=0.15). However, after the intervention the mean score for anxiety was lower in the aromatherapy group (39.86±10.39) than in the control group (64.25±7.41) (P<0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggested that the level of labor anxiety was reduced using aromatherapy with salvia essence. Accordingly, the use of salvia essence aroma is recommended for reducing anxiety labor.


Soil samples were collected from 8 land use types in Embu to study the effects of land use on soil chemical and physical parameters and on the occurrence of Trichoderma spp. The fungus was recovered from the soil using the dilution plate and soil washing technique. The remaining soil samples were used to measure the following characters of the soil; pH was determined in 1:1 (w/v) soil – water suspension with pH meter, total nitrogen was determined by the Kjeldahl method, available nutrients P, K, Na, Ca and Mg were determined using Mehlich method while total organic carbon was determined by calorimetric method. Land use type (LUT), plant cover, and soil physical and chemical properties influenced Trichoderma occurrence. The frequency of isolation of Trichoderma spp. was highest in napier LUT followed by indigenous forests. Carbon, N, Mg and Fe loaded with forest land use type suggesting their influence on fungal diversity in this LUT. The forests had clay loam soils with higher porosity and water retention capacity compared with the cultivated LUTs which were characterized with clay soils and bulk density. Napier together with other cultivated LUTs which had low records of the fungus loaded positively with Mn and Cu. This implied that plant type was the major determining factor for the high population of Trichoderma recorded in napier LUT. The diversity of soil factors observed in the fallow lands explained the influence of land management on soil physical and chemical characteristics which in turn determined the fungal distribution. Soil depth (0-20cm) did not influence soil factors though fungal diversity, abundance and evenness varied with depth suggesting the influence of other drivers.This study explains the fact that many factors interact in determining the occurrence of Trichoderma spp. and that in some situations it is the soil that is the key factor determining fungal occurrence and diversity while in others it is the plant type.


Previously, we demonstrated that the action of the natural alkaloid, ibogaine, to reduce alcohol (ethanol) consumption is mediated by the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here we set out to test the actions of GDNF in the VTA on ethanol-drinking behaviors. We found that GDNF infusion very rapidly and dose-dependently reduced rat ethanol, but not sucrose, operant self-administration. A GDNF-mediated decrease in ethanol consumption was also observed in rats with a history of high voluntary ethanol intake. We found that the action of GDNF on ethanol consumption was specific to the VTA as infusion of the growth factor into the neighboring substantia nigra did not affect operant responses for ethanol. We further show that intra-VTA GDNF administration rapidly activated the MAPK signaling pathway in the VTA and that inhibition of the MAPK pathway in the VTA blocked the reduction of ethanol self-administration by GDNF. Importantly, we demonstrate that GDNF infused into the VTA alters rats' responses in a model of relapse. Specifically, GDNF application blocked reacquisition of ethanol self-administration after extinction. Together, these results suggest that GDNF, via activation of the MAPK pathway, is a fast-acting selective agent to reduce the motivation to consume and seek alcohol.


This study provides innovative forecasts of the probabilities of certain scenarios of tourism demand. The scenarios of interest are constructed in relation to tourism growth and economic growth. The probability forecasts based on these scenarios provide valuable information for destination policy makers. The time-varying parameter panel vector autoregressive (TVP-PVAR) model is adopted for scenario forecasting. Both the accuracy rate and the Brier score are used to evaluate the forecasting performance. A global set of 25 tourism destinations is empirically examined, and the results confirm that the TVP-PVAR model with a time-varying error covariance matrix is generally a promising tool for forecasting. Our study contributes to tourism forecasting literature in advocating the use of scenario forecasting to facilitate industry decision making in situations wherein forecasts are defined by two or more dimensions simultaneously. In addition, it is the first study to introduce the TVP-PVAR model to tourism demand forecasting.


We estimate a median global sea level rise up to 52 cm (25–87 cm, 5th–95th percentile) and up to 63 cm (27−112 cm, 5th—95th percentile) for a temperature rise of 1.5 ◦C and 2.0 ◦C by 2100 respectively. We also estimate global annual flood costs under these scenarios and find the difference of 11 cm global sea level rise in 2100 could result in additional losses of US$ 1.4 trillion per year (0.25% of global GDP) if no additional adaptation is assumed from the modelled adaptation in the base year. If warming is not kept to 2 ◦C, but follows a high emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5), global annual flood costs without additional adaptation could increase to US$ 14 trillion per year and US$ 27 trillion per year for global sea level rise of 86 cm (median) and 180 cm (95th percentile), reaching 2.8% of global GDP in 2100. Upper middle income countries are projected to experience the largest increase in annual flood costs (up to 8% GDP) with a large proportion attributed to China. High income countries have lower projected flood costs, in part due to their high present-day protection standards. Adaptation could potentially reduce sea level induced flood costs by a factor of 10. Failing to achieve the global mean temperature targets of 1.5 ◦C or 2 ◦C will lead to greater damage and higher levels of coastal flood risk worldwide.


Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) exhibit many characteristics of a periodic life-history strategy, including extended longevity, late maturity, high fecundity, and variable recruitment success. Observations of alligator gar spawning events indicate that recruitment in inland waters may be linked to spring and summer flood pulses and the availability of floodplain spawning habitats. However, because data have mostly come from observation and not formal experimentation, it is unknown whether these data represent true requirements or if they simply reflect conditions that were easily observed. Therefore, we reviewed existing data regarding alligator gar spawning and early development to draft habitat suitability criteria related to recruitment success and then tested these criteria against historic annual recruitment variability (i.e., year-class strength) in the Trinity River and Choke Canyon Reservoir, Texas. Habitat suitability criteria were proposed for water temperature (20 to 30 °C, coinciding with spring and summer), hydrology (inundation of floodplain habitats to a depth of at least 1 m for a minimum of 5 days), and spawning habitat characteristics (open canopy with herbaceous or small woody vegetation within 0.5 m of the water surface where there is little or no flow). In both the Trinity River and Choke Canyon Reservoir, we found that historic annual recruitment of alligator gar generally corresponded closely with the availability of suitable hydrologic conditions during spring and summer. Alligator gar recruitment was highly variable in both systems with above expected recruitment only occurring in about 30% of the years. The strongest two year classes comprised about half of the population in each system and were produced in years with large, long duration flood pulses during June and July. While additional research is needed to refine the proposed habitat suitability criteria, our study verifies a link between alligator gar recruitment success and the availability of floodplain spawning habitats during the spring and summer in inland waters.


Known for its comprehensive approach, this text shows operations managers how to analyse processes, ensure quality, create value, and manage the flow of information, products and services. The seventh edition offers an extensive collection of exercises and solved problems to reinforce key concepts. An increased emphasis is placed on supply chain management and services. New information is presented on the environment and green management, and technology type OM topics as it applies to production, control, the supply chain, and global operations. All chapter opening cases and in–text example boxes have also been revised or replaced. This new content better prepares operations managers for the issues they'll experience in the field.


The phenomenal growth of the Internet and its entry into many aspects of daily life has led to a great dependency on its services. Multimedia and content distribution applications (e.g., video streaming, online gaming, VoIP) require Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees in terms of bandwidth, delay, loss, and jitter to maintain a certain level of performance. Moreover, E-commerce applications and retail websites are faced with increasing demand for better throughput and response time performance. The most practical way to realize such applications is through the use of overlay networks, which are logical networks that implement service and resource management functionalities at the application layer. Overlays offer better deployability, scalability, security, and resiliency properties than network layer based implementation of services.
Network monitoring and routing are among the most important issues in the design and operation of overlay networks. Accurate monitoring of QoS parameters is a challenging problem due to: (i) unbounded link stress in the underlying IP network, and (ii) the conflict in measurements caused by spatial and temporal overlap among measurement tasks. In this context, the focus of this dissertation is on the design and evaluation of efficient QoS monitoring and fault location algorithms using overlay networks.
First, the issue of monitoring accuracy provided by multiple concurrent active measurements is studied on a large-scale overlay test-bed (PlanetLab), the factors affecting the accuracy are identified, and the measurement conflict problem is introduced. Then, the problem of conducting conflict-free measurements is formulated as a scheduling problem of real-time tasks, its complexity is proven to be NP-hard, and efficient heuristic algorithms for the problem are proposed. Second, an algorithm for minimizing monitoring overhead while controlling the IP link stress is proposed. Finally, the use of overlay monitoring to locate IP links' faults is investigated. Specifically, the problem of designing an overlay network for verifying the location of IP links' faults, under cost and link stress constraints, is formulated as an integer generalized flow problem, and its complexity is proven to be NP-hard. An optimal polynomial time algorithm for the relaxed problem (relaxed link stress constraints) is proposed.
A combination of simulation and experimental studies using real-life measurement tools and Internet topologies of major ISP networks is conducted to evaluate the proposed algorithms. The studies show that the proposed algorithms significantly improve the accuracy and link stress of overlay monitoring, while incurring low overheads. The evaluation of fault location algorithms show that fast and highly accurate verification of faults can be achieved using overlay monitoring. In conclusion, the holistic view taken and the solutions developed for network monitoring provide a comprehensive framework for the design, operation, and evolution of overlay networks.


It has been posited that different synthetic conditions, such as use of amine-terminated rather than hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers, may result in the production of different species of nanoparticles, namely dendrimer stabilized nanoparticles (DSNs) rather than dendrimer encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs). Although DENs have been well studied, DSNs have received little attention because they are larger, less uniformly synthesized, and probably catalytically inactive. Nonetheless, we believe that an understanding of these nanoparticle systems requires knowledge of all possible species being formed. Moreover, we hope that better synthetic control of DSNs may allow for new applications. To this end, we have optimized literature procedures to form gold DSNs smaller than 2 nm. Two techniques, aqueous-organic extraction and transmission electron microscopy staining, were explored for their utility in differentiating the two species (DENs and DSNs). UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy indicates that extraction serves as a useful qualitative method for identifying the presence of a significant proportion of DSNs in a solution of nanoparticles. If reproducibility can be established, we believe this technique could be made quantitative. Perfection of a washing step to remove excess thiols would allow for corroboration of current evidence using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Attempts to stain the dendrimer for TEM using uranyl acetate and phosphotungstic acid were unable to match the quality of currently published data, although some progress was made in removing prohibitive stain contamination. We outline several experimental changes that may result in this technique yet proving useful.


This study aims to determine the influence of Relationship Marketing is composed of variable quality of service, commitment, communication, and mutual benefits to customer satisfaction PT. MALANG GraPARI TELKOMSEL and know of Relationship Marketing variables such as the quality of service, commitment, communication, and mutual benefit of the dominant influence on customer satisfaction PT. TELKOMSEL GraPARI Dept.
This type of research is survey research, where researchers conducted observations in data collection, the researchers only records the data as it is, analyze and interpret data. The data used are primary data is the data obtained from the first source through a questionnaire which contains questions relating to the variables that have been determined that include: relationship marketing and customer satisfaction. While secondary data are further processed and presented in PT. MALANG GraPARI TELKOMSEL who meluputi condition of the company on issues of organizational structure, vision and mission, Operational Aspects, and Marketing. Analysis using Multiple Linear Regression.
Overall the study results are known, namely the independent variable Relationship marketing is composed of variable Quality of Service (X1), Commitment (X2), Communication (X3) and Mutual Benefit (X4) and simultaneously have a significant effect of partial variable customer satisfaction in using services in TELKOMSEL GraPARI Dept. Based on the results of multiple linear regression test showed that the variable Quality of Service (X1) has a partial coefficient of determination of the most major. Thus the unknown variable Quality of Service (X1) has a dominant influence on the variables of customer satisfaction in using the services in TELKOMSEL GraPARI MALANG (Y).
Based on the research, the advice can be given are: PT. MALANG GraPARI TELKOMSEL deemed necessary to enhance the activities that can build, improve, develop and maintain a realtionship marketing concept that includes Quality of Service, Commitment, Communication and Mutual Benefit so as to create a strong belief in self Customer TELKOMSEL GraPARI Dept particular and society in general. Based on the results of this research is that there are other variables that could affect customer satisfaction, expected PT. MALANG GraPARI TELKOMSEL give more attention to these other factors.


Two alternative methods for numerical modeling of variably saturated flow in layered media are developed. The first method is based on a space and time finite difference discretization of the mixed form of Richards' equation. The solution of the resulting equations follows the scheme introduced by Celia et al. The unique features in the proposed solution are treatments of (i) the saturated–unsaturated transition and (ii) the interface between material layers. In the second method, following work by Marinelli and Durnford, Richards' equation is discretized in time. At each time step a system of two first‐order equations in space is obtained. These equations are solved with an ordinary differential equation (ODE) shooting method. The ODE solution uses a fixed space grid and first order Euler integration. Both the finite difference and shooting methods are used to model the drainage of an initially saturated one‐dimensional three‐layer soil column. Grid converged results indicate a close agreement between the finite difference and shooting method predictions.


This document describes two methods of congestion control when using
real-time communications on the World Wide Web (RTCWEB); one delay-
based and one loss-based. It is published as an input document to the
RMCAT working group on congestion control for media streams. The
mailing list of that working group is firstname.lastname@example.com.


For reflective dividing of a laser beam and focusing in two spots with a fixed distance between, a Fresnel biprism is used. When there is a need for a more frequent change of distance between the spots, a new solution is proposed.


Adenosine to inosine (A–I) editing is the most common modification of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). This change is mediated by adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) enzymes with a preference of U>A>C>G for 5′ neighbor and G>C=A>U or G>C>U=A for 3′ neighbor. A–I editing occurs most frequently in the non-coding regions containing repetitive elements such as ALUs. It leads to disruption of RNA duplex structure, which prevents induction of innate immune response. We employed standard and biased molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze the behavior of RNA duplexes with single and tandem inosine–uracil (I–U) base pairs in different sequence context. Our analysis showed that the I–U pairs induce changes in base pair and base pair step parameters and have different dynamics when compared with standard canonical base pairs. In particular, the first I–U pair from tandem I–U/I–U systems exhibited increased dynamics depending on its neighboring 5′ base. We discovered that UII sequence, which is frequently edited, has lower flexibility compared with other sequences (AII, GII, CII), hence it only modestly disrupts dsRNA. This might indicate that the UAA motifs in ALUs do not have to be sufficiently effective in preventing immune signaling.


Biological brains exhibit many interesting and complex behaviours. Understanding of the mechanisms behind brain behaviours is critical for continuing advancement in fields of research such as artificial intelligence and medicine. In particular, synchronisation of neuronal firing is associated with both improvements to and degeneration of the brain's performance; increased synchronisation can lead to enhanced information-processing or neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. As a result, it is desirable to research under which conditions synchronisation arises in neural networks and the possibility of controlling its prevalence. Stochastic ensembles of FitzHugh-Nagumo elements are used to model neural networks for numerical simulations and bifurcation analysis. The FitzHugh-Nagumo model is employed because of its realistic representation of the flow of sodium and potassium ions in addition to its advantageous property of allowing phase plane dynamics to be observed. Network characteristics such as connectivity, configuration and size are explored to determine their influences on global synchronisation generation in their respective systems. Oscillations in the mean-field are used to detect the presence of synchronisation over a range of coupling strength values. To ensure simulation efficiency, coupling strengths between neurons that are identical and fixed with time are investigated initially. Such networks where the interaction strengths are fixed are referred to as homogeneously coupled. The capacity of controlling and altering behaviours produced by homogeneously coupled networks is assessed through the application of weak and strong delayed feedback independently with various time delays. To imitate learning, the coupling strengths later deviate from one another and evolve with time in networks that are referred to as heterogeneously coupled. The intensity of coupling strength fluctuations and the rate at which coupling strengths converge to a desired mean value are studied to determine their impact upon synchronisation performance. The stochastic delay differential equations governing the numerically simulated networks are then converted into a finite set of deterministic cumulant equations by virtue of the Gaussian approximation method. Cumulant equations for maximal and sub-maximal connectivity are used to generate two-parameter bifurcation diagrams on the noise intensity and coupling strength plane, which provides qualitative agreement with numerical simulations. Analysis of artificial brain networks, in respect to biological brain networks, are discussed in light of recent research in sleep theory


Objective: to determine frequency, incidence, and to describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with nosocomial diarrheal disease caused by Clostridioides difficile in Edgardo Rebagliati-Martins National Hospital in Peru, between April to July 2019. Material and Methods: this is an observational and cross-sectional study that was performed in Internal Medicine, Intensive Care, Hematology, Gastroenterology, and Emergency services. Active surveillance of patients more than 18-years old who had three or more non-formed stools in a 24-hour period at 48-hours after being admitted to the hospital. A diagnostic algorithm was used, including glutamate dehydrogenase and A and B C. difficile fecal toxins. In case of discordant results, nucleic acid amplification for toxin producing genes tests were performed. Results: out of 107 patients with nosocomial diarrheal disease, 12 were positive for C. difficile, with 11.2% frequency (95% CI: 6.44 – 18.82). One patient was NAP1-BI-027 positive. The maximum incidence was found in the hematology service (5.54 x 10000 patientsday). Seven (7/12, 58.3%) patients were male and average age was 64.58 ± 21.34 years. The most frequently prescribed antibacterial agent prior to the diarrheal disease was meropenem (9/12, 75%). Only two patients had received clindamycin. Most patients (8/12, 66.7%) had an initial non severe episode. Overall mortality was 28% (95% CI: 20.27–37.38) and four deceased patients had C. difficile infection. Conclusions: The frecuency of nosocomial diarrheal disease caused by C. difficile in our institution was lower than that reported in another public hospital in Lima. Rational use of antibacterial agents and preventative measures may explain these findings.


In spite of the ASEAN goal of harmonising national competition policies and laws, the ASEAN Member States (AMSs) adopt an array of different approaches towards a number of procedural and substantive competition law issues, including the substantive appraisal of vertical agreements. The question of whether, and if so how, analysis of vertical agreements under the competition laws of the AMSs should be aligned has, to date, received little attention from ASEAN competition agencies. This paper notes that this is, nonetheless, a matter of considerable importance. Not only do the differences in approach adopted undermine ASEAN's stated objectives, but they are likely to be damaging competition and efficiency and inhibiting market integration.The paper draws on practice and experience in the US and EU to consider whether, and if so how, the approach to vertical agreements under the competition law systems of the AMSs should be reformed or developed to ensure a more coherent policy which is optimal for achieving ASEAN's objectives. One issue considered is whether the EU policy towards resale price maintenance and restraints on cross-border trade should be emulated. In particular, whether a hardline approach should be adopted against vertical restraints which enable firms to partition the ASEAN market along national lines and perpetuate price differences in the AMSs, thereby undermining its single market objective.The paper concludes that although greater harmonisation of policies towards vertical agreements might be desirable, it will be difficult to achieve within the existing national systems without some legislative changes and significant cooperation between the ASEAN competition authorities. Given the different perspectives that the separate legislative regimes reflect, debate will be required to build consensus around a more uniform approach that can effectively be implemented within each of the national systems.


Question: To what extent can aerial photography be used for taxonomic identification of Amazonian tree crowns?

Objective: To investigate whether a combination of dichotomous keys and a web-based interface is a suitable approach to identify tree crowns.

Location: The fieldwork was conducted at Tiputini Biodiversity Station located in the Amazon, eastern Ecuador.

Methods: High-resolution imagery was taken from an airplane flying at a low altitude (600 m) above the ground. Imagery of the observable upper layer of the tree crowns was used for the analysis. Dichotomous identification keys for different types of crowns were produced and tested. The identification keys were designed to be web-based interactive, using Google Earth as the main online platform. The taxa analysed were Iriartea, Astrocaryum, Inga, Parkia, Cecropia, Pourouma, Guarea, Otoba, Lauraceae and Pouteria.

Results: This paper demonstrates that a combination of photo-imagery, dichotomous keys and a web-based interface can be useful for the taxonomic identification of Amazonian trees based on their crown characteristics. The keys tested with an overall identification accuracy of over 50% for five of the ten taxa with three of them showing accuracy greater than 70% (Iriartea, Astrocaryum and Cecropia).

Conclusions: The application of dichotomous keys and a web-based interface provides a new methodological approach for taxonomic identification of various Amazonian tree crowns. Overall, the study showed that crowns with a medium-rough texture are less reliably identified than crowns with smoother or well-defined surfaces.


Confronting the Bomb tells the dramatic, inspiring story of how citizen activism helped curb the nuclear arms race and prevent nuclear war. This abbreviated version of Lawrence Wittner's award-winning trilogy, The Struggle Against the Bomb, shows how a worldwide, grassroots campaign-the largest social movement of modern times-challenged the nuclear priorities of the great powers and, ultimately, thwarted their nuclear ambitions. Based on massive research in the files of peace and disarmament organizations and in formerly top secret government records, extensive interviews with antinuclear activists and government officials, and memoirs and other published materials, Confronting the Bomb opens a unique window on one of the most important issues of the modern era: survival in the nuclear age. It covers the entire period of significant opposition to the bomb, from the final stages of the Second World War up to the present. Along the way, it provides fascinating glimpses of the interaction of key nuclear disarmament activists and policymakers, including Albert Einstein, Harry Truman, Albert Schweitzer, Norman Cousins, Nikita Khrushchev, Bertrand Russell, Andrei Sakharov, Linus Pauling, Dwight Eisenhower, Harold Macmillan, John F. Kennedy, Randy Forsberg, Mikhail Gorbachev, Helen Caldicott, E.P. Thompson, and Ronald Reagan. Overall, however, it is a story of popular mobilization and its effectiveness.


Traditionally only speech communicates emotions via mobile phone. However, in daily communication the sense of touch mediates emotional information during conversation. The present aim was to study if tactile stimulation affects emotional ratings of speech when measured with scales of pleasantness, arousal, approachability, and dominance. In the Experiment 1 participants rated speech-only and speech-tactile stimuli. The tactile signal mimicked the amplitude changes of the speech. In the Experiment 2 the aim was to study whether the way the tactile signal was produced affected the ratings. The tactile signal either mimicked the amplitude changes of the speech sample in question, or the amplitude changes of another speech sample. Also, concurrent static vibration was included. The results showed that the speech-tactile stimuli were rated as more arousing and dominant than the speech-only stimuli. The speech-only stimuli were rated as more approachable than the speech-tactile stimuli, but only in the Experiment 1. Variations in tactile stimulation also affected the ratings. When the tactile stimulation was static vibration the speech-tactile stimuli were rated as more arousing than when the concurrent tactile stimulation was mimicking speech samples. The results suggest that tactile stimulation offers new ways of modulating and enriching the interpretation of speech.


Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 choose Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 Classroom in a Book from the Adobe Creative Team at Adobe Press. The 18 project-based lessons in this book show readers step-by-step the key techniques for working in Dreamweaver CS5. Readers learn what they need to know to create a professional website without having to delve into code. This completely revised CS5 edition covers Adobe's Spry framework for Ajax to create dynamic interfaces, Spry widgets (pre-built user interface components) to quickly add common components to Web pages; and Live View, a working browser rendering right in the program. The book also shows how to enter text in headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables; insert graphics and Photoshop Smart Objects; add links to text and images; apply cascading style sheets; and customize the Dreamweaver workspace. Readers will also learn to add interactive elements to their sites, such as Flash video and animation, get guidance for working with code, and finally publish a finished site to the Web. The companion DVD includes lesson files so readers can work along with the book, as well as 2 hours of FREE video tutorials from 'Learn Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 by Video' by video2brain and Adobe Press.The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students. Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain TrainingClassroom in a Book, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program doesan official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.


The spatial resolution of infrared thermometry is limited by diffraction to dimensions close to the wavelength of the collected infrared radiation, typically 5 μm at room temperatures. Thermal properties variations, temperature gradients, and defects with dimensions smaller than the diffraction limit are inaccessible to far-field infrared thermometry. This work demonstrates a near-field method for improving the spatial resolution of infrared thermometry based on a solid immersion lens (SIL). The SIL is microfabricated from silicon and integrated with a cantilever that is scanned over the sample surface. Infrared radiation collected by the SIL is measured in a conventional infrared microscope, and we show that the SIL improves the edge response of the thermal microscope by a factor of four. This imaging approach is able to resolve differences in the radiance from a uniformly heated, patterned structure with feature sizes below the diffraction limit in air.


The direct contribution of microorganisms to the mobilisation and immobilisation of phosphorus (P) in aquatic sediments has been controversially discussed for more than a decade. Some authors have speculated that the microbial P pool is highly variable in the uppermost sediment layer, especially when excessive P accumulation in the form of polyphosphate (Poly-P) occurs. Poly-P storage is a widespread ability of many different organisms in nature. The phenomenon of Poly-P storage has been technically optimised in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) providing conditions for enhanced biological phosphorus removal. New insights into the functioning of P elimination in WWTP were strongly linked to the development of novel methods, like 31 P nuclear magnetic reso- nance, for the detection of Poly-P and molecular biological methods for the identification of the specific microorganisms responsible for biological P elimination. Our review summarises current literature on Poly-P in aquatic systems and discusses different potential habitats and mechanisms for Poly-P storage in sediments that are more diverse than in WWTP. Poly-P in sediments may originate from benthic or pelagic hetero- and autotrophic organisms. Poly-P-accumulating organisms in sedi- ments may be of high ecological importance, since they insert phosphorus into the benthic food chain and affect the permanent P mineral deposition in sediments by physiologically inducing rapid P release. Although several studies indicate that Poly-P substantially contributes to total P in the upper- most sediment layer (up to 10%), its origin and the microorganisms and mechanisms involved in Poly-P storage and cycling are largely unknown. Therefore, we also aim to stimulate future studies focusing on these important areas of sediment research.


Abstract This work presents a paradigm application of a new methodology for simultaneously calibrating (adjusting) model parameters and responses, through assimilation of experimental data, to the benchmark transient thermal-hydraulic experiment IC1, performed at London's Imperial College. Following the description of the experimental setup, the corresponding mathematical model is developed and solved numerically. The sensitivities of typically important responses (e.g., temperatures, pressures) to model parameters are computed by applying both the forward and the adjoint sensitivity analysis procedures. These sensitivities not only identify the most important model parameters but also propagate, within the data assimilation procedure, parameter uncertainties for obtaining predictive best-estimate quantities, with reduced best-estimate uncertainties (i.e., "smaller" values for the variance-covariance matrices). This assimilation procedure also provides a quantitative indication of the degree of agreement between computations and experiments. In particular, the paradigm application presented in this work indicates the path for validating and calibrating thermal-hydraulic computational models used for reactor safety analyses. The concluding remarks highlight several important open issues, the resolution of which would significantly advance the area of predictive best-estimate modeling, while opening new avenues for applications in nuclear reactor engineering and safety.


In response to in utero insults, male vs. female infants have greater disadvantages in pregnancy outcome. We asked if this differential impact of fetal sex might extend to fetal growth in utero during preeclampsia. We first investigated the influence of relevant variables in normotensive pregnancy. We evaluated whether the impact of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), smoking and socioeconomic status were modified by sex and/or race in singleton offspring of 8,801 primiparous normotensive women enrolled in the Collaborative Perinatal Project. The mean head-to-chest circumference (HCC) decreased more or each 1kg/m2 increase in pre-pregnancy BMI, while mean birthweight and ponderal index (PI) increased more for each 1kg/m2 increase in pre-pregnancy BMI among term females vs. males (p=0.07, p<0.01 and p=0.08, interaction respectively). We then investigated whether the relationship between preeclampsia and fetal growth was modified by sex in offspring of 516 preeclamptic and 8801 normotensive primiparous women. Male vs. female preterm offspring of preeclamptic mothers had greater reductions in mean birthweight, head and chest circumferences (p=0.05, p=0.02, p=0.01; interaction respectively). The influence of preeclampsia on growth of term offspring was more modest, and the influence of sex was opposite that in preterm infants.Next we investigated placentas from 735 preeclamptic and 21,185 normotensive primiparous and multiparous women, to determine which dimensions of placental growth are reduced in preeclamptic pregnancies. We then investigated if the relationship between these measures and birthweight was constant between offspring of normotensive and preeclamptic women, as well as across infant sex. We found that the smaller but not the larger placental diameter was an independent predictor of preeclampsia ((smaller diameter <15cm OR 1.27 95% CI 1.01, 1.59) and larger diameter <18 cm (OR 1.18 95% CI 0.90, 1.54)). We also found higher rates of increase in birth weight at lower placental weight and placental diameters in offspring of preeclamptic vs. normotensive women (all p<0.05, interaction). Additionally, we found that among the offspring of preeclamptic women, female offspring with smaller diameters above 20cm, had a reduction in birth weight while males did not (p=0.02, interaction). This work yields meaningful public health findings by providing evidence that influences upon fetal and placental growth are different by infant sex. Studies of mechanisms affecting fetal growth should investigate interactions with fetal sex. We hope studies of the involved biological pathways will direct future research to reduce rates of growth restriction and later life chronic diseases.


Background
Historical controls continue to be used in early-phase brain tumor trials. We aim to show that historical changes in survival trends for glioblastoma (GBM) call into question the use of noncontemporary controls.

Methods
We analyzed data from 46 106 primary GBM cases from the SEER database (1998-2016). We performed trend analysis on survival outcomes (2-year survival probability, median survival, and hazard ratios) and patient characteristics (age, sex, resection extent, and treatment type).

Results
In 2005-2016 (ie, the post-Stupp protocol era), fitting a parameter independently to each year, there was a demonstrable increase in median survival (R2 = 0.81, P < .001) and 2-year survival probability (R2 = 0.55, P = .006) for GBM. Trend analysis of the hazard ratio showed a significant time-dependent downward trend (R2 = 0.62, P = .002). When controlling, via multivariable Cox regression modeling, for age, sex, resection extent, and treatment type, there was a persistent downward trend in hazard ratios with increases in calendar time, especially in the most recent data.

Conclusion
Contemporary GBM patients face a different overall hazard profile from their historical counterparts, which is evident in changes in measures of patient survival and parametric hazard modeling. Though there was a plateau in these measures before 2005 (pre-Stupp protocol), there is no evidence of a new plateau in recent years even when controlling for known prognostic factors (age, sex, resection extent, and treatment type), suggesting that it may be insufficient to match contemporary patients and noncontemporary controls on the basis of these factors.


Audiovisual translation is an academic term that covers both well-established and new ground-breaking linguistic and semiotic transfers like dubbing, subtitling, surtitling, respeaking, audiosubtitling, voice-over, simultaneous interpreting at film festivals, free-commentary and goblin translation, subtitling for the deaf and the hard of hearing, audiodescription, fansubbing and fandubbing. This article presents a classification of audiovisual translation modes or types, and discusses some interesting developments in the audiovisual translation market at the beginning of this new century. Dubbing countries are moving towards subtitling, subtitling countries are beginning to dub, voice-over countries are shifting towards dubbing and subtitling, while voice-over is moving into dubbing and subtitling countries and gaining ground with younger audiences.


The development and implementation of Lunar and Mars Missions will require integration of numerous architectures for both on-orbit and planetary surface engineering and construction. These architectures will involve extensive surface and on-orbit extravehicular work activities for construction and operations. A key element of this integration process will be the selection of appropriate work-systems to perform required tasks. The constructors of engineering systems for on-orbit and surface operations have a number of work-system options for performing these tasks: (1) Extravehicular activity (EVA) performed by astronauts, (2) Extravehicular robotics (EVR), and (3) Cooperative EVA combined with EVR (using crew and robots synergistically to perform tasks). The question remains, however, 'Under what conditions is it cost-effective to use the EVA and/or EVR resource?' The answer to this question has implications for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) where the issue of work-system allocation is magnified by long distances, high transport costs, and the scope of construction and mission operations. A technique of interest to engineering designers and operational planners for determining in an economic context whether to use EVA alone, EVR alone, or Cooperative EVA is described. It is also shown that given the estimated task times for these alternatives, and the marginal costs of EVA, EVR, and IVA, the appropriate work-system for performing the task can be identified. The paper illustrates how the work-system choice is based on the ratio of costs and a nomograph based on these ratios and developed for general application is used to illustrate the trade-offs among alternative work-systems.


Security is one of the main aspects to take into account when designing and developing web services. A meaning number of mechanisms of attack can lead to a web service system crash. As a result, the web service cannot allow the access to authorized users. This type of attacks is so-called as denial of service attack (DoS) which affects the availability of the services and resources. This paper presents an approach to detect and classify DoS attacks, based on Case-based Reasoning methodology where heterogeneous data are merged in order to obtain a set of cases that reflect previous analysis. The proposal has two peculiarities: (i) when a web service is attacked, this possible attack is studied by different analysers, distributing previous experiences among the analysers, in order to classify attacks in a better way; and (ii) the analysis process against attacks is temporal bounded allowing its use in environments with temporal constraints.


ABSTRACT Based on 2 years of ethnographic fieldwork with builders of boutique music effects boxes, this essay explores the ways in which improvisation figures into the creation of music technology. The author argues that expanding the rubric of improvisation to encompass the processes of designing and building effects boxes pushes scholars to understand relationships between music and improvisation as existing beyond the boundaries of performance. Ultimately he posits that improvisatory behavior and exploratory engagement with material at hand is central to building pedals, and should be assessed as part of the continuum of social-aesthetic practices composing music making.


Abstract Ediacara fan-shaped sets of paired scratches Kimberichnus teruzzii from the Ediacara Member of the Rawnsley Quartzite, South Australia, and the White Sea region of Russia, represent the earliest known evidence in the fossil record of feeding traces associated with the responsible bilaterian organism. These feeding patterns exclude arthropod makers and point to the systematic feeding excavation of seafloor microbial mats by large bilaterians of molluscan grade. Since the scratch traces were made into microbial mats, animals could crawl over previous traces without disturbing them. The trace maker is identified as Kimberella quadrata, whose death masks co-occur with the mat excavation traces in both Russia and South Australia. The co-occurrence of animals and their systematic feeding traces in the record of the Ediacara biota supports previous trace fossil evidence that bilaterians existed globally before the Cambrian explosion of life in the ocean.


The introduction of the UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) in 2004 treated professionalisation of sport coaching as a linear process. This neglected the social, messy reality of the coaching process and overlooked the subtle cultural differences between sports. Consequently, the UKCC was not as effective as first hoped and has now become more of a reference point than active policy. It has been criticised for deskilling coaches through indoctrination, for being decontextualised from the complex nature of coaching, and for covering irrelevant topics. The result is a dominant narrative that claims formal coach education is under-resourced, lacks leadership, direction and quality assurance. This leaves coaches perceiving their formal educational experiences as less helpful in practice, compared to less structured learning opportunities. This research applied Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model of human development as a theoretical framework to sport coaching for the first time. Embedded in the interpretivist paradigm, this research employed Blumer's (1969) symbolic interactionism as a methodological framework. The result was an exploration of the learning ecologies of sport coaches, from the macro to the micro. This piece of work studied the political, socio-, economic-, cultural and historical backdrop (the macrosystem) to the development, implementation and delivery of British Cycling's formal coach education provision (the exosystem). This research gave the National Governing Body a platform to tell the untold story of developing formal coach education programmes. This highlighted how the controls were not in place to support, or ensure, the standardisation that UKCC promised. In this way, British Cycling were powerless to the implemented national policy, powerless to a national drive to improve elite sport at an international level and sold a dream. Transitioning away from UKCC-endorsed programmes is seen as a backward step as there is currently no suitable framework to replace the UKCC. Formal education is important to professionalising the coaching workforce as it controls the dissemination of knowledge and establishes entry routes to the coaching role through the delivery and regulation of formal qualifications. This regulates the recruitment of coaches and standardises the delivery and expectations of practitioners. This presents National Governing Bodies with a dilemma. Many researchers have made idealistic prescriptions for coaching, but there is a need to develop pertinent frameworks that can improve learning and practice within different populations and maintain trainees' motivations and engagement with their formal education experiences. Although formal coach education has attracted the attention of numerous scholars, there is a dearth of studies that have attempted to directly investigate, or evaluate, a coach education programme. Research investigating coach learning is yet to provide specific, structured, evidence-based suggestions that coaches can use to enhance their learning and effectiveness. It appears that the relative success of coach education starts with the individual's past experiences and networks of existing knowledge, beliefs and values. Crucially, this means that the same coach education opportunity has a different impact on different individuals, depending on each individual's unique starting point. As such, finding ways to deliver formal education in ways that more effectively takes into account trainees' biographies might increase the effectiveness of formal education and trainees' engagement with these programmes. This research identified three 'types' of coaches attending British Cycling's formal education – three narratives: performance, discovery and relational. Employing a micro-ethnography methodology over fifteen months, this work gained a deeper understanding of eight individuals' insight and experiences of attending British Cycling's formal education (the mesosystem). Then, by capturing participants' experiences of coaching as they entered their coaching contexts following their formal education (their microsystem), this PhD explored how effectively British Cycling's formal education prepared participants for their role as qualified coaches. In addition, this data captured coaches learning within their everyday context. These findings, for the first time, align trainee coaches to different narrative types. Each narrative experienced formal coach education differently, each valuing different mechanisms and outcomes. Further, each narrative type constructed different learning ecologies distinct to their narrative. It is proposed that these findings offer a 'soft start' to informing British Cycling's delivery of their formal education as they move towards more holistic, personalised models of formal sport coach education. Of course, it is likely that more narratives are identifiable and that coaches can transition from one narrative type to another during the course of their coaching career. Therefore, it is recommended that future research applies Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model of human development to different sports, across more diverse sample sizes.


Anew curve fit to a new compilation of data shows with new clarity that from 1900 to 2010, the main "dipole" part of the earth's magnetic field decayed exponentially (constant percent loss per year) with a small sine-wave variation. The time constant of the exponential part is 1611 (± 10) years. The sinusoidal part has a period of 66.1 (± 1.3) years and an amplitude of 0.29 (± 0.02) % of the main part today. The fit is very good, with most points within 0.05% of the curve. The distinctness of the exponential part gives new strength to the creationary model of the field, that losses in the earth's core today are steadily decreasing the electric current producing the dipole field, thus supporting a young earth. A simple electric circuit clarifies the decay model. The small sine-wave part, apparently not noticed in the dipole moment data before now, may be due to an east-west torsional oscillation between core and mantle. This corresponds to an approximately 60-year cycle observed in the rate of earth's rotation.


This study examined sense of belonging among a national sample of 2,967 first-year students. Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997), relationships between several aspects of the college environment and sense of belonging were examined. Findings indicated that African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian Pacific American students reported a less strong sense of belonging than White/Caucasian students. The social dimensions of the transition to college and residence hall climate and perceptions of the campus racial climate had strong significant relationships to students' sense of belonging. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.


How can we identify who benefits from government programs aimed at solving our social problem and who pays for them? With so many problems, how can we allocate scarce funds to promote the maximum well-being of our citizens?In this book, originally presented as the third series of H. Rowan Gaither Lectures in Systems Science at the University of California (Berkeley). Alice M. Rivlin examines the contributions that systematic analysis has made to decisionmaking in the government's "social action" programseducation, health, manpower training, and income maintenance. Drawing on her own experience in government, Mrs. Rivlin indicates where the analysts have been helpful in finding solutions and wherebecause of inadequate data or methodsthey have been no help at all.Mrs. Rivlin concludes by urging the widespread implementation of social experimentation and acceptability by the federal government. The first in such a way as to permit valid conclusions about their effectiveness; the second would encourage the adoption of better ways of delivering services by making those who administer programs responsive to their clients. Underlying both is the requirement from comprehensive, reliable performance measures."


Vibrio parahaemolyticus is widespread in occurrence and has been recognized as a cause of gastroenteritis related to consumption of raw or improperly cooked seafood. Outbreaks of V. parahaemolyticus food poisoning are most common in Taiwan, Japan and Southeast Asia. In this study, V. parahaemolyticus was isolated from 62 of 100 (62%) samples of cockles (Anadara granosa) collected from Tanjong Karang, Kuala Selangor. A total of 62 strains were studied for the presence or absence of regulatory gene (toxR), virulence genes (tdh and trh), their antibiotic resistance, the occurrence of plasmids and their molecular fingerprints by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR) and Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus - Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR) assays. All 62 strains were positive for the regulatory gene (toxR) of V. parahaemolyticus. The PCR analysis for the detection of tdh or trh genes showed two (3.2%) positive strains carrying tdh gene and eleven (17.7%) strains had trh gene. The MPN value for all samples was more than 1100 MPN/g. This study has shown that all strains were multiple resistant to three or more of the seventeen antibiotics tested with the MAR indices ranging from 0.58-0.94. All isolates of V. parahaemolyticus were highly resistant towards the antibiotics tested, except one strain that was sensitive towards norfloxacin. Plasmids were found in 80% of the strains analyzed and 18 different plasmid profiles were observed. The plasmid size ranged from 2.7 to more than 54 kb. Two molecular typing methods were used in this study to examine the genetic relatedness among the V. parahaemolyticus strains. In the analysis by RAPD-PCR and ERIC-PCR, the size of RAPD and ERIC fragments ranged from 0.25 to 10.0 kb with an average number of ten and eight bands, respectively. Sixty-two genotypes among the 62 V. parahaemolyticus strains were generated using RAPD and ERIC-PCR which indicates that the strains were very diverse. Hence, this study, demonstrated that the local cockles are potential source for pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus.


The emission of light from whispering-gallery modes excited in microscopic spheres is examined. An evanescent wave is produced by total internal reflection of an optical beam at a planar glass-air interface. This evanescent wave is used to excite whispering-gallery modes in single microscopic spheres placed behind the glass-air interface. The intensity of light emitted into the air half-space from such spheres is measured as a function of scattering angle for both p- and s-polarized input beams. These data are compared with a simple theory for the emission from a point source above a planar glass substrate.


We present an integrated method for program proving, testing, and debugging. Using the concept of metamorphic relations, we select necessary properties for target programs. For programs where global symbolic evaluation can be conducted and the constraint expressions involved can be solved, we can either prove that these necessary conditions for program correctness are satisfied or identify all inputs that violate the conditions. For other programs, our method can be converted into a symbolic-testing approach. Our method extrapolates from the correctness of a program for tested inputs to the correctness of the program for related untested inputs. The method supports automatic debugging through the identification of constraint expressions that reveal failures.


In this paper, area preserving multi-scale representations of planar curves are described. This allows smoothing without shrinkage at the same time preserving all the scale-space properties. The representations are obtained deforming the curve via geometric heat flows while simultaneously magnifying the plane by a homethety which keeps the enclosed area constant. When the Euclidean geometric heat flow is used, the resulting representation is Euclidean invariant, and similarly it is affine invariant when the affine one is used. The flows are geometrically intrinsic to the curve, and exactly satisfy all the basic requirements of scale-space representations. In the case of the Euclidean heat flow, it is completely local as well. The same approach is used to define length preserving geometric flows. A similarity (scale) invariant geometric heat flow is studied as well in this work. >


The heightening of a sea wall is often proposed for the purpose of decreasing the amount of wave-overtopping. In a recreation beach, however, the heightening of sea wall is undesirable from the view-point of environmental preservation and beach utilization. In this paper, instead of it, a proposal is made of the sea wall with a wide frontal step as well as the widening of beach by artificial nourishment. The frontal step is not only effective to decrease the amount of wave-overtopping, but also serves as a promenade for visitors. The widening of beach is known to serve to decrease wave-overtopping as well as to increase the utility for recreation. However, the protection of the nourished beach itself becomes sometimes a difficult problem. In this paper, the hydraulic characteristics of a wide frontal step and the effect of several protective measures for the nourished beach are described on the basis of model and field tests conducted for the improvement of Suma Beach. Suma Beach is a recreational beach situated west of Kobe Port as shown in Fig. 1. The shore-line is about 2 km long and runs from east to west (Fig.11). The beach profile, as shown in Fig.2, has the narrow backshore at about 3 m above L.W.L. and a small step at about 1.5 m below L.W.L. The beach slope is 1/10 in the foreshore, 1/25-1/30 between 2 and 5 m below L.W.L and 1/60-1/80 in the offshore beyond about 6 m below L.W.L. The waves are predominant from the direction of SSW so that the beach materials tend to move eastward along the shore.


After examining the research from within and outside of higher education on organizational performance, this paper identifies eight practices common among high-performance organizations: leadership, focus on the customer, functional alignment, process improvement, use of measurement, employee involvement and professional development, and external linkages. Evidence suggests that these organizational practices have the greatest impact on performance when implemented in concert with one another. The paper assesses the extent to which community colleges generally are following these practices and evaluates current reform efforts in light of models of organizational effectiveness that emerge from the research literature. In order to bring about improvements in organizational performance, community colleges will need to involve faculty and staff in reform efforts. This paper reviews research on strategies for engaging faculty and staff in organizational innovation and describes particular challenges community colleges face on this front. The concluding section recommends concrete steps community college leaders can take to redesign how they manage programs and services to increase rates of student completion on a scale needed to help meet national goals for college attainment.


The successive constitutional crises that confronted the Pakistani courts were not of their own making. But the doctrinally inconsistent, judicially inappropriate, and politically timid responses fashioned by these courts ultimately undermined constitutional governance. When confronted with the question of the validity and scope of extra constitutional power, the courts vacillated between Hans Kelsen's theory of revolutionary validity, Hugo Grotius's theory of implied mandate, and an expansive construction of the doctrine of state necessity. A more principled and realistic response would have been to declare the validity of extra constitutional regimes a nonjusticiable political question. Besides ensuring doctrinal consistency, a refusal to furnish extra constitutional regimes with judicially pronounced validity may well have discouraged praetorian encroachment upon constitutional governance. A consistent refusal to pronounce upon nonjusticiable political questions might have promoted a democratic constitution building process by implicitly reminding the body politic of its primary responsibility to build and preserve constitutional orders. Furthermore, during the periods when these courts had the opportunity to exercise judicial review under a constitution, they failed to enunciate a consistent and coherent standard of review. By misapplying the political question doctrine, the courts implied that democratically elected legislatures possess unfettered legislative power. By refusing to fashion judicial checks against potential tyranny of the majority, the courts acquiesced in the contraction of fundamental rights and the diminution of federalism during the Fourth Republic. This facilitated the demise of the Fourth Republic following yet another military usurpation of power. A better approach would have been for the courts to invalidate any legislation which jeopardized the basic structure and essential features of the constitution.


Land use/land cover (LULC) change occurs when humans alter the landscape, and this leads to increasing loss, fragmentation and spatial simplification of habitat. Many fields of study require monitoring of LULC change at a variety of scales. LULC change assessment is dependent upon high-quality input data, most often from remote sensing-derived products such as thematic maps. This research compares pixel- and object-based classifications of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data for mapping and analysis of LULC change in the mixed land use region of eastern Ontario for the period 1995–2005. For single date thematic maps of 10 LULC classes, quantitative and visual analyses showed no significant accuracy difference between the two methods. The object-based method produced thematic maps with more uniform and meaningful LULC objects, but it suffered from absorption of small rare classes into larger objects and the incapability of spatial parameters (e.g. object shape) to contribute to class discrimination. Despite the similar map accuracies produced by the two methods, temporal change maps produced using post-classification comparison (PCC) and analysed using intensive visual analysis of errors of omission and commission revealed that the object-based maps depicted change more accurately than maximum likelihood classification (MLC)-derived change maps.


Our challenge is to analyze/classify video sound track content for indexing purposes. To this end we compare the performance of MPEG-7 Audio Spectrum Projection (ASP) features based on several basis decomposition algorithms vs. Mel-scale Frequency Cepstrum Coefficients (MFCC). For basis decomposition in the feature extraction we evaluate three approaches: Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Independent Component Analysis (ICA), and Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). Audio features are computed from these reduced vectors and are fed into a continuous hidden Markov model (CHMM) classifier. Our conclusion is that established MFCC features yield better performance compared to MPEG-7 ASP in the general sound recognition under practical constraints.


This monograph investigates concerns about quantifying corruption in South Africa. There is no standardised system for classifying or analysing corruption, which makes the interpretation of available information very difficult. The monograph puts forward a more clearly defined system for categorising corruption. It uses this to consider the circumstances in which corruption becomes visible and to interpret corruption data from victimisation surveys and agencies such as the Special Investigating Unit, the South African Police Service and Public Service Commission.


Due to the long term character of the policy issue, the associated uncertainties and the large variety of affected stakeholders, adapting densely populated delta areas to the impacts of climate change is an important governance challenge and a wicked problem. In this paper, we analyse adaptive delta management (ADM), a policy development approach that relies on adaptation tipping points and adaptation pathways, used by the Dutch Delta Programme to climate proof the Dutch delta. ADM operationalizes adaptive management ideas for the long term governance of river deltas. Taking a governance perspective, we assess the potential of ADM to contribute to each of the five governance capabilities required to deal with wicked problems: reflexivity, responsiveness, resilience, revitalization and rescaling. We conclude that ADM can contribute substantially to the governance capabilities of resilience (through robustness and flexibility) and rescaling (through addressing the time scale mismatch). ADM has the potential to contribute to the governance capabilities of reflexivity and responsiveness, but also has some characteristics that could result in non-reflexivity and non-responsiveness. Enabling ADM as a policy development approach for long term issues requires a long term commitment to iterative policy revision, flexibility and learning in the broader governance system.


Argentine's congress recently dictated the 26.130-2006 law about the procedure for sterilization surgery interventions in men and women. This work offers a review of the legal situation in Argentine and in the world. It points out critical observations to its items, highlighting the right to access to other non surgical contraceptive methods; the advisability for the interested sexual partner to know which decision was taken; the need to determine the competence of candidates prior to surgical intervention stated by an interdisciplinary professional team; the duty to regulate the special situation of legally incompetent persons; the importance of establishing an adequate time between the information and the patient's consent; to prevent sterilization to become the only medical practice paid by the public health system, social security organizations and prepaid medical entities; and to be careful about the reach and nature of conscientious objection in each specific circumstance.


In an effort to obtain a high-quality bone-implant interface, several methods involving alteration of surface morphological, physicochemical, and biochemical properties are being investigated. The aim of our study was to increase the osseointegration rate and quality and decrease the waiting period of dental implants before loading by using a microelectric implant stimulator device. It imitates microelectrical signals, which occur in bone fractures described in terms of piezoelectric theory. A single dental implant (Zimmer Dental), 3.7 mm in diameter, was inserted into the tibia of sheep bilaterally. Twenty-four dental implants were inserted into 12 sheep. Implant on the tibia of each sheep was stimulated with 7.5 μA direct current (DC), while the other side did not receive any stimulation and served as a control. Animals were sacrificed 1, 2, and 3 months after implantation. Bone segments with implants were processed with unclassified method. The determination of new bone formation and osseointegration around the dental implants was investigated by means of undecalcified method, histomorphologically. No statistically significant difference in bone-to-implant contact (BIC) ratio, osteoblastic activity, and new bone formation was found between the stimulation group and the control group at the late phase of healing (4, 8, and 12 weeks). No evidence was found that electric stimulation with implanted 7.5 μA DC is effective at late phase implant osseointegration on a sheep experimental model.


Citizen science and participatory sensing are two models of human computation in which participant privacy is a key concern. Technological safeguards are important but partial solutions; a full and accurate description of policies explaining privacy practices must also be present so volunteers can make informed decisions regarding participation. Our study surveyed the policies of 30 participatory research projects to establish how privacy-related policies were presented, and how they aligned with actual practices. This paper contributes a description of the privacy-related elements of policies evident in these projects. We found that while the majority of projects demonstrated some understanding of the need for policies, many hosted incomplete policies or inaccurately described practices. We discuss the implications for project management, design, and research or operational policy, both for projects that self-categorize as citizen science or participatory sensing, and for the larger field of human computation. We conclude by proposing a set of Ethical Practices for Participatory Research Design as guidelines to inform the development of policies and the design of technologies supporting participatory research.