Abstract

Physicians' work on night-call entails long and stressful working hours with high demands and disrupted sleep. Incomplete recovery is considered to be the most important link between acute physiological stress reactions, shift work and chronic health effects. Mental and physiological activation naturally accompanies night-call duty, but the crucial issue, from a health perspective, is whether the activation is sustained post-call. Studies of physicians show that night-call duty can be detrimental to subjective health and performance. However, less is known about the physiological effects of working on night call, and whether the effects of such duty differ across medical specialities. For anaesthesiologists on night-call, the mental load of constantly handling patients with life-threatening conditions may have a greater impact on their recovery compared with other specialists.

In the present field study 19 anaesthesiologists were compared with18 paediatricians and ear, nose, and throat surgeons. They all had 16-hour night-call duties at a university hospital. The aims were to determine whether a sufficient physiological recovery would be attained within 1-3 days after night-call duty, and whether recovery patterns differed across medical specialities. Several physiological systems were monitored by repeated measures on ordinary daytime work, during night-call duty and during post-call. Cortisol was analysed in saliva, and other metabolic factors were analysed in blood samples. Sleep was monitored with actigraphy and ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings were used to measure heart rate variability (HRV), to determine autonomic balance.

The results suggested no general metabolic change after night-call duty. Recovery sleep after night call was considered sufficient, but sleep after daytime work was unexpectedly short. HRV patterns did not indicate a deficient recovery, but possibly a higher physiological stress level in anaesthesiologists. The 16-hour night-call schedules seemed compatible with a short-term physiological recovery within two days after night-call duty, but the limited sleep after ordinary daytime work may constitute a long-term health concern. All these results contribute to our knowledge of how to plan sustainable night-call working schedules, and further investigation is needed to determine whether these results can be generalized to other work settings and specialists.


In the 21st century, sport is not just a fun, social cohesive force but also a business; it has become an independent industry by now and several countries possess developed sport markets. According to estimates, sport accounts for 4% of the EU's GDP. The actuality of our research is given by the fact that the economic aspect of sports develops continuously which is also due to that more and more amounts already stream into sports in our days. In Hungary, sport is mainly state aided and has mostly financing problems while the sport businesses existing in the more developed Western Europe are principally sponsored by the private sector. The government considers sport as a strategic branch (HERCZEG et al, 2015) and manages as such because they see the international breakthrough potencies in sport as well. Sport companies must also adapt the business-based thinking, which requires the strategic planning and operation (BECSKY, 2011). The research covers the subject of economic approach of the players' rights. The task of accounting is to give a true and fair image about the property, income and financial situation of an undertaking. Information provided by accounting is essential for both the management decisionmaking and the market operators. In Hungary, the sports undertakings, as each managing entity, have to prepare their statements according to the Act C of 2000 on Accounting (AoA.) (NAGY – BACSNE BABA, 2014). The purpose of this research is to examine how a domestic sports undertaking demonstrates the value of available players in the books and how the incomes and expenditures incurred with the players are accounted for, based on the regulations of the Hungarian, international associations and the Union of European Football Associations (hereinafter: UEFA). In order that the leaders of the businesses can make quick and appropriate economic decisions, it is essential in this intensively changing world that an enterprise should have a well-functioning accounting system based on up-to-date information. International Financial Reporting Standards (hereinafter: IFRS) are intended to provide the comparability across borders. Firstly, we deal with the accounting reporting system, both the Hungarian, international financial reporting standards and, relating to UEFA, the investigation of the intangible assets to a great extent during analysing the balance sheets. Then, we examine the income statements from the viewpoint player transfers. To what extent the rules of a statement laid down by UEFA differ from the ones of a statement prepared according to AoA? What is the difference in domestic and international relations? In this study, we search after the answers for questions mentioned before.


Photoinitiators exhibiting efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) are investigated. Known TADF metal complexes (copper-based structures) and purely organic molecules (carbazole/sulfone based organic structures) are used, for the first time, in the FRP of methacrylates, the CP of diepoxides and the synthesis of acrylate/diepoxide interpenetrated polymer networks, in thick films (1.4 mm), under air, under soft conditions using violet light delivered by a LED emitting at 405 nm. They are incorporated into two-component systems in combination with an iodonium salt and/or into three-component systems with iodonium salt/amine or N-vinylcarbazole or 9H-carbazole-9-ethanol (CARET) systems. A comparison with non-TADF analogues highlights the benefits of the TADF process. Using the copper complexes, the performances are better than those achieved with a conventional reference photoinitiator (bis acylphosphineoxide); the organic structures are noticeably less efficient. These systems exhibit a photoredox catalyst behavior. The involved chemical mechanism has been investigated using steady state photolysis, cyclic voltammetry, fluorescence spectroscopy, laser flash photolysis and electron spin resonance spin trapping techniques. The TADF property is found to be very important in increasing the excited state lifetime of the photoredox catalyst for better interactions with additives (i.e. a longer excited state lifetime is important to increase the yields of bimolecular reactions).


CONSPECTUS: Compared with organic small molecules, metal complexes offer several distinct advantages as therapeutic agents or biomolecular probes. Carbon atoms are typically limited to linear, trigonal planar, or tetrahedral geometries, with a maximum of two enantiomers being formed if four different substituents are attached to a single carbon. In contrast, an octahedral metal center with six different substituents can display up to 30 different stereoisomers. While platinum- and ruthenium-based anticancer agents have attracted significant attention in the realm of inorganic medicinal chemistry over the past few decades, group 9 complexes (i.e., iridium and rhodium) have garnered increased attention in therapeutic and bioanalytical applications due to their adjustable reactivity (from kinetically liable to substitutionally inert), high water solubility, stability to air and moisture, and relative ease of synthesis. In this Account, we describe our efforts in the development of group 9 organometallic compounds of general form [M(C(∧)N)2(N(∧)N)] (where M = Ir, Rh) as therapeutic agents against distinct biomolecular targets and as luminescent probes for the construction of oligonucleotide-based assays for a diverse range of analytes. Earlier studies by researchers had focused on organometallic iridium(III) and rhodium(III) half-sandwich complexes that show promising anticancer activity, although their precise mechanisms of action still remain unknown. More recently, kinetically-inert group 9 complexes have arisen as fascinating alternatives to organic small molecules for the specific targeting of enzyme activity. Research in our laboratory has shown that cyclometalated octahedral rhodium(III) complexes were active against Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) or NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) activity, or against NO production leading to antivasculogenic activity in cellulo. At the same time, recent interest in the development of small molecules as modulators of protein-protein interactions has stimulated our research group to investigate whether kinetically-inert metal complexes could also be used to target protein-protein interfaces relevant to the pathogenesis of certain diseases. We have recently discovered that cyclometalated octahedral iridium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes bearing C(∧)N ligands based on 2-phenylpyridine could function as modulators of protein-protein interactions, such as TNF-α, STAT3, and mTOR. One rhodium(III) complex antagonized STAT3 activity in vitro and in vivo and displayed potent antitumor activity in a mouse xenograft model of melanoma. Notably, these studies were among the first to demonstrate the direct inhibition of protein-protein interfaces by kinetically-inert group 9 metal complexes. Additionally, we have discovered that group 9 solvato complexes carrying 2-phenylpyridine coligands could function as inhibitors and probes of β-amyloid fibrillogenesis. Meanwhile, the rich photophysical properties of iridium complexes have made them popular tools for the design of luminescent labels and probes. Luminescent iridium(III) complexes benefit from a high quantum yield, responsive emissive properties, long-lived phosphorescence lifetimes, and large Stokes shift values. Over the past few years, our group has developed a number of kinetically-inert, organometallic iridium(III) complexes bearing various C(∧)N and N(∧)N ligands that are selective for G-quadruplex DNA, which is a DNA secondary structure formed from planar stacks of guanine tetrads stabilized by Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding. These complexes were then employed to develop G-quadruplex-based, label-free luminescence switch-on assays for nucleic acids, enzyme activity, small molecules, and metal ions.


Membrane processes suffer limitations such as low product yield and high solvent consumption, hindering their widespread application in the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries. In the present work, the authors propose an efficient purification methodology employing a two-stage cascade configuration coupled to an adsorptive solvent recovery unit, which addresses the two limitations. The process has been validated on purification of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from genotoxic impurity (GTI) using organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). The model system selected for study comprises roxithromycin macrolide antibiotic (Roxi) with 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) and ethyl tosylate (EtTS) as API and GTIs, respectively. By implementing a two-stage cascade configuration for membrane diafiltration, the process yield was increased from 58% to 95% while maintaining less than 5 ppm GTI in the final solution. Through this yield enhancement, the membrane process has been "revamped" from an unfeasible process to a highly competitive unit operation when compared to other traditional processes. The advantage of size exclusion membranes over other separation techniques has been illustrated by the simultaneous removal of two GTIs from different chemical classes. In addition, a solvent recovery step has been assessed using charcoal as a non-selective adsorbent, and it has been shown that pure solvent can be recovered from the permeate. Considering the costs of solvent, charcoal, and waste disposal, it was concluded that 70% solvent recovery is the cost-optimum point. Conventional single-stage diafiltration (SSD) and two-stage diafiltration (TSD) configurations were compared in terms of green metrics such as cost, mass and solvent intensity, and energy consumption. It was calculated that implementation of TSD, depending on the batch scale, can achieve up to 92% cost saving while reducing the mass and solvent intensity up to 73%. In addition, the advantage of adsorptive solvent recovery has been assessed revealing up to 96% energy reduction compared to distillation and a 70% reduction of CO2 footprint.


This paper presents a plastic hinge modelling approach for wall-type bridge piers with detailing deficiencies such as low transverse reinforcement ratios and lap splices in potential plastic hinge regions. Currently available plastic hinge length estimates and strain limits are validated against a series of seven large scale tests, representing poorly detailed bridge piers. Besides the flexural deformations, which are predicted with the plastic hinge approach, the shear deformations need to be taken into account due to the geometry and detailing of the considered piers. Shear-flexure interaction is accounted for by relating the shear distortion to the axial strains in the plastic hinge. Lap splices in potential plastic hinge regions have a significant influence on the displacement capacity of the structure as their degradation may lead to a nearly instant loss of lateral load bearing capacity. Hence, strain limits defining the onset of splice degradation are assessed using the experimental data.


The control issue of underwater robots is very challenging due to the nonlinearity, time variance, unpredictable external disturbances, such as the sea current fluctuation, and the difficulty in accurately modeling the hydrodynamic effect. Conventional linear controllers may fail in satisfying performance requirements, especially when changes in the system and environment occur during the operation since it is almost impossible to manually retune the control parameters in water. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have an underwater robot controller capable of self-adjusting control parameters when the overall performance degrades. This paper presents the theory and experimental work of the adaptive plus disturbance observer (ADOB) controller for underwater robots, which is robust with respect to external disturbance and uncertainties in the system. This control scheme consists of disturbance observer (DOB) as the inner-loop controller and a nonregressor based adaptive controller as the outer-loop controller. The effectiveness of the ADOB was experimentally investigated by implementing three controllers: PID, PID plus DOB, and ADOB on an autonomous underwater robot, ODIN III.


Hereditary xerocytosis (HX) is thought to be a rare genetic condition characterized by red blood cell (RBC) dehydration with mild hemolysis. Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in mechanosensitive Piezo1 ion channels are identified in HX patients. RBC dehydration is linked to reduced Plasmodium infection rates in vitro. We engineered a Piezo1 mouse model of HX and show that Plasmodium infection fails to cause experimental cerebral malaria in these mice. Furthermore, we identified a novel GOF human Piezo1 variant, E756del, present in a third of African population. Remarkably, RBCs from individuals carrying this allele are dehydrated and protected against Plasmodium infection in vitro. The presence of an HX-causing Piezo1 mutation at such high frequencies in African population is surprising, and suggests an association with malaria resistance.


The Internet is providing increased opportunities for teaching and learning in adult education, its foremost benefit being in the area of business and industry training. Web-based training (WBT) provides a vehicle in which the benefits of other existing educational technologies are combined into an outstanding educational experience for the learner. Web-based training is superior to other distance education methods because it can be used both asynchronously and synchronously at the convenience of the teacher or the learner. This article provides a discussion of the criteria that can be used when implementing WBT. Finally, it recommends five levels of WBT implementation in order to make full use of the Internet. Introduction The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), also known as "the web," is a technological phenomenon of the late 20th century. Although thought of first as a vehicle for delivering information, the web quickly showed promise as a medium for training "at a distance, " a form of adult education. This article provides a selective review of the published literature concerning the use of the web for adult education, especially corporate training. A discussion is presented of the current demand for and the philosophy behind web-based training (WBT), online universities and the two classroom "types" they are using in doing WBT, discussion of a design model for teaching over the web acronymed ACTIONS, the application of WBT to self-directed learning, and five levels of successful implementation of WBT on the Internet. Market Demand The term web-based training (WBT) has emerged to distinguish the use of the web as a training and education tool from that of other applications, for example as an information source. According to Driscoll (1999), "The U.S. market for web-based training generated $197 million in revenue in 1997," according to a report published by International Data Corporation (p. 2). Institutions and organizations which have previously used the web as only a way of delivering information to support their education and training efforts are now using WBT to develop skills and knowledge (Filipczak, as cited in Imel, 1997). WBT Defined Web-based training is an approach to distance learning in which computer-based training (CBT) is transformed by the technologies and methodologies of the WWW, the Internet, and Intranets. Kilby (1997) defines WBT as CBT designed around web technologies such as web browsers and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Web-based training proves fresh content, which can be modified at a moment's notice, in a structure allowing self-directed learning and self-paced instruction in any topic. Web-based training is media-rich training fully capable of evaluation, adaptation, and remediation, all independent of computer platforms. Web browsers that support video streaming, animation, chat and conferencing rooms, and real-time audio and video offer unparalleled training opportunities. With the tools available today, highly effective WBT is being designed to meet the training needs of a diverse population. Terms such as Internet-based training, Internet-based instruction, web-based instruction, and web-based learning are similar to if not synonymous with WBT. However, the most important distinguishing characteristic of each is the emphasis on instruction and not just on information delivery. Technology-Based Alternatives The distribution of training via electronic instructional delivery to adult learners has become a viable alternative to classroom instruction. The benefits-convenience, cost savings, and better control of the training process-carry enough weight to lure companies away from the traditional, and still dominant, classroom setting. Web-based training is the fastest growing segment of the technology-based training field, which includes CD-ROMs and desktop videoconferencing. Because of the opportunities presented by the Internet and WBT, a new breed of organization has arisen to meet the demands of working adults: people with multiple responsibilities who wish to participate in lifelong learning, yet cannot fit even part-time study at a traditional institution into their schedules (Joseph and Stamps, as cited in Kerka, 2000). …


Color is often the first thing a person will be drawn to in an object. It fills the world and activates people's imagination. The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact that color has on a person's ability to recall visual information. Company logos are used as a focus for this due to the importance a logo has in the way companies market themselves. Therefore, a logo should be memorable at a second's glance. This thesis attempts to solve the problem of understanding what makes a logo more memorable to a customer in order to assure maximum visual retention of a brand's visual style. In order to accomplish this, over four hundred human subjects were surveyed. Their task was to visually match a sample logo shown to them with a list of options each varying slightly in color and occasionally shape and typography. This allowed for a comparison to be made between the impact of color on retention to other elements of design. Results collected from the survey provided data proving that color was the most significant factor in a person's ability to remember logo design. A majority of all of the survey responses showed that participants remembered a logo based on its color over other variations in elements such as shape and text. This illustrates how important color is for a graphic designer to use to optimize the visual retention of a brand. The goal of graphic design is to communicate a message to a customer. Optimizing the visual retention of this information across media such as motion graphics, infographics, UX graphics, and more is the ultimate goal. The results of this research can be applied to future studies in these areas and more in order to maintain a consistent understanding of color trends and perceptions in the ever-changing worlds of design, communications, business, and marketing.


In this truly one-of-a-kind book, Ascher introduces the mathematical ideas of people in traditional, or small-scale, cultures often omitted from discussion of mathematics. Topics such as Numbers: Words and Symbols, Tracing Graphs in the Sand, The Logic of Kin Relations, Chance and Strategy in Games and Puzzles, and The Organization and Modeling of Space are traced in various cultures including the Inuit, Navajo, and Iroquois of North America; the Inca of South America; the Malekula, Warlpiri, Maori, and Caroline Islanders of Oceania, and the Tshokwe, Bushoong, and Kpelle of Africa.As Ascher explores mathematical ideas involving numbers, logic, spatial configuration, and the organization of these into systems and structures, readers gain both a broader understanding and anappreciation for the idease of other peoples.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined the long-term effects of fluoxetine administered to juvenile rhesus monkeys who, as young adults, were imaged with positron emission tomography for two serotonergic markers: serotonin transporter (SERT) and serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor. An equal number of monkeys separated from their mothers at birth-an animal model of human childhood stress-were also studied.

METHOD
At birth, 32 male rhesus monkeys were randomly assigned to either maternal separation or normal rearing conditions. At age 2, half (N=8) of each group was randomly assigned to fluoxetine (3 mg/kg) or placebo for 1 year. To eliminate the confounding effects of residual drug in the brain, monkeys were scanned at least 1.5 years after drug discontinuation. Social interactions were assessed both during and after drug administration.

RESULTS
Fluoxetine persistently upregulated SERT, but not 5-HT1A receptors, in both the neocortex and the hippocampus. Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis revealed that fluoxetine had a significant effect in the lateral temporal and cingulate cortices. In contrast, neither maternal separation by itself nor the rearing-by-drug interaction was significant for either marker. Fluoxetine had no significant effect on the behavioral measures.

CONCLUSIONS
Fluoxetine administered to juvenile monkeys upregulates SERT into young adulthood. Implications regarding the efficacy or potential adverse effects of SSRIs in patients cannot be directly drawn from this study. Its purpose was to investigate effects of SSRIs on brain development in nonhuman primates using an experimental approach that randomly assigned long-term SSRI treatment or placebo.


PURPOSE
Hyperpolarized gas (HP) tagging MRI is a novel imaging technique for direct measurement of lung motion during breathing. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of deformable image registration (DIR) in lung motion estimation using HP tagging MRI as references.

METHODS
Three healthy subjects were imaged using the HP MR tagging, as well as a high-resolution 3D proton MR sequence (TrueFISP) at the end-of-inhalation (EOI) and the end-of-exhalation (EOE). Ground truth of lung motion and corresponding displacement vector field (tDVF) was derived from HP tagging MRI by manually tracking the displacement of tagging grids between EOI and EOE. Seven different DIR methods were applied to the high-resolution TrueFISP MR images (EOI and EOE) to generate the DIR-based DVFs (dDVF). The DIR methods include Velocity (VEL), MIM, Mirada, multi-grid B-spline from Elastix (MGB) and 3 other algorithms from DIRART toolbox (Double Force Demons (DFD), Improved Lucas-Kanade (ILK), and Iterative Optical Flow (IOF)). All registrations were performed by independent experts. Target registration error (TRE) was calculated as tDVF - dDVF. Analysis was performed for the entire lungs, and separately for the upper and lower lungs.

RESULTS
Significant differences between tDVF and dDVF were observed. Besides the DFD and IOF algorithms, all other dDVFs showed similarity in deformation magnitude distribution but away from the ground truth. The average TRE for entire lung ranged 2.5-23.7mm (mean=8.8mm), depending on the DIR method and subject's breathing amplitude. Larger TRE (13.3-23.7mm) was found in subject with larger breathing amplitude of 45.6mm. TRE was greater in lower lung (2.5-33.9 mm, mean=12.4mm) than that in upper lung (2.5-11.9 mm, mean=5.8mm).

CONCLUSION
Significant differences were observed in lung motion estimation between the HP gas tagging MRI method and the DIR methods, especially when lung motion is large. Large variation among different DIR methods was also observed.


Abstract Muslims are folk-devils that mark the ubiquitous moral panic. For some, the idea of the Muslim problematic signifies a long and worrying trend of creeping 'Islamification' of state schools. For others, the discourse of the Muslim problematic reflects the ongoing racial patholigisation of Britain's minoritised communities. One thing is for certain, the current debate marks a significant moment in the nature and function of the neoliberal state as it reframes race relation policy in Britain in the light of the security agenda. The Trojan Horse affair, surrounding claims of infiltration of radical Islam in state-run schools, marks a significant moment in the embedding of the security agenda in Britain's inner city schools through the medium of the Prevent agenda. It argues that one of the best ways of understanding the security agenda is by locating it within a broader sociological and historical context of the functioning of the racial state.


The adverse effect of synthetic pesticides on human health and the natural ecosystem necessitate the need to explore natural mechanisms of disease control in plants. This study evaluated the allelopathic potential of five biocontrol agents: Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Trichoderma asperellum, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas fluorescens in the control of six fungal pathogens associated with tuber rot of Dioscorea cayenensis. Rotten tuber samples were randomly collected across three agro-ecological zones (AEZs): humid rainforest (HF), derived savanna (DS), and southern Guinea savanna (SGS) in Nigeria. Biocontrol agents were isolated from the yam rhizosphere using the serial dilution method; the agar pairing method was used for the in vitro trials. The destructive sampling method was used to evaluate rot control by the antagonists in vivo. Aspergillus niger had the highest incidence of 64.71% across the HF, 52.08% across the DS, and 41.98% across the SGS. B. subtilis had the highest inhibitory zone of 16.7 ± 0.05% when paired with A. niger, 15.4 ± 0.01% with Lasiodiplodia theobromae, 14.0 ± 0.33% with Penicillium oxalicum, 7.1 ± 0.14% when paired with Rhizoctonia solani; 17.1 ± 0.11% with Sclerotium rolfsii, and 10.3 ± 0.94% with Fusarium oxysporum. All biocontrol agents significantly (P = 0.05) reduced rot development of the test pathogens relative to the control in the in vivo experiment. The establishment of a distinct zone of inhibition, especially by the bacterial antagonists attests to the fact that they produced allelochemical substances. Therefore, further research is recommended to evaluate the biochemical composition of these microbial metabolites, their level of toxicity, and fate in the environment. Key words: Allelopathic potential, biocontrol agents, tubers, allelochemicals


A 46-year-old man with AIDS (CD4+ cell count, 150/μL) presented with a painful nodular lesion on the plantar surface of his right foot. The lesion had appeared 1 month earlier as a painless, 1-cm, raised, reddish purple nodule and had progressively enlarged to 5 cm. Six months earlier, the patient had cryosurgery to remove a similar, larger lesion on the posterior aspect of his right midcalf.


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Abstract. The optimal ranking regime (ORR) method was used to identify 6–100-year time windows containing significant ranking sequences in 55 western US streamflow reconstructions, and reconstructions of the level of the Great Salt Lake and San Francisco Bay salinity during 1500–2007. The method's ability to identify optimally significant and non-overlapping runs of low- and high-rankings allows it to re-express a reconstruction time series as a simplified sequence of regime segments marking intra- to multi-decadal (IMD) periods of low or high streamflow, lake level, and salinity. Those ORR sequences, referred to here as Z-lines, can be plotted to identify consistent regime patterns in the analysis of numerous reconstructions. The Z-lines for the 57 reconstructions evaluated here show a common pattern of IMD cycles of drought and pluvial periods during the late 16th and 17th centuries, a relatively dormant period during the 18th century, and the reappearance of alternating dry and wet IMD periods during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although this pattern suggests the possibility of similarly active and inactive oceanic modes in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, such centennial-scale patterns are not evident in the ORR analyses of reconstructed Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), El Nino–Southern Oscillation, and North Atlantic sea-surface temperature variation. However, given the inconsistency in the analyses of four PDO reconstructions, the possible role of centennial-scale oceanic mechanisms is uncertain. In future research the ORR method might be applied to climate reconstructions around the Pacific Basin to try to resolve this uncertainty. Given its ability to compare regime patterns in climate reconstructions derived using different methods and proxies, the method may also be used in future research to evaluate long-term regional temperature reconstructions.


The doctoral practice-based research project in the arts "The Metamorphic Ornament: Re_Thinking Granulation questions granulation" considered one of the most magical ornamental techniques in the history of goldsmithing, from an artistic point of view. Rather than the actual technique of granulation itself, which is the starting point and source of inspiration, the main contentof research is the process of transformation, whereby techniques and concepts from one discipline, the art of goldsmithing are implemented in another discipline, sculptural silversmithing.

Since the moment of its conception, granulation has been found in jewelry as a surface application and has rarely been used for structural purposes. From this knowledge the first point of departure emerged, which explores the possibilities of structural granulation in sculptural silverwork. From this perspective the granule - the original ornament - loses its primary, decorative function of pure visual pleasure and shifts into the essential building material of the object. Granulation becomes the texture, the structure as well as the architectural support of the work.

Alongside this rather technical inquiry, a second, more conceptual starting point arose in which the expressive potential of granulation was explored. In this context granulation evolves from a decorative or constructive technique into subject matter and concept, reaching beyond the technical applications of the process towards a more poetic dimension.

Parallel to these questions the whole research and artistic output was divided into two groups. The first group concentrated on objects that were really build up with granules and the second group on objects where the 'world' of granulation with its technical, formal and conceptual constructs is more used as an idea in the subject matter than it is actually present in the object itself.

The outcome of this research is twofold: one is an exhibition body of work resulting in 40 objects, and the second, a written doctoral thesis, developed in interaction with the artistic practice, wherein the intellectual, artistic and practical processes, imperative to the artistic work, were substantiated.


Economic complexity indicators provide a better understanding of the long-term determinants of countries' economic growth. However, they do not account for intra-national spatial heterogeneity, even when regions, and not only countries, differ tremendously in their productivity. This paper tries to fill this gap by developing a methodology to estimate economic complexity at the subnational level using a unique trade database on intra-national trade flows for Spain. Specifically, we calculate international and intra-national economic complexity indicators for the provinces of Spain (NUTS-3) for the period running from 1995 to 2016. We find that regions tend to differ in complexity not only in time but also in their international and intra-national trade exposures. We also show that indicators that incorporate both types of trade flows are better predictors of future GDP growth. These findings shed light on the determinants of regional convergence patterns.


Cyclin A is an Sand G2-M-phase regulatory protein, and its abnormal expression has been implicated in cellular transformation. This work was undertaken to investigate the frequency of cyclin A overexpression and the correlated clinical outcome in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, 12 of 31 (39%) patients exhibited cyclin A overexpression in their tumorous tissues, resulting from gene amplification in 6 of 12 patients, (post)transcription in 4 of 12 patients, and (post)translation in 2 of 12 patients. Patients who overexpressed cyclin A had significantly more tumor cells in the S and G2-M phases compared with those expressing a normal cyclin A level (/' = 0.007 and 0.039, respectively). Increased levels of Skp 2, a cyclin A-interacting protein, were also found in 17 of 31 (55%) of HCC patients who showed a trend to have more S-phase tumor cells (/' = 0.07). By an unpaired Student's / test and a Fisher's exact or \~ analysis, overexpression of cyclin A had a strong correlation with elevated Skp 2 expression and increased a-fetoprotein levels I/' = 0.001 and 0.009, respectively), but it was not associated with patients' age, tumor size, cirrhosis, or the positive detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen. In the disease-free survival analysis, patients whose tumors overexpressed cyclin A had a median disease-free survival of 6 months, whereas patients who lacked cyclin A overexpression exhibited a longer median period of 29 months (/' = 0.046). The overall survival analysis revealed the same trend, i.e., cyclin A-overexpressing patients had shorter overall survival periods (median, 12 versus 50 months; /' = 0.09). By multivariate analysis, the correlation of cyclin A overexpression with shorter disease-free peri ods remained significant after adjustment for Skp 2 overexpression and a-fetoprotein induction (P = 0.019). These data suggest that overexpres sion of cyclin A can be an independent prognostic factor for the tumor relapse of human HCC.


ABSTRACT This study examines how 'contexts of reception' in two migrant cities shape the organisational infrastructure for Pakistani immigrant communities in Toronto and New York City (NYC). Previous research is divided into two epistemic camps, one focusing on locally oriented organisations promoting settlement/incorporation and the other on transnational organisations—thus obscuring the relationships between these organisations. The present study transcends this division by examining how the combined effect of state policies, socioeconomic incorporation, community characteristics and societal attitudes shape the composition and geographical orientation of an immigrant group's collective organisational space—comprised of local and transnationally oriented organisations. Data come from a newly constructed database of Pakistani non-profit organisations based in Toronto and NYC and from qualitative research conducted in both cities. Contrary to our expectations and previous research, we find that state-sponsored multiculturalism in Toronto is not associated with a larger or more transnationally oriented organisational space. Rather, it is the affluence of the Pakistani community in NYC that is associated with the larger and more transnational of the two Pakistani organisational spaces. Findings also reveal tensions between local and transnationally oriented organisations in both cities, reflecting a growing fragmentation between affluent cosmopolitan immigrant elites and the impoverished segments of Toronto and NYC Pakistani communities.


There is an arsenal of factors that survey DNA, repairing damage and, in some cases, also aiding replication. But when programmed cell death is initiated, DNA becomes fragmented and eventually degraded by mechanisms that are not fully understood. Parrish et al. have now identified an enzyme that appears to function in these two opposing events. In mammals and Caenorhabditis elegans, a nuclease called EndoG (CPS-6 in the worm) has been implicated in apoptotic DNA destruction. The enzyme resides in mitochondria but relocates to the nucleus where it appears to further resolve DNA breaks that have already been initiated. Worms lacking functional CPS-6 display delayed cell death and accumulation of TUNEL (terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling)-reactive DNA breaks during development. Through a genome-wide functional screen based on RNA interference, the authors have identified a cell death-related nuclease called CRN-1 as a cofactor for CPS-6 in directing this conserved DNA degradation pathway. Ironically, CRN-1 is a homolog of mammalian flap endonuclease-1 (FEN-1), a DNA replication and repair factor. The study shows that CRN-1 is ubiquitously expressed in nuclei throughout development, and larva with reduced CRN-1 expression showed the same phenotype as the CPS-6 mutant. Recombinant CRN-1 also associated with radiolabeled CPS-6, and both enzymes acted cooperatively in vitro--each enhanced the other's nuclease activity. In addition to the known endo- and exonuclease activities of FEN-1, CRN-1 further displayed another endonuclease activity that cleaves double-stranded DNA with a single-stranded gap. The authors propose that CPS-6 and CRN-1 are part of the overall apoptotic DNA degradation machinery that generates DNA nicks, gaps, and fragments. Association with CPS-6 in the nuclease could cause CRN-1 to switch from operating in DNA replication and repair to destroying its genome. J. Z. Parrish, C. Yang, B. Shen, D. Xue, CRN-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans FEN-1 homologue, cooperates with CPS-6/EndoG to promote apoptotic DNA degradation. EMBO J. 22, 3451-3460 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Diesel engines are very well known to emit gaseous emission and particulate matter. So it had long been regarded as one of the major air pollution sources, particularly in metropolitan areas, and has been a source of serious public concern for a long time which is very clear with the proposal of ban on registration of diesel SUVs and high-end vehicles with engine capacity of over 2000 cc in major city of India. So definitely there have been numerous researches in the field of reduction of these pollutants since diesel engines came to major use in transportation sector. Using emulsion of diesel in water as a fuel has been a recent field of study to reduce emissions from diesel engine. Water/diesel (W/D) emulsified formulations are reported to reduce the emissions of NOx, SOx, CO and particulate matter (PM) without compensating the engine's performance. In this paper a new kind of emulsion is prepared by mixed surfactant method, major concern being the long term stability of the same. Then performance and emission tests were carried out by using the fuel in a two cylinder water cooled diesel engine. The results were matched against that of diesel and comparison graphs were plotted to see what are the advantages and disadvantages of using the emulsion over diesel.


In 2014, the Aseer Governorate Municipality in collaboration with the General Authority of Tourism and Antiquities announces a competition for urban and architectural design for a new foundation tourist city in an area just to the north-east of Abha. The one that is going to be described is the winning project, designed by the architects Francesco Cellini (group leader), Luigi Franciosini and Giovanni Longobardi, professors at the Department of Architecture of the Roma Tre University. The "Abha Dream" is the dream of a new city, for leisure, tourism and commerce, functional and with a rich offering of services, water and vegetation. It is a utopia that reflects the current desires of Abha (retracing its perimeter and defining an area of 11 square kilometres); its form embodies a city that develops primarily along a lush wadi , resembling and recalling the image of paradise in Islamic culture: a place of rich shadows and fountains of water.


The celebrated Remes multiple exchange algorithm for linear-phase digital FIR filter design is most commonly described for ordinary filter types (low-pass, high-pass, etc.) where it is sufficient to consider only the magnitude of the error function. Convergence for general specifications will be guaranteed only when the sign of the error function is incorporated. However, a discussion of this feature of the Remes algorithm is lacking in the literature on digital signal processing. The aim of this presentation is to fill in this gap by recasting the Remes exchange algorithm for the design of linear-phase finite-impulse response (FIR) filters with a general amplitude response specification


Distinguished scholar and philosopher Tom Rockmore examines one of the great lacunae of contemporary philosophical discussion--idealism. Addressing the widespread confusion about the meaning and use of the term, he surveys and classifies some of its major forms, giving particular attention to Kant. He argues that Kant provides the all-important link between three main types of idealism: those associated with Plato, the new way of ideas, and German idealism. The author also makes a case for the contemporary relevance of at least one strand in the tangled idealist web, a strand most clearly identified with Kant: constructivism. In terms of the philosophical tradition, Rockmore contends, constructivism offers a lively, interesting, and important approach to knowledge after the decline of metaphysical realism.


Summary.  Spatial statistics for very large spatial data sets is challenging. The size of the data set, n, causes problems in computing optimal spatial predictors such as kriging, since its computational cost is of order . In addition, a large data set is often defined on a large spatial domain, so the spatial process of interest typically exhibits non‐stationary behaviour over that domain. A flexible family of non‐stationary covariance functions is defined by using a set of basis functions that is fixed in number, which leads to a spatial prediction method that we call fixed rank kriging. Specifically, fixed rank kriging is kriging within this class of non‐stationary covariance functions. It relies on computational simplifications when n is very large, for obtaining the spatial best linear unbiased predictor and its mean‐squared prediction error for a hidden spatial process. A method based on minimizing a weighted Frobenius norm yields best estimators of the covariance function parameters, which are then substituted into the fixed rank kriging equations. The new methodology is applied to a very large data set of total column ozone data, observed over the entire globe, where n is of the order of hundreds of thousands.


Rate setting procedures for United States crop yield and revenue insurance contracts employ methods that presume correlations to be state invariant. Whether this is true matters. If yield-yield correlations strengthen when crops are subject to widespread stress, then diversification opportunities for private insurers weaken when most needed, and an insurer's portfolio of retained business may not be as diversified as standard statistics would suggest. For government outlays, such tail dependence will increase the transactions and political costs of reallocations from the general fund. In this paper we propose a simple model of yield correlations according to interactions between a weather outcome and a land unit's yield resilience to adverse shocks, as might be measured by the United States Soil Conservation Service's land capability classification. Our model shows that yield-yield tail dependence is to be expected and, furthermore, should take a particular form. In better growing regions, yield correlations across units should be stronger in right tails than in left tails, whereas in marginal growing regions the reverse should apply. Using USDA Risk Management Agency unit level data and a variety of statistics, we find strong evidence in favor of this land yield resilience hypothesis. Our findings call into question the appropriateness of current USDA rate-setting methodologies, which posit constant state-conditional ordinal correlations by implicitly assuming that yields can be represented by a Gaussian copula. A goodness-of-fit test rejects the standard Gaussian copula model, implying that existing RMA rate-setting methods are deficient.


This paper addresses the following two questions: (i) Is there any evidence that firms, like human beings, prefer to partner with alike? (ii) Is there any relationship between the ex ante technological and product relatedness of merging parties and the postmerger performances? Using data of patent holdings and product portfolios of big pharmaceutical companies, I find that (i) merger deals are more likely to be signed between firms with related technologies and drug portfolios, and (ii) product relatedness and technology relatedness are positively and negatively correlated with postmerger performances, respectively. The analysis suggests that the negative effect of technology relatedness might be driven by a large human capital depreciation following consolidations. The results have important implications for competition policy, which are discussed in the concluding section.


Varma designed ultra modern and high efficiency turbines which can use gas, steam or fuels as feed to produce electricity or mechanical work for wide range of usages and applications in industries or at work sites. Varma turbine engines can be used in all types of vehicles. These turbines can also be used in aircraft, ships, battle tanks, dredgers, mining equipment, earth moving machines etc,


Background and aims: Aromatherapy means application of concentrated essences from different types of plants (such as flowers) for treatment of different types of diseases. Aromatherapy works for stress, anxiety, psychosomatic problems, muscular and rheumatic pains, gastrointestinal problems, menopause and postpartum depression. The present study aimed to study the effect of aromatherapy on anxiety and pain in patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Methods: This is a single-blinded clinical trial study which was conducted with participation of 60 patients undergoing cholecystectomy in Sina Treatment Center, Tabriz, Iran in 2012-2013. The patients were randomly assigned using table of random numbers. In intervention group, the patients inhaled 10 drops of rose water with 12% concentration for three minutes 8 and 16 hours after surgery. For control group, routine care continued in the ward. The data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test). Results: Comparison of changes in pain and anxiety scores between the two group indicated that the developed changes in pain and anxiety level (mean relief of pain and anxiety 8 and 16 hours after surgery) in the aromatherapy group was significantly different from the control group (P<0.001) and the level of relief of pain and anxiety was higher in aromatherapy group than the control group 8 and 16 hours after surgery (P<0.001). Conclusion: The findings indicated the positive effect of rose water-mediated aromatherapy on relief of pain and anxiety in patients 8 and 16 hours after surgery. Aromatherapy could be used as a cheap, noninvasive, complication-free, and nonpharmacologic nursing care.


Dignity is on the march. As illustrated by Justice Kennedy's recent majority opinion in United States v. Windsor, the concept — once seen as exclusive to moral philosophy — has taken on increasing importance in the legal realm, particularly in the recognition of individual human rights. Jeremy Waldron's recent book, Dignity, Rank, and Rights, offers a profound and provocative take on dignity's newfound centrality to law. Waldron contends that dignity currently operates as a universal legal status that entails individual rights. He suggests that this development reflects the gradual democratization of aristocratic privilege — a kind of "leveling up" of humanity.This Review disentangles and separately examines the two core accounts of dignity in Waldron's work. The first, which purports to identify the nature of contemporary legal dignity as a form of status, appears to be promising step toward better understanding the role dignity plays in law. The second, Waldron's historical account of dignity's development that offers up something like an origin story for our contemporary conceptions, is more troubling. Borrowing from feminist theory and queer theory, as well as from the equality projects to which they are allied, I contend that Waldron's narratives of extending aristocratic privilege threaten to entrench inequality and injustice while limiting the potential for marginalized groups to employ dignity as a deeply remedial legal tool. I urge Waldron to revisit dignity's expressive connection to human worth, which has proven central to dignity-based antidiscrimination and antisubordination projects.


IMPORTANCE
Previous trial results have suggested that dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor (DPP4i) use might increase heart failure (HF) risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The DPP4i sitagliptin has been shown to be noninferior to placebo with regard to primary and secondary composite atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in the Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin (TECOS).

OBJECTIVE
To assess the association of sitagliptin use with hospitalization for HF (hHF) and related outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
TECOS was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the CV safety of sitagliptin vs placebo, each added to usual antihyperglycemic therapy and CV care among patients with T2DM and prevalent atherosclerotic vascular disease. The median follow-up was 2.9 years. The setting was 673 sites in 38 countries. Participants included 14 671 patients with T2DM and atherosclerotic vascular disease. The study dates were December 2008 through March 2015.

INTERVENTIONS
Patients were randomized to sitagliptin vs placebo added to standard care.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Prespecified secondary analyses compared the effect on hHF, hHF or CV death, and hHF or all-cause death composite outcomes overall and in prespecified subgroups. Supportive analyses included total hHF events (first plus recurrent) and post-hHF death. Meta-analyses evaluated DPP4i effects on hHF and on hHF or CV death.

RESULTS
Of 14 671 patients, 7332 were randomized to sitagliptin and 7339 to placebo. Hospitalization for HF occurred in 3.1% (n = 228) and 3.1% (n = 229) of the sitagliptin and placebo groups, respectively (unadjusted hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83-1.19). There was also no difference in total hHF events between the sitagliptin (n = 345) and placebo (n = 347) groups (unadjusted hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.80-1.25). Post-hHF all-cause death was similar in the sitagliptin and placebo groups (29.8% vs 28.8%, respectively), as was CV death (22.4% vs 23.1%, respectively). No heterogeneity for the effect of sitagliptin on hHF was observed in subgroup analyses across 21 factors (P > .10 for all interactions). Meta-analysis of the hHF results from the 3 reported DPP4i CV outcomes trials revealed moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 44.9, P = .16).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Sitagliptin use does not affect the risk for hHF in T2DM, both overall and among high-risk patient subgroups.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00790205.


Abstract The hydrogen concentration and composition of garnets in the ultrahigh pressure eclogites at Shuanghe, eastern Dabieshan, were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electron microprobe analysis. The OH absorption bands can be divided into four groups: (1) 3635-3655 cm-1; (2) 3600-3630 cm-1; (3) 3540-3580 cm-1; and (4) 3400-3450 cm-1 and the water content ranges from 45 to 2529 ppm. Based on the behaviour of the OH absorption band and the relationship between water content and the composition of garnets, the samples can be divided into two classes: samples with >400 ppm H2O and samples with ≤400 ppm H2O. The water content of the former shows an obvious positive correlation with Ca atoms and a negative correlation with the Si, Mg and Fe2+ atoms per 12 anions, whereas the water content of the latter shows no obvious linear correlation with cations. It is concluded that the major mechanism of hydroxyl incorporation in garnets with >400 ppm H2O is by the coupled substitution 4H + Z□ → □ + ZSi in the tetrahedral site, and that several mechanisms are responsible for OH incorporation in garnets with ≤400 ppm H2O.


The transfer of materials from the natural environment to the urban and industrially built environment produces two broad impacts on the landscape: a removal of materials from the earth's surface (a change in geomorphology) and the accumulation of a stock of concrete and other materials elsewhere in cities and industrial zones (a change in urban morphology). Thus, industrial activity transforms natural landscapes and, in doing so, has to be considered to be a geological and geomorphological agent. On the global scale, the deliberate shift of around 57,000 Mt (megatons)/yr of materials through mineral extraction processes exceeds the annual transport of sediment to the oceans by rivers (some 22,000 Mt/yr) by almost a factor of three. On the island of Britain, the total deliberate shift of earth‐surface materials is between 688 and 972 Mt/yr, depending on whether or not the replacement of overburden in opencast coal mining is taken into account. The export of sediment to the oceans by rivers is only 10 Mt/yr whereas the export of materials in solution is about 40 Mt/yr, making the deliberate materials shift nearly 14 times larger than the shift caused by natural processes. Processes examined by industrial ecology, such as direct excavation, urban development, and waste dumping are those most driving changes in the shape of the British landscape today. These transformations pose added costs. Industrial ecology will produce an understanding of the hidden costs associated with these transformations. Such an understanding will help in planning and encouraging the reuse of materials everywhere and in identifying the key areas for intervention to reduce off‐site geomorphological impacts and costs.


The introduction or modification of land use regulations and sustainability initiatives over the last few decades has arguably increased the complexity of forest planning processes. Given the planning goals of a land management organization, both spatial and temporal characteristics of desired future landscapes may now be important to recognize. In some cases of planning, wildfire plays an important economic and ecological role. Efforts to model the potential effects of forest wildfires have ranged from manipulation of vegetation strata using hazard ratings or disturbance probabilities, to spatially recognizing the spread of wildfires across a landscape. This paper describes a range of options for incorporating wildfires into forest planning models, and discusses the challenges and limitations related to each. Linear programming, binary search, simulation models, and heuristics have all been used to assess the impacts of wildfire on forest planning goals. Wildfire has been incorporated into forest planning processes in both deterministic and stochastic manners, with some suggesting that the deterministic route provides a close approximation to historical stochastic events. When stochastic measures are employed, the position of the wildfire, the frequency, and the intensity can all be drawn from probability distributions, although only a few of the recognized works model these to the full extent. In general, the greater the stochastic measures employed, the stronger the implication is that multiple simulations are necessary to assess potential impacts. Further, the more complex the wildfire integration process becomes, the implication seems to be that simulation models and heuristics are necessary.  MCFNS 2(1):43-52.


This paper presents a novel probabilistic approach to hierarchical, exemplar-based shape matching. No feature correspondence is needed among exemplars, just a suitable pairwise similarity measure. The approach uses a template tree to efficiently represent and match the variety of shape exemplars. The tree is generated offline by a bottom-up clustering approach using stochastic optimization. Online matching involves a simultaneous coarse-to-fine approach over the template tree and over the transformation parameters. The main contribution of this paper is a Bayesian model to estimate the a posteriori probability of the object class, after a certain match at a node of the tree. This model takes into account object scale and saliency and allows for a principled setting of the matching thresholds such that unpromising paths in the tree traversal process are eliminated early on. The proposed approach was tested in a variety of application domains. Here, results are presented on one of the more challenging domains: real-time pedestrian detection from a moving vehicle. A significant speed-up is obtained when comparing the proposed probabilistic matching approach with a manually tuned nonprobabilistic variant, both utilizing the same template tree structure.


Background: The genetic diversity within populations has been shown to affect ecosystem functions, including productivity and invasion resistance. To date most experiments have focused on manipulation of genotypic richness and have ignored other measures of genetic diversity. Aims: In the present study we aimed to establish whether manipulated genotypic richness and genomic dissimilarity of Andropogon gerardii affect productivity and invasion resistance. Methods: We created experimental mesocosms with three levels of genotypic richness: one-, three-, and nine-genotypes. In the three-genotype treatment, we manipulated a range of genomic dissimilarity values (genetic relatedness among individuals). At the end of one growing season we measured above-ground, below-ground and total biomass of the mesocosms, and invasion resistance to Andropogon bladhii. Results: Overall, we found no significant effect of genotypic richness on any measure of ecosystem function, although there tended to be more root biomass (due to complementarity) and invasive seedling biomass with higher levels of genotypic richness. Within the three-genotype treatment we found a significant positive relationship between genomic dissimilarity and above-ground biomass, which was caused by a selection effect. We also found a positive relationship between genomic dissimilarity and biomass of A. bladhii. Conclusions: Using these two measures of genetic diversity we detected differences in the strength and mechanism of positive diversity effects within the same experiment, demonstrating the value of manipulating multiple measures of diversity when performing biodiversity–ecosystem function experiments.


Since the transition to democracy, South African public works programs are to involve community participation, and be targeted to the poor and women. This paper examines the targeting performance of seven programs in Western Cape Province, and analyzes the role of government, community-based organizations, trade unions, and the private sector in explaining targeting outcomes. These programs were not well-targeted geographically in terms of poverty, unemployment, or infrastructure. Within localities, jobs went to the poor and unemployed, though not always the poorest. They did well in reaching women, despite local gender bias. Targeting guidelines of the state are mediated by diverse priorities that emerge in programs with multiple objectives, local perceptions of need and entitlement, and competing voices within civil society.


Most ionizing radiation in water ends in an avalanche of low energy electrons which play a dominant role together with OH-radicals in damaging DNA. In the present study we irradiated plasmid DNA with electrons (primary energy 30keV) under physiological conditions, performed with as well as without Ectoine. Ectoine is a compatible solute, synthesized and accumulated in molar concentration within bacteria to withstand osmotic stress or different other stressors.
Plasmid DNA (pUC19, 2686 bp) was studied due to its supercoiled isoform which is highly sensitive to radiation damage. In biochemistry gel electrophoresis is applied for structural analysis of DNA. Although it is a standard technique, a reliable discrimination of short fragments caused by radiation is often difficult. AFM is also commonly used for imaging susceptible biomolecules and, since it is based on a single molecule observation, for analysis of contour lengths of linear DNA as well. Therefore, in our study the structural changes in plasmid DNA after irradiation with different doses were quantitatively analyzed by means of intermittent contact AFM. The figure shows representative AFM images of electron irradiated pUC19 DNA (bar=200nm). For AFM imaging the DNA was chemically fixed on ultra-smooth mica. As can be clearly seen, with increasing radiation dose the number of undamaged DNA declines and fragmented DNA arises (A, B). In aqueous Ectoine solution (1M) the effect of radiation on DNA is dramatically depressed. Ectoine apparently confers protection even against high radiation: the plasmids remain predominantly in the supercoiled isoform (D). Therefore, we strongly believe that Ectoine is a potent protective substance of DNA against ionizing radiation.


Non-sustainable agricultural practices can alter the quality of soil and water. A sustainable soil management requires detailed understanding of how tillage affects soil quality, erosion, and leaching processes. Agricultural soils in the Haean catchment (South Korea) are susceptible to erosion by water during the monsoon. For years, erosion-induced losses have been compensated by spreading allochthonous sandy material on the fields. These anthropogenically modified soils are used for vegetable production, and crops are cultivated in ridges using plastic mulches. To evaluate whether the current practice of ridge cultivation is sustainable with regard to soil quality and soil and water conservation, we (i) analysed soil properties of topsoils and (ii) carried out dye tracer experiments. Our results show that the sandy topsoils have a very low soil organic matter content and a poor structure and lack soil burrowers. The artificial layering induced by spreading sandy material supported lateral downhill water flow. Ridge tillage and plastic mulching strongly increased surface runoff and soil erosion. We conclude that for this region a comprehensive management plan, which aims at long-term sustainable agriculture by protecting topsoils, increasing soil organic matter, and minimizing runoff and soil erosion, is mandatory for the future.


Funding agencies, research programs, and organizations involved in the implementation of research need to know the potential worldwide impact and applicability of their efforts and investments. The extrapolation domain analysis method (EDA) was developed to produce information about the location, areas, and population potentially influenced by research outputs. This working paper presents detailed steps how to implement an EDA. For a particular research project, it starts with establishing a baseline assessment of the project, and proceeds through data collection, preparation, and similarity modeling concluding with reporting and validation. The guide is designed for users with intermediate knowledge of GIS and Bayesian statistics for a smooth and easy implementation of the method. It also requires the participation of the members of the research project for proper identification of key variables to be used in the process. CPwf WoRkInG PAPER 4


Sojourner Truth Fights Dependence on Government: Moves Freed Slaves Off Welfare in Washington To Jobs in Upstate New YorkToward the end of the Civil War thousands of recently freed blacks fled from their slave homes to Washington. They chose Washington because it was the home of Father Abraham Lincoln. But in Washington they were often without jobs. They were often dependent on handouts from private donors or the government.Soon after Sojourner Truth arrived in the Washington area in 1864, she talked to the freed slaves in a church building in one of the temporary camps which the federal government provided for them. According to her recollection:She told them to get off the government and take care of themselves....She told the colored people they were in disgrace living in the poor house off the government -- they didn't like that.They turned her out of the church, but she went to the barracks and she did "blow." She told them to hold up their heads and be men, then they commenced to understand her and sing:Free, free, free indeed,Free, free, my people are free,Sound the loud cymbals,My people are free.Sojourner Truth, having herself had cruel experiences growing up as a slave in Ulster County, New York, felt that slave masters had left scars on these blacks which made her "heart bleed."(2) She was also aware that some of those who had been entrusted to give out relief supplies to the freed slaves sold the supplies instead, filling their own pockets. But she felt the most important action she could take for the freed slaves was to prod them to become self-supporting. Giving them handouts was making them "lazy," she said. "There are lots of them that are worse than the hogs in the street." When she herself handed out relief clothes to them, clothes such as Northern people sent down to Washington in boxes, some of them wore the clothes a week, she said, and then instead of washing them. threw them away, and came back to "grab" more relief clothes.(3) Nevertheless, Truth was fundamentally optimistic. She had faith, perhaps naive faith, that with God's help the lives of these freed slaves could be dramatically improved. Her optimism was a significant part of her appeal to both blacks and whites.As the war came to a close, Congress created the Freedmen's Bureau to help the freed slaves, as by providing them temporary welfare assistance. For any government agency to provide welfare assistance was perceived by many Americans, including Truth, as scarcely compatible with the American tradition of individual responsibility. So when the Bureau developed plans to move able-bodied but idle freed slaves "off the government" by resettling them in jobs elsewhere, Truth felt called to help carry out these plans.Was Truth likely to be effective in helping to carry out this program? On the one hand, the Bureau, an agency of the War Department, was headed by General O.O. Howard whom Truth came to admire as desiring to be just to blacks; Howard University is named for him. On the other hand, many top Bureau officials were fairly conservative army officers, and hardly any of them outright abolitionists such as Truth had usually associated with in her reform efforts.(4) Moreover, Truth through much of her life as a public speaker had not been accustomed to work closely with any agency, private or public. She was inclined to be independent, a free spirit. Nonetheless, Truth had home bases in both Michigan and New York State where there was a strong demand for black workers. She could bring her own experience as a freed slave to this program. In addition, she had already been working with the freed slaves in the Washington region and won their confidence.In the fall of 1864, Truth had worked first briefly at the government's camp for freed slaves on Mason's Island in the Potomac River, speaking to the freed slaves, teaching them, nursing them.(5) Later she had worked for more than six months at another government camp for freed slaves, called Freedmen's Village, across the Potomac at Arlington Heights, Virginia. …


Abstract "Entry" guards protect the Tor onion routing system from variants of the "predecessor" attack, that would allow an adversary with control of a fraction of routers to eventually de-anonymize some users. Research has however shown the three guard scheme has drawbacks and Dingledine et al. proposed in 2014 for each user to have a single long-term guard. We first show that such a guard selection strategy would be optimal if the Tor network was failure-free and static. However under realistic failure conditions the one guard proposal still suffers from the classic fingerprinting attacks, uniquely identifying users. Furthermore, under dynamic network conditions using single guards offer smaller anonymity sets to users of fresh guards. We propose and analyze an alternative guard selection scheme by way of grouping guards together to form shared guard sets. We compare the security and performance of guard sets with the three guard scheme and the one guard proposal. We show guard sets do provide increased resistance to a number of attacks, while foreseeing no significant degradation in performance or bandwidth utilization.


As far as religion and religious diversity are concerned, the South African Constitution can be described as one of profound toleration and accommodation. The Constitutional Court has on several occasions emphasized the importance of religion for the State. South Africa is therefore not a secular State but can best be described as a religiously neutral State. The constitutional principle of non-discrimination applies not only to discrimination by the State, but also to discrimination by private individual and non-State institutions, including religious institutions. The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Discrimination Act of 2000 amplified the constitutional proscription of discriminatory practices. When applying the non-discrimination decree to religious institutions, State courts will not unduly interfere in the internal sphere sovereignty of such institutions. References are made to jurisprudence and/or legislation relating to a great variety of religion-specific matters, for example Muslim marriages (not recognized in South Africa as valid marriages, but the consequences of such marriages being enforced on basis of the law of contract), defining the concept of religion, the rules applicable to religious education and to corporeal punishment in schools, the sale of alcoholic liquor on Sundays and Christian holidays, and same-sex unions. South African courts will not shy away from adjudicating ecclesiastical disputes that might involve "doctrinal entanglement". Decisions of ecclesiastical tribunals are subject to review by (not appeals to) secular courts of law, but the courts will confine their scrutiny of ecclesiastical cases to the question whether or not the ecclesiastical tribunal acted within the confines of the religious body's internal rules of procedure and have upheld elementary rules of justice. They will not second guess the merits of an ecclesiastical tribunal's decision. The essay finally deals briefly with the religious rights of a child, noting, for example, that parental rights are conditioned by the best-interests-of-the-child paradigm. Parents cannot for religious reasons withhold life-sustaining therapeutic treatment from a child, must apply "the rod of correction" within the bounds of moderate chastisement, and cannot dictate to their children the religion they should adhere to upon reaching a stage of development where they can and should decide for themselves.


Introduction: Reports concerning the association of physical activity with markers of inflammation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis are ambiguous. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 4 weeks of combined decomposedsit-up and walking training with two different volumes onfibrinogen, plasma viscosity and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) in college, young men. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 18 subjects with age range 19 to 25 years selected as research subjects and were randomly divided into two groups including; group 1 (15 min sit-up -30 min run) and group 2 (30 min sit-up -15 min run). The study sit-up training included 25 types of training for abdominal muscles and the walking intensity was 130-140 steps per minute. Blood samples were collected before and after 4 weeks (16 sessions) and the levels of fibrinogen, plasma viscosity and HOMA-IR were measured. Data analyzed by two ways ANOVA (Between-group changes) and paired T-test. Correspondence: Abbas Ghanbari-Niaki, PhD. Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Siences, Mazandaran University. Babolsar, Iran Tel:+98 9111256292 Email: email@example.com Results: Compared with the pre-test, both groups demonstrated a significant reduction in body weight over the course of the study (P<0.05). BMI for the group 2 (30 minute sit-up +15 minute walking) in the post-test decreased significantly compared with the pre-test (P=0.037). In the post-test fibrinogen levels (P=0.008) and plasma viscosity (P=0.008) decreased significantly only in the group 2. The two-way ANOVA showed a significant difference between the two groups only in the levels of fibrinogen (P=0.024). Conclusion: The current research findings indicate that fibrinogen and plasma viscosity levels in group 2 (30 minute sit-up +15 minute walking) decreased compared with the pre-test after 4 week of training; but fibrinogen and plasma viscosity levels in the group 1 (15 minute sit-up +30 minute walking) did not change significant


This paper reports the results of a study of the top 500 private sector organizations and the top 100 public sector organizations in Sweden. It is a replication of the study by Svensson et al. (2004). The aim of the study was to describe and compare the business ethics commitment of organizations across the two sectors. The empirical findings indicate that the processes involved in business ethics commitment have begun to be recognized and acted upon at an organizational level in Sweden. Some support is provided to show that codes of ethics are developing in some of Sweden's largest private and public sector organizations – although this is happening to a lesser extent in the public sector. It is noted that an effect of a code of ethics on the bottom line of the business was acknowledged by respondents in both private and public sector organizations. We believe that the supporting measures of business ethics commitment appear to be underutilized in both private and public sector organizations in Sweden (among those that possess codes of ethics), thus indicating that the commitment to business ethics in Swedish organizations has potential for future development.


The purpose of this study is to examine the Austrian Business Cycle theory and the state of empirical evidence for it. In the theoretical part of the study, the Austrian theory of the business cycle based on the neoAustrian diagrammatical synthesis was compared to New Keynesian short-run IS-LM and medium-run AS-AD models by studying policy responses. The policy responses to an increase in saving rate and increase in government deficit spending were similar. The policy response to monetary expansion was different between the theories. In New Keynesian theory, monetary expansion can be used as a stabilization instrument. In Austrian theory, it causes an unsustainable investment that is the cause of the business cycle. The result of literature study on the previous empirical studies on Austrian business cycle theory was that there has not been a hypothesis that could be used to statistically test distinctively the Austrian business cycle theory. Currently there is no credible empirical evidence for the theory. In the empirical part of the thesis, the relationship between consumption, investment and monetary policy was studied using Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). Spread between short and long term interest rates was used as a proxy for the monetary policy. The model was estimated using U.S. data from 1963 to 2014. The impulse-response functions of the VECM model indicated that a monetary policy shock causes an economic stimulus that peaks after 20 quarters for consumption and after 16 quarters for investment. The results of the empirical study are consistent with both Austrian and New Keynesian theory.


Research on the role and function of art as a preservation hermitage art of oral tradition in the Mangun Dharma Art Padepokan Tumpang-background-Malang was triggered by the presence of a significant role Padepokan Mangun Dharma Art for the individual in particular, the public in general, and for the preservation of Indonesian culture. The purpose of this research is to obtain explanations about the forms of activities, functions and meanings hermitage in the Mangun Dharma Art Padepokan Tumpang-Malang. The method in this research is qualitative, while the data used are verbal and visual data. The results of this study show that: (1) organizational structure in Pade-pokan Mangun Dharma Art chaired by Ki Soleh Adi Pramono, secretary of Lulu Ratna Herath and Winarto Ekram. S. Sn, treasurer Nyi Elisabeth Sekar Arum and divided into sections. (2) The form of activities in the Mangun Dharma Art Padepokan art form of dance, musicians, puppetry, mocopat, kerajianan (wa-a and mask) and painting. (3) Function Padepokan Mangun Dharma Art as a medium of entertainment can be seen in the form of individual entertainment, entertainment for the group, and for the community. (4) The function and role Padepokan Mangun Dharma Art as a medium of education can be seen in the education of individual students, an education for educators or trainers, as well as community education to the community both in domestic and foreign community as a connoisseur of art. (5) The function and role of the hermitage Mangun Dharma Art as a medium for pe-lestarian business culture is quite large, namely by continuing to explore traditional crafts of classical heritage. (6) The function and role of the hermitage Mangun Dharma Art as a medium for the distribution of artistic talent can be seen in art forms that exist in a hermitage, which is then followed by the learner. (7) The function and role Padepokan Mangun Dharma Art as a motivator in his art-lestarian Padepokan oral tradition which is the place to be motivating the artists. (8) The function and role Padepokan Mangun Dharma art as inspiration for the preservation of oral tradition is as the birthplace of inspirations, new ideas for the development and preservation of art. (9) The meaning Padepokan Mangun Dharma Art in terms of structure-nannya bangu can be concluded that a hermitage built utmost art with dharma, thinking and tenacity, to create a purpose-dah wa art preservation. (10) history of the Mangun Dharma Art Padepokan departed from the simplicity that finally makes Padepokan Mangun Dhar-ma become independent hermitage to continue to preserve and develop the arts in all fields.


The field of Information Systems, it is argued, suffers from identity crisis and faces difficulties in achieving a disciplinary status (Galliers, 2006; Hassan, 2011). The IS research continues to be seen as lacking relevance and impact that negatively affects IS prospects for becoming a discipline. Key charges include the narrow research focus and a rigid application of research methods that constrain investigative possibilities, impede the relevance of IS research and also stifle creativity and the production of relevant knowledge. Given a historical privileging of the positivist research approach and associated methods (survey and experiments in particular) IS research has been slow in adopting other approaches and expanding research methods. While this is gradually happening and IS researchers are seen venturing into non-positivist territories, adopting a broader range of methods (such as ethnographies or action research), the emphasis on research methods and their 'rigorous' application remains. After critiquing the narrow focus on methods and drawing attention to limitations of all methods, the paper proposes a broader focus on research methodology that is concerned with the ontological, epistemological, and normative assumptions behind research methods and their inherent limitations. The paper argues for a (re)turn to methodology conceived as a theory of inquiry that is contextually sensitive and evolving within a research project. The return to methodology would involve a continuous interplay between assumptions about the phenomena studied and the practical questions of designing research strategies and selecting and adopting research methods underpinned by the assumptions. The broadening of focus and the questioning of both metatheoretical assumptions and methods might open up researchers' perspectives and stimulate the discovery of new and innovative ways of conducting research and thereby facilitate progress in the IS field.


Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of pancreatic β-cells. Interleukins such as interleukin 18 (IL-18) and protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) have been found to be associated with immune related diseases. We investigated a possible association of polymorphisms in IL-18 gene rs1946518 and PTPN22 rs2476601 with T1DM diagnosed in children (aged ≤14 years) and adults (aged ≥18 years) via a case-control study. In Euro-Brazilian children (n = 320) and adults (n = 291), patients with T1DM and healthy individuals (control) were genotyped for rs1946518 and rs2476601 using fluorescent probes (Taqman system). All groups were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No significant differences were observed in the genotypes and allele frequencies for both polymorphisms. For the IL-18 rs1946518 A-allele, the minor allele frequencies for children, adults, healthy individuals, and T1DM were 49% (95% CI, 43.0–55.0), 47.5% (40–52), 47.9% (43–53), and 51% (45–57), respectively. For the PTPN22 rs2476601 T-allele in adults, controls and T1DM had frequencies of 7.3% (4–10) and 6.7% (4–10). In conclusion, these polymorphisms were not associated with T1DM onset in children or adults in this population.


Studies into emerging literacy suggest that print activities in early childhood and kindergarten facilitate children's later learning of reading and writing skills. Few studies, however, specify what qualities of print activities are important. In our study we focus on the quality of kindergartners' name writing. We conducted a study with 23 kindergarten children of whom 14 could correctly write their own names and the others could not. We explored whether the children's name writing ability correlates with their spelling achievements in grade 1, one to one-and-a-half years later. Moreover, we wanted to find out whether children who could not write their names in kindergarten differed from children who could in terms of the type of spelling errors they made in grade 1. All children or their parents were immigrants from the Netherlands Antilles, a former Dutch colony in the Caribbean. Moreover, all children had an IQ of at least 90. Spelling achievements were measured with standardized tests in December, four months after the children had entered school, and in June, at the end of grade 1.Children who had been able to write their names correctly in kindergarten produced significantly fewer spelling errors in grade 1 (December and June) than children who had not been able to write their names in kindergarten or had been unable to write them correctly. The two groups did not differ with regard to the type of errors they made. One group simply made more errors than the other. Most errors were of three types: (1) with ccvc words or ccvc words they left out the second (or the third) consonant (e.g. they wrote 'kaan' instead of 'kraan'; (2) they had problems with letter-sound correspondence: (a) they left out one of the letters of a long vowel (e.g. 'kran' instead of 'kraan'); (b) they changed the order of letters in diphthongs (e.g. 'leif' instead of 'lief' and (c) they did not correctly distinguish between consonants that resemble each other (e.g. 'vles' instead of 'fles'); (3) they changed the position of consonants in ccvc words or cvcc words (e.g. 'trap' became 'tarp' or 'koets' became 'koest'). The results suggest that the ability to write one's name in kindergarten affects the speed of the process of acquiring formal spelling rules in grade 1.


Resume Cette etude met en evidence les criteres bien precis qui servent a attribuer noms, surnoms et titres honorifiques dans la tribu des Shahsavan Baghdadi (l'une des confederations tribales du centre de l'Iran). L'etude tente egalement de determiner l'origine des noms et surnoms utilises, tout cela a travers l'analyse de 994 noms et 221 titres honorifiques. Le travail conclut a l'intervention de trois facteurs dans le choix des noms: region, langue et culture nationale qui agissent seuls ou en combinatoire. En revanche, le choix du surnom est determine par 18 variables parmi lesquelles les 'caracteristiques corporelles visibles' jouent le premier role. Introduction Shahsevan-e Baghdadi is a tribal confederacy (el) consisting of two big branches, 'Lek' and 'Arixli', twenty nine tribes (tayfa), 220 sections (tire) and several hundred sub-sections (gobeg): All speak Turkish, are Shi'ite Muslims and Iranian nationals. The primary nucleus of this confederacy was relocated from the suburbs of Kirkuk to Khorassan in 1733 by Nader, the future king. He was still a regent when he attacked the region in an effort to conquer Baghdad and this is why the confederacy is known as 'Baghdadi'. Thereafter, the different tribes and sections of this confederacy dispersed across Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria, however, its main body migrated to the area of Fars after it had been moved to northeastern Iran upon the death of Nader Shah Afshar. Early on during the Qajar rule, it was settled in Saveh, Ghazvin, Hamedan and nearby areas. After a while, the 'Kharaqan' mountains were considered to be the most suitable place for the different tribes of the confederacy, and this area was handed over to them by Nasser ad-din Shah Qajar, a fact which was also officially recorded. During the years between 1928 and 1936 different tribes of Shahsevan-e Baghdadi were attempted to be settled. The last nomadic remnants of the confederacy were settled in the 1950s. Their settlements today are in Saveh, Tafresh, Ghom, Hamedan, Malayer, Zanjan, Ghazvin, Karaj, Shahriar, Tehran, some areas in Kordestan and vicinity of Kermanshahr. The confederacy has been run by a chief (re'is), a chieftain (elbeyi) and sometimes chieftains, headmen (kedxudha) and elders (agseqqel). Based on this hierarchy, chiefs have been positioned at the head of the confederacy, chieftains to two or three branches of the confederacy and others to its various tribes and sections. Names and Naming Patterns Naming and assigning attributes to an individual is a cultural act which reflects both the intellectual and social and moral sensitivities of the nominators and, as such, is an important indicator of public culture, and the cultural tendencies of the nominator's society. Thus, in view of the free will and freedom of action of the nominators in choosing names and attributes for individuals, the study of these can play an important role in identifying the cultural functions of the society, particularly its hidden layers. The present research is a case study, the results of which can help in better understanding the etymology of historical names and attributions of Turks that are frequently seen in historical texts of mediaeval and modern Iran. The research aims at discovering the patterns, and at categorising and finding the etymological significance of names and attributions among the people of the Shahsevan-e Baghdadi confederacy. 'What effects have language, national culture and religion had on the naming of individuals of this confederacy, and where should we search for the roots of attributions?', are the basic questions of this research. We assume that all three above-mentioned variables have had an influence on the naming of neonates. The statistical sample of the research consists of 993 names and 223 attributions from the Kuseler tribe. The names have been taken from a tax record of 1927, which covered all the then existing eighteen sections of the tribe. …


The first part of this paper (§§ 1 to 9) contains a description of an electrical method for measuring the relation between pressure and time in experiments on high pressures of short duration. As in the method devised by Hopkinson, the pressure is applied normally to one end of a cylindrical steel bar, producing a stress pulse which gives rise to radial and longitudinal displacements in the bar. The radial displacement, or the longitudinal displacement at the end of the bar remote from the applied pressure, is used to produce a change in the capacity of a suitable condenser unit which is charged to a high potential and connected through a feed circuit and an amplifier to a double-beam cathode-ray oscillograph. The change in capacity of the condenser unit gives rise to a vertical deflexion of one of the beams of the oscillograph, the other beam being used for time-marking. At the appropriate instant, the two beams are traversed rapidly in a horizontal direction across the screen by a sweep circuit triggered by a switch on the pressure bar. By photographing the traces on the screen, an oscillogram , giving the variation with time of the displacement in the bar, is obtained, and from this record the variation of the applied pressure with time can be deduced. The second part of the paper (§§ 10 to 12) begins with a theoretical discussion of the propagation of extensional stress waves and pulses in a bar, using the exact equations due to Pochhammer and to Chree (§ 11), and also a less accurate wave equation due apparently to Love (§ 12). These investigations show that, owing to dispersion, a stress pulse is modified in its passage down the bar, the shorter waves lagging behind the longer ones. The theory provides a satisfactory explanation of certain features of the experimental results which are incompatible with elementary theory. It is found, for example, by the theory of group velocities, that a pulse whose initial duration is very short, becomes extended as it travels along the bar, its duration at distance x cm . from the origin being about 3.3x /isec. In the early stages of the disturbance, extending for the first 1.4x /tsec., only one dominant group exists; the later portion, extending over 1.9x sec., is com posed o f two dominant groups which give the characteristic pattern of two superposed oscillations. These conclusions are confirmed by experiment. The theory is used to discuss the errors in the experiments caused by the pressure bar itself, and it is shown that bars about 2 ft. long and 1 in. and 0.5 in. diameter can be used to measure pressures which last for about 20 and 10 /isec. respectively with an accuracy of about 2 to 3 % . T his was confirmed by experiments with bullet impacts and detonation waves in gaseous mixtures, in which the measured values of the pressure could be checked by calculation.


Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and a significant public health problem, especially in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the benefit of quinidine sulfate in the conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. Furthermore, the aim of this study was to determine the correlation of the efficiency of cardioversion with quinidine in relation with the size of left atrium on the one side and the age of examined patients the other. The examination included 60 patients of both gender with detected persistent atrial fibrillation that is not stopped spontaneously and lasts endlessly until converted. The patients were divided in 2 groups according to etiology of disease, age and size of left atrium. After 4 weeks of treatment with anticoagulant medications and after achieving optimal control of ventricular frequency, the patients received oral quinidine therapy - 200 mg of quinidine tablets every 2 hours, until a full dose of 1600mg. The number of patients with beneficial effects of conversion was different within the groups and this difference was statistically significant (c2=3,841, p<0,05). In the first group of patients, where the cardioversion was more successful (86,7% with converted rhythm), the average left atrium size was 3,68 ± 0,24 cm and the average age 55,47 ± 2,94 years. In the second group, 66,7% of patients converted atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. In the same group, the average left atrium size was 4,93 ± 0,57 cm and the average age 67,33 ± 3,91 years. Statistically there was a significant difference between the examined groups concerning the average of measured left atrium sizes (t = -11,004, p<0,01). In terms of statistics, there is also considerable difference in the average age of patients (t = -13,285, p<0,01) between the examined groups. In the patients with successful conversion, the average size of left atrium was 4,059 ± 0,51 cm, and in the patients with failed conversion the average size of left atrium was 5,11 ± 0,92. The relation between the efficiency of conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm and left atrium size is very significant (r = -0,461, p<0,01). In the patients with successful conversion of hearth rhythm, the average age was 59,57 ± 5,76 years and in the patients with failed conversion the average age was 67,43 ± 7,08 years. The relation between successful conversion of rhythm and the age of patients is very important (r = -0.479, p<0,01). The efficiency of pharmacological conversion of rhythm with quinidine depends to a large extent on the left atrium size and the age of patients.


Increasingly, application and service providers collect data through sensors embedded in smartphones, such as GPS receivers, while mobile operators collect them through the cellular infrastructure. This information is extremely valuable for marketing applications, but also has an incredible potential to benefit society as a whole. At the same time, mobile data are highly personal, so privacy concerns are increasingly at the center of the public debate. Moreover, data aren't just used for understanding the past and the present, but also for predicting our future behavior, activities, and emotional states. So, should we be worried about the privacy of our mobile future? Are big mobile data mining technologies good or evil? This article aims to add elements to this ongoing debate.


Gauteng Province is located in the northern part of the South African national spatial system and is bordered by the Free State, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces. It is the smallest geographically of all the provinces, but the largest in terms of population and its contribution to the country's GDP. Originally, Gauteng Province developed on the wealth of gold (40% of the world's reserves). The economy has since diversified to more sophisticated sectors, such as finance, manufacturing, transport and telecommunications. It forms the economic engine of the Southern African region and the gateway to doing business in the rest of Africa. The study area is the smallest of the nine provinces, but contributes more than 30% to the national economy and 10% to the African economy. Due to the locational factors the study area is currently fulfilling a primary role in the growth and development of the national economy and its spatial development. This also applies to development within the Africa continental spatial system. The Gauteng Provincial Government in 2013 published the Gauteng Integrated Transport Master Plan (GITMP). In this plan consideration is given to the promotion of intermodal transportation development. The purpose of this paper is to assess the intermodal transport perspectives within the Gauteng Province and to relate it to the strategies as formulated in the National Development Plan (2012) for NATMAP 2050 for the national spatial system. The paper focuses on the use of specific planning and development instruments to promote sustainable transportation planning and development. It's guiding giving influence and impacts on intra traffic movements through process linkages and alignment between strategy and implementation approaches are investigated. The findings will serve as a guideline to follow in application of similar strategy, planning and implementation approaches within other provincial spatial systems.