OBJECTIVES
To determine whether all or only certain proteins in an enamel matrix derivative (EMD) are angiogenic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The angiogenic effect was analysed using an in vivo angiogenesis assay. Silicon tubes were filled with or without potential and known angiogenic-modulating factors: (i) an EMD parent, (ii) nine pools of EMD proteins, (iii) fibroblast growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor and (iv) amelogenin. Silicon tubes were implanted subcutaneously in mice. Dextran-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was injected via the tail vein, mice were euthanized and tubes were retrieved. Neovascularization was determined by measuring the amount of dextran-FITC within the tubes.

RESULTS
The greatest angiogenic potential of the EMD parent was at a weight of 125 ng, resulting in a 4.3-fold increase compared with the negative control. Five pools of EMD proteins showed a stronger angiogenic activity than the EMD parent. Pool 5 showed the greatest angiogenic activity, when compared with the negative control (8.1-fold increase) and with 125 ng of the EMD parent (4.2-fold increase). Amelogenin demonstrated a significantly higher angiogenic activity than the negative control (increase up to 4.0-fold) and the EMD parent (increase up to 1.6-fold).

CONCLUSIONS
EMD parent, recombinant porcine amelogenin and certain pools of EMD proteins induced significant angiogenesis compared with the controls using a standardized in vivo assay.


ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) and cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on government size in host countries of FDI. Using panel data for up to 130 countries for the period from 2003 to 2011, the study specifically tests the compensation hypothesis, suggesting that by increasing economic insecurity, economic openness leads to larger government size. It is found that greenfield FDI increases labour market volatility and thereby economic insecurity while M&As are not significantly associated with labour market volatility. The main results of this study are that greenfield FDI has a robust positive effect on government size, while M&As have no statistically significant effect on government size in the total sample of developed and developing countries, as well as in the sub-samples of developed and developing countries.


In this article, Professor Saxer discusses how the understanding of private and public rights in water influences the efficient allocation of this essential resource. Property rights to surface water, ground water, and rain water are explored and evaluated using the traditional comparison to the land-based "bundle of rights" metaphor. However, Professor Saxer concludes that this metaphor is inappropriate when applied to a resource such as water, which is constantly changing in form, quantity, and location and is difficult to exclusively possess. Rather, she argues that water rights should be viewed as a communal resource subject to state ownership under the public trust doctrine, with private rights allocated through government contracts granting revocable licenses to use.


BACKGROUND Handovers during anaesthesia are common, and failures in communication may lead to morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES We hypothesised that intraoperative handover training and display of a checklist would improve communication during anaesthesia care transition in the operating room. DESIGN Interventional cohort study. SETTING Single-centre tertiary care university hospital. PARTICIPANTS A total of 204 random observations of handovers between anaesthesia providers (residents and nurse anaesthetists) over a 6-month period in 2016. INTERVENTION Two geographically different hospital sites were studied simultaneously (same observations, but no training/checklist at the control site): first a 2-week 'baseline' observation period; then handover training and display of checklists in each operating room (at the intervention site only) followed by an 'immediate' second and finally a third (3 months later) observation period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES A 22-item checklist was created by a modified DELPHI method and a checklist score calculated for each handover by adding the individual scores for each item as follows: −1, if error in communicating item; 0, unreported item; 0.5, if partly communicated item; 1, if correctly communicated item. RESULTS Before training and display of the checklist, the scores in the interventional and the control groups were similar. There was no improvement in the control group's scores over the three observation periods. In the interventional group, the mean (95% confidence interval) score increased by 43% [baseline 7.6 (6.7 to 8.4) n = 42; 'immediate' 10.9 (9.4 to 12.4) n = 27, P < 0.001]. This improvement persisted at 3 months without an increase in the mean duration of handovers. CONCLUSION Intraoperative handover training and display of a checklist in the operating room improved the checklist score for intraoperative transfer of care in anaesthesia.


This paper provides robust evidence for the non-linear effects of mortgage spread shocks during recessions and expansions in the United States. Estimating a smooth-transition VAR model, we show that mortgage spread shocks hitting in recessionary regimes create significantly deeper and more protracted decrease in industrial production and prices, as well as a persistent fall in house prices. Evidence also suggests that shock propagation is amplified through the interaction of stock prices. Our empirical results complement the theoretical literature which emphasizes the role of occasionally binding collateral constraints and asset prices in explaining macroeconomic asymmetries.


Households can reduce taxes by transferring taxable income generating assets from high income family members to those in lower tax brackets. Parents, for instance, may exploit differences in the marginal tax rates that they face and those that apply to their children. But under progressive taxation, the marginal tax rates may converge upon transferring large sums from high to low income members as the income of the recipient is pushed into higher tax brackets, thereby limiting the tax arbitrage benefits of intergenerational transfers. As an alternative, and under a more effective form of income splitting, high income family members may create trusts for the benefit of other family members, and divide the transferred assets among a large number of trusts so as to subject the income from each trust to the lowest possible tax bracket. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 modified the treatment of trusts such that the maximum individual tax rate became applicable at very low levels of trust taxable income thereby erasing much of the benefits of transferring income through this vehicle. This paper provides an overview of the tax treatment of income received by individuals and that of trusts, and provides evidence on how changes in differential tax rates introduced in 1986 altered the use of trusts as means to splitting income and sheltering it from taxation.


Studies have found evidence that seemingly irrelevant details of an income component such as its label have an effect on how it is used. Using a data set with more than one million employee-month observations, we investigate the role of functional form assumptions and time aggregation in the analysis of these effects. In most cases we find evidence that marginal propensities to save differ across income components. Our analysis reveals a large degree of heterogeneity in savings behavior within the year.


Hybrid perovskites have emerged over the past five years as absorber layers for novel high-efficiency low-cost solar cells combining the advantages of organic and inorganic semiconductors. Unfortunately, electrical transport in these materials is still poorly understood. Employing the linear response approach of density functional theory, we reveal strong anharmonic effects and a double-well phonon instability at the center of the Brillouin zone for both cubic and orthorhombic phases of inorganic CsPbI3. Previously reported soft phonon modes are stabilized at the actual lower-symmetry equilibrium structure, which occurs in a very flat energy landscape, highlighting the strong competition between the different phases of CsPbI3. Factoring these low-energy phonons into electron-phonon interactions and band gap calculations could help better understand the electrical transport properties in these materials. Furthermore, the perovskite oscillations through the corresponding energy barrier could explain the underlying ferroelectricity and the dynamical Rashba effect predicted in halide perovskites for photovoltaics.


This thesis describes a study that was carried out in the Tertiary fold-and-thrust belt of Svalbard, in the mountain range of Mediumfjellet summer 2007 and 2008. The focuses were on: i) further describing the larger structures of the Mediumfjellet, ii) analyze the fracture distribution in the limestone beds associated with the major structures in the area. Available data sets are based on photo textured Lidar scan and extensive field observations. The Mediumfjellet thrust stack is situated in the so-called central zone of the Spitsbergen fault-and-thrust belt. The mountain range displays three in-sequence thrusts (M1, M2, and M3) and one out-of-sequence thrust (G), with associated hanging wall anticlines. The anticlines are in general upright and tight, locally with overturned forelimbs, and characterized by thickening of the hinge zone and thinning of the forelimb. Lateral variations caused by oblique ramps, fault segment linkage, and lateral changes in the fold geometry and the fold plunge make the thrust system a complex deformation zone. The fracture system has been divided into three populations, namely; i) Perpendicular fractures including conjugate shear fractures and extensional fractures, ii) conjugate hybrid shear fractures, and iii) thrust fractures. Based on the systematic relationships to the fold axis, the perpendicular and hybrid fractures, are interpreted as syn-folding fractures, whereas observations of folded thrust fractures support a pre-folding event. This study thereby suggests a 2 stage kinematic fracture model, where the pre-folding thrust fractures indicate a NW-SE to N-S contraction, and the syn-folding fractures reveal NW-SW to E-W contraction. Fractures that do not fit into this model are assumed to be a result of lateral local variations or reactivation of existing fractures. When comparing the fracture intensity to the fold domains, the highest intensity is situated in the hinge zone. This implies a fold mechanism with fixed hinge folding, most commonly ascribed to fault-propagation folding or transported faultpropagation folding. Assuming good permeability for large throughgoing fractures and good porosity when there is a high intensity of short bed-terminating fractures, the study suggests a model with good fluid pathways in the forelimb near the major thrusts, and well developed short fractures in the major fold hinges, indicating the location of a possible reservoir.


High-value, large-volume utilization of forest thinning materials from U.S. National Forests is a potentially important contributor to sustainable forest health. This study demonstrated the utilization of wood chips produced from thinnings for the production of thermomechanical pulp (TMP). Both whole-log chips (primarily from small-diameter logs, tops, and reject logs) and sawmill "residue" chips from a HewsawTM system (Mäntyharju, Finland) were evaluated. The residue chips produced in this study were substituted for a TMP mill's standard residue chips up to about 50%. The whole-log chips were substituted for the mill's whole-log chips up to about 30%. The results show that substitution of chips produced from forest thinnings reduced refining energy in all trials. Pulp quality was maintained throughout all trials.


In the last 15 years, computational quantum chemistry has become an invaluable tool that supports the interpretation of experimental measurements of a broad range of molecular properties of Tc and Re compounds. Among the contemporary computational techniques, density functional theory is the most extended one. This review describes recent computational investigations that illustrate best the promise of quantum chemical calculation in a number of areas of Tc and Re chemistry, such as geometry, stability of complexes, molecular spectroscopic properties and electronic structures and bonding characters. General trends and the prospects for future applications are also discussed.


Despite efforts to deploy electric vehicles, sales from western carmakers in China remain insignificant compared with domestic carmakers. Although literature on the Chinese market, on innovation and on strategy for foreign multinational enterprises in China is abundant, it lacks specific research on strategic perspectives for foreign players experiencing the country's complex and uncertain context. To tackle this empirical question, the paper proposes a novel analytical method through bridging the literature on strategy, innovation and the Chinese EV market. A 'strategic opportunities space' is developed to explore potential strategic paths. The application of this method to the Chinese EV case leads to defining 12 best-fit scenarios for western car manufacturers. Our findings indicate that among the selected solutions, the still untapped low-cost approach to electric vehicles in China's lower tier cities brings the highest value to foreign carmakers, while potentially being a favourable candidate for reverse innovation.


Abstract A postulated steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) event of the APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400 MWe) was experimentally investigated with the thermal-hydraulic integral effect test facility ATLAS (Advanced Thermal-Hydraulic Test Loop for Accident Simulation). The SGTR accident is one of the design-basis accidents having a significant impact on safety from the viewpoint of radiological release. To simulate a SGTR accident of the APR1400, the SGTR-HL-04 and the SGTR-HL-05 tests were performed by simulating double-ended ruptures of a single U-tube and five U-tubes at the hot side of the ATLAS steam generator. Following the reactor trip induced by a high steam generator level signal, the primary-system pressure decreased and the secondary-system pressure increased until the main steam safety valves were opened to reduce the secondary-system pressure. A mild change of the water level in the core was observed, which was attributed to the small break sizes of the present tests compared with conventional loss-of-coolant-accident tests. No excursion in the cladding temperature was observed in either test. The break area affected the timing of the major events observed in the tests. Lessened heat transfer to the secondary side caused by earlier actuation of the safety injection pumps had more influence on the secondary pressure of the affected steam generator than the break flow. The break flow was discharged as single-phase water in both tests.


This paper develops a political economy approach to explaining the role of business in international environmental governance. The framework bridges micro and macro-levels of analysis and combines theories of International Relations with perspectives from management and organization. The uneven and fragmented nature of international governance is viewed as the outcome of a process of bargaining, compromise, and alliance formation among a range of state and non-state actors. Negotiated regimes are constitutive of the broader structures of global governance, but are also constrained and shaped by these wider configurations of power. We apply Gramscian concepts to understand processes of contestation and accommodation, and to locate corporate political strategy within the wider system of states, civil society, and international institutions. The Gramscian approach suggests the dominant yet contingent position of business, and points to a strategic concept of power that highlights the dynamic and somewhat indeterminate path of regime evolution.


In order to provide textbook authors with empirical data on the acquisition in Dutch of written morphology in nouns, verbs and adjectives, several empirical studies have been undertaken. In this article, the third study reports on the performance of the morpheme -e in a special case of adjectives in Dutch: the adjectives derived from participles. The study tries to determine the possible interference between the morphological rules for verb inflection (past tense) and adjective declension in reading and writing. Five classes of adjectives were distinguished according to order of relative difficulty established a priori. Subjects (n=157, grade 6, 7 and 8 from two schools) individually completed a compre-hension and a production task in which factors were systematically varied. Also a recognition test on the spelling of the past tense of verbs was administered.The results showed an effect of categories of verbal adjectives in the production task, but only for groups 7 and 8; group 6 was not sensitive to the differences between the categories. In the recognition task, no effect of type of adjective (verbal or normal) was found for groups 7 and 8; but for group 6, performance on verbal adjectives was lower for the three most difficult categories of adjectives. In the production task, all three groups performed lower on verbal adjectives than normal adjectives in the two most difficult categories of adjectives.It turned out that groups which acquired spelling rules for the past tense of verbs to a higher level, made more errors in the spelling of verbal adjectives, especially in the two categories of adjectives which related the strongest to the spelling of verbs. It was concluded that indications were found that negative transfer or interference is present. Authors recommend changing the order of phases in which spelling rules are trained: from 'adjective declension-verb inflection (past tense)-verbal adjective declension' to 'adjective declension (including verbal adjective declension)-verb declension (past tense).


The aims of this study were to analyse the occupational stress experienced by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) stationed at the Local Criminal and Record Centre (LCRC), to assess the relationship between occupational stress and ill health, and to determine whether individual and organisational commitment moderate the effects of occupational stress on ill health. A survey design was used to achieve the research objectives utilising an availability non-randomised sample (N=111). An Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET) and a biographical questionnaire were used as measuring instruments.
The results indicated that occupational stress provided an explanation in 19 percent of the cases of variance in psychological ill health and in 17 percent of the cases of variance in physical ill health. Control as a stressor was a statistically significant predictor of both physical and psychological ill health. Job overload also statistically significantly predicted psychological ill health. Occupational stress explained 17 percent of the variance in individual commitment to the organisation and 16 percent of the variance in organisational commitment to the individual. Stress resulting from resource problems and work-life balance predicted both individual commitment to the organisation and perceived commitment of the organisation to the individual negatively at a statistically significant level. Stressful job characteristics also predicted individual commitment to the organisation negatively at a statistically significant level. It was found that individual commitment to the organisation moderated the effects of work relations on ill health.
One of the limitations of this study is the possibility of the "common method variance" which could, in turn, lead to an overestimation of the correlations studied. The sample size and sampling method, where only LCRC members in North West Province were included in the sample, could also be viewed as a limitation. It is recommended that addressing the needs of LCRC members will ultimately improve their sense of commitment to the organisation. Furthermore, interventions should be implemented to prevent and reduce stress and to initiate coping mechanisms for LCRC members. Improved recovery strategies would also ensure that LCRC members recuperate effectively from trauma and stress.


Serratia marcescens S6 produces a pI 9.7 carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase that is probably encoded by the chromosome (Y. Yang, P. Wu, and D. M. Livermore, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34:755-758, 1990). A total of 11.3 kb of genomic DNA from this strain was cloned into plasmid pACYC184 in Escherichia coli. After further subclonings, the carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase gene (blaSme-1) was sequenced (EMBL accession number Z28968). The gene corresponded to an 882-bp open reading frame which encoded a 294-amino-acid polypeptide. This open reading frame was preceded by a -10 and a -35 region consistent with a putative promoter sequence of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. This promoter was active in E. coli and S. marcescens, as demonstrated by primer extension analysis. N-terminal sequencing showed that the Sme-1 enzyme had a 27-amino-acid leader peptide and enabled calculation of the molecular mass of the mature protein (29.3 kDa). Sequence alignment revealed that Sme-1 is a class A serine beta-lactamase and not a class B metalloenzyme. The earlier view that the enzyme was zinc dependent was discounted. Among class A beta-lactamases, Sme-1 had the greatest amino acid identity (70%) with the pI 6.9 carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase, NMC-A, from Enterobacter cloacae NOR-1. Comparison of these two protein sequences suggested a role for specific residues in carbapenem hydrolysis. The relatedness of Sme-1 to other class A beta-lactamases such as the TEM and SHV types was remote. This work details the sequence of the second carbapenem-hydrolyzing class A beta-lactamase from an enterobacterial species and the first in the genus Serratia.


The biological fraction of PM2.5 is considered to be a major cause of various allergies and respiratory diseases. Nonetheless, differences in bacterial and fungal communities in PM2.5 under different air quality conditions are not well known. In the present study, we collected PM2.5 samples from October 15, 2014 to November 12, 2014 when several successive "Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) blue" days were recorded, following the implementation of strict emission control measures to ensure the APEC summit held during November 5–11, 2014 in Beijing. This study analyzed bacteria and fungi in PM2.5 samples through rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. In total, 690 genera of bacteria and 229 genera of fungi were detected. The variations of species richness and community diversity of bacteria and fungi in PM2.5 were not affected significantly by the emission control measures adopted during the summit and different air quality levels. The bacterial and fungal community structures in PM2.5 collected during the summit exhibited over 83.7% and 79.6% similarities respectively, with PM2.5 collected from air graded as "good" quality (AQI ≤ 100) before the APEC summit. Bacteria and fungi in PM2.5 samples collected at AQI levels between 101–200 and 201–300 before the APEC summit had more than 73.4% and 76.3% community structure similarity, respectively, with PM2.5 samples collected at AQI ≤ 100. The difference between day and night PM2.5 samples was very small for bacterial and fungal community structures. Furthermore, most of the inhalable bacteria and fungi were nonpathogenic and no a clear relationship between air quality levels and pathogens was observed. Our results showed that bacteria and fungi in PM2.5 were less affected by emission control measures and different air quality levels. However, due to the limited number of samples, the relationship between air pollution levels and airborne bacteria and fungi still needs further study.


Background Non-adherence to combined anti-retroviral treatment (cART) is one of the key factors leading to treatment failure, higher morbidity, mortality, and health costs. Tools to evaluate adherence are beneficial since they allow health care workers to focus on patients with adherence problems. "Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire" (BMQ) is a tool that evaluates the patient's awareness of the "need" for and "concerns" about their medicines. Purpose To evaluate whether the findings of the BMQ questionnaire correlated with adherence in HIV patients. Material and methods BMQ was applied to HIV-infected patients on cART with three or more pharmacy visits who gave informed consent. Adherence was evaluated through refill date records. Results Of a total of 175 patients, 80 (45.7%) were women, 97 (55.4%) were previously treatment-naïve, and the median age was 44 years old. Average BMQ-specific "need" and "concerns" scores were 22.6 [Standard Deviation (SD) = 2.7] and 18.6 [SD = 5.0], respectively. The average difference between "need" and "concerns" scores (N-C) was 4.0 [SD = 6.1]. Average refill adherence was 101% [SD = 9.1%] with values between 59% and 129%. The majority of patients (86.3%) had refill adherence between 80% and 110%, and 2.3% had refill adherence below 80%. Although we observed a tendency for higher values of N-C in patients with higher refill adherence, it was not possible to establish a correlation due to lack of statistical significance. Conclusion It wasn't possible to correlate the results of the BMQ-specific questionnaire with adherence, probably due to the fact that there was a high proportion of treatment-naïve patients. We observed higher refill adherence rates in treatment-naïve patients, which may be due to the fact that these patients are most likely to be aware of the "need" for cART. It's possible that the BMQ-specific questionnaire is more useful in treatment – experienced patients in order to identify causes of non-adherence. References and/or Acknowledgements No conflict of interest.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-wrinkle effect of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (AdMSCs-CM) in a UVB irradiation-induced hairless mouse wrinkle model. Mice treated with AdMSCs-CM showed improvements in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), water capacity and erythema index of skin. The AdMSCs-CM treated mice showed reduced total wrinkle area, number, length and depth, as measured by gross observation and replica image analysis, and had a thinner epidermis and increased collagen and elastic fiber content, compared with the UV control group, as measured by histopathological examination. The activity of AdMSCs-CM was further confirmed by the reduction in MMP-3 mRNA expression and MMP-2, 9 protein activity in the skin of the AdMSCs CM treated animals. These results suggested that AdMSCs-CM may be effective in the treatment of wrinkles by protecting of the collagen from degradation induced by UV irradiation. Further studies about detailed mechanisms of action of AdMSCs-CM will be needed.


From the old Chinese songs, we know that '56 Chinese brothers and sisters' live together in a big family. This expression refers to the number of nationalities living in P.R. China. However, many Han Chinese live far away from the National Minorities and they get to know their brothers and sisters mainly through media - books, newspapers or movies. As the function of media in China extended from politics to entertainment, it seems worthwhile to study the role which media serve in communicating knowledge (images) about National Minorities to the Han Chinese and what kind of images of the Minorities are actually transmitted. This paper tries to analyse the depiction of Yi Minority in Chinese media - in particular Chinese movies - from 1949 to the present. There are different phases of representations. Through a comparison of these phases, it can be analysed whether and in which way the depiction of National Minorities has been changed since 1949. The images of the Yi Minority transported through the media are of particular interest because they are a basis of communication and understanding but they also lead to misrepresentation and cliche.


Hydroxyurea, a cell-cycle-specific cytotoxic agent, has been shown to increase fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production. This property makes it an attractive drug for treatment of sickle cell disease and severe beta thalassemia. Its potential efficacy is limited because of a variable and often suboptimal response. Combinations of hydroxyurea and other drugs may induce more clinically significant increases in HbF. We have utilized chronically phlebotomized rhesus monkeys, treated with oral hydroxyurea, to investigate the capacity of several other agents to further augment HbF synthesis. Recombinant human erythropoietin, in super-pharmacologic doses, increased F-reticulocyte production when given on a weekly sequential schedule (3 of 7 days) with hydroxyurea (4 of 7 days), but it was less effective on an alternate day schedule when hydroxyurea was given daily. Neither recombinant human interleukin 3 (IL-3) nor recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), when infused individually, increased F-reticulocytes in animals receiving daily hydroxyurea. Sequential, overlapping infusions of IL-3 and GM-CSF produced a small but statistically significant increase in F-reticulocytes in one of two hydroxyurea-treated animals. Infusions of sodium butyrate produced a substantial augmentation in F-reticulocyte production in animals chronically treated with hydroxyurea. Thus, our studies have identified several agents that may prove useful in combination with hydroxyurea to achieve clinically beneficial levels of HbF.


Recent studies have revealed a correlation between aging-related hearing loss and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer Disease. However, it is not yet known if the correlation simply reflects the fact that these two disorders share common risk factors or whether there is a causal link between them. The answer to this question carries therapeutic implications. Unfortunately, it is not possible to study the question of causality between aging-related hearing loss and dementia in human subjects. Here, we evaluate the research surrounding induced-hearing loss in animal models on non-auditory cognition to help infer if there is any causal evidence linking hearing loss and a more general dementia. We find ample evidence that induction of hearing loss in animals produces cognitive decline, particularly hippocampal dysfunction. The data suggest that noise-exposure produces a toxic milieu in the hippocampus consisting of a spike in glucocorticoid levels, elevations of mediators of oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, which as a consequence induce cessation of neurogenesis, synaptic loss and tau hyperphosphorylation. These data suggest that hearing loss can lead to pathological hallmarks similar to those seen in Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. However, the rodent data do not establish that hearing loss on its own can induce a progressive degenerative dementing illness. Therefore, we conclude that an additional "hit", such as aging, APOE genotype, microvascular disease or others, may be necessary to trigger an ongoing degenerative process such as Alzheimer Disease.


Needs identification is an important component of program planning in continuing professional education. Learners, professional associations, and society all have a stake in ensuring that programs are relevant and focused on important educational needs of professionals. This study compared two different methods of identifying learning needs--perceived needs and knowledge-based needs--for a group of practicing pharmacists (N= 113). The Canadian Consensus Asthma Management Guidelines (1996) provided the framework for the needs assessments and the standard against which pharmacists' knowledge of asthma treatment was assessed. Using data collected via a questionnaire, rank correlation tests showed no relationship between perceived needs and knowledge-based needs. While there was correspondence between the two methods on a few items, overall they did not identify the same needs. This confirmed the results of other research that there are some educational needs of which learners are unaware. Even with the limitations of perceived needs, few continuing professional educators would advocate abandoning this method, although most advocate a combination of methods. The following article discusses the implications of these and other research findings, and current literature on needs assessment in continuing professional education. Many questions remain, however, and there is a need for more research on needs assessment in continuing professional education.


Developmental theorists have long speculated that emotion and cognition are inseparable components of the developmental process. Some even suggest that the two components are fully integrated by school age. Yet, despite considerable theoretical work describing this interaction, relatively little empirical work has been conducted on the subject. This volume addresses the codevelopment of emotional and cognitive processes by integrating theoretical and empirical work on these processes. The first part of the book demonstrates the codependence of emotional and cognitive processes, noting that both processes are clearly necessary for successful regulation of thought and behavior and that children with early adjustment difficulties often have deficits in both types of processing. The second part considers possible neurological and genetic mechanisms for the emotion-cognition link. Finally, the last part explores implications for clinical and educational research, highlighting atypical emotional and cognitive processing and its effect on adjustment in academic and social settings.


In many jurisdictions, lawyer-run discipline systems are inefficient, overly lenient and insufficiently responsive to consumer's concerns. Queensland's Legal Profession Act 2004 (Qld) breaks away from that model by moving lawyer discipline out of lawyers' professional associations and into an independent agency. It articulates a decidedly consumer-oriented approach to lawyer discipline and gives Queensland's new Legal Services Commissioner the power to investigate and prosecute all discipline complaints. This article looks at Queensland's recent reforms, and considers how well the new system is meeting its twin goals of consumer protection and traditional lawyer discipline. Using interviews and other data, the article identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses of Queensland's new discipline system and considers, inter alia, the meaning of "consumer protection" within the context of a lawyer discipline system and the role of lay input in discipline cases. It concludes by noting that while there are some structural problems with Queensland's new system, there is also much that other jurisdictions can learn from Queensland's experience.


A university supervisor used a "Stages of Concern" activity to promote reflective practice in preservice teachers. She wanted to show student teachers early in the semester that changes could be predicted, followed, and charted through their practicum to assess professional growth. The "Stages of Concern" model provides an overview of changes that will occur in processing any initiative. The model includes impact, task, and self stages that address refocusing, collaboration, consequence, management, personal, informational, and awareness concerns. The class activity involved the use of a reflective journal or learning log. The teacher introduced the stages of concern model; asked students to think of an example to use with the model; began a discussion of growth within each stage; had students develop expressions of concern for stages in their student teaching practicum; and continued discussion by asking students to reflect and write upon which stage best represented their growth at any moment during student teaching. Student teachers were expected to comprehend the stages of concern as an approach to facilitating change and apply the stages of concern to an educational innovation. (SM) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** PROMOTING REFLECTIVE PRACTICES IN PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION: AN ACTIVITY ON STAGES OF CONCERN


We examine a stochastic resource allocation problem where simultaneously servers are partitioned into parallel work centers and job types are assigned to the work centers. Each job type has a distinct Poisson arrival rate and a distinct work-inprocess (WIP) weight. The goal is to minimize the expected total WIP cost. Both identical server and non-identical server problems are considered. When servers are identical, each work center is a queueing system with an exponential service time distribution. The problem is solvable in polynomial time if a job type can be divided between the work centers, and NP-hard if dividing job types is not allowed. When there are two servers and job types cannot be divided, a heuristic is constructed where the relative error is bounded above by 4/3. Theoretical Analysis demonstrates that the heuristic finds an optimal solution for a large class of problem instances. When there are multiple work centers and job types cannot be divided, a heuristic is constructed where the relative error is bounded above by 1 + e. When servers are non-identical, the server assignment discipline has a significant impact on the WIP cost. Tight lower and upper bounds of the expected system time function are explored. Heuristics are constructed for the random available server assignment discipline and the fastest available server assignment discipline. The relative error for the random available discipline is bounded above by a function of the service rates. The relative error for the fastest available discipline is bounded above by the number of servers. ii To my parents, Hsiang Hung and Hsiu-Hsia Liu


The goal when managing any wound, whether it is acute or chronic, is to achieve wound closure as soon as possible.

The process by which wounds heal is complicated and delicate. In order for wound healing to occur, the body needs to allow all the four phases of wound healing (haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and regeneration) to run their course, uninterrupted. One of the major contributing factors to delayed healing in major or minor, acute and chronic wounds, is the presence of bacteria. This article will consider the classification of wound infection, as well as what role bacteria play in the management, and subsequent treatment decisions, of wounds.


We present the results of Monte Carlo mass-loss predictions for massive stars covering a wide range of stellar parameters. We critically test our predictions against a range of observed massloss rates - in light of the recent discussions on wind clumping. We also present a model to compute the clumping-induced polarimetric variability of hot stars and we compare this with observations of Luminous Blue Variables, for which polarimetric variability is larger than for O and Wolf-Rayet stars. Luminous Blue Variables comprise an ideal testbed for studies of wind clumping and wind geometry, as well as for wind strength calculations, and we propose they may be direct supernova progenitors.


The most common rationales for evidentiary privileges are the instrumental and humanistic rationales. The instrumental rationale is that privileges are necessary to encourage communication in certain socially useful situations. The humanistic rationales include those based on the power theory (privileges are the reflection of the power of various professions and institutions to protect their interests by controlling their information and communications), a general right to privacy, and the right to personal autonomy (meaning freedom from control as opposed to freedom from scrutiny). This article describes the limitations of the instrumental and humanistic rationales for evidentiary privileges. These limitations stem in part from their treatment of privilege doctrine as a unitary concept. The article then posits a new theory of evidentiary privileges, which divides the world of privilege into relational and informational privileges, each with its own rationale and characteristics. Relational privileges enhance certain fiduciary or "special" relationships. Relational privileges provide the strongest protection against disclosures in legal proceedings, as they are not subject to discretionary balancing by the trial court. Informational privileges recognize that some kinds of information have such value that, as a general rule, one who owns, or in some cases merely possesses, the information should be allowed to control its use as evidence in legal proceedings. However, this control is qualified; it is subject to the trial court's ability to weigh the value of the informational privilege against the need for the information as evidence in particular cases. The distinction between relational and informational privileges will aid both the drafters and interpreters of evidentiary privileges by adding greater clarity, predictability, and integrity to their decisions to withhold certain evidence from the trier of fact because of its "privileged" status. The final section of the article focuses on the California mediation privilege, as interpreted by Rojas v. Superior Court 93 P.3d 260 (Cal. 2004), to illustrate the confusion that results from the unitary concept of privileges and to suggest how an approach based on relational and informational privileges could help in both the interpretation and redrafting of the mediation privilege.


The mammalian mismatch repair (MMR) system has been implicated in activation of the G(2) checkpoint induced by methylating agents. In an attempt to identify the signaling events accompanying this phenomenon, we studied the response of MMR-proficient and -deficient cells to treatment with the methylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). At low TMZ concentrations, MMR-proficient cells were growth-inhibited, arrested in G(2)/M, and proceeded to apoptosis after the second post-treatment cell cycle. These events were accompanied by activation of the ATM and ATR kinases, and phosphorylation of Chk1, Chk2, and p53. ATM was activated later than ATR and was dispensable for phosphorylation of Chk1, Chk2, and p53 on Ser15 and for triggering of the G(2)/M arrest. However, it conferred protection against cell growth inhibition induced by TMZ. ATR was activated earlier than ATM and was required for an efficient phosphorylation of Chk1 and p53 on Ser15. Moreover, abrogation of ATR function attenuated the TMZ-induced G(2)/M arrest and increased drug-induced cytotoxicity. Treatment of MMR-deficient cells with low TMZ concentrations failed to activate ATM and ATR and to cause phosphorylation of Chk1, Chk2, and p53, as well as G(2)/M arrest and apoptosis. However, all these events occurred in MMR-deficient cells exposed to high TMZ concentrations, albeit with faster kinetics. These results demonstrate that TMZ treatment activates ATM- and ATR-dependent signaling pathways and that this process is absolutely dependent on functional MMR only at low drug concentrations.


This paper investigates the ideational meanings of science through the analyses of types and functions of the images used in science textbooks, the formality of the pictures, the genre of the texts used as the main passage, and the process types used. This paper also probes into the interpersonal meaning of science through the analysis of pronouns used to address the readers, the analysis of represented participants, including the existence or nonexistence of gaze, and the position of the images in relation to their interactive participants. The data for the study consisted of three randomly selected topics from science textbooks for grade 7,8 and 9 based on two different curricula used, namely KTSP 2006 and Kurikulum 2013. Reading images as proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen (1996; 2006) was used to analyze the visual images along with systemic functional linguistics (SFL) as proposed by Halliday (1994); Halliday and Matthiessen (2004) to analyze the verbal texts. The findings show that ideationally, the most dominant type of pictures used in the topics investigated is realistic pictures, pictures which represent human optical perception. In terms of the function of the pictures, analytical pictures, pictures which show the part-whole relationship, are dominantly used in the topics. Ideationally, the topics in the textbooks maintain the sameness of forms and colors of the scientific objects students study at schools as their real objects. Interpersonally, readers are positioned as the receivers of the message from persons who are more knowledgable, hence, more powerful than they are but, at the same time, approachable by the readers.


At the Bergen University Library changes has happened within the Library as well as in the environments. These changes force the Library to reconsider its role as part of the University. The changes have had an effect that is visible in the library building, in an information literacy course for students, and in the fact that the electronic/digital library is being implemented. The paper outlines a strategy for coping with the new situation, where libraries are even more relevant for students, and the need for a coordinated effort from both faculty and library is evident. In Bergen, the University Teaching Committee will make a policy statement about this cooperation. This is seen as a good strategy, as long as the Library has the resources to follow up this initative.


We propose a novel federated learning method for distributively training neural network models, where the server orchestrates cooperation between a subset of randomly chosen devices in each round. We view Federated Learning problem primarily from a communication perspective and allow more device level computations to save transmission costs. We point out a fundamental dilemma, in that the minima of the local-device level empirical loss are inconsistent with those of the global empirical loss. Different from recent prior works, that either attempt inexact minimization or utilize devices for parallelizing gradient computation, we propose a dynamic regularizer for each device at each round, so that in the limit the global and device solutions are aligned. We demonstrate both through empirical results on real and synthetic data as well as analytical results that our scheme leads to efficient training, in both convex and non-convex settings, while being fully agnostic to device heterogeneity and robust to large number of devices, partial participation and unbalanced data.


There are two important steps in modeling vehicle and occupant survivability due to blasts: the blast loading on the vehicle and the subsequent motion and deformation of the vehicle and occupants due to the load. At the last symposium, we presented our blast loading approach that was refined and extended during the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)'s Adaptive Vehicle Make (AVM) portfolio of programs. In this paper, we discuss the subsequent deformation of panels with and without stiffeners. To better understand blast and to validate the computational pipelines, SwRI performed blast tests on various panels made of rolled homogenous armor (RHA), aluminum, and magnesium. Quantities measured included imparted impulse to the fixture, maximum dynamic deformation, and maximum static deformation of the panels. The deformation data is presented here and includes comparisons to computations performed within the AVM computational framework.


I introduce the notions 'configurational', 'discourse-configurational', and
 the basics of the minimalist syntax, on the one hand, and notions relevant to
 information packaging, on the other hand (Chapter 1), in the following thee
 chapters I proceed to a detailed examination of the syntactic properties of
 verb-initial and non-verb initial orders, insisting on certain debated aspects.
 In particular, in Chapter 2, I compare the syntax of VSO and that of the
 'problematic' VOS order; I show that what differentiates the two constructions
 is that the latter order is due to a flexible strategy in the narrow syntax that
 allows the object to pied-pipe alongside the verb to the TP domain. In Chapter
 3, I discuss clitic doubling for which I put forward an alternative account
 involving feature copying that allows the same DP to occur in two positions in
 the structure at the same time. In this light, I further argue that clitic
 doubling is a parameterized version of A-movement. In Chapter 4, I deal with
 the properties of a range of constructions targeting the preverbal domain. I
 argue that the peculiar behaviour of CLLD is due to that it is the result of two
 operations, namely, A-movement in the form of clitic doubling and A-bar
 movement. I also show that non-focal LD is more productive than previously
 thought and that the construction involves mere A-bar movement.
 In the remaining two chapters I shift attention to issues related to the
 discourse-configurational nature of the language and information structure.
 After I discuss various models of integrating information structure into the
 minimalist grammar (Chapter 5), I argue that Information Structure can refer
 either to pragmatic articulations or more abstract logico-semantic strategies or
 both. Regarding the latter one, I show that Greek formally realizes via its word
 order two such strategies: a predicative and a non-predicative, the former surfacing as non-Verb initial orders and the latter one surfacing as verb-initial
 orders. In the second half of Chapter 6, I deal with the interpretive effects of
 doubling. In particular, I argue that doubling in Greek invariably marks a DP
 as a topic. I also show that non-focal left dislocated DPs in Greek are fronted
 ground material that serves as an anchor for the introduction of new
 information into the discourse.
 Chapter 7 summarizes the major contributions of the current thesis.


Suppose that a set of m tasks are to be shared as equally as possible amongst a set of n resources. A game-theoretic mechanism to find a suitable allocation is to associate each task with a "selfish agent", and require each agent to select a resource, with the cost of a resource being the number of agents to select it. Agents would then be expected to migrate from overloaded to underloaded resources, until the allocation becomes balanced.Recent work has studied the question of how this can take place within a distributed setting in which agents migrate selfishly without any centralized control. In this paper we discuss a natural protocol for the agents which combines the following desirable features: It can be implemented in a strongly distributed setting, uses no central control, and has good convergence properties. For m ≫ n, the system becomes approximately balanced (an ε-Nash equilibrium) in expected time O(log log m). We show using a martingale technique that the process converges to a perfectly balanced allocation in expected time O(log log m + n4). We also give a lower bound of Ω (max{log log m, n}) for the convergence time.


[Extract] This report is a review of the delivery of the Indigenous Mental Health (Suicide Prevention) Certificate IV, (hereby known as IMH) has been conducted by Dr Anne Stephens, education sociologist and evaluation expert, the Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Cairns.

As part of the Community prevention for high risk groups initiative of the Taking Action to Tackle Suicide (TATS) Package, Wontulp -Bi -Buya College (WBBC) has delivered the IMH in two intakes:

• May 2014 - Nov 2014

• Feb 2015 – Nov 2015

The course was developed by WBBC's College Course Advisory Committee with WBBC Trainer and Course Coordinator, Rev. Leslie Baird. Rev. Baird developed the Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention in Yarrabah (1995/6). Rev. Baird adapted the Indigenous Mental Health for suicide prevention and cultural suitability, to comply with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), in consultation with Indigenous leaders.

As a pilot the IMH course has been highly effective in promoting localised responses to suicide and mental health issues within Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The course is transferrable to other delivery settings outside of Cairns.

There have been 60 enrolees. 78% of the total enrolees completed the course. On average, students are over 45 years of age. 85% of enrolees were female in the 2014 intake and 77% in the 2015 intake. Student's average age were 47.4 (female) and 41.8 (male). The average highest level of formal education is year 10. Two students had a degree qualification but most had medium to high literacy needs.

WBBC core mission is to produce empowered community leaders. With the increased awareness of mental health and suicide WBBC students are participants of a staged encounter in which students feel a new or renewed sense of belonging to a network, movement or cause. Graduates have developed personal empowerment and sense of control over their own life circumstance and environment. As each student participant will be active in teaching and mentoring others this is crucial to their own mental health and capability to promote help seeking behaviour and promotion of positive lifestyle choices in others. They emerge with a set of oral and practical skills to work effectively with service providers in existing health and community services or in finding a niche to fill. Six graduates of the 2014 course are now engaged in full-time work having completed the IMH course.


The persistent identification of authors and contributors plays a decisive role within the Open Science landscape. The increasing number of published research products and new open publishing models and infrastructures requires author identification which goes beyond fields or infrastructures and guarantees interoperability. ORCID iD is presented as a persistent identifier for researchers in this context. As information managers and organisers, many academic libraries have taken the lead in offering ORCID-related services and implementing it in their systems. This paper scans the implementation models across Europe and the actions carried out by libraries. Finally, it also depicts perspectives for integration in the Austrian library and research context.


This workshop will introduce participants to process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in entrepreneurship, and model a POGIL activity. In POGIL, teams of 3-5 learners work on scripted inquiry activities and investigations designed to help them construct their own knowledge, often by modeling the original processes of discovery. Teams follow processes with specific roles, steps, and reports that encourage individual responsibility and meta-cognition. POGIL has been developed, and validated over the last 15 years; multiple studies have found that POGIL significantly improves student performance. Thus, POGIL provides valuable opportunities to help prepare students for E-Teams by learning both content and process skills.


The nature of land tenure rights is defined in many different ways in different jurisdictions. One of the basic differences lies in the extent of exclusivity or inclusivity of land tenure, or what is called a "discourse of exclusion". Another lies in the distinction between the "idea of property", premised by individualism, and the "institution of property", preoccupied with compromise, relationality and the tension between individual and community.
The purpose of this article is to compare the inclusivity or exclusivity of property in South Africa, where the law is predominantly civilian in nature, with Canada, a predominantly common law jurisdiction. In both jurisdictions communal land tenure has been incorporated in their property systems of predominantly civil law and common law respectively. Canada was chosen for this comparison because of the remarkable similarity that, in both jurisdictions, it required three different decisions by three different courts before the matter was finally settled, namely the Delgamuukw decisions in Canada and the Richtersveld cases in South Africa.


Several studies have suggested a role for EAG channels in the regulation of neuronal excitability, possibly by contributing to the maintenance of the resting membrane potential. EAG channels mediate inward-rectifying currents with activation close to the membrane resting potential which would be compatible with such a physiological function. Knowledge on the regulation of the activity of this kind of channels is therefore potentially important for the study of neuronal signaling.EAG1 has been known to be inhibited by intracellular Ca2+ with a half maximal concentration of 100 nM and this inhibition has been shown to be mediated by direct binding of calmodulin (CaM) to the C-terminal domain (aa. 707-726) of the channel. The regulation of EAG activity was studied by visualizing its interaction with CaM, using an intermolecular FRET approach. FRET was measured between YFP-labeled CaM and several Cerulean-labeled EAG constructs. The fusion-proteins were expressed in HEK cells and the interaction was found to be Ca2+-dependent as the FRET efficiency decreases with increasing Ca2+ concentrations and is abolished when using a Ca2+-insensitive CaM mutant.Mutations in the previously described CaM binding site at aa. 707-726 were found to prevent the binding of CaM to the C-terminus domain and consequently to prevent the inhibition of hEAG1 by CaM. The FRET assay described in the present study found that the interaction of the C-term-rEAG1 with CaM could be fully inhibited by Ca2+ depletion, whereas the same treatment merely reduced the interaction of CaM with the full-length hEAG1. This interaction was found to be accounted for by the presence of a further, high affinity CaM binding domain in the N-terminus of the channel at aa. 151-164.In conclusion the present results show that two CaM binding sites are present in hEAG1 subunits - a high-afinity CaM binding domain of the form 1-8-14 in the N-terminus and the previously described C-terminal binding domain at aa. 707- 726. Mutations at these sites lead to the complete disruption of CaM binding to the hEAG1, these two binding domains are therefore responsible for CaM binding. These findings indicate that the regulation of hEAG1 by Ca2+ /CaM is more complex than previously thought.


This study was designed to test the hypothesis that younger patients treated for osteoarthritis and similar conditions using total knee arthroplasty and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty have a lower implant survival rate when compared with older patients. Previous studies have been done on a small number of patients and only included the younger patients. In many cases patients treated for rheumatoid arthritis have been included in the studies and exceptional survival rates have been reported. The current study compared the cumulative revision rate of the components in 33,251 patients older than 60 years and 2606 patients younger than 60 years treated with total knee arthroplasty or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis or similar conditions. Cox regression was used to compare the risk for revision between the two age groups and between gender and the effect of year of operation. The results showed a higher cumulative revision rate for the group of younger patients in all statistical analyses and the risk ratio for revision was significantly lower for the group of older patients. The risk for revision decreased for both groups when considering the year of surgery. This is probably attributable to better implant components and surgical techniques.


A National Safety Council exhibit, Prescribed to Death: A Memorial to the Victims of the Opioid Crisis, which toured the United States in 2018 was a brutal snapshot of the current opioid crisis.1 Is the real issue illicit drugs or patients initiated on opioid therapy acutely, who progress to illicit drugs for whatever reason? Decreasing prescribed opioids as an effective immediate solution may be an oversimplified approach to a very complex problem that is snowballing out of control and emerging as polydrug abuse, addiction and suicide. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OVERDOSES? Pain control, misuse, emotional problems, trauma, substance or opioid use, depression, anxiety, peer pressure, and experimentation contribute to opioid fatalities. Accidental overdose, illegal (designer/synthetic/counterfeit) opioids, easy access to legal and illegal prescriptions, internet and street purchases, suicide attempts and psychiatric illnesses result in systematic poly-drug abuse. Currently, physicians must obtain continued education credits on opioid prescriptions for license renewal, and participate in a prescription monitoring system. The introduction of a "paperless prescription" is another example of immediate solutions provided by the healthcare industry to combat the crisis. Addiction and mis-use of opioids (prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil) and the statewide legalization of cannabis continue as a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The previous illicit drug epidemic was introduced by Vietnam veterans returning home from the war and the "golden triangle", providing multiple "power drugs" to the already primed counter-culture revolution clientele. The simplistic governmental approach to limit the prescription of opioids and public service campaigns such as "Just Say No," may have contributed to current patients errantly turning to illicit opioids and heroin, due to inadequate prescription opioids for pain, and the belief of safe recreational drugs. This event fueled the resulting addiction to every part of our society in America with years of negative scars. Today's opioid epidemic is more far-reaching, now encompassing our school age children assisted by the age of rapid information which makes it more powerful in magnitude. In 2015, overdose deaths from illicit and prescription opioids continued to escalate, and an estimated 2 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers.2 Another 591,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder (which were not mutually exclusive).2 Compared to 2016, 2017 heroinrelated overdose deaths declined in the adult population, but increased among seniors (11.6% in the 55-64 year old; 16.7% in the ≥65 year old) and the black population, (8.9%).3 Younger adults were more likely to die from synthetic opioids with the highest death rates in males (25-44 years old). 3 Aging Baby Boomers may be experiencing and reacting to comorbidity sequelae, chronic pain, depression, dementia, and financial retirement issues. It has been observed that overdose–related suicides have been underreported because there has been no routine screening for suicide risk or tailored interventions for suicidal individuals.4 Reports discuss the statistics of adult opiate overdoses as unintentional in approximately 50% by adults and about 20% each as intentional or undetermined. Poly-drug use has become a public health crisis with devastating consequences and increased ramifications into The Grim Reaper: Reaping Dividends from the Current Opioid Epidemic 2 of 4 infections, brain and mental disorders. Increased injections of drugs have contributed to infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Currently inhaled heroin (chasing the dragon, CTD) has resulted in leukoencephalopathy, and brain injury in the resuscitated patients5. Socially popularized prescription drug smoking ("chasing the bean") contributes to bronchitis and powerful addiction.6 In addition, the increased statewide marijuana legalization has developed a profitable industry for cannabis growers and sellers with possible future complications in a time of people progressing to poly-drug abuse.7 WHAT ARE HHS AND NIH DOING ABOUT IT? In response to the opioid crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is focused on five major priorities: improving treatment, recovery services access, and public health surveillance; better pain management and increased pain and addiction research; and greater utilization of overdose-reversing drugs. On March 18, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published voluntary guidelines for prescribing opioids for patients with chronic pain for primary care physicians. On October 26, 2017, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a national emergency and in February 2018, $6 billion were legislated for prevention and law enforcement in the fight against opioid abuse, with a Prescription Interdiction & Litigation (PIL) Task Force against opioid manufacturers and distributors. In April 2018 at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D. announced the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative, for the trans-agency scientific efforts to limit the national opioid crisis. In July 2018, Operation SOS (synthetic opioid surge) was established to eliminate the out of control fentanyl problem imported into the country from overseas. AS PHYSICIANS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, ARE WE ADDRESSING THE CORE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THE OPIOID CRISIS OR SHOULD THERE BE A "CALL TO ARMS"? If there continues to be a United States burgeoning populace demand for the ultimate high with poly-drug pharmacopeias and even legal drugs such as cannabis in some states, there will be an economic follow-up of supply and demand by the cartels and others to either illicitly manufacture drugs in the United States or import them into the country. Limiting exposure to opioids early post-surgery and offering alternative options for pain control may assist in curbing the potentially long exposure to more addictive medication. But, are we developing adequate and necessary impediments against the risks of poly-drug abuse, suicide and psychiatric illness? Overdose death issues are so multi-dimensional that coalitions/campaigns are needed consisting of federal, state, and city governments, as seen recently in Dayton, Ohio, which saw a drop in overdose deaths by 50% in 2017, and has been reported in the New York Times. Who should be involved: the CDC, physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, poison control centers, forensic pathologists, medical examiners, journalists, first responders, police departments, allied health personnel as nurses, mental health clinics, pastoral care, paramedics, ambulance technicians, mental health professionals, community leaders and organizations? Education about the risks and fatality of drug overdoses is essential at an early age in the home, schools (kindergarten through college), day care centers, mental health clinics, and clubs. Internet providers (as Google, Yahoo, Bing), film and television production companies (Hollywood, Independents PBS, Netflix), and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, Instagram) can provide the images of how to recognize and avoid the toxins, and expound on the deadly consequences. News media, such as the major outlets and cable news, uniting in a joined efforts from all the different viewpoints, reaching the general population with authentic information and viable solutions, is critical. The Veterans Administration is initiating registration and close follow-up for veterans at risk for suicide. The establishment of state health department registries with documentation of overdose attempts and deaths, outcomes and follow-up through mandatory reporting (as currently required for sexually transmitted diseases, trauma, burn) is essential. Also, as noted in Ohio, more access to free medical and mental health treatment once issues arise is mandatory. If "it takes a village to raise a child," (African proverb), it will take a nation united to cut off dividends for the Grim Reaper.


An explicit spatial understanding of population dynamics is often critical for effective management of wild populations. Sophisticated approaches are available to simulate these dynamics, but are largely either spatially homogeneous or agent based, and thus best suited to small spatial or temporal scales. These approaches also often ignore financial decisions crucial to choosing management approaches on the basis of cost‐effectiveness. We created a user‐friendly and flexible modelling framework for simulating these population issues at large spatial scales – the Spatial Population Abundance Dynamics Engine (SPADE). SPADE is based on the Spatio‐Temporal Animal Reduction (STAR) model (McMahon et al. 2010) and uses a reaction–diffusion approach to model population trajectories and a cost‐benefit analysis technique to calculate optimal management strategies over long periods and across broad spatial scales. It expands on STAR by incorporating species interactions and multiple concurrent management strategies, and by allowing full user control of functional forms and parameters. We used SPADE to simulate the eradication of feral domestic cats Felis catus on sub‐Antarctic Marion Island (Bester et al., South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 32, 2002, 65) and compared modelled outputs to observed data. The parameters of the best‐fitting model reflected the conditions of the management programme, and the model successfully simulated the observed movement of the cat population to the southern and eastern portion of the island under hunting pressure. We further demonstrated that none of the management strategies would likely have been successful within a reasonable time frame if performed in isolation. Spatial Population Abundance Dynamics Engine is applicable to a wide range of population management problems and allows easy generation, modification and analysis of management scenarios. It is a useful tool for the planning, evaluation and optimisation of the management of wild populations and can be used without specialised training.


BACKGROUND
Free radicals induce oxidative stress in various cell components, leading to certain diseases. Plant-derived antioxidants have become a profitable alternative to prevent oxidative stress in cells due to adverse effects of some synthetic antioxidants.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and to evaluate the correlation between these two compounds and their antioxidant properties in the ethanolic extracts of brown rice and rice bran from Thai rice cultivars: Sangyod red rice and Dawk Mali 105 white rice using the chemical and cell assays.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in all of the rice ethanolic extracts were determined using the colorimetric assays, as well as their antioxidant activity was analyzed through two chemical assays: DPPH radical-scavenging and inhibition of lipid peroxidation assays, as well as through a cell-based assay: scavenging capacity against intracellular superoxide in cells using DCF.

RESULTS
All the rice extracts displayed their antioxidant activities in a dose dependent manner through different assays, which were expressed as EC50 values. The DPPH scavenging assay revealed very high scavenging activity in both Sangyod brown rice and rice bran extracts. Positive correlations between this activity and total phenolic and flavonoid contents suggest the major free radical scavenging activity of such compounds. In contrast, the ethanolic extract of Sangyod rice bran exhibited non-significant anti-lipid peroxidation activity relative to that of Sangyod brown rice and Dawk Mali 105 rice bran. Phenolic content was correlated to some extent with anti-lipid peroxidation activity, whereas flavonoid content and such activity showed a relatively weak correlation. Importantly, the cell-based assay also detected potent scavenging activity against superoxide production in HL-60 cells pretreated with Sangyod extracts. The content of phenolics was a major contributor to this scavenging activity including that of flavonoids but to a lesser extent.

CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that ethanolic extracts of brown rice and rice bran of Sangyod red rice can be promising sources of potential natural antioxidants.


UNLABELLED
Blood pressure (BP) control rates are suboptimal. We evaluated the effectiveness of 2 behavioral interventions to improve BP control via a 3-arm, randomized controlled trial of 533 adults with repeated uncontrolled BP, despite antihypertensive drug treatment for ≥6 months. The interventions were a tailored stage-matched intervention (SMI) or a nontailored health education intervention (HEI) of 6 monthly calls targeting diet, exercise, and medication. Control was usual care (UC). There were no baseline group differences. Baseline BP control was 42.6%, 40.6%, and 44.6% in SMI, HEI, and UC (P=0.74), respectively; systolic BP (with SEs) was 136 (0.89), 137 (1.33), and 137 (0.96) mm Hg. Six-month control was 64.6% (SMI), 54.3% (HEI), and 45.8% (UC) (P values for pairwise comparisons versus UC, 0.001 [SMI] and 0.108 [HEI]). At 6 months, systolic BP (SE) was 131.2 (1.05), 131.8 (0.99), and 134.7 (1.02) for SMI, HEI, and UC, respectively (P values for pairwise comparisons versus UC, 0.009 for SMI and 0.047 for HEI). SMI led to lower systolic BP and better BP control than UC. SMI constitutes a new, potent approach to assist patients with uncontrolled hypertension to reach BP goals.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00286754.


While Kenya has had a long-standing national HIV-prevention programme, evidence on the level of exposure to its interventions and related effects on behavioural changes among female sex workers (FSWs) is limited. Using cross-sectional behavioural data collected in 2013 from 1 357 FSWs aged 18 years and above in Nairobi, Kenya, this study explores the relationship between FSW programme exposure levels and behavioural outcomes including condom use, sexually transmitted infection (STI)-treatment, and empowerment measures like disclosure of self-identity and violence reporting. We categorised programme exposure levels as none, moderate and intensive. Multivariate logistic regression was used for analysis. Overall, 35% of the FSWs were not exposed to any HIV prevention programme, whereas about 24% had moderate and 41% had intensive exposure. FSWs having intensive programme exposure had a higher likelihood of using condoms consistently with occasional clients (AOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.08–2.31) and seeking treatment for STIs (AOR: 3.37; 95% CI: 1.63–7.02) compared to FSWs with no or moderate exposure. Intensive programme exposure was also associated with higher self-disclosure of sex-work identity (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.19–2.24), reporting of violence to police (AOR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.03–5.84), and negotiation of condom use at last sex when the client was under the influence of alcohol (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI: 0.94–2.82). Although HIV prevention programmes in Kenya have been underway for over a decade, programme efforts were largely focused on saturating the coverage (intervention breadth). Strategies should now focus on ensuring improved quality of contacts through intensified programme exposure (intervention depth) to enhance gains in behavioural change among FSWs and preventing the burden of HIV infection among them.


Recently introduced speckle correlations-based techniques enable noninvasive imaging of objects hidden behind scattering layers. In these techniques, the hidden object Fourier amplitude is retrieved from the scattered light autocorrelation, and the lost Fourier phase is recovered via iterative phase-retrieval algorithms, which suffer from convergence to wrong local minimums solutions and cannot solve ambiguities in object orientation. Here, inspired by notions used in astronomy, we experimentally demonstrate that in addition to Fourier amplitude, the object-phase information is naturally and inherently encoded in the scattered light bispectrum (the Fourier transform of triple correlation) and can also be extracted from a single high-resolution speckle pattern, based on which we present a single-shot imaging scheme to deterministically and unambiguously retrieve diffraction-limited images of objects hidden behind scattering layers.


In his article The Corporate/Securities Attorney as a "Moving Target" - Client Fraud Dilemmas, Professor Marc Steinberg demonstrates that the tightening of ethics standards imposes greater responsibilities on attorneys who represent clients that engage in securities fraud, and, as he observes, private claimants increasingly seek redress from attorneys for damages caused by their clients' fraud. Courts, however, are skeptical, generally, about the deterrent value of private securities fraud cases, express concern about the costs they impose on corporate defendants, and, in particular, are suspicious of plaintiffs' efforts to recover from deep-pocket secondary participants like attorneys. Congress has also made it more difficult for plaintiffs to bring securities fraud actions by imposing rigorous pleading standards and preempting state law securities fraud class actions. It would not be surprising, therefore, to find judicial reluctance to impose monetary liability on attorneys for failing to confront their clients' fraud. Professor Steinberg's insightful analysis of the ethical rules provides a useful opportunity to explore the state of the law on private claims for damages for attorneys' breach of these duties. The first part of this paper examines judicial treatment, after Central Bank of Denver v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, of federal securities claims made by purchasers and sellers of securities alleging that the issuer's attorney participated in the corporation's fraud. The second part of the paper explores the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Rules of Professional Conduct as a basis for malpractice claims brought by or on behalf of the corporation itself against its attorneys for failing to report fraud by the corporate management that injured the corporation. The third part considers additional state law theories. I conclude, in the fourth part, that the likelihood that courts will impose liability on attorneys for involvement in their clients' fraud is not substantial.


Abstract Background and purpose: Effects of high-intensity exercise on endurance, mobility and gait speed of adults with chronic moderate-to-severe acquired brain injury (ABI) were investigated. It was hypothesized that intensive exercise would be associated with improvements in impairment and activity limitation measures. Participants: Fourteen adults with chronic ABI in supported independent living who could stand with minimal or no assist and walk with or without ambulation device were studied. Eight presented with low ambulatory status. Methods: This was a single group pre- and post-intervention study. Participants received a 6-week exercise intervention for 60–90 minutes, 3 days/week assisted by personal trainers under physical therapist supervision. Measures (6MWT, HiMAT and 10MWT) were collected at baseline, post-intervention and 6 weeks later. Repeated measures T-test and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test were used. Results: Post-intervention improvements were achieved on average on all three measures, greater than minimal detectable change (MDC) for this population. Three participants transitioned from low-to-high ambulatory status and maintained the change 6 weeks later. Discussion and conclusion: People with chronic ABI can improve endurance, demonstrate the ability to do advanced gait and improve ambulatory status with 6 weeks of intensive exercise. Challenges to sustainability of exercise programmes for this population remain.


Earth9s geomagnetic field normally reverses a few times every million years, but during "superchron" periods, this switching process may stop for 30 to 50 million years. In his Perspective,
 Banerjee
 highlights the study by
 Tarduno
 et al., who have deduced the paleomagnetic field strength during the Cretaceous superchron from magnetite inclusions in lavas found in India. The results may provide clues to what causes the superchron periods.


IT consumerization refers to the diffusion of consumer IT in the workplace and is considered to influence work processes in organizations. While several studies provide evidence that IT consumerization can create significant value for an organization, Volkswagen and Daimler recently applied restriction for consumer IT use to prevent stress and burnout consequences. Analyzing the existing IS studies about stress outcomes, it is interesting to note that stress-reducing effects of IT are rarely considered. Thus, the foremost negatively associated relationship between IT and stress contradicts to the mostly positive perceptions of IT consumerization. Drawing on psychological burnout literature, we investigate individual factors that influence the effects of IT consumerization on burnout and engagement. To this end, we conduct a case study in a public sector organization. Our findings provide individual constructs that position IT consumerization effects along the burnoutengagement continuum.


Molecular interactions required for hepatitis C virus (HCV) assembly are not well known and are poorly understood. The 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR) of the RNA genome is highly conserved and has extensive secondary structure, and the highly basic core protein is rich in arginine residues. Using Raman and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies, specific interactions have been demonstrated here between the 5′UTR sequence and the core protein that may be important for the specific encapsidation of the viral genome during HCV replication. These interactions can be described as follows: (1) hydrogen bonding of arginine with unpaired guanine and/or with wobble GU base pairs, and arginine–phosphate electrostatic contacts; (2) although the percentage of base pairs in the A-form is maintained in 5′UTR, the HCVc-120 protein is β-sheet and α-helix enriched upon formation of protein–5′UTR macromolecular assemblies; (3) protein–5′UTR interactions resulting in protein α-helix formation involve guanine bases in duplex segments. The mentioned interactions may represent novel targets for antiviral strategies against this important virus.


Incompressible, steady-state, boundary layer magneto-bioconvection of a nanofluid (containing motile gyrotactic micro-organisms) over a nonlinear inclined stretching sheet subjected to non-uniform magnetic field is studied theoretically and numerically. This regime is encountered in novel bio-nano-material electroconductive polymeric processing systems currently being considered for third generation organic solar coatings, anti-fouling marine coatings etc. Buongiorno's two-component nanofluid model is deployed with the OberbeckBoussinesq approximation. Ohmic dissipation (Joule heating) is included. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations are reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations and appropriate similarity transformations. The normalized system of equations with associated boundary conditions features a number of important dimensionless parameters including magnetohydrodynamic body force parameter (M), sheet inclination (δ), Brownian motion nanoscale parameter (Nb), thermophoresis nanoscale parameter (Nt), Richardson number (Ri=GrRe, where Gr is thermal Grashof number and Re is Reynolds number), buoyancy ratio parameter (Nr), Eckert (viscous dissipation) number (Ec), bioconvection Rayleigh number (Rb), Lewis number (Le), bioconvection Lewis number (Lb), Péclet number (Pe), nonlinear stretching parameter (n) are solved with a variational Finite Element Method (FEM). Validation is conducted with earlier published studies of Khan and Pop (2010) for the case of non-magnetic stretching sheet nanofluid flow without bioconvection. Further validation of the general magnetic bioconvection nanofluid model is achieved with a generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) numerical technique developed by Bég and Kuharat (2017). The response of non-dimensional velocity, temperature, nanoparticle concentration, motile microorganism density function, local skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, Sherwood number, wall motile density gradient function to variation in physically pertinent values of selected control parameters (representative of real solar bio-nano-magnetic materials manufacturing systems) are studied in detail. Interesting features of the flow dynamics are elaborated and new future pathways for extension of the study identified in bio-magneto-nano polymers (BMNPs) for solar coatings.


There is a need among researchers for the easy discoverability of biobank samples. Currently, there is no uniform way for finding samples and negotiate access. Instead, researchers have to communicate with each biobank separately. We present the architecture for the BBMRI-CS IT platform, whose goal is to facilitate sample location and access. We chose a decentral approach, which allows for strong data protection and provides the high flexibility needed in the highly heterogeneous landscape of European biobanks. This is the first implementation of a decentral search in the biobank field. With the addition of a Negotiator component, it also allows for easy communication and a follow-through of the lengthy approval process for accessing samples.


Copolymers of bisphenol A-diglycidyl ether with thiophene side-groups and pyrrole were synthesized by electrochemical polymerization. Bisphenol A-diglycidyl ether with thiophene side-groups (DGEBATh) was obtained from the reaction between bisphenol A-diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) and thiophene-3-acetic acid. The syntheses of copolymers of DGEBATh and pyrrole were achieved electrochemically using three different supporting electrolytes, p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAFB). Characterizations of DGEBATh and copolymers were performed by combination of techniques including cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, 1H-NMR and FT-IR. The conductivities were measured by the four-probe technique.


The Rotary bell spray applicator technique is commonly used in the automotive industry for paint application because of its high transfer efficiency and high-quality result. The bell spins rapidly around its axis with a tangential velocity at the edge in the order of 100 m/s. The paint falls off the edge and enters the air with a large relative velocity, driving the atomization into small droplets where the resulting size distribution depends on the process conditions. Especially the rotation speed of the bell is an important parameter governing the size distribution. The main research question in this work is to investigate if the Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) model can be used to predict the resulting droplet size distributions in spray painting. As the paint is a viscous fluid a modification of the TAB model taking non-linear effects of large viscosity into account is proposed. The parameters in the breakup model are tuned by optimization to match droplet size distributions obtained in CFD simulations with measured ones. Results are presented for three cases with rotation speeds from 30 to 50 thousand RPM where the full droplet size distributions are compared with measurements. Good results are obtained for all three cases where the simulated size distributions compare well to measurements over a wide range of droplet sizes. The TAB method is able to quantitatively predict the result of the breakup process and can be used in a preprocessing stage of a full spray painting simulation, thereby reducing the need for costly and cumbersome measurements.


Speech-language pathologists have been actively involved with the assessment and intervention processes of language disorders, especially concerning the child population. Regarding their professional role toward reading disorders, other professionals have been equally involved with the learning process such as educational psychologists, educators, for instance. It is therefore less clear of the involvement and possible role of speech-language pathologists, focused on adolescent and young adults with reading difficulties that may interfere with the learning processes. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the competences of speech-language pathologists and their essential role in the clinical settings with reading disorders, not only with children but also at later stages in the schooling process. Additionally, it will be discussed of the role of these professionals as a part of the school team in order to advice best practices of language-related learning processes, as well as to work with students who need special education adaptations, in all ages.


Plant sociological investigations were carried out on the enduring ruderal vegetation of the alliance Arction Tx. 1937 in the eastern part of Lower Saxony, which is the area of most continental character in the north of West Germany. The plant communities Lamio-Ballotetum nigrae Lohm. 1970, Arctio-Artemisietum vulgaris (Tx. 1942) Oberd. apud Oberd. et al. 1967 and Lamio-Conietum maculati Oberd. 1957 are shown by 87 releves. Special emphasis is put on the floristical and ecological structure of these associations. Besides this, some fragmentary plant communities of the alliance Arction Tx. 1937 are shortly noted. The own results from Lower Saxony are discussed with special regard to the central European literature. The ruderal vegetation can be used to characterize the landscape: commonly the loess covered part of the studied area is richer in ruderal plant communities than regions with light soils. The occurrence of Arctium tomentosum communities is characteristic of the subcontinental loess region. Only in Wendland district, the northeastern part of Lower Saxony, ruderal plant communities with Chenopodium bonushenricus L. are frequent. Problems of nature conservation and preservation of the country-side are shortly pointed out.


Influenza virus, through cell invasion and propagation with the interaction between hemagglutinin (HA) present on its surface and glycans on the host cell, causes a rapidly spreading infection throughout the world. In the present investigation, we succeeded for the first time in the attomolar-level sensing and discrimination of influenza A viral HA molecules H1 and H5 by using a glycan-immobilized field effect transistor (FET) biosensor. The small ligand glycans immobilized on the FET device, which make effective use of the charge-detectable region for FET-based detection in terms of Debye length, gave an advantage in the highly sensitive detection of the proteins. Two kinds of trisaccharides receptors terminating in sialic acid-α2,6-galactose (6'-sialyllactose) and in sialic acid-α2,3-galactose (3'-sialyllactose) were conjugated directly with the SiO2 surface of FET devices by a simple glycoblotting method using the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of aminooxy terminated silane-coupling reagent, 3-aminooxypropyltriethoxysilane. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the FETs with densely immobilized glycans, which possess the high capture ability by achieving the glycoside cluster effect, clearly distinguish HA molecules between their subtypes H1 (human) and H5 (avian) at the attomolar level, while the conventional method based on HA antibodies achieves only picomolar-level detection. Our findings indicate that the glycan-immobilized FET is a promising device to detect various pathogenic bacteria and viruses through glycan-protein interaction found ubiquitously in many infectious diseases.


Meningiomas are common intracranial masses in the dog, and surgical or radiation treatment of meningiomas depends on accurate identification and location. In this review of 13 patients with confirmed meningioma, low field magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of cranial vault meningiomas included increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images, decreased signal intensity on T1-weighted images, and marked contrast enhancement that was usually nonhomogeneous and well-defined. Mass effect and edema were usually present. Cyst formation and meningeal enhancement were also found in some patients. Low field magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of the meningiomas in these patients were similar to those magnetic resonance imaging findings reported in humans and the few reports pertaining to animals.


Abstract

Though a very influential Texan during the first half of the twentieth century, Amon Carter has yet to receive a full scholarly treatment, a problem which this dissertation attempts to rectify by investigating the narrative of Carter's life to see how and why he was able to rise from humble beginnings to become a powerful publisher who symbolized boosterish trends within Texas and the New South. Publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, philanthropist, oilman, and aviation supporter, Carter used his power and influence to become a leading booster of his city and region seamlessly making the transition from being a business progressive to New Deal supporter to an Eisenhower Democrat. His connections with corporations like American Airlines and General Motors helped bring aviation and industry to his region, and his ability to work with public and private entities helped inspire his failed attempt to make the Trinity River navigable up to Fort Worth. His own success at building the Star-Telegram into the largest circulating newspaper in Texas encouraged him to expand his media empire into radio and television, while the wealth he gained from his oil activities enabled him to form a philanthropic foundation that would provide support for Fort Worth's medical, cultural, and educational needs for the future. Possessing a life marked by both success and failure, it is clear throughout this dissertation that Carter embodied the idea of the New South civic booster, a figure who at once promoted his goals for his city and region while understanding how this fit within the larger national context.


Based on threshold regression models, this paper analyzes the effect of economic growth on energy intensity by using panel data from 21 developed countries from 1996 to 2015. Results show that a 1% increase in GDP per capita can lead to a 0.62–0.78% reduction in energy intensity, implying economic growth can significantly reduce energy intensity. The extent of the reduction in energy intensity varies depending on the economic development stages represented by key influencing factors including energy mix in consumption, urbanization, industrial structure, and technological progress. Specifically, the reduction in energy intensity due to economic growth can be enhanced with relatively more renewable energy consumption and more urban population until a threshold point, where the enhancement disappears. On the other hand, the extent of the energy intensity reduction due to economic growth can be weakened with relatively more tertiary industry activities and more research and development (R&D) investment in an economy until a threshold point, where the weakening cannot continue. However, compared to the early stages represented by the low ends of renewable energy consumption, urban population, tertiary industry activities, and R&D investment, the later stages represented by the high ends of these key factors after a threshold show the weakened effect of economic growth on the decline of energy intensity. Hence, when an economy is well-developed, policy makers are advised to put fewer expectations on the role of economic growth to reduce energy intensity, while pursuing relatively cleaner energy, greater urbanization, more tertiary industry activities, and advanced technologies.


In ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation, acoustic waves are used to inspect and characterize materials. Two commonly measured parameters are material thickness and acoustic wave speed in the material. These parameters are related through the common relationship speed equals distance divided by time. The simultaneous wave speed and thickness estimation problem arises when neither the wave speed nor thickness (propagation distance) is known. This thesis presents the initial research completed to evaluate a new solution to the simultaneous acoustic wave speed and thickness estimation problem for isotropic materials of plate-type geometry. The approach is unique in that it is implemented using one single-element transducer with only single-sided access to the material. Models are developed which show that the problem can be solved by introducing a second equation related to field perturbation. The approach is implemented using non-classical ultrasonic measurements (made with existing equipment) along with original analysis software based on the model development. Experimental results are presented in time and frequency, for metallic and non-metallic materials, and for a layered geometry. Results show that wave speed and thickness estimates determined using the new approach compare favorably with classical estimates.


This essay examines the links between aesthetics and race through the lenses of accepted distinctions between Western and non-Western, colonial and postcolonial, national and transnational aesthetics, and questions the validity of the claim that there is an inherent and incommensurable difficulty in translating non-Western aesthetic thought into Western aesthetic thought. First, I argue that Manichean models are insufficient to understand the dynamics of the encounter between Western and non-Western aesthetics. Second, I illustrate the complexity of non-Western and Western aesthetics relations through the example of the encounter between Aimé Césaire's Negritude and André Breton's surrealism. I argue that this encounter exemplifies non-ideal translation, the temporary rendering from one framework into the other, and instantiates relationality. Third, I argue that it is possible to understand and accommodate various aesthetic experiences and different aesthetic frameworks by exploring modes of discerning between different kinds of others and different kinds of selves, and that cosmopolitanism could, but does not, provide the necessary conditions for such reversal.