Hailed as 'the most influential female designer of the twentieth century', Coco Chanel pioneered classic easy-to-wear fashion for the modern woman. She arrived on the fashion scene when feathers, lace and ostentatious beads were favourites, and proceeded to re-invent couture using new materials, like jersey, for outfits that were suitable for everyday wear yet still elegant. With original illustrations and images from celebrated photographers, such as Cecil Beaton, Bronwyn Cosgrave traces the story of Coco Chanel's iconic designs and glamorous, racy life. In 1921 Coco opened her Chanel boutique in Paris - still a destination store today - and launched her first perfume, Chanel No.5. Perhaps her most important contribution to the fashion world was the simple, much-imitated 'little black dress' which made its debut in 1926. Other landmark creations include the Chanel suit and the quilted handbag. A testament to her lasting influence, these legendary designs remain as popular today as when they first appeared. Vogue, the international fashion bible, has charted the careers of designers through the decades. Its unique archive of photographs, taken by the leading photographers of the day from Cecil Beaton to Mario Testino, and original illustrations, together with its stable of highly respected fashion writers, make Vogue the most authoritative and prestigious source of reference on fashion. With a circulation of over 160,000 and a readership of over 1,400,000, no brand is better positioned to present a library on the great fashion designers of the modern age.


Twenty four male albino rats were divided equally into three groups; the first group was the control one which was treated with distilled water for 14 days, the second group was administered cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ) with oral dose of 22 mg/kg/b.wt./day for 14 days by gavage using a stomach tube and the third group was injected intraperitoneally 14 days post-cadmium chloride with a dose of 75x10 6 ±5 bone marrow cells (BMC) then examined after 7 days. The results showed that administration of CdCl 2 to rats induced significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), urea, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) while catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and testosterone levels were significantly decreased. The histological examination of renal and testicular tissues revealed that CdCl 2 treated rats showed some degenerative cells in these tissues while treatment with BMC minimized such damages i.e. improvement in biochemical and histological changes were observed in CdCl 2 rats treated with BMC. In conclusion, treatment of male rats with bone marrow cells can ameliorate the hazardous effects induced by CdCl 2 and manifested by biochemical and histological changes.


We demonstrate tunable helically stacked multi-layered microrotors realized in vortex-embedded three dimensional (3D) optical twister patterns. Intensity-tunable annular irradiance profiles with higher order vortex are generated as well as simultaneously unfolded by phase-engineered multiple plane wave interference. In the individually tunable 3D helical bright arms of these unfolded vortex structures, 2 μm silica beads are optically trapped as spiraling multilayered handles of multi-armed microrotors. Further, multiple rows of such microrotors are parallelly actuated with controllable sense of rotation. We also present our observation on helical 3D stacking of micro-particles in these longitudinally gyrating multi-armed rotor traps.


This paper presents the efforts to help create a bilingual (French-English) campus at the Institut national polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. During a four-month stint on campus, the author conducted a needs assessment that included 1) the current state of the institute; 2) the needs and recommendations of multinational corporations that employ institute graduates; 3) the current levels of English of faculty and students; 4) the discussion of pedagogical strategies; and 5) recommendations for future action. Many significant challenges face the 3,000 students and 500 faculty and staff at INP-HB: an isolated location, a curriculum taught only in French, weak English skills, the presence of few native English-speaking faculty on campus, the prohibitive cost of study abroad in the United States or the United Kingdom, and the outdated methods used to teach English in Ivorian secondary schools and higher education institutions. This project represents a classic challenge to strengthen interdisciplinary connections between English for Special Purposes faculty and faculty representing INP-HB's professional schools.


Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand how organizations that wish to create multiple forms of value, e.g. social, environmental and financial, are able to deliver potentially conflicting forms of value. Drawing upon institutional logics and value theories, I explore what is meant by value and frame the possible challenges and tensions that arise in the pursuit of different types of value that draw upon different rationalities and ideologies. This thesis addresses a gap in understanding how hybrid organizations manage multiple logics to create complex forms of value that reflect the disparate ideologies associated with sustainable development goals.

I undertake exploratory qualitative research with a multiple embedded case study design of six Australian hybrid organizations. I engage 49 participants in semi-structured interviews, focus groups and a survey and analyse these results using thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data that are then organized into categories and themes to explain how and why organizations pursue hybrid forms of value. I find that my case studies draw on six organizing concepts to interpret what is meant by hybrid value, which is underpinned by four value components (social, environmental, financial and internal value) and four institutional logics (market, community, social welfare, and intrinsic logic). I also find that the reasons that they define value as a hybrid construct is due to individual values coupled with perceived organizational 'need,' as the pursuit of 'additional' or bonus value, and/or due to legislative and normative pressures. Additionally, I uncover 200 examples of organizational practices that lead to hybrid value outcomes.

This thesis makes substantial contributions to the hybrid value, hybrid organization, value theories and institutional logics literatures. Specifically I build upon the extant literature by providing examples and evidence of extant hybrid value concepts, examples of how organizations are overcoming the issues raised by value plurality, evidence of why organizations pursue hybrid value, and examples of how organizations manage the tensions that arise due to plural logics. Finally, I make new contributions to the literature by developing a taxonomy and typology of hybrid value, uncovering five new hybrid value concepts and a new type of institutional logic and develop a conceptual model of how institutional logics inform the meaning of hybrid value. My conceptual model holds practical implications demonstrating how organizations can map their value 'footprints' and develop practice-to-outcome models.


This paper informs school administrators of the importance of managing human resources. It details the history of tenure and outlines Kentucky laws surrounding the termination of teachers. Case studies of current or recent litigation are introduced and analyzed to determine the implications these may have on future court cases concerning teacher termination. The research supports the fact that administrators must give teachers proper and timely notification of intent to terminate and a written statement detailing the cause. Administrators should make frequent observations, honestly and fairly documenting all instances of insubordination, inefficiencies, incompetency, or neglect of duty. It is critical to precede a claim of incompetence with a thorough improvement plan, including a detailed timeline during which the teacher is expected to meet performance standards. Written documentation should be objective and contain specific evidence and data supporting charges as opposed to containing general statements of poor teaching.


Schools and departments in Australian universities assess students in their units through a number of assessment components. Often these are grouped as internal (or in-semester) components and an end of semester examination. Scores are added to derive a total that is then used to assign an assessed grade to the student. Typically, to ensure that students do not neglect either of the two main assessment components, policies define minimal performance standards for each component.
The paper examines common practices in making decisions at the Pass/Fail boundary, the mathematical fundamentals in the application of these policies and inherent in marks, and proposes that one of two processes be used involving error-estimation by the markers. It recommends that one of these approaches should be adopted in preference to the traditional one-mark process.


Abstract. An open source ocean trajectory framework, OpenDrift, is used to simulate the 2010 DeepWater Horizon oil spill. Metocean forcing data are taken from the GoM-HYCOM 1/50° ocean model with realistic river input and ECMWF global forecasts of wind and wave parameters with 1/8° resolution. OpenDrift includes the integrated oil drift module OpenOil, which includes a number of relevant processes, such as emulsification, wave entrainment, and droplet formation. This takes account of the actual oil type/properties, using the ADIOS oil weathering database of NOAA. We investigate the effect of using a newly developed parameterization for oil droplet size distribution, compared to a traditional algorithm. Although the algorithms provide different distributions for a single wave breaking event, we find that the net difference after long time simulations is negligible, indicating that the outcome is robust regarding the choice of parameterization. In both cases, the size of the droplets controls how much oil is present at the surface and hence are subject to wind and Stokes drift. The oil droplet sizes are also relevant for the biological impact. Next, the effect of removing river outflow in the ocean model is investigated in order to showcase effects of river induced fronts on oil spreading. A consistent effect on the amount and location of stranded oil is found, and considerable impact is seen on the location of the surface oil patch.


How has the Internet, a medium that thrives on control, been accepted as a medium of freedom? Why is freedom increasingly indistinguishable from paranoid control? In Control and Freedom, Wendy Hui Kyong Chun explores the current political and technological coupling of freedom with control by tracing the emergence of the Internet as a mass medium. The parallel (and paranoid) myths of the Internet as total freedom/total control, she says, stem from our reduction of political problems into technological ones.Drawing on the theories of Gilles Deleuze and Michel Foucault and analyzing such phenomena as Webcams and face-recognition technology, Chun argues that the relationship between control and freedom in networked contact is experienced and negotiated through sexuality and race. She traces the desire for cyberspace to cyberpunk fiction and maps the transformation of public/private into open/closed. Analyzing "pornocracy," she contends that it was through cyberporn and the government's attempts to regulate it that the Internet became a marketplace of ideas and commodities. Chun describes the way Internet promoters conflated technological empowerment with racial empowerment and, through close examinations of William Gibson's Neuromancer and Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell, she analyzes the management of interactivity in narratives of cyberspace.The Internet's potential for democracy stems not from illusory promises of individual empowerment, Chun argues, but rather from the ways in which it exposes us to others (and to other machines) in ways we cannot control. Using fiber optic networkslight coursing through glass tubesas metaphor and reality, Control and Freedom engages the rich philosophical tradition of light as a figure for knowledge, clarification, surveillance, and discipline, in order to argue that fiber-optic networks physically instantiate, and thus shatter, enlightenment.


Blocking the effects of TGF-β on natural killer cells and T cells may improve the destruction of cancer cells. Getting the immune system to attack cancer cells is now recognized as an important aspect of cancer therapy strategies. This week's issue includes an article that describes a molecular target that could be leveraged to reduce the immunosuppressive effect of the cytokine transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) on T cells. Newman et al. found that T cells with abundant PECAM-1, an adhesion protein, were more sensitive to TGF-β–mediated suppression than were those lacking this adhesion protein. Tumors formed by injecting tumor cells under the skin were smaller in mice lacking PECAM-1 than in wild-type mice. Mechanistically, PECAM-1 formed a complex with the TGF-β receptor and recruited a phosphatase that inhibited signaling by the T cell receptor. In a similar study, but of cells in the innate immune system, Viel et al. found a different mechanism for inhibition of natural killer (NK) cells by TGF-β. In these cells, TGF-β reduced cellular metabolism by inhibiting the kinase mTOR, which reduced NK cell proliferation and cytotoxic activity. T cells are also affected by environmental signals or conditions that affect cellular metabolism. Klysz et al. found that, even in the presence of cytokines that normally promote differentiation into cytotoxic T cells, naïve CD4+ T cells differentiated into Treg cells, which are immunosuppressive, when glutamine was unavailable. In the tumor microenvironment, especially in poorly vascularized regions or in a rapidly growing tumor, glutamine could easily become limited, thus promoting the formation of immunosuppressive Treg cells. However, adding a membrane-permeable form of the glutamine-derived metabolite α-ketoglutarate blocked this immunosuppressive transition. Together, these studies suggest that targeting PECAM-1 may specifically enhance the antitumor activity of T cells without compromising the other necessary functions of TGF-β and that understanding how signals affect immune cell metabolism and the identification of key regulatory metabolites could point to new directions for reprogramming the immune system to eliminate cancer cells. D. K. Newman, G. Fu, T. Adams, W. Cui, V. Arumugam, T. Bluemn, M. J. Riese, The adhesion molecule PECAM-1 enhances the TGF-β–mediated inhibition of T cell function. Sci. Signal. 9, ra27 (2016). [Abstract] S. Viel, A. Marçais, F. S.-F. Guimaraes, R. Loftus, J. Rabilloud, M. Grau, S. Degouve, S. Djebali, A. Sanlaville, E. Charrier, J. Bienvenu, J. C. Marie, C. Caux, J. Marvel, L. Town, N. D. Huntington, L. Bartholin, D. Finlay, M. J. Smyth, T. Walzer, TGF-β inhibits the activation and functions of NK cells by repressing the mTOR pathway. Sci. Signal. 9, ra19 (2016). [Abstract] D. Klysz, X. Tai, P. A. Robert, M. Craveiro, G. Cretenet, L. Oburoglu, C. Mongellaz, S. Floess, V. Fritz, M. I. Matias, C. Yong, N. Surh, J. C. Marie, J. Huehn, V. Zimmermann, S. Kinet, V. Dardalhon, N. Taylor, Glutamine-dependent α-ketoglutarate production regulates the balance between T helper 1 cell and regulatory T cell generation. Sci. Signal. 8, ra97 (2015). [Abstract]


Although there are some researches on the whiskerization of CNPs on carbon fiber,
but none has studied it in the fluidized bed. This research has carried out to study the
whiskerization of carbon nanoparticles on short carbon fiber by fluidized bed reactor
chemical vapour deposition (FBCVD). The CNP whiskerized CF was added by
appropriate amount of Polypropylene to make a composite. Some information about
catalyst, nanostructural features of nanoparticles and composite discussed. Hence, in
this work, experimental studies were carried out to elucidate the influential
parameters and investigate the influence of (i) synthesis temperature, (ii) catalyst type
(iii) carbon source gas flow rate on CNP quality in FBCVD process. The synthesis of
carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) have been done by the catalytic decomposition of
acetylene over Fe/CF catalysts in a fluidized bed reactor. The general growing
conditions were: 40 L/min flow rate, 450-650°C synthesis temperature, atmospheric
pressure and three gas compositions: 50% , 25% and 25% C2H2/H2/N2. The catalyst
substrate was carbon fiber with different sizes (1mm and 2mm) and metal catalyst
with different content of iron (0.23%, 1.8% and 4.92%) were used to deposit on the
CF surface. Characterization of the catalysts and the products was performed by X ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermal
gravimetric analysis (TGA). An apparent relationship was found to exist between the
metallic iron content of the catalysts, substrate size, and the final characteristics of the
carbon products. Then the composite was prepared with the best percentage of
whiskerized carbon fiber and polypropylene with concentration of 2% and 98%
respectively. The mixture introduced into the mixer (The rotor speed and temperature
were set at 120 rpm and 180oC, and mixing continued for 10 min). Finally the
composite was analyzed by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) for mechanical
properties. This study indicates that the optimum condition for the growth of CNP on
CF is 600 °C for 1.8% Fe on carbon fiber with 2mm length for a 30 minutes
deposition time and 15L/min acetylene flow rate.


ABSTRACT The original profile of YHWH is a much-discussed issue of research, YHWH being defined mostly as either an El-like or a Baal-like deity. Scholars are investigating older texts of the Hebrew Bible that might reflect relevant imagery. The Book of Hosea is a neglected corpus in this discussion. However, the book contains North-Israelite traditions and concepts from the 8th century BCE that preserve and reflect an earlier stage of the YHWH-cult. If the imagery of the book could be traced back to a single, fundamental god-type, that could be a hint at the original character of YHWH. This article ventures to catalog, analyze, and evaluate the imagery of the book, to ultimately propose an original god-type for YHWH.


The establishment of the Royal College of Music (RCM) in 1883 represents the denouement of an eighteenth-century movement to found a conservatoire with a national remit in Britain. Whether motivated by the desire to rival Continental conservatoires to generate and develop an environment in which a worthy successor to Purcell could be nurtured or to create an indigenous musical workforce to obtain direct control of market forces, the RCM was seen as a panacea in the light of the demise of the experimental National Training School for Music (1876-1882) and the ineffectual Royal Academy of Music founded in 1822. The NTSM's financial concerns led Sir Henry Cole to approach the Royal Commission of 1851 for aid. In return for a meagre grant, the Commission insisted the NTSM remodel its management and constitution on pain of eviction from buildings on the Kensington Estate. Cole's approach to 1851 Commissionets precipitated the involvement of the Prince of Wales and other senior members of the Court that led directly to the establishment of the RCM in 1878.Attempts to institute the RCM as a quango to regulate the music profession alongside music education both at elementary school and university level were intended to provide ideal circumstances for inducing comprehensive treasury assistance where the NTSM failed. When this proved elusive, a contingency was provided by George Grove (first RCM Director from 1882) who, at the request of the Prince of Wales, imtiated a capital fund. The introduction of fee-paying students alongside scholars provided financial security that distanced the College & insolvency. Substantial growth in numbers during the first few years forced Grove and the Council to address the issue of a new building. Grove's appointment of an unrivalled professorial staff and the development of a rigorous curriculum, whose inspiration was to be found within the Continental traditions in France and Germany, had paid dividends. By 1894, the results of RCM's pedagogical methods were respected across Europe. The appointment of Grove's neighbour, Alexander Mackenzie, as Principal of the RAM heralded an environment for mutual co-operation between two rival institutions. The institution of local examinations under the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music from 1889 marked the conclusion of further attempts to amalgamate the two institutions. The foundation of both the Associated Board was intended to provide a remedy to the shortage of suitably-qualified candidates entering for scholarships and to improve music tuition among school children as set out in the RCM's 1883 charter. The coalition created formidable opposition to Halle's proposal to establish a chartered Royal College of Music in Manchester (RMCM) in 1893 and Parliament's attempts to include music within the provision of the bill for the regulation and registration of teachers. The foundation of the Associated Board allowed Grove to begin implementing the RCM's remit to lead the music profession on both a national and imperial scale. The RCM's national and European reputation established by Grove was consolidated under the directorate of his successor, c. Hubert H. Parry, who confirmed the RCM's global reputation to which other, fledgling institutions, such as New York's Juilliard School of Music, came to aspke. Grove's initiatives, which began the process of emancipating composer and performer alike, went on to transform Britain's international musical reputation within a generation, the ramifications of which continue to affect us more than a century later.


Many studies evaluating model boundary-layer schemes focus either on near-surface parameters or on short-term observational campaigns. This reflects the observational datasets that are widely available for use in model evaluation. In this paper we show how surface and long-term Doppler lidar observations, combined in a way to match model representation of the boundary layer as closely as possible, can be used to evaluate the skill of boundary-layer forecasts. We use a 2-year observational dataset from a rural site in the UK to evaluate a climatology of boundary layer type forecast by the UK Met Office Unified Model. In addition, we demonstrate the use of a binary skill score (Symmetric Extremal Dependence Index) to investigate the dependence of forecast skill on season, horizontal resolution and forecast leadtime. A clear diurnal and seasonal cycle can be seen in the climatology of both the model and observations, with the main discrepancies being the model overpredicting cumulus capped and decoupled stratocumulus capped boundary-layers and underpredicting well mixed boundarylayers. Using the SEDI skill score the model is most skillful at predicting the surface stability. The skill of the model in predicting cumulus capped and stratocumulus capped stable boundary layer forecasts is low but greater than a 24 hr persistence forecast. In contrast, the prediction of decoupled boundary-layers and boundary-layers with multiple cloud layers is lower than persistence. This process based evaluation approach has the potential to be applied to other boundary-layer parameterisation schemes with similar decision structures.


Objectives. Levonorgestrel implants (Norplant) have recently been approved for use in the United States. Adolescents may be especially suited for this method of contraception because of its long duration of action and lack of dependence on patient compliance for efficacy. To date, however, its use in young patients has not been investigated. This study was undertaken to compare side effects and satisfaction with this new method during the first 6 months of use among adolescents and adults.
 Methods. Twenty-one adolescents 18 years of age or younger and 30 adults 19 years or older participated in this study. Information on side effects and satisfaction was obtained from clinic records and a structured interview conducted 6 months after insertion.
 Results. The most frequent reason adolescents gave for selecting Norplant was convenience. None of the adolescents were upset by the insertion process or by its appearance in the arm, although 10 (48%) reported that it was visible. The most frequent side effect reported by both adolescents (71%) and adults (53%) was abnormal menstrual bleeding. Weight gain was reported by 8 adolescents (38%), 3 of whom attributed it to an increase in their appetite. Other side effects commonly reported by adolescents included emotional disturbances (33%) and headaches (38%), whereas adults reported acne (27%) and mastalgia (37%). Only 1 adolescent (5%) and 1 adult (3%) reported experiencing no side effects. A similar percentage of adolescents (8%) compared with adults (6%) requested removal of the implant because of side effects during the 6-month period. Overall satisfaction was expressed by 86% (18/21) of adolescents, all of whom stated that they preferred Norplant to their previous contraceptive method.
 Conclusions. This investigation demonstrates that levonorgestrel implants are well tolerated by most young patients. Clinicians involved in the care of adolescents should consider Norplant as an appropriate option of birth control for this population.


The horizontal cells in the outer plexiform layer of the retina generate the surround inhibition for the bipolar cells, but the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. Kamermans et al. show that there are gap junction hemichannels at synapses between horizontal cells and cone photoreceptors. Blockade of these hemichannels by carbenoxolone causes horizontal-cell hyperpolarization and disrupts feedback responses in cones and horizontal cells. This finding suggests the existence under physiological conditions of a negative-feedback mechanism from horizontal cells to cones through an electrical or ephatic mechanism. M. Kamermans, I. Fahrenfort, K. Schultz, U. Janssen-Bienhold, T. Sjoerdsma, R. Weiler, Hemichannel-mediated inhibition in the outer retina. Science 292, 1178-1180 (2001). [Abstract] [Full Text]


There exists a growing and tenacious challenge in the medicine supply chain, to manage the consequences of supply chain disruptions. Hospitals experience frequent shortages, in a European based study, 45% of respondents indicated that life preserving drugs were affected by shortages (Pauwels 2015). This research seeks to augment theoretical understanding underlying this significant issue and provide advice in the management of shortages which is a critical issue within the pharmaceutical industry. Previous research has focused on the antecedents of supply chain disruptions; what happens after a disruption has received scant attention. This research acknowledges that gap and seeks to build on the Bode et al. (2011), model of organisational responses to supply chain disruptions. This study uses a research onion design as a stencil to guide the pluralistic methodological approach chosen to release the multifaceted dimensions of the problem under consideration. Data collection instruments were interviews, an online survey, and focus groups. It was based on 318 acute care hospitals in the UK and Ireland. Findings indicate there are patterns of responses, and shortage performances vary depending on the length of time since the disruption and response mixture chosen. This research gives new insights into the impact of supply chain disruption response behaviour and supply chain performance in shortage management. It provides additional empirical tests to the Bode et al. (2011) normative model, providing insights into the underlying balanced theories, through examination of three constructs: supply chain disruption orientation; supply chain disruption performance and organisational response. It extends the concept of supply chain disruption orientation and highlights how response behaviour can feed back into the dynamic decision-making process, augmenting the Bode et al. (2011) framework. It provides insights to managers taking a system-wide view on drug delivery performance.


The role for systemic treatment in gastric cancer has become more evident over the past years. Perioperative chemotherapy increases the cure rates in localized stages. At the same time, palliative chemotherapy has shown to prolong survival and maintain the patients' quality of life in advanced disease. Our comprehension of prognostic and predictive molecular factors in stomach cancer is growing continuously. In parallel, we are making progress in understanding potential targets and pathways for designing molecular therapies against gastric cancer. First promising results have been reported from phase I and phase II studies investigating biologically targeted therapies in advanced gastric cancer. Currently, large randomized trials investigating inhibitors directed against the epidermal growth factor (EGFR) receptor and Her2-neu, against the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are being carried out. However, results from these comparative large scale studies are needed before biologically targeted drugs can be used in the clinical routine.


The past few years have witnessed significant increase in DDoS attacks on Internet, prompting network security as a great concern. With the attacks getting more sophisticated, automatically reasoning the attack scenarios in real time and cat- egorizing those scenarios become a critical challenge. However,the overwhelming flow of events generated by Intrusion Detection System (IDS) sensors make it hard for se- curity administrators to uncover hidden attack plans. This paper presents a semantic vector space model to extract and categorize attack scenarios based on First-order Log- ics (FOL) and linguistics. The modified Case Grammar is introduced to formalize the heterogeneous IDS alerts into uniform structured alert streams. The attack resolution is then used to generate attack semantic network. Afterwards, mutual information is used to determine the alert semantic context range. Based on the attack ontology and alert contexts, attack scenarios are extracted and the alerts are represented as attack semantic space vectors. Finally text categorization technique are used to categorize the intrusion stages. The preliminary results show our model has better performance than the traditional alert correlations.


Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a well-known benchmark in the surgical management of gall bladder stones. It has numerous advantages such as its minimal invasiveness and faster recovery for patients. Harmonic scalpel (HS) has been widely used for cystic duct and artery closure. This study aimed to investigate efficacy of HS in the closure of the cystic artery and duct, its beneficial aspects and, if it is a safe instrument. This study included 75 patients had LC performed using HS in closure and division of both the cystic duct and artery with dissection of the gallbladder by it. The perioperative data were recorded. LC was successfully conducted on all included patients; the average duration of the procedures was 35.6±7.1 mins. There is a lower incidence of gallbladder perforation with subsequent avoidance of time loss. No mortality no intraoperative bile duct injury or perioperative bleeding were reported. Nevertheless the major postoperative morbidity rate was in 3 cases 4.0% (one case bile leak from accessory duct, and 2 cases port site infection), The HS is an efficient tool for complete hemo-biliary sealing; it enhances the operative course of elective LC.


Morphological features of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and its epiphyte community were studied in three acidified stations located in two CO2 vents systems and one control station under normal pH conditions off the island of Ischia (Italy) to highlight the possible effects of ocean acidification. Plant phenology was analyzed every two months for a year cycle (June 2016–April 2017), while epiphytes were studied in the period of highest development of both the leaf canopy and the epiphytic community (June, August, and October 2016). The shoot density of Posidonia beds in the acidified stations of the studied sites was significantly higher than that in the control area. Significant differences in the mean leaf length according to the pH condition, month, and the interaction of these two factors were observed (PERMANOVA); the mean leaf width differed also among pH conditions and months. We recorded lower leaf lengths and widths in the acidified stations in all the considered months, compared to those in the control station. These differences are consistent with the higher impact of grazing by the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa observed on the leaves in the acidified stations. However, the overall leaf surface available for epiphytes was similar among stations because of the higher shoot density under ocean acidification conditions. Overall, the composition and structure of the epiphytic community on the Posidonia leaves showed significant differences in relation to acidification: in both acidified sites, all the calcareous forms, both encrusting red algae (Corallinales) and animals (bryozoans, foraminiferans, and spirorbids), disappeared or were strongly reduced, in favor of encrusting or erect fleshy algae, and non-calcifying invertebrates (hydrozoans, tunicates) which dominated the assemblage. Coralline algae are early species in the epiphytic colonization of P. oceanica and therefore their absence can further modify the pattern of leaf colonization by other species. Therefore, the changes found in the epiphyte community in low pH areas could have potential cascading effects on the seagrass trophic network and the functioning of the system.


The results of 36 cyclic strain-controlled direct simple shear tests on a low-plasticity compacted clay are presented and analyzed. The tests were conducted in a Marshall Silver-type device, which utilizes the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) type of short cylinder specimen confined in a wire-reinforced rubber membrane. Three degrees of compaction achieved by the modified compaction test are encompassed: (1) below the optimum moisture content, (2) at the optimum, and (3) above the optimum. All specimens were sheared under the same vertical consolidation stress. In each test the cyclic shear strain amplitude, γc, was controlled, i.e., the cyclic tests were strain controlled. The range of γc was between 0.008 and 4.6%. The test results show a very consistent behavior of the clay at all three moisture contents. At small cyclic shear strains below γc ≅ 0.1%, the stress-strain behavior is slightly nonlinear, i.e., close to linearly elastic, and the vertical settlement is negligible. In some tests such nondestructive behavior was recorded up to γc ≅ 0.2%, showing that for the clay tested, the volumetric threshold shear strain, γtv, ranges between 0.1 and 0.2%. At γc larger than γtv the cyclic stress-strain behavior becomes nonlinear and a continuous settlement with the number of cycles, N, occurs. The results do not show a clear relation between the rate of settlement with N and the degree of the compaction and moisture content. For different moisture contents, similar settlements were obtained for given γc and N. The study also shows how to arrange the specimen setup and measuring system to eliminate the effect of the simple shear apparatus compliance. In such an arrangement very small shear strains can be applied and successfully measured.


We investigate the theory of Abelian functions with periodicity properties defined from an associated algebraic curve. A thorough summary of the background material is given, including a synopsis of elliptic function theory, generalisations of the Weierstrass σ and ℘-functions and a literature review. The theory of Abelian functions associated with a tetragonal curve of genus six is considered in detail. Differential equations and addition formula satisfied by the functions are derived and a solution to the Jacobi Inversion Problem is presented. New methods which centre on a series expansion of the σ-function are used and discussions on the large computations involved are included. We construct a solution to the KP equation using these functions and outline how a general class of solutions can be generated from a wider class of curves. We proceed to present new approaches used to complete results for the lower genus trigonal curves. We also give some details on the the theory of higher genus trigonal curves before finishing with an application of the theory to the Benney moment equations. A reduction is constructed corresponding to Schwartz-Christoffel maps associated with the tetragonal curve. The mapping function is evaluated explicitly using derivatives of the σfunction.


[1] In ensemble Kalman filter, space localization is used to reduce the impact of long-distance sampling errors in the ensemble estimation of the forecast error covariance. When two variables are not physically correlated, their error covariance is still estimated by the ensemble and, therefore, it is dominated by sampling errors. We introduce a "variable localization" method, zeroing out such covariances between unrelated variables to the problem of assimilating carbon dioxide concentrations into a dynamical model using the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) in an observing system simulation experiments (OSSE) framework. A system where meteorological and carbon variables are simultaneously assimilated is used to estimate surface carbon fluxes that are not directly observed. A range of covariance structures are explored for the LETKF, with emphasis on configurations allowing nonzero error covariance between carbon variables and the wind field, which affects transport of atmospheric CO2, but not between CO2 and the other meteorological variables. Such variable localization scheme zeroes out the background error covariance among prognostic variables that are not physically related, thus reducing sampling errors. Results from the identical twin experiments show that the performance in the estimation of surface carbon fluxes obtained using variable localization is much better than that using a standard full covariance approach. The relative improvement increases when the surface fluxes change with time and model error becomes significant.


Interacting drivers and pressures in many parts of the world are greatly undermining the long-term health and wellbeing of coastal human populations and marine ecosystems. How- ever, we do not yet have a well-formed picture of the nature and extent of the human poverty of coastal communities in these areas. In this paper, we begin to fill the gap and present a multi- dimensional picture of the wellbeing of coastal communities, using nationally representative sur- vey data to examine the health, wealth, and educational status of households in over 38000 com- munities across 38 developing countries. In general, we found high levels of poverty across the 3 dimensions (health, wealth, and education) analyzed, but each dimension also showed large heterogeneity within and across countries. We found that coastal communities had statistically significant higher levels of wellbeing than non-coastal communities. Coastal children were less stunted, less poor, and more likely to live in a higher educated household when compared to non-coastal households. However, we found that across coastal communities, rural coastal com- munities had 1.5 times lower height-for-age standard deviation scores (representing high child- hood stunting rates), were 4 times more likely to be poor, and were 1.6 times more likely to have low levels of educational attainment. A deeper understanding of human wellbeing along coasts is critical for generating wider social and more long-term economic benefits with respect to coastal marine management.


Entrepreneurs often rely on intellectual property (IP) to earn a return on their innovations, and also compatibility standards, which allow them to supply specialized components for a shared technology platform. This paper compares the IP strategies of small entrepreneurs and large incumbents that disclose patents at 13 voluntary standard setting organizations (SSOs). These patents have a relatively high litigation rate. For small private firms, the probability of filing a lawsuit increases after disclosure to the SSO. For large public firms, the filing rate is unchanged. Although forward citations increase after disclosure for all firms, the size of this effect is the same for entrepreneurs and incumbents. These results suggest that standards increase the difference between large and small firms' incentives to litigate, rather than the relative value of their patents. We conclude that because specialized technology providers cannot seek rents in complementary markets, they defend IP more aggressively once it has been incorporated into an open platform.


Introduction: One of the main challenges of this modern life is air pollution and industry is the major producer of pollutions in the environment. In this regard, air quality monitoring and assessing exceedance of air quality standards around an area or industrial plant can be a useful method in order to control and establish limits for pollutant sources. Air dispersion models could be the simplest and the most effective way for monitoring and evaluating the pollutant concentrations as well as the impact of each source on the air quality of a given area, and also can be applied for adopting management approaches and appropriate strategies to prevent and reduce air pollution. Aim: In this study, by applying AERMOD developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and recommended as one of the preferred and advanced models, dispersion of total suspended particles (TSP) emitted from electric arc furnace chimney of a steel plant in Isfahan was simulated. Materials and Methods: In this study, AERMOD View is run within an area with 30 km × 30 km extent (regional scale) and 2000 m network distance (961 grid points) for 1, 3, 8, 12, 24-h time averages and monthly and annual periods, and then maximum ground level concentrations (GLC) compared with EPA and Iran clean air standards to assess the exceedance of this pollutant. Results: Results revealed that simulated concentrations for 24-h average and annual period are far below the threshold limits of both standards. Moreover, the highest concentrations of TSP took place in a different direction with prevailing winds where there are no inhabitants. However, the cumulative impact of such activities must be considered. This study also highlights the effectiveness of bag filter systems in reducing particle matter emissions from industrial units.


Introduction: The severity and outcome in poisoning cases are determined by multiple factors including poison characteristics, mode and amount of poisoning as well as treatment opportunity.
 Methods: This is a prospective observational study conducted in emergency medicine department of a tertiary care hospital. The study included 88 poisoning and 11 snake bite cases. Data regarding demographics, mode of poisoning, lag time in treatment, first aid, outside and indoor treatment, co-morbid illness, duration of hospitalization and final outcome were collected in a pre-structured proforma. Logistic regression and univariate analysis were used to predict the effect of different variables on the outcome by using Mann-Whitney U/Fisher's Exact test. All the analyses were carried out using SPSS (version 18.0).
Results: Incidence of poisoning and snakebites had a preponderance of males(p<0.001). Majority of poisonings were organophosphorus compounds and alcohol intoxication. Duration of hospital stay reduced in patients who had less lag time in reaching the hospital (p=0.032) whereas higher Poison Severity Score (PSS)(p<0.001) and code blue activation(p<0.001) prolonged hospital stay. Chances of survival increased with early blue code activation(p<0.001) and worsened with higher PSS(p<0.001) and more lag time (p<0.014).
Conclusion: OP compounds and alcoholic intoxication were the most common poisons. Provision for reducing lag time and early treatment at initial stage of poisoning or snake bite is effective in reducing duration of hospitalization and possibly mortality. Educational and awareness programs, establishment of poison information and surveillance centers and regulations on pesticides/drug availability will form important strategies for the prevention of these emergencies.


Time series classification (TSC) methods discover and exploit patterns in time series and other one-dimensional signals. Although many accurate, robust classifiers exist for multivariate feature sets, general approaches are needed to extend machine learning techniques to make use of signal inputs. Numerous applications of TSC can be found in structural engineering, especially in the areas of structural health monitoring and non-destructive evaluation. Additionally, the fields of process control, medicine, data analytics, econometrics, image and facial recognition, and robotics include TSC problems. This dissertation details, demonstrates, and evaluates Autofead, a novel approach to automated feature design for TSC. In Autofead, a genetic programming variant evolves a population of candidate solutions to optimize performance for the TSC or time series regression task based on training data. Solutions consist of features built from a library of mathematical and digital signal processing functions. Numerical optimization methods, included through a hybrid search approach, ensure that the fitness of candidate feature algorithms is measured using optimal parameter values. Experimental validation and evaluation of the method is carried out on a wide range of synthetic, laboratory, and real-world data sets with direct comparison to conventional solutions and state-of-the-art TSC methods. Autofead is shown to be competitively accurate as well as producing highly interpretable solutions that are desirable for data mining and knowledge discovery tasks. Computational cost of the search is relatively high in the learning stage to design solutions; however, the computational expense for classifying new time series is very low making Autofead solutions suitable for embedded and real-time systems. Autofead represents a powerful, general tool for TSC and time series data mining researchers as well as industry practitioners. Potential applications are numerous including the monitoring of electrocardiogram signals for indications of heart failure, network traffic analysis for intrusion detection systems, vibration measurement for bearing condition determination in rotating machinery, and credit card activity for fraud detection. In addition to the development of the overall method, this dissertation provides contributions in the areas of evolutionary computation, numerical optimization, digital signal processing, and uncertainty analysis for evaluating solution robustness


Correspondence to Professor Bruce Guthrie; firstname.lastname@example.com ABSTRACT Objectives: Primary care high-risk prescribing causes significant harm, but it is unclear if it is largely driven by individuals (a 'bad apple' problem) or by practices having higher or lower risk prescribing cultures (a 'spoiled barrel' problem). The study aimed to examine the extent of variation in high-risk prescribing between individual prescribers and between the practices they work in. Design, setting and participants: Multilevel logistic regression modelling of routine cross-sectional data from 38 Scottish general practices for 181 010 encounters between 398 general practitioners (GPs) and 26 539 patients particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events (ADEs) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) due to age, comorbidity or coprescribing. Outcome measure: Initiation of a new NSAID prescription in an encounter between GPs and eligible patients. Results: A new high-risk NSAID was initiated in 1953 encounters (1.1% of encounters, 7.4% of patients). Older patients, those with more vulnerabilities to NSAID ADEs and those with polypharmacy were less likely to have a high-risk NSAID initiated, consistent with GPs generally recognising the risk of NSAIDs in eligible patients. Male GPs were more likely to initiate a high-risk NSAID than female GPs (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.16). After accounting for patient characteristics, 4.2% (95% CI 2.1 to 8.3) of the variation in high-risk NSAID prescribing was attributable to variation between practices, and 14.2% (95% CI 11.4 to 17.3) to variation between GPs. Three practices had statistically higher than average high-risk prescribing, but only 15.7% of GPs with higher than average high-risk prescribing and 18.5% of patients receiving such a prescription were in these practices. Conclusions: There was much more variation in highrisk prescribing between GPs than between practices, and only targeting practices with higher than average rates will miss most high-risk NSAID prescribing. Primary care prescribing safety improvement should ideally target all practices, but encourage practices to consider and act on variation between prescribers in the practice.


This article reviews research on oral corrective feedback (CF) in second language (L2) classrooms. Various types of oral CF are first identified, and the results of research revealing CF frequency across instructional contexts are presented. Research on CF preferences is then reviewed, revealing a tendency for learners to prefer receiving CF more than teachers feel they should provide it. Next, theoretical perspectives in support of CF are presented and some contentious issues addressed related to the role of learner uptake, the role of instruction, and the overall purpose of CF: to initiate the acquisition of new knowledge or to consolidate already acquired knowledge. A brief review of laboratory studies assessing the effects of recasts is then presented before we focus on classroom studies assessing the effects of different types of CF. Many variables mediate CF effectiveness: of these, we discuss linguistic targets and learners' age in terms of both previous and prospective research. Finally, CF provided by learners and the potential benefits of strategy training for strengthening the role of CF during peer interaction are highlighted.


An understanding of functional dyspepsia (FD) has remained elusive in part because defining the condition has been so difficult.1–3 The term dyspepsia (or "bad digestion") was simply derived from the Greek dys which means "bad" and peptein which means "to digest".3 FD in 2008 is still a diagnosis of exclusion1; the synonyms endoscopy-negative or non-ulcer dyspepsia are arguably no more illuminating. To confound the situation further, the word dyspepsia is not understood by most patients, but remains a vague term in common medical parlance.1–3 There has been an evolution in thinking in terms of what symptoms should and should not comprise FD, but there remains a lack of global consensus despite the Rome working team reports.4 Thus, the recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines in the UK continued to lump symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) in with all other upper abdominal complaints as "dyspepsia" in contrast to US guidelines.4 5

Prior to the Rome consensus process, dyspepsia was so poorly defined that the literature was arguably impossible to interpret.3 Many studies used the expression but failed to report what they meant by dyspepsia.6 7 The bandying around of fuzzy concepts persisted—for example, defining dyspepsia as that group of symptoms triggered when food digestion was disordered3 (but how does one know food digestion is truly disordered?). Dissimilar conditions were subsumed under this heading, including GORD and biliary pain, to name a few.3 The simple concept that dyspepsia should be restricted to refer to meal-related symptoms was largely dismissed because not all peptic ulcer patients reported clear-cut meal-related complaints.3 With the rapid disappearance of peptic ulcer disease in many parts of the Western world, there is now little interest in understanding …


1 A nineteenth-century Romantic genre, the Kunstlerroman, as a kind of palimpsest, conceals the material concerns of the writer by asserting that self-making is an art. Indeed, a rewriting and erasure of the self, the Kunstlerroman's conscious project displays a stabilized and authorized reading of the writer, and conceals the eruptive, unstable, and unconscious process of that construction. Furthermore, this generic form makes claims that it is representative of everyman at the same time that it formulates a special and lucrative category for the writer as artistic genius. Kunstlerromane such as Wordsworth's Prelude, Thackeray's Pendennis, Tennyson's In Memoriam and Dickens's David Copperfield exemplify this double vision of the author as typical but also as special creation and creator. These works reveal, too, that the paradigm of the artist as universal and unique is grounded in the notion that the artist is male. This makes Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh, the most famous nineteenth-century English Kunstlerroman by a woman, a natural site for studying how this genre constructs and is constructed by gender. (1) I would suggest that comparing the male and female authored Kunstlerromane (2) David Copperfield and Aurora Leigh provides an important strategy for studying Victorian gender construction vis-a-vis the construction of the self as artist within the constraints of a market system. To begin with, it is questionable whether the Kunstlerroman could have been written before the Industrial Revolution and modern capitalist economics, for in the nineteenth century to pursue the literary profession the writer literally had to sell himself as the most valuable distillation of the wisdom of his culture. As Catherine Gallagher and Mary Poovey point out, by the nineteenth century no professional writer could assert his independence from the market. Mary Poovey argues that the nineteenth century added a conflicting perspective to the traditional view of the artist as poet-prophet: the writer also came to be viewed as a commercial being deeply embroiled in concerns about profit. (3) Likewise, in her provocative analysis, Gallagher notes that the historical conjunction of the "activities of authoring, of procuring illegitimate income, and of alienating one's self through prostitution" became closely associated in the Victorian period for two reasons: the growth of a mass audience in the 1830s and 1840s and the establishment of cheap serial publication allied to the practice of paying authors by the line. Thus Gallagher asserts that the metaphor of the artist as generative father was not the only paradigm through which the nineteenth century viewed the writer; an equally important and suggestive metaphor was also in place, one which viewed the writer as prostitute. Hence, as Gallagher explains, the author "does not go to market as a respectable producer with an alienable commodity, but with himself or herself as commodity.... This combination puts writers in the marketplace in the position of selling themselves, like whores." (4) I have chosen to read David Copperfield and Aurora Leigh as a pair for a number of reasons, not least of which being the way they represent the material conditions of writing and the construction of gender: first of all, both Dickens and Barrett Browning were extremely popular writers who reached a large and diverse readership, particularly with the novelistic renditions of their own rise to fame. (5) Drawing on the metaphors of prophet and prostitute, both David Copperfield and Aurora Leigh articulate but also mask the interrelations of gender with material and aesthetic success; but it is also important to note that the conflicting metaphors of prophet and prostitute mean something quite different to the male and female writer. That is, I will argue that where David Copperfield uses the feminine to mask his materialistic motivations, Aurora Leigh pointedly demarcates how in Victorian culture every woman signified prostitution. …


Different culture media in different volumes were exposed to microwave (MW) irradiation for 2, 3 and 4 minutes to investigate the ability of MW to destroy microorganisms and compared with media sterilized by conventional autoclaving method. MW sterilized media were screened for microbial growth. Exposure of different microorganisms to microwave irradiation resulted in destruction of all microorganisms within 3 minutes. Using MW for irradiation is a practical, easy, rapid and energy saving way to sterilize different types of culture media with no effects on the quality of culture media and microbial growth after sterilization. It can be used as alternative apparatus instead of autoclave in microbiology laboratories for preparing different sizes in rapid and routine experiments especially in the conditions of the weak electricity current and interruption.


Orientation seminars for college freshmen facilitate the transition of students from high school to college. Could similar seminars work as well for those who want to be educators? Creating a Teacher Orientation Seminar for education candidates standardizes the transfer of information and confirms commitment for third-year undergraduates and fifth-year nontraditional students seeking admission to a Teacher Education Program. In seminar format, education candidates profit from information about College of Education requirements and expectations as well as discussion time for processing field observation experiences with faculty facilitators. A Teacher Orientation Seminar may benefit students as well as faculty who partner in their commitment to quality pre-service teacher preparation. ********** A large body of research supports the success of orientation seminars for community college freshmen. Orientation seminars improve academic performance, retention, and program completion (Raymond & Napoli, 1988). Orientation seminars build foundations for academic success, promote student interaction with faculty and staff, and convey values and traditions of the new experience (Upcraft, M., Gardner, J., & Barefoot, B., 2005). Orientation sessions bridge the gap between previous environment and collegial environment. Results of most successful orientation seminars are positively correlated with subsequent academic success and better-adjusted students (Raymond & Napoli, 1988). A credible program is one that facilitates the transition of new students, prepares them for their new learning environment, and integrates them into the academic and social fabric of their new institution (Upcraft, M., Gardner, J., & Barefoot, B., 2005). Although research supports the success of orientation seminars with first-year community-college students, less data are available from universities that offer orientation seminars to third-year undergraduate and fifth-year graduate students who seek admission to the school's College of Education program. Following the basic studies' session of the college program, prospective education candidates sometimes appear confused with admission requirements, advisement issues, course prerequisites, observation reflections, and all facets of the expectations of the Teacher Education Program. If orientation seminars bolster students' transition from high school to college, why not use the same process to initiate education candidates into the Teacher Education Program? Planning the First Teacher Orientation Seminar A committee from The College of Education and Professional Studies formed with the charge to develop the Teacher Orientation Seminar (TOS). The only ground rules were to orient the students to the College's Conceptual Framework, clarify admission requirements, and familiarize the teacher candidates with the expectations of the College of Education and Professional Studies. According to Raymond & Napoli (1988), any discussion of orientation program components must relate to the mission and goals of the specific college. The Teacher Orientation Seminar committee, composed of elementary, secondary, and physical education faculty, in the College of Education and Professional Studies, developed the following key components of the Teacher Orientation Seminar. * Mission (Conceptual Framework) of the College of Education and Professional Studies * Entrance requirements, policies, and procedures of the Teacher Education Program * Requirements for recording and reflecting on the 25 hours of observation during the seminar course * Professionalism in the local schools * Follow-up meeting to share observation reflections, to discuss concerns, and to air questions The TOS committee began its work by concentrating on the Conceptual Framework's Eight Learning Outcomes, the azimuth of the College of Education's mission. …


A novel three-phase, single-stage, isolated PWM rectifier is proposed, which is capable of achieving unity power factor, and low harmonic distortion of input currents, and at the same time realizing zero-voltage switching for all power semiconductor devices. Operation of the proposed circuit is thoroughly analyzed. Design equations and trade-offs are provided. The performance of the proposed circuit is demonstrated through a 2 kW, 100 kHz, digital signal processor controlled prototype. The conversion efficiency is around 93%. >


Fruit flies (Diptera:
 Tephritidae) has been recognized as a cosmopolitan pest of fruits
 and vegetables. In Pakistan, it is a serious pest of mango, melons,
 citrus and guava and a major threat to export of these commodities.
 The pesticides used for this pest leave residues, which are not
 acceptable for many buyers under WTO agreement. Studies were
 undertaken to get more precise information on behavioral aspects of
 fruit flies and to devise management techniques with integrated
 approach.
 Field studies on population fluctuation of Bactrocera zonata (Diptera:
 Tephritidae) were monitored in mango (Mangifera indica) orchards,
 located at 2 different ecological zones; Dera Ismail Khan and
 Paniala for three consecutive years, using methyl euginol baited
 traps. Abiotic weather factors were correlated with population
 fluctuation. The population density data at both locations showed
 two prominent peaks with some variations, first in late spring and
 second and larger one in late summer or early fall. The population
 builds up of flies in the early spring were found associated with
 off-host fruits [Ber (Ziziphus jujuba) and Guava (Psidium guajava)]
 shifted to mango. The second and larger peak was associated with mid
 and late mango varieties like Chounsa, Fajri. Overall, a positive
 correlation of population fluctuation in relation to abiotic factors
 exists. However, inverse relation was found significant in relative
 humidity (RH).
 In a series of experiments, comprised of lures (food and sex), and
 neem extracts was tested in comparison with untreated check to
 devise the IPM model for fruit fly management in mango orchards. The
 IPM model reduced the infestation to 0.4 and 0.8% in dropped and
 harvested fruits respectively in comparison with that of farmers
 practice where it was 7% in dropped fruits and 10.5% in harvested
 fruits. The experiments to evaluate the management techniques
 revealed bait (Protein hydrolysate) application technique (BAT) and
 crop hygiene (CH) equally effective to that of synthetic insecticide
 (Diptrex 80SP). In other experiments, BAT + CH and neem oil
 reduced 87.27 and 75.11% infestation of fruit fly, as compared to
 Diptrex 80SP (2.42%). Turmeric oil was less effective than neem oil.
 The integration of crop hygiene (removal of weed flora and burying
 of damaged fruits) with intermittent spray of bait and one neem
 application on and around the field significantly reduced the fruit
 fly infestation. The farmers practice fields had 25.3% fruit fly
 infestation whereas it was 3.6% where IPM model was applied.
 In a series of experiments, infective capabilities of
 entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) were evaluated against fruit flies
 under lab conditions. Results indicated Hetrerorhabditis
 bacteriophora and S. feltiae with 97.6 and 85.10% infection and were
 leading EPN among the tested nematodes. In addition, the fly
 emergence was better option for EPN evaluation than dissection of
 insect. EPN showed comparatively less infectiveness towards fruit
 fly pupae and only 60% infection was caused due to S. feltiae
 followed by 58% due to H. indica.
 The progeny development experiment with three nematode species viz.
 S. carpocapsie, S. feltiae and H. bacterophora, in the lab, showed
 J3 started emerging in all nematode after day 11. The J3 production
 increased until day 13 for S. feltaie and ends on day 23. H.
 bacterophora produced 697 progeny in 16 days. Progeny production as
 unit body weight, S. carocapsae produced 784 J3/mg followed by H.
 bacterophora and S. feltiae with 580 and 221/mg body weight of fruit
 fly. In another experiment, LC50 for S. feltiase was 516 J3/ml and
 H. bacterophora was 600 J3.
 Fruit fly Bactrocera zonata pupation habitat preference was
 evaluated in two lab experiments. In first experiment, three soil
 types were tested for preferred pupation depth by late instar fruit
 fly larvae. Results revealed more than 57% of the pupae preferred
 2.54 - 5.02 cm depth for pupation comparing with 20% in the top 2.53
 cm, 17.7% in the 5.03 - 7.67 cm and only 2.1% in the 7.67 - 10.23
 cm. The experiment regarding soil particle sizes was evaluated for
 pupation depth preference. Results indicated 2.53 - 5.03 cm is the
 preferred depth for all particles sized except for the 13 - 25
 particle size where pupae preferred top 2.54 cm to other two depths
 tested. In another experiment with neem as additive adult diet,
 showed adult feeding on ground neem seed kernel with sugar and yeast
 hydrolysate arrested the egg laying capacity significantly.


The purpose of this research study was to gain insight into the educational experiences of students and graduates of a nurse practitioner (NP) program in Ontario, Canada to inform curriculum evaluation. Participants were asked to provide narratives of their experiences via two separate limited-access blog sites on the program's NP–Education Network. An interpretive qualitative analysis of participant narratives revealed the program is preparing graduates for practice but there are areas for improvement that require attention. From the emerging themes, recommendations are proposed for improving the curriculum of the NP program.


Principles of stereoscopic vision have long been used in geographic data processing and visualization, e.g. Laussedat created what he called metrophotography in 1895 [2][3] and a stereoautograph for plotting from terrestrial photographs was produced in 1911 [2]. Today, a common and established use of stereoscopy in geographic domain is three-dimensional (3D) modeling of terrains and cities based on aerial, satellite and/or terrestrial imagery with photogrammetric techniques. In these systems, commonly, stereoscopic imagery is used as an input and a vector 3D representation of the terrain or city is obtained as an output. Stereoscopy has also been used for close-range photogrammetry, however within the scope of this paper the focus is on the cartographic use of stereoscopic visualizations. In recent years, a number of mainstream digital devices with stereoscopic capabilities are marketed (e.g. [4], [5], [6]), which indicates that we can expect to see more stereoscopic content in the near future [1]. In anticipation of such a development, it is also plausible to expect that stereoscopic geo-data will become more available for everyday use. It is, therefore, interesting to document which stereoscopic visualization features are supported by mainstream geographic information systems (GIS) software and whether these features can be improved. This work presents a survey on current stereoscopic visualization support in geographic information (GI) systems. The underlying objective is to outline future research needs by examining current stereoscopic 3D visualization techniques and tools in current GISs. This paper focuses on visualization modules of GIS software, and tries to answer the question "How commonly is stereoscopic visualization supported in GIS?" To achieve this, first whether such support exits or not in GIS software is documented, then supported types of stereoscopic operations and viewing methods are reported. Motivated by improving efficiency of stereoscopic visualizations in cartographic domain, within this survey, it is also examined whether these software offer level of detail (LOD) management support for stereoscopic datasets. Findings from the study are meant as a guide to researchers and practitioners to assess the current state of True 3D support in widely used GIS software.


This dissertation reflects the author's work on two problems involving combinatorial structures. The first section, which was also published in the Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A, discusses the author's work on several conjectures relating to the Fishburn numbers. The Fishburn numbers can be defined as the coefficients of the generating function begin{align*} 1+sum_{m=1}^{infty} prod_{i=1}^{m}(1-(1-t)^{i}). end{align*} Combinatorially, the Fishburn numbers enumerate certain supersets of sets enumerated by the Catalan numbers. We add to this work by giving an involution-based proof of the conjecture of Claesson and Linusson that the Fishburn numbers enumerate non-$2$-neighbor-nesting matchings. We begin by proving that a map originally defined by Claesson and Linusson gives a bijection between non-$2$-neighbor-nesting matchings and $textbf{(2-1)}$-avoiding inversion tables. We then define a set of diagrams, which we call Fishburn diagrams, that give a natural interpretation to the generating function of the Fishburn numbers. Using an involution on Fishburn diagrams, we then prove that the Fishburn numbers enumerate $textbf{(2-1)}$avoiding inversion tables. By using two variations of this involution on two subsets of Fishburn diagrams, we then give a visual proof of the conjecture of Remmel and Kitaev that two bivariate refinements of the generating function of the Fishburn numbers are equivalent. In an appendix, we give an inductive proof of the conjecture of Claesson and Linusson that the distribution of left-nestings over the set of all matchings is given by the second-order Eulerian triangle. The conjecture of Remmel and Kitaev was independently proved by Jelin'ek and by Yan with a matrix interpretation defined by Dukes and Parviainen. Bijections surveyed by Callan can lead to a similar proof of the conjecture of Claesson and Linusson giving the distribution of left-nestings over matchings, using a result on the Stirling permutations due to Gessel and Stanley. This work was done independently. The second section, some of which was presented at the Formal Power Series and Algebriac Combinatorics conference (FPSAC), discusses the author's work on several conjectures relating to parking functions and to Tesler matrices. Parking functions are combinatorial objects which generalize both permutations and Catalan paths. Haglund and Loehr conjectured that the generating functions of two statistics, $area$ and $dinv$, over the set of parking functions (the $q, t$-parking functions) gives the Hilbert series of the diagonal coinvariants. Haglund recently proved that this Hilbert series is given by another generating function over the set of matrices with every hook sum equal to one (``Tesler matrices''). We prove several structural results on parking functions inspired by Tesler matrices, including a near-recursive generation of the $q, t$-parking functions. We also give consistent bijective proofs of several special cases of Haglund's Tesler function identity, giving a combinatorial connection between parking functions and Tesler matrices, and discuss related conjectures. A connection between the $q=1$ special case and a result of Kreweras was later pointed out by Garsia et al, and some of the original ideas on the $q=1$ special case arose from a discussion between the author, Haglund, Bandlow, and Visontai. This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/657 Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Mathematics First Advisor James Haglund


The intravenous sensitization of C57BL/6 (B6) mice with class I H-2- disparate B6-C-H-2bm1 (bm1) spleen cells resulted in the abrogation of CD8+ T cell-mediated anti-bm1 (proliferative and interleukin 2- producing) T helper (Th) cell activities. In vitro stimulation of lymphoid cells from these mice with bm1 cells, however, generated a reduced, but appreciable, anti-bm1 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. Moreover, the anti-bm1 CTL response, upon stimulation with [bm1 x B6-C-H-2bm12 (bm12)]F1 spleen cells, was enhanced when compared with the response induced upon stimulation with bm1 cells. These in vitro results were reflected on in vivo graft rejection responses; bm1 skin grafts engrafted in the bm1-presensitized B6 mice exhibited prolonged survival, whereas (bm1 x bm12)F1 grafts placed collateral to bm1 grafts (dual engrafted mice) inhibited the tolerance to bm1. In the B6 mice 1-2 d after rejecting the bm1 grafts, anti-bm1 Th activities remained marginal, whereas potent anti-bm1 CTL responses were found to be generated from their spleen cells. Administration in vivo of anti- CD4 antibody into bm1-presensitized, dual graft-engrafted mice prolonged bm1 graft survival and interfered with enhanced induction of anti-bm1 CTL activity. These results indicate that anti-class I alloantigen (bm1) tolerance as induced by intravenous presensitization with the relevant antigens is not ascribed to the elimination of CD8+ CTL precursors, but to the specific inactivation of CD8+ Th cells, whose function can be bypassed by activating third-party Th cells.


The Cytochrome P450 family is a class of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of about 75% of the drugs that are administered (18). The 2E1 isoform of this family is known as the "ethanol-inducible" member, because ethanol has demonstrated the capacity to affect the metabolism of other 2E1 substrates (15, 16). It has been proposed that elevated concentrations of ethanol in the liver are responsible for the activation of acetaminophen and nitrosamine constituents found in cigarette smoke into hepatotoxic byproducts, and that an increase in polarity in a very hydrophobic active site may have a significant role in perpetuating these toxic effects (2-3, 23). In the present study, the objective was to probe the influence of ethanol and subsequently, increased active site polarity, on the catalytic scheme of other P4502E1 substrates. Additionally, due to the fact that many other P450 isoforms contain hydrophobic active sites and therefore, may also be affected by changing polarity in the active site environment, the implications of these studies were evaluated in the context of the P450 family as a whole. Potential evidence regarding the existence of an effector site adjacent to the catalytic site, and its role in 2E1 catalysis, was also probed. Designed to examine the effect of ethanol on the previously observed substrate inhibition pattern in p-nitrophenol oxidation, results from current studies indicated that ethanol potentially disrupts ligand-ligand interactions between the catalytic and effector sites. The ability of ethanol to potentially alter rate-limiting steps in 2E1-mediated benzyl alcohol oxidation was explored through intrinsic isotope effect studies. Despite being limited by the purity of the benzyl alcohol substrate, an apparent shift or "unmasking" of the isotope effect was observed when ethanol was added. Finally, reversibility studies were carried out to evaluate the capacity of ethanol to interfere with 2E1 inactivation by 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, a potent irreversible inhibitor of the 2B4 isoform (7). When ethanol was present in low concentrations, a synergistic effect was exhibited, where the activity of 2E1 was reduced to an even greater degree than reactions containing the aldehyde alone. An increase in enzyme activity was observed in reactions containing the aldehyde and higher concentrations of ethanol, relative to those containing only the aldehyde, suggesting that ethanol exerted a pseudo-protective effective in this case.


Although not subject to easy quantification, the middle market offers a number of characteristics that should continue to make it the desired placed to invest when considering private equity investments on the basis of capitalization. These characteristics include greater earnings potential as a result of installing better and more sophisticated management, implementing improved "best practices" management techniques, and improving business fundamentals as a means to position the company for, and allow the company to undergo, aggressive growth opportunities. Opportunities exist to generate returns of greater than 20% net through a well-managed middle market fund investment program. The magic mix combines talented sponsors with proven track records of generating above-average investment returns, a market that offers attractive buying opportunities and pricing to middle market buyers, and a fund-raising environment with larger funds competing aggressively for a limited number of larger transactions.


Martin Luther supported the development of the early German educational system on the basis of both religious and social ideals. His impact endured in the emphasis on obedience and duty to the state evident in the north German educational system throughout the early modern period and the nineteenth century. Luther taught that the state was a gift from God and that service to the state was a personal vocation. This thesis explores the extent to which a select group of nineteenth century German philosophers and historians reflect Luther's teachings. Chapters II and III provide historiography on this topic, survey Luther's view of the state and education, and demonstrate the adherence of nineteenth century German intellectuals to these goals. Chapters IV through VII examine the works respectively of Johann Gottfried Herder, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Leopold von Ranke, and Wilhelm Dilthey, with focus on the interest each had in the reformer's work for its religious, and social content. The common themes found in these authors' works were: the analysis of the membership of the individual in the group, the stress on the uniqueness of individual persons and cultures, the belief that familial authority, as established in the Fourth Commandment, provided the basis for state authority, the view that the state was a necessary and benevolent institution, and, finally, the rejection of revolution as a means of instigating social change. This work explains the relationship between Luther's view of the state and its interpretation by later German scholars, providing specific examples of the way in which Herder, Hegel, Ranke, and Dilthey incorporated in their writings the reformer's theory of the state. It also argues for the continued importance of Luther to later German intellectuals in the area of social and political theory.


This report provides information on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism and the circumstances of U.S. withdrawal. It discusses preparations for the Durban Review Conference, including U.S. policy and reaction from other governments. It highlights possible issues for the 111th Congress, including the Review Conference preparatory process, U.S. funding of the Conference, and the political and diplomatic impact of U.S. engagement.


The kinetics of the reaction between CO2 and aqueous potassium salts of taurine and glycine was measured at 295 K in a stirred-cell reactor with a flat gas-liquid interface. For aqueous potassium taurate solutions, the temperature effect on the reaction kinetics was measured at 285 and 305 K. Unlike aqueous primary alkanolamines, the partial reaction order in amino acid salt changes from one at low salt concentration to approximately 1.5 at salt concentrations as high as 3,000 mol·m-3. At low salt concentrations, the measured apparent rate constant (kapp) for potassium glycinate is comparable to the values in literature. In the absence of reliable information in the literature on the kinetics and mechanism of the reaction, the applicability of the zwitterion and termolecular mechanism (proposed originally for alkanolamines) was explored. For the zwitterion mechanism, the forward second-order reaction rate constant (k2) of the CO2 reaction with amino acid salt seems to be much higher than for alkanolamines of similar basicity, indicating that the Bronsted plot for amino acid salts might differ from that of alkanolamines. The contribution of water to the deprotonation of zwitterion seems to be more significant than reported values for aqueous secondary alkanolamines.


3D printing shows great potential for fabricating customized scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Using hydrogel as a bioink for cell printing provides a biological platform for basic research and potential medical treatments. In this study, a waterborne poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based biodegradable polyurethane (PU) with a soft segment replaced with 20 mol% of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) diol or poly (d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) diol was prepared. These two PUs formed compact packing structures at temperatures ≥37 °C. They responded differently to temperature changes and the presence of electrolytes because of the difference in the free volume. With their thermal-responsive properties, both PU dispersions could form a gel in 3 min with the gel modulus reaching about 6-8 kPa after 30 min. To enhance the structural integrity during layer-by-layer deposition, the hybrid hydrogel of PU and soy protein isolate (PU/SPI hybrid) was further developed. The PU/SPI hybrid dispersion could undergo rapid gelation at 37 °C with the modulus reaching 130 Pa in 1 min. Moreover, the PU/SPI hybrid gel was readily blended with cells and printed at 37 °C without preheating. Neural stem cells (NSCs) were embedded in the hydrogels and analyzed for cell viability, metabolism, proliferation, and gene expression of neural-related markers. Cells cultured in the PU/SPI hybrid construct had better survival and proliferation than those in the PU gel. The PU/SPI hybrid ink may provide unique rheological properties for direct cell/tissue printing at 37 °C and a biomimetic microenvironment for cell survival, growth, and differentiation.


Shisha (water pipe) smoking is falsely believed to be a hazard-free habit and has become a major public health concern. Studies have reported shisha smoking to be associated with oral lesions, as well as carcinomas of the lung, esophagus, bladder, and pancreas. A deeper understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms would contribute to identification of biomarkers for targeted public health screening, therapeutic innovation, and better prognosis of associated diseases. In this study, we have established an in vitro chronic cellular model of shisha-exposed oral keratinocytes to study the effect of shisha on oral cells. Normal nontransformed, immortalized oral keratinocytes were chronically exposed to shisha extract for 8 months. This resulted in significant increase in cellular proliferation and cell invasion in shisha-exposed cells compared to the parental cells. Quantitative proteomic analysis of OKF6/TERT1-Parental and OKF6/TERT1-Shisha cells resulted in the identification of 5515 proteins. Forty-three differentially expressed proteins were found to be common across all conditions. Bioinformatic analysis of the dysregulated proteins identified in the proteomic study revealed dysregulation of interferon pathway, upregulation of proteins involved in cell growth, and downregulation of immune processes. The present findings reveal that chronic exposure of normal oral keratinocytes to shisha leads to cellular transformation and dysregulation of immune response. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that has developed a model of oral keratinocytes chronically exposed to shisha and identified proteomic alterations associated with shisha exposure. However, further research is required to evaluate the health burden of shisha smoking.


Background Obesity is strongly associated with several non-communicable conditions including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and hypercholesterolemia.1 The global frequency of obesity and the metabolic syndrome has increased over the most recent decades and has been linked to an increase in the global burden of disease2. According to the 2012 STEPS survey, 70% of the adult Qatari population is overweight whereas 41% are obese3. Obesity and diseases linked to obesity have reached especially high levels in Qatar4. Aim The aim of our study was to establish a comprehensive database with a focus on obesity to capture epidemiologic features of a sample of the Qatari population. This database would be used to determine the prevalence of obesity and features of the metabolic syndrome in the Qatari population and to detect risk factors associated with obesity in this population. Methodology Trained research coordinators conducted an interview based survey across a cross sectional population of adult Qataris mainly from the Primary Health Care Centers. Additionally, some subjects were recruited from the Blood Donation Center at Hamad General Hospital. The survey consisted of questions on demographics, nutrition, smoking, hospitalization and risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, anthropometric measurements for each participant including weight, height, and waist circumference were recorded as well as the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The final data set consisted of 1072 individuals. Overweight or obese individuals (n = 746) comprised 70% of the entire sample. Individuals with normal BMI comprised 30% of the sample population (n = 326). The individuals with normal BMI served as the control group. Statistical analysis using SAS software version 9.2 (Cary, NC) was performed on data. Before performing the analysis validity checks were performed for all the variables and any obvious data inconsistencies were clarified by consulting with the original data forms. stratified patients according to Body Mass Index (BMI) status based on WHO criteria.5 For determination of hypertension based on blood pressure measurements we adopted guidelines published in 2007.6 To study the characteristics of the participants we prepared contingency tables based on frequency and relative percentages. For continuous variables, we used mean, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum values. Differences in the frequency of characteristics of obese (cases) and non-obese (controls) were compared with Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and with the Mantel-Haenszel test for trend for ordinal variables. For continuous variables, mean differences were compared using the two-sample Student's T-test. Association between characteristics identified in the contingency tables and obesity status was further studied with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and education. The Joint Institutional Review Board of Hamad Medical Corporation and Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, approved the protocol for data collection. Results We will discuss the epidemiologic risk factors associated with obesity in Qataris. Descriptive variables of BMI, interview site, age, gender, marital status, level of education and marriage to first cousin will be presented. Additionally, risk estimates for main factors (e.g. elevated blood pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, family history of diabetes, heart disease or blood pressure) significantly associated with the metabolic syndrome stratified by obesity status in overweight/obese subjects with normal weight individuals, as the comparison group will also be presented. Results of multivariate analysis of main factors significantly associated with the metabolic syndrome in study sample participants and first degree relatives for both genders will be explored.Furthermore, data on self-reported prevalence rates for hospitalization for any cause in overweight/obese persons compared to persons of normal weight will be shared. Implications Our study findings have implications for preventive strategies, which may effect the national population. Additionally, the study results can be disseminated among health care professionals so they can have a better understanding about the causes, risk factors and prevention of obesity-related chronic disease in the Qatari population. Our study findings can be beneficial to patients who can take an overall active role in managing their health and also to physicians by providing the highest quality of care to the patients. This work has been supported by Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar's Biomedical Research Program funded by Qatar Foundation, and by a grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP 4-294-3-092). References (1) Patel AV, Hildebrand JS, Gapstur SM. Body mass index and all-cause mortality in a large prospective cohort of white and black U.S. Adults. PLoS One 2014; 9(10):e109153. (2) Lim SS, Vos T, Flaxman AD, Danaei G, Shibuya K, Adair-Rohani H, et al. A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 2012 Dec 15; 380(9859):2224–60. (3) http://www.who.int/chp/steps/Qatar_FactSheet_2012.pdf. Accessed Oct 23, 2015. (4) Alhyas L, McKay A, Balasanthiran A, Majeed A. Prevalences of overweight, obesity, hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia in the Gulf: systematic review. JRSM Short Rep 2011 Jul; 2(7):55. (5) https://www. who int/bmi/index jsp?introPage = intro_3 html Accessed Nov 12, 2015. (6) Mancia G, De BG, Dominiczak A, Cifkova R, Fagard R, Germano G, et al. 2007 ESH-ESC Practice Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension: ESH-ESC Task Force on the Management of Arterial Hypertension. J Hypertens 2007 Sep; 25(9):1751–62.


In this article, we derive expressions for the asymptotic distribution of maximum likelihood estimators of model parameters in accelerated life tests (ALTs) when the model distribution is misspecified. We investigate results for two popular models, namely, the lognormal and Weibull Arrhenius-type ALT models. We propose test plan criteria based on asymptotic bias (ABias) and asymptotic mean squared error (AMSE) to derive ALT test plans. We derive 4:2:1 allocation plans that minimize either ABias/sup 2/ or AMSE. These criteria provide control over estimation bias and variance when the model distribution is misspecified.


We motivate a context fusion network (CFN), an infrastructure model that allows context-aware applications to select distributed data sources and compose them with customized data-fusion operators into a directed acyclic information fusion graph. Such a graph represents how an application computes high-level understandings of its execution context from low-level sensory data. Multiple graphs by different applications interconnect with each other to form a global graph. A key advantage of a CFN is reusability, both at code-level and instance-level, facilitated by operator composition. We designed and implemented a distributed CFN system, Solar, which maps the logical operator graph representation onto a set of overlay hosts. In particular, Solar meets the challenges inherent to heterogeneous and volatile ubicomp environments. By abstracting most complexities into the infrastructure, Solar facilitates both the development and deployment of context-aware applications. We present the operator composition model, basic services of the Solar overlay network, and programming support for the developers. We also discuss some applications built with Solar and the lessons we learned from our experience.


A method is presented for the identification of plastic material properties, i.e., yield strength and work hardening rate, using the residual imprint geometry formed by a spheroconical indentation. A corresponding finite element simulation with the same tip geometry and maximum as applied in the indentation experiment yields a numerical imprint profile. Then, the imprint profiles resulting from simulation and experiment are compared, and the material parameters of the simulation are varied by an optimization procedure until a satisfying agreement between simulation and experiment is established. At this stage, the material parameters used for the simulation represent the true material properties. It is shown that this procedure yields unique results that are furthermore verified by independent uniaxial straining experiments. Finally, the reliability of this method with special emphasis on its sensitivity with respect to measurement errors of the imprint geometry is demonstrated. Hence, it is concluded that the residual imprint can be regarded as the fingerprint of a material that contains sufficient information on plastic material behavior to uniquely extract values for yield strength and work hardening rate.


This paper focuses on the failure of crankshaft due to fatigue which are put into service in several applications. Crankshaft is important part in all types of engines employed in applications like aircraft, reciprocating compressor, marine engine, vehicle engine as well as diesel generator. The failure of crankshaft is due to fatigue resulting into cracks on the surface of crankshaft and effect of residual stresses due to fillet rolling process. The motivation behind this paper is to study how fatigue phenomenon leads to the failure of the crankshaft.


Lack of suitable gene transfer techniques hampers genetic
improvement and analysis of several industrially and clinically important gram-positive bacteria. Techniques already developed are often difficult to reproduce and limited in application. This study examines the feasibility of expanding the techniques available through the use of conjugation as a broad host range gene transfer mechanism. Such systems have been developed for gram-negative bacteria.

Theoretical and practical aspects, important for development
of such a system for gram-positive bacteria were examined,
Transformation of various gram-positive bacteria with the broad host range plasmid pAM£l, and other vector plasmids of grampositive origin was attempted. Conjugation of pAH)31 from S. la c tls to a range of gram-positive bacteria was carried out. The relationship between pAMJ31 and other plasmids was examined on the basis of DNA homology. The stability of pAXJ31 in various recipient strains was also examined. Finally, conjugation between gram negative and positive bacteria is reported for a shuttle plasmid harbouring the mob site of RP4. The presence of the mob site allows mobilization of this plasmid to streptococcal species in matings with an E.coll strain which has the RP4 transfer functions chromosomally integrated.


A novel interaction style is presented, allowing in-pocket music selection by tapping a song's rhythm on a device's touchscreen or body. We introduce the use of rhythmic queries for music retrieval, employing a trained generative model to improve query recognition. We identify rhythm as a fundamental feature of music which can be reproduced easily by listeners, making it an effective and simple interaction technique for retrieving music. We observe that users vary in which instruments they entrain with and our work is the first to model such variability. An experiment was performed, showing that after training the generative model, retrieval performance improved two-fold. All rhythmic queries returned a highly ranked result with the trained generative model, compared with 47% using existing methods. We conclude that generative models of subjective user queries can yield significant performance gains for music retrieval and enable novel interaction techniques such as rhythmic filtering.


Background and Purpose Elevation of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is regarded as a specific marker of acute coronary syndrome. Serum cTnT can be increased in patients with acute ischemic stroke, but its clinical implications remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between elevated cTnT and stroke severity, location, and prognosis. Methods From January 2005 to December 2006, this study recruited 455 consecutive patients who were admitted to Kangbuk Samsung Hospital due to acute ischemic stroke within 3 days of onset, which was confirmed by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 416 patients was finally included and divided into 2 groups: an elevated cTnT group (n=45) and a normal cTnT group (n=371). The short-term prognosis was assessed by 30-day modified Rankin Scale responder analysis was compared between the two groups. Results Serum cTnT was elevated in 10.8% of cases, with elevated cTnT associated with greater stroke severity, as assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Insular-lobe involvement was more common in patients with elevated cTnT than in the normal cTnT group. Short-term prognosis was more unfavorable in the elevated cTnT group than in the normal cTnT group. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that elevated cTnT was independently related to insular involvement, cardioembolism, and unfavorable outcome. Conclusions Elevated cTnT in acute ischemic stroke was associated with severe neurological deficits at stroke onset and damages to the insular lobe. The outcome of acute ischemic stroke was worse for patients with elevated cTnT than for those with normal cTnT. The pathomechanism underlying acute ischemic stroke and subclinical myocardial damage warrants further study.