Spain, Italy, the Vatican, The United States, European and Latin American governments, and other colonial governments are spending millions and billions of dollars (as of 1990, the U.S. Congress alone had appropriated $87 million) to commemorate what they call the 500th anniversary of the "Discovery of America," the "Encounter of Two Worlds," the "Columbus Quincentennial," or the "Conquest of America." Outraged at this racist version of history, the offense to their dignity, the continued racism, lies, and insensitivity that these governments would perpetuate, indigenous people have held meetings and planned events throughout the Americas. The following is an outline of some of those meetings and events. November 1986, Quito, Ecuador -- First Congress of the Indian People of Ecuador At this meeting it was recognized that, rather than representing a conquest, Columbus' arrival in the Americas was the beginning of a colonial invasion complete with oppression, exploitation, racism, and the removal of natural resources from the land of indigenous peoples. In consideration of this, the First Congress of Indian People of Ecuador declared as follows: 1. We reject the planned celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Discovery of America promoted by the Spanish government together with the colonial governments that are dependent on the capitalist system, since the celebration of this event reaffirms the policies of neocolonialism and demonstrates the dependency of the countries of the "Third World" on interests of the powerful capitalist economies; 2. The planned celebration violates all principles of free self-determination, and is contrary to all norms of international law; 3. The planned reenactment of the invasion demonstrates a warlike and militaristic attitude, which constitutes an immoral and inhumane offense against the dignity of Indian Peoples; all together, these activities are a provocation against Indian Peoples; 4. We are demanding that the Spanish government suspend the promotion of this event, which represents a celebration of the anniversary of the genocide and ethnocide of the Indian Peoples of the Americas; 5. We are demanding that the Spanish government, instead of investing $5 billion in the activities surrounding the 500th anniversary of the invasion, provide compensation to the Indian Peoples of the Americas, as a matter of moral principle; and 6. We are calling upon all democratic governments, artists and intellectuals, workers, campesinos, students, religious, solidarity and humanrights organizations, the United Nations...and Indian organizations of the world to coordinate actions that will prevent the realization of this 500-year celebration, and to join together in a campaign of general protest in all the countries of the world by whatever means possible. April 1989, Quito, Ecuador - Meeting of Representatives of Indigenous Organizations At this meeting a call was made to indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America to organize a unified response by indigenous peoples to the planned 1992 commemorations. It was recognized that no "encounter" had taken place, but rather an armed invasion resulting in the genocide of indigenous peoples throughout the continent. The year 1492 was also when indigenous resistance and struggles for land and self-determination began. It was further recognized that "Manifest Destiny" still prevails in modem society and, consequently, indigenous peoples, in particular, continue to suffer from military abuses and the plundering of natural resources by the multinational corporations. Indigenous peoples continue to be persecuted: in Guatemala, soldiers are ordered to kill the old Indians in particular, because they teach the ways of the Maya, and the children because they are the seed of humanity. A call was made to all indigenous peoples to reflect upon the real meaning of the "conquest" and to participate in the First Continental Meeting of Indigenous Peoples - 500 Years of Resistance. …


Background: To compare the intrinsic risk factors (health, balance, and mobility) and the prevalence, circumstances, and consequences of fall in urban and rural Indian elderly. Method: A total of 148 older adults, 74 each in a rural and an urban area participated in a cross-sectional study from August 2012 to June 2013. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information related to fall history in the previous year, health status, and socioeconomic and environmental details. The intrinsic risk factors were assessed using the Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques-4 (FICSIT-4) for static balance, Four Square Step Test for dynamic balance, Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration for Balance (mCTSIB), Timed Up and Go Test for functional mobility, 30-second Chair Stand Test, and the Balance Confidence Scale.
Results: The number of elderly reporting falls in the previous year was similar in urban (n=9) and rural (n=8) groups. Nonetheless, urban elderly reported more serious fall-related injuries, more medical consultations/hospitalisations, and more restriction in activity. The two groups differed in the type of health problems, number of medications taken, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics that contribute to fall risk. Rural elderly had better performance on all tests of balance and mobility, particularly for FICSIT-4 (p<0.001) and m-CTSIB (p=0.019).
Conclusion: Urban and rural elderly differ in intrinsic risk factors, circumstances and consequences of fall, and also in socioeconomic and environmental risk factors. A fall prevention programme should be tailored specifically for the two populations for optimum results.


The superior resolution of optical coherence tomography (OCT) with respect to alternative imaging modalities makes it highly attractive, and some of its applications are already in extensive clinical use. However, one of the major limitations of OCT is that the tomographic picture it generates is depth-limited to approximately 1 mm in most biological tissues. This is mainly due to the spatially turbulent nature of the tissue, which leads to scattering. Moreover, this technique is extremely sensitive to temporal variations in the medium. We show that insensitivity to temporal and spatial turbulence may be gained by replacing the linear detector with an ultrasensitive two-photon detector. These results have striking implications on the attainable penetration depth of optical imaging and on its sensitivity to sample motion.


The offer of vacation packages is a marketing tool called bundling, selling at least two separate products at one single price (Guiltinan, 1987). Sellers adopt bundling strategies in order to sell more at lower costs, to contract consumer surplus, and to create value for consumers. Consumers purchase a package based on the trade-off between the perceived benefits and costs involved in purchasing the package compared to assembling different products/service. In other words, the perceived value of the package is the reason for consumers to purchase a package or not. The study serves two purposes. One is to examine the dimensionality of perceived value as a construct, in the pre-purchase stage. The other is to investigate the relationships between bundling strategies and perceived value, and perceived value and purchase intention of a vacation package. Bundling strategies taken by sellers include how many items to put in a package and what price discount for the package compared to the sum of all separate products. The findings of the study show that perceived value in service setting is composed of perceived acquisition value and perceived functional value, instead of perceived acquisition value and perceived transaction value proposed by scholars such as Thaler (1985) and Grewal et al. (1998). This is one of the theoretical contributions by the study. Another contribution of the study is the exploratory examination of the interaction effect between pricing strategies and product strategies for a bundle. The study provides evidence that bundles without a discount are perceived as having very low value and consumers expect a discount, large or small, from buying a bundle. And the larger the number of products in a package, the larger the discount size consumers expect to get.


We study a curve of Gibbsian families of complex 3 × 3-matrices and point out new features, absent in commutative finite-dimensional algebras: a discontinuous maximum-entropy inference, a discontinuous entropy distance, and non-exposed faces of the mean value set. We analyze these problems from various aspects including convex geometry, topology, and information geometry. This research is motivated by a theory of infomax principles, where we contribute by computing first order optimality conditions of the entropy distance.


The functionality and applications of mesoporous inorganic films are closely linked to their mesopore dimensions. For material architectures derived from block copolymer (BCP) micelle co-assembly, the pore size is typically manipulated by changing the molecular weight corresponding to the pore-forming block. However, bespoke BCP synthesis is often a costly and time-consuming process. An alternative method for pore size tuning involves the use of swelling agents, such as homopolymers (HPs), which selectively interact with the core-forming block to increase the micelle size in solution. In this work, poly(isobutylene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PIB-b-PEO) micelles were swollen with poly(isobutylene) HP in solution and co-assembled with aluminosilicate sol with the aim of increasing the resulting pore dimensions. An analytical approach implementing spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and ellipsometric porosimetry (EP) alongside the more commonly used atomic force microscopy (AFM) and small angle x-ray scattering in transmission (SAXS) and grazing-incidence (GISAXS) modes enabled to study the material evolution from solution processing through to the manifestation of the mesoporous inorganic film after BCP removal. In-depth SE/EP analysis evidenced an increase of over 40% in mesopore diameter with HP swelling and a consistent scaling of the overall void volume and number of pores. Importantly, our analytical tool-box enabled us to study the effect of swelling on the connecting necks between adjacent pores, with observed increases as high as ≈35%, knowledge of which is crucial to sensing, electrochemical and other mass transfer-dependent applications.


Perceptual expertise with an object category correlates with increased neural selectivity to that category in several visual areas, with the most robust effects in the fusiform face area (FFA). While expertise effects in FFA are well established, little is known about the representations that underlie these effects. Prior work in training studies with novel objects found that acquired behavioral holistic processing effects correlated with selectivity in FFA. Here, we probe the neural representations of cars for evidence of holistic information as a function of car expertise. With high-resolution 7T fMRI, in a sample of 26 participants, we measured the activation patterns elicited by whole cars, scrambled cars and car parts (top or bottom halves). We trained a SVM classifier to differentiate whole and scrambled cars in several face and object selective ROIs (FFA1, FFA2, OFA and LO). We then tested the classifier on the average of the part-evoked fMRI patterns. If the neural representations consisted only of part information, the classifier should classify the average as being equally like the whole car as the scrambled car. However, if the neural representations included information about the configural information of the parts, then the average of the parts should look more like the scrambled image than the whole. In line with this second prediction, we found a strong correlation between the tendency for the classifier to classify an averaged part pattern as scrambled and behavioral car expertise (r = 0.58, p< 0.01) in the anterior FFA (FFA2), bilaterally. FFA1, OFA and LO did not show expertise effects (p.40). These results go beyond the correlation of neural signals with behavioral holistic effects, providing direct evidence that the neural representations of objects in FFA of perceptual experts are more holistic than in novices. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Background In the High Risk Medicines (HRM) field, intravenous potassium chloride (IV KCl) has an important role. Purpose To assess nursing and medical practices in the management of hypokalaemia, to evaluate the accreditation norms of the hospital and define potential actions to make the use of IV KCl safe and standardised. Material and methods A first audit of IV KCl prescriptions and administration practices was conducted, based on 33 electronic patient records regarding appropriateness of use (kalaemia during hospitalisation, administration rate, etc.). A second audit based on the "Adverse Drug Event Trigger Tool" was conducted to determine the number of iatrogenic hyperkalaemia events per 100 patients who received sodium or calcium polystyrene sulfonate, Kayexalate,during their hospitalisation. Finally, a list of the applicable measures was written with relevant actions depending on different actors. Results The first audit indicated that 49% of the IV KCl administrations were inappropriate, 19% were appropriate because of patients' kalaemia and the other 32% also if the patient was unable to tolerate oral route. It is noticed from the second audit that 19% of Kayexalateprescriptions stemmed from iatrogenic hyperkalaemia caused by intravenous or oral KCl. Therefore, we decided to prioritise redaction and publication of internal guidelines about KCl use. Rationalisation of the KCl availability should be the second step to implement. Conclusion Regarding the results, a key issue relates to the health professionals' training as well as the standardisation of hospital practices. Hypokalaemia and KCl administration management procedures have been validated by the Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Committee. The availability of the different types of KCl in the Institution will be reviewed. Several improvements can be made in the near future. References Hemstreet BA, Stolpman N, Badesch DB, et al. Potassium and phosphorus repletion in hospitalized patients: implications for clinical practice and the potential use of healthcare information technology to improve prescribing and patient safety. Curr Med Res Opin 2006;22(12):2449–55 Crop MJ, Hoorn EJ, Lindemans J, et al. Hypokalaemia and subsequent hyperkalaemia in hospitalized patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2007;22:3471–7 No conflict of interest.


McAllester and Rosenblitts' (1991) systematic nonlinear planner (SNLP) removes threats as they are discovered. In other planners such as SIPE (Wilkins, 1988), and NOAH (Sacerdoti, 1977), threat resolution is partially or completely delayed. In this paper, we demonstrate that planner efficiency may be vastly improved by the use of alternatives to these threat removal strategies. We discuss five threat removal strategies and prove that two of these strategies dominate the other three--resulting in a provably smaller search space. Furthermore, the systematicity of the planning algorithm is preserved for each of the threat removal strategies. Finally, we confirm our results experimentally using a large number of planning examples including examples from the literature.


The steady advance of computational methods makes model-based optimization an increasingly attractive method for process improvement. Unfortunately, the available models are often inaccurate. An iterative optimization method called "modifier adaptation" overcomes this obstacle by incorporating process information into the optimization framework. This paper extends this technique to constrained optimization problems, where the plant consists of a closed-loop system but only a model of the open-loop system is available. The degrees of freedom of the closed-loop system are the setpoints provided to the controller, whereas the model degrees of freedom are the inputs of the open-loop plant. Using this open-loop model and process measurements, the proposed algorithm guarantees both optimality and constraint satisfaction for the closed-loop system upon convergence. A simulated CSTR example with constraints illustrates the method.


Signal Replacement decisions are often made based on the experience of the Traffic Engineers. These decisions are made while considering the deployment time of the system, the new technology available, and the performance of the system in the given location. However, there is no set of proper guidelines or methods which can quantify the system replacement decision in large scale projects. This thesis presents a methodology that can be applied to determine optimal migration plans for traffic signal controllers. A Multi-Criteria Decision Making technique has been adopted to evaluate various traffic signal controllers. Various controller manuals were studied and information was obtained from the vendors of the controllers. In addition to that, Geographic Information System (GIS) has been used as a tool to evaluate and identify the areas where the traffic signal controllers have to be replaced first. The study considers the budget constraints and the benefits that can be obtained by the replacement of the controllers. This thesis presents the Methodology adopted for the Migration Plan and a case study implementation on the Northern Virginia Region. Finally it presents the conclusions drawn from the research with insights into the scope for further research.


Significance The current biodiversity crisis is often depicted as a struggle to preserve untouched habitats. Here, we combine global maps of human populations and land use over the past 12,000 y with current biodiversity data to show that nearly three quarters of terrestrial nature has long been shaped by diverse histories of human habitation and use by Indigenous and traditional peoples. With rare exceptions, current biodiversity losses are caused not by human conversion or degradation of untouched ecosystems, but rather by the appropriation, colonization, and intensification of use in lands inhabited and used by prior societies. Global land use history confirms that empowering the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities will be critical to conserving biodiversity across the planet. Archaeological and paleoecological evidence shows that by 10,000 BCE, all human societies employed varying degrees of ecologically transformative land use practices, including burning, hunting, species propagation, domestication, cultivation, and others that have left long-term legacies across the terrestrial biosphere. Yet, a lingering paradigm among natural scientists, conservationists, and policymakers is that human transformation of terrestrial nature is mostly recent and inherently destructive. Here, we use the most up-to-date, spatially explicit global reconstruction of historical human populations and land use to show that this paradigm is likely wrong. Even 12,000 y ago, nearly three quarters of Earth's land was inhabited and therefore shaped by human societies, including more than 95% of temperate and 90% of tropical woodlands. Lands now characterized as "natural," "intact," and "wild" generally exhibit long histories of use, as do protected areas and Indigenous lands, and current global patterns of vertebrate species richness and key biodiversity areas are more strongly associated with past patterns of land use than with present ones in regional landscapes now characterized as natural. The current biodiversity crisis can seldom be explained by the loss of uninhabited wildlands, resulting instead from the appropriation, colonization, and intensifying use of the biodiverse cultural landscapes long shaped and sustained by prior societies. Recognizing this deep cultural connection with biodiversity will therefore be essential to resolve the crisis.


The present paper deals with a collection brought together by J. G. Kooiman in 1946. After the defeat of Japan, some Dutch biologists, who during the war had worked as prisoners of war on the notorious Burma railroad, biologically explored the Khwae Noi valley. Kooiman joined this party as an ornithologist. The collection might have been larger, but shooting was limited by the exceedingly high prices of cartridges at that time. The lack of field glasses also was an inconvenience. The collection is of interest as it is the first from this part of Siam. Afterwards the collection was sent to the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, where it was worked out by Junge, who is responsible for the taxonomical part of the paper. Kooiman added the field notes. Ardeola bacchus (Bp.) Buphus bacchus Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium, 2, 1855, P- 127 (Malay Peninsula). Nikhe: 2 ♂♂ ad. (nos. 44, 51). No. Sex Date Wing Tail Culmen Tarsus 44 ♂ ad. 3-5-1946 226 80 63 64 51 ♂ad. 4-5-1946 233 88 65 60 Irides golden yellow. Maxilla pale blue at base, central part yellow, tip black. Mandible at base yellowish geen or blue, central part yellow, tip black. Tarsus yellow, feet yellowish green. The two birds are in breeding plumage. One of them (no. 44) has the chestnut of the neck mixed with white feathers. Field notes. The Chinese Pond Heron is a very common bird in western Siam, occurring everywhere in rice fields and marshes. Along the river Khwae Noi it is found in small flocks of 4-6 birds on grassy places, open


Objectives: The purpose of this position paper is two-fold: first, to describe the state of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation education worldwide, noting current limitations and challenges; and second, to put forth an educational agenda regarding opportunities for an international collaborative approach toward standardization. Design: Relevant medical literature was reviewed through literature search, and materials from national organizations were accessed through the Internet. Taskforce members generated a consensus statement using an iterative consensus process through teleconferences and electronic communication. Setting: In 2018, the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization convened the ECMOed Taskforce at two structured, face-to-face meetings of 40 healthcare practitioners and educators with expertise in caring for the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patient and in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation education. Patients: None. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: The ECMOed Taskforce identified seven educational domains that would benefit from international collaborative efforts. Of primary importance, the Taskforce outlined actionable items regarding 1) the creation of a standardized extracorporeal membrane oxygenation curriculum; 2) defining criteria for an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation course as a vehicle for delivering the curriculum; 3) outlining a mechanism for evaluating the quality of educational offerings; 4) utilizing validated assessment tools in the development of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation practitioner certification; and 5) promoting high-quality educational research to guide ongoing educational and competency assessment development. Conclusions: Significant variability and limitations in global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation education exist. In this position paper, we outline a road map for standardizing international extracorporeal membrane oxygenation education and practitioner certification. Ongoing high-quality educational research is needed to evaluate the impact of these initiatives.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological nasal changes associated with rapid maxillary expansion (RME) which is used in the treatment of skeletal maxillary narrowness. The study was performed with 20 patients 12 girls and 8 boys between the ages of 10 and 15 (13.4±0.99 ) and compared with a control group consisting of 16 subjects 10 girls and 6 boys between the ages of 10 and 15 (13.25±1.18 ). Lateral and anteroposterior radiographs were taken before RME (T1), after RME (T2) , and after retention (T3) . Greater alar cartilage width, nasal cavity width, vertical and sagittal movement of the tip of nose, SNA° and nasolabial angle measurements were evaluated to understand the morphological and positional changes of the nose associated with RME. The results showed that the greater alar cartilage width returned to its original position, the nasal cavity width increased, and the tip of the nose moved downward and minimally forward; as well, SNA° returned to its original value and a small increase occurred in the nasolabial angle due to RME. Soft tissue changes may be considered clinically non-significant compared with the controls. RME did not affect the patients' frontal nasal appearance and mid-face soft tissue profile.


In this paper, I examine the trial of Adolf Eichmann, portrayals of the trial in the contemporaneous Hungarian press, and the effects of the trial and the coverage on the formation of Holocaust memory in communist Hungary. The trial presented a problem for communist propaganda because it highlighted the destruction of Jews as the worst crime of the Nazi regime. While communist ideology's anti-fascism defined its stance as "anti-anti-Semitic," the Marxist-Leninist interpretation of World War II as a conflict between two opposing, ideologically defined camps (fascists and anti-fascists) made it difficult to accommodate the idea of non-political victimhood, e.g. the destruction of Jews on the basis of racist ideas and not because of their political commitments. Moreover, because of Eichmann's wartime mission in Hungary, it was clear that the trial would feature a great deal of discussion about his activities there. Therefore, the Hungarian Kádár regime devoted considerable attention to the event, both within the Party and in the press. The analysis concentrates on two aspects: what did the highest echelons of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party intend to emphasize in the Hungarian coverage of the trial and what kinds of interpretations actually appeared in the press. In the end, the party's political goals were only partially achieved. Control over newspapers guaranteed that certain key propaganda themes were included rather than ensuring that other narratives would be excluded. I argue that, while the Kádár regime in Hungary did not intend to emphasize the Jewish catastrophe and certainly did not seek to draw attention to its Hungarian chapter, as a consequence of the Eichmann trial there nevertheless emerged a narrative of the Hungarian Holocaust. Through various organs of the press, this narrative found public expression. Though this Holocaust narrative can be considered ideologically loaded and distorted, some of its elements continue to preoccupy historians who study the period today.


Desmodium triquetrum DC possess immense pharmaceutical value. Preliminary phytochemical examinations were carried out before in vitro micropropagation. A rigorous attempt has been made for development of micropropagation procedure for this species, involving five steps, namely: in vitro seed germination, shoot multiplication, callus induction, rooting and hardening. In this study, direct shoot development and callus formation were achieved from different nodes and leaf disc of in vitro seedling of Desmodium triquetrum. Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of cytokinin and in combination with auxin were used for shoot multiplication, callus induction and root formation. Polyphenolic exudation from the cultured explant was controlled by the incorporation of citric acid to the medium. The rooted plantlets were transplanted to a plastic bags containing soil mixture and grown in a green house conditions for adaptation to natural environment.


This is the age of the virtual customer. A silent virtual revolution has led to tumultuous and disruptive changes in environmental, financial, educational, and information environments. As the Library becomes increasingly virtual, it is becoming virtually invisible – as are library customers. Libraries are redefining their roles, managing their migration from the print past to an online future in a time of spiralling costs and declining incomes, redefining their products and services and refocusing on their customers, many of whom they rarely if ever see. How do we position the Library in the marketplace? What is the message to be conveyed to a new generation of customers? What are the information needs to be met? What are the Library's products and services? What is the story to be told? How are the Library's products and services most effectively marketed? What communication strategies should be used to bridge the virtual and the real worlds? The paper explores ways in which the Library and its message can be "flipped". The promotion of goods and services that simplify client experiences is one direction. Less can be more. Ways of rebuilding relationships and establishing rapport with clients are presented. Possible approaches to the development of meaningful engaging content for particular audiences are outlined. Strategies in use by leading edge libraries are identified. Uses of social media in marketing and improving website content are obvious strategies. Designing product and promotional means for mobile devices is an essential component. Collaborating with others and using "influencers" and recommender services will enhance capacity. Ways of making the virtual library visible and telling the story effectively in a largely invisible domain are outlined and transformative strategies explored.


In the so-called sharing economy items are shared, borrowed, exchanged or passed on after use. Scientifically based findings about the users of consumption and business models of this kind are rare. The aim of this article is to add to the available knowledge about the relevance and scope of the sharing economy in Germany.


Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasingly prevalent but the inpatient costs associated with this condition are poorly defined due to limitations with data extraction and failure to differentiate between hospitalisation for renal and non-renal disease reasons. The impact of admissions primarily for the management of ESRD on hospital bed utilisation was assessed over a 5-year period in a large teaching hospital. Methods: All admission episodes were reviewed and the ESRD group was identified by a primary International Classification of Diseases code for ESRD or a non-specific primary renal failure code with a secondary code for ESRD. The frequency and duration of hospitalisation and contribution to bed day occupancy of this group with ESRD was determined. Results: There were 70,808 patients responsible for a total of 116,915 admissions and 919,212 bed days over the study period. Of these, 988 (1.4%) patients were admitted for the management of ESRD, accounting for 2,387 (2.0%) of admissions and utilisation of 23,011 (2.5%) bed days. After adjustment for age and gender, those admitted for ESRD management were significantly more likely to have a prolonged admission exceeding 30 days (odds ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.23–1.72, p < 0.001). When the admission was an emergency rather than an elective event, the patient was 4.6 times more likely to be hospitalised for over 30 days. Conclusions: Persons admitted for ESRD management are hospitalised more frequently and for longer than the overall inpatient population, occupying a substantial number of bed days.


This paper presents a Java framework for designing and implementing intelligent and practical e-learning tools, to be used by both the students and the teaching staff in their didactic and research activities, especially in a context of open learning. As the electronic technologies do not contain teaching methods and pedagogical characteristics, we have to simulate a high quality teaching-learning relation inside the e-course. Such a simulation must incorporate both the integrated knowledge of the best teachers and the best pedagogical strategies, obtaining this way an intelligent e-learning tool. At the same time, we prepare our e-courses based on practice and real world experiences, as the practice is essential in learning activities. An e-course consists of a set of e-learning scenarios, each e-learning scenario being generated by virtue of some well-defined learning objectives. To generate e-learning scenarios for a particular e-course, we have to create first a particular infrastructure containing knowledge, strategies and experiences from particular domains of the target e-course. We use Java technologies to create intelligent and practical e-learning scenarios based on new AI (Artificial Intelligence) paradigms, such as Case Based Reasoning, Bayesian Inference and Intelligent Agents. We approach the first e-course in domains of Statistics, Stochastic Modeling and Simulation.


Sahid Wibowo Apriyanto. C0502047. 2009. Jurisdiction of Kriminal In
Surakarta A period of Revolution Physical 1945-1949. Skripsi Majors Art History
Sastra dan Seni Rupa Faculty Sebelas Maret University Surakarta.
Formulation of this research internal issue cover ( 1) What are cause
criminality in Surakarta a period of/to physical revolution 1945-1949 representing
from application of jurisdiction at a period of/to governance of Indies Dutch and
Japan ?, ( 2) How the way jurisdiction [at] a period of/to physical revolution in
Surakarta ?, ( 3)How chance from justice of oposition moment king anti self
governing
Target of this research is ( 1) Knowing one of the cause factor act
criminality in Surakarta a period of/to physical revolution represent effect of
applying [of] beneficial law from certain faction, ( 2) To know the way
jurisdiction of time revolutionize physical in that good Surakarta early and also is
final of revolution, ( 3) Knowing chance justice of king at a period of/to physical
revolution.
Method in this research is historical method. As for obtained primary data
pass/through document study which is in the form of archives from Surakarta
district court and library of Reksopustoko Mangkunegaran. that Data Primary is
supported with interview with a few one who relate to this theme. As for sekunder
data got by of the book, handing out and article. Technique analyse used by data
is technique analyse data qualitative, thereby writer use deskriptif-analisa in
narrating report result of writing.
Pursuant to analysis can be concluded that cause the happening of
criminality in Surakarta at a period of/to physical revolution 1945-1949, in the
form of vindictive feeling to empire faction and tionghoa people. Empire faction
have come to long hand of governance of Japan in exploiting natural resources
and human being, besides that faction also get different law enforcement with
society. Differentiation punish and justice abolished by at a period of/to
revolution. justice of Pradoto abolished by governance of RI, because in face of
struggle need the existence of equality in so many matter of is included in law
enforcement and justice. Straightening of law have to remain to walk although in
a state of war because Indonesia represent body politic. The way jurisdiction at a
period of/to physical revolution in Surakarta done/conducted with two way of. In
the early revolutionize, the way jurisdiction holded by civil, while by the end of
revolution run with military. Difference of[is way of running that jurisdiction [is]
marked risingly of no decree 46 / MBKD / 1949.


A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter. And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory, Lying down in the melting snow. There were times when we regretted The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet. Then the camel men cursing and grumbling And running away, and wanting their liquor and women, And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters, And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly And the villages dirty and charging high prices: A hard time we had of it. At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches, With the voices singing in our ears, saying That this was all folly.


The age of the easy accessible hydrocarbon goes towards the end and new more challenging fields is the future of the oil industry. This is often synonymous with large depths where sea bed mounted platforms are highly uneconomical options. Floating platforms are therefore commonly chosen solutions. In this thesis two types of deep foating platforms are investigated; The spar buoy, a well known, well documented concept and the Octabuoy, a newly developed concept. Both platforms are analysed in two DNV programs, Wasim and Waqum. Wasim is a non linear time domain hydrodynamic program and Waqum is an impulse response function operator with the possibility of adding non linear eects. The spar bouy concept is used as a pilot test in the softwares. A recreation of the experimental results from H.A. Haslum's doctoral thesis from 2000 is attempted. The impact of non linear effects and mooring on both platforms is discussed. The subject of viscous damping is also approached. As has previously been confirmed by many researchers, the spar buoy is susceptible to non linear eects. The triggering of the Mathieu effect is shown in the Wasim analyses. Discussion is also made as to whether the spar might also be susceptible to large excitations due to second order difference frequency interactions between surface waves and body motions. Both these effects happen at low frequencies where radiation damping is low. Viscous damping is therefore of importance. From previous research mooring is found to be important to avoid the Mathieu effect by increasing the damping and moving pitch periods out of the danger zones. After analysing the spar buoy, the Octabuoy's motion characteristics are tested in mild to severe sea states in both softwares. Non linear effects are found to be significant in the vertical rotational degrees of freedom. The heave motion however seems relatively unaffected by non linear effects. Since Wasim models the free surface linearly, what makes the pitch/roll motion affected by non linearities is found to be either non linear hydro statics or non linear Froude-Krylov forces. The Octabuoy is designed to avoid the variation on hydrostatic stiffness. However, the deadrise angle is 10 degrees larger than the ideal angle. Whether this is what leads to non linear pitch/roll motion is not known at this stage. Two softwares are used in the thesis. Wasim has very long CPU time but calculates accurately and detailed information is easily accessed with for instance the Wasim application ForceInspector. Waqum is very quick, with CPU time in the order of minutes. The program requires an experienced user who knows what must be included for a complete analysis. There are uncertainties about the results from Waqum analysis and more verication is needed for the author to feel confident about the software. To conclude, the programs might work well together. Much can be tested quickly in Waqum, and then final configurations can be run more thoroughly in Wasim. It is the experience of the author that at least until the new version of HydroD is finished, running time domain analysis in Wasim should be done through scripting. This gives a larger control over the actual input and might decrease the chance for error. Keywords: Octabuoy, Spar Buoy, Non Linear Effects, Mooring, Wasim, Waqum.


SMERU's study on return migration (2014) has established a comprehensive migrant reintegration framework for Indonesia, enabling the mapping of reintegration programs in Indonesia. Most programs direct return migrants to self-employment, creating a wide gap between existing programs for selfemployment and those for wage employment. At the same time, circular migration in Indonesia poses challenges for designing sustainable reintegration programs. Nevertheless, these challenges do not reduce the relevance of having a comprehensive reintegration framework for Indonesia, particularly if the government intends to reduce the number of overseas domestic workers to zero by 2017.


This volume seeks to catalyze the emergence of a novel field of policy studies: entrepreneurship policy. Practical experience and academic research both point to the central role of entrepreneurs in the process of economic growth and to the importance of public policy in creating the conditions under which entrepreneurial companies can flourish. The contributors, who hail from the disciplines of economics, geography, history, law, management, and political science, seek to crystallize key findings and to stimulate debate about future opportunities for policy-makers and researchers in this area. The chapters include surveys of the economic, social, and cultural contexts for US entrepreneurship policy; assessments of regional efforts to link knowledge producers to new enterprises; explorations of policies that aim to foster entrepreneurship in under-represented communities; detailed analyses of three key industries (biotechnology, e-commerce, and telecommunications); and considerations of challenges in policy implementation.


Can we achieve justice during war? Should law substitute for realpolitik? Can an international court act against the global community that created it? Justice in a Time of War is a translation from the French of the first complete, behind-the-scenes story of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, from its proposal by Balkan journalist Mirko Klarin through recent developments in the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. It is also a meditation on the conflicting intersection of law and politics in achieving justice and peace. Le Monde's review (November 3, 2000) of the original edition recommended Hazan's book as a nuanced account of the Tribunal that should be a must-read for the new leaders of Yugoslavia. " The story Pierre Hazan tells is that of an institution which, over the course of the years, has managed to escape in large measure from the initial hidden motives and manipulations of those who created it (and not only the Americans)." With insider interviews filling out every scene, Hazan tells a chaotic story of war that raged while the Western powers cobbled together a tribunal in order to avoid actual intervention. The international lawyers and judges for this rump world court started with nothing - but they ultimately established the tribunal as an unavoidable actor in the Balkans. The West had created the Tribunal in 1993, hoping to threaten international criminals with indictment and thereby force an untenable peace. In 1999, the Tribunal suddenly became useful to NATO countries as a means by which to criminalize Milosevic's regime and to justify military intervention in Kosovo and in Serbia. Ultimately, this hastened the end of Milosevic's rule and led the way to history's first war crimes trial of a former president by an international tribunal. Hazan's account of the Tribunal's formation and evolution questions the contradictory policies of the Western powers and illuminates a cautionary tale for the reader: realizing ideals in a world enamored of realpolitik is a difficult and often haphazard activity.


It is important to understand how marine calcifying organisms may acclimatize to ocean acidification to assess their survival over the coming century. We cultured the cold water coralline algae, Lithothamnion glaciale, under elevated pCO2 (408, 566, 770, and 1024 μatm) for 10 months. The results show that the cell (inter and intra) wall thickness is maintained, but there is a reduction in growth rate (linear extension) at all elevated pCO2. Furthermore a decrease in Mg content at the two highest CO2 treatments was observed. Comparison between our data and that at 3 months from the same long-term experiment shows that the acclimation differs over time since at 3 months, the samples cultured under high pCO2 showed a reduction in the cell (inter and intra) wall thickness but a maintained growth rate. This suggests a reallocation of the energy budget between 3 and 10 months and highlights the high degree plasticity that is present. This might provide a selective advantage in future high CO2 world.


Little research has been conducted to understand the factors influencing the global diffusion of information and communications technologies (ICTs) such as the Internet. Moreover, the existing literature has a severe lack of studies dealing with the diffusion of ICTs in developing countries. The developing countries' increasingly important roles in international relations and global e-commerce make research focusing on Internet diffusion in these countries still more important. A focus on the developing world—home to 80% of humanity—is also an antidote to the tendency in the field of consumer research of becoming "increasingly isolated and of marginal relevance".
To fill these research gaps, this dissertation attempts to explain global diffusion of the Internet with special emphasis on developing countries. Studies were conducted at global, national/regional and consumer levels. First, using the country as a unit of analysis, several theories on innovation diffusion are tested with econometric analysis of global country-level data on Internet diffusion. Intensively examining the relevant factors, the historical method constructed a paradigm to explain Internet diffusion in the Andhra Pradesh (AP) State of India. This state is home to Hyderabad, one of the biggest centers of Information Technology and software development in India. Indepth interviews conducted in India, Nepal and the U.S., and their interpretation using grounded theory techniques, helped understand the Internet adoption decision and its integration in existing ways of lives. Taken collectively, these studies have advanced the state of knowledge about global diffusion of information and communications technologies. They have provided an insight into the factors that could be important in country entry decisions of technology marketers. The predictors of major dependent variables and their variation across cultures would help managers in designing appropriate marketing mixes and making appropriate adaptations across countries. The resulting knowledge would also help policymakers formulate appropriate policy to accelerate Internet diffusion and work towards bridging the existing global "digital divide".


[1] Records obtained at the IRIS world-wide system of broadband seismic stations before strong earthquakes were investigated with a purpose of detecting hidden periodicities, multiple coherence effects and seeking for asymmetric impulses within a minute range of periods. The stations are located at different distances from the epicenters of earthquakes. The initial realizations consisted of discrete measurements with a sampling rate of 20 Hz and the total volume of analyzed data exceeded 25 Gb. We used various programs of processing and analyzing time series: revealing of hidden periodicities in the sequences of peak values at a given level; wavelet analysis of microseisms flow; search for multiple coherence effects based on Fourier and wavelet approaches; estimates of spectral coherence measures evolution of variations of multi-fractal singularity indexes and others. Asymmetric pulses about 3-10 min long did arose several days before the Kronotskoe 05.12.1997 (M = 7.8), Neftegorskoe 27.05.1995 (M = 7.0), and Hokkaido 25.09.2003 (M = 8.5) earthquakes. Intervals of a stable manifestation of several periods (tens of minutes) of pulses were found before the Kronotskoe and Hokkaido events. Synchronization of microseismic oscillations at different stations was detected starting several days before Hokkaido and Sumatra 26.12.2004 (M = 9.2) earthquakes. Comparison of records obtained at different stations allows estimating the regional and local peculiarities of the anomalies. It is assumed that the nature of these phenomena is related to self-organization properties of the seismic process. The periodic vibrations, asymmetric pulses and synchronization intervals are indicators of the unstable state of a seismically active region and could be regarded as earthquake precursors.


Abstract : When two people talk, they focus their attention on only a small portion of what each of them knows or believes. Both what is said and how it is interpreted depend on a shared understanding of this narrowing of attention to a small highlighted portion of what is known. Focusing is an active process. As a dialogue progresses, the participants continually shift their focus and thus form an evolving context against which utterances are produced and understood. A speaker provides a hearer with clues of what to look at and how to look at it what to focus on, how to focus on it, and how wide or narrow the focusing should be. As a result, one of the effects of understanding an utterance is that the listener becomes focused on certain entities (both objects and relationships) from a particular perspective. Focusing clues may be linguistic or they may come from knowledge about the relationships between entities in the domain. Linguistic clues may be either explicit, deriving directly from certain words, or implicit, deriving from sentential structure and from rhetorical relationships between sentences. This paper examines the relationship between focusing and definite descriptions in dialogue and its implications for natural language processing systems. It describes focusing mechanisms based on domain- structure clues which have been included in a computer system and, from this perspective, indicates future research problems entailed in modeling the focusing process more generally.


Background The role of health professionals is pivotal in providing support to victims of sexual assault. Our aim was to identify patient expectations of doctors after a sexual assault and to assess how they rated the doctors' responses. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study (May 2010–December 2012) involving victims of sexual assault (age >10 years) in a Department of Forensic Medicine near Paris, France. The patients included were those who had first sought care from a doctor prior to arriving at the Department of Forensic Medicine. Victims were asked by questionnaire and interviewed by the forensic physician about medical consultations before arriving at the Department, their expectations about those consultations and their feelings about the quality of support provided. Each patient's feelings were rated on a five-point scale. Results Among 1112 victims reporting sexual assault, 232 previously had a consultation, and were included in the study. Patients expected trauma care in 44% of cases, and received it in 40% (p=0.42), psychological support in 31% of cases, and received it in 21% (p=0.02), gynaecological care in 28%, and received it in 31% (p=0.52) and forensic support in 21%, and received it in 54% (p<0.001). The patients more frequently considered the provided support to be crucial when they received both forensic support and trauma care, psychological support or gynaecological care than when they only received trauma care, psychological support or gynaecological care (25% vs 3%, p=0.001). Conclusions Physicians who are the first medical provider to see a patient after a sexual assault often fail to meet patients' expectations, particularly with regard to psychological support. Care received was perceived as best when physicians provided both forensic support and trauma care, psychological support or gynaecological care.


This study investigated the ecology of invasions of non-indigenous freshwater fishes in northern
Queensland and, in particular, examination of historical changes in their distribution patterns
and establishment success in relation to their use of human altered habitats and interactions with
indigenous predators and parasites.
Seventeen non-indigenous fish species were reported from northern Queensland fresh waters
during the study with eleven species establishing breeding populations. Virtually all species
were observed in waterways in agricultural and urban regions that have been altered by human
activity. Non-indigenous fishes are continuing to disperse locally, with large-scale changes in
range due to translocation by humans. Previous history of introductions elsewhere and indices
of propagule pressure (frequency of introductions) and habitat matching (absolute latitudinal
range overlap) are very good, though not absolute, predictors of establishment success of non-indigenous
fishes in northern Queensland.
Field and laboratory studies demonstrated the importance of refuges, created by habitat
disturbance, to the survivorship of some small, non-indigenous species. In the Ross River
catchment, non-indigenous fishes were predominant in small streams and channels where access
was blocked by dense aquatic vegetation and in isolated wetlands, but virtually absent from
open water sites in the main channel of the Ross River and Ross Dam. Species diversity and
abundances of indigenous fishes, however, were significantly less than for main channel sites.
There was a strong association between mass stocking of the predatory Barramundi, Lates
calcarifer, and a significant reduction in catches between the pre-stocking (1991/92) and poststocking
(1997/98) periods, particularly of the indigenous Bony bream, Nematolosa erebi.
Catches of the non-indigenous Mozambique mouthbrooder, Oreochromis mossambicus, were
not affected. Piscivorous fish, including Barramundi and Mouth almighty, Glossamia aprion,
apparently did not target non-indigenous fishes, even though the Mozambique mouthbrooder is
a dominant component of the fish community in the weirs. Juvenile and subadult Mozambique
mouthbrooder remained in refuge habitats inaccessible to large predators until they were large
enough to join adult schools in more open water. At this stage, these fish are effectively too
large (deep-bodied) and spinous to be selected as prey, even by large, gape-limited predators
such as Barramundi. Experimental studies showed that piscivorous fishes, irrespective of
foraging mode, were functional rather than taxonomic predators: they will eat non-indigenous
fishes if available. In the absence of cover, predators chose slow, soft-finned and narrow-bodied
fish as prey in preference to fast, evasive, deep-bodied fish with spines. Non-indigenous fishes had depauperate, stochastically-determined parasite communities
dominated by non-indigenous parasites introduced with the host. Non-indigenous fishes had
significantly lower parasite species richness, intensity and prevalence and more aggregated
parasite frequency distributions than indigenous fishes, particularly in high disturbance habitats.
It is argued that these differences assist the invasion and establishment of non-indigenous fishes
by reducing adverse affects of parasites on host fitness. There was a significant positive
correlation between parasite acquisition and residence time for non-indigenous fishes. Parasite
acquisition appears to be a very slow process and may occur over centuries – even millennia -
rather than decades. This slow acquisition will also benefit non-indigenous fishes as it allows
them a long period of adjustment to the new environment relatively free from parasites.
Management options for non-indigenous fishes in northern Queensland are discussed. It is
argued that habitat restoration can play a key role in the long term management of non-indigenous
fish species by increased exposure to predation and competition (biotic resistance)
and so greatly reduce local populations of non-indigenous fishes and increase the probability of
their extinction.


The nexus in Australia between alcohol and social occasions remains strong. Each year in Victoria an average of 50 drivers are killed who exceed the legal limit and many more road users are either killed or seriously injured as a result of drink driving. Information collected at breath test stations indicates that pubs and clubs are major generators of drink drivers on Victoria's roads. The paper describes a pilot project conducted by the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) in collaboration with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) (Mallick et al, 2007) in which a number of "high-risk" licensed premises, with the consent of their licensees, were subjected to a safety audit with a view to providing tailored advice to the licensee concerning changes that would produce a safer and more responsible environment in which social interactions could occur. The major findings of the audit together with the subsequent changes made to the hotels by the licensees will be described. The concept underpinning this approach is that shaping the environment and the cues it provides to the individual can provide a powerful means of helping to moderate high-risk behaviours such as drink-driving. It is anticipated that this pilot will pave the way for an expanded demonstration of this approach that will be evaluated in terms of process and outcomes, including changes to the levels of road trauma and other incidents linked to alcohol use.


An hybrid particle swarm optimization PSO-based wavelet neural network for modelling the development of fluid dispensing for electronic packaging is presented in this paper. In modelling the fluid dispensing process, it is important to understand the process behaviour as well as determine optimum operating conditions of the process for a high-yield, low cost and robust operation. Modelling the fluid dispensing process is a complex non-linear problem. This kind of problem is suitable to be solved by neural network. Among different kinds of neural networks, the wavelet neural network is a good choice to solve the problem. In the proposed wavelet neural network, the translation parameters are variables depending on the network inputs. Thanks to the variable translation parameters, the network becomes an adaptive one. Thus, the proposed network provides better performance and increased learning ability than conventional wavelet neural networks. An improved hybrid PSO is applied to train the parameters of the proposed wavelet neural network. A case study of modelling the fluid dispensing process on electronic packaging is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


This article surveys the use of eye tracking in investigations of online search. Three eye tracking experiments that we undertook are discussed and compared to additional work in this area, revealing recurring behaviors and trends. The first two studies are described in greater detail in Granka, Joachims, & Gay (2004), Lorigo et al. (2006), and Pan et al. (2007), and the third study is described for the first time in this article. These studies reveal how users view the ranked results on a search engine results page (SERP), the relationship between the search result abstracts viewed and those clicked on, and whether gender, search task, or search engine influence these behaviors. In addition, we discuss a key challenge that arose in all three studies that applies to the use of eye tracking in studying online behaviors which is due to the limited support for analyzing scanpaths, or sequences of eye fixations. To meet this challenge, we present a preliminary approach that involves a graphical visualization to compare a path with a group of paths. We conclude by summarizing our findings and discussing future work in further understanding online search behavior with the help of eye tracking. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Root zone soil moisture plays an important role in water storage in hydrological processes. The recently launched Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission has produced a high-resolution assimilation product of global root zone soil moisture that can be applied to improve the performance of hydrological models. In this study, we compare three calibration approaches in the Beimiaoji watershed. The first approach is single-objective calibration, in which only observed streamflow is used as a benchmark for comparison with the other approaches. The second and third approaches use multi-objective calibration based on SMAP root zone soil moisture and observed streamflow. The difference between the second and third approaches is the metric used to characterize the root zone soil moisture. The second approach applies the mean, which was commonly used in previous studies, whereas the third approach applies the hydrologic complexity μ, a dimensionless metric based on information entropy theory. These approaches are implemented to calibrate the distributed hydrological model MIKE SHE. Results show that the root zone soil moisture simulation is clearly improved, whereas streamflow simulation suffers from a slightly negative impact with multi-objective calibration. The hydrologic complexity μ performs better than the mean in capturing the features of root zone soil moisture.


Colorectal adenomas are precursor lesions of colorectal cancer. Several studies have proposed that obesity is a risk factor for colorectal adenoma. This case-control study examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waistto-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage and colorectal adenomatous polyps (CRA) in patients who have had a colonoscopy at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). Fifty-nine patients (42 males and 17 females) positively identified as having CRA and 59 polypfree subjects were recruited as controls (33 males and 26 females). A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect socio-economic information, while anthropometric measurements were determined directly by established methods. The mean BMI of female case subjects was significantly higher than control females (25.63 + 4.87 kg/m2 vs. 23.86 + 3.70 kg/m2, p<0.05) but the difference in BMI was not significant in men. The mean WHR of male subjects was significantly higher in the case group (0.92 + 0.07 vs. 0.90 + 0.06, p<0.05). After adjusting for confounders, waist circumference was the only indicator that was found to significantly increase the risk for CRA in women (OR = 6.349, 95% CI = 1.063 - 37.919). Higher BMI, WHR and body fat percentage showed a non-significant risk in female subjects. In men, none of the obesity indicators were found to be significant risk factors for CRA. These findings suggest that abdominal obesity may be a contributing factor to CRA risk particularly in women. A prospective study is needed to confirm the role of obesity in the development of CRA in Malaysians.


Objective Vascular dementia (VaD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with cognitive decline caused by cerebrovascular factors. Despite the great progress made in the past decade, VaD still lacks effective treatments and peripheral blood biomarkers. In this study, we tested the level of peripheral blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) in VaD patients and explored its relationship with cognitive impairment. Method A total of 176 study subjects including 80 normal controls (NC) and 96 VaD patients were included in our study. Upon admission, we collected clinical and biochemical characteristics of all research subjects. We also evaluate the Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA) scores of all subjects. The serum NfL level was measured by the single-molecule array (Simoa) method. Results The years of education in the NC group and VaD group were (11.65 ± 3.04) years and (10.53 ± 3.87) years, respectively. Compared with VaD patients, the NC group has a higher level of education (p = 0.037). Furthermore, the results of Simoa indicated that VaD subjects had higher serum NfL levels compared with the NC group [(8.49 ± 2.37) pg/ml vs. (19.26 ± 4.71) pg/ml, p < 0.001]. In terms of other clinical and biochemical characteristics, there was no significant difference between VaD and NC. The Spearman correlation analysis indicated that educational years have a significant positive correlation with MoCA scores (r = 0.238, p = 0.041), while age and serum NfL levels have a significantly negative correlation with MoCA scores (age: r = −0.213, p = 0.040; NfL: r = −0.395, p = 0.027). However, further multiple regression analysis showed that only serum NfL level might serve as an independent risk factor for cognitive decline in VaD (β = 0.317, p = 0.021). Conclusion The serum NfL levels in VaD subjects are significantly elevated, which may be used as a potential peripheral blood marker for predicting cognitive impairment in patients with VaD.


Contribution of stigmatisation and discrimination against HIVpositive adolescents to the occurance of the HIV and AIDS pandemic Although researchers all over the world study ways to curb the HIV and AIDS pandemic, the disease seems to be flourishing in sub-Saharan Africa. Many and varied reasons can be given for the apparently limited success of prevention programmes. This article focuses on stigma and discrimination as contributing factors, and reports on research undertaken to explore perceptions and attitudes towards adolescents who are HIV-positive. The experiences of these adolescents are also described. HIVpositive adolescents were selected in a focused way for individual interviews; parents, teachers and members of the community were selected randomly for focus group interviews. Data analysis revealed that stigma and discrimination are still very much a part of the everyday experiences of HIV-positive adolescents, and that people still harbour the misconception that the infection can be spread through normal interaction, despite information to the contrary. Results were presented after a brief discussion of stigma in general and specifically in the HIV and AIDS context. Characteristics of adolescents that render them especially vulnerable to infection are also presented. In conclusion some suggestions are made with regard to intervention and prevention programmes.


This paper aims to be an introductory text on the applications of ceramic materials to energy storage devices, mainly lithium ion secondary batteries, i.e. devices in which the ceramic materials, e.g. oxides, are very important in all parts of the device. This review is focused in ceramic materials for cathodes and anodes, which are key parts of the battery device. The main purpose is, therefore, to offer to the reader, who is interested in the development of ceramic materials for storage devices, enough information concerning the main oxide materials used nowadays and promising technology regarding nanoestructured oxides and electrode geometry based on the nanoscale.


An alternative solution for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and refractive index is presented. A local micro-structured fiber Bragg grating (LMSFBG) is formed as the sensing head, in which a standard grating is etched by HF. According to the phase shift theory, the main spectral change of the LMSFBG is the formation of a narrow allowed band, which is strongly dependent on the etching features and the surrounding refractive index. As such, the temperature and refractive index measurements can be achieved by the shifts of the double peaks and narrow allowed band, and their fitting linearity coefficients are 0.996 and 0.994, respectively. Thus, the reflection and transmission peaks of the LMSFBG have a good linear relationship with temperature and refractive index.


Sep15 Mike Behind the scenes of 'Dateline: RIT – The Podcast' Last time, I introduced "Dateline: RIT – The Podcast"—part of a family of new-media services from University News aimed at keeping you updated on coverage of RIT news and RIT people in the news. This time, the inside story (part one) on the vision behind the podcast, e-newsletter, "Dateline: RIT" blog posts and forthcoming "Dateline: RIT" Web site. The purposes of each are to show and tell: • Show coverage of RIT news and RIT people—because getting RIT in the news is our primary mission (through news placements or "hits"). • Tell about interesting RIT news—because showing you coverage is another way of telling you about RIT news (as we do through News & Events and news releases). That's the "why" behind the purpose of "Dateline: RIT." Next time, more on the "how" behind the new podcast.


Sudan, governed by an Islamist dictatorship, became a pariah nation among the global community not because of its religious orientation but because of its record of human-rights abuses and its fostering of notorious international terrorists. As the last American ambassador to complete an assignment in Sudan, Don Petterson provides unduplicated insights into how Sudan became what it is. Petterson recounts the consequences of the execution of four Sudanese employees of the U.S. government by Sudanese security forces in the southern city of Juba. He relates the experiences of Americans in Khartoum after Washington put Sudan on the black list of state sponsors of terrorism. He offers his personal observations on war-devastated southern Sudan. In this newly revised edition of Inside Sudan, Petterson recounts the events in Sudan from 1998 to the present, considers Sudan's connections to international terrorists, including Carlos the Jackal and Osama bin Laden, and assesses the changes in the relationship between Sudan and the United States after 9/11.


While multisourcing offers benefits such as access to best-of-breed resources and enhanced competition, it also presents clients with a new governance challenge, namely the need to ensure that vendors not only deliver their individual contributions but also collaborate to produce a coherent joint outcome. Clients may address this challenge by combining bilateral governance focused on each vendor's individual performance with collective governance aimed at the vendors' joint performance. However, it is unclear how the simultaneous application of bilateral and collective governance affects multisourcing performance. Indeed, the literature falls short in systematically differentiating these governance mechanisms and empirically examining their interplay. Drawing on existing work on multisourcing and on the outsourcing governance literature, we argue that bilateral and collective governance direct efforts towards different performance dimensions (individual vs. joint), invoke different metaphors (market vs. team), and promote conflicting norms (competitive vs. cooperative), which can result in trade-offs when bilateral and collective governance mechanisms are combined. Results from a survey of 189 multisourcing arrangements support our expectation that bilateral and collective governance promote different performance dimensions. Notably, one collective governance mechanism, conflict management procedures, contributes to both individual and joint performance. We find substitutional effects between bilateral and collective governance in relation to joint performance but not individual performance, indicating that the benefits of collective governance for joint performance are more easily compromised than the benefits of bilateral governance for individual performance. We also observe complementary effects within collective governance mechanisms. Our key contribution lies in theorizing and empirically examining the effects and interplay of bilateral and collective governance in multisourcing.


As the energy needs are constantly increasing, the optimum engineering design of gas transmission infrastructures, such as onshore or offshore high-pressure gas pipelines, compressor stations, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals is a fundamental step. Since the design should always be cost effective, the term "optimum" is used here to describe the balance between safety and economy. One of the key issues during the design of both pipelines and facilities is the potential ground movements due to various geohazards under static and seismic conditions, such as landslides, ground settlements, active faults, soil liquefaction, etc. According to the current state of practice, there exist various ways to treat potential ground movements. The simplest way is to avoid the problematic (in terms of ground movements) area(s) by rerouting the pipeline or relocating the facility. Since this is not always feasible (due to various technical and/or environmental constraints), the alternative way is to construct the pipeline and/or the facility within the problematic area. In the latter case, the application of various mitigation/protection measures aiming to minimize the ground movements is a straightforward option. On the other hand, a more sophisticated -and possibly more effectivetreatment is to verify the pipeline and/or the facility against the expected ground movements (without any mitigation/protection measures), and check whether the developed distress (in terms of strains or stresses) is acceptable or not. It is evident that if the distress is proved to be excessive and inacceptable for the structure or infrastructure under examination, the application of mitigation/protection measures is the one and only solution. Since the engineer should check all feasible solutions depending on the circumstances, compare the associated risk and cost, and propose the optimum solution to the client, the current paper tries to shed some light on the very challenging and tricky issue of the design of gas transmission infrastructures against ground movements.


Through my art process and material selection, I investigate how interior spaces long to accumulate memories and possessions. I am interested in encroaching floor to ceiling build-up of collected goods kept in the homes of individuals unable to discard or part with possessions. These individual's daily movements through their space and their denial of the surrounding mass informs my work. My work is larger than human scale, made of multiple units, and dense; yet understated by the subtle use of color and repeated materials. When I make an installation it often begins with creating a wall or a floor that delineates itself from the actual architecture of a room. I procure discarded domestic fragments such as carpet, shingles, and blinds. I select one material for each project to emphasize excessive quantities. I seek out donated goods and trash piles, heaps on the edge of consumer waste. The sourcing of these materials is serendipitous. I elevate these mundane materials by taking them out of their original context. The cycle of regeneration moves from material to "art object" back to material again as the work is displayed and dispersed back into the cycle of waste. In this thesis I will discuss how through my process and materials, I investigate interior spaces where memory and possessions accumulate.


AbstractAfter living for 12 years in the United States, and a career shift from bench scientist in molecular biology to science writer and editor, the author goes back home to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to found Publicase, a science communication company specialised in health sciences, biology, and biomedicine. This article discusses what the author learned on the way about the challenges, opportunities, and rewards of creating and growing Publicase.


Unspeak is language as a weapon. Every day, we are bombarded with those apparently simple words or phrases that actually conceal darker meanings. 'Climate change' is less threatening than 'global warming'; we say 'ethnic cleansing' when we mean mass murder. As we absorb and repeat Unspeak we are accepting the messages that politicians, businessmen and military agencies wish us to believe. Operation Iraqi Freedom did more than put a positive spin on the American war with Iraq; it gave the invasion such a likeable name that the American news networks quickly adopted it as their tagline for reporting on the war. By repackaging the language we use to describe international affairs or domestic politics, Unspeak tries to make controversial issues unspeakable and, therefore, unquestionable. In this thought-provoking and important book, Steven Poole traces the globalizing wave of modern Unspeak from culture wars to the culture of war and reveals how everyday words are changing the way we think.


KPLC has over the years adopted significant changes such as introduction of the prepaid metering, the E billing and E payment system, introduction of Feeder Management Programmes, introduction of E -leave, rotation of jobs, upgrading systems network and company servers, installation of GPS in newly bought cars and outsourcing of non-key activities such as installations of transformers. The study adopted a descriptive study design. Interview schedules were the main instrument under the study. The stakeholders were involved in a feeder management programme whose approach entails assignment of the 638 feeders across the country to specific engineers and their teams. The study found that the stakeholders in KPLC were involved through giving their feedback to the management on the change process and developing of sound procedures necessary to ensure that the changes are effective. The stakeholders were also involved in the piloting phase before the change is rolled out and in giving their views and feedback through meetings. The study however established that there was no involvement of staff in the design phase of the change process. It was concluded that there was good involvement of stakeholders in the execution of change process but poor involvement of stakeholders in the design process of change. For this reason the study recommended KPLC should involve the stakeholders in all aspects of the change management process, more so in the design of the change process and that the change process in KPLC should be documented for reference in future and to assist the organization use the information to improve future change processes.


The giant porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits of central Chile formed within a thick sequence of Cretaceous
to Pliocene volcanic rocks. The predominantly calc-alkaline basaltic andesites of the Cretaceous Las
Chilcas Formation are characterized by La/Smn ratios of 1.8 to 2.5 and Sm/Ybn of 1.8 to 2.8. The upper
Oligocene to lower Miocene Abanico Formation (variously defined as the Los Pelambres, Abanico, or Coya
Machali Formations) ranges from basalt to rhyolite in composition and exhibits a broad southward transition
from calc-alkaline to tholeiitic. All samples from this formation are characterized by LREE enrichment and
moderately, or locally strongly, fractionated HREE (La/Smn = 1.3-4.1; Sm/Ybn = 1.5-5.8). The basaltic andesites
and andesites of the middle Miocene Salamanca Formation have REE chemistry similar to that of the
Upper Cretaceous strata (La/Smn = 1.5-2.7; Sm/Ybn = 1.6-2.7). The overlying middle Miocene Farellones Formation
ranges from tholeiitic to calc-alkaline and from basalt to andesitic and has a similar LREE enrichment
and fractionated HREE (La/Smn = 1.7-2.5; Sm/Ybn = 1.7-3.3). The Pliocene La Copa Rhyolite Complex, however,
is strongly LREE enriched and HREE depleted (La/Smn = 3.8-3.9; Sm/Ybn = 4.2-4.7). Overall, the trace
element geochemistry of the Cretaceous to middle Miocene volcanic rocks is characterized by enriched LREE
and negative Nb anomalies, consistent with an arc setting, with only minor differences in the abundance of
most elements. Crustal thickening during the Miocene in central Chile has been suggested to have been responsible
for a transition from an amphibole- to garnet-dominated residual mineralogy resulting in the release
of fluids that enabled the formation of giant copper porphyry deposits. However, the gradual increase in La/Yb
through the early, middle, and late Miocene reported in earlier studies and interpreted to be a response to
crustal thickening is not observed in the regional data. Instead, a rapid change in the geochemical signature between
the end of the eruption of the Farellones Formation and the eruption of the high La/Yb La Copa Rhyolite
Complex implies a more abrupt change in the tectonic environment. Isotopic data broadly support this,
although lower epsilon Nd values in the Farellones Formation imply a greater role for crustal contamination in younger suites. In the absence of gradual crustal thickening, it is suggested that the subduction of the Juan Fernandez Ridge may have been the key geodynamic process responsible for the genesis of the three middle Miocene to
lower Pliocene giant porphyry copper deposits in central Chile, possibly by promoting crustal-scale faulting and
even acting as a source of metals.


Purpose. To provide an ovine model of ventricular remodeling and reverse remodeling by creating congestive heart failure (CHF) and then treating it by implanting a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Methods. We induced volume-overload heart failure in 2 sheep; 20 weeks later, we implanted an LVAD and assessed recovery 11 weeks thereafter. We examined changes in histologic and hemodynamic data and levels of cellular markers of CHF. Results. After CHF induction, we found increases in LV end-diastolic pressure, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, wall thickness, left atrial diameter, and atrial natriuretic protein (ANP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels; β-adrenergic receptor (BAR) and dystrophin expression decreased markedly. Biopsies confirmed LV remodeling. After LVAD support, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, wall thickness, and mass, and ANP and ET-1 levels decreased. Histopathologic and hemodynamic markers improved, and BAR and dystrophin expression normalized. Conclusions. We describe a successful sheep model for ventricular and reverse remodeling.


A new nanodosimetry-based linear-quadratic (LQ) model of cell survival for mixed-LET radiations has been developed. The new model employs three physical quantities and three biological quantities. The three physical quantities are related to energy depositions at two nanometre scales, 5 nm and 25 nm. The three biological quantities are related to the lesion production and interaction probabilities and the lesion repair rate. The coefficients α and β of the LQ formula (αD + βD2) are explicitly expressed in terms of the three physical quantities and the three biological quantities. The new model is shown to be consistent with the previously published cell survival curves of V-79 cells. The advantage of this new model is that it can be conveniently adopted to estimate the iso-effect for radiotherapies that involve ionizing radiation of mixed LET. An example is given to estimate the cell survival fractions for a high-dose-rate mixed neutron and gamma-ray field from a 252Cf source.


A series of quinoxaline derivatives were synthesized by doing molecular modifications at C-3 methyl group of 2-hydroxy-3-methylquinoxaline nucleus. The synthesis was initiated by bromination followed by attachment of p-hydroxy bezaldehydes to 3-methyl group to synthesize 3(4-formyl phenoxymethyl)-quinoxaline-(1 H)-2-one as new intermediate and condense it with substituted aromatic amines to afford the synthesis of Schiff bases of 3-methylquinoxalin-2(1 H)-one. The new compounds (GG1, GG2, GG3, GG4 and GG5) have been synthesized by treating o-phenylene- diamine with ethyl pyruvate to yield 3-methylquinoxaline 2-one, which on bromination afforded the synthesis of 3-bromomethyl quinoxaline-2-one. Finally 3-bromomethyl quinoxaline-2-one was treated with 4-hydroxy benzaldehyde to yield the synthesis of 3-(-4-formyl phenoxy methyl)-quinoxalin 2(1 H)-one (GG1), which was treated with different substituted aromatic amines to yield the synthesis of 3-((4-(substituted-phenylimino)-methyl)-phenoxy)-methyl)quinoxalin-2(1 H)-one (GG2,GG3,GG4 and GG5). The structures of pure compounds were characterized on the basis of IR and 1 H-NMR spectral analysis. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity.


Standardization of herbal drugs is not just an analytical operation for identification and assay of active principals rather it comprised total information controls to necessarily guarantee consistent composition of all herbals. The formulation standardized using modern scientific tools and with known markers has been accepted world wide. Chromatographic fingerprint analysis is a rational and practical analytical strategy to asses the authenticity quality consistency and stability of (tim)s as well as the information of othermedicines. The information gathered fromthe fingerprint ismore comprehensive then that provided fromthe typical approach. HPTLC is the principal method of monitoring the production process, HPTLC is mainly required for the complex or multi-herbal formulation. multiple chromatographic fingerprinting which consist of more than one chromatographic fingerprinting and represent the whole characteristics of the complexmedicine.


Vaccination of dogs and cats protects them from infections that may be lethal or cause serious disease. Vaccination is a safe and efficacious practice that in many countries has had major impact on improving the quality of life of small companion animals. The success of small animal vaccination programmes over the past five decades mirrors the success of vaccination in controlling disease in the human population. Owners and breeders of dogs and cats will be very aware of the prominent media exposure that has been given to the practice of vaccination in human and animal populations in the past two decades. This public attention has focussed on the rare instances of adverse events that might follow administration of vaccines to people or animals. The medical and veterinary professions have devoted considerable time and effort to addressing vaccination issues and developing protocols for the administration of these products that increase safety and minimize the already low risks associated with vaccination. Many owners and breeders will be aware of the expert groups that have been convened to offer medical and veterinary practitioners guidance on the optimum methods of delivering vaccination to their patients. In veterinary medicine, one such body is the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) that has provided science-based advice to small animal practitioners in a document originally published in 2007 and updated in 2010 and again in 2015. The VGG, is however, very aware that high quality scientific information related to the practice of small animal vaccination is not readily accessed by the lay public in a form that is comprehensible. Unfortunately, there is much misinformation that is 4 readily promulgated via the internet by individuals and groups that lack scientific credibility. This has led to public concern and to the misguided practice of refusing vaccines when offered by the veterinarian. Failure to appropriately vaccinate your dog or cat makes them susceptible to lethal infectious diseases and the benefit of vaccination far outweighs any risk of an adverse event following vaccination. In order to address these public concerns, the VGG has prepared the following document. This provides a concise summary of this area in lay terms that should be readily understood by pet owners and breeders. The information provided is based on current scientific knowledge and is prepared by internationally recognized experts in small animal microbiology, immunology and vaccinology. The document initially gives an account of the major vaccine-preventable infectious diseases of small companion animals and then discusses the fundamentals of the immune response and the immunological principles of vaccination. We address the public debate over vaccination that has led to the development of vaccination guidelines and explain the guidelines that we have encouraged the veterinary profession to adopt. Finally, we also discuss adverse events and what you should do if you suspect that a vaccine administered to your pet might be responsible for such an effect. We realize that scientific terminology can sometimes appear impenetrable and so have provided a glossary of terms to aid in your understanding. A major component of the written document is a set of images that present to you in graphic visual form the consequences of failing to protect your pet through vaccination. These infectious diseases have not disappeared and even in developed nations with good vaccination programmes there continue to be localized outbreaks of infection and disease. We encourage you to study this document and carefully consider the content in order to maximize the well-being of our small companion animals.


Abstract Antarctic soils are extremely cold, dry, and oligotrophic, yet harbour surprisingly high bacterial diversity. The severity of environmental conditions has constrained the development of multi-trophic communities, and species richness and distribution is thought to be driven primarily by abiotic factors. Sites in northern and southern Victoria Land were sampled for bacterial community structure and soil physicochemical properties in conjunction with the US and New Zealand Latitudinal Gradient Project. Bacterial community structure was determined using a high-resolution molecular fingerprinting method for 80 soil samples from Taylor Valley and Cape Hallett sites which are separated by five degrees of latitude and have distinct soil chemistry. Taylor Valley is part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, while Cape Hallett is the site of a penguin rookery and contains ornithogenic soils. The influence of soil moisture, pH, conductivity, ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen and organic carbon on community structure was revealed using Spearman rank correlation, Mantel test, and principal components analysis. High spatial variability was detected in bacterial communities and community structure was correlated with soil moisture and pH. Both unique and shared bacterial community members were detected at Taylor Valley and Cape Hallett despite the considerable distance between the sites.


The trigonal structure of a new member of the eudialyte group was established from X-ray single-crystal diffraction, lambda(MoKalpha) = 0.71073 Angstrom; space group R3m; a = 14.153(9) Angstrom, c = 60.72(5) Angstrom, V = 10546.1 Angstrom(3); M = 3050; D-x = 2.88g/cm(3); Z = 3; mu = 28 cm(-1); R(hkl) = 0.068 for 3402 reflections. Due to the ordered replacement of Zr with Ti, the new mineral is characterized by a doubling of c and an alternation along [001] of two microdomains, containing (Zr, Ti) or (Ti, Zr)-octahedra, respectively. The key positions on the triad axis are accommodated by Si, Mn and Al atoms. Mn is four-fold coordinated and dominates in one nine-membered ring of the Ti microdomain while Al is six-fold coordinated in the ring of the Zr microdomain. The second key sites are related to Fe atoms which are situated in a slightly aplanar oxygen squares similarly to other relevant examples. These two positions are completed with some neighbour subsites. The axial Al octahedron is connected with three Ti octahedra around the triad axis forming a polyhedral cluster. The splitting and isomorphic substitution of the Na dominant positions are similar to other eudialyte minerals. It was also reported for kentbrooksite. The Na(8b) and Na(9b) atoms are the most disordered around the 18c site with 25% occupancy. The unusual doubling of the structure in the new mineral may be interpreted as a commensurate modulation with wave displacements along the c axis. Other original features of this new representative in the eudialyte family are also discussed. [References: 19]


Studies suggest that the circadian timing system exerts an important influence on responses to rewarding stimuli. Diurnal rhythms in the rewarding value of amphetamine and mating behavior were observed, but differed in the pattern of their timing. Daily fluctuations in reward were correlated with oscillations in mesolimbic dopaminergic activity in both the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), with a peak in NAc coinciding with the peak of sex reward, while the peak in the VTA associated with the peak in amphetamine reward. Also, rhythmic expression of the marker of neural activation, cFos, was observed in NAc, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and VTA, with peak expression during the late night. Rhythmic clock protein expression was observed in the NAc, suggesting intrinsic circadian regulation of reward. However, absence of clock gene oscillations in the VTA suggests that rhythms in mesolimbic activity are also driven by a timing signal originating elsewhere; and the mPFC was hypothesized to be a key mediator. The effects of mPFC lesions or inactivation on diurnal rhythms in neural activation and amphetamine reward were determined. Lesions attenuated the peak in cFos-IR in the NAc, eliminating the diurnal rhythm, but had no effect on VTA rhythms. Moreover, daily differences in amphetamine reward were eliminated by mPFC lesions and inactivation, via an increase at the nadir. Together, these results indicate that diurnal rhythms of mesolimbic activity may be functionally relevant for rhythms in reward and that the mPFC plays a critical role in mediating such diurnal fluctuations.


ABSTRACT The effective density and size-resolved volatility of particles emitted from a Rolls-Royce Gnome helicopter turboshaft engine are measured at two engine speed settings (13,000 and 22,000 RPM). The effective density of denuded and undenuded particles was measured. The denuded effective densities are similar to the effective densities of particles from a gas turbine with a double annular combustor as well as a wide variety of internal combustion engines. The denuded effective density measurements were also used to estimate the size and number of primary particles in the soot aggregates. The primary particle size estimates show that the primary particle size was smaller at lower engine speed (in agreement with transmission electron microscopy analysis). As a demonstration, the size-resolved volatility of particles emitted from the engine is measured with a system consisting of a differential mobility analyzer, centrifugal particle mass analyzer, condensation particle counter, and catalytic stripper. This system determines the number distributions of particles that contain or do not contain non-volatile material, and the mass distributions of non-volatile material, volatile material condensed onto the surface of non-volatile particles, and volatile material forming independent particles (e.g., nucleated volatile material). It was found that the particulate at 13,000 RPM contained a measurable fraction of purely volatile material with diameters below ∼25 nm and had a higher mass fraction of volatile material condensed on the surface of the soot (6%–12%) compared to the 22,000 RPM condition (1%–5%). This study demonstrates the potential to quantify the distribution of volatile particulate matter and gives additional information to characterize sampling effects with regulatory measurement procedures. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research


Abstract Purpose: This article discusses the key differences between leadership and management. It also examines the business organizational executive's leadership styles of seven selected top executives: Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, and Tony Fernandez. Research methodology: The methodological approach of the study focuses on the review of published literature postulating on the differences in the characteristics and functions of leadership and management. Results: Findings from the literature review indicate evidence that shows the differences and similarities between these two concepts of leaders and managers or leadership and management. The study also reveals that these top business executives demonstrated the contemporary leadership paradigms of transformational, charismatic, and servant leadership. Limitations: One limitation is the review approach of the paper. The other is the analysis of leadership styles based on those top executives from the business sector. Contributions: The article provides insights into the understanding of the evolvement of organizational management and the preferred leadership styles of top business executives. The findings on the leadership styles of the top business leaders add to the significance of the study.


Background To determine the frequency of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its associated risk factors in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients, we conducted a cross-sectional study in Nanjing, China, in the period between January 2008 and December 2009. Methods Patients with type 2 diabetes under the care by Jiangsu Province Official Hospital, Nanjing, China were invited for assessment. CKD was defined as the presence of albuminuria or estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g. Results We recruited 1,521 urban Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 63.9±12.0 years). The frequency of CKD and albuminuria was 31.0% and 28.9%, respectively. After adjusted by age and sex, hypertension, anemia and duration of diabetes were significantly associated with CKD with odds ratio (95% confidence interval) being 1.93 (1.28 to 2.93), 1.70 (1.09 to 2.64), and 1.03 (1.00 to 1.06), respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, CKD was common in the urban Nanjing Chinese with type 2 diabetes. Strategies to prevent or delay progression of kidney disease in diabetes should be carried out at the early disease course of type 2 diabetes.


The volume discusses the dynamically changing identities among Buryats and other nations of Eastern Siberia and Inner Asia. The wide range of articles has been organized into three clusters – Ethnicity and Nation-Building Processes, Buddhist Identities, and Landscape and Indigenization. Some of the papers present anthropological empirical research of particular groups, while other adopt a perspective of literary or ecological studies. Constituting an interdisciplinary endeavor, the volume tries thus to link the diverse phenomena under investigation and different research methodologies, and to show them in a wider context of historical and transnational processes. Lastly, it aims at bringing new theoretical perspectives to studies of nations and peoples of broadly understood Inner Asia.