ARGUMENT IN POETRY: (RE)DEFINING THE MIDDLE ENGLISH DEBATE POEM IN ACADEMIC, POPULAR, AND PHYSICAL CONTEXTS Kathleen R. Burt, B.A., M.A. Marquette University, 2014 The core problem that drives my dissertation is to find a definition for what has been called Middle English "debate poetry" that accounts for the wide variety of themes, topics, and styles which poems labeled as 'debates' cover. The limitations of overly focused and restrictive definitions of the term 'debate poetry' encountered by previous scholars illustrates the initial problem of using a generic term that lacks a common vocabulary or framework for discusison. The result has been that each scholar who investigated a poem linked to this tradition used a different definition suited to his or her particular text(s) of interest. In order to address this confusion, I apply the contexts provided by a variety of intellectual, cultural, and material rhetorical practices. I examine academic disputation and commentary practices, the textbooks that present the grammatical and poetic strategies which contributed to them, medieval sermon and preaching manuals, and the mystery plays. All of these rhetorical situations are formats for presenting a persuasive interpretation of a given text that require the use of authoritative evidence and interpretive strategies. In addition to the theoretical and literary background, I also include the physical evidence preserved in the manuscripts. Codicology presents a way to analyze how the poems were viewed when recorded, as well as how that perception changed over time. Such contextual clues give insight into how authority and persuasion is assumed or manipulated within the texts. The solution that I propose presents two possible models that take their definitive characteristics from wide-spread methods of persuasion and argument from the medieval period: the academic disputation and commentary, and the medieval sermon. Each model contains features that distinguish 'debate' poetry from other genres that employ dialogue and argumentation, and features that are shared. I apply the resulting models to multiple poems to illustrate how definitive traits transfer to the 'debate poem'. In my conclusion I present some final examples of how my two-pronged system can be applied to both medieval and modern texts. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABBREVIATIONS ii CHAPTERS I. Definition and Deliberation of 'Debate' 1 II. Foundations of Argument: The Logic of Poetry and Grammar 50 III. Models of Argument and Narrative Authority in the Popular Tradition....112 IV. Physical Contexts and Interpretive Possibilities 173 V. Conclusion 229 APPENDICES Appendix 1 255 Appendix 2 258 Appendix 3i 261 Appendix 3ii 262 Appendix 4 264 BIBLIOGRAPHY 271


This study combined the use of a single case experimental design with replications with the use of a grounded theory approach in a study of treatment-seeking problem gamblers. The sample for the single case experimental design was a case series of nine men meeting DSM IV criteria (APA 1994) for pathological gambling. They primarily gambled in off-course bookmakers and on slot machines, and had self-reported histories of problem gambling of between four and eighteen years duration. A cognitive behavioural approach to treatment based on that of Sharpe and Tarrier (1993) was utilised. This treatment incorporated motivational interviewing, self-monitoring, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, cue exposure and relapse prevention. The approach was ineffective for a majority of the clients, with drop-out prior to completion of treatment the outcome for six of the clients. The three clients who completed treatment all achieved clinically significant changes in gambling behaviour. Proposed links between depressed mood and gambling behaviour, and anxiety and gambling behaviour were not supported.The grounded theory approach was in two parts. The first study investigated the reported gambling experiences of treatment-seeking men who met DSM IV criteria (APA 1994) for pathological gambling. Clinical materials and session transcripts from the treatment study formed the initial material. A further four interviews with informants selected for theoretical sampling reasons provided provisional verification of the grounded theory. The grounded theory identified gambling as emotion management as the core category. The use of gambling for this purpose interacted with the costs of gambling and the individual's experience and perception of control of gambling to determine behaviour in the context of gambling related triggers.The second grounded theory study involved an analysis of the reported experiences of seven regular but non-problematic gamblers for confirmatory purposes. Similarities and differences between the problem and non-problem gamblers were identified. Three aspects of the reported experiences of the gamblers appeared to differentiate problematic and nonproblematic experiences. These were the extensive use of gambling to manage negative emotions, beliefs regarding winning money back and perception of control.The study addressed both theoretical and treatment issues in problem gambling. The proposal that arousal is a major motivating variable in gambling was supported (Anderson and Brown 1984). The proposal that the use of gambling to moderate negative emotional states is a feature of problem gambling (Jacobs 1985; McConaghy 1988) was supported. The view that misperception of randomness is a feature of problem gambling was supported (Ladouceur and Walker 1996). The importance of self-efficacy in efforts at moderating gambling (Bandura 1977) was supported.Clear benefits were identified of combining a single case experimental design with a grounded theory approach. The use of a grounded theory approach with a deviant sample for confirmatory purposes was also beneficial.


In this era of nanotechnology lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (cubosomes) are relatively less explored lipid-based nanocarriers that can be formulated selectively and specificity for almost all administration routes. The natural compounds are proved to be significantly curative in pulmonary diseases due to reported anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. The natural products have limited bioavailability due to either hydrophilic or low water solubility. These limitations can be overcome by using a novel nanotechnology such as cubosomes or liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs). LCNs can easily encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds because of the amphiphilic nature of lipid monoolein (MO). LCN can be used to co-deliver synthetic and natural compounds irrespective of their solubility due to multi-compartment structure. We can use LCNs to formulate drugs of synthetic origin with natural one to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR).


We evaluate the extent of real interest rate interdependence among three month treasury bill rates of the G7.
Monthly data over the period 1970(1) to 2003(12) is subjected to recursive estimation of a cointegrating
equation. The evidence suggests a high degree of interdependence between the G7 interest rates with the
degree of integration increasing over the sample period. Tests for parameter constancy highlight the disruptive
effects of the first oil price shock although the impacts on financial markets of the September 11 and the attack
occurrence of the Asian crisis have limited impacts. The evidence for the presence of a leading nation among
the G7 is inconclusive although Germany and the US are the prime leadership contenders. The high degree of
interdependence between the G7 financial markets suggests that capital between the G7 is highly mobile.


The decision of the Supreme Court of India in Republic of Italy v Union of India illustrates the legal and diplomatic complexities that can arise when nations, and states within those nations, have competing claims to jurisdiction over the prosecution of criminal offences. In our increasingly interconnected world, competing claims to jurisdiction are more likely. The decision, among other things, is concerned with legal aspects of coastal state jurisdiction in a federal system and sovereign immunity under international law. This decision is of interest because Australia, like India, is a coastal nation that divides power between federal and state governments. This case note sets out the factual background and legal frameworks that gave rise to the decision, considers the arguments made by each of the parties before the Supreme Court, and summarises the findings of the two presiding Judges. It then seeks to understand the relevance of the decision and any lessons that can be taken from it.


We present three new complexity results for classes of planning problems with simple causal graphs. First, we describe a polynomial-time algorithm that uses macros to generate plans for the class 3S of planning problems with binary state variables and acyclic causal graphs. This implies that plan generation may be tractable even when a planning problem has an exponentially long minimal solution. We also prove that the problem of plan existence for planning problems with multi-valued variables and chain causal graphs is NP-hard. Finally, we show that plan existence for planning problems with binary state variables and polytree causal graphs is NP-complete.


The paper tests Hogan and Doyle's (2007, 2008) framework for examining critical junctures. This framework sought to incorporate the concept of ideational change in understanding critical junctures. Until its development, frameworks utilized in identifying critical junctures were subjective, seeking only to identify crisis, and subsequent policy changes, arguing that one invariably led to the other, as both occurred around the same time. Hogan and Doyle (2007, 2008) hypothesized ideational change as an intermediating variable in their framework, determining if, and when, a crisis leads to radical policy change. Here we test this framework on cases similar to, but different from, those employed in developing the exemplar. This will enable us determine whether the framework's relegation of ideational change to a condition of crisis holds, or, if ideational change has more importance than is ascribed to it by this framework. This will also enable us determined if the framework itself is robust, and fit for the purposes it was designed to perform — identifying the nature of policy change.


This study investigates the spread of two urban features used in Syrian urban centers such as Damascus and Hims to the vernacular Arabic of non-migrant, rural children and adolescents who are residing in the Syrian village of Oyoun Al-Wadi. The first of the two features is the spread of the urban glottal stop in place of the rural voiceless uvular stop. The second is the spread of the low back vowel [a] in place of the rural mid front vowel [e]. The study shows that linguistic change in this village is moving in two opposing directions. Girls continue to use their initially acquired mothers' urban features in their adolescent years, whereas boys who initially acquired and used their mothers' urban features start to switch to the village features around the age of eight and increase their use of these features with age. The study also shows that the observed variation and changes result from the different meanings associated with the urban and rural sounds under investigation, and that these variation and changes are genderand age-related. In addition, the study shows that the youth's emotional involvement in building a social identity starts in pre-adolescence, which indicates early sociolinguistic maturity and competence in kids. This working paper is available in University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics: http://repository.upenn.edu/pwpl/


Many traditional macroeconomic models do not have determinate predictions for the path of inflation: even for a given specification of money supplies, many paths of inflation are consistent with equilibrium. According to the fiscal theory of the price level, fiscal policy can be used to select which of these many paths actually occur. This article explains the fiscal theory of the price level and discusses its empirical and policy implications. The article argues that the theory is equivalent to giving the government an ability to choose among equilibria.


This paper examines the costs and impacts of prison overpopulation and mass incarceration on individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole. We start with an overview of the American prison system and the costs of maintaining it today, and move on to an account of the historical background of the prison system to provide context for the discussions later in this paper. This paper proceeds to go into more detail about the financial and social costs of mass incarceration, concluding that the costs of the prison system outweigh its benefits. This paper will then discuss the stigma and stereotypes associated with prison inmates that are formed and spread through mass media. The stigma and stereotypes propagated by the media result in a negative social construction of prison inmates, contributing to a culture of incarceration that makes it difficult to end America's dependence on prisons. The final section of the paper discusses the challenges that come with changing the culture of incarceration, which include the deep entrenchment of said culture and the self-perpetuating nature of many of the problems associated with prison, and offers possible alternatives and solutions to incarceration and the problems associated with it.


Water supply has become a priority for developed and developing nations of the world. Conventional water resources alone cannot meet the growing demand for water in urban cities. Management of the problem is amplified by uncertainty associated with different development strategies. Singapore has limited conventional water resources and progressively architects its water supply system through acquiring and sustaining multiple (alternative) water resources through innovative technologies. The full rationale and merits of such a policy cannot be properly understood based on traditional project valuation methods alone. This paper provides decision support using a real options approach by evaluating innovative water technologies from multiple perspectives under uncertainty. This paper demonstrates that incorporating innovative water technologies into water supply systems can concurrently improve water supply from the financial, political and socioeconomic perspectives. The development of innovative water technologies provides flexibility to the water supply system, and is a fundamental and effective means of risk management. The evaluation of innovative water technologies is based on an integrated real options approach, which provides decision support for architecting water supply systems under uncertainty. The approach gives specific tangible values for the water technologies and complements the general prescriptive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) framework.


The synthesis of alpha-benzamido-alpha-benzyl lactones 23 of various ring size was achieved either via 'direct amide cyclization' by treatment of 2-benzamido-2-benzyl-omega-hydroxy-N,N-dimethylalkanamides 21 in toluene at 90 – 110° with HCl gas or by 'ring transformation' of 4-benzyl-4-(omega-hydroxyalkyl)-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-ones under the same conditions. The precursors were obtained by C-alkylations of 4-benzyl-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-one (15) with THP- or TBDMS-protected omega-hydroxyalkyl iodides. Ring opening of the THP-protected oxazolones by treatment with Me2NH followed by deprotection of the OH group gave the diamides 21, whereas deprotection of the TBDMS series of oxazolones 25 with TBAF followed by treatment with HCl gas led to the corresponding lactones 23 in a one-pot reaction.


The inevitability and stability of liberal democracy is taken for granted in contemporary political discourse, although many of the architects of modern politics viewed democracies as fragile and prone to corruption and disintegration. A close look at the historical record reveals that a number of unique conditions enabled modern democratic states to be economically productive and socially cohesive - conditions that are not inevitable and which must be cultivated outside of the logic of democratic bargaining if the goods we associate with democratic governance are to resist corruption. Two of these conditions are paramount and warrant our attention more than ever today: first, a cultural commitment to "liberal ethics;" and, second, the ability to generate wealth without holding political power. When combined in the right way with democratic institutions these help explain the genius of western prosperity. However, democratic politics inherently generate forces that threaten to undermine these pillars of social cohesion and economic growth. In particular, democracy provides powerful incentives for rent seeking, grandstanding, and unsustainable borrowing. This paper explores the logics that give rise to these three phenomena, and further argues they are aggravated by complexity and the centralization of political power. The corrupting tendencies of democracy can be resisted, this paper concludes, through two principle means: investigative efforts that uncover and communicate abuses, and ideological commitments that limit the scope of political bargaining - both of which are necessary to preserve the "liberal" character of liberal democracies.


Aims. A magneto-hydrostatic model is constructed with spectropolarimetric properties close to those of solar photospheric magnetic bright points. Methods. Results of solar radiative magneto-convection simulations are used to produce the spatial structure of the vertical component of the magnetic field. The horizontal component of magnetic field is reconstructed using the self-similarity condition, while the magneto-hydrostatic equilibrium condition is applied to the standard photospheric model with the magnetic field embedded. Partial ionisation processes are found to be necessary for reconstructing the correct temperature structure of the model. Results. The structures obtained are in good agreement with observational data. By combining the realistic structure of the magnetic field with the temperature structure of the quiet solar photosphere, the continuum formation level above the equipartition layer can be found. Preliminary results are shown of wave propagation through this magnetic structure. The observational consequences of the oscillations are examined in continuum intensity and in the Fe I 6302 A magnetically sensitive line.


The article explores different ways of thinking about Vietnamese politics through an examination of the writing of Adam Fforde and Edmund Malesky. It argues that in order to adjudicate between different approaches to analysing Vietnamese politics, we need to come to a view about what we think politics actually is (i.e., ontology forms the basis on which we can answer questions about epistemology). This is very different from more positivist approaches to political analysis which argue that deciding between competing arguments is about weighing the data. I argue, by contrast, that adjudicating between rival positions has more to do with a series of a priori positions or beliefs that influence what we consider reliable data in the first place.


Language users need to interpret others' subjective opinions in communication. In causal relations, subjectivity is defined as the involvement of a speaker who is responsible for the causal reasoning. Subjectivity can be expressed by various linguistic cues such as perspective markers (e.g. I think, it is said) and modal verbs (e.g. may, must). Some connectives encode subjectivity as well – the Chinese connective kejian 'so/therefore' and the Dutch connective dus 'so' indicate that a causal relation is based on the subjective reasoning of the speaker. These linguistic cues function as instructions for comprehenders in on-line language processing. This dissertation explores the use of linguistic markers expressing subjectivity in discourse and how these markers influence the representation and processing of discourse. Three different methods were applied to Mandarin Chinese: a collocational analysis, an on-line reading study and a visual world paradigm eye-tracking study. The results show that linguistic cues such as perspective markers and modal verbs are used in combination with connectives to express subjectivity in causal relations. In on-line reading, these linguistic cues function as processing instructions to readers – helping them track the source of information and interpret subjectivity. Moreover, this process is highly incremental. An eye-tracking study using the visual world paradigm provided evidence about how subjectivity influences processing: the processing of subjectivity involves activating the source of information in the mental representation of the linguistic input. Combining these three methods has proved to be a fruitful way of gaining more insight into the phenomenon of subjectivity.


The recent revival of interest in Leonora Carrington has prompted a number of new approaches to the legacies of her multifaceted oeuvre. A magpie for such debris herself, "Carrington" comes down to us imbued with meaning. Some of the most interesting quotations of Carrington in recent years can be found in the work of the Mexican, London-based novelist Chloe Aridjis (b.1971). Aridjis was a family friend of Carrington in Mexico City, and is known for having co-curated the landmark exhibition of Carrington's work, Transgressing Discipline (2015), with Tate Liverpool, and for using this curatorial platform within 'Female Human Animal' (2018) directed by Josh Appignanesi. Her novels, 'Book of Clouds' (2009) and 'Sea Monsters' (2019), contain uncanny references to Carrington which might be said to constitute a more nuanced assessment of Carrington's cult status. This chapter uses the ekphrastic thinking of Chloe Aridjis in order to re-explore Carrington's feminist marvellous. It draws on unpublished interview material with Aridjis (July 2014). The chapter developed out of an invited keynote lecture for Edge Hill University (30 June 2017).


Structural Design and Analysis Toolset is a collection of approximately 26 Microsoft Excel spreadsheet programs, each of which performs calculations within a different subdiscipline of structural design and analysis. These programs present input and output data in user-friendly, menu-driven formats. Although these programs cannot solve complex cases like those treated by larger finite element codes, these programs do yield quick solutions to numerous common problems more rapidly than the finite element codes, thereby making it possible to quickly perform multiple preliminary analyses - e.g., to establish approximate limits prior to detailed analyses by the larger finite element codes. These programs perform different types of calculations, as follows: 1. determination of geometric properties for a variety of standard structural components; 2. analysis of static, vibrational, and thermal- gradient loads and deflections in certain structures (mostly beams and, in the case of thermal-gradients, mirrors); 3. kinetic energies of fans; 4. detailed analysis of stress and buckling in beams, plates, columns, and a variety of shell structures; and 5. temperature dependent properties of materials, including figures of merit that characterize strength, stiffness, and deformation response to thermal gradients


1. The oxygen consumption of normal and gill-less nymphs of the mayflies Baetis sp., Cloeon dipterum and Ephemera vulgata has been measured at various oxygen concentrations.

2. It has been found that over the complete range of oxygen concentrations studied, the tracheal gills do not aid oxygen consumption in Baetis sp. In Cloeon dipterum , at all oxygen concentrations tested, no gaseous exchange takes place through the gills; at low oxygen concentrations, however, the gills function as an accessory respiratory mechanism in ventilating the respiratory surface of the body and so aid oxygen consumption. In Ephemera Vulgata the gills aid oxygen consumption even at high oxygen concentrations. In this species the gills may function both as true respiratory organs and as a ventilating mechanism.

3. It is shown that the differences in gill function can be related to the oxygen content of the habitat of each species.

Keddey Fletcher Warr Student of the University of London.


The Bootes and 3C 295 fields were simultaneously observed on 2012 April 12 as part of a multi-beam observation with the LOFAR LBA stations. The idea behind the multi-beam setup is that we use the 3C 295 observations as a calibrator field to transfer the gain amplitudes to the (target) Bootes field. The total integration time on both fields was 10.25 hr. Complete frequency coverage was obtained between 54 and 70 MHz for both fields, while non-contiguous frequency coverage was obtained between 30 and 54 MHz for the 3C 295 only. All four correlation products were recorded. By default, the frequency band was divided into sub-bands, each 195.3125 kHz wide. Each sub-band was further divided in 64 channels and the integration time was 1 s.


Objective: To find out the effectiveness of Global posture re-education method on pain and improving quality of life in women with chronic neck pain. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Method: 60 female patients aged 35 to 45 yrs old selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group (n=30) performed breathing exercise, active muscle chain stretching and active exercise, while control group (n=30) performed home exercise. Patients were evaluated before and after intervention which lasted for six weeks. Both the groups were tested for pain by VAS scoring and quality of life by SF-36 questionnaire. The treatment program consisted of 50 minutes per session, 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks. Data were statistically analysed to find the significance level. Result: Significant reduction of pain and improvement of quality of life were observed after treatment in experimental group. Conclusion: Global posture re-education method is effective in reducing pain, and improving quality of life in female patients with chronic neck pain.


In this article the authors discuss how to make the academic libraries more accessible to young researchers. They focus on different ways in which the accessibility may be strengthened, in particular the role of open access in this perspective. In recent years the research perspective has become more and more important - not only in doctoral education but also in education and teaching at all three levels: Bachelor, Master's and Ph. D. levels (cycles 1-3). In connection with this development the academic libraries have become more important work areas for students as they actively access the sources deposited in these libraries. In addition, the students are offered support and guidance by the library staff whose role now includes more than being in charge of book orders. Open access is a central component of the new role of the academic libraries. Open access is an important knowledge platform which represents an efficient system for electronic research registration and publication, and is consequently crucial in the academic libraries' function of assisting the scientific community in their scholarly communication. In order to get the most out of these modern research libraries, the authors recommend close cooperation between the academic libraries and the Faculty administration and between the academic libraries and the academic staff. The academic libraries must also take practical steps to become more IL accessible and to acquire, maintain and update efficient technical equipment. The physical space required must also be borne in mind in order for the academic libraries to become social research arenas. Cuvinte-cheie: academic libraries; academic research; electronic research registration; electronic research publication; information literacy; open access; research administration; research education; research libraries; scholarly communication; student research supervision


An experiment was conducted to compare growth and production performance between all-male and all-female giant freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) in combination with mola ( Amblypharyngodon mola ) at the Fisheries Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The research was carried out for a period of 120 days in nine earthen ponds with an average depth of 1.2 m. The experiment had three treatments, viz. polyculture of all-male prawn with mola (stocking density 20,000 ha -1 ), monoculture of all-male prawn and monoculture of all-female prawn were treated as T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 , respectively with three replications of each and prawn stocking density was 30,000 ha -1 in all the treatments. Formulated sinking feeds were applied twice daily for prawn, and assuming 80% survival feeding rates were gradually reduced to 10-5% of body weight from the beginning to the last month. All water quality parameters (except transparency, chlorophyll- a and plankton) did not vary statistically significantly ( P>0.05 ) among the treatments. Survival of prawn in respective of gender was lower in monoculture than in polyculture with mola, but did not vary significantly ( P>0.05 ). Considering growth and production performance in all treatments, the male prawn showed better growth and production performance than female prawn and the highest gross and net production was recorded in treatment T 1 , therefore, polyculture of all-male prawn with mola is better than monoculture. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v4i2.10163 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 4(2): 137-142, 2011


On March 15, 1939, Germany, also known as The Third Reich, invaded Czechoslovakia in what has historically been recognized as a precipitating event leading to the beginning of World War II. The Third Reich, as the aggressor, expanded its efforts from Germany to remove all Jewish People and Jewish influences from Europe. In order to accomplish this objective, the Third Reich built concentration camps as containment centers for the Jewish people. These containment camps were extermination centers with locations at: Treblinka, Belzec, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wulzburg, Sobibor and other locations.
Another of these containment centers was Theresienstadt, which was converted into a model camp designed to mislead the international community and organizations such as the Red Cross into believing that the Jewish people were receiving humane treatment. Ironically, the Third Reich allowed the arts to flourish in this camp. Jewish artists, poets and musicians were given the opportunity to continue their creative activity. But this was just a charade. In reality, Theresienstadt was a temporary location for people who were to be sent to other severe and inhumane extermination camps. Some of the most well known of the musicians and composers incarcerated in this camp were: Gideon Klein, Victor Ullman, and Pavel Haas. Ultimately, most of the inhabitants of Theresienstadt died of hunger and disease, or were killed in other camps. It should be noted that there were Czech musicians at other containment camps, in different countries who were victims of the Third Reich (Nazis) and whose music has been recently rediscovered. One of these musicians was Erwin Schulhoff who was interned in Wulzburg. Schulhoff was a great pianist, composer, conductor and writer who left almost 200 compositions in nearly every genre. The objective of this research paper is to describe Erwin Schulhoffs life and compositional style based on the analyses of the Violin Sonata No. 2.


This paper reviews that use of performance monitoring in the UK public sector, excluding its use in health care. Our focus is on finding robust evidence that evaluates the success of the introduction of performance monitoring in terms of its impact both on behaviour and on final outcomes. We begin with a general discussion of performance monitoring (hereafter PM), before considering the nature of the public sector and the implications of this for the implementation of such shemes within it. We then review the evidence and find a general lack of quantitative evidence on the impact of PM schemes on outcomes. This is partly due to the problem of attributing changes in outcome to the introduction of a specific PM scheme. One of our recommendations, therefore, is to consider piloting of PM schemes more widely in order to provide such evidence prior to national implementation.


Introduction: Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease. There are many developed antihypertension drugs, one of them is focusing in ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibition activity. ACE inhibition activity known can decrease vasoconstriction effect and also can decrease bradykinin degradation (vasodilator) by creating NO (nitric oxide). Methods: In this study, we conducted an in vitro ACE inhibition activity test which was obtained from watercress on 70% ethanolic extract and each fraction (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol). Results: Results of the study showed that ethanolic extract of watercress had ACE activity with IC50 value was 19.05 μg/mL and the highest IC50 of each fraction is ethyl acetate with IC50 value was 2,303 μg/ mL. n-butanol fraction had the highest total phenolic content with 15.798 mg GAE/g of the extract, while the highest total flavonoid content was obtained on ethyl acetate fraction with 82.847 mg QE/g of the extract. Conclusion: The results suggest that Watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) possess ACE inhibitory activity.


Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify the proper economic tools to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a regional development policy. Design/Methodology/Approach: The proposed methodology consists of three stages. At the first stage, the indicators are analyzed, allowing pointing the level of particular development dimensions in the self government strategy. At the second stage, indicators characterizing the efficiency of Opolskie Regional Operating Programme (OROP) and Development Strategy of Opole Voivodeship are examined. The third final stage is the analysis of the integrated effectiveness of regional development policy. The research methodology is based on the use of the following methods: desk research, the method of grouping statistical data, and the method of effectiveness analysis. Findings: The proposed methodology let us to find the need of redefining the tool enabling the measure of the degree of imbalance as the result of leading the regional development policy, as well as the uneven development potentials. Practical Implications: The authors purpose a new approach to the regional development policy by defining the complementary tools for regional self government evaluation. Originality/Value: The authors propose the new approach to the regional development policy programming, especially by redefining regional needs included into regional strategies.


This article explores the six-part television debate series No Man9s Land , which was broadcast on ITV in Britain in 1973. It argues that the program is a historically significant example of the public orientation of the women9s liberation movement and its engagement with, rather than straightforward hostility toward, the mass media. The program was produced by women who were active in the women9s liberation movement; it was presented by the feminist Juliet Mitchell; and its studio audience was populated by, among others, many women who were aligned with the movement. The format of No Man9s Land mixed short documentary films that were explicitly concerned with the structural oppression of women and discussion with a studio audience in response to the themes of these films. The article reflects on how television texts such as No Man9s Land tend to be absent from existing popular and academic histories; it suggests that dominant understandings of the relationship between the mass media and the women9s liberation movement as mutually antagonistic frequently function to close off the spaces where such texts might be considered. Through close analysis of the program and its reviews in print media, it considers the problems and possibilities of and constraints on early second-wave feminists who appropriated and operated within mass-media—and specifically televised—forms. It also points to the importance of socialist feminism as a discursive context for British television in the early 1970s.


The real-business-cycle literature has largely ignored the empirical question of what role technology shocks actually play in business cycles. The observed procyclicality of total factor productivity (TFP) does not prove that technology shocks are important to business cycles, since demand shocks could generate procyclical TFP due to increasing returns or other reasons. I address the role of technology by investigating the dynamic interactions of inputs, TFP and two observable indicators of technology shocks: R&D spending and patent applications. Using annual panel data on 19 U.S. manufacturing industries from 1959 to 1991, I find that favorable R&D or patent shocks tend to increase inputs, especially labor, in the short run, but to decrease inputs in the long run, while tilting the mix of inputs towards capital and nonproduction labor. Favorable technology shocks do not significantly increase measured TFP at any horizon, except for a subset of industries dominated by process innovations, suggesting that available price data do not capture productivity improvements due to product innovations. Technology shocks explain only a small fraction of input and TFP volatility at business-cycle horizons.


Abstract A synthetic single crystal of pure orthoenstatite (MgSiO3, space group Pbca) has been investigated at high pressure for structural determinations by in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction using a diamond-anvil cell. Ten complete intensity data collections were performed up to 9.36 GPa. This study significantly improved the accuracy of structural parameters in comparison to a previous high-pressure structural study, allowing a more detailed examination of structural behavior of orthoenstatite at high pressures and a comparison to other more recent structural studies performed on orthopyroxenes with different compositions. The structural evolution determined in this work confirms the high-pressure evolution found previously for other orthopyroxenes and removes some ambiguities originating from the less accurate published data on the MgSiO3 structure at high pressure. The structural compression is mostly governed by significant volume decrease of the Mg1 and Mg2 octahedra, affecting in turn the kink of the tetrahedral chains, especially the TB chain of larger SiO4 tetrahedra. The Mg2 polyhedron undergoes the largest volume variation, 8.7%, due especially to the strong contraction of the longest bond distance (Mg2-O3B), whereas Mg1 polyhedral volume decreases by about 7.4%. The compressional behavior of the tetrahedral sites is quite different from previously published data. The TA and TB tetrahedral volumes decrease by about 2.8 and 1.8%, respectively, and no discontinuities can be observed in the pressure range investigated. Using the data on the pure orthoenstatite as reference, we can confirm the basic influences of element substitutions on the evolution of the crystal structure with pressure.


Abstract: The purpose of this research is to explore the influence of human resource planning in the Jordanian Telecommunication Industry on the business productivity. The study surveyed HR managers and staffat telecommunication companies in Jordan. A questionnaire was designed and used to collect data. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data compiled from 375 workers within the HR departments at the Telecommunication companies. The results implied a strong relation between HR planning and business productivity at the telecommunication companies.Keywords: Human Resource, Planning, Business Productivity1. INTRODUCTIONIn the Telecommunication Industry, human resource planning is one of the important activities that must be well designed to control the most important of all resources within the Industry (Dessler, Gary. 1984). Human Resource management is well known as the management of human resource which is related to the human factor within the organization (Biles 1980). It means controlling the factors that affect productivity within the organization. Productivity means more profit through obtaining maximum work efficiency which shall achieve organizational goals and achieves the competitive advantage organizations are striving to achieve. This in turn is reflected in generating more and more income for the organization and leading to enhanced profits (Burack 1980).If we look at Human Resource planning from the industry point of view it may be obvious that all industries and all levels of business require human resource and human resource management, each type of industry has its own requirements and own nature of work force requirement(Biles 1980).The Telecommunication Industry human resources has more technical experience than any other industry out there (Duncan 2003). The rapid changes and new developments in the information technology sector affected the telecommunication industry needs of highly talented and skilled human resource capital at both the front office and the back office operations through which organization shall be able to satisfy the ever changing needs of its customers (Gary Flake 2000). As a result Information Technology organizations needs a highly skilled work force both at managerial and field and technical level.2. THE TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRYToday the Telecommunication Industry is large in both resources and revenue compared to other sectors of the economy (Kochan 1985). To guarantee its profitability it must manage its human resources effectively and with extreme professionalism.Human Resource in the Telecommunication industry is divided into several levels, the administration level, the managerial level and the individual level. The administration level are the CEO and the administration board (Gary Flake 2000). It is worthy to mention that in the Telecommunication Industry at this level exists people with technical experience and qualifications needed for strategic guidance and planning relative to the telecommunication sector. The managerial level include the departmental heads and managers (Biles 1980).The Departmental heads are the heads of each department within an organization (White 2006). In the telecommunication industry there would be multiple technical and non-technical departments such as the marketing, the sales department, the human resource department, the customer service department, the information technology department, and the research and development department (Hax 1985). The Third levels include the individuals who are at the middle and lower levels of the pyramid. It includes the supervisors the middlemen departmental link workers and the field workers (Walker 1980).3. RESEARCH MODELThe purpose of the research is to explore the influence of human resource planning in the Jordanian Telecommunication Industry on the business productivity and to provide recommendations to the management of the Telecommunication organizations with regards to the planning of their human resources to increase their productivity. …


Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs) are widely used as building blocks for deep learning models. Learning typically proceeds by using stochastic gradient descent, and the gradients are estimated with sampling methods. However, the gradient estimation is a computational bottleneck, so better use of the gradients will speed up the descent algorithm. To this end, we rst derive upper bounds on the RBM cost function, then show that descent methods can have natural advantages by operating in the'1 and Shatten1 norm. We introduce a new method called \Stochastic Spectral Descent" that updates parameters in the normed space. Empirical results show dramatic improvements over stochastic gradient descent, and have only have a fractional increase on the per-iteration cost.


Psychological health of caregivers of people with dementia is a major public concern. This study sought to determine the relationship between caregiver burden, psychological distress, frailty and functional dependency of a relative with advanced dementia. Persons with dementia and their caregivers (102 dyads) participated in this Portuguese community based cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Zarit Burden Interview, the Brief Symptoms Inventory and the Edmonton Frail Scale. Alzheimer's disease was the most common type of dementia among the recipients of care, who showed moderate (42.2%) to severe (52.9%) dementia. Among them 35.3% exhibited moderate and 45.1% severe frailty. Family caregivers reported moderate (76.5%) to severe burden (18.6%). Psychological distress was very high among family caregivers. Results show that people with dementia exhibited moderate (35.3%) or severe frailty (45.1%) and that a severe frailty was found in people with moderate dementia. A one-way ANOVA was conducted between the Global Severity Index and some sociodemographic variables. ANOVA reached p < .01 for employment status of the caregiver, assistance and professional support, and psychiatric history; and p = 0.01 for caregiver age and years of caregiving. Although caregivers reported benefit from the supportive approach offered by the multidisciplinary home care team, high levels of distress and associated burden were found, which might decrease their capacity to care for the person with dementia and their own health and well-being.


Continuous dimensional emotion recognition from audio is a sequential regression problem, where the goal is to maximize correlation between sequences of regression outputs and continuous-valued emotion contours, while minimizing the average deviation. As in other domains, deep neural networks trained on simple acoustic features achieve good performance on this task. Yet, the usual squared error objective functions for neural network training do not fully take into account the above-named goal. Hence, in this paper we introduce a technique for the discriminative training of deep neural networks using the concordance correlation coefficient as cost function, which unites both correlation and mean squared error in a single differentiable function. Results on the MediaEval 2013 and AV+EC 2015 Challenge data sets show that the proposed method can significantly improve the evaluation criteria compared to standard mean squared error training, both in the music and speech domains.


The osmolarity and density of colloids used to prepare spermatozoa for assisted reproduction may affect sperm quality in the resultant preparation. In this study, two osmolarities of Androcoll-E for single-layer or density gradient centrifugation of stallion spermatozoa were compared: "normal" (320 mOsm) or "high" (345 mOsm). Mean yields for the two centrifugation techniques did not differ between treatments or osmolarities (single layer centrifugation: 30.19 ± 16.9 × 106 and 25.8 ± 18.5 × 106 spermatozoa; density gradient centrifugation: 31.84 ± 19.7 × 106 and 26.46 ± 20.0 × 106 spermatozoa respectively for the two osmolarities). However, use of the high osmolarity colloid for single layer centrifugation increased the proportion of morphologically normal spermatozoa (P < .05). Therefore, increasing the osmolarity of the colloid formulation may be beneficial for processing ejaculates containing a high proportion of abnormal spermatozoa by SLC. Reducing the density of the colloid used for the SLC substantially increased the yield of motile spermatozoa compared to the normal density colloid (mean ± SD: 72.6 ± 28.9 × 106 versus 28.9 ± 24.7 × 106), while also prolonging sperm survival by 24 hours compared to the uncentrifuged ejaculate. This increased yield may render Single Layer Centrifugation practical for use in the field.


Interracial/interethnic marriage in America is a barometer of racial/ethnic relations and intergroup social distance. Using data from the 5-percent Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1990 and 2000 censuses, we interpret trends in intermarriage in light of new assimilation theory, recent changes in racial classification, and rapid demographic changes in American society. Our results indicate that changes in marital assimilation have taken on momentum of their own; that is, America's growing biracial population has fueled the growth of interracial marriages with whites. Analyses also shed new light on the effects of rapid immigration, rising cohabitation, and educational upgrading on intermarriage patterns, and yield both continuities and departures from the past. Historic patterns of racial/ethnic differences in intermarriage persist—Hispanics and American Indians are most likely to marry whites, followed closely by Asian Americans. African Americans are least likely to marry whites. Yet, the 1990s brought significant increases in intermarriage between blacks and whites; large increases in cohabitation did not offset the growth of racially-mixed marriages. The past decade also ushered in unprecedented declines in intermarriage with whites and large increases in marriage between native- and foreign-born co-ethnics among Hispanics and Asian Americans. The role of educational attainment in the out-marriage patterns of Hispanics and Asian Americans was also reinforced. Any evidence of differential growth in African American-white marriages among the highly educated African American population was weak. If intermarriage is our guide, any shifting, blurring, or crossing of racial/ethnic boundaries represent uncommonly weak mechanisms for breaking down existing racial barriers to black-white union formation.


Aims The ratio of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is of great interest as a possible novel marker of metabolic syndrome. However, longitudinal studies emphasizing the incremental predictive value of the AST-to-ALT ratio in diagnosing individuals at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome are very scarce. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the AST-to-ALT ratio as an incremental predictor of new onset metabolic syndrome in a population-based cohort study. Material and Methods The population-based cohort study included 2276 adults (903 men and 1373 women) aged 40–70 years, who participated from 2005–2008 (baseline) without metabolic syndrome and were followed up from 2008–2011. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the harmonized definition of metabolic syndrome. Serum concentrations of AST and ALT were determined by enzymatic methods. Results During an average follow-up period of 2.6-years, 395 individuals (17.4%) developed metabolic syndrome. In a multivariable adjusted model, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for new onset of metabolic syndrome, comparing the fourth quartile to the first quartile of the AST-to-ALT ratio, was 0.598 (0.422–0.853). The AST-to-ALT ratio also improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting new cases of metabolic syndrome (0.715 vs. 0.732, P = 0.004). The net reclassification improvement of prediction models including the AST-to-ALT ratio was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.124–0.337, P<0.001), and the integrated discrimination improvement was 0.0094 (95% CI: 0.0046–0.0143, P<0.001). Conclusions The AST-to-ALT ratio independently predicted the future development of metabolic syndrome and had incremental predictive value for incident metabolic syndrome.


: The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity of 1.5% milk mineral (MM) added to uncured cooked beef meatballs and to evaluate possible synergistic effects of MM in combination with 20-ppm or 40-ppm sodium nitrite in beef sausages. All treatments were also formulated with 1.5% salt and 10% added water. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values and Hunter color values were determined at 1 d, 8 d, and 15 d of storage at 2°C. Meatball cooked yield was also measured. Cooked yield was not different (P < 0.05) between control meatballs and those containing MM. As expected, treatments containing nitrite had higher redness (CIE a*) than samples without nitrite. Redness values increased with storage time in sausages containing 40-ppm nitrite. However, redness values decreased (P < 0.05) during storage for control meatballs, associated with increased lipid oxidation (higher TBA values). Lipid oxidation was lower (P < 0.05) in samples containing 1.5% MM with TBA values <1.2 after 15 d of storage compared with 6.1 for control samples. There was no synergistic inhibition of lipid oxidation in samples containing 20-ppm or 40-ppm sodium nitrite plus 1.5% MM. Milk mineral alone at 1.5% of meat weight was sufficient for inhibition of lipid oxidation in cooked beef samples.


Landform evolution models (LEMs) are used to estimate potential surface water runoff and predict resulting erosion and deposition processes on a landform scale. When applied to mining landforms, LEM erosion predictions can be used to inform closure planning and to predict post-closure performance. The requirement to conduct long-term landform evolution modelling is an increasingly common regulatory condition imposed on new mining projects.
The use of LEMs to simulate the post-closure evolution of water-shedding mining landforms such as waste rock dumps is well documented. However, tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are unique landforms. TSFs often have contributing upstream catchments, long and flat (tailings beach) slopes, consist of spatially variable material types, and can be closed systems (i.e. do not release water). These factors all need to be accounted for when using an LEM to simulate a TSF.
This paper presents an approach to landform evolution modelling for TSFs, including an Australian case study using the CAESAR-LISFLOOD model to simulate the evolution of a valley-fill TSF over a 1,000-year post-closure period. Recent developments in the CAESAR-LISFLOOD LEM have significantly improved the run speed and computational efficiency of the model. The approach presented in this paper takes advantage of these improvements, incorporating the use of digital elevation models with different spatial resolutions and
long-term simulations using 1,000 years of sub-daily rainfall data.
The CAESAR-LISFLOOD model can simulate the various material types present at the surface of a TSF landform including tailings, cover material, natural soils in the surrounding catchment, and embankment construction materials. As such, landform evolution modelling for valley-fill TSFs can be used to assess the extent to which erosion can compromise the water storage capacity of the closed TSF. The results of the example presented indicate that the water storage capacity of the TSF will be progressively reduced due to the sediments that are eroded and deposited within the pond area; however, not to the extent that could result in water (and potentially entrained tailings) being discharged to the environment. The results of TSF LEM could also be used to identify areas where design options could improve long-term TSF erosional stability, develop recommendations for model calibration and verification, and to assess whether erosion could result in loss of containment.


Infection with Burkholderia pseudomallei has been described, albeit rarely, patients in Bangladesh. Infection usually follows percutaneous inoculation or inhalation of the causative bacterium, which is present in soil and surface water in the endemic region. A 35-year-young male farmer presented with prolonged fever and significant weight loss. Patient gradually deteriorated despite getting different antibiotics including intravenous ceftriaxone and metronidazole. Panels of investigations were done which revealed no diagnostic confirmation except uncontrolled diabetes and multiple abscesses in different organs. Melioidosis was suspected and serum samples were positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei antibody. The case illustrates the importance of non-specific nature of the clinical presentation and high index of suspicion of uncommon diseases like melioidosis where the disease has not been considered as an endemic.


Semiconductor lasers subject to delayed optical feedback have recently shown great potential in solving computationally hard tasks. By optically implementing a neuro-inspired computational scheme, called reservoir computing, based on the transient response to optical data injection, high processing speeds have been demonstrated. While previous efforts have focused on signal bandwidths limited by the semiconductor laser's relaxation oscillation frequency, we demonstrate numerically that the much faster phase response makes significantly higher processing speeds attainable. Moreover, this also leads to shorter external cavity lengths facilitating future on-chip implementations. We numerically benchmark our system on a chaotic time-series prediction task considering two different feedback configurations. The results show that a prediction error below 4% can be obtained when the data is processed at 0.25 GSamples/s. In addition, our insight into the phase dynamics of optical injection in a semiconductor laser also provides a clear understanding of the system performance at different pump current levels, even below solitary laser threshold. Considering spontaneous emission noise and noise in the readout layer, we obtain good prediction performance at fast processing speeds for realistic values of the noise strength.


BACKGROUND
Providing sufficient and convenient analgesia is crucial during the postoperative period after totalknee replacement (TKR) to enhance patient mobility and reduce stress response to surgery. The scope of this study is to compare the effects of levobupivacaine and levobupivacaine plus fentanyl on stress response and analgesic efficiency after TKR.

METHOD
In this study, 40 ASA I - II patients scheduled to undergo TKR were subjected to combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) injecting of 15 mg levobupivacaine and randomly assigned to receive either levobupivacaine 0.125% (Group L) or levobupivacaine 0.125% plus fentanyl 4 μg ml-1 (Group F) during postoperative period via the epidural route. Patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) was offered for 24 hours. Venous blood samples were assayed for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and prolactin levels before surgery and after analgesia administration. Analgesia was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) at rest (VASR) and during movement (VASM).

RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of total doses, bolus requests, bolus delivered and side effects (p > 0.05). The ACTH, cortisol and prolactin levels increased following the surgery and decreased during PCA infusion in both groups where the decline in Group F was significant (p < 0.05) at 24 hours after the analgesic treatment and 48 hours after the surgery.

CONCLUSION
We have demonstrated that infusion of levobupivacaine (0.125%) in combination with fentanyl (4 μg ml-1) using PCEA suppressed stress response to surgery significantly and provided better pain relief than levobupivacaine (0.125%) alone after TKR.


We point out that labeled causets have a much simpler structure than unlabeled causets. For example, labeled causets can be uniquely specified by a sequence of integers. Moreover, each labeled causet processes a unique predecessor and hence has a unique history. Our main result shows that an arbitrary quantum sequential growth process (QSGP) on the set of labeled causets "compresses" in a natural way onto a QSGP on the set of unlabeled causets. The price we have to pay is that this procedure causes an "explosion" of values due to multiplicities. We also observe that this procedure is not reversible. This indicates that although many QSGPs on the set of unlabeled causets can be constructed using this method, not all can, so it is not completely general. We close by showing that a natural metric can be defined on labeled and unlabeled causets and on their paths.


Abstract. We compare modeled oceanic carbon uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions using a suite of global ocean models and Earth system models. In response to a CO2 pulse emission of 590 Pg C (corresponding to an instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO2 from 278 to 556 ppm), the fraction of CO2 emitted that is absorbed by the ocean is: 37±8%, 56±10%, and 81±4% (model mean ±2σ ) in year 30, 100, and 1000 after the emission pulse, respectively. Modeled oceanic uptake of pulse CO2 on timescales from decades to about a century is strongly correlated with simulated present-day uptake of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and CO2 across all models, while the amount of pulse CO2 absorbed by the ocean from a century to a millennium is strongly correlated with modeled radiocarbon in the deep Southern and Pacific Ocean. However, restricting the analysis to models that are capable of reproducing observations within uncertainty, the correlation is generally much weaker. The rates of surface-to-deep ocean transport are determined for individual models from the instantaneous doubling CO2 simulations, and they are used to calculate oceanic CO2 uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions of different sizes pulses of 1000 and 5000 Pg C. These results are compared with simulated oceanic uptake of CO2 by a number of models simulations with the coupling of climate-ocean carbon cycle and without it. This comparison demonstrates that the impact of different ocean transport rates across models on oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is of similar magnitude as that of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks in a single model, emphasizing the important role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2.


The growing number of mobile and IoT devices able to generate and show incoming notifications is fostering the spread of notifications in people lives. Nonetheless, although users are getting used to them, their presence is not always perceived as a benefit by recipients. With the aim of improving user experience with notifications, two different approaches are presented in this dissertation. The former acts at the distribution level, i.e., notifications are intercepted and then a system decides if, when, and how to show them; while the latter acts at the design level, i.e., notifications and their distribution strategies are designed with the aim of reducing user disruption and exploiting all the benefits that the availability of multiple devices could bring. An IoT architecture is proposed for each approach: the Smart Notification System that relies on machine learning algorithms to adequately manage incoming notifications, and the XDN (Cross-Device Notification) framework that assists developers in creating cross-device notifications by scripting. The modular nature of both architectures allowed the simultaneous development and test of different independent but compatible subsystems and their exploitation in preliminary deployment sessions. The results, feedbacks and lessons learned from such sessions can foster the development of future solutions in the IoT notifications field and related domains.


ABSTRACT The sodium affinity (SA) of caffeine (CAF), adenine (AD) and their microsolvated clusters containing one X molecule (CAF-X and AD-X; X = H2O, NH3, H2S and HF) has been calculated in the gas phase and water, separately. The density functional theory (DFT) employing CAM-B3LYP functional has been used for all of the calculations in this work. The solvent was modelled by the polarised continuum model (PCM) which considers the electrostatic field of solvent on solute. The calculated SA of [CAF-X] and [AD-X] was higher than that of CAF and AD in the gas phase, respectively, which showed that the microsolvation of molecules in the gas phase could be used for changing the tendency of molecules for binding to Na+. Also, it was observed that the electrostatic effect of solvent decreases the SA of the species compared to the gas phase, considerably. The symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) calculations were also used to interpret the change in the SA of CAF and AD due to the clustering with one X molecule in the gas phase. In addition, there is a detailed study on the position of Na+ relative to AD and CAF structures in different conditions including gas phase, microsolvation and electrostatic field of solvent in this work.


There are several elements that constitute the lower esophageal barrier against reflux. What characterizes the abnormality seen in GERD is the loss of an effective barrier combined with refluxed gastric contents. Several techniques including those described by Nissen, Toupet and Hill have become options for reconstructing the physiologic barrier. In this paper, we describe our technique of performing laparoscopic Nissen, Hill and a combined Nissen + Hill hybrid repair for the management of uncomplicated GERD. In a randomized study comparing 46 laparoscopic Nissen to 46 laparoscopic Hill repairs, subjective and objective short term and long term (13 months) outcomes including use of antisecretory agents were equivalent. The number of failures requiring reoperation were also the same but the difference in failure types prompted us to examine the two techniques and fuse them into one to maximize the integrity of the lower esophageal barrier. A comparative study of the Nissen, Hill and hybrid repairs with 15-month follow up showed similar subjective and objective outcomes and specifically no increase in dysphagia for the combined repair. There was also a trend towards less recurrence the hybrid group. More recently, we studied our Nissen repairs and compared them to hybrid repairs over a 22 month median follow up period. Quality of life outcomes were superior for the hybrid group in all domains. For the subset of patients with a mean follow up of 60 months the anatomic recurrence rate was 5% in the hybrid group compared to 45% in the Nissen group. These data strongly suggest that the anchoring of GE junction with Hill sutures reduces the axial stresses on the Nissen wrap to maintain its integrity. The laparoscopic Nissen, and laparoscopic Hill procedures have been proven to have excellent results for the treatment of GERD. Larger studies are underway to demonstrate the long term durability of the hybrid Nissen-Hill procedure in the management of GERD.


Background: Obesity in Qatar is amongst the highest globally and constitutes a serious health risk. Obese individuals are at greater risk of vascular disease compared to the lean, especially in the insulin resistant state. The impact of obesity on endothelial vasomotor function is also adipose tissue depot-dependent, with the visceral environment being more pathogenic. It is, however, unclear how severe the impact of vascular dysfunction is in a relatively young and obese population. Further, it is becoming apparent that obesity-associated vascular dysfunction is heterogeneous. Recent research has focussed on different groups of obese subjects in order to elucidate the mediators of the differential cardiometabolic risk. In pathological obese (PO) subjects, sub-cutaneous adipocyte dysfunction and inflammation have been reported along with adipocyte hypertrophy.
This led to the following hypotheses:
1. The enlarged adipocytes are more susceptible to hypoxia due to decreased capillary density of the depot and changes in vascular tone. Hypoxia leads to cell necrosis and the formation of immunological foci.
2. The more hypoxic and inflamed fat depot secretes less adiponectin, which then may determine the increased systemic insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia seen in the PO.
Specifically differences between metabolically healthy but obese (MHO) and pathologically obese (PO) in relation to capillary density and vascular function was determined.
To facilitate the overall objectives, in this study:
1. A cohort of MHO and PO subjects were identified.
2. Vascular differences in the adipose tissue of PO versus MHO by functional studies (myography) and histological assessment of vascular density were carried out, and,
3. Mechanisms that underlie these differences were investigated.
Methods: Patients were recruited from the local hospital and blood and adipose
tissue (Omental, OM; Subcutaneous, SC) samples collected. Fasting plasma glucose
and insulin were assayed to determine insulin resistance status. Vascular function
was assessed by wire myography. Cumulative concentration-response curves were generated for various vasoconstrictors (e.g. noradrenaline, potassium chloride), and vasodilators (e.g. acetylcholine, Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and prostaglandin E2). Relaxation to acetylcholine was recorded in the absence or presence of Nω-Nitro-L¬arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), indomethacin, diclofenac, BaCl2, apamin+charybdotoxin, and arginine.
mRNA expression of hypertension associated genes in stromal vascular fractions (SVFs) of both depots was assessed by real time RT-PCR. Paraffin-embedded tissues were used for histological studies.
Results: OM arterioles were less sensitive to noradrenaline-mediated vasoconstriction compared with SC (log EC50 -5.9±0.2 vs. -6.5±0.1, p<0.05). Vasorelaxation to acetylcholine was attenuated in OM vessels compared with SC vessels (p<0.01). In contrast, relaxation to SNP was greater in OM compared with SC vessels (p<0.01). Acetylcholine curves for insulin-sensitive patients were less attenuated compared with insulin-resistant patients. L-NAME, apamin, charybdotoxin, and BaCl2 caused right-ward shifts of the acetylcholine curves, while indomethacin, diclofenac and arginine produced the reverse.
In the whole group, COX2 mRNA, but not eNOS and COX1, were up regulated in OM compared with SC SVFs. However, when analyzed separately, in the OM compared to SC SVFs, of the MHO several genes were unregulated (AGT, ARG2, CLIC5, EPHX2, ITPR1 and PRKG1), while in the PO only two were significantly different between the depots (CLIC5 and PDE3B).
Conclusions: Hyperinsulinaemia in adipose tissue microvessels was associated with і) vasocontractile insensitivity to noradrenaline and іі) to changes in NO-mediated vasodilation, at least partially mediated through components of the COX2 pathway.


Chitosan is known to be natural polymers and it is available, biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous source of platelet derived growth factor and transforming growth factor beta that play a role in periodontal regeneration. The present study was designed to evaluate and compare chitosan membrane with or without PRP versus CTG in the treatment of Miller Class I buccal gingival recession ≥ 4 mm in width. Thirty sites in patients with Miller Class I buccal gingival recession ≥ 4 mm in width were included in this study. The patients were classified randomly into three treatment groups, ten sites for each group. Selected recession sites were treated with one of the following three modalities. Group I: connective tissue graft in addition coronally advanced flap. Group II: chitosan membrane in addition coronally advanced flap. Group III: chitosan membrane, autologous platelet-rich plasma in addition coronally advanced flap. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), recession height (RH), recession width (RW), digital measurements of area of recession and height of the keratinized tissue (HKT) were recorded at baseline and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post surgically, except for PPD & CAL which were assessed at 6 and 12 months post surgically. Gingival thickness (GT) was recorded at baseline and after 12 months post surgically. Percentage of root coverage (RC) was recorded at 1, 3, 6, 12 months and wound healing index (WHI) was recorded at 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. All groups showed comparable results at the end of the study period. The three treatment modalities showed a statistically significant reduction in CAL at 6 and 12 months as compared to the mean baseline value. Intergroup comparison showed that group III had significantly less RH, RW, and digital measurement of recession area as compared to group I at one month, while there was statistically insignificant difference between group II and I. On the other hand, the results at 3, 6 and 12 months post-surgery were comparable and statistically insignificant. Difference in all treated groups there was a statistically significant increase in the mean HKT up to 12 months as compared to the mean baseline value.  However, CTG lead to more HKT as compared to groups II & III. There was a statistically significant increase in the mean GT after 12 months post-surgery in all treated groups. The mean GT was more significantly increased in group I & III as compared to group II. A statistically significant reduction in WHI in chitosan membrane and chitosan membrane and PRP groups when compared to the CTG group at 2 weeks post-operatively. Clinical results of the present study indicated that, the addition of chitosan membrane with or without PRP to CAF resulted in root coverage comparable to CTG but without the discomfort as in the second surgical procedure and the potential clinical difficulties associated with the donor site surgery. Clinically the addition of PRP to chitosan resulted in an increase gingival thickness as compared to chitosan membrane alone. Gingival thickness in group III (chitosan with PRP) was comparable to CTG.


Background

Several studies have reported the potential benefits of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to improve memory performance in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), memory profile is characterized by a core deficit in ability to benefit of the cueing. So far, only a few authors showed improvement in recognition memory task after anodal tDCS over different brain regions.

Methods and findings

In a double-blind design, we assessed the effect of 10 anodal tDCS sessions over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on verbal cued recall in a 69-year-old patient with probable AD. This man underwent one active stimulation (30 min of 2 mA anodal tDCS, twice a day, for 5 consecutive days) 3 weeks after receiving one sham stimulation (30 min of 0 mA anodal tDCS, twice a day, for 5 consecutive days). After active tDCS, our results showed improved Index of Sensitivity to Cueing (ISC) by 35% and 33%, for both total and delayed recall, respectively, compared to a 1.5% decrease and an increase of only 9% with sham tDCS. In addition, active tDCS resulted in a decrease of 67% in the number of intrusions compared to an increase of 8% for sham tDCS. The treatment was well tolerated and no serious side-effects were reported at any time.

Conclusions

These results suggest that tDCS could be used as a safety adjunctive therapeutic tool in AD. Keywords Alzheimer's


Background: Undaria pinnatifida (wakame) is an edible seaweed. Wakame is a common food in the Japanese diet which exhibits various biological effects. Wakame is rich in dietary fiber. Despite the long history of its intake, changes in the intestinal environment following the ingestion of wakame are unclear.Methods: We examined the effect of a 2-week intake of wakame on defecation frequency and the intestinal microbiota of 22 healthy individuals suffering from low defecation frequency. The clinical trial was designed as an open-label study.Results: Defecation frequency, defined in terms of times per week, days per week, and volume per week significantly increased during the wakame intake period. Furthermore, based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), the fraction of bifidobacteria as a percentage of all fecal bacteria increased significantly during the wakame intake period. At the phylum, next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that the relative abundance of Actinobacteria after wakame intake significantly increased while the abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased. Moreover, species-level analyses revealed that the abundance of Bifidobacterium longum increased significantly after wakame intake. B. longum colony counts on wakame-containing medium were significantly higher than those on medium without wakame.Conclusion: These observations suggest that wakame intake improves intestinal environment and increases the fecal population of bifidobacteria, indicating that it may have prebiotic properties.Keywords: Undaria pinnatifida; wakame; bowel movement; intestinal microbiota; fiber; Bifidobacterium


Atorvastatin (ATO), Rosuvastatin (RST) and Simvastatin (SIM) are commonly used drugs that belong to the statin family (lowering human blood cholesterol levels) and have been detected as contaminants in natural waters. Stability and removal of statins from wastewater produced at Al-Quds University Campus were investigated. Kinetic studies in pure water (abiotic degradation), in sludge (biodegradability) and in Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) at room temperature were investigated. Heterogeneous photocatalysis using the semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO2) has proven to be a promising treatment technology for water purification. The degradation reactions of the three drugs in wastewater at room temperature follow first order kinetics with rate constants of 2.2 x 10 -7 s -1 (ATO), 1.8 x 10 -7 s -1 (RST) and 1.8 x 10 -6 s -1 (SIM), which are larger than those obtained in pure water under the same conditions, 1.9x 10 -8 s -1 (ATO), 2.2x 10 -8 s -1 (RST) and 6.2 x 10 -7 s -1 (SIM). AOPs process was proposed and applied. TiO2, used as catalyst, owns two important properties: high photo-catalytic activity and low cost. Photo-degradation of Atorvastatin was much faster under light irradiation in presence of TiO2 (photocatalysis) (t1/2 = 1.15 hours, 0.704h -1 ) than under Suntest irradiation (photolysis) (t1/2 = 5.0 hours, 0.165h -1 ). Degradation products were identified by LC-MS and LC/MS/MS. The overall performance of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) installed in Al-Quds University Campus towards the removal of these drugs was assessed showing that more than 90% of spiked ATO, RST and SIM were removed. In order to evaluate the efficiency of alternative removal methods to replace ultra-filtration membranes, adsorption isotherms for the three statins were investigated using both activated carbon and clay-micelle complex as adsorbents and AOP's as a post treatment. The batch adsorption isotherms for the three statins were found to fit Langmuir equation, with larger number of adsorption sites and binding affinity for micelle-clay composite compared to activated carbon and filtration experiments of the three statins and their corresponding metabolites demonstrated a more efficient removal by micelle-clay filters.


Background: Although the prevalence of pneumonia in pregnancy is reported to be less than 1%, the pregnant state and risk factors associated with the development of pneumonia adversely influence the outcome of pregnancy. KwaZulu-Natal is at the epicenter of the dual epidemics of tuberculosis and HIV-1 and the impact of these diseases occurring concurrently in pregnant women at King Edward VIII hospital (KEH), South Africa have been described previously. The impact of antenatal pneumonia in HIV1 infected and uninfected women however has not been described in the study population and was investigated. Methods: Pregnant women with clinical and radiological evidence of pneumonia were recruited from the antenatal clinic and labour ward at KEH. The study was conducted prospectively between January and December 2000. The clinical profile of these women and the causative organisms were determined. In addition the impact of HIV1 infection, maternal immunosuppression and maternal pneumonia on obstetric and perinatal outcomes were evaluated. Mothers diagnosed with tuberculosis and multi drug resistant tuberculosis were hospitalised at King George V hospital until delivery. Results: Twenty nine women were diagnosed with antenatal pneumonia (study arm) with Mycobacterium tuberculosis the only causative organism isolated. A control arm of 112 pregnant women was also studied. Maternal and perinatal mortality was restricted to the study arm with a maternal mortality ratio of 99 per 100 000 live births and a perinatal mortality rate of 240 per 1000 births. Pneumonia was significantly associated with a negative overall obstetric outcome in the presence of HIVl infection, antenatal care, anaemia and second trimester booking status. In addition, the presence of pneumonia was significantly associated with maternal mortality. There was a highly significant association between exposure to pneumonia and poor neonatal outcome. Maternal pneumonia, maternal HIV infection and the presence of medical and obstetric conditions were significantly associated with low birth weight and neonatal pneumonia. Further, maternal pneumonia (p <0.001) and concurrent HIV infection (p=0.002) was significantly associated with neonatal death. Conclusion: The presence of pneumonia in the antenatal period impacts negatively on maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Health care providers must maintain a high degree of suspicion when managing a pregnant woman with unresolving upper respiratory tract symptoms and refer timeously for further investigation. Pneumonia and in particular pulmonary tuberculosis associated with HIV coinfection in pregnancy is a threat to mother and baby. Therefore in areas endemic for TB and HIV infection, it may be prudent to screen HIV positive pregnant women for symptoms


A growing literature documents deleterious consequences of incarceration for mental health. Although salient, incarceration is only one form of criminal justice contact and, accordingly, focusing on incarceration may mask the extent to which the criminal justice system influences mental health. Using insights from the stress process paradigm, along with nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we examine criminal justice contact—defined as arrest, conviction, and incarceration—and mental health. First, fixed-effects models, which adjust for stable unobserved and time-varying observed characteristics, show that arrest is deleteriously associated with mental health, and arrest accounts for nearly half of the association between incarceration and poor mental health, although certain types of incarceration appear more consequential than others. Second, the associations are similar across race and ethnicity; this, combined with racial/ethnic disparities in contact, indicates that criminal justice interactions exacerbate minority health inequalities. Third, the associations between criminal justice contact, especially arrest and incarceration, and mental health are particularly large among respondents residing in contextually disadvantaged areas during adolescence. Taken together, the results suggest that the consequences of criminal justice contact for mental health have a far greater reach than previously considered.


Summary To provide production of biodiesel fuel agriculture is required to grow "00" oilseed rape cultivars. In continuous process of the fuel production, grown oilseed rape seed should be regularly dried and properly stored. Drying rate and drying quality of the seed depends on physical conditions of the atmosphere when drying, physical and chemical properties of the material used, and the thickness of the layer through which water is diff used in the regime of drying. Th e study has been carried out on three "00" oilseed rape cultivars during three years period. Mathematical models of drying have been made to enable mutual comparison among the cultivars. Among the cultivars tested no signifi cant diff erences were found regarding drying during one-year period. However, signifi cant diff erences were found when comparison was made within the years of examination.


A 2-year transit study is reported, which brought to a focus an extensive 12-year history of efforts to improve transportation in this region of growing towns and long-distance commuters, the fastest growing region of New Jersey. The study screened and evaluated 40 potential rail and bus alternatives along 8 corridors, and recommended two projects to progress further toward implementation: bus priority treatments; and passenger rail service along a reconstructed freight line. The details are given of the 2-phase process: defining of 40 alternatives and screening down to a short list of about a dozen; and a detailed evaluation of the short list.


In hydro turbine design, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) may play an important role. Examples are flow induced inertia and damping effects, vortex induced vibrations in the lock-in vicinity, or hydroelastic instabilities of flows in deforming gaps (e.g. labyrinth seals). In contrast to aeroelasticity, hydroelastic systems require strongly (iteratively) coupled or even monolithic solution procedures, since the fluid mass which is moving with the structure (added-mass effect) is much higher and changes the dynamic behavior of submerged structures considerably. Depending on the mode shape, natural frequencies of a turbine runner in water may be reduced to less than 50% of the corresponding frequencies in air, and flow induced damping effects may become one or two orders of magnitude higher than structural damping. In order to reduce modeling effort and calculation time, the solution strategy has to be adapted precisely to a given application. Hence, depending on the problem to solve, different approximations may apply. Examples are the calculation of natural frequencies and response spectra in water using an acoustic fluid formulation, the determination of flow induced damping effects by means of partitioned FSI including complex turbulent flows, and the identification of hydroelastic instabilities using monolithic coupling of non-linear structural dynamics and water flow.


Software product lines (SPL) have been established as one of the best ways to promote reuse of both requirements and software architecture, even with a high cost when compared to the development of single systems. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) can further facilitate the development of SPL, since several features of the SPL can be implemented by services available on a network. This paper presents SoProL-WS, which is a deve-lopment approach for SPL using SOA. The focus of this article is in the domain engineering phase, where the SPL architecture is developed based on services. From this architecture, one can derive products in the subsequent application engineering phase. The goal of SoProL-WS is to reduce SPL development costs and time, facilitating its maintenance, evolution and derivation of its members. Additionally, this paper presents a case study where SoProl-WS is applied to develop a product line for Web auctions.


Screening is important for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of diseases. A good screening policy should be personalized to the disease, to the features of the patient and to the dynamic history of the patient (including the history of screening). The growth of electronic health records data has led to the development of many models to predict the onset and progression of different diseases. However, there has been limited work to address the personalized screening for these different diseases. In this work, we develop the first framework to construct screening policies for a large class of disease models. The disease is modeled as a finite state stochastic process with an absorbing disease state. The patient observes an external information process (for instance, self-examinations, discovering comorbidities, etc.) which can trigger the patient to arrive at the clinician earlier than scheduled screenings. The clinician carries out the tests; based on the test results and the external information it schedules the next arrival. Computing the exactly optimal screening policy that balances the delay in the detection against the frequency of screenings is computationally intractable; this paper provides a computationally tractable construction of an approximately optimal policy. As an illustration, we make use of a large breast cancer data set. The constructed policy screens patients more or less often according to their initial risk -- it is personalized to the features of the patient -- and according to the results of previous screens – it is personalized to the history of the patient. In comparison with existing clinical policies, the constructed policy leads to large reductions (28-68 %) in the number of screens performed while achieving the same expected delays in disease detection.


Shape description and recognition is an important and interesting problem in scene analysis. Our approach to shape description is a formal model of a shape consisting of a set of primitives, their properties, and their interrelationships. The primitives are the simple parts and intrusions of the shape which can be derived through the graph-theoretic clustering procedure described in [31]. The interrelationships are two ternary relations on the primitives: the intrusion relation which relates two simple parts that join to the intrusion they surround and the protrusion relation which relates two intrusions to the protrusion between them. Using this model, a shape matching procedure that uses a tree search with look-ahead to find mappings from a prototype shape to a candidate shape has been developed. An experimental Snobol4 implementation has been used to test the program on hand-printed character data with favorable results.


This study is carried out to optimize the tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) performance in the reflection mode. This optimization starts by controlling the tilt angle, that causes an intensive decrease in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) at the expense on the peak reflectivity. Grating tilt angle is compromised at 5° where a mutual point between narrower FWHM and unity peak reflectivity is achieved successfully. Then, different apodization profiles are applied with TFBG that yield a better performance concerning sidelobes. In general, the TFBG shows a better reflection spectrum when compared to regular FBG. The Nuttall apodization achieves the best performance. Asymptotic decay of 17 dB/nm, low main sidelobe strength (MSLS) of -206 dB, and a narrow FWHM around 0.16 nm were achieved.


Highly sensitive photodetectors for the mid infrared have been obtained by placing a photodiode inside a Fabry Perot cavity. These resonant cavity enhanced detectors (RCED) are sensitive at the resonances only, which depend on the distance between the two mirrors of the cavity. Displacing one of these mirrors allows changing the cavity length and thus selecting the detection wavelength. The design, simulation and fabrication of a MEMS mirror and its integration with the counter mirror and the photodiode grown by molecular beam epitaxy are presented. First results with external mirrors moved by piezoactuation are described, too.


This book is a study of the historical record of Muslim women's property rights and equity. Based on Islamic court documents of 15th Century Granada - documents that show a high degree of women's involvement - the book examines women's legal entitlements to acquire property as well as the social and economic significance of these rights to Granada's female population and, by extension, to women in other Islamic societies. The micro-history of women's property rights is placed in a comparative historical, social, and economic context and is examined using a theoretical framework that suggests how this book's conclusions might coexist with the Islamic feminist discourse on the law as a patriarchal system, serving to highlight both the uniqueness and the limitations of the Islamic case. The specifics presented in the case studies reveal the broader structures, constructs, rules, conditions, factors, and paradigms that shaped women's property rights under Islamic law. They show that women's property rights were more than just part of a legal system; they were the product of a legal philosophy and a pervasive paradigm that made property ownership a normal construct of the Muslim woman's legal persona and a norm of her existence.


In this thesis, firstly we introduce various reduced-complexity near-optimum Sphere Detection (SD) algorithms, including the well-known depth-first SD, the K-best SD as well as the recently proposed Optimized Hierarchy Reduced Search Algorithm (OHRSA), followed by comparative studies of their applications, characteristics, performance and complexity in the context of uncoded non-cooperative Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems using coherent detection. Particular attention is devoted to Spatial Division Multiple Accessing (SDMA) aided Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems, which are considered to constitute a promising candidate for next-generation mobile communications. It is widely recognized that the conventional List SD (LSD) employed in channel-coded iterative detection aided systems may still impose a potentially excessive complexity, especially when it is applied to high-throughput scenarios employing high-order modulation schemes and/or supporting a high number of transmit antennas/users. Hence, in this treatise three complexity-reduction schemes are devised specifically for LSD-aided iterative receivers in the context of high-throughput channel-coded SDMA/OFDM systems in order to maintain a near-optimum performance at a reduced complexity. Explicitly, based on the exploitation of the soft-bit-information fed back by the channel decoder, the iterative center-shifting and Apriori-LLR-Threshold (ALT) schemes are contrived, which are capable of achieving a significant complexity reduction. Additionally, a powerful three-stage serially concatenated scheme is created by intrinsically amalgamating our proposed center-shifting-assisted SD with the decoder of a Unity-Rate-Code (URC). For the sake of achieving a near-capacity performance, Irregular Convolutional Codes (IrCCs) are used as the outer code for the proposed iterative center-shifting SD aided three-stage system. In order to attain extra coding gains along with transmit diversity gains for Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) systems, where each user is equipped with multiple antennas, we contrive a multilayer tree-search based K-best SD scheme, which allows us to apply the Sphere Packing (SP) aided Space-Time Block Coding (STBC) scheme to the MU-MIMO scenarios, where a near Maximuma-Posteriori (MAP) performance is achieved at a low complexity. An alternative means of achieving transmit diversity while circumventing the cost and size constraints of implementing multiple antennas on a pocket-sized mobile device is cooperative diversity, which relies on antenna-sharing amongst multiple cooperating single-antenna-aided users. We design a realistic cooperative system, which operates without assuming the knowledge of the Channel State Information (CSI) at transceivers by employing differentially encoded modulation at the transmitter and non-coherent detection at the receiver. Furthermore, a new Multiple-Symbol Differential Sphere Detection (MSDSD) is contrived in order to render the cooperative system employing either the Differential Amplify-and-Forward (DAF) or the Differential Decode-and-Forward (DDF) protocol more robust to the detrimental channel-envelope fluctuations of high-velocity mobility environments. Additionally, for the sake of achieving the best possible performance, a resource optimized hybrid relaying scheme is proposed for exploiting the complementarity of the DAF- and DDF-aided systems. Finally, we investigate the benefits of introducing cooperative mechanisms into wireless networks from a pure channel capacity perspective and from the practical perspective of approaching the Discrete-input Continuous-output Memoryless Channel (DCMC) capacity of the cooperative network with the aid of our proposed Irregular Distributed Hybrid Concatenated Differential (Ir-DHCD) coding scheme.


Seen from above the North Pole, Earth seems to have male pattern baldness, with a barren pate fringed by vegetation. Now researchers have compiled the first detailed map (below) showing which hardy plants inhabit the far north.The Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map, available at this site* from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, describes 400 plant communities covering 7.1 million square kilometers. Eleven years in the making, the chart will provide a baseline for a region that is changing rapidly due to shifting climate and accelerating development. Scientists from six nations layered data from existing maps and field surveys onto infrared satellite imagery. Link to the related Circumpolar Arctic Geobotanical Atlas† for more maps that depict soil pH, plant biomass, and other data. * www.geobotany.uaf.edu/cavm † www.geobotany.uaf.edu/arcticgeobot


Land and building tax was one of taxes which was potentially to be explored as revenue source. Tax revenue was really determined from taxpayers obedience in running their responsibility in tax field. This researchwas aimed at explaining the effect of income rate, taxpayer knowledge, Service Quality, Taxpayers Awareness, and Tax Punishment in influencing tax payers obedience in paying rural and urbam land and building tax. The study was located at Teluk Segars district in Bengkulu city. The method used in this research was quantitative research, by using questionnaire as the instrument which was spread out to 91 rural and urban land and building tax, tax payers at Teluk Segara district. Data  analyzing in this study used rating scale and likert scale analysis. The result of this research showed that one of indicators, namely taxpayers knowledge, gained the highest score is 367 . It meant that the indicator could influence taxpayers obedience, but it was not the factor that was able to make taxpayers obedient to pay land and building tax because of private interest reason. The indicator which gained the lowest score is 171 was income rate which meant it could not influence taxpayers obedience because land and building tax rate was relatively cheap and achievable by them to pay. Key Words: Income Rate, Taxpayer Knowledge, Service Quality, Taxpayer Awareness, Tax Punishment , Taxpayer Compliance