Mobility in transnational spaces modifies the relationships between individuals and within families and households in both sending and host countries. The impacts of gender on individuals" behaviour essentially establish the long-term effects migration brings in their lives. In this paper, after presenting the theoretical grounding of the research group "transnational lives, mobility and gender" (TLM&G)2, I will discuss the epistemological implications and choices involved in the methods of data collection in transnational mobility studies. I will conclude pointing to the necessity of rethinking mobility and family studies in a transnational gendered perspective through the adaptation of methodological instruments to the reality of contemporary human mobility. The general aim of the TLM&G research group is to explore the impact of mobility on individuals" lives, considering family and household relationships, and taking into account how integration experiences are affected by gender representations and selfperceptions. From the academic point of view, this research group will reinforce the sociological approach and the scientific background in this area in European and African countries, with a potential impact on transnationalism, migration, and family studies. Looking at mobility as a human right and opportunity for individuals and families, the aim is to contribute to a renewed theoretical approach on the differentiated conditions pertaining to migration access in the origin society as well as a differentiated scope of social integration in the host society.


This study provides a critical examination of how different theoretical perspectives present the concept of entrepreneurship and its relative issues evident in the creation and development of some theories, trends and strategies. As an entrepreneur is the most important factor either to the development of new ventures or to the majority of the theories of entrepreneurship, the present analysis highlights his/her roles and underlies the differences and similarities in various reviews and how he/she designated in the past and present days. Core issues related to entrepreneurship are also presented with the aim of developing insights that would advance the concept of entrepreneurship and accentuate types of entrepreneurship where different entrepreneurial skills, such as opportunity recognition and risk-taking, are apparent and help educators interested in the entrepreneurial education.


Individuals with spinal cord injuries, particularly quadriplegic patients, are carrying on with an exceptionally difficult life. There arises a need to develop an assistive innovation which can ease the difficulty faced by quadriplegic patients in this circumstance. There are a few advancements intended to help quadriplegic patients face their challenges. This project proposes one of those advancements, a noninvasive tongue controlled wireless assistive device which possesses a head mounted IR sensor set reciprocally on either side of the cheeks. This has been planned diplomatically for the easy use of the quadriplegic patients. Here the patient's tongue manoeuvring is distinguished by an ease intelligent Infrared sensor, which is then converted into commands and remotely transmitted to show on the LCD screen. The adjustment in reflection power of the sensor by the tongue movement enables to give several commands.


. Factor models (FM) are now widely used for forecasting with large set of time series. Another class of models, which can be easily estimated and used in a large dimensional setting, is multivariate autoregressive models (MAR), where independent autoregressive processes are assumed for the series in the panel. When applied to big data, the estimation, model selection and combination of both models can be time consuming. We assume both FM and MAR models are misspecified and provide a scoring rule which can be evaluated on an initial training sample to either select or combine the models in forecasting exercises on the whole sample. Some numerical illustrations are provided both on simulated data and on well known large economic datasets. The empirical results show that the frequency of the true positive signals is larger when FM and MAR forecasting performances differ substantially and it decreases as the horizon increases.


In anticipation of the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark "Brown v." "Board of Education "decision, Catherine Prendergast draws on a combination of insights from legal studies and literacy studies to interrogate contemporary multicultural literacy initiatives, thus providing a sound historical basis that informs current debates over affirmative action, school vouchers, reparations, and high-stakes standardized testing.As a result of "Brown "and subsequent crucial civil rights court cases, literacy and racial justice are firmly enmeshed in the American imaginationso much so that it is difficult to discuss one without referencing the other. Breaking with the accepted wisdom that the "Brown "decision was an unambiguous victory for the betterment of race relations, "Literacy and Racial Justice: The Politics of Learning after "Brown v. Board of Education finds that the ruling reinforced traditional conceptions of literacy as primarily white property to be controlled and disseminated by an empowered majority. Prendergast examines civil rights era Supreme Court rulings and immigration cases spanning a century of racial injustice to challenge the myth of assimilation through literacy. Advancing from "Ways with Words, " Shirley Brice Heath s landmark study of desegregated communities, Prendergast argues that it is a shared understanding of literacy as white property which continues to impact problematic classroom dynamics and education practices.To offer a positive model for reimagining literacy instruction that is truly in the service of racial justice, Prendergast presents a naturalistic study of an alternative public secondary school. Outlining new directions and priorities for inclusive literacy scholarship in America, "Literacy and Racial Justice "concludes that a literate citizen is one who can engage rather than overlook longstanding legacies of racial strife."


Many developing countries are experiencing high rates of emigration of their highly skilled citizens. This essay asks if a cosmopolitan—who we take to be generally supportive of freer international migration—should worry about the adverse effects on those remaining behind in poor countries. We document the extent of skilled outflows, discuss the causes and consequences of those outflows, and offer principles to guide a cosmopolitan policy response. We argue that skilled emigration harms long-run institutional development. The right response, however, is not to shut down the one reasonably liberal element of the international migration regime but to look for ways to make international migration work better for development.


It is widely held that the gradual development of metarepresentational Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities constituted at least one important hominid upgrade. Are such abilities really needed to explain hominid (i) tool-making, (ii) social cohesion, or even (iii) basic interpretative and language formation/learning capabilities? I propose an alternative explanation of what underlies these sophisticated capacities – the Mimetic Ability Hypothesis (MAH). MAH claims that a vastly increased capacity for recreative imagination best explains the kinds of sophisticated intersubjective engagements of which hominids would have been capable – and that these constituted an important basis for the development of complex language. This proposal puts the idea of the evolution of ToM devices under considerable strain.How did humans bridge the tremendous gap between symbolic thought and the nonsymbolic forms of intelligence that still dominate the rest of the animal kingdom? Merlin Donald, Origins of the Modern Mind


The key role of emotions in decision-making process of human beings has been highlighted recently. Our research focuses on fear-related emotions and their positive impact on the survival capabilities of human beings in case of crisis situations. In this paper, we proposed a new model of emotional contagion based on some main findings in social psychology. This model was formalized mathematically, implemented and tested in the GAMA agent-based simulation platform in the context of evacuation simulation. We assessed experimentally the impact of three factors (emotion decay, environment, neighbors' emotional contagion) on emotion dynamics at individual and group levels. The experimental results allow us to understand the emotional contagion of agent group in several scenarios. The proposed model will help us to better study the impact of emotional contagion on evacuation safety in evacuation simulation. The entire theoretical model has been implemented in the simulation platform GAMA.


The car has become ubiquitous in late modern society and has become the leading object in the ordinary social relations of mobility. Despite its centrality to the culture and material form of modern societies, the relationship between the car and human beings has remained largely unexplored by sociology. This article argues that cars are combined with their drivers into an assemblage, the 'driver-car', which has become a form of social being that brings about distinctive social actions in modern society – driving, transporting, parking, consuming, polluting, killing, communicating and so on. To understand the nature of this assemblage a number of theoretical perspectives that describe the interaction and collaboration between human beings and complex objects are explored; the process of driving, 'affordance', actor-network theory, and the embodied relationship between driver and car. This theoretical account of the driver-car is intended as a preliminary to the empirical investigation of the place of the driver-car in modern societies.


ABSTRACT A new genus and species of deepwater lobster of the family Nephropidae, Dinochelus ausubeli n. gen., n. sp., is described from the Philippine Sea off the island of Luzon. The new genus and species is most closely related to species of Thaumastocheles and Thaumastochelopsis, sharing the distinctive, strongly dimorphic chelipeds, and shares features of both genera. Most notably, D. ausubeli n. gen., n. sp. shares movable well-developed eyestalks with species of Thaumastochelopsis (versus highly reduced and fixed eyestalks in species of Thaumastocheles), and similar branchial formula and uropod structure with Thaumastocheles. Dinochelus n. gen. differs from species of Thaumastocheles and Thaumastochelopsis (as well as all other clawed lobsters) in having an inverted, T-shaped epistome. Phylogenetic analysis of 12S rRNA sequences indicated that Dinochelus n. gen. is sister to a Thaumastocheles + Thaumastochelopsis clade. The new species is named after Jesse Ausubel at the occasion of the 10-year synthesis of the Census of Marine Life.


In this book Mark Edmundson reverses the usual practice of using Freud to analyze literary texts. Instead, he reads Freud by analogy with major imaginative writers for whom the figuring and refiguring of the self is a central activity. His readings expose a dialectic between the therapeutic Freud and Freud the sublime author and challenge the normative role of psychoanalysis both in society and in literary criticism. Edmundson begins by comparing the Oedipal passage in The Interpretation of Dreams with works of Sophocles and Shakespeare. He reads Freud's "On Narcissism" through the lens of Eve's Narcissus scene in Paradise Lost; considers the papers on therapeutic technique against Wordsworth's Prelude and major lyrics; and places the ethos of "Mourning and Melancholia" in contrast to the American "refusal to mourn" that informs Emerson's essays. The readings show that even as Freud is representing general human limits, he is frequently reinventing himself symbolically in ways that defy his own normative standards. Edmundson asks, then, whether Freud's self-creating drive, or that exemplified by any of the "literary" authors in the study, can serve as an example of useful resistance against the tendencies that normative psychoanalysis reinforces within society.


When the time comes to file a tax return, a taxpayer must take into account the legal framework for the entire tax compliance process. This process includes determining one's own tax liability, timely reporting and paying the liability, and considering that the taxpayer and the Service each have a limited amount of time to make changes to the initial reported amount.
The first step, determining one's own tax liability, is no small task. Determining how much to pay the government has no natural analog as in other areas of the law. Although the idea that stealing is bad is instilled in us at such an early age that it seems natural, trying to decide how much tax to pay without guidance from the government would be fruitless. The government communicates its expectations for what each taxpayer is required to pay through statutes, administrative guidance, and judicial opinions. The substantive law is an immense body of law, and a framework for tax compliance ought to discuss how to translate it. Translating the government's expectations for determining one's own tax liability requires construing statutes, weighing administrative guidance, and evaluating precedent.
The second step in tax compliance is reporting and paying the tax liability. Unfortunately, these two concepts are not as interconnected as one might think so they require separate discussion. The requirements for reporting and paying have completely difference sources of law, are subject to different penalty rates for noncompliance, and are treated differently when it comes to extending due dates. A taxpayer may also amend her initial reporting. When there is an error in the taxpayer's favor she may request a refund by filing an amended return.
The final step involves the consideration of how long the taxpayer and the Service have to ask for more money. Generally, each has three years to do so. The taxpayer has three years to claim a refund if she has overpaid, and the Service has three years to assess additional tax if the taxpayer has underpaid. These limitations periods are subject to various exceptions. These exceptions are generally more lenient on the government who legitimately needs more time to examine a taxpayer's reporting in certain situations.


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ABSTRACT Objectives: Qualitative research has suggested that spousal experiences of discontinuity in their relationship with a person who has dementia (i.e. the relationship is experienced as radically changed) may contribute to heightened feelings of burden, entrapment, isolation, guilt and intolerance of behaviours that challenge. By contrast, continuity in the relationship may contribute to a greater sense of achievement and gratification from providing care. The present study served as a quantitative test of these suggestions. Method: A convenience sample of 71 spouses of people with dementia completed three questionnaires - the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the Positive Aspects of Caregiving measure (PAC) and the Birmingham Relationship Continuity Measure (BRCM). Results: In accordance with the hypotheses, the experience of greater relationship continuity (higher BRCM scores) was correlated with fewer negative emotional reactions to caregiving (lower ZBI scores; rho = −.795) and more positive emotional reactions (higher PAC scores; rho = .764). Conclusions: The study provided some quantitative support for suggestions arising from qualitative research about how perceptions of continuity/discontinuity in the relationship may impact on the caregiving spouse's emotional well-being. Helping couples to maintain a sense of continuity and couplehood may assist their emotional adjustment to dementia.


The semiclassical general formula for the probability of radiation of twisted photons by ultrarelativistic scalar and Dirac particles moving in the electromagnetic field of a general form is derived. This formula is the analog of the Baier-Katkov formula for the probability of radiation of one plane wave photon with the quantum recoil taken into account. The derived formula is used to describe the radiation of twisted photons by charged particles in undulators and laser waves. Thus, the general theory of undulator radiation of twisted photons and radiation of twisted photons in the nonlinear Compton process is developed with account for the quantum recoil. The explicit formulas for the probability to record a twisted photon are obtained in these cases. In particular, we found that the quantum recoil and spin degrees of freedom increase the radiation probability of twisted photons in comparison with the formula for scalar particles without recoil. In the range of applicability of the semiclassical formula, the selection rules for undulator radiation established in the purely classical framework are not violated. The manifestation of the blossoming out rose effect in the nonlinear Compton process in a strong laser wave with circular polarization and in the wiggler radiation is revealed. Several examples are studied: the radiation of MeV twisted photons by $180$ GeV electrons in the wiggler; the radiation of twisted photons by $256$ MeV electrons in strong electromagnetic waves produced by the CO$_2$ and Ti:Sa lasers; and the radiation of MeV twisted photons by $51.1$ MeV electrons in the electromagnetic wave generated by the FEL with photon energy $1$ keV.


The need to limit IMF financial rescues is a theme of the literature on how to make the world a safer financial place. Those who propose to simply prohibit IMF rescues assume that it is politically feasible for the Fund to stand aside when a crisis erupts. The reality is that the costs of inaction (a severe economic contraction, an extended interruption to capital-market access, and a lengthy and difficult restructuring) are too painful for the official community to bear. In this first 'Special Report' in the ICMB/CEPR series of Geneva Reports on the World Economy, Professor Eichengreen argues that institutional reforms that address these dilemmas are needed if the international policy community is to succeed in containing moral hazard. Barry Eichengreen, University of California Berkeley and CEPR.


One fundamental assumption in object recognition as well as in other computer vision and pattern recognition problems is that the data generation process lies on a manifold and that it respects the intrinsic geometry of the manifold. This assumption is held in several successful algorithms for diffusion and regularization, in particular, in graph-Laplacian-based algorithms. We claim that the performance of existing algorithms can be improved if we additionally account for how the manifold is embedded within the ambient space, i.e., if we consider the extrinsic geometry of the manifold. We present a procedure for characterizing the extrinsic (as well as intrinsic) curvature of a manifold M which is described by a sampled point cloud in a high-dimensional Euclidean space. Once estimated, we use this characterization in general diffusion and regularization on M, and form a new regularizer on a point cloud. The resulting re-weighted graph Laplacian demonstrates superior performance over classical graph Laplacian in semi-supervised learning and spectral clustering.


Northern Central America is a tectonically complex zone defined by its borders with Cocos and North America plates. The Middle America subduction zone and the strike-slip motion along the North America-Caribbean plate boundary, in that order, control most of its deformation. The interaction between the different elements of the studied area is evident from the high seismicity in the region, especially along plate boundaries. Also in the interior of the region, seismicity shows that deformation takes place, though in lesser degree. In a time window of 30 years, three earthquakes with moment magnitude larger than 7 struck northern Central America evincing the need to estimate the seismic hazard for the zone. To tackle the problem, we compiled a catalogue of hypocenters commencing in 1964, defined seismogenic sources and described the evolution of earthquake activity through a Poisson model. Probabilistic seismic hazard (PSH) calculations for the next 50 years were performed. The highest estimate of seismic hazard was obtained for the zone adjacent to the subduction zone. Because of the fundamental importance of demarcating seismogenic sources in the PSH analysis, i.e. defining the seismotectonic model, we extended the catalogue to cover 102 years for the whole northern Central America. We have studied the North America-Caribbean plate boundary in order to refine the fault representation. Different techniques were used, like that of body-waveform modeling, allowing us to limit the extent of depth of faulting to 20 km. The seismic moment tensor was used to estimate the deformation velocities on known tectonic structures, including those of the Honduras depression and borderland faults. Finally, we made use of the Coulomb stress criterion to determine the relation between earthquake occurrence and static stress changes following major earthquakes.


This essay builds on fieldwork in rural Senegal to examine three cases in which elder household heads called on gendarmes to physically discipline rebellious youths. These cases, which revolved around harsh acts of corporal punishment, invite inquiry into common assumptions about African families and states. The first assumption is the common dichotomy drawn between African youths, portrayed as modern and menacing, and African elders, portrayed as "traditional" and hence benign. The second assumption is the dichotomy drawn between the African family, conceived as solidary and nurturing, and the African state, conceived as alien and predatory. In examining these cases of discipline and punishment, this essay reveals the ever-shifting power relations that link Wolof household heads, dependent junior males, and state agents, and simultaneously introduces new questions about the morality of farmer–state relations and generational conflict. My analysis reveals the spatial geography of Senegal's youth crisis, which takes different forms in rural and urban locales. The anxiety of rural patriarchs is fed by a fear-mongering media obsessed with youthful anarchy in the cities, and a long-standing political rhetoric about the threat of rural out-migration. Elder men in the countryside, who experience diminishing household authority under neoliberalism, make proactive efforts to keep the urban youth crisis at bay. They seek to augment their domestic power by reestablishing links with a state that has long bolstered patriarchy but whose power is currently in decline. By lending patriarchs their coercive force, gendarmes attempt to accomplish through private, indirect means, what the postcolonial state is unable to do: maintain social order by reining in disruptive youths. The harsh disciplinary measures that gendarmes employ are not alien to Wolof culture, but integral to Wolof conceptions of child rearing.


In many ways, atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder and this issue is confirmed by recent investigations of that have focused on inflammation, providing new insight into mechanisms of disease. Several recent studies have addressed the role of chemokines in leukocyte accumulation in atherosclerosis, extending our knowledge and understanding of the complex and cell type-specific functions of chemokines in atherosclerosis. Activated T-lymphocytes within the atherosclerotic vessel wall express the CD40 ligand surface molecule, known to play a major role in several immunological pathways. In addition to activated T-lymphocytes, functional CD40 and CD40L are coexpressed by human vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and human macrophages in vitro as well as in situ in human atherosclerotic lesions. Recent studies indicate that CD40L activates atheroma-associated cells by promoting the expression of molecules thought to be involved in atherosclerosis, such as adhesion molecules, cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and tissue factor. Atherosclerosis starts with an innate immune response involving the recruitment and activation of monocytes macrophages that respond to an excessive accumulation of modified lipids within the arterial wall, followed by an adaptive immune response involving antigen-specific T lymphocytes. Effector T cells recognize modified auto-antigens such as oxidized LDL and heat shock proteins (i.e. HSP-60) that are presented by antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages or dendritic cells. The accumulation of inflammatory cells within the arterial wall leads to local production of chemokines, interleukins and proteases that enhance the influx of monocytes and lymphocytes, thereby promoting the progression of atherosclerotic lesions Recent reports have helped explain some of these questions by pointing to a role of contact dependent interaction between CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L, renamed CD154) as a stimulus for atheroma-associated cells. Also Macrophages play important roles in the progression of atherosclerosis by exhibiting unique characteristics under the various stimuli, evolving the plaque instability, thrombus formation and remodeling. Macrophage recruitment by abnormal endothelium over developing atherosclerotic plaques, is aided by endothelial expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM, ELAM). The knowledge of atherosclerosis as an inflammatory disease offers the opportunity to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting the inflammatory component of the disease.


We extend Forlines et al.'s idea of mixed absolute and relative "HybridPointing" to large multitouch displays. In our bimanual "CursorTap" interaction technique, one hand triggers a kinaesthetic relative pointing mode while the other controls a distant cursor similar to a large touchpad. A controlled experiment compares CursorTap to standard absolute touch input, and a "Drag" technique, where all display content may be dragged to the user. Our results show CursorTap is fastest when accessing distant targets and returning to nearby targets, a common usage scenario. Overall, the measured selection times across distances is nearly flat for CursorTap, but linearly increases for the absolute and Drag techniques. As further validation, a second study explores how CursorTap is used in a more open setting. We developed a two-person game to create opportunities to use CursorTap under cooperative and competitive settings. The results demonstrate a willingness to use CursorTap, and reveal situations and input modalities where usage is most likely.


This entertaining and endlessly surprising book takes us on an exploration into every aspect of Japanese society from the most public to the most intimate. A series of meticulous investigations gradually uncovers the multi-faceted nature of a country and people who are even more extraordinary than they seem. Our journey encompasses religion, ritual, martial arts, manners, eating, drinking, hot baths, geishas, family, home, singing, wrestling, dancing, performing, clans, education, aspiration, sexes, generations, race, crime, gangs, terror, war, kindness, cruelty, money, art, imperialism, emperor, countryside, city, politics, government, law and a language that varies according to whom you are speaking. Clear-sighted, persistent, affectionate, unsentimental and honest - Alan Macfarlane shows us Japan as it has never been seen before.


In an online experiment using a representative sample of the German online population (n = 1,000), we compare users' selection behaviour on two versions of the same Google search engine results page (SERP), one showing advertisements and organic results, the other showing organic results only. Selection behaviour is analyzed in relation to users' knowledge on Google's business model, on SERP design, and on these users' actual performance in marking advertisements on SERPs correctly. We find that users who were not able to mark ads correctly selected ads significantly more often. This leads to the conclusion that ads need to be labeled more clearly, and that there is a need for more information literacy in search engine users.


Background: Regional anesthesia and analgesia are being widely used nowadays, especially for lower-segment cesarean section (LSCS). However, according to some studies, as well as our observation, there is a high incidence of pruritus among patients undergoing LSCS under regional technique as compared to nonpregnant female patients. To enhance the quality of analgesia and increase the duration of spinal anesthesia, fentanyl is often added as an adjuvant drug. Till date, only few studies have reported the incidence of pruritus among this group after spinal anesthesia with added fentanyl, but none compared it to nonpregnant patients. Aim and Objective: The primary aim of this study was to estimate the magnitude of pruritus after intrathecal fentanyl in parturient patients. The secondary objective was to establish other pathophysiological mechanisms such as patient's body habitus and sex of the baby, which might influence the incidence and severity in this population as compared to nonpregnant patients. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II female patients aged between 18 and 45 years were divided into two equal groups. Pregnant women group underwent LSCS, while nonpregnant patients had lower limb orthopedic surgery. Spinal anesthesia was administered using 20 mcg of fentanyl with 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. Frequency and severity of pruritus were recorded in the patients of either group. Statistical analysis of the data was done using Chi-square test and logistic regression using SPSS version 22. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The incidence of pruritus among pregnant women was noted to be 21.5%, which is significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that in the nonpregnant patients (3.75%). Pregnant patient's body habitus and gender of the baby were not found to influence the incidence or severity of pruritus (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Pregnancy is not only a risk factor for pruritus after intrathecal fentanyl but is also responsible for increasing the severity of pruritus.


This thesis presents experimental and theoretical work on the use of dark optical solitons as data carriers in communications systems. The background chapters provide an introduction to nonlinear optics, and to dark solitons, described as intensity dips in a bright background, with an asymmetrical phase profile. The motivation for the work is explained, considering both the superior stability of dark solitons and the need for a soliton solution suitable for the normal, rather than the anomalous (bright soliton) dispersion regime. The first chapters present two generation techniques, producing packets of dark solitons via bright pulse interaction, and generating continuous trains of dark pulses using a fibre laser. The latter were not dark solitons, but were suitable for imposition of the required phase shift by virtue of their extreme stability. The later chapters focus on the propagation and control of dark solitons. Their response to periodic loss and gain is shown to result in the exponential growth of spectral sidebands. This may be suppressed by reducing the periodicity of the loss/gain cycle or using periodic filtering. A general study of the response of dark solitons to spectral filtering is undertaken, showing dramatic differences in the behaviour of black and 99.9% grey solitons. The importance of this result is highlighted by simulations of propagation in noisy systems, where the timing jitter resulting from random noise is actually enhanced by filtering. The results of using sinusoidal phase modulation to control pulse position are presented, showing that the control is at the expense of serious modulation of the bright background. It is concluded that in almost every case, dark and bright solitons have very different properties, and to continue to make comparisons would not be so productive as to develop a deeper understanding of the interactions between the dark soliton and its bright background.


We present a novel low-coherence interferometer configuration, equipped with acousto-optic deflectors that can be used to simultaneously acquire up to eight time domain optical coherence tomography en-face images. The capabilities of the configuration are evaluated in terms of depth resolution, signal to noise ratio and crosstalk. Then the configuration is employed to demonstrate simultaneous en-face optical coherence tomography imaging at five different depths in a specimen of armadillidium vulgare.


The present paper is concerned with the title Hry wDb  and its holders during the Old and Middle Kingdom. The title's earliest attestations date from the Early Dynastic period, yet most of its holders lived during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties. It enjoyed the greatest popularity during the Fifth Dynasty. The title has always deserved attention, as one of those frequently incorporated into the titularies of officials related to the king or his palace. Its meaning has been debated by a number of scholars, as has the function assigned to its holders, nevertheless, it remains uncertain. After discussing the various scholarly interpretations of the title Hry wDb , the present study examines as many of its attestations as possible, in order to establish its inherent meanings, the nature of activities assigned to its holders, and to trace the development of their institution, the " pr ḥry wḏbw . "


Customer loyalty as a concept is a critical strategic option in today's competitive environment. It is no surprise therefore that managers and researchers have increased their study and understanding of the concept as a strategic marketing imperative over the past decades to capture market share and improve profitability. Indeed the theoretical perspective is that competitive pricing as well as company image and reputation contribute to customer satisfaction and that service quality along a number of pathways drives customer loyalty and profitability thus: service quality--> customer satisfaction--> customer loyalty --> market share --> profitability. A few empirical studies have found these linkages to be true. However these factors differ in importance based on the cultural setting. We investigate (1) whether these relationships exist and (2) which of these factor(s) is/are important in motivating consumer loyalty from the perspectives of retail banking customers in Ghana. The study draws on customer behaviour and attitude premised on the SERVQUAL and SERVPERF models originated by Parasuraman et al., (1988), Cronin and Taylor (1992), and Brady and Cronin (2001) respectively as well as other researches based on the literature on customer satisfaction and loyalty. We used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches in our study and have drawn from both primary and secondary sources of data. We made use of a 7 point likert scale to develop indexes for the main constructs measured in this study and applied correlation, chi square (χ2) and regression analyses to evaluate the hypothesised relationships. Further we qualitatively analysed aspects of the data hinging on explanatory aspects of our research. The results among other things reveal that whilst service quality (especially empathy and reliability) and bank image and reputation are important instigators of customer satisfaction and loyalty, competitive pricing showed a weak linear relationship with customer satisfaction and loyalty (r < 0.5). On the other hand, increased market share was found to influence banks' profitability. Finally we discuss the management implications of the study in terms of customer retention and profitability strategies for the banks in Ghana. We emphasise that management strategies that are service quality conscious, use person-organisation fit approaches to recruitment and effectively communicate strategies could help institutionalise a culture that is customer relation centred, help banks survive the competition, retain their customers and in the long run increase their profitability.


Abstract:  Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is characterized by an acute detachment and destruction of keratinocytes, affecting large areas of the skin. It is often related to adverse drug reactions. Previous studies have shown that effector CD8+ T cells, which accumulate in the blister fluid, are functionally cytotoxic and act through a classical perforin/granzyme B pathway. It has recently been shown that these cytotoxic T cells also secrete granulysin peptide, which is lethal to keratinocytes. These cytotoxic T cells exert their killer activity against autologous keratinocytes in the presence of the drug. However, they are unlikely to be the only effectors of TEN. We therefore searched for soluble death factors in the blister fluids that might kill keratinocytes. We found that the amounts of interferon‐γ, TRAIL and TNF‐α proteins were significantly greater in TEN blister fluids than in all controls (normal sera, TEN sera, burns and Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis blister fluids) and TNF‐like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) amounts are also greater in all controls except burns. We showed that these proteins acted in synergy to induce the death of keratinocytes in vitro. We also found that TRAIL and TWEAK were secreted by CD1a+ and CD14+ cells present in the blister fluids. Thus, in addition to MHC class I‐restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which lyse keratinocytes, ligands secreted by non‐lymphoid cells capable of inducing keratinocyte death in an MHC class I‐independent manner, also seem to be present in the blister fluids of patients with TEN.


How do you write good research articles -- articles that are interesting, compelling, and easy to understand? How do you write papers that influence the field instead of falling into obscurity? Write It Up offers a practical and revealing look at how productive researchers write strong articles. The book's guiding idea is that academics should write to make an impact, not just to get something published somewhere. Your work will be more influential if you approach it reflectively and strategically. Based on his experience as an author, journal editor, and reviewer, Paul Silvia offers systematic approaches to problems like picking journals; cultivating the right tone and style; managing collaborative projects and co-authors; crafting effective Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion sections; and submitting and resubmitting papers to journals. With its light-hearted style and practical advice, Write It Up will help graduate students struggling with writing their first paper, early career professors who need advice on how to write better articles, and seasoned academic writers looking to refresh their writing strategy or style.


Bridge foundations in seismic regions are usually designed to withstand the plastic hinge moments that develop at the bases of the columns. Various hinge details have been proposed to reduce or even eliminate the moments transferred to the foundations, and thereby reduce the sizes and costs of the foundations. This study experimentally investigated the behavior of column specimens incorporating different moment-reducing hinge details. Tests were performed on reinforced concrete column specimens subjected to increasing inelastic lateral displacements under constant axial load. The study investigated effects on hinge performance of several parameters, including vertical discontinuity in the hinge detail, level of axial load, low-cycle fatigue characteristics, column aspect ratio, and different amounts of longitudinal and transverse reinforcement. The test results of this investigation showed that hinge details can be incorporated into columns to significantly reduce the moment capacity at the bases of the columns. However, the moments are not negligible, as is sometimes assumed for design with the moment-reducing hinge details. Providing vertical discontinuity in the hinge resulted in reduced distress in the longitudinal reinforcement and improved the performance of the hinge. Preliminary design recommendations were proposed for the comprehensive design of moment-reducing hinge details at the bases of the bridge columns.


ABSTRACT This paper begins by reviewing the historical construction of 'SciArt', and the way in which its supposed interdisciplinarity often shaded into science communication. Early discussions about the complementarity of art and science were conceived in terms of epistemology, notably the qualities of imagination and curiosity. The paper moves on to discuss how, during the current decade, Art and Science (A&S) discourse has altered due to changes in the cultural politics of both its constituent fields, emerging as a 'transdiscipline' characterized by 'creativity'. Eighteen in-depth surveys with leading practitioners in A&S form a substantial part of the research material, yielding an evaluation of what the disciplinary, economic and cultural implications of this changed discourse may be. Though potentially angled towards the solution of 'wicked' problems, transdisciplinarity also sacrifices the specific critical expertise of art, fetishizes tech at the expense of science and selectively ignores institutional problems inherent in funding and power structures.


Ever since the development of quantum mechanics in the first part of the 20th century, a new world view has emerged. Today, the physicalist objective assumption that objects exist independently of acts of observation has been challenged. The repercussions of this radical challenge to our common-sense perception of the world are far-reaching, although not yet generally realized. Here we argue that there is a complementary view to the way science which is being practiced, and that consciousness itself is primary and qualia form the foundation of experience. We outline the arguments of why the new science of qualia will tie objects that are being perceived to the subjective experience, through the units of subjective experience called qualia. If there is a reality that exists outside of perceptions in consciousness, it is indeed inconceivable. The reason is that once one subtracts everything that one can sense, imagine, feel, or think about, there's nothing left. Since qualia are subjective, they challenge the dominant world view of science as practiced today, which is reductionist, objective, and mathematical. Our view is a natural continuation of the quantum world view. We outline what the steps will have to be in order to fully develop the science of qualia.


This paper deals with the whole body motion control problem of humanoid robots by using automatic and bilateral control methods. Advanced motion controllers are proposed so that human daily life activities, such as walking on an uneven terrain and contacting an unknown object, can be performed. It is shown that the uncertainty of environmental impedance variation is one of the main challenging issues in the design of the automatic control systems, i.e. a humanoid robot may easily lose its stability when it contacts an unstructured environment. A novel bilateral control method is proposed for humanoid robots so as to overcome the environmental uncertainty problem. It is shown that more dexterous and versatile tasks can be easily performed by transforming the skills of humans to humanoid robots in the proposed bilateral control system. A disturbance observer is used not only to achieve the robustness of the motion control system but also to perform sensorless contact motion control tasks. The performance of sensorless contact force estimation is significantly improved by deriving the exact dynamic model of humanoid robots. A floating point base exact dynamic model is derived by using the extended Newton–Euler algorithm. A new robot simulator is designed by using the proposed dynamic model and the Virtual Reality toolbox of MATLAB. Simulation results are given to show the validity of the proposals.


To understand the detailed mechanisms of arrhythmia and its treatment methods, it is required to elucidate the mechanisms of formation and debacle of cardiac beat at a microscopic level by using appropriate in vitro models of cardiac beating. In this study, we have developed a method for an medium-exchange-free culture of rat cardiac myocytes, and carried out long-term recording of electrical activity of cardiac myocytes from postnatal rat by means of microelectrode-array (MEA) and the new culture method. Figure 6 a) ∼ f) is a series of the properties of spontaneous beating (mean beating interval, standard deviation and coefficient of variation) of cardiac myocytes cultured by conventional culture method with alternate-day medium exchange (a ∼ c) or newly developed "molecular diffusion culture" method (d ∼ f). As shown in these figures, the difference of the beating property between the individual cultures, which is observed in conventional cultures (a) ∼ c)), was dramatically reduced in the molecular diffusion cultures (d) ∼ f)). In addition, these results also indicated that there is a transient period when all of mean beating interval, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation increase transiently before the formation of stable rhythmic fast beat.


PURPOSE
To determine whether relative cortical thickness measurements of the precentral and postcentral gyri can be used to differentiate the central sulcus from adjacent cortical sulci.

METHODS
Turbo inversion-recovery MR imaging of the entire brain was done with scans parallel to the anterior commissure-posterior commissure line. Cortical thickness was measured in each hemisphere with a jeweler's eyepiece with 0.1-mm gradations. Three measurements were obtained perpendicular to the central, precentral, and superior frontal sulci, as determined by means of established anatomic methods. The ratios of cortical thickness on both sides of the central, precentral, and superior frontal sulci were calculated and compared.

RESULTS
The mean ratio of precentral/postcentral gyri was 1.64 for the right hemisphere and 1.53 for the left hemisphere. The mean cortical thickness ratios were as follows: 1.01 for the right hemisphere and 3.01 for the left hemisphere across the precentral sulcus, and 1.03 for the right hemisphere and 0.99 for the left hemisphere across the superior frontal sulcus.

CONCLUSION
Cortical thickness measurements across the central sulcus provide a method for locating the primary motor (precentral gyri) and primary somatosensory (postcentral gyri) cortices. The higher mean cortical thickness ratio across the central sulcus corresponds with known cytoarchitectonic relationships.


Market-oriented economic reform has gone through several key stages to bring substantial changes to current Chinese economy. It has accelerated after 1992, and meets the pattern transformation of economic development in 2002. During this dramatic and complicated economic transitional process, some issues caused people's attention included the questions as: how does the earnings distribution change between genders from early market economy to post market economy; how do education, work experience, marriage and other factors affect gender earnings and what is the difference in internal group of women. In this paper, it will be used the data of the Chinese household income projects in 2002 and 2007 to analyse earnings disparity between genders and inner woman group. The unconditional quantile regression finds that comparing with past, the negative effect on earnings of marriage and taking care of child has much decreased, especially to women. However, high return rate to education of female workers is not as significant as before, the rate of work experience even fall faster. Along with the gender earnings gap increasing, the unexplained gap (discrimination gap) also increased over time, and is particularly pronounced for the lower and higher earnings group of women.


Congress routinely fails to articulate the source of authority pursuant to which it enacts federal statutes. This oversight forces the Supreme Court to sustain the constitutionality of these regulations based on powers that find no mention in the legislative record. The shortcomings of the record have not prevented the Court from interpreting congressional power quite broadly when a federal statute can be sustained as a lawful exercise of authority pursuant to more than one substantive constitutional provision. In the context of elections, however, the Court has been decidedly more opportunistic about whether it will examine the constitutionality of federal law within the broader spectrum of congressional authority.

In Shelby County v. Holder, for example, the Court held that section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 violated the equal sovereignty principle by forcing certain states to seek federal approval before implementing laws that they are otherwise constitutionally authorized to enact. Sections 4(b) and 5 suspended all changes to state election laws in covered jurisdictions, including nondiscriminatory voter qualification standards and procedural regulations that govern state elections. In prioritizing federalism over all other equally valid considerations, the Court ignored whether the Voting Rights Act was valid because congressional power could be derived, in part, from the Elections Clause. The Elections Clause gives Congress final policymaking authority over setting the times, places, and manner of federal elections. Unlike the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, a context in which the Court imposes some federalism limitations on the exercise of federal power, the Clause allows Congress to legislate without regard for state sovereignty.

The unique nature of the Elections Clause highlights the importance of applying a theoretical framework to Congress's authority over elections that properly accounts for the presence of multiple, and sometimes conflicting, sources of federal power. Not only does the Clause allow the federal government to disregard state sovereignty, but the line between voter qualification standards, on one hand, and time, place, and manner regulations, on the other, is significantly more blurred than the caselaw indicates, resulting in the existence of hybrid regulations of uncertain constitutional mooring. This Article concludes that Congress's sovereign authority under the Elections Clause is broad enough to reach restrictive and oppressive voter qualification standards that affect federal elections, a category that the Court has held falls squarely within the province of state authority. The uncertainty surrounding the boundaries of these regulations, as well as the presence of multiple sources of constitutional authority, means that, in some limited instances, Congress can aggressively police state action under the Elections Clause to protect the fundamental right to vote.


A 27-years-old female with multiple autoimmune disorders presented to our cardiology unit for acute chest pain and worsening dyspnoea. Admission blood tests revealed increased serum levels of highsensitive cardiac troponin, eosinophilic count and C-reactive protein. Laboratory findings, low QRS voltages by ECG, mildly reduced left ventricular systolic function in the context of pseudohypertrophy, mild and diffuse late gadolinium enhancement associated with markedly increased native T1 and T2 mapping levels assessed by echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, raised the suspicion of massive eosinophilic myocarditis, subsequently confirmed by histological examination of endomyocardial biopsy. Prompt initiation of immunosuppressive treatment allowed swift regression of myocardial inflammation and full recovery of left ventricular systolic function within one month. After ruling-out clonal myeloid disorder, lymphocyte-variant and reactive hypereosinophilia, the young lady was eventually diagnosed with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. This case report turns the spotlight on the role and importance of advanced multi-modality cardiovascular imaging for raising clinical suspicion of acute eosinophilic myocarditis, guiding diagnostic work-up and monitoring response to treatment.


Objectives: Advances in technology are changing the way healthcare services are delivered. The adoption of different health technologies has significantly improved health access and efficiency. In addition, health-technology adoption can help immensely in improving health outcomes and enhancing public and private healthcare spending efficiency. However, the role of health technology in transforming healthcare delivery and enhancing spending efficiency is not well understood. In this paper, we reviewed the role of emerging technologies in delivering health services that promote health outcomes, improve productivity of the healthcare provider, and reduce healthcare costs. Methods: A narrative review was conducted of published articles as well as grey literature on application of technology in delivering medical care. Studies that met the following criteria were included: addressed a relevant aspect of technology in healthcare delivery; written in English; published between 1994 and June 2020; qualitative and quantitative study designs, systematic reviews, and primary and secondary research. Main results and conclusions: Utilizing technologies in delivering health services showed promise in improving health outcomes, enhancing healthcare productivity, and reducing overall healthcare costs. However, before these technologies are implemented, reimbursement and equity are two main issues that need to be addressed.


Deep learning systems extensively use convolution operations to process input data. Though convolution is clearly defined for structured data such as 2D images or 3D volumes, this is not true for other data types such as sparse point clouds. Previous techniques have developed approximations to convolutions for restricted conditions. Unfortunately, their applicability is limited and cannot be used for general point clouds. We propose an efficient and effective method to learn convolutions for non-uniformly sampled point clouds, as they are obtained with modern acquisition techniques. Learning is enabled by four key novelties: first, representing the convolution kernel itself as a multilayer perceptron; second, phrasing convolution as a Monte Carlo integration problem, third, using this notion to combine information from multiple samplings at different levels; and fourth using Poisson disk sampling as a scalable means of hierarchical point cloud learning. The key idea across all these contributions is to guarantee adequate consideration of the underlying non-uniform sample distribution function from a Monte Carlo perspective. To make the proposed concepts applicable to real-world tasks, we furthermore propose an efficient implementation which significantly reduces the GPU memory required during the training process. By employing our method in hierarchical network architectures we can outperform most of the state-of-the-art networks on established point cloud segmentation, classification and normal estimation benchmarks. Furthermore, in contrast to most existing approaches, we also demonstrate the robustness of our method with respect to sampling variations, even when training with uniformly sampled data only. To support the direct application of these concepts, we provide a ready-to-use TensorFlow implementation of these layers at https://github.com/viscom-ulm/MCCNN.


Abstract. Preliminary analyses of Lake El'gygytgyn sediment indicate a wide range of ecosystem responses to warmer than present climates. While palynological work describing all interglacial vegetation is ongoing, sufficient data exist to compare recent warm events (the postglacial thermal maximum, PGTM, and marine isotope stage, MIS5) with "super" interglaciations (MIS11, MIS31). Palynological assemblages associated with these climatic optima suggest two types of vegetation responses: one dominated by deciduous taxa (PGTM, MIS5) and the second by evergreen conifers (MIS11, MIS31). MIS11 forests show a similarity to modern Picea–Larix–Betula–Alnus forests of Siberia. While dark coniferous forest also characterizes MIS31, the pollen taxa show an affinity to the boreal forest of the lower Amur valley (southern Russian Far East). Despite vegetation differences during these thermal maxima, all glacial–interglacial transitions are alike, being dominated by deciduous woody taxa. Initially Betula shrub tundra established and was replaced by tundra with tree-sized shrubs (PGTM), Betula woodland (MIS5), or Betula–Larix (MIS11, MIS31) forest. The consistent occurrence of deciduous forest and/or high shrub tundra before the incidence of maximum warmth underscores the importance of this biome for modeling efforts. The El'gygytgyn data also suggest a possible elimination or massive reduction of Arctic plant communities under extreme warm-earth scenarios.


Moving target detection at low radar frequencies is associated with long integration time and has to handle azimuth focusing for reliable detection. The detection by focusing in which time-domain is the basis for the focusing approach has been proposed and successfully experimented in reality. The main objective of this paper is to apply and evaluate the detection method for frequency-domain algorithms. Range Migration Algorithm (RM) is chosen as a candidate for this study due to the accuracy of the algorithm with very wide integration angles. The simulated SAR data, which is used in this study, is based on the parameters of a airborne UWB low frequency system such as CARABASII.


A technique based on acoustic reciprocity has recently been used to calculate backscattering strengths of marine sediments [F. A. Boyle and N. P. Chotiros, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 93, 2397(A) (1993)]. The method begins with computation of the pressure induced at an element of scattering volume in the sediment. The pressure returned to a projector is then obtained via a reciprocal relationship between source and scatterer. A similar technique is developed to permit the calculation of bistatic scattering strengths. This technique is combined with a Biot model for acoustic penetration and a scattering model involving trapped bubble resonance scattering, to arrive at a bistatic sandy sediment acoustic scattering model. [Work supported by Naval Res. Lab. Stennis Space Center under the MCM Tactical Environmental Data System (MTEDS) project.]


Family Mould Cavity Runner Layout Design (FMCRLD) is the most demanding and
critical task in the early Conceptual Mould Layout Design (CMLD) phase.
Traditional experience-dependent manual FCMRLD workflow results in long design
lead time, non-optimum designs and costs of errors. However, no previous research,
existing commercial software packages or patented technologies can support
FMCRLD automation and optimisation. The nature of FMCRLD is non-repetitive
and generative. The complexity of FMCRLD optimisation involves solving a
complex two-level combinatorial layout design optimisation problem. This research
first developed the Intelligent Conceptual Mould Layout Design System (ICMLDS)
prototype based on the innovative nature-inspired evolutionary FCMRLD approach
for FMCRLD automation and optimisation using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Shape
Grammar (SG). The ICMLDS prototype has been proven to be a powerful
intelligent design tool as well as an interactive design-training tool that can encourage
and accelerate mould designers' design alternative exploration, exploitation and
optimisation for better design in less time. This previously unavailable capability
enables the supporting company not only to innovate the existing traditional mould
making business but also to explore new business opportunities in the high-value
low-volume market (such as telecommunication, consumer electronic and medical
devices) of high precision injection moulding parts. On the other hand, the
innovation of this research also provides a deeper insight into the art of evolutionary
design and expands research opportunities in the evolutionary design approach into a
wide variety of new application areas including hot runner layout design, ejector
layout design, cooling layout design and architectural space layout design.


Blocking sST2 before transplant with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody reduced GVHD severity and mortality. Blocking graft-versus-host disease Bone marrow transplantation replaces unhealthy bone marrow with bone marrow from a healthy donor. However, the donor-derived immune cells may recognize the transplant recipient as foreign and attack, resulting in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Now, Zhang et al. report that blocking soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), a plasma marker for GVHD, with a neutralizing antibody can reduce GVHD severity and mortality. The blockade decreased the production of proinflammatory cytokines and increased the frequency of anti-inflammatory molecules and cells while maintaining graft-versus-leukemia activity. These data suggest that targeting sST2 may help decrease GVHD after bone marrow transplantation. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a devastating complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We previously identified high plasma soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) as a biomarker of the development of GVHD and death. sST2 sequesters interleukin-33 (IL-33), limiting its availability to T cells expressing membrane-bound ST2 (mST2) [T helper 2 (TH2) cells and ST2+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells]. We report that blockade of sST2 in the peritransplant period with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (anti-ST2 mAb) reduced GVHD severity and mortality. We identified intestinal stromal cells and T cells as major sources of sST2 during GVHD. ST2 blockade decreased systemic interferon-γ, IL-17, and IL-23 but increased IL-10 and IL-33 plasma levels. ST2 blockade also reduced sST2 production by IL-17–producing T cells while maintaining protective mST2-expressing T cells, increasing the frequency of intestinal myeloid–derived suppressor cells, and decreasing the frequency of intestinal CD103 dendritic cells. Finally, ST2 blockade preserved graft-versus-leukemia activity in a model of green fluorescent protein (GFP)–positive MLL-AF9 acute myeloid leukemia. Our findings suggest that ST2 is a therapeutic target for severe GVHD and that the ST2/IL-33 pathway could be investigated in other T cell–mediated immune disorders with loss of tolerance.


Abstract. Vegetation restoration was effective way of protecting soil erosion and water conservation on the Loess Plateau. Carbon fractions and enzyme activities were sensitive parameters for assessment of soil remediation through revegetation. Forest, forest steppe and grassland soils were collected at 0–5 cm and 5–20 cm soil layers in Yanhe watershed, Shaanxi Province. Urease, sucrase, alkaline phosphatase, soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured. The results showed that carbon fraction contents and enzyme activities in the same soil layer followed the order that forest was higher than others. Carbon fraction contents and enzyme activities appeared that the 0–5 cm was higher than 5–20 cm soil layer. In addition, correlation analysis showed that urease activity was related to SOC, MBC, EOC and DOC at 0–5 cm layer; it was correlated with SOC, MBC and EOC at 5–20 cm layer. Sucrase activity had significant positive relationship with SOC, MBC and EOC. Alkaline phosphatase activity was related to EOC and DOC at 0–5 cm layer; it was correlated with MBC and EOC at 5–20 cm layer. The CCA reflected the relationship between sucrase activity and SOC. The contributions from the various forms of carbon fractions and enzyme activities as evaluated by the canonical coefficient of CV were on the order of SOC > DOC > MBC > EOC; sucrase > urease > alkaline phosphatase. Vegetation type was an important factor influencing the variation of soil enzyme activities and carbon fractions on the Loess Plateau.


Background and Aims: Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the west. It is unknown if APAP overdose in combination with diphenhydramine or opioids confers a different clinical presentation or prognosis. Study objectives were to compare (1) baseline patient characteristics; (2) initial clinical presentation; and (3) clinical outcomes among patients with ALF due to APAP alone or in combination with diphenhydramine or opioids. Methods: We analyzed 666 cases of APAP-related liver failure using the Acute Liver Failure Study Group database from 1998 to 2012. The database contains detailed demographic, laboratory, and clinical outcome data, including hemodialysis, transplantation, and death and in-hospital complications such as arrhythmia and infection. Results: The final sample included 666 patients with APAP liver injury. A total 30.3% of patients were overdosed with APAP alone, 14.1% with APAP/diphenhydramine, and 56.6% with APAP/opioids. Patients taking APAP with opioids were older, had more comorbidities, and were more likely to have unintentional overdose (all P<0.0001). On presentation, 58% in the APAP/opioid group had advanced encephalopathy as compared with 43% with APAP alone (P=0.001) The APAP/diphenhydramine group presented with the highest serum aminotransferase levels, no differences in laboratory values were noted at 3 days postenrollment. No significant differences were observed in clinical outcomes among the groups. Conclusions: Most patients with APAP-induced ALF were taking APAP combination products. There were significant differences in patient characteristics and clinical presentation based on the type of product ingested, however, there were no differences noted in delayed hepatotoxicity or clinical outcomes.


Background and Purpose— Stroke and neurodegeneration cause significant brain damage and cognitive impairment, especially if the insular cortex is compromised. This study explores for the first time whether these 2 causes differentially alter connectivity patterns in the insular cortex. Methods— Resting state–functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from patients with insular stroke, patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, and healthy controls. Data from the 3 groups were assessed through a correlation function analysis. Specifically, we compared decreases in connectivity as a function of voxel Euclidean distance within the insular cortex. Results— Relative to controls, patients with stroke showed faster connectivity decays as a function of distance (hypoconnectivity). In contrast, the behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia group exhibited significant hyperconnectivity between neighboring voxels. Both patient groups evinced global hypoconnectivity. No between-group differences were observed in a volumetrically and functionally comparable region without ischemia or neurodegeneration. Conclusions— Functional insular cortex connectivity is affected differently by cerebral ischemia and neurodegeneration, possibly because of differences in the cause-specific pathophysiological mechanisms of each disease. These findings have important clinical and theoretical implications.


Although worker cooperatives offer an organizational model that critical management scholars could adopt to demonstrate the utility of their normative ideals, little is known about how academia can contribute to the creation of worker cooperatives. Building on the concept of performativity and the case of the Technological Incubators for Popular Cooperatives in Brazil, we provide an account of constructing incubators for worker cooperatives across multiple universities. Our study uncovers the challenges that scholars face in performing the model of worker cooperatives by cognitively embedding actors within both economic and cooperative principles through teaching. Our results clarify the role of feedback loops, knowledge circulation, and the building of 'chains of translation' in the concrete manufacturing of worker cooperatives, and we show how universities can help develop a multilevel, flexible, and complex support network that enhances the performativity of the worker cooperative model. We advance the concept of a 'critical performativity engine' to describe the process whereby the first method for incubating cooperatives was developed and then translated across settings.


Fire testing is an essential part of the hypothetical, cumulative mechanical and thermal test conditions that shall guarantee package safety in severe accidents. Within regulatory approval of transport or storage packages for radioactive material, specific thermal load tests are required in accordance to licensing conditions and international standards, respectively. The specifications of these thermal tests are based on test conditions with equivalent heat input to that of a hydrocarbon fuel fire. In the past, light heating oil, diesel or kerosene was mostly used as the fuel to generate the pool fire. In accordance with IAEA regulations for a fire in an accident, the temperature of 800 °C over a period of 30 minutes must be fulfilled. Furthermore, the delivery acceptance criteria for containers in nuclear waste repositories could reach for example average temperatures of 800 °C during a period of one hour in combination with defined requirements on activity release. BAM as a scientific and technical German federal government institute operates an open air Technical Safety Test Site for experimental investigations of dangerous good and its containment. In this areal a large fire test facility is under operation. Liquid Propane is utilized as fuel which is pumped via pipelines from a central storage tank to the fire exposed test facility areas. In the ring burner system, the gas is released from nozzles, and ignited by ignition burners. The paper includes examples of fire test performance with prototypes of a transport package and a storage container, respectively. In preparation of the thermal load, calorimeter tests have been performed using test specimens of appropriate size and behavior. For the fire test scenario is demonstrated that the IAEA thermal test requirements are fulfilled.


We call a polygon which admits a Simson line a Simson polygon. In this paper, we show that there is a strong connection between Simson poly- gons and the seemingly unrelated parabola. We begin by proving a few general facts about Simson polygons. We use an inductive argument to show that no convex n-gon, n � 5, admits a Simson line. We then determine a property which characterizes Simson n-gons and show that one can be constructed for every n � 3. We proceed to show that a parabola can be viewed as a limit of special Simson polygons, which we call equidistant Simson polygons, and that these polygons provide the best piecewise linear continuous approximation to the parabola. Finally, we show that equidistant Simson polygons can be viewed as discrete analogs of parabolas and that they satisfy a number of results a nalogous to the pedal property, optical property, properties of Archimedes trian gles and Lambert's Theorem of parabolas. The corresponding results for pa rabolas are easily obtained by applying a limit process to the equidistant Simson polygons.


In this paper, a novel baseband macromodeling framework for linear passive photonic circuits is proposed, which is able to build accurate and compact models while taking into account the nonidealities, such as higher order dispersion and wavelength-dependent losses of the circuits. Compared to a previous modeling method based on the vector fitting algorithm, the proposed modeling approach introduces a novel complex vector fitting technique. It can generate a half-size state-space model for the same applications, thereby achieving a major improvement in efficiency of the time-domain simulations. The proposed modeling framework requires only measured or simulated scattering parameters as input, which are widely used to represent linear and passive systems. Three photonic circuits are studied to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed technique.


Few studies have compared the relative efficacy of attention‐focus strategies in reducing clinical pain. Colposcopy, a medical diagnostic examination performed to identify premalignant cervical cell changes, elicits both anxiety and pain in patients, while allowing little or no behavioural control over the event. Employing a multi‐group experimental design, the present study sought to investigate how different types of attention‐focus strategies impacted upon pain perception, state anxiety and affect, in a sample of 123 colposcopy patients. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: sensory focusing, active distraction and undirected control. Psychometric measures of pre‐colposcopy pain expectancy and dispositional trait anxiety were also taken, in order to assess whether these factors further contributed to outcomes. Overall, when controlling for pain expectancy and trait anxiety, self‐reported pain intensity, sensory pain and affective pain did not differ across groups. Further, there were no significant between‐group differences in colposcopy‐related state anxiety or affect. However, pre‐colposcopy psychometric measures were found to be predictive of a range of outcomes. Pre‐colposcopy pain expectancy, but not trait anxiety, was found to be positively related to colposcopy‐related pain. It was further demonstrated that heightened state anxiety following colposcopy was due to experienced pain and pain unpleasantness, rather than to aspects of the pre‐colposcopy prediction of pain. The results have implications for management of acute clinical pain.


The economic development in one region or locale can be associated with and explained by socio-cultural and socio-spatial factors. This premise is well-supported by an institutional and historical analysis. The increasing number of works on social embeddedness and formation of entrepreneurial culture highlight again a well-known phrase of institutional economics: history matters. Economic growth in one region can be closely associated with broad historical processes and initial advantages. The Turkish case offers a suitable context for this institutional analysis outlined above. The initial advantages that are most evident in the irreversible development trajectories of the commercial centres like Istanbul and Izmir are also expressive in the emerging regional and sub-regional growth centres like Anatolian Tigers. Anatolian Tigers refer a number of new growth centres that put up a good and consistent performance in manufacturing industry since the 1980s. Two Anatolian Tigers, Konya (well-known) and Karaman (less-known) locating in South-Central Anatolia constitute the geographical scope of this paper. The sub-region of Konya-Karaman is not only delineated by normative criteria but also defined historically and geographically. This makes the area a historical region of established commercial culture. Konya is an important regional centre of commercial, industrial, agricultural and service activities in Turkey especially with its nationally strategic industrial establishments and grain production. Since the 1980s, Konya has experienced an important development in the manufacturing industry. Karaman that is an important industrial and commercial centre of Central Anatolia at both provincial and urban levels is commonly not known or termed as an Anatolian Tiger but it displays a number of historical peculiarities (administrative, socio-economic and geographic) are crucial to comprehend the historical roots of recent commercial and industrial development of Tigers and other redeveloping centres in Anatolia. In the re-emergence of Konya and Karaman as regional growth centres, locational, social and political factors contributed positively to the perpetual socio-economic development in Anatolian Seljuk, Karamanogullari, Ottoman and Republican periods. In conclusion, from the perspective of institutional economics, this paper examines the role of historical-geographical factors in the formation of an entrepreneurial culture in the sub-region of Konya and Karaman.


Neural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are crucial in regulating the differentiation and neuronal subtype specification of neurons. Precisely how these transcription factors direct such processes is largely unknown due to the lack of bona fide targets in vivo. Genetic evidence suggests that bHLH factors have shared targets in their common differentiation role, but unique targets with respect to their distinct roles in neuronal subtype specification. However, whether neuronal subtype-specific targets exist remains an unsolved question. To address this question, we focused on Atoh1 (Math1), a bHLH transcription factor that specifies distinct neuronal subtypes of the proprioceptive pathway in mammals including the dI1 (dorsal interneuron 1) population of the developing spinal cord. We identified transcripts unique to the Atoh1-derived lineage using microarray analyses of specific bHLH-sorted populations from mouse. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing experiments followed by enhancer reporter analyses identified five direct neuronal subtype-specific targets of Atoh1 in vivo along with their Atoh1-responsive enhancers. These targets, Klf7, Rab15, Rassf4, Selm, and Smad7, have diverse functions that range from transcription factors to regulators of endocytosis and signaling pathways. Only Rab15 and Selm are expressed across several different Atoh1-specified neuronal subtypes including external granule cells (external granule cell layer) in the developing cerebellum, hair cells of the inner ear, and Merkel cells. Our work establishes on a molecular level that neuronal differentiation bHLH transcription factors have distinct lineage-specific targets.


This paper describes the development and experimental evaluation of an e-laboratory platform in the field of robotics. The system in its current configuration is designed to enable distance training of students in real scenarios of robot manipulator programming. From a technological perspective, the research work presented in this paper is directed towards the adaptation of concepts and techniques developed in the field of telerobotics and virtual reality, and their integration in such e-laboratory settings. This paper focuses particularly on the educational impact of such systems. The goal is to assess the performance of e-laboratory scenarios in terms of the efficacy of training provided to students. The results of a pilot experimental study are presented, providing a comparative evaluation for three training modalities: real, remote, and virtual training on robot manipulator programming. The experiments were conducted according to an evaluation protocol specially designed for the considered target training task, using scoring charts to obtain quantitative performance measures and assess the performance of the student groups participating in the course. Training, as a dynamic process, is approached according to a classical three dimensional model, and performance scores are accordingly assessed in these dimensions (namely: low-level versus mid and high-level skills and understanding). The obtained results reveal certain differences between the three groups, particularly as related to the low-level skill training score, giving some insight about the training `dimensions' that are expected to be mostly affected by the absence of physical (or realistic virtual) presence in a real hands-on experimentation. Statistical analysis indicates, however, that, despite these apparent differences, such e-laboratory modules can be integrated quite effectively in practical scenarios, creating virtual training environments that can provide adequate learning elements, as related particularly to mid and high-level skill acquisition. Further work and large-scale studies are still needed, though, in order to explore the extent to which such a general conclusion is valid in different training settings, and to form the basis of a more theoretical evaluation for a comprehensive understanding of the pedagogical differences between real, virtual, and remote learning/training methodologies and experiences


Biodiesel is obtained by the process of transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats and crude glycerol is the main by-product of the biodiesel manufacturing chain. As a result glycerol production has rapidly increased in the last decades. This work focuses on the development and the validation of a process to convert biodiesel-derived glycerol into a fuel for internal combustion engines. In order to obtain a higher conversion efficiency it was necessary to convert crude glycerol to tert -butyl ethers by means of an etherification process that was carried out in the laboratory. Then the obtained glycol-ethers mixture (GEM) was blended with a commercial diesel fuel to improve its thermal efficiency. In this paper a life cycle analysis for these GEM/diesel blends was carried out using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, in order to evaluate the environmental impacts of these new oxy-fuels; from GEM production to GEM use as an additive for diesel fuel. The LCA results highlight that the use of these new oxy-fuels in diesel engines can lead to an effective reduction in terms of greenhouse gases emissions throughout the entire life cycle.


Three-dimensional (3D) imaging is used in many different industries ranging from both industrial pick and place, palletization/depalletization, warehouse, robotics and metrology applications to consumer-based products such as drones, safety and security, and patient monitoring applications. No one specific type of 3D technology can solve all these different types of applications and the features of each must be compared as to their suitability for each application (table 1).


The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on social anxiety symptoms and quality of life Chamran University Dormitory. From among female students living in dormitories martyr Chamran University, through the call, and after the implementation of the social anxiety questionnaire, a total of 30 people with the highest social anxiety score Bund, were selected randomly to participate in the study. Method of this quasi experimental study was from type of pre- and post-test with the control group. So that the qualified students, after the initial interview were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. Participants in both groups of social anxiety and quality of life questionnaire in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up was 1.5 months completed. The experimental group received 10 sessions of treatment based on acceptance and commitment. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) suggests that this treatment reduces social anxiety (F = 18,47, p = 0/001) and improved quality of life (F = 13,46, p = 0/04) in experimental group compared with the control group in the post-test and procedures were followed. Research results show that based on acceptance and commitment therapy a good way to reduce social anxiety and improve the quality of life.


Broadcasted jackal howls were used to survey the status of the golden jackal in Greece. All sites with recent indication of jackal presence were surveyed at selected calling stations, and minimum population estimates were recorded. The results of the survey show that both populations and distribution area of the golden jackal in Greece have been declining steadily during the last three decades. The golden jackal has disappeared from Central and Western Greece and is currently confined in discontinuous, isolated population clusters in Peloponnese, Fokida, Samos isl., Halkidiki and North-eastern Greece. The reduction was more distinct in Southern Greece, which used to be the jackal's main area 20 years ago. The current minimum size of the jackal population in Greece was estimated at 152-162 different territorial groups. The largest population cluster was found in Nestos - Vistonida area, NE Greece. In Southern Greece, the jackal is found in the Mediterranean maquis zone at altitudes below 600m asl. Some individuals were observed up to 1000m asl, but were considered exceptional. In Northern Greece the species was found in areas below 250m asl, while the highest population densities were found in thickets around wetlands up to 10m asl.


The combination of in situ1H NMR and in situ31P NMR was used to study the nitroxide mediated copolymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate. The alkoxyamine MAMA-DEPN was employed to initiate and mediate the copolymerization. The nature of the ultimate/terminal monomer units of dormant polymer chains were identifiedand quantified by in situ31P NMR. Simulations of the styrene and n-butyl acrylate copolymerization mediated by DEPN were investigated using the Predici software package. The rate coefficients of reversible deactivation of chains with n-butyl acrylate as the terminal unit were estimated via parameter estimation studies using Predici. Good correlations were obtained between experimental data and simulated data.


Prior to the development of a production standard control system for ML Aviation's plan-symmetric remotely piloted helicopter system, SPRITE, optimum solutions to technical requirements had yet to be found for some aspects of the work. This thesis describes an industrial project where solutions to real problems have been provided within strict timescale constraints. Use has been made of published material wherever appropriate, new solutions have been contributed where none existed previously. A lack of clearly defined user requirements from potential Remotely Piloted Air Vehicle (RPAV) system users is identified, A simulation package is defined to enable the RPAV designer to progress with air vehicle and control system design, development and evaluation studies and to assist the user to investigate his applications. The theoretical basis of this simulation package is developed including Co-axial Contra-rotating Twin Rotor (CCTR), six degrees of freedom motion, fuselage aerodynamics and sensor and control system models. A compatible system of equations is derived for modelling a miniature plan-symmetric helicopter. Rigorous searches revealed a lack of CCTR models, based on closed form expressions to obviate integration along the rotor blade, for stabilisation and navigation studies through simulation. An economic CCTR simulation model is developed and validated by comparison with published work and practical tests. Confusion in published work between attitude and Euler angles is clarified. The implementation of package is discussed. dynamic adjustment of assessment. the theory into a high integrity software Use is made of a novel technique basing the integration time step size on error Simulation output for control system stability verification, cross coupling of motion between control channels and air vehicle response to demands and horizontal wind gusts studies are presented. Contra-Rotating Twin Rotor Flight Control System Remotely Piloted Plan-Symmetric Helicopter Simulation Six Degrees of Freedom Motion ( i i)


The versatile technique of mass spectrometry could be used successfully in resolving the controversy with regard to the structure of diethyl mesoxalate phenylhydrazones upon which electron impact studies were not made earlier. Ten compounds were prepared. The objective of the work was to end the controversy regarding azo and hydrazo structure.


In today's multiprocessor SoCs (MPSoCs), parallel programming models are needed to fully exploit hardware capabilities and to achieve the 100 Gops/W energy efficiency target required for ambient intelligence applications. However, mapping abstract programming models onto tightly power-constrained hardware architectures imposes overheads which might seriously compromise performance and energy efficiency. The objective of this work is to perform a comparative analysis of message passing versus shared memory as programming models for single-chip multiprocessor platforms. Our analysis is carried out from a hardware-software viewpoint: we carefully tune hardware architectures and software libraries for each programming model. We analyze representative application kernels from the multimedia domain, and identify application-level parameters that heavily influence performance and energy efficiency. Then, we formulate guidelines for the selection of the most appropriate programming model and its architectural support


Introduction 2009 BSG and 2011 NICE guideline recommend offering colonoscopic surveillance to people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) whose symptoms started 10 years ago and who have ulcerative colitis or Crohn's colitis. Further surveillance colonoscopies are suggested at intervals based on risk stratification i.e. low, intermediate and high risk. Pan-colonic dye spray with targeted or 2–4 random biopsies every 10 cm should be taken. Aim of this study is to compare our current practice of surveillance colonoscopies of IBD patients with BSG and NICE guidance. Method 50 consecutive IBD patients were identified from Unisoft Endoscopy Reports who had an IBD surveillance colonoscopy performed in the Southern Trust during the time period February 2014 to December 2014. Data collection involved reviewing clinical notes and histology reports from electronic care record and colonoscopy reports from Unisoft. Results Out of 50 patients, 56% were male. 82% were over 40 years of age and 82% had a diagnosis of UC whereas only 18% had Crohn's colitis. Repeat surveillance colonoscopies being booked by clinician/endoscopist were appropriate in 60% of cases (30/50). In just above one third (17/50) of cases booking details were not available on previous colonoscopy report or electronic care record. Only 3 out of 50 patients had surveillance colonoscopy requested earlier than due time (2 cases 1 year and 1 case 3 years early). Half (25/50) of patients had surveillance colonoscopy performed at the correct time interval whereas just below half of patients (24/50) had delays ranging from 1–18 years with average delay of 3.2 years. Only one out of 50 had colonoscopy performed earlier than required (9 years). No patient had chromoendoscopy performed and only one patient had >30 biopsies taken. Only 44% (22/50) of patients had minimum required number (16-29) of biopsies taken whereas less than 16 biopsies were taken in 50% of patients (25/50) and 2 patients did not have any biopsies taken. Conclusion Our current practice is far from meeting the criteria set by NICE and BSG. Clinicians and endoscopists need awareness of current guidelines for colonoscopy surveillance. More research regarding low uptake of chromoendoscopy among endoscopists is required. References . Stuart R Cairns, John H Scholećeld et al. Guidelines for colorectal cancer screening and surveillance in moderate and high risk groups (update from 2002). Gut 2010;59:666e690. doi:10.1136/gut.2009.179804 . Colorectal cancer prevention: colonoscopic surveillance in adults with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or adenomas. NICE Clinical guideline [CG118] Published date: March 2011 Disclosure of Interest None Declared


ISSN: 1946 1186 The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is the world's leading resource for professionals focused on the inception, design, construction, and operation of tall buildings and future cities. Founded in 1969 and headquartered at Chicago's historic Monroe Building, the CTBUH is a not-for-pro t organization with an Asia Headquaters o ce at Tongji University, Shanghai, a Research O ce at Iuav University, Venice, Italy, and an Academic O ce at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. CTBUH facilitates the exchange of the latest knowledge available on tall buildings around the world through publications, research, events, working groups, web resources, and its extensive network of international representatives. The Council's research department is spearheading the investigation of the next generation of tall buildings by aiding original research on sustainability and key development issues. The Council's free database on tall buildings, The Skyscraper Center, is updated daily with detailed information, images, data, and news. The CTBUH also developed the international standards for measuring tall building height and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing such designations as "The World's Tallest Building."


This is a detailed consideration of the history of racing in British culture and society and an exploration of the cultural world of racing during the inter-war years. It breaks new ground by showing how racing's pleasures were enjoyed even by the supposedly respectable middle classes, and gave some working-class groups hope and consolation during economically difficult times. Regular attendance and increased spending on betting were found across class and generation and women too were keen participants. Enjoyed by the Royal Family and controlled by the Jockey Club and National Hunt Committee, racing's visible emphasis on rank and status helped defend hierarchy and gentlemanly amateurism and provided support for more conservative British attitudes. The mass media provided a cumulative cultural validation of racing, helping define national and regional identity and encouraging the affluent consumption of sporting experience and frank enjoyment of betting. The broader cultural approach of the first half of the book is followed by an exploration of the internal culture of racing itself: the racecourse and course life, trainers and jockeys, owners and breeders. Making full use of thorough research and original sources, this study should be of value for undergraduate courses on the history of modern British society, sport and cultural studies and should be welcomed by racing enthusiasts everywhere.


The way in which the network of intramolecular interactions determines the cooperative folding and conformational dynamics of a protein remains poorly understood. High-pressure NMR spectroscopy is uniquely suited to examine this problem because it combines the site-specific resolution of the NMR experiments with the local character of pressure perturbations. Here we report on the temperature dependence of the site-specific volumetric properties of various forms of staphylococcal nuclease (SNase), including three variants with engineered internal cavities, as measured with high-pressure NMR spectroscopy. The strong temperature dependence of pressure-induced unfolding arises from poorly understood differences in thermal expansion between the folded and unfolded states. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the global thermal expansion of the folded proteins and the number of strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds, as determined by the temperature coefficient of the backbone amide chemical shifts. Comparison of the identity of these strong H-bonds with the co-evolution of pairs of residues in the SNase protein family suggests that the architecture of the interactions detected in the NMR experiments could be linked to a functional aspect of the protein. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the residue-specific volume changes of unfolding yielded residue-specific differences in expansivity and revealed how mutations impact intramolecular interaction patterns. These results show that intramolecular interactions in the folded states of proteins impose constraints against thermal expansion and that, hence, knowledge of site-specific thermal expansivity offers insight into the patterns of strong intramolecular interactions and other local determinants of protein stability, cooperativity, and potentially also of function.


In this thesis we present contributions in the field of the applications of quantum field theories techniques to condensed matter models. In chapter 3 we investigate on the non covariant fermionic determinant and its connection to Luttinger liquids. We address the problem of the regularization of the theory. In chapter 4 we treat spin flipping interactions in the non local Thirring model and we obtain an effective bosonic actions that describe separated spin and charge degrees of freedom. In chapter 4 we apply the self consistent harmonic approximation to previously derived bosonic action and we obtain potential depending equations for the spectrum gap. In chapter 5 we include spin-orbit couplings and compute correlations functions. We show that the spin orbit interactions modify the exponents and the phase diagram of the system and makes new susceptibilities diverge for low temperature. Finally in chapter 6 we summarize the main results and the conclusions.