Problem statement: The dam body and foundation seepage is one of the important points in design parameters. This index is related to the permeability. There fore permeability is one of the basic parameter in design grout curtain, prevent water escape from foundation and avoid negative seepage pressure in borrow materials, so grouting is used. Grouting means injected materials like cement or chemical materials under pressure to rock or soil layers. Approach: Purpose of grouting is treatment fractures, fissures, increase strength and decrease seepage. Grout curtain is used for sealing beneath dam body and other structure to obtain above aspects. Results: The present research dealing to study the geotechnical characteristics and conditions of two damsites (Kavar and Sheshpir dam) regarding to their permeability and groutability. Permeability in rock mass is controlled by jointing and their characteristics. The Kavar dam may be constructed on Gareh Aghaj river. This site is located in 40 km southwest of Fars province, Iran. The river flow direction is parallel to the local syncline axis. The main geological features of damsite are faults, fractures and gypsum lenses that they may lead to water escape from reservoir. The rocks in the right abutment of the dam are heavily crushed with low strength. Therefore it is expected that water escape from this zone and some parts of dam axis may happen. This is approved from boreholes logs analysis and Water Pressure Tests (WPT). The other dam which called Sheshpir is located in west of Shiraz, Iran. Regarding to structural geology of this site, two large anticlines are extended in general direction of Zagros mountain range (northeast- southwest). The geology index features are karstic and jointed rock with faults. In general, regarding the grout-curtain design for each case, it is necessary to evaluate the volume of grout and injection system. Because of complexity of local structural geology especially rock foundation, it is difficult to estimate above-mentioned parameters. Conclusion/Recommendations: Therefore, through a number of WPT in both sites, the Permeability and hydro fracture tests results were used in the foundation for the design of the grouting program. using SPI rock classification systems, it is possible to identify the karstic features of the formation and the relationships between the permeability and groutability. This method that first expressed by foyo identify the special classification for grouting. In this system use results of Water Pressure Test (WPT) and Rock Quality Design (RQD) simultaneously. With the help of these two parameters rock class and grout complex is identified.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate aspects of reliability and validity of the Juvenile Arthritis Functional Status Index (JASI). We developed this questionnaire to assess a variety of daily living and functional mobility tasks in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). JASI part I consists of 100 functional items divided into 5 activity categories (self-care, domestic, mobility, school, extracurricular). A 7 point degree of difficulty rating scale is used for responses. JASI Part II is a priority function section within which the child identifies and scores important activities for improvement.

METHODS
The JASI was administered to 30 children with JRA 8 to 19 years of age at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months to determine test-retest reliability. Various rheumatology measures were used to evaluate the JASI construct validity.

RESULTS
Reliability of JASI Part I was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients > or = 0.95) for both retest intervals. Reliability was lower for respondents with mild disease than those with polyarticular disease. JASI Part I scores correlated strongly with rheumatology measures including joint count, grip strength, hip synovitis, timed walk and run. ACR functional class, and range of motion (r > 0.50), indicating construct validity. There was fair to good agreement between scores from the child's self-report and those from therapist observation of the child's abilities on the same activities. This provides evidence that children as young as 8 years of age can realistically report on function on their own. In JASI Part II, respondents identified a mean of 5.9 functional items in the baseline priority activity list. Test-retest reliability for JASI Part II was fair (kappa = 0.57). Further work is needed to determine the most reliable and sensitive response sequence for evaluating change in priority functions with JASI Part II.

CONCLUSION
JASI Part I is a reliable and valid functional measure for school age children and adolescents with JRA. Research is under way to evaluate responsiveness to change. Comparisons will be made with shorter JRA functional measures to determine differences in sensitivity.


FACILITATING AN ART HIVE: THE COURAGE TO BELONG
HAILEY TALLMAN
 This research paper explores the psychological concept of belonging and why it is an essential human need. Art Hives, an emerging form of nonclinical art therapy delivery, is defined and explained, as is their central principle of inclusion. Through the methodology of autoethnography, the researcher examines her own experiences of belonging as a facilitator in a particular art hive, and explores how the needs of belonging, autonomy, competency and generosity can be met in this space. The complexities of belonging are examined, including three antecedents to belonging, and the belonging paradox. The researcher supports her findings with motivational research and The Circle of Courage, which deem "belonging" to be an essential need along with autonomy, competence and generosity. Shame Resilience Theory is linked to how shame keeps people from feeling they belong. The researcher discusses ways that building the courage to be vulnerable and authentic can help facilitators and participants overcome shame. Finally, the researcher concludes that in order to sustain a welcoming Art Hive, facilitators need to nurture their own autonomy, competence, generosity and inclusion in order to experience their own sense of belonging, as well as foster these experiences in Art Hive participants.
 Keywords: Art Hive, belonging, autonomy, competence, generosity, inclusion, shame, The Circle of Courage, facilitation, authenticity, vulnerability.


Abstract In this paper, the friction stir welding process was numerically investigated for 6 mm thick aluminum alloy AA2024-T3. The finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics was used to calculate the transient thermal field during welding and the mechanical reaction depending on different mechanical clamping conditions and hardening models subsequently. A thermal pseudo-mechanical (TPM) heat source was implemented. Softening effects of the material due to precipitation hardening dissolution caused by the frictional heat were accounted for. The transient temperature evolution measured by thermocouple elements at various locations was compared to the numerical results. A good agreement was found for the thermal field. A sensitivity study of the mechanical models showed the strong influence of the clamping conditions and the softening model.


Highly preorganized ligands have shown greater stability constants as well as increased
metal-ion selectivities over their straight-chain analogs. These ligands show a promising future
in the bioinorganic, nuclear and industrial fields as well as many others. The preorganized
ligand 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid (PDA) was synthesized and subjected to purity
verification for studies into its formation constants with various aqueous metal-ions as well as its
metal-ligand complex crystal structure. Formation constants were determined from UV/Vis
spectrophotometry detection methods using the absorbance spectra as a function of pH.
Formation constants for the metal ions Al(III), Fe(III), Th(IV), Lu(III) and UO2
2+ are reported
amongst others and crystal structures for the metal-PDA complexes of Ba(II),Th(IV) and UO2
2+
are also reported.


Athol Fugard has achieved pre-eminence as a theatre director, playwright and actor, but the immediate occasion for this interview was a shared friendship with the late Don Maclennan (1929-2009). Through our memory of Don we found several intersecting interests, one being fishing and the other mortality, death and departure from the physical body. The atmosphere was light in spite of "an old man's preoccupation with death," and there was laughter and silence that are not represented on the printed page. Fugard was extremely attentive when I asked my questions, read something or made an observation. The silences came and went without any awkwardness. Words and ideas were measured and weighed before we moved on, or before he responded.


Presented are the results of in-situ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the air knife assembly, associated grid-convergence study, and factory acceptance test results. The air knife assembly, a key thermal systems component of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), serves the dual purpose of ventilating the ceiling of the Coudé laboratory and as the interface between laboratory and ambient environments using an air curtain. During factory acceptance testing, flow visualization of the air curtain revealed that the flow was deflected upwards, suggesting that an unexpected pressure gradient had developed. Installed filter pressure sensors between the bottom of the air knife and the factory floor, indicated that a significant positive pressure had developed, 0.77 in w.c. above ambient. Outflow from the air knife, measured using a hot wire anemometer, exceeded the expected flow rate by a factor of approximately 1.5. It is hypothesized that large-scale eddies, generated by air knife outflow reversing at the floor, may have induced false downward velocity readings causing the increased pressure and flow rate. In-situ CFD modeling suggests that the air knife will meet or exceed all performance requirements. Outflow is predicted to be unidirectional, with an average velocity of 0.28 m/s and temperature within the 20 ± 0.5 C˚ margins. Maximum wavefront error introduced at the interface is predicted to be 84.3 nm root mean square (RMS).


Precision measurement of vibrations velocity propagation in solid body (components of power constructions) is discussed to control elastic properties of material and reliability forecasting. The ultrasonics velocity measurement method is based on the determination of the full phase shift of ultrasonic vibrations, coherent to base generator electrical oscillations. Ultrasonic vibrations are formed as long radio impulses, the maximal length of which is selected from the condition of reverberation influence exception on the measured phase shift result. The quantity of full phase cycles in phase shift is done by additional phase measurement on other frequencies, which differs little from the first frequency. The complete phase shift expression and time delay of ultrasonic vibrations is given. The US‐velocity measurement method was used for longitudinal and transverse waves, propagated on the same trajectory. Using this, real Poisson's ratio construction material was determined. Analyses of reliable accuracy o...


Much research in consumer psychology has investigated how affective reactions unrelated to a decision at hand (i.e., incidental affect) influence consumers' preconsumption preferences. Most of this research has approximated the incidental affect through its valence or induced action tendency while largely neglecting to delve into the role of arousal during the affect infusion process. This research investigated how valence and arousal triggered by incidental affect inducers interact and influence consumers' consumption experiences. In a set of three multimethod studies combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), skin conductance recording, facial affective recording, and traditional behavioral approaches, positive incidental affect, manipulated by different affect inducers (i.e., winning money and viewing positive highly arousing images), influenced consumption experiences across different sensory domains of consumption (i.e., gustatory, visual, and auditory). Tracking moment-based changes of affective states at the neurophysiological level and directly and independently manipulating the valence and arousal of incidental affect revealed that the valence of incidental affect mediates consumers' reported enjoyment of consuming different products and that the mediation of valence is facilitated by the arousal dimension of the incidental affect.


Abstract The study analyses, in both theoretical and practical aspects, the topic of hybrid warfare and threats that have become particularly relevant after Russia's war in Ukraine. First, the authors examine the theoretical debates, concerning the definition of hybrid threats by singling out its main elements and estimating, on their basis, the definitions used by the European Union and NATO. Second, on the grounds of examples of the Baltic states and specifically of Lithuania, the article presents practical challenges related to hybrid threats and posed by Russia. Finally, the study surveys the decisions taken during recent years at the level of Lithuania, the European Union, and NATO with the exception of essential measures in fighting against hybrid threats.


Currently, many critical care indices are repetitively assessed and recorded by overburdened nurses, e.g. physical function or facial pain expressions of nonverbal patients. In addition, many essential information on patients and their environment are not captured at all, or are captured in a non-granular manner, e.g. sleep disturbance factors such as bright light, loud background noise, or excessive visitations. In this pilot study, we examined the feasibility of using pervasive sensing technology and artificial intelligence for autonomous and granular monitoring of critically ill patients and their environment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). As an exemplar prevalent condition, we also characterized delirious and non-delirious patients and their environment. We used wearable sensors, light and sound sensors, and a high-resolution camera to collected data on patients and their environment. We analyzed collected data using deep learning and statistical analysis. Our system performed face detection, face recognition, facial action unit detection, head pose detection, facial expression recognition, posture recognition, actigraphy analysis, sound pressure and light level detection, and visitation frequency detection. We were able to detect patient's face (Mean average precision (mAP)=0.94), recognize patient's face (mAP=0.80), and their postures (F1=0.94). We also found that all facial expressions, 11 activity features, visitation frequency during the day, visitation frequency during the night, light levels, and sound pressure levels during the night were significantly different between delirious and non-delirious patients (p-value<0.05). In summary, we showed that granular and autonomous monitoring of critically ill patients and their environment is feasible and can be used for characterizing critical care conditions and related environment factors.


THE PROBLEM AND CURRENT COSTS OF ITS SOLUTION When water tables rise to the surface, additional rain runs off. Since an inch of runoff from a 4,000 ha (10,000 ac) watershed amounts to 1,027,290 m3 (36,300,000 ft3) of water, such runoff becomes an engine of flooding and destruction if it comes off quickly. Attractive stream frontage becomes a menace when the stream's turbulent surface rises 3 or 4 m (10 or 13 ft), floods basements, and pushes buildings off their foundations. Following such "once in a hundred year" events, diligent municipal managers commonly evaluate the damages and seek solutions that can prevent such damage in the future. The common solution is to construct one or more stormwater detention basins between the source of the runoff water and the area where the runoff water will do the most damage. Water detained in such basins is released at rates which will not cause significant damage downstream, but will empty the basin to restore its detention capacity within a few days, as indicated by the red line in figure 1. Costs of buying the land for and constructing such stormwater detention basins have ranged from about US$18 to US$35 m-3…


Gradients of neural networks can be computed efficiently for any architecture, but some applications require computing differential operators with higher time complexity. We describe a family of neural network architectures that allow easy access to a family of differential operators involving \emph{dimension-wise derivatives}, and we show how to modify the backward computation graph to compute them efficiently. We demonstrate the use of these operators for solving root-finding subproblems in implicit ODE solvers, exact density evaluation for continuous normalizing flows, and evaluating the Fokker-Planck equation for training stochastic differential equation models.


The manufacture of complete optical systems can be broken down into three
distinct stages; the optical and mechanical design, the production of both optical
and mechanical components and finally their assembly and test. The three stages
must not be taken in isolation if the system is to fulfil its required optical
performance at reasonable cost.
This report looks first at the optical design phase. There are a number of
different optical design computer packages on the market that optimise an optical
system for optical performance. These packages can be used to generate the
maximum manufacturing errors, or tolerances, which are permissible if the
system is to meets its design requirement. There is obviously a close relationship
between the manufacturing tolerances and the cost of the system, and an analysis
of this relationship is presented in this report. There is also an attempt made to
optimise the design of a simple optical system for cost along with optical
performance.
Once the design is complete the production phase begins and this report then
examines the current techniques employed in the manufacture, and testing of
optical components. There are numerous methods available to measure the
surface form generated on optical elements ranging from simple test plates
through to complex interferometers. The majority of these methods require the
element to be removed from the manufacturing environment and are therefore
not in-process techniques that would be the most desirable. The difficulties
surrounding the measurement of aspheric surfaces are also discussed. Another
common theme for the non-contact test techniques is the requirement to have a
test or null plate which can either limit the range of surfaces the designer may
chose from or increase the cost of the optical system as the test surface will first
have to be manufactured. The development of the synthetic aperture
interferometer is presented in this report. This technique provides a non-contact
method of surface form measurement of aspheric surfaces without needing null
or test plates.The final area to be addressed is the assembly and test stage. The current
assembly methods are presented, with the most common industry standard
method being to fully assemble the optical system prior to examining its
performance. Also, a number of active alignment techniques are discussed
including whether the alignment of the individual optical elements is checked,
and if need be adjusted, during the assembly phase. In general these techniques
rely upon the accuracy of manufacture of the mechanical components to facilitate
the optical alignment of the system. Finally a computer aided optical alignment
technique is presented which allows the optical alignment of the system to be
brought within tolerance prior to the cementing in place of an outer casing. This
method circumvents the need for very tight manufacturing tolerances on the
mechanical components and also removes the otherwise labour intensive task of
assembling and disassembling an optical system until the required level of
performance is achieved.


The text concerns two major concepts in the art of the last half of this century: conceptual art and performance. Conceptual art, which crystallized in the 1960s, has become one of the fundamentally seminal movements in contemporary art. Performance – a phenomenon with long history, since 1970s has been treated as an independent art genre. These two phenomena happen to be merged in various context; both feature an approach directed against the commoditization of art. However, in other areas and contexts crucial differences between these concepts can be perceived. Conceptual artists have adopted an analytical-index relation to objects in their approach. During performances objects often play a major (also emotional) role, being left behind as documentation. Conceptual art, distancing itself from the so called "retinal art", i.e. the one that pleases the eye, has adopted utilization of texts or other linguistic materials as an important method of expression. For performance artists (except for performance lecturers), texts and descriptions are located on the outskirts, i.e. as plans preceding actions and descriptions following them. The discussed disciplines of art differ in their approach to media, as well: conceptual art treats them purely functionally, in performances they are of bigger importance, for example combined with multimedia. The conclusion attracts attention to the complicated relations between the two concepts: conceptualism and performance art, taking into account related activities in the 1970s and the difference in approach in the successive years.


Resume The purpose of this research was to verify the premium value in terms of nutritional and economic potential of selected African indigenous vegetable plants (AIVPs) along the Lake Victoria basin. Partial findings of this study being reported are on the smallholder farmer indigenous knowledge of vegetable production and utilisation in Jinja (Uganda) and Vihiga (Kenya). A survey was conducted to establish the status and level of utilisation of indigenous vegetable plants. whereby total of 163 households in each site were interviewed. Vegetables selected by smallholder farmers for production trials and nutrient quality analysis were Cleome gyandra (Saga, Eiyobyo/Ejobyo), Amaranthus lividus (Booga, Doodo), Solanum scarbrum (nakati) as indigenous vegetables. Solanum melongena (egg plant), Daucus carota (carrot), Capsicum spp. (pepper) were selected as the exotic vegetables. Laboratory analysis of these vegetables for phyto-nutrient characterisation is ongoing. The survey revealed that most farmers (90%) engaged indigenous vegetable farming for both food consumption and income generation. Most farmers regarded exotic vegetable farming as an income generation venture rather than home consumption. Most farmers were knowledgeable of the health and medicinal benefits of the indigenous vegetables.


As a measure of individual and collective identity, music offers both striking metaphors and tangible data for understanding societies in transition - and nowhere is this clearer than in the recent case of the Eastern Bloc. "Retuning Culture" presents an extraordinary picture of this phenomenon. This pioneering set of studies traces the tumultuous and momentous shifts in the music cultures of Central and Eastern Europe from the first harbingers of change in the 1970s through the revolutionary period of 1989-90 to more recent developments.During the period of state socialism, both the reinterpretation of the folk music heritage and the domestication of Western forms of music offered ways to resist and redefine imposed identities. With the removal of state control and support, music was free to channel and to shape emerging forms of cultural identity. Stressing both continuity and disjuncture in a period of enormous social and cultural change, this volume focuses on the importance and evolution of traditional and popular musics in peasant communities and urban environments in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, the former Yugoslavia, Macedonia, and Bulgaria.Written by longtime specialists in the region and considering both religious and secular trends, these essays examine music as a means of expressing diverse aesthetics and ideologies, participating in the formation of national identities, and strengthening ethnic affiliation. "Retuning Culture" provides a rich understanding of music's role at a particular cultural and historical moment. Its broad range of perspectives will attract readers with interests in cultural studies, music, and Central and Eastern Europe. Contributors include Michael Beckerman, Donna Buchanan, Anna Czekanowska, Judit Frigyesi, Barbara Rose Lange, Mirjana Lausevic, Theodore Levin, Margarita Mazo, Steluta Popa, Ljerka Vidic Rasmussen, Timothy Rice, Carol Silverman, and Catherine Wanner.


On thebasis of enhanced tumor accumulation andbone affinity, galliumcompounds areunderdevelopment as anticancer and antimetastatic agents. In this study, we analyzed molecular targets of one of the lead anticancer gallium complexes [KP46, Tris(8-quinolinolato)gallium(III)] focusing on colon and lung cancer. Within a fewhours,KP46 treatment at lowmicromolar concentrations induced cell body contraction and loss of adhesion followed by prompt cell decomposition. This rapid KP46-induced cell death lacked classic apoptotic features and was insensitive toward a pan–caspase inhibitor. Surprisingly, however, it was accompanied by upregulation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. Furthermore, a Baxbut not a p53-knockout HCT-116 subline exhibited significant KP46 resistance. Rapid KP46-induced detachment was accompanied by downregulation of focal adhesion proteins, including several integrin subunits. Loss of integrin-b1 and talin plasma membrane localization corresponded to reduced binding of RGD (Arg–Gly–Asp) peptides to KP46-treated cells. Accordingly, KP46-induced cell death and destabilization of integrins were enhanced by culture on collagen type I, a major integrin ligand. In contrast, KP46-mediated adhesion defects were partially rescued by Mg2þ ions, promoting integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Focal adhesion dynamics are regulated by calpains via cleavage of multiple cell adhesionmolecules. Cotreatment with the cell-permeable calpain inhibitor PD150606 diminished KP46-mediated integrin destabilization and rapid cell death induction. KP46 treatment distinctly inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer xenograft in vivo by causing reduced integrin plasma membrane localization, tissue disintegration, and intense tumor necrosis. This study identifies integrin deregulation via a calpainmediated mechanism as a novel mode of action for the anticancer gallium compound KP46. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(10); 2436–49. 2014 AACR.


In the present thesis superfluid many-fermion systems are investigated in the framework of the Renormalization Group (RG). Starting from an experimentally determined two-body interaction this scheme provides a microscopic approach to strongly correlated many-body systems at low temperatures. The fundamental objects under investigation are the two-point and the four-point vertex functions. We show that explicit results for simple separable interactions on BCS-level can be reproduced in the RG framework to high accuracy. Furthermore the RG approach can immediately be applied to general realistic interaction models. In particular, we show how the complexity of the many-body problem can be reduced systematically by combining different RG schemes. Apart from technical convenience the RG framework has conceptual advantage that correlations beyond the BCS level can be incorporated in the flow equations in a systematic way. In this case however the flow equations are no more explicit equations like at BCS level but instead a coupled set of implicit equations. We show on the basis of explicit calculations for the single-channel case the efficacy of an iterative approach to this system. The generalization of this strategy provides a promising strategy for a non-perturbative treatment of the coupled channel problem. By the coupling of the flow equations of the two-point and four-point vertex self-consistency on the one-body level is guaranteed at every cutoff scale.


Laboratory kits allow students to take home laboratory equipment to complete experiments on their own time. Because of the lower cost, laboratory kits expand access to hands-on experiences for online courses and to budget-strapped campuses. Although students like laboratory kits, no previous studies compared student learning objectives on assignments using laboratory kits with existing laboratory equipment. We conducted a quasi-experiment to compare students' achievement of learning and their experience in the instructional laboratory for two offerings of an introductory control systems course. Half of the laboratory sections in each offering used the existing equipment, while the other sections used a new kit. The objectives of the laboratory experiments were the same for both types of equipment, and the instructions were as close as possible. In order to assess the students' achievement of the learning objectives and understand the students' experience, we collected a variety of data, including graded laboratory reports, end-of-semester surveys, focus groups, student refl ections after each laboratory, midterm exam scores, fi nal exam scores, and control systems concept inventory scores. This comprehensive assessment method may be of independent interest. Based on the data collected, we found no signifi cant differences in the achievement of the learning objectives or in the students' experiences.


This paper studies the relationship between corruption and sustainable development in a sample of 110 countries between 1996 and 2007. Sustainability is measured by growth in genuine wealth per capita. The empirical analysis consistently finds that cross-national measures of perceived and experienced corruption reduce growth in genuine wealth per capita. In contrast to the evidence on the relationship between corruption and growth in GDP per capita, the negative correlation between a wide range of different corruption indices and growth in genuine wealth per capita is very robust and is of economic as well as of statistical significance. We relate the finding to the literature on the resource curse and demonstrate that rampant corruption can put an economy on an unsustainable path along which its capital base is being eroded.


Antioxidative responses of eight tree species namely Atrocarpus elasticus, Endospermum diadenum, Vitex
pinnata, Pellacalyx axillaris, Garcinia atroviridis, Gironniera nervosa, Bouea Oppsitifolia and Callerya
atropurpurea were determined from samples collected from both the interior and fringe forest regions of Ayer
Hitam Forest Reserve. These antioxidative responses measured include the extent of oxidative deterioration of
cellular membrane lipids as well as the concentrations of ascorbate and a-tocopherol, two important endogeneous
antioxidants. All eight species showed significant differences in the extent of oxidative deterioration between
the interior and fringe forest regions where generally higher levels of membrane lipid peroxidation or oxidative
deterioration were observed in samples from the fringe forest regions except for V pinnata and G. nervosa.
Concentrations of a-tocopherol were also found to be generally higher in the fringe forest regions except for
V.pinnata and G. nervosa. Ascorbate concentrations were however found to be higher in all the tree species
sampled from the fringe forest. This thus indicates higher levels of stress conditions with respect to oxidative
stress manifested l7y higher levels of disturbance in the fringe forest regions. While G. atropurpurea may
represent a good and sensitive indicator species in determining stress conditions in the forest, V pinnata and
G. nervosa may represent tree species that are efficient in minimising oxidative deterioration in stress conditions.


AUTHOR'S REPLY: Davis, Birch & Chandler raise a number of points which I shall deal with in order of importance: (1) They state that, "they see no reason to depart from the B.S. procedures for index [plasticity] tests on Keuper Marl", and elsewhere they quote a sentence of my paper out of context which may leave the reader with the impression that I think that B.S. plasticity test results on Keuper Marl soils give anomalous results. In fact, I fully agree that there is no reason to depart from B.S. procedure for the plasticity tests on Keuper Marl; I have never suggested otherwise, either in my paper or elsewhere. My paper shows that the aggregations of particles in Keuper Marl are broken down by the mixing procedure specified in B.S. 1377 (i.e. 10 minutes' working with palette knives on a glass plate) and that consequently the results obtained are the ultimate values. Evidence for the B.S. results being the ultimate values is provided by: (a) Table 3 of my paper which shows that the liquid limit reaches its ultimate value after ten minutes' mixing; (b) the fact that the plasticity data obtained by B.S. procedure correlates well with the clay content obtained by mineralogical analysis (Fig. 2 of my paper); (c) the correlations between liquid limit and other soil properties listed in the fifth paragraph of the comments of Davis et al. (2) Figure 1 of the comments by Davis et al. shows that for the particular marl studied by


We studied longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems to determine causes and rates of overstory mortality, size of canopy disturbances, and the effects of disturbance on canopy structure. Further, we used redundancy analysis to relate variation in characteristics of mortality across a landscape to site and stand variables. We analyzed mortality that occurred from 1990 to 1994 in 70 second-growth plots that spanned a range of site conditions and stand structures, and in five large disturbances that occurred outside the random sample of plots. Half of pine mortality over 5 years in the 70 plots was from unknown causes. Lightning was the primary identifiable cause of mortality, followed by suppression and wind. Lightning mortality was most frequent on xeric sites, while windthrow was common on wet-mesic sites. Suppression mortality was frequent on wet-mesic sites and in higher density stands. Five-year mortality rates averaged 2.3 trees/ha, or 1.9% of original density. Most mortality consisted of single trees. Large disturbances (mostly from lightning) of 15-30 trees were rare, occurring once per 1000 ha in 5 years. Variation in amount of mortality and size of disturbance were unrelated to soil or stand structural characteristics. Low mortality rates from small-scale disturbances result in slow canopy turnover. These results indicate that large openings sufficient for natural regeneration of longleaf pine develop slowly in the absence of hurricanes. Silvicultural options for longleaf pine can be designed to mimic the canopy structure that results from natural canopy disturbances, which leave many live trees standing. Such options may be desirable if a goal of silviculture is to increase structural complexity in stands managed for timber.


Introduction: The leaves of Ruellia tuberosa L. have been known to demonstrate strong antioxidant and xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitory activities. The aim of this study was to isolate antioxidant and XOD inhibitor from the leaves of the plants. Methods: Isolation of antioxidant and XOD inhibitor were conducted using chromatography techniques. The structure of the isolated compound was elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Results: In this study, a flavonoid was isolated and characterized as methoxylated flavonoid based on the spectral data including UV, IR, GC-MS, and NMR. The compound demonstrated DPPH free radical scavenging activity with IC50 of 28.79 μg/ml, and XOD inhibitory with IC50 of 0.67 μg/mL. Conclusion: The isolated compound was determined as 5-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxy-2-(4-((3S,4S,5S,6R)-4,5, 6-trihydroxy-2(hydroxymethoxy)-tetrahydro-2H-pyrane-3-iloxy) phenyl)-4H-chromen-4-on or camarosids. The isolated compound demonstrated strong DPPH free radical scavenging and XOD inhibitory activity


In recent years, there have been several animated films, ostensibly for children yet appreciable by adults as well, which have made attempts to incorporate various mythologies of the world into their settings and plots. There is considerable variation in the amounts of mythology included, from offhand mentions to integral components of the story. There is also a wide range of the degree of faithfulness to the mythologies being depicted. This note gives an overview of some of the most well-known and readily available animations from 1992 to 2017, and show how the mythologies of many different cultures are represented. Some questions will be raised as to the educational value of such films in terms of introducing children to myths, legends, and folklore. The cultures whose myths, legends, and folklores being examined will include: Greek, via Disney's Hercules (1997); Arabian, via Disney's Aladdin (1992); Irish, via The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014); Mexican, via The Book of Life (2014) and Coco (2017) ; Pacific Islands, via Moana (2016); Japanese, via Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) . Additional


OBJECT
Current grading systems of concussion and return-to-play guidelines have little empirical support. The authors therefore examined the relationships of the characteristics and symptoms of concussion and the history of concussion to three indicators of concussion severity-number of immediate symptoms, number of symptoms at the initial follow-up examination, and duration of symptoms--to establish an empirical basis for grading concussions.

METHODS
Forty-seven athletes who sustained concussions were administered alternate forms of an Internet-based neurocognitive test until their performances were within normal limits relative to baseline levels. Assessments of observer-reported and self-reported symptoms at the sideline of the playing field on the day of injury, and at follow-up examinations were also obtained as part of a comprehensive concussion management protocol. Although loss of consciousness (LOC) was a useful indicator of the initial severity of the injury, it did not correlate with other indices of concussion severity, including duration of symptoms. Athletes reporting memory problems at follow-up examinations had significantly more symptoms in general, longer durations of those symptoms, and significant decreases in scores on neurocognitive tests administered approximately 48 hours postinjury. This decline of scores on neurocognitive testing was significantly associated with an increased duration of symptoms. A history of concussion was unrelated to the number and duration of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS
This paper represents the first documentation of empirically derived indicators of the clinical course of postconcussion symptom resolution. Self-reported memory problems apparent 24 hours postconcussion were robust indicators of the severity of sports-related concussion and should be a primary consideration in determining an athlete's readiness to return to competition. A decline on neurocognitive testing was the only objective measure significantly related to the duration of symptoms. Neither a brief LOC nor a history of concussion was a useful predictor of the duration of postconcussion symptoms.


The effective navigation and analysis of large data sets is a persistent challenge within the scientific community. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether participants who received no training were able to identify audified data sets at a rate above chance in a forced-choice listening task. Nineteen participants with various levels of musical and scientific expertise were asked to place audio examples into one of the five following categories: Digitally Generated Sound White Noise, Solar Wind Data, Neuron Firing Data from a Human Brain, Seismic Data (Earthquake Activity), and Digitally Generated Sound Sinusoidal Waveform. At no time were participants made aware of the accuracy of their responses during the experiment. Participants who had never been exposed to audified data sets were able to recognize audification examples at a rate that was 23 percentage points above chance performance; however, the sample size of individuals with no previous exposure to audified data was not large enough to determine statistical significance. When controlling for previous exposure to any of the provided listening examples, all participants performed well above the statistical likelihood of chance responses in the recognition of digitally generated white noise and sinusoidal waveforms. This indicates that participants with no previous exposure to audified data were able to discriminate between audified data and digitally generated sounds.


We introduce a unified optimization framework for geometry processing based on shape constraints. These constraints preserve or prescribe the shape of subsets of the points of a geometric data set, such as polygons, one‐ring cells, volume elements, or feature curves. Our method is based on two key concepts: a shape proximity function and shape projection operators. The proximity function encodes the distance of a desired least‐squares fitted elementary target shape to the corresponding vertices of the 3D model. Projection operators are employed to minimize the proximity function by relocating vertices in a minimal way to match the imposed shape constraints. We demonstrate that this approach leads to a simple, robust, and efficient algorithm that allows implementing a variety of geometry processing applications, simply by combining suitable projection operators. We show examples for computing planar and circular meshes, shape space exploration, mesh quality improvement, shape‐preserving deformation, and conformal parametrization. Our optimization framework provides a systematic way of building new solvers for geometry processing and produces similar or better results than state‐of‐the‐art methods.


Abstract : The United States Air Force High School Apprenticeship Program's (USAF- HSAP) purpose is to place outstanding high school students whose interests are in the areas of mathematics, engineering, and science to work in a laboratory environment. The students selected to participate in the program work in an Air Force Laboratory for a duration of 8 weeks during their summer vacation.


This thesis examines the geographies of multiculturalism and their relationship to notions of Britishness through the example of the Tate Gallery. The evaluation of multiculturalism here reflects on the way it has been subject to various contentions of cultural politics and how it has operated through processes of normalisation. Central to my consideration of the politics of multiculturalism and the argument I wish to make about its normalisation, is an emphasis on the importance of critically evaluating the way cultures are understood. This critical engagement places particular importance on the tracing of multicultural histories and the ways in which Britishness has often been constructed in order to 'cover over' or 'hide' its multicultural constitution. In several ways, I also take issue with the broad argument that multiculturalism has tended to perpetuate constructions of 'the other' which homogenise and reify, and in doing so I examine the role of power within the normalisation process. The Tate Gallery has been used in order to articulate these issues in both an historical and contemporary context, drawing on constructions of Britishness from different periods, such as the time of the gallery's original inception in the late nineteenth century, the period between the world wars and the recent articulations of Britishness through the political rhetoric of New Labour. As well as tracing multiple periods in time, another central issue has been to demonstrate the ways Britishness is constituted by multiple spaces. In this sense I have used the concept of networks of time-space and alluded to notions of movement, connection and circulation in articulating the dynamic nature of temporal and spatial relations. The Tate Galleries in London, Liverpool and St Ives have provided an intriguing focus of analysis in this sense, enabling me to demonstrate the strengths of thinking about the relations between the spaces of the Tate Gallery


3-Arylbenzopyran based non-steroidal osteogenic agents have been explored as structural templates of estrogen and vitamin-D3. The target molecules 18a–c, 19a–c, 26a–c, 27a–c and intermediates 17a–c and 25a–c were studied for their osteogenic activity in an osteoblast differentiation assay in vitro using mouse calvarial osteoblast cells. Compounds 25c, 26b, 27b and 27c effectively increased ALP activity at 1 pM concentration compared to the untreated cells. The active compounds were devoid of inherent toxicity at 1 pM concentration in osteoblast cells. The most active compound, 27b, was studied for mineralization of osteoblast cells and expression of marker genes, viz. BMP-2, RUNX-2 & Osx, involved in osteogenesis. Molecular docking analysis performed for 27b showed its possible interactions with estrogen receptor-α and -β (ER-α and ER-β) as well as the vitamin-D receptor (VDR).


During the last decade, urban interchange ramps were widely constructed in China, which also associated with a rapid increasing number of traffic accidents. Among various causal factors to traffic accidents, the environment factor, crosswind, has been proved to be correlated with occurrence of accidents happened on urban interchange ramp. In order to improve the traffic safety for urban interchange ramp, the impacts of crosswind on traffic safety were investigated in this paper. Using hot-wire anemometer, it is demonstrated that the wind speed at traffic accident hot spots is much bigger than that of the nearby weather station at the same time. Then several computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation models were developed to illustrate the impacts of crosswind on traffic safety. The results indicate that driving around the windward side on a ramp is the most dangerous situation compared to the other scenarios and the aerodynamic force of automobile can change significantly during overtaking process.


Verifying correctness properties of parameterized systems is a long-standing problem. The challenge lies in the lack of guarantee that the property is satisfied for all instances of the parameterized system. Existing work on addressing this challenge aims to reduce this problem to checking the properties on smaller systems with a bound on the parameter referred to as the cut-off. A property satisfied on the system with the cut-off ensures that it is satisfied for systems with any larger parameter. The major problem with these techniques is that they only work for certain classes of systems with specific communication topology such as ring topology, thus leaving other interesting classes of systems unverified. We contribute an automated technique for finding the cut-off of the parameterized system that works for systems defined with any topology. Given the specification and the topology of the system, our technique is able to automatically generate the cut-off specific to this system. We prove the soundness of our technique and demonstrate its effectiveness and practicality by applying it to several canonical examples where in some cases, our technique obtains smaller cut-off values than those presented in the existing literature.


Introduction Receptor Activator of NfκB-Ligand (RANKL) and Osteoprotegerin (OPG) play a key role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in rheumatic diseases. We have recently shown that autoantibodies against OPG (OPG ab) are detectable in patients with rheumatic diseases and are associated with increased bone resorption in RA and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in AS patients. Our aim was to examine the relation between OPG ab concentration and RANKL and OPG levels andto investigate if OPG abs interfere with free RANKL ELISA, which uses recombinant OPG as capture antigen. Methods Circulating free soluble RANKL (Biomedica), total soluble RANKL (BioVendor) and OPG (BioVendor)were measured in sera from 26 RA, 15 Spondyloarthropathy and 14 SLE patients, using commercial available ELISA kits. OPG ab concentrations were measured by an in-house made ELISA, using recombinant human OPG as the capture antigen with detection of antigen-antibody complex through HRP conjugated anti-human IgG antibodies. In order to investigate the effect of OPG antibodies on free RANKL detection, purified IgG from 6 patients serawas added to different RANKL concentrations (200 and 800pg/ml) and analysed by free RANKL ELISA. Results Free RANKL concentrations were undetectably low in 23 (41.8%) patients however this was not associated with the presence of OPG ab. In contrastthere was a significant positive correlation between free RANKL and OPG Ab concentrations (r = 0.273, p = 0.001) found. Mean OPG concentrations were significantly higher in patients above 67 years (6.31 ± 2.50 pmol/L) than in patients under 67 years of age (4.75 ± 1.70pmol/L) (p = 0.022). There was no association between OPG ab concentrations and OPG or total RANKL measurements. The addition of purified IgG reduced free RANKL detection through ELISA significantly (p < 0.001) however there was no difference on RANKL suppression between IgG addition with high and low OPG ab levels. In conclusion there is no correlation between circulating OPG and OPG ab concentrations. The presence of circulating OPG ab may increase free RANKL concentrations by stopping OPG binding to RANKL. Purified Immunoglobulins interfere with the measurement of free soluble RANKL independent of OPG ab presence.


Among the most influential and insightful thinkers of her generation, Audre Lorde (1934–1992) inspired readers and activists through her poetry, autobiography, essays, and her political action. Most scholars have situated her work within the context of the women's, gay and lesbian, and black civil rights movements within the United States. However, Lorde forged coalitions with women in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa, and twenty years after her passing, these alliances remain largely undocumented and unexplored.

Audre Lorde's Transnational Legacies is the first book to systematically document and thoroughly investigate Lorde's influence beyond the United States. Arranged in three thematically interrelated sections—Archives, Connections, and Work—the volume brings together scholarly essays, interviews, Lorde's unpublished speech about Europe, and personal reflections and testimonials from key figures throughout the world. Using a range of interdisciplinary approaches, contributors assess the reception, translation, and circulation of Lorde's writing and activism within different communities, audiences, and circles. They also shed new light on the work Lorde inspired across disciplinary borders.

In addition to the volume editors, contributors include Sarah Cefai, Cassandra Ellerbe-Dueck, Paul M. Farber, Tiffany N. Florvil, Katharina Gerund, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Gloria Joseph, Jackie Kay, Marion Kraft, Christiana Lambrinidis, Zeedah Meierhofer-Mangeli, Rina Nissim, Chantal Oakes, Lester C. Olson, Pratibha Parmar, Peggy Piesche, Dagmar Schultz, Tamara Lea Spira, and Gloria Wekker.


A groundbreaking book, this unprecedented study is the authoritative account of the best-known intelligence organization in the world. Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of espionage, the two world wars, modern British government and the conduct of international relations in the first half of the twentieth century, "MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949" is a uniquely important examination of the role and significance of intelligence in the modern world.


Rainwater tanks often provide a reliable and affordable water supply source in rural and remote areas where piped water supply systems are unfeasible due to economic considerations. However, over recent decades there has been an increase in the adoption of rainwater harvesting as part of the water supply source mix in modern cities. The uptake of rainwater harvesting has been influenced by the rise of ecological sustainable development as a mainstream practice. Rainwater harvesting is now implemented as part of an integrated urban water management approach to alleviate pressure on traditional water supply sources due to increased demand, driven by the rapid growth of urbanised populations. While examples of rainwater harvesting in human settlements can be found since ancient times, there are still gaps in understanding the role that it can play in modern cities. This paper reviews current international experiences with rainwater harvesting, particularly examining the drivers for their adoption in different urban contexts and the impediments faced for greater mainstream adoption. The paper then reviews the current state of research associated with understanding the value of rainwater harvesting in modern cities, which include impacts on reducing mains water demand, public health risks, energy implications, environmental impacts, and cost-effectiveness.


The media firestorm that followed Harriet Beecher Stowe's expose of Lord Byron's supposed incest (which she first detailed in an 1869 Atlantic Monthly article and later in the book Lady Byron Vindicated [1870]) provides an apt cultural site for analyzing the intersections among notions of authorship, moral authority, and literary value in the second half of the nineteenth century. Noting that a significant strain of commentary on the scandal sought to separate Byron's literary genius from the matter of his personal behavior, Ryan argues that this case study allows us to situate the declining relevance of authorial character to the question of literary valuation rather earlier in the century than scholars have typically claimed. Further, the Stowe-Byron scandal prefigures the unevenness and contestation that would accompany that development as well as the degree to which it would be complicated by the very identity categories and political investments that such a text-centered approach seems intent on eliding. Ryan notes that book advertisements and other archival sources support the view-advanced by both nineteenth-century commentators and twentieth-century scholars-that the scandal enhanced Byron's status and sales. The ensuing damage to Stowe's career, on the other hand, has been much exaggerated. The article concludes by exploring the critical and pedagogical tensions that authorship's reputational economies still engender.


This paper uses panel cointegration and error correction models to unveil the direction of long-run causality between the real product wage and labor productivity at the industry level. I use two datasets of manufacturing industries: the EU-Klems dataset covering 11 industries in 19 developed economies, and the Unido Industrial Statistics Database covering 22 industries in 30 developed and developing economies. In both datasets, I find evidence of cointegration between the two variables, as well as evidence of two-way, long-run Granger causality. These findings are consistent with theories of directed technical change, which claim that a rise in labor costs sparks the adoption of labor-saving innovations. They are also consistent with distributive theories whereby real wages keep apace of labor productivity growth, giving rise to long-run stability in functional distribution.


In today's customer driven economy, organizations compete internationally. W. Edward Deming's philosophy assumes great importance among managers. This is an opinion based survey on the awareness and applicability of Deming philosophy, among managers in general. The number of individuals clearing Masters Degree in Management and Business Administration (MBA) is alarmingly increasing since past few years. Hence those who enter into their career as managers must be so quality- conscious so that they are not out beaten by fresh graduates. This study becomes much relevant among present generation managers especially whenever they feel tensed in their endeavor for a qualitative future.


Sea ice/snow surface interactions with the atmosphere are major drivers of large-scale patterns of sea ice flows and deformations in Polar Regions. Climate and weather prediction models require parameterizations of the subgrid-scale surface drag caused by the interactions between the ice/snow surfaces and surface winds. Here, we combine the analysis of sea ice/snow surface topography at very high-resolutions ( 1-10 cm), local wind measurements, and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of fully developed wind flow to study surface drag and roughness from process scales to floe scales (  1 cm – 100 m). The snow/ice elevations were obtained using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) during the SIPEX II (Sea Ice Physics and Ecosystem eXperiment II) research voyage to East Antarctica (September-November 2012). LES are performed on a regular domain adopting a mixed pseudo-spectral/finite difference spatial discretization. A scale-dependent dynamic subgrid-scale model based on Lagrangian time averaging is adopted to determine the eddy-viscosity in the bulk of the flow. The effects of large-scale features of the surface on wind flows (those features that can be resolved in the LES) are accounted for through an immersed boundary method. Conversely, drag forces caused by subgrid-scale features of the surface should be accounted for through a parameterization. However the effective aerodynamic surface roughness parameter z0 for snow/ice is not known. Hence, a dynamic approach is utilized, in which this parameter is determined using the first-principles based constraint that the total momentum flux (drag) must be independent on grid-filter scale. LES are performed over fine scans of typical surface structures, and over larger domains filtered at coarser grid resolutions (  1 m). A total of six ice floes are studied, with before and after-storm TLS data at one of the floes for an analysis of the changes in the surface structure and its effects on the surface-atmosphere interactions. The spatial distributions of friction velocities (U*), wind profiles, and variations of z0 values along different directions are obtained from the LES for scenarios with variations in wind forcings and predominant wind directions relative to the general alignment of surface features. LES results are compared to spatial statistics of the surface at the locations to determine relationships with the general characteristics of the floes, and analyzing the variations between the different floes studied.


Anatomical variations of colon are mostly developmental and can lead to variety of acute and chronic pathological conditions. So it becomes important to recognize and understand the importance of clinical implications of such anomalies to benefit surgeons, clinical geneticists and research community. We describe two cases of right sided sigmoid colon and long descending colon which had two segments: vertical and horizontal. The mesentery of ascending and descending colon was retained. This mesentery along with the mesentery of transverse colon was continuous with the mesentery of small intestine. There were variations in blood vessels supplying these anomalous colons. The findings of this study may be helpful to make surgeons and radiologists aware about different varieties of presentations while undertaking an investigative or surgical procedure in this area like sigmoidoscopy, percutaneous cecostomy and anterior transperitoneal aproach of kidney to avoid colon puncture.


Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinal degeneration (RD) that leads to blindness for which no treatment is available. RP is frequently caused by mutations in Rhodopsin; in some animal models, RD is exacerbated by light. Valproic acid (VPA) is a proposed treatment for RP and other neurodegenerative disorders, with a phase II trial for RP underway. However, the therapeutic mechanism is unclear, with minimal research supporting its use in RP.We investigated the effects of VPA on Xenopus laevis models of RP expressing human P23H, T17M, T4K, and Q344ter rhodopsins, which are associated with RP in humans. VPA ameliorated RD associated with P23H rhodopsin, and promoted clearing of mutant rhodopsin from photoreceptors. The effect was equal to that of dark-rearing, with no additive effect observed. Rescue of visual function was confirmed by electroretinography. Contrastingly, VPA exacerbated RD caused by T17M rhodopsin in light, but had no effect in darkness. Effects in T4K and Q344ter rhodopsin models were also negative. These effects of VPA were paralleled by treatment with three additional HDAC inhibitors, but not other antipsychotics, chemical chaperones, or VPA structural analogues. In wildtype retinas, VPA treatment increased histone H3 acetylation. Additionally, electron microscopy showed increased autophagosomes in rod inner segments with HDAC inhibitor treatment, potentially linking the therapeutic effects in P23H rhodopsin animals and negative effects in other models with autophagy. Our results suggest that the success or failure of VPA treatment will be dependent on genotype and that HDAC inhibitor treatment is contraindicated for some RP cases.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited, degenerative retinal disease that leads to blindness, for which no therapy is available. We determined that valproic acid (VPA), currently undergoing a phase-II trial for RP, has both beneficial and detrimental effects in animal models of RP, depending on the underlying disease mechanism, and that both effects are due to HDAC inhibition, possibly linked to autophagy regulation. Off-label use of VPA and other HDAC inhibitors for treatment of RP should be limited to a research setting until this effect is understood and can be predicted. Our study suggests that unless genotype is accounted for, clinical trials for RP treatments may give negative results due to multiple disease mechanisms with differential responses to therapeutic interventions.


The international tax and investment regimes display striking similarities. They are both based on thousands of bilateral treaties that follow similar principles but differ in fine print. They each facilitate the free flow of international capital by respectively disciplining fiscal and regulatory host state conduct. Finally, they share common historical foundations and have experienced similar periods of rapid diffusion and deep contestation. Yet, while the international tax regime recently accomplished a sweeping reform to solve a decades-old legitimacy crisis, the investment regime is still grappling with its own legitimacy crisis and reform. In 2018, the multilateral tax instrument (MLI) entered into force updating thousands of bilateral taxation treaties to curb tax avoidance and prevent treaty abuse. The MLI preserves the existing bilateral tax governance structure while adding new multilateral elements, efficiently modernizes outdated bilateral agreements in both substance and procedure, and sets binding minimum standards while giving states the flexibility to contract out of and around its other provisions. This article argues that the multilateral tax reform, specifically its (1) legal mechanics, (2) scope, and (3) design, provides a creative template of how to square bilateralism with multilateralism and can thus serve as inspiration for current efforts to reform the international investment regime.


Adolescents have the second highest rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia infections. Understanding reinfection risk factors and rates among adolescents will significantly impact the development of prevention strategies, such as screening practices and sexual health education. The primary objective of this literature review was to assess the current gap in knowledge on gonorrhea and chlamydia reinfection risk factors and rates among adolescents. A literature review on reinfection rates and related risk factors of gonorrhea and chlamydia in adolescents was conducted through the PubMed database between 10/6/2015-10/10/2015, yielding 21 articles that met inclusion criteria. Each article was reviewed for adherence to topic, method, results, and limitations. There was little agreement on case definition for reinfection, which was defined by only 11 of the reviewed studies. Among adolescents (age range: 11-21), the overall prevalence rate of reinfection was 20.4%, while the overall incidence rate of reinfection was 23.6%. Reinfection rates were more frequently reported among females. Lack of data on male populations limited comparisons between the genders. Sexual and personal adolescent-specific risk factors associated with greater odds of reinfection include: lack of condom use, female gender, and history of abuse. In conclusion, this literature review highlights the public health significance of gonorrhea and chlamydia reinfections and the need for more research on reinfection rates and risk factors for reinfection in males, minority populations, and sexual minority adolescents to improve intervention measures that can be developed and implemented within these at-risk groups.


The Inimitable Mister Hopkins; The Barry Hopkins Collection is a rich and fascinating tribute to the extensive art collection of Waikato art Collector Barry Hopkins.

The exhibition is curated by Waikato Museum Concept Leader Visual Arts Leafa Wilson in collaboration with Barry Hopkins himself.

Despite having never created a piece of art himself, Barry is an avid art collector. Born to an old farming family in Ohaupo, he began collecting at the age of sixteen when, by chance, he came across M.T. Clayton's painting of Abel Tasman's ships Zeehaen and Heemskerck in the garage of a family friend. The painting caught his eye and he acquired it for next to nothing. From this point on, Barry became a keen collector of art and art objects – a dedication that has led to an active presence in the Waikato art community and an impressive art collection, much of which is housed at the Waikato Museum.

Barry's collection is fascinating, not just because of the diversity and content of the works, but because of his unusual collection habits. He doesn't follow current trends; he doesn't go for big names or purchase with the intention of making a lucrative investment – Barry selects according to his own sensibilities which appear to be unpretentious and completely unpredictable. While the selections may seem odd to many, on the whole the works are resoundingly positive and some bordering on hilarious. From complete unknowns such as Te Awamutu wrestling and boxing coach Johnny Thompson (whose work depicts a Taniwha eating a naughty little boy), to the likes of Colin McCahon's Waterfall and early Richard Killeen painting Rise and Fall; there is no formula used.

Food for thought, Evelyn Gardiner, photographic collage (2008)
Part of the original board that established Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Barry formed close relationships with artists such as Buck Nin and Paratene Matchitt, and developed a vested interest in emerging Maori contemporary artists. He is a prominent member of the Waikato Society of Arts and is a former president and current member of the Friends of the Waikato Museum.

While visitors to The Inimitable Mister Hopkins may find themselves wondering where the logic is, where the narrative is heading or where it begins, this is exactly the desired response. While there is seemly a lack of order, underneath there is much wit, intelligence and a wonderful insight into a quirky-yet-brilliant mind.

3 works exhibited by Mark Curtis are now part of the Museum Collection.


Soil disturbance was assessed on harvested units of mature southern pines (Pinus spp.), where a part of each unit was logged with a cable skyline system and a part with rubber-tired ground skidders. Effects of the two methods of harvesting were studied by aerial and ground surveys. Cable yarding required 2% less acreage in landings than skidding, and yarding corridors occupied 12% less area than skid trails. Physical and chemical analyses of surface soils (upper 15 cm) showed that loam soils with clay subsoils were most severely affected by the displacement of topsoil after both methods of logging. On 8 to 14% of both logged areas, harvesting activities resulted in significant reductions in organic matter, available moisture holding capacity, and available P, Ca, and K. Silt loam soils were severely compacted by cable yarding in the corridors that consistently ran upslope creating the greatest erosion potential. It is concluded that the carefully planned use of skyline cable systems would minimize the area affected by severe soil disturbance and should be considered for future harvesting in this Jocale.


Finished vehicle logistics is a complex activity focusing on outbound delivery accuracy and quality in the automotive supply chain (outbound vehicle distribution). Once the vehicle has been produced, it is transported from production plant to the dealership via outbound logistics. The most important criteria that reflect performance of successful automotive outbound supply chain are among other: on-time pickup, delivery reliability, lead time, dwell t ime and damage-free delivery (damage level). Therefore, the objective of this paper is to analyse delivery reliability as crucial factor of successful vehicle logistic provided by logistic service providers (3PL, 4PL or LLP). They play an important role in rising of efficiency in a complex automotive supply chain as outsourcing partners of original equipment manufacturers (OEM's) and evaluate their performance using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from which is the most important; on-time delivery (OTD) as indicator of delivery reliability. Premium segment of the automotive industry is creating optimised supply chain that realize short delivery times and high delivery reliability in order to maximize customer satisfaction. In formulating and analysing the research problem, the authors explore performance using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The findings indicate that continuously measurement of on-time delivery can improve overall automotive supply chain and fulfilment of customer requirements.


Purpose: The double-strand breaks elicited by sapacitabine, a clinically active nucleoside analogue prodrug, are repaired by RAD51 and the homologous recombination repair (HR) pathway, which could potentially limit its toxicity. We investigated the mechanism by which histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors targeted RAD51 and HR to sensitize acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells to sapacitabine. Experimental Design: Chromatin immunoprecipitation identified the role of HDACs in silencing miR-182 in AML. Immunoblotting, gene expression, overexpression, or inhibition of miR-182 and luciferase assays established that miR-182 directly targeted RAD51. HR reporter assays, apoptotic assays, and colony-forming assays established that the miR-182, as well as the HDAC inhibition–mediated decreases in RAD51 inhibited HR repair and sensitized cells to sapacitabine. Results: The gene repressors, HDAC1 and HDAC2, became recruited to the promoter of miR-182 to silence its expression in AML. HDAC inhibition induced miR-182 in AML cell lines and primary AML blasts. miR-182 targeted RAD51 protein both in luciferase assays and in AML cells. Overexpression of miR-182, as well as HDAC inhibition–mediated induction of miR-182 were linked to time- and dose-dependent decreases in the levels of RAD51, an inhibition of HR, increased levels of residual damage, and decreased survival after exposure to double-strand damage-inducing agents. Conclusions: Our findings define the mechanism by which HDAC inhibition induces miR-182 to target RAD51 and highlights a novel pharmacologic strategy that compromises the ability of AML cells to conduct HR, thereby sensitizing AML cells to DNA-damaging agents that activate HR as a repair and potential resistance mechanism. Clin Cancer Res; 22(14); 3537–49. ©2016 AACR.


The aerodynamic characteristics of the dose emitted from dry powder inhalers (DPIs) varies from patient to patient depending on their peak inhalation flow (PIF) and may also be affected by other factors such as the inhaled volume (Vin) and the initial acceleration of the inhalation manoeuvre (ACIM). Compendial methods for the in-vitro determination of the dose emitted from inhalers recommend using a vacuum pump to simulate an inhalation but this is not representative of that made by a patient. In this study a new in-vitro methodology has been developed by adapting a mixing inlet with the Andersen Cascade Impactor (ACI) to use COPD patient inhalation profiles in place of a vacuum pump. The aim was to investigate the effect of inhalation manoeuvre parameters (PIF, Vin and ACIM) on the dose emission performance of both Symbicort® Turbuhaler® and DuoResp® Spiromax®. The medium (200 μg/6 μg budesonide[BUD]/formoterol[FORM]) and high strength (400 μg/12 μg BUD/FORM) products have been used.
In the first part of this thesis a comparison has been made between the Alberta Idealised Throat (AIT) and the traditional USP Induction Port (IP) using standard in-vitro compendial methodology. The medium strength version of the Symbicort® Turbuhaler® was used. The results show that the AIT captured more drug compared to the USP IP throat (p<0.05). Regardless of the inhalation volume, no significant change was observed for the FPD at 28.3 L/min between the two throats, although there was a significant difference in the FPD when the flow was increased to 60 L/min (p<0.05). In contrast to an inhalation flow of 28.3 L/min, at 60 L/min the MMAD reduced significantly (p<0.05). No significant change was observed for TED at both inhalation flows while changing the size of the throats regardless of the inhalation volume.
In the second and the last but major part, the performance of the Symbicort® Turbuhaler® and DuoResp® Spiromax® was evaluated using the medium and high strength products. The results of both inhalers indicate the importance of PIF on the dose emission characteristics as it increased from 60 L/min. As a result, both FPD and TED increased and MMAD decreased significantly (p<0.05). The Vin and ACIM showed different effects on the medium and high strength of both inhalers. Generally, Vin had a small effect on both FPD and TED which increased and no change was observed with MMAD. The ACIM also had a small impact on FPD, TED and MMAD for Symbicort® Turbuhaler® and only FPD and MMAD for DuoResp® Spiromax®.
The results highlights the potential of this methodology to characterise the dose a patient receive during real life use by using these inhalation profiles in place of the inhalation provided by a vacuum pump. Overall, PIF was the dominant inhalation manoeuver parameter for the dose emission from the Symbicort® Turbuhaler® and DuoResp® Spiromax®.


Abstract Unit-cell volumes of four single-phase intermediate halite-sylvite solid solutions have been measured to pressures and temperatures of ~28 kbar and ~700 °C. Equation-of-state fitting of the data yields thermal expansion and compressibility as a function of composition across the chloride series. The variation of the product α0·K0 is linear (ideal) in composition between the accepted values for halite and sylvite. Taken separately, the individual values of α0 and K0 are not linear in composition. α0 shows a maximum near the consolute composition (XNaCl = 0.64) that exceeds the value for either end-member. There is a corresponding minimum in K0. The fact that the α0·K0 product is variable (and incidentally so well behaved as to be linear across the composition series) reinforces the significance of the complementary maxima and minima in α0 and K0 (significantly, near the consolute composition). These extrema in α0 and K0 provide an example of intermediate properties that do not follow simply from values for the end-members. Cell volumes across this series show small, well-behaved positive excesses, consistent with K-Na substitution causing defects through lattice mismatches. Barrett and Wallace (1954) showed maximum defect concentrations in the consolute region. Defect-riddled, weakened structures in the consolute region are more easily compressed or more easily thermally expanded, providing an explanation for our observed α0 and K0 variations. These compliant, loosened lattices should resist diffusive transfer less than non-defective crystals and, hence, might be expected to show higher diffusivities. Tracer diffusion rates are predicted to peak across the consolute region as exchange diffusion rates drop to zero.


OBJECTIVE
Treatment outcomes for anorexia nervosa (AN) remain modest, and recent research suggests that clinical trials may be of limited methodological quality. With increasing evidence illustrating the irreproducibility of psychological research, no research to date has systematically examined the cumulative effect of bias in research relating to the treatment of AN.

METHOD
We identified all AN trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov between 2000 and 2018 and examined rates of (a) the noncompletion of clinical trials, the (b) nonpublication of trials once listed as completed, (c) the nonprospective registration of clinical trials, and (d) the nonreplication of findings.

RESULTS
We note that of 201 trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, only 101 have been completed, and of those, only 41 have been published. Moreover, of these 41 published trials, only eight demonstrated evidence of prospective trial registration, and only seven have had their primary findings replicated in other studies.

DISCUSSION
These results illustrate the profound cumulative effect of methodological bias in registered trials for AN, which may have a significant impact both on what appears in the current evidence base, and on the reproducibility of studies comprising this evidence base.


The contribution of wild plants and animals to human welfare is widely appreciated but not routinely measured. Reliable and up-to-date information on the economic importance of wild resources is needed to ensure that development policies and investments take account of the full costs and benefits of alternative land uses. This report presents a summary of findings of recent research on the value of non-timber forest products, game and freshwater fisheries in Senegal. The research is based on new data gathered from producers, traders and consumers of wild plant and animal products.


The black social gospel emerged from the trauma of Reconstruction to ask what a "new abolition" would require in American society. It became an important tradition of religious thought and resistance, helping to create an alternative public sphere of excluded voices and providing the intellectual underpinnings of the civil rights movement. This tradition has been seriously overlooked, despite its immense legacy. In this groundbreaking work, Gary Dorrien describes the early history of the black social gospel from its nineteenth-century founding to its close association in the twentieth century with W. E. B. Du Bois. He offers a new perspective on modern Christianity and the civil rights era by delineating the tradition of social justice theology and activism that led to Martin Luther King Jr.


There is growing concern that flooding is becoming more frequent and severe in Europe. A better understanding of flood regime changes and their drivers is therefore needed. The paper reviews the current knowledge on flood regime changes in European rivers that has traditionally been obtained through two alternative research approaches. The first approach is the data-based detection of changes in observed flood events. Current methods are reviewed together with their challenges and opportunities. For example, observation biases, the merging of different data sources and accounting for nonlinear drivers and responses. The second approach consists of modelled scenarios of future floods. Challenges and opportunities associated with flood change scenarios are discussed such as fully accounting for uncertainties in the modelling cascade and feedbacks. To make progress in flood change research, we suggest that a synthesis of these two approaches is needed. This can be achieved by focusing on long duration records and flood-rich and flood-poor periods rather than on short duration flood trends only, by formally attributing causes of observed flood changes, by validating scenarios against observed flood regime dynamics, and by developing low-dimensional models of flood changes and feedbacks. The paper finishes with a call for a joint European flood change research network.


Identity politics is fraught with difficulties. Of few places is this truer than in Australia when it comes to the representation of Aboriginality. On the one hand the absence or invisibility of Aboriginality in Australian life and culture maybe interpreted as a deliberate exclusion of a people whose presence is uncomfortable or inconvenient for many Australians of immigrant origin. Equally, the representation of Aboriginality by non-Aboriginals may be seen as an appropriation of identity, an inexcusable commercial exploitation or an act of neocolonialism. Best-selling and prize-winning South African-born author Peter Temple appears to be very much aware of these pitfalls. In his crime novels, written between 1996 and 2009, he has obviously made the decision to grasp the nettle and attempt to represent Aboriginality in a way that would be as acceptable as possible. This paper traces the evolution of Temple's representation of Aboriginality through the three major Aboriginal characters present in his novels: Cameron Delray (Bad Debts, 1996; Black Tide, 1999; Dead Point, 2000; and White Dog, 2003), Ned Lowey (An Iron Rose, 1998) and Detective Sergeant Paul Dove (The Broken Shore, 2005 and Truth, 2009).


The development of more effective vaccines against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a major goal in the effort to reduce the enormous global burden of disease caused by this pathogen. Whole-cell vaccines based on live mycobacteria with attenuated virulence represent an appealing approach, providing broad antigen exposure and intrinsic adjuvant properties to prime durable immune responses. However, designing vaccine strains with an optimal balance between attenuation and immunogenicity has proven to be extremely challenging. Recent basic and clinical research efforts have broadened our understanding of Mtb pathogenesis and created numerous new vaccine candidates that have been designed to overcome different aspects of immune evasion by Mtb. In this review, we provide an overview of the current efforts to create improved vaccines against tuberculosis based on modifications of live attenuated mycobacteria. In addition, we discuss the use of such vaccine strains as vectors for stimulating protective immunity against other infectious diseases and cancers.


The aims of this research were to: (1) gain information on the existing condition of learning media which are used by lecturers to teach grammar, (2) develop the proper media which is suitable for the students' need and appropriate to teach grammar, and (3) find out the feasibility of the proposed media. Research and Development method was used in this research. The research consisted of exploration stage and development stage. Observation, questionnaire, and interview were used to gain the data, while Spiral Data Analysis was used to analyze the data. From the exploration stage, it was found out that the media usually used by the lecturer to teach grammar were Power Point Presentation and handouts. The weaknesses of these media were lecturer dependent, bad presentation, time consuming, non-independent learning, device malfunction, and limited exercises. It was also revealed that Computer Assisted Instruction was not used to teach grammar while it was needed. Moodle based English Grammar Gate was designed as an answer to the students' need. It consisted of two major parts; they are: tutorial part and exercise part. Expert judgment was done to validate the product. The experts suggested several improvements and revision was made regarding the evaluation given. The revised product was then used in field testing to find out the feasibility of the product. Facing two field testing processes and having several revision toward the product, it was then stated feasible.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory and cognitive loss, the formation of senile plaques containing amyloid-beta (As) peptides, degeneration of the cholinergic neurons and the development of neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of the affected people.1 It is estimate that 5.1 million people in the United States are suffering from AD. The total annual care cost
associated with AD is more than $ 148 billion and is constantly increasing3. Presently, there is no specific clinical test to diagnose AD, however, amyloid beta peptides and tau proteins have been shown to be reliable biomarkers that can be used for AD diagnosis and tracking disease progression.5 It is important therefore that proper methods and techniques be devised for the identification, quantification and analysis of AD biomarkers to enable the reliable clinical diagnosis of the disease. In this study, modified gold nanoparticles were used as a pseudo stationary phase in a capillary electrochromatography technique. An asymmetric disulfide synthesized from mercaptoundecanoic acid and dodecanethiol was chemisorbed onto 10 nm gold nanoparticles to form the pseudo stationary phase. With the help of the gold nanoparticle
pseudo stationary phase, the separation of two Alzheimer's disease biomarkers namely; amyloid beta 40 and amyloid beta 42 was accomplished. This study demonstrates that the presence of modified gold nanoparticles in capillary electrochromatography can greatly influence the separation of amyloid beta peptides.


Purpose: The risk of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) as an acute otitis media (AOM) complication is a well-recognized condition. Here, we present a sudden sensorineural hearing loss due to acute otitis media in a patient with cochlear otosclerosis (COS). We hypothesize that the demineralization of otosclerosis around cochlea may have constituted a weak spot and facilitated the crossing of noxious substances into the inner ear. Although many possible means of connection between the middle ear and inner ear has been described, an increased risk of SNHL as an otitis complication at COS patients has not been mentioned in the literature. In order to decrease this risk, preventive pneumococcal vaccination should be offered to COS patients and in an event of AOM, a more aggressive treatment approach should be considered including early myringotomy together with antibiotics.


Inductive theorem provers often diverge. This paper describes a simple critic, a computer program which monitors the construction of inductive proofs attempting to identify diverging proof attempts. Divergence is recognized by means of a "difference matching" procedure. The critic then proposes lemmas and generalizations which "ripple" these differences away so that the proof can go through without divergence. The critic enables the theorem prover Spike to prove many theorems completely automatically from the definitions alone.


Martin Heidegger's philosophical works devoted themselves to challenging previously held ontological notions of what constitutes .being,. and much of his work focused on how beings interact within particular spatial locations. Frequently, Heidegger used the motifs of homelessness and homecoming in order to express such spatial interactions, and despite early and continued recognition of the importance of homelessness and homecoming, this is the first sustained study of these motifs in his later works. Utilizing both literary and philosophical analysis, Heidegger and Homecoming reveals the deep figural unity of the German philosopher's writings, by exploring not only these homecoming and homelessness motifs, but also the six distinctive voices that structure the apparent disorder of his works. In this illuminating and comprehensive study, Robert Mugerauer argues that these motifs and Heidegger's many voices are required to overcome and replace conventional and linear methods of logic and representation. Making use of material that has been both neglected and yet to be translated into English, Heidegger and Homecoming explains the elaborate means with which Heidegger proposed that humans are able to open themselves to others, while at the same time preserve their self-identity.


A single dominant 'R' gene (clrv R ), in black walnuts (Juglans hindsii) or 'paradox' hybrids (J. hindsii x J. regia) confers resistance to Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV), the causal agent of blackline disease. The identification and cloning of the 'R' gene is expected to aid the walnut breeding program by improving the accuracy and efficiency of current PCR-based screening methods of the progenies of backcrosses and is also expected to help generate novel rootstocks tolerant to infection by CLRV. In our attempt to identify the clrv R , 37 degenerate primers were modified from previously published studies or were newly designed to amplify homologs of known 'R' genes from genomic DNA extracted from paradox cultivar Burbank. About 150 primer pairs were tested using gradient PCR, and amplicons specific to cultivar Burbank, but not to cultivar Chandler, were cloned, sequenced and analyzed for similarities to published 'R' gene sequences. Many sequences were screened and four of these showed significant similarities to other sequences in the NCBI BLAST database. Of these, the most promising sequence showed an almost 80% similarity to a published Hazelnut 'R' gene sequence in the database. However, subsequent screening of virus resistant back cross selections and other English walnut varieties did not find the amplified product unique to cultivar Burbank. Future studies will explore alternate strategies to identify the clrv R gene.


Dichloromethane-methanol (1:1 ratio) extract and petroleumether extract of Euphorbia tirucalli L latex was investigated for anthelmintic activity. The activity of extracts at 10 different concentrations (0.1% to 1.0%) was performed on Indian earthworm Pheretima posthuma using Albendazole as standard reference. The results of the anthelmintic activity revealed that, all the test groups of the study exhibited reduction in time duration for the time of paralysis and death in both the extracts. Further, the petroleum ether extract was proved to be more potent among the two extracts.The antimicrobial activity was carried out against four pathogenic organism viz. Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Tricoderma viridiae and Candida albicans using aqueous extract of the latex. The zone of inhibition was determined against the bacteria at the concentration of 5, 10, 15 & 20% and among the bacteria tested, Bacillus subtilis was resistant for the extract used. Zone of inhibition against fungi was determined at the concentration of 3, 6, 9&12%in the aqueous extract. The phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of secondarymetabolites like steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols and tannins.


Current hardfacing alloys provide insufficient wear resistance due to either cracking or significant material wear. To increase wear resistance of steel-based hardfacing alloys, the effects of composition on microstructure and hardness were investigated in a progression of alloys. Initially, seven new alloys were prepared varying the carbon-boron ratio with the total constant at 3 wt%. Small arc-melt cast circular ingots were produced roughly 1 x 0.5 inches. Metallography provided insufficient phase magnification, thus a SEM equipped with EDS was used, allowing for microstructure and phase composition analysis. Four distinct carbide phases were found and image analysis software allowed for carbide volume fraction measurements. It was determined that the sample consisting of 0.5 wt% carbon produced the most promising microstructure with a large volume fraction of NbC and M23(C,B)6 distributed in a continuous ferrite matrix. The 0.5 wt% C sample resulted in a hardness of 950 HV which exceeded the minimum 830 HV previous studies have shown to provide adequate wear resistance. XRD analysis alone produced inconclusive results, however by comparison to EDS compositions, phase stoichiometries were determined. A second round of new alloys was tested holding the composition similar to the 0.5 wt% C sample where vanadium was incrementally substituted for tungsten. These alloys demonstrated a reduced carbide volume fraction further supported with microhardness showing a reduction in the average hardness of 200 HV compared to the first round alloys. This suggests that the 0.5 wt% carbon sample shows the highest likelihood of increased wear resistance of the alloys tested. Overall, increasing the carbon content produced a M2,3C which in previous studies has been shown to be detrimental to the wear resistance of steel.


Aims The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database collects detailed clinical information on patients undergoing adult cardiac, paediatric and congenital cardiac, and general thoracic surgical operations. These data are used to support risk-adjusted, nationally benchmarked performance assessment and feedback; voluntary public reporting; quality improvement initiatives; guideline development; appropriateness determination; shared decision making; research using cross-sectional and longitudinal registry linkages; comparative effectiveness studies; government collaborations including postmarket surveillance; regulatory compliance and reimbursement strategies. Interventions All database participants receive feedback reports which they may voluntarily share with their hospitals or payers, or publicly report. STS analyses are regularly used as the basis for local, regional and national quality improvement efforts. Population More than 90% of adult cardiac programmes in the USA participate, as do the majority of paediatric cardiac programmes, and general thoracic participation continues to increase. Since the inception of the Database in 1989, more than 5 million patient records have been submitted. Baseline data Each of the three subspecialty databases includes several hundred variables that characterise patient demographics, diagnosis, medical history, clinical risk factors and urgency of presentation, operative details and postoperative course including adverse outcomes. Data capture Data are entered by trained data abstractors and by the care team, using detailed data specifications for each element. Data quality Quality and consistency checks assure accurate and complete data, missing data are rare, and audits are performed annually of selected participant sites. Endpoints All major outcomes are reported including complications, status at discharge and mortality. Data access Applications for STS Database participants to use aggregate national data for research are available at http://www.sts.org/quality-research-patient-safety/research/publications-and-research/access-data-sts-national-database.


This paper discusses some of the basic problems involved in designing and using a
 magnetometer employing optical pumping. Particular attention is given to
 magnetometers of the self-oscillating type; i.e., those that are analogous to
 masers in that the resonant properties of the spin system itself are used to
 sustain continuous oscillation at the resonant frequency. Among the topics
 treated are amplitude variations with orientation, sensitivity, behavior in
 extremely weak magnetic fields, and response to rapid field changes.


In the last decades the problem of the arms race has mostly been equated with the production and proliferation of weapons such as tanks, missiles or airplanes. However, recently there is growing evidence that small arms like machine guns, rifles, revolvers or hand grenades are worldwide the weapons responsible for most of the deaths in armed conflicts. Often, this is seen in connection with the phenomenon of the emergence of "new" intrastate wars characterized by privatisation and failing states. Looking back on the role of small arms in different types of war, it is argued that already in the past especially these arms have been used in situations beyond the "classical" wars. Presently, there importance derives from the global flood of small arms which is caused by government decisions in the past as well as by the purchasing power of the new warlords. The latter rely on powerful states involved in legal and illicit arms transfers as well as prornoting informal economies.


ABSTRACT Illiberalism is an emerging concept in social sciences that remains to be tested by different disciplines and approaches. Here, I advance a fine-grained frame that should help to "stabilize" the concept by stating that we should 1/ look at illiberalism as an ideology and dissociate it from the literature on regime types, 2/ consider illiberalism to be in permanent situational relation to liberalism. To make that demonstration, I advance a pilot definition of illiberalism as a new ideological universe that, even if doctrinally fluid and context-based, is to some degree coherent.


Economic and financial considerations are often perceived as being antithetical to environmental concerns. Is it possible to reconcile economic development and growth with preservation of the planet and its resources? The authors of Finance and Sustainable Development believe reconciliation of these two seemingly opposite agendas isn't just possible --it's essential. Economic analysis of environmental problems has made considerable progress in recent decades. Growing concerns about sustainable development, and more particularly environmental and climate change, have emphasized the importance of this research. This book, an outgrowth of the December 2007 conference on Finance and Sustainable Development: Opposition or Partnership? brings together many of the leading experts concerned with environmentally friendly growth. Their aim is to provide a better understanding of the long-term issues that must be considered when attempting to create any short-term solutions.