BACKGROUND
There are few published placebo-controlled clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of the newer antidepressants in markedly or severely depressed hospitalized patients. This study demonstrates the efficacy of nefazodone compared with placebo in the treatment of patients hospitalized for major depression.

METHOD
Nefazodone and placebo treatment were compared in a 6-week trial of 120 patients hospitalized for DSM-III-R diagnosed major depression (without psychosis) at 2 study centers. Efficacy was evaluated using standard psychiatric rating scales, and patients were monitored for safety.

RESULTS
Nefazodone treatment resulted in a significant reduction (p < .01) of the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17) total score compared with placebo from the end of the first treatment week through the end of the study (-12.2 nefazodone vs. -7.7 placebo). At the end of the trial, significantly more nefazodone-treated patients (50%) than placebo-treated patients (29%) had responded, as indicated by their Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement score (p = .021) or by a > or = 50% reduction in their HAM-D-17 scores (p = .017). Significantly more patients treated with nefazodone (36%) than placebo-treated patients (14%) had a HAM-D-17 score < or = 10 at the end of treatment (p = .004). Significant treatment differences (p < .01) in favor of nefazodone were also seen in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale; the HAM-D retardation, anxiety, and sleep disturbance factors; and HAM-D item 1 (depressed mood). Patients with dysthymia in addition to major depression also showed significant improvement (p < .05) when treated with nefazodone, with significant differences in response rates seen as early as week 2 and through the end of the trial. The mean nefazodone dose was 491 mg/day at the end of week 2 and 503 mg/day at the end of treatment. Nefazodone was well tolerated, and the number of patients discontinuing owing to adverse events was small, with no significant safety issues noted in either treatment group. Fewer nefazodone-treated than placebo-treated patients discontinued owing to lack of efficacy.

CONCLUSION
Nefazodone was superior to placebo in the treatment of marked to severe major depression in patients requiring hospitalization. The clinical benefit of nefazodone was evident as early as the first week of treatment as judged by several measures of efficacy, with significant differences from placebo sustained throughout the trial.


Background: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 lockdowns forced people to stay indoors, resulting in lower physical activity, and change in dietary patterns, impacting glycemic control in the diabetic population. We aimed to assess the impact of the 3-month lockdown on glycemic control among outpatients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) being treated at our hospital. Study Design: This retrospective study included data of outpatients aged ≥30 years with preexisting T2DM, regularly attending the clinic during the prelockdown period and who came for follow-up postlockdown. The primary outcome measures were change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose sugar (FBG), and postprandial blood sugar (PPBG) compared to the last value before the lockdown. Results: A total of 200 (male: female – 83:117) patients with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 58.0 (10.8) years were included. The mean (SD) interval between the pre- and post-lockdown visit was 3.9 (0.9) months, and 58.5% of the patients were compliant with the medication. The mean HbA1c levels increased significantly by 1.1 (P = 0.000), FBG by 21.9 mg/dL (P = 0.000), PPBG by 28.0 mg/dL (P = 0.000), and weight by 1.6 kg (P = 0.000), from pre- to post-lockdown visit. The patients noncompliant to therapy had a significantly higher increase in glycemic parameters. The results showed a significant correlation between the interval of follow-up and treatment compliance with increase in glycemic parameters and weight. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that there was a negative impact of lockdown on glycemic control in T2DM patients, highlighting the need for telehealth strategies to ensure the well-being of diabetic patients during such calamities.


The recent announcement of a Neptune-sized exomoon candidate around the transiting Jupiter-sized object Kepler-1625 b could indicate the presence of a hitherto unknown kind of gas giant moons, if confirmed. Three transits have been observed, allowing radius estimates of both objects. Here we investigate possible mass regimes of the transiting system that could produce the observed signatures and study them in the context of moon formation in the solar system, i.e. via impacts, capture, or in-situ accretion. The radius of Kepler-1625 b suggests it could be anything from a gas giant planet somewhat more massive than Saturn (0.4 M_Jup) to a brown dwarf (BD) (up to 75 M_Jup) or even a very-low-mass star (VLMS) (112 M_Jup ~ 0.11 M_sun). The proposed companion would certainly have a planetary mass. Possible extreme scenarios range from a highly inflated Earth-mass gas satellite to an atmosphere-free water-rock companion of about 180 M_Ear. Furthermore, the planet-moon dynamics during the transits suggest a total system mass of 17.6_{-12.6}^{+19.2} M_Jup. A Neptune-mass exomoon around a giant planet or low-mass BD would not be compatible with the common mass scaling relation of the solar system moons about gas giants. The case of a mini-Neptune around a high-mass BD or a VLMS, however, would be located in a similar region of the satellite-to-host mass ratio diagram as Proxima b, the TRAPPIST-1 system, and LHS 1140 b. The capture of a Neptune-mass object around a 10 M_Jup planet during a close binary encounter is possible in principle. The ejected object, however, would have had to be a super-Earth object, raising further questions of how such a system could have formed. In summary, this exomoon candidate is barely compatible with established moon formation theories. If it can be validated as orbiting a super-Jovian planet, then it would pose an exquisite riddle for formation theorists to solve.


Constraining the timing of the retreat of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Ross Sea provides insights into the processes controlling marine-based ice sheet retreat. The over-deepened Ross Sea continental shelf is an ideal configuration for marine ice-sheet instability, and this region was thought to be one of the largest Antarctic contributors to post-LGM sea level rise. However, the chronology and pattern of retreat of the LGM ice sheet in the Ross Sea is largely constrained by coastal records along the Transantarctic Mountain front in the Western Ross Sea. Although these offer more reliable dating techniques than marine sediment cores, they may be influenced by local glaciers derived from East Antarctic outlet glaciers. Consequently, these coastal records may be ambiguous in the broader context of retreat in the central regions of the Ross Sea. However, previous studies have inferred that records in this region retreated in a north to south pattern, and was fed by ice sourced from the central Ross Sea – with the implication that broader ice sheet retreat in the central Ross Sea occurred as late as the mid Holocene.
We present two lines of evidence that counter this established interpretation of the pattern of retreat in the Ross Sea: 1) a sedimentary facies succession and foraminifera-based radiocarbon chronology from within the Ross Sea embayment that indicates glacial retreat and open marine conditions to the east of Ross Island was already in place before 8.6 cal ka BP, at least 1 kyr earlier than indicated by terrestrial records in McMurdo Sound; and 2) a new multibeam swath bathymetry data that identifies well-preserved glacial features indicating thick (>700m) marine-based ice derived from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) coastal outlet glaciers dominated the ice sheet input into the southwestern Ross Sea during the last phases of glaciation – and thus may have acted independent of any ice in the central Ross Sea embayment. Comparing these data to new modelling experiments, we hypothesize that marine-based ice sheet retreat was triggered by oceanic forcings along most of the Pacific Ocean coastline of Antarctica, but continued early Holocene retreat into the inner shelf region of the Ross Sea occurred primarily as a consequence of marine ice sheet instability.
Keywords: Ross Sea, deglaciation, Last Glacial Maximum, Holocene


Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSes) are being widely deployed in security critical scenarios such as smart homes and medical devices. Unfortunately, the connectedness of these systems and their relative lack of security measures makes them ripe targets for attacks. Specification-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) have been shown to be effective for securing CPSs. Unfortunately, deriving invariants for capturing the specifications of CPS systems is a tedious and error-prone process. Therefore, it is important to dynamically monitor the CPS system to learn its common behaviors and formulate invariants for detecting security attacks. Existing techniques for invariant mining only incorporate data and events, but not time. However, time is central to most CPS systems, and hence incorporating time in addition to data and events, is essential for achieving low false positives and false negatives. This paper proposes ARTINALI, which mines dynamic system properties by incorporating time as a first-class property of the system. We build ARTINALI-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSes) for two CPSes, namely smart meters and smart medical devices, and measure their efficacy. We find that the ARTINALI-based IDSes significantly reduce the ratio of false positives and false negatives by 16 to 48% (average 30.75%) and 89 to 95% (average 93.4%) respectively over other dynamic invariant detection tools.


Abstract Crystals of ferrous and ferric iron-bearing hydrous wadsleyite have been synthesized at 1400 °C and 12-13.5 GPa in a multi-anvil press. Crystal structures (atom positions, occupancies, and cell parameters) have been refined by single-crystal X‑ray diffraction at ambient conditions. Assuming cation vacancies to be in the M3 site only, their concentration has been estimated from the unit-cell parameter b/a ratio. Total refined site Fe contents are consistent with microprobe chemical analysis. There appears to be up to 11% iron (presumably ferric) in the tetrahedral site, consistent with reduced silica content (<1 Si per 4 O atoms) in the chemical analysis. Also the volume of the tetrahedron increases with increasing ferric iron content. Strong ordering of Fe in the octahedral sites is apparent in the order FeM3 ≥ FeM1 >> FeM2. The presence of ferric iron in the mantle transition zone is expected to partition preferentially into wadsleyite and may expand the stability region of wadsleyite relative to olivine and ringwoodite. Also, the observation of tetrahedral ferric iron in these samples increases the likelihood that there is compositional continuity between wadsleyite and the spinelloid III phase field observed in the Mg-free system fayalite-magnetite.


ABSTRACT Efforts to institute a system for the control and prohibition of khat in Kenya are examined in this article. Prohibition was introduced in the 1940s after an advocacy campaign led by prominent colonial officials. The legislation imposed a racialized view of the effect of khat, seeking to protect an allegedly 'vulnerable' community in the north of the country while allowing khat to be consumed and traded in other areas, including Meru where 'traditional' production and consumption was permitted. Colonial policy took little account of African opinion, although African agency was evident in the failure and ultimate collapse of the prohibition in the face of widespread smuggling and general infringement. Trade in khat became ever more lucrative, and in the final years of colonial rule economic arguments overcame the prohibition lobby. The imposition of prohibition and control indicates the extent to which colonial attitudes towards and beliefs about cultural behaviour among Africans shaped policies, but the story also illustrates the fundamental weakness of the colonial state in its failure to uphold the legislation.


Diabetic kidney disease is highly prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes and is a major cause of end-stage renal disease in Switzerland. Patients with diabetic kidney disease are among the most complex patients in diabetes care. They require a multifactorial and multidisciplinary approach with the goal to slow the decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and cardiovascular morbidity. With this consensus we propose an evidence-based guidance to health care providers involved in the care of type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic kidney disease.First, there is a need to increase physician awareness and improve screening for diabetic kidney disease as early intervention may improve clinical outcomes and the financial burden. Evaluation of estimated GFR (eGFR) and spot urine albumin/creatinine ratio is recommended at least annually. Once it is diagnosed, glucose control and optimisation of blood pressure control with renin-angiotensin system blockers have been recommended as mainstay management of diabetic kidney disease for more than 20 years. Recent, high quality randomised controlled trials have shown that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibition slows eGFR decline and cardiovascular events beyond glucose control. Likewise, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism with finerenone has cardiorenal protective effects in diabetic kidney disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) receptor agonists improve weight loss if needed, and decrease albuminuria and cardiovascular morbidity. Lipid control is also important to decrease cardiovascular events. All these therapies are included in the treatment algorithms proposed in this consensus. With advancing kidney failure, other challenges may rise, such as hyperkalaemia, anaemia and metabolic acidosis, as well as chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder. These different topics and treatment strategies are discussed in this consensus. Finally, an update on diabetes management in renal replacement therapy such as haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and renal transplantation is provided. With the recent developments of efficient therapies for diabetic kidney disease, it has become evident that a consensus document is necessary. We are optimistic that it will significantly contribute to a high-quality care for patients with diabetic kidney disease in Switzerland in the future.


Louise Erdrich, one of the most renowned Native American authors of our time, writes a female Bildungsroman in The Porcupine Year , a sequel to The Birchbark House and The Game of Silence . The story follows the 12-year-old Native American girl Omakayas as she makes the journey from childhood toward womanhood during the porcupine year, the year named for her younger brother's medicine animal. During this year that Omakayas travels with her family, looking for a new home after being forced off their land, she will fight with an eagle, endure betrayal and starvation and the death of her beloved friend Old Tallow. She will also fall in love, learn about healing from her grandmother Nokomis, and begin to realize her own gifts in this area. These experiences mark another stage in her coming of age. This paper will use Carl Jung's psychoanalytic theories, Erik H. Erikson's theory on psychosocial development, Carenlee Barkdull's on Native American women's identity, and Michael Garrett and J. T. Garrett's observations on Native American children's education to explore Omakayas's identity development.


This paper explores the relationships between noncooperative bargaining games and the consistent value for non-transferable utility (NTU) cooperative games. A dynamic approach to the consistent value for NTU games is introduced: the consistent vector field. The main contribution of the paper is to show that the consistent field is intimately related to the concept of subgame perfection for finite horizon noncooperative bargaining games, as the horizon goes to infinity and the cost of delay goes to zero. The solutions of the dynamic system associated to the consistent field characterize the subgame perfect equilibrium payoffs of the noncooperative bargaining games. We show that for transferable utility, hyperplane and pure bargaining games, the dynamics of the consistent field converge globally to the unique consistent value. However, in the general NTU case, the dynamics of the consistent field can be complex. An example is constructed where the consistent field has cyclic solutions; moreover, the finite horizon subgame perfect equilibria do not approach the consistent value.


Abstract. The hygroscopic growth and droplet activation of uncoated soot particles and such coated with succinic acid and sulfuric acid were investigated during the IN-11 campaign at the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) facility. A GFG-1000 soot generator applying either nitrogen or argon as carrier gas and a miniCAST soot generator were utilized to generate soot particles. Different organic carbon (OC) to black carbon (BC) ratios were adjusted for the CAST-soot by varying the fuel to air ratio. The hygroscopic growth was investigated by means of the mobile Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS-mobile) and two different Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzers (HTDMA, VHTDMA). Two Cloud Condensation Nucleus Counter (CCNC) were applied to measure the activation of the particles. For the untreated soot particles neither hygroscopic growth nor activation was observed at a supersaturation of 1%, with exception of a partial activation of GFG-soot generated with argon as carrier gas. Coatings of succinic acid lead to a detectable hygroscopic growth of GFG-soot and enhanced the activated fraction of GFG- (carrier gas: argon) and CAST-soot, whereas no hygroscopic growth of the coated CAST-soot was found. Sulfuric acid coatings led to an OC-content dependent hygroscopic growth of CAST-soot. Such a dependence was not observed for activation measurements. Coating with sulfuric acid decreased the amount of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), which were detected by AMS-measurements in the CAST-soot, and increased the amount of substances with lower molecular weight than the initial PAHs. We assume that these reaction products increased the hygroscopicity of the coated particles in addition to the coating substance itself.


Emotions are an integral part of the PhD process. A range of emotions are common and to be expected. How do emotions affect the PhD process for both postgraduate students and their supervisors? How can we make our emotions work positively for us in the PhD process? To explore answers to these questions, three lecturers currently supervising postgraduates and three postgraduates at various stages in their doctoral studies collectively pooled their experiences. We developed an interactive workshop that was recently conducted for postgraduate students at Murdoch University and at the Australian Association for Social Research annual conference 2002.

This presentation will explore the role that emotions play in the PhD process and how supervisors and postgraduates alike can benefit from reflecting on this issue. A number of practical (and humorous) tips will be provided as well as examples from others' PhD experiences. The role of emotions at the beginning, middle and end of a PhD program will be explored. The data collection and analysis phases are a time when emotions may run riot. Trepidation is especially common when fieldwork or data collection is involved, as is anger when postgraduate's views about how the world works are challenged and then sadness (and relief!) when the data collection phase is finished. We will discuss how supervisors can assist their postgraduates to make these feelings work for them. The presentation will also explore the emotions that arise from the supervisor-postgraduate partnership.


The demand for accuracy and precision at the micro–nano level is constantly increasing in the manufacture of high added value products. This requires control and measurement of the surface structure since surface properties at such tiny scales are the dominant functional determinant. Many commercial instruments have been used for surface measurements. However, these devices are almost always operated in an off-line environment, and are not suitable for on-line application. This paper presents a new interferometry system consisting of a chip tuneable laser for future on-line micro–nano scale surface measurements. It is simple, compact and robust as most environmental noise and disturbance can be eliminated without any servo control system due to the near common path configuration and the compact construction. The experimental results show that this system has good performance, and there is scope to improve this if the performance of the laser is enhanced.


Ed Ruscha is among the most innovative artists of the last forty years. He is also one of the first Americans to introduce a critique of popular culture and an examination of language into the visual arts. Although he first made his reputation as a painter, Ruscha is also celebrated for his drawings (made both with conventional materials and with food, blood, gunpowder, and shellac), prints, films, photographs, and books. He is often associated with Los Angeles as a Pop and Conceptualist hub, but tends to regard such labels with a satirical, if not jaundiced, eye. Indeed, his work is characterized by the tensions between high and low, solemn and irreverent, and serious and nonsensical, and it draws on popular culture as well as Western art traditions.Leave Any Information at the Signal not only documents the work of this influential artist as he rose to prominence but also contains his writings and commentaries on other artistic developments of the period. The book is divided into three parts, each of which is arranged chronologically. Part one contains statements, letters, and other writings. Part two consists of more than fifty interviews, some of which have never before been published or translated into English. Part three contains sketchbook pages, word groupings, and other notes that chart how Ruscha develops ideas and solves artistic problems. They are published here for the first time. The book also contains more than eighty illustrations, selected and arranged by the artist.


In this paper, a design of an integrated wavelength-insensitive laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) has been proposed using planar lightwave circuit (PLC). The proposed LDV uses arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) that can be fabricated using PLC technology. Its characteristics are simulated using a design model based on grating equations for AWGs. The simulation results indicate that wavelength-insensitive operation can be almost obtained by optimizing the design parameters of the proposed structure without assembly of bulk diffractive gratings or other optical elements.


Background: Trawl net fisheries are effective fishing activities, but often cause bycacth and discards issues for commercial species of unmarketable small size and endangered species. It is well accepted that codend mesh has size sorting properties for fish and other animals, and the codend selectivity is usually used as one of fisheries management measures to protect small animals. In the ocean, squids are abundant and still prospective fisheries resources, and especially swordtip squid is commercially important because of its good taste and high price in Japan and China. Objectives: Difference in selectivity parameters a, b and p could occur between years. This study objective is to analyze the variation between years and between hauls in selectivity parameters for swordtip squid (Loligo edulis) having a peculiar soft body type. Methods: A total of 23 experimental hauls were carried using trouser trawl onboard the research and training vessel Umitaka-Maru of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology from 2006 to 2011, with 60mm mesh size test codend and 8.3mm mesh size control codend. Mantle length and girth of the swordtip squid caught were measured in cm. Catches were modeled by fitting codend selectivity parameters (a, b and p) in the Share Each LEngth Catch to the Total (SELECT) process and its variation between hauls and between years tested by the Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) model selection. Results: The model with common logistic parameters a and b in each year and different split parameter p for each haul had a better estimation, confirmed by AIC. There was a variation in the 50% retention length (l50) from 6.04 to 7.11 cm and in the selection range, (S.R.) from 0.62 to 5.05 cm, which resulted in different selection curves annually. Conclusion: The difference in selection curves occurred although the codend used was the same. The fluctuation in S.R. was large compared with the l50, which could result from the small sample size. Others possible reasons are the yearly change in mesh size, catch size, and so on. This result is useful for fisheries managers to consider mesh size regulation for squid resource conservation.


We address the consensus-based distributed linear filtering problem, where a discrete time, linear stochastic process is observed by a network of sensors. We assume that the consensus weights are known and we first provide sufficient conditions under which the stochastic process is detectable, i.e. for a specific choice of consensus weights there exists a set of filtering gains such that the dynamics of the estimation errors (without noise) is asymptotically stable. Next, we develop a distributed, sub-optimal filtering scheme based on minimizing an upper bound on a quadratic filtering cost. In the stationary case, we provide sufficient conditions under which this scheme converges; conditions expressed in terms of the convergence properties of a set of coupled Riccati equations.


This article examines the dynamics of Portuguese media groups in a context of worldwide financialization, and the new media regulation authority established in 2008. It considers the economic and financial performance of the major media groups, in an environment characterized by staff dismissals and decreasing advertising revenue. This focus on the dynamics of media groups is combined with the analysis of the performance of a new media regulator, established in 2006, which has been allocated specific powers to control ownership concentration. From documentary analysis I will highlight the acquiescence of the media regulator to the 'media in crisis' argument, the consequences of which include a concentration of local radio and a silence surrounding job cuts in otherwise profitable media groups. A disturbing consequence of the crisis concerns the vulnerability of this sector to capital investment funds, notably Angolan, whose ownership structure lacks transparency.


In 2017, the Supreme Court decided Sessions v. Morales-Santana, a challenge to 8 U.S.C. §1409, the law governing the conferral of U.S. citizenship to children born abroad to parents who are U.S. citizens. As the Court noted in a forceful opinion, §1409 imposed different and more onerous physical presence requirements on unwed fathers than unwed mothers, making it difficult for nonmarital fathers to transmit their U.S. citizenship to their foreign-born children. Such distinctions, the Court concluded, were rooted in archaic gender stereotypes and thus incompatible with equal protection principles.

Although Morales-Santana corrected the gender discrimination inherent in §1409, it said nothing of the statute's other constitutionally infirm provisions. Although it has drawn little attention, §1409 also discriminates on the basis of illegitimacy, which like gender, is a quasi-suspect classification for purposes of equal protection law. Specifically, §1409 requires nonmarital children to prove that they have been legitimated by their unwed U.S. citizen fathers to establish their derivative citizenship claim. By contrast, foreign-born children in wedlock need not show that they have been legitimated; by virtue of their parents' marriage, they are legally recognized as "legitimate" children. These legitimation requirements have made it more difficult for foreign-born nonmarital children of U.S. citizen parents to prove what should be regarded as their pre-existing citizenship. Crucially, in general, laws such as these that distinguish on the basis of a parents' marital status constitute illegitimacy discrimination. Yet, the Court in Morales-Santana neglected to acknowledge this unequal treatment of nonmarital children, focusing instead on how §1409 discriminated on the basis of gender, and effectively allowing this unconstitutional practice to continue.

This Article calls attention to the prevalence of illegitimacy classifications in immigration law by identifying what we term "illegitimate citizenship rules." In highlighting the pervasiveness of this form of discrimination, this Article makes three contributions. As a descriptive matter, these rules demonstrate the unfinished project within equal protection law of eviscerating discrimination against nonmarital children, which includes the treatment of such children in immigration law. As a doctrinal matter, the Article argues that the Supreme Court's narrow focus on the sex equality dimension of §1409 rendered invisible the discrimination of nonmarital children. Finally, as the Article makes clear, by discriminating against nonmarital children, illegitimate citizenship rules promote and perpetuate the "traditional" family and thus discriminate against those families that do not comport with the heterosexual marital family model. The Article concludes by recommending that Congress seize the opportunity created by Morales-Santana to address and eventually eradicate the ongoing discrimination against nonmarital children who are born abroad.


Agro-biodiversity can provide natural insurance to risk averse farmers. We employ a conceptual ecological-economic model to analyze the choice of agrobiodiversity by risk averse farmers who have access to financial insurance. We study the implications for individually and socially optimal agro-ecosystem managementand policy design when on-farm agro-biodiversity, through ecosystem processes at higher hierarchical levels, generates a positive externality on other farmers. We show that for the individual farmer natural insurance from agro-biodiversty and financial insurance are substitutes. While an improved access to financial insurance leads to lower agro-biodiversity, the e ects on the market failure problem (due to the external benefits of on-farm agro-biodiversity) and on welfare are determined by properties of the agro-ecosystem and agro-biodiversity's external benefits. We derive a specific condition on agro-ecosystem functioning under which, if financial insurance becomes more accessible, welfare in the absence of regulation increases or decreases.


This document has the purpose of contributing to the analysis of trends and prospects of Latin America's insertion into the new global scenario, characterized by a growing integration of national economies – through trade, investment, finance, etc. – and the increasing internationalization of the so-called global value chains (GVCs).The opportunities and challenges presented by this GVC phenomenon are different and their effects not always homogeneous. In this paper, we study their impact on the developing economies, focusing particularly on Latin America. The insertion into the GVCs may help diversify exports, create new jobs and acquire new technological capabilities in keeping with the best international practices, which will strengthen the competitiveness of lagging countries. However, distributive effects and spillovers to domestic economies – and therefore, in more general terms – their impact on development – are less clear. Admitting that we are speaking of a heterogeneous reality, the present situation proves to be "unsatisfactory", taking into account that some countries play a minor role in the GVCs, while others, more inserted into them, show, in general terms, relatively small spillovers. Factors behind these trends are evaluated and some political lessons that help improve the region's positioning in today's global scenario are drawn. The document is structured as follows: in the second section, we present information on trade and FDI worldwide trends, particularly in terms of their relation to the GVC phenomenon. Also, we briefly introduce a conceptual framework to analyze such trends and its impacts. Section III discusses available data on the way Latin America is inserted into worldwide trends of trade and investment and the participation (or not) of the continent in international production systems. In section IV we look into the reasons for the region's weak role in GVCs and of the scarce positive impacts resulting from its present integration manner into the trends of trade and FDI. In section V, we present the main conclusion and political lessons. * This document was submitted at the Seminar The New Agenda for International Trade Relations as the Doha Round Draws to an End" (OBREAL/WTO), organized by OBREAL on January 29-30 2007, Barcelona, Spain (www.obreal.org)"


The aviation sector is growing rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and is expected to continue growing in the future. Several countries in the region had growth rates in passenger volumes of 20% and 30% per year (2012 Fitch Ratings). Projections suggest that the region will grow at an annual rate of 6% over the next 20 years. This dynamic is putting pressure on existing aviation infrastructure, demanding higher capacity and better performance. This combined with the liberalization of the market and the consolidation of airlines are the main drivers for improvements in regulatory frameworks in force. This booklet will give a brief overview of the main areas that influence the air transport regulatory framework and its role in the governance and oversight of airlines and airports.


30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawaii without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or veteran status. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu> or ordered by calling 808-956-7046 or sending e-mail to email@example.com. Hawaii Visitor Preference for Landscapes to Screen Buildings


The analysis and prediction of crime remains quite a difficult task since the crime system is overly complex. In Nairobi, crime is increasing challenge to the police despite an increased effort targeting the vice. This is due to the fact that the underlying factors that lead to a surge in crime events, which include proliferation oflight firearms, presence of organized criminal outfits, inequitable resource distribution, poor urban land use planning policies, youth unemployment and substance abuse coupled with an ill prepared police force both in terms of resources and logistics, are still yet to be fully addressed. Consequently, the nexus between crimeoccurrence and spatial location of the crime event is key relationship in modeling crime. This paper presents an agent-based spatialtemporal approach for modeling crime occurrences exploiting the convergence of the two technologies: artificial intelligence and Geographic Information Systems. Artificial Intelligence (AI) isused to build human behavior into agents that explore the spatial environment autonomously while at the same time learning from experience. Specifically, the AI algorithm that is used in the study is a form of reinforcement learning referred to as q-learning. Reinforcement learning is a type of machine learning approachwhich models, into the agents, the capability to find their ways along street networks, learning from experience in each iteration as the simulation proceeds. Three types of agents were designed in this simulation: Offender; Target and Guardian agents. The multi-agent simulation was developed in Netlogo software. Netlogoenvironment allows a user to design an artificial environment comprising the three agents including possible crime occurrence locations after several iterations for generating crime patterns. In addition to designing agents that participate in a crime event, a risk terrain model was generated by overlaying a set of potential riskfactors that influence a crime event. These factors were first tested for their colocation with crime occurrence using a Chi square test and finally overlaid to generate a risk terrain surface. A validation to test the accuracy of the model was conducted by comparing the counts of crime as generated by the simulation against those reported by authorities. The metric used in the comparison is the spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The validation yields a correlation coefficient of 0.4 indicating there is some degree positive correlation since for a perfect positive correlation, we expect a correlation coefficient of 1. The correlation coefficient is a bit low due to various assumptions made in this simulation such as only allowing agents to move along a street network and limiting the type of crime to street robbery alone. Moreover, the set of potential risk factors considered in the generation of the risk surface is finite when in fact in real life, the factors that motivate crime are complex, multidimensional and almost infinite in number.


This paper aims to study the optimization of performance parameters to improve diesel engine efficiency . An attempt has been made to solve the correlated multiple criteria optimization problem of performance parameters of diesel engine. The process environment has been assumed consisting of four variables load, time taken for 10cc fuel consumption, type of fuel, valve opening position. Taguchi method has been adopted to convert multiple objectives of the optimization problem into a single objective function. Taguchi's technique has been applied to determine the optimal setting, which can maximize The output parameters B.P , Break thermal Efficiency,co2%,and can minimize F.C.H,B.S.F.C, CO%,HC,O2%.The result of this optimization technique has been imported to that of grey – Taguchi technique, another approach which is widely used for solving multi criteria optimization problems. A confirmatory test showed satisfactory result by Artificial neural network in MATLAB.


Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a well-known traditional medicinal herb and its root extract have a broad range of pharmacological activities. The current study aimed to explore the impact of The Trivedi Effect® - Energy of Consciousness Healing Treatment (Biofield Energy Healing Treatment) on the physicochemical, thermal and behavioral properties of ashwagandha root extract using PXRD, PSD, FT-IR, UV-vis spectroscopy, TGA, and DSC analysis. Ashwagandha root extract was divided into two parts – one part was control without any Biofield Energy Treatment and another part was treated with the Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment remotely by seven renowned Biofield Energy Healers and defined as The Trivedi Effect® treated sample. The PXRD analysis exhibited that both the treated and control samples were amorphous in nature. The particle size distribution values of the treated sample at d10, and d50 were increased by 16.94% and 8.01%, respectively, whereas at d90 particle size value was decreased by 7.02% compared with the control sample. The surface area analysis revealed that the surface area of the treated sample was decreased by 4.17% compared with the control sample. The FT-IR analysis indicated the alteration of the force constant for the functional groups of the treated sample compared with the control sample. The UV-vis analysis revealed that the wavelength for the maximum absorbance of the control and treated samples were at 205.2 nm. The TGA analysis revealed that the total weight loss was decreased by 1.13% in the treated sample as compared to the control sample. Similarly, the DTG analysis revealed that the maximum thermal degradation temperature in the treated sample was increased by 0.14% compared to the control the sample. The DSC analysis indicated that the vaporization temperature and the latent heat of vaporization of the treated sample were increased by 1.45% and 11.30%, respectively as compared to the control sample. Similarly, onset, peak, endset melting temperature and the latent heat of fusion of the treated sample were significantly increased by 18.90%, 18.86%, 20.18%, and 511.11%, respectively compared to the control sample. This indicated that the treated sample was thermally more stable as compared to the control sample. The Trivedi Effect® - Energy of Consciousness Healing Treatment might lead to have better powder flowability and long-term storage stability compared with the control sample. Thus, the treated ashwagandha root extract might provide better therapeutic response against inflammatory diseases, immunological disorders, stress, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, sexual disorders, aging and other chronic infections.


A paradox of Vietnam's economic performance in the 1990s has been that despite rapid economic growth, extensive economic reforms, increased openness and significant reductions in poverty, the rate of employment growth has been disappointing. Conventional explanations of the slow growth of employment emphasize the incomplete nature of the economic reform process emphasizing three key areas – trade policy, the role of state-owned enterprises and labour market policies – which have led to resources being misallocated to the detriment of labour-intensive export sectors and the private sector. The paper shows that the slow growth of industrial employment in Vietnam has not been a result of an excessive concentration of resources on capital-intensive industries or state-owned enterprises. It is primarily the changes which have occurred within industries, resulting in increases in labour productivity from the very low levels at the beginning of the 1990s, that have prevented industry from absorbing more workers.


Fact catches up with fiction when the secret of telepathic communication is discovered. But the device at the centre of the mystery is in the possession of two schoolboys and whether they stole it or invented it, there are powerful interests who will kill to get hold of it. Albert Campion faces as deadly a challenge as any in his career. An Albert Campion mystery.


Objectives Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results from a combination of genetic predisposition, dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and environmental factors, leading to alterations in the gastrointestinal immune response and chronic inflammation. Caspase recruitment domain 9 (Card9), one of the IBD susceptibility genes, has been shown to protect against intestinal inflammation and fungal infection. However, the cell types and mechanisms involved in the CARD9 protective role against inflammation remain unknown. Design We used dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced and adoptive transfer colitis models in total and conditional CARD9 knock-out mice to uncover which cell types play a role in the CARD9 protective phenotype. The impact of Card9 deletion on neutrophil function was assessed by an in vivo model of fungal infection and various functional assays, including endpoint dilution assay, apoptosis assay by flow cytometry, proteomics and real-time bioenergetic profile analysis (Seahorse). Results Lymphocytes are not intrinsically involved in the CARD9 protective role against colitis. CARD9 expression in neutrophils, but not in epithelial or CD11c+cells, protects against DSS-induced colitis. In the absence of CARD9, mitochondrial dysfunction increases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production leading to the premature death of neutrophilsthrough apoptosis, especially in oxidative environment. The decreased functional neutrophils in tissues might explain the impaired containment of fungi and increased susceptibility to intestinal inflammation. Conclusion These results provide new insight into the role of CARD9 in neutrophil mitochondrial function and its involvement in intestinal inflammation, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies targeting neutrophils.


ABSTRACT This paper describes the process of engaging young people in a user centred, co-design strategy to define their perfect condom. Our aims were 1) to find a way to destigmatise discussions about sexuality and contraception and 2) to provide information about what characteristics a perfect condom might embody for adolescents. We used arts-based methods to introduce creativity and enjoyment into discussing sensitive topics related to sexual and reproductive health, which is often avoided in relation to youth and usually nuanced by themes of risk and danger. Using theories of objects becoming things through their sociality, we explored what a condom could be to young people through our method of embedding the condom design process into narratives of young people's lives and integration of these ideas into the development of a next-generation condom.


Objectives
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common disease related to malnutrition. Epidemiological studies revealed a positive correlation between IDA and obesity, but the underlying mechanism is uncertain. Emerging evidence suggests that adipose browning significantly contributes to weight loss by dissipating extra energy into heat. Adipose tissue browning is concurrent with mitochondrial biogenesis, an iron-demanding process. We aimed to investigate whether iron deficiency downregulat adipose tissue browning.

Methods
To simulate the IDA, C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet in an iron-deficient (3 ppm) setting for 14 weeks compared with an isocaloric iron-sufficient (50 ppm) diet. Iron status was evaluated by measuring serum levels of ferritin, hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCt). Iron content of tissue levels was measured by ICP-Mass spectrometer. For assessment of capability to keep the temperature homeostasis, core body temperature and heat release by the infrared camera were determined upon acute cold exposure (4°C). Adipose browning was induced by administrating β3-adrenoceptor agonist, CL316243 (CL) for 5 days. The significance of iron on adipocyte browning was validated in vitro by silencing of the transferrin receptor (TfR), or by iron chelator (DFO, deferoxamine) treatment during beige adipogenesis.

Results
The chronic iron-deficiency significantly reduced serum ferritin concentration (P < 0.01) with marginal impact on Hb or HCt. Despite no apparent difference in body weight, fat mass was higher in IDA mice (P < 0.001). Consistently, total iron content in the inguinal fat, where adipose browning occurs, was markedly lower in IDA mice. IDA mice were more susceptible to cold treatment, maintaining the body temperature lower than control and defective in heat release. Upon CL stimulation, IDA mice showed reduced expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and Cytc, and beige-like morphology in the inguinal fat. Supporting these in vivo results, inhibition of iron import by depleting TfR or reducing liable iron dampened the beige adipogenesis by attenuating brown-specific markers and mitochondrial biogenesis.

Conclusions
IDA is an independent risk factor for visceral obesity by decreasing thermogenic energy expenditure.

Funding Sources
National Institutes of Health Grant 1R21HD094273.


Enterprise application software (EAS) is often developed organizationally distributed in hub-and-spoke networks. From a theoretical point of view the specific structure of these networks is characterized by tensions: While on the one hand trust as well as informal control is of high importance in hub-and-spoke networks, on the other hand structural properties of these networks constitute the hub's preference for efficient formal control, which, following a conventional view, undermines trust. Based on an exploratory case study and driven by socio-economic theory we develop a process model. The model is based on the concept of trust-sensitive context management that explains how the tensions are resolved by clarifying the relationship between different means of control (formal / informal) and different types of trust (personal trust / system trust).


This article investigates the role of temporary work agencies (TWAs) at Foxconn's assembly plants in the Czech Republic. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, it shows TWAs' comprehensive management of migrant labour: recruitment and selection in the countries of origin; cross-border transportation, work and living arrangements in the country of destination; and return to the countries of origin during periods of low production. The article asks whether the distinctiveness of this specific mode of labour management can be understood adequately within the framework of existing theories on the temporary staffing industry. In approaching the staffing industry through the lens of migration labour analysis, the article reveals two key findings. Firstly, TWAs are creating new labour markets but do so by eroding workers' rights and enabling new modalities of exploitation. Secondly, the diversification of TWAs' roles and operations has transformed TWAs from intermediaries between capital and labour to enterprises in their own right.


Poor sanitation is a national problem and every body's responsibility. It has effects on health status, education, trade and development. Despite the National policies by Ministry of Education that all schools should have school health programmes, sanitation in schools is still presenting a big challenge to several actors in the Health, Education, Water and Sanitation sectors among others (MoES and UNICEF 2006). The rapid increase in primary schools' classrooms and enrolment in response to Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda has resulted into increased pressure on the limited sanitation facilities available. More than one third of the global population some 2.5 billion people do not use an improved sanitation facility, and of these 1 billion people still practice open defecation (UNICEF, 2014)
Like other Civil Society Organizations under the umbrella Uganda Water and Sanitation NGO Network (UWASNET) which networks or coordinates all Organizations under the water sector in Uganda, Voluntary Action for Development (VAD) has made a remarkable improvement in communities and schools where the integrated community managed water, hygiene and sanitation improvement has been implemented with funding from various partners from Canada, UK, and Ireland. This presentation highlights various avenues used by the trained School Health Clubs to spearhead the process of hygiene and sanitation improvement in an effort to reduce the occurrence of communicable diseases and improve on the general health of pupils in schools.
Established and registered in 1996, Voluntary Action for Development (VAD) is a non-profit making indigenous, Non-governmental organization registered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs RE: No:S.1594/1709. VAD is focused exclusively on improving livelihoods of rural poor and disadvantaged communities through Water, Hygiene and Sanitation improvement, Sustainable Agriculture promotion, Child Protection and Development initiatives and Family Economic Empowerment
(www.vaduganda.org).


This article [1] has been identified as one of a series of submissions for which we have concerns about the reported research ethics approval information and the article's adherence to PLOS research ethics policies. PLOS will be investigating these concerns in accordance with COPE guidance and journal policies. Meanwhile, the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases Editors issue this Expression of Concern.


Management folklore sometimes leads to unprofitable decision making. Thus, studies of the value of such folklore should be of interest to managers, especially when they identify unprofitable procedures. I reviewed empirical research on scientific publishing and concluded that studies supporting management folklore are likely to be favorably reviewed for publication and to be cited. However, researchers who obtain findings that refute folklore are likely to encounter resistance in publication and are less likely to be cited. My experience with papers on portfolio planning methods and escalation bias illustrates the problem. To encourage the publication of papers that challenge management folklore, editors should use results-blind reviews and, in some cases,constrain, reduce, or eliminate peer review. Abstract Management folklore sometimes leads to unprofitable decision making. Thus, studies of the value of such folklore should be of interest to managers, especially when they identify unprofitable procedures. I reviewed empirical research on scientific publishing and concluded that studies supporting management folklore are likely to be favorably reviewed for publication and to be cited. However, researchers who obtain findings that refute folklore are likely to encounter resistance in publication and are less likely to be cited. My experience with papers on portfolio planning methods and escalation bias illustrates the problem. To encourage the publication of papers that challenge management folklore, editors should use results-blind reviews and, in some cases, constrain, reduce, or eliminate peer review.


The concept of establishing direct correlations between the operating flux, represented by the conversion, and fouling potential of membrane systems has always been of tremendous interest to membrane technology researchers, plant end-users and membrane manufacturers since the advent of membrane technology's commercial applications worldwide some forty years ago. Several attempts were made to effectively control biological and colloidal fouling in particular, as a means of optimizing plant design, operation and performance, by limiting the operating system conversion or flux below "safe" or "critical" values. However, such attempts resulted in designing plants that are not economically feasible to operate. Moreover, the concept of critical recovery or flux did not in reality allow for the implementation and utilization of new, innovative technologies, processes and equipment that continually optimize the operating and performance efficiencies and competitiveness of membrane processes. On the other hand, cost benefits resulting from increasing the conversion and flux can be prove critical in end-users' ultimate decision to adopt membrane processes as the technology of choice for meeting the demand for reliable and cost-effective desalinated water. A more realistic and practical approach to correlate the fouling potential with operating recoveries and fluxes was therefore critically needed in the industry to achieve that goal. This paper directly addresses this dilemma by utilizing a new technology, known as the Silent Alarm, that measures and monitors the onset of fouling development or potential in membrane desalination systems in real-time, not as a long-term trend. A quantitative and early-warning parameter known as the "Fouling Monitor (FM)" has been employed to correlate the fouling potential of representative membrane desalination plants around the world as a function of plant operating conversion and flux based on actual system design parameters, operating history and maintenance requirements. The results of this evaluation show conclusively how to maximize site-specific operating conversion and flux of desalination plants incorporating RO and NF membrane processes, to much more practical and cost-effective values not attainable before, via real-time monitoring of the FM. More realistic on-site optimization of such values are now possible with the new approach. Potential future applications extend even farther to UF and MF membrane processes, especially when used to replace conventional pre-treatment at RO and NF plants. The tide has just turned in the eternal quest to achieve, implement and maintain the most optimum plant design and operating conditions of membrane desalination plants, resulting in delivering superior performance, maximum operating efficiency, maximum conservation and lowest total cost of water.


There has been a discernible movement in recent years away from apaternalistic approach in the delivery of public services. Increasinglyprofessionals and users share some responsibility for decisions about theservice to be provided. The idea of partnership between professionalsand clients is encouraged as this can improve outcome, contain care costs,raise satisfaction as well as improving the quality of research. To identifypossible models of involvement of children and young people in servicesprovided by health and social care, education and the voluntary sector,seven senior executives of a variety of statutory and voluntary agencieswere interviewed by a 16 year old school-pupil using an agreed semistructuredschedule. Questions covered the services provided to childrenand young people and the associated planning process. Interviews wererecorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis. The key issuesuncovered were (a) time is needed for capacity-building; (b) a need to"get-real" (be pragmatic); (c) the public sector is not a leader in childparticipation, the voluntary sector has a more developed user-involvementapproach; (d) start with involvement in planning for individual care,before becoming strategic; (e) use advocacy as appropriate; (f) olderchildren who are frequent service users are more likely to respond thanyounger children who don't use the system; (g) needs assessment requiresuser participation; (h) different types of condition/disability requiredifferent approaches; (i) information from routine care can informstrategy; and (j) feedback is possible by survey, suggestion box orcomplaints system. Eighteen models of potential user involvement wereidentified, including focus groups, reference /user groups, pupil council,advocacy, and independent visitor and through the process of normalprofessional practice. To gain an understanding of the process, these7models were mapped onto a user involvement scale, first described byArnstein in 1969, and then onto a two dimensional scale combining userinvolvement with communication level.Promising methods of user involvement include:a. "You tell-us, we put it all together". Integration of existing datafrom regular case reviews, especially for children looked after by thesocial services (Arnstein step 3),b. "Helper" or an advocate especially for younger children and themore disabled young person (Arnstein step 5), andc. "You all decide" in a peer-led focus group (Arnstein step 6 or 7).By performing such multi-agency research, ideas for practicedevelopment can be found which have worked in another context. Afurther sharing of these ideas with young people is necessary in order toidentify favoured approaches to user involvement in strategic planning.


The substitution of old refrigerants in refrigeration systems, heat pumps and organic Rankine cycles for heat recovery, request a good knowledge of heat transfer properties of substitute fluids. The test measurmements in LENI test facility (concentric tubes with water flowing in a counter-current flow) with new refrigerants like HFC134a, HCFC 123, R-404A, R-402A, have established a new data band with new refrigerants, a comparison with old refrigerants like CFC11, CFC12 CFC/HCFC502 and with existent correlations. Correlations were programmed to calculate and compare heat transfer coefficient during the tests. To develop a new correlation based on flow regimes, a high speed Sony video tape camera is used to observe and identify flow patterns. Important images are captured, digitalized, stored for later analysis and sended to a color plotter. Several flow pattern maps were programmed and compared to flow regimes observed on the test rig. Local flow boiling heat transfer coefficients were measured for HFC 134a and HCFC 123 evaporating inside a microfin tube test data was investigated. The presence of oil in the evaporator have an effect on heat transfer coefficient. Local flow boiling heat transfer coefficients were measured for refrigerant HFC 134a-oil ester (Mobil EAL Arctic 68). A new thermodynamic approach for modeling mixtures of refrigerants and lubricating oils is developed. A very high accuracy, staight vibrating tube type of density flowmeter is used to measure oil concentrations of flowing HFC134a-oil mixtures.


This thesis is a practice led reflection on a selection of creative artwork produced between 2003 and 2015. An analytical commentary indicates how eight publications — artwork publicly exhibited and recorded in published catalogues comprising of Odyssey series (2003); Odyssey and Odyssey-Hermes and the Lotos-Eaters, Looking Forwards to the Past (2007), Heads Series (2008-10); Rupt, Sol and Cor, Pause and Pause ll (2009), Alice Kyteler (2010), The Garden of England (2012); Flower Helix, Flower-Bed and Portrait of Henrietta Maria, Loss (2011); Homage to Guernica (2011) Paradise Lost (2010), Golden Dawn; Golden Dawn (2014) and The Dog Loukanikos and the Cat's Cradle (2015) — contribute to the knowledge of enchantment in the field of art. I have examined enchantment as a mode of artistic engagement explored under the themes of narrative, the feminine and materiality.
The publications examine how enchantment operates within narrative figurative art, focusing on how it is manifested in women's artistic practice of the past century, and in my own artistic practice.


This essay is written from my perspective as a program officer for research and training activities at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) for almost 27 yr. It gives a bird's-eye view of the job of a program officer, which includes providing advice to applicants and grantees, making funding recommendations, overseeing grantees' progress, facilitating scientific opportunities in specific areas of program responsibility, and shaping NIGMS and National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy. I have highlighted the numerous rewards of serving as a program officer, as well as some of the difficulties. For those who may be considering a position as an NIH program officer now or in the future, I've also described the qualities and qualifications that are important for such a career choice. Finally, this essay addresses some of the challenges for the NIH and the research community in the years ahead as we simultaneously face exciting scientific opportunities and tighter budgets.


Media plays a vital role in educational programs, health communication and agricultural development. Without a vibrant media no society can function well. The Media plays a significant role in forming and influencing people's attitudes and behaviour. Gone are the days of chalks and blackboard and the technological changes have brought in digital projection and interactive classrooms. In this new world of interactive media networks, traditional education technology and ignorance of new media are looked down upon. In schools and colleges some of the media are used in teaching and learning. Educational media is a systematic way of designing, carrying out and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication In the present age, when scientific developments have made the human life comfortable, media education has gained much importance. Many authors and philosophers have made valuable observations about media and their utilization in schools. So, today Media is very essential tool in education institutions. Without media we can't imagine the life of the future generation and their knowledge. In this way the present study is an effort to focus on availability of media and their utilization in education institution. In the present study researcher used the survey based on Questionnaire and Interview. Survey based on Questionnaire was used for students to get the information and Interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators of the schools. The researcher chose four schools in Bhadravathi City. The study is located in Bhadravathi Taluk of Shimoga District in Karnataka State. Two Government schools of Kannada medium and two private institutions of English medium are chosen to analyze the impact of language on education and utilizing media. The study also explain the authorities interest and teachers knowledge, weather they have a sufficient training to operate media devices, and know how to effectively link with curriculum and co-curricular activities of the school. This paper also brings out the procedural and pattern wise issues with regard to media availability and utilization in educational institutions. Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol-2, issue-3: 244-249 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v2i3.12824


The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss the utility of the Community College Survey of Men (CCSM©), an instrument designed to examine predictors of student success for men in community colleges. The authors highlight initial validation results from a recent pilot of the CCSM©, with a focus on the non-cognitive outcomes construct employed in the instrument. A factor analysis enabled the identification of multiple non-cognitive outcomes and item elimination. Reliability analyses indicated that the instrument has strong internal consistency for men as a whole, and for cross-racial/ethnic comparisons. Given this, the authors suggest that this instrument be used to inform programming and service-delivery designed to enhance the success of men of color in the community college.


Even though the result recently referred to as the "Frisch-Waugh-Lovell theorem" (FWL theorem, henceforth) has been around for a long time, it is relatively recently that it has been widely used by econometricians as a powerful pedagogical tool to express in a simple and intuitive way many results that often rely on tedious and seldom intuitive algebraic steps, which are also notationally cumbersome. Even though a proof of the FWL theorem can be based entirely on standard algebraic results, the main reason of its increasing popularity is its strong geometric appeal. Recent texts and articles provide a mix between algebraic proofs and geometrical illustrations of the theorem, but none of them presents a fully geometrical proof of the result. The goal of this note is very modest: it extends the standard geometrical representations of the theorem to actually prove it based on geometrical arguments, which should, hopefully, provide a richer understanding of the scope of the theorem.


The events of September 11, 2001, focused attention on the importance of border security. What are the implications for the economy of the Great Lakes, an economy that depends heavily on the movement of people and goods across the border between the U.S. and Canada? A recent Chicago Fed conference discussed the importance of the two countries' close business relationship and the need for policies that enhance security without hampering trade. SPECIAL ISSUE THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK JULY 2002 OF CHICAGO NUMBER 179a


There is atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases with increasing urbanisation. This contributes to environmental pollution and the quality of rainwater so poses great risks to people who depend on this source of water supply. Hence, the objective of the present study is to analyse the quality of harvested rainwater in different locations in Owerri, Imo state an increasing urban city. Water samples were collected from Douglas road, Imo Housing Estate, New Owerri, Orji and Eziobodo. The physical, chemical and microbial quality of the harvested rainwater were analysed in the laboratory using standard procedures. The laboratory results were compared to permissible water quality level as recommended by WHO. The comparative parameters analysis shows that the rainwater samples collected were not within permissible limits. The THPC (38.25 ± 22.11), TFC (20.50 ± 1.91), colour (56.23 ± 14.59), turbidity (23.92 ± 6.20), phosphate (25.03 ± 20.32), sulphate (484.81 ± 115.02), phosphorus (8 ± 6.59), iron (2.12 ± 1.79), aluminium (1.70 ± 1.83) and lead (0.44 ± 0.36) were significantly high. Escherichia coli was not detected. Wind – blown dirt, air pollution leaves, faecal droppings from birds and animals on roofing materials contributed to the physical, chemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. It is recommended that the harvested rainwater be treated properly before use.


This essay examines the trailblazing approach to communal property in the Inter-American human rights system, and then applies that legal framework to the distressing Nicaraguan initiative to construct a trans-oceanic canal. The estimated $50 billion megaproject started initial development in December of 2014, and seriously threatens the lands and livelihoods of the indigenous and Afro-Caribbean communities in its path. I conclude that, if Nicaragua proceeds with the Canal and several of its associated projects, the State will clearly violate the communities' property rights, among other key rights and freedoms. As a result, Nicaragua, in accord with its international legal obligations, should halt the Canal initiative until it secures the free, prior, and informed consent of the affected populations.


The combination of GPS-Telemetry and resource selection functions is widely used to analyze animal habitat selection. Rapid large-scale assessment of vegetation structure allows bridging the requirements of habitat selection studies on grain size and extent, particularly in forest habitats. For roe deer, the cold period in winter forces individuals to optimize their trade off in searching for food and shelter. We analyzed the winter habitat selection of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in a montane forest landscape combining estimates of vegetation cover in three different height strata, derived from high resolution airborne Laser-scanning (LiDAR, Light detection and ranging), and activity data from GPS telemetry. Specifically, we tested the influence of temperature, snow height, and wind speed on site selection, differentiating between active and resting animals using mixed-effects conditional logistic regression models in a case-control design. Site selection was best explained by temperature deviations from hourly means, snow height, and activity status of the animals. Roe deer tended to use forests of high canopy cover more frequently with decreasing temperature, and when snow height exceeded 0.6 m. Active animals preferred lower canopy cover, but higher understory cover. Our approach demonstrates the potential of LiDAR measures for studying fine scale habitat selection in complex three-dimensional habitats, such as forests.


Network security is very essential in today's environment in data security, cloud security as well as all the resources security which is shared in network environment. Basically IDS is the such kind of program which takes unauthorized access of vulnerable resources. It has categorized into Network base IDS and Host base IDS. Intrusions and abuse are constantly threatening to comprehensive internet service use. Therefore, the system for intrusion detection is the most important component of the machine and its network security. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is an algorithmfocused computer network surveillance system that detects the presence of malevolent interference in the network. The IDS system has been recognized for maintaining high standards of safety, meaning that information is exchanged with confidence and security amongst dissimilar organizations. Systems for intrusion detection divide user activity into two main categories: regular, and distrustful. This paper system proposed an approach with machine learning algorithms for GA-FLN base IDS program. Several intrusion detection opportunities have been suggested before, but none shows acceptable results so systems are investigating for a better outcome in this region. The research suggested even takes a description of different kinds of structure techniques for Intrusion Detection System. System additionally research in these extraordinary methodologies, their exactness and also false positive proportions. Keyword: Intrusion Detection system, soft computing, classification techniques.


Inflammation and oxidative stress are believed to function as primary degenerative mechanism in the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Oxidants can inactivate latent collagenase and potentiate the damage. In the present study an attempt was made to study the nonessential endogenous antioxidants like reduced glutathione (GSH) and uric acid levels. Reduced glutathione in R.B.C. levels decreased significantly (p= 0.011) in the osteoarthritic group. Plasma uric acid levels showed a tendency to increase, however remained statistically insignificant. Oxidative stress was studied by evaluating the percent hemolysis and the study group showed a significant increase (p= 0.001) when compared with the control group. There was a significant drop in the hemoglobin (Hb) level (p= 0.003) in the study group. Reduced levels of GSH allow peroxides to accumulate in RBC and hemolysis can occur due to their oxidative effect on the lipid RBC membrane, which may be one of the cause for the observed decrease in the erythrocyte stability reflected by the increase in the percent hemolysis and decrease in the Hb level.


Abstract The present studies have experimentally investigated the relationship between religious beliefs and negative emotions. We found that the mere association of a chain of negative events with the presence of a merciful and omnipotent spiritual being induced less worry and sadness and increased hope in the future than when the same events were presented alone. The former religious attitudes may intensify the impact of the actual religious beliefs in the generation of positive emotions. We also found that the meaning-making process induced by the religious beliefs is an implicit, tacit rather than an explicit inferential process. Also, subjects who (1) unconditionally accept themselves, (2) hold less self-downing beliefs (negative global self-evaluation) and (3) have more religious beliefs tend to experience lower levels of emotional distress under normal, non-traumatic circumstances. Also, participants who believe in the love and forgiveness from God tend to endorse less selfdowning beliefs (one of the proximal causes of depression). Limits and implications for future research and practice are discussed. Keywords: religious beliefs and values, negative emotions, irrational beliefs During the last 20 years the interest in religion and its connections to psychology has increased substantially. The topic became accepted as part of mainstream psychology and psychological intervention once multiculturalism became a "forth force" in psychology (Worthington, Kurusu, McCullough, & Sandage, 1996). In an attempt to define concepts, religiousness came to be considered by most researchers as a multidimensional construct (Spilka, Hood, & Gorsuch, 1985). Most researches rely on Allport's (1959) definition of intrinsic versus extrinsic religiousness. According to Allport, intrinsic religiousness "regards faith as a supreme value in its own right. It is oriented toward a unification of being, takes seriously the commandment of brotherhood, and strives to transcend all self-centered needs" (Allport, 1966 p. 455). On the other hand, extrinsic religiousness is "strictly utilitarian; useful for the self in granting safety, social standing, solace and endorsement for one's chosen way of life" (Allport, 1966 p. 455). Although initially considered bipolar constructs, the two types of religiousness are now considered rather as separate unipolar constructs (Donahue, 1985). A number of studies show religion to be associated positively with mental health (understood as lack of psychopathology and/or prosocial behavior) in persons with intrinsic religious motivation and negatively in persons with extrinsic religious motivation (Donahue, 1985). Some data also suggest that intrinsic religiousness is negatively related to trait anxiety (e.g., Baker & Gorsuch, 1982; Bergin, Masters, & Richards, 1987; Petersen & Roy, 1985), while extrinsic religious orientation and negative religious coping (e.g., avoiding difficulties through religious activities, blaming God for difficulties) are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (Smith, McCullough, & Poll, 2003). We should also make a clear distinction between religious beliefs and religious values. Religious beliefs are propositional statements a person considers to be true about religion. Religious values are superordinate organizing statements of what a person considers important (closer to the concept of intrinsic religious motivation presented above) (Worthington et al., 1996). If a person holds religious beliefs but does not consider them important in his/her life it is likely that these beliefs will not influence behaviors and emotions. Furthermore, as some authors suggest (Worthington et al., 1996), it is important to focus on specific religious beliefs/values and their impact on behavior and affect. In an attempt to increase specificity and rigor, as well as connect religious beliefs to other cognitive factors proved to play a major role in the development of certain functional and dysfunctional behaviors and emotions, during the last years more and more researchers have tried to bring religious beliefs closer to the classical models of mental disorders. …


This paper documents and interprets two facts central to the dynamics of informal default or "delinquency" on unsecured consumer debt. First, delinquency does not mean a persistent cessation of payment. In particular, we observe that for individuals 60 to 90 days late on payments, 85% make payments during the next quarter that allow them to avoid entering more severe delinquency. Second, many in delinquency (40%) have smaller debt obligations one quarter later. To understand these facts, we develop a theoretically and institutionally plausible model of debt delinquency and bankruptcy. Our model reproduces the dynamics of delinquency and suggests an interpretation of the data in which lenders frequently (in roughly 40% of cases) reset the terms for delinquent borrowers, typically involving partial debt forgiveness, rather than a blanket imposition of the "penalty rates" most unsecured credit contracts specify.


Purpose
This paper aims to derive tailor-made microtextures for elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) contacts under consideration of manufacturing possibilities.

Design/methodology/approach
Component tests were used for the evaluation of the influence of surface texturing on the friction behavior in the cam/tappet contact. Furthermore, the manufacturing possibilities and limitations of a combined μEDM and micro-coining process and the feasibility of integration into a forming process were studied. Finally, a methodology based on transient EHL simulations and a meta-model of optimal prognosis was exemplarily used for microtexture optimization.

Findings
It was found that surface texturing in EHL contacts with high amount of sliding is promising. Moreover, the combination of μEDM and micro coining and the integration into established production processes allow the manufacturing of microtextures with desirable structural parameters and sufficient accuracy.

Originality/value
This paper gives a holistic view on surface microtexturing over several phases of the product life cycle, from the design, over efficient manufacturing to application-related testing.


Randomized search heuristics like local search, tabu search, simulated annealing or all kinds of evolutionary algorithms have many applications. However, for most problems the best worst-case expected run times are achieved by more problem-specific algorithms. This raises the question about the limits of general randomized search heuristics. Here a framework called black-box optimization is developed. The essential issue is that the problem but not the problem instance is known to the algorithm which can collect information about the instance only by asking for the value of points in the search space. All known randomized search heuristics fit into this scenario. Lower bounds on the black-box complexity of problems are derived without complexity theoretical assumptions and are compared to upper bounds in this scenario.


This study analyses the production of environmental news and focuses upon the neglected area of source-media relations. Through a combination of in-depth, semi-structured interviews and content analysis, the study explores relations between media practitioners and key news sources, such as environmental pressure groups, related interest groups, scientists and the Department of the Environment. It suggests that a major lacuna exists within the analysis of source-media relations. Researchers have, until recently, adopted a media-centric position and have rarely considered the perceptions of the sources themselves. This thesis, then, fills an important gap in the literature. It argues that through largely focusing upon the ways in which media make use of sources, the sociology of mass communications has ignored a fundamental aspect of news production.

The hypothesis that environmental pressure groups are becoming increasingly adept in their approaches towards the media was supported by the research findings. Many of the campaigning pressure groups that were formed in the 1970s have become established news sources and key definers of the political agenda. During the late 1980s many environmental pressure groups experienced greater access to television and the press. This thesis highlights a number of weaknesses with the structuralist model of source-dependency which maintains that official sources such as government or the courts, co=and privileged access to the media by virtue of their representative status, institutional standing, or their claims to expert knowledge. It suggests that a new model of source-media relations needs to be developed.

While official sources tend to gam greater access to the media than non-official sources such as pressure groups, the evidence suggests that this observation needs to be qualified in a number of respects. First, this study indicates that it fails to take into account inequalities of access among 'accredited sources'. Second, it neglects the role of the media as definers in the agenda-setting process. Third, the structuralist model fails to analyse the varying degrees with which media practitioners judge the claims of 'primary definers'. The study indicates that journalists and broadcasters tend to view Friends of the Earth as more credible than Greenpeace. Finally, this thesis indicates that evidence about patterns of source-dependence deduced from content analysis or journalistic evidence needs to be supplemented by interviews with the sources themselves.


Glibenclamide is a BCS class II oral hypoglycemic agent that is widely indicated for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and has the ability to pass through the gastrointestinal mucosa. The need to rapidly maintain glucose levels in the body is subject to design systems that can release drugs into the systemic circulation in a very short time. The present study attempts to prepare glibenclamide loaded mouth dissolving films (GMDFs) using xanthan gum, as it forms polymers for rapid absorption of the drug in systemic circulation. The solvent casting method was used to produce oral disruptive film containing glibenclamide. All formulations exhibited instant release drug release, rapid dissolution and optimal mechanical strength. The GMDF3 formulation exhibited the highest drug content (96.1±5.89) and all aggregates were found to decompose within 40 seconds. The GMDF1, GMDF2 and GMDF3 formulas were able to release 97, 96 and 98% 10 drugs at the end of 10 minutes, respectively, while GMDF4 and GMDF5 were able to release 94 and 90%, respectively. The results of rapid stability studies have shown that all aggregates are stable under extreme conditions.


Understanding racial prejudice towards African Americans using implicit measures, such as associative techniques like racial priming, provide a sensitive way to assess racial bias. In addition to understanding racial prejudice, it is also important to explore the interaction between race and gender as well as the neural correlates of these effects. This study examined the neural correlates of weapon bias against African Americans and the effect of race and gender using event-related potentials (ERPs). EEG was recorded while thirteen White participants completed a racial priming task that required them to decide whether a target preceded by a face prime was a weapon or a tool. Participants also completed 2 explicit measures: The Modern Racism Scale (MRS) and the Motivation to Control Prejudiced Reactions Scale (MCP). Analyses revealed faster response times preceded by a Black prime. ERPs to targets suggested that the P2, N2, and P3 were sensitive to prime type, being larger for Black primes, while the late positive component (LPC) was sensitive to targets, being larger for weapons. Correlational analyses revealed that increased motivations to control prejudice were associated with longer reaction times to identify targets, while MRS scores were negatively associated with LPC amplitudes to targets. These findings suggest that early latency ERPs to targets were sensitive to prime type, and the LPCs was sensitive to threat-related targets and that cue/target activity did not interact. These results could be beneficial for creating training programs nationwide for police officers.


The paper investigates the role of investment specific technology shock within the particular type of financial friction of Gertler and Karadi (2011) and the impact of direct financial shock into this, such as a net worth shock, using US data. The paper explicitly shows how the bank balance sheet effect of counter cyclical movement of capital price attenuates such investment shocks and the extent depends on the type of financial shocks included in the model. Because of the construction of capital quality shock in such financial friction model, we need to incorporate a direct net worth shock while analysing the role of financial shock. This highlights finance sector as a fundamental source of shocks apart from amplifier of shocks originating in elsewhere of the


The present study was aimed at evaluating the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method to estimate the 3D orientation of the lower trunk during walking using the angular velocity signals generated by a wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) and notably flawed by drift. The IMU was mounted on the lower trunk (L4-L5) with its active axes aligned with the relevant anatomical axes. The proposed method performs an offline analysis, but has the advantage of not requiring any parameter tuning. The method was validated in two groups of 15 subjects, one during overground walking, with 180° turns, and the other during treadmill walking, both for steady-state and transient speeds, using stereophotogrammetric data. Comparative analysis of the results showed that the IMU/EMD method is able to successfully detrend the integrated angular velocities and estimate lateral bending, flexion-extension as well as axial rotations of the lower trunk during walking with RMS errors of 1 deg for straight walking and lower than 2.5 deg for walking with turns.


We aim to find the optimal site locations for a hypothetical network of 1–3 triangular gravitational-wave telescopes. We define the following N-telescope figures of merit (FoMs) and construct three corresponding metrics: (a) capability of reconstructing the signal polarization; (b) accuracy in source localization; and (c) accuracy in reconstructing the parameters of a standard binary source. We also define a combined metric that takes into account the three FoMs with practically equal weight. After constructing a geomap of possible telescope sites, we give the optimal 2-telescope networks for the four FoMs separately in example cases where the location of the first telescope has been predetermined. We found that based on the combined metric, placing the first telescope to Australia provides the most options for optimal site selection when extending the network with a second instrument. We suggest geographical regions where a potential second and third telescope could be placed to get optimal network performance in terms of our FoMs. Additionally, we use a similar approach to find the optimal location and orientation for the proposed LIGO-India detector within a five-detector network with Advanced LIGO (Hanford), Advanced LIGO (Livingston), Advanced Virgo, and KAGRA. We found that the FoMs do not change greatly in sites within India, though the network can suffer a significant loss in reconstructing signal polarizations if the orientation angle of an L-shaped LIGO-India is not set to the optimal value of ∼58.2°( + k × 90°) (measured counterclockwise from East to the bisector of the arms).


The world's best tennis drill book returns—bigger, better, and more comprehensive than ever. Building on the strengths of the popular first edition, this second edition of The Tennis Drill Book includes more drills, expert instruction, advice, and analysis for today's players and coaches.
 The Tennis Drill Book is your complete collection of drills, games, and tips for improving stroke technique, match strategy, and everything in between. Inside you will find
 • progressive technique drills for mastering every stroke and shot combination;
 • tactics drills for winning with aggressive or defensive strategies in every game situation;
 • mental training drills for staying focused when the pressure is on;
 • warm-up, cool-down, and conditioning drills for increasing speed, agility, and endurance; and
 • game-based drills that simulate singles and doubles match play.
 With insights, recommendations, and performance tips from teaching pro and former WTA player Tina Hoskins-Burney and veteran coach Lex Carrington (coach to Vera Zvonareva), The Tennis Drill Book is an essential reference that belongs in every tennis library.


Background: Tissue donation has been promising in prolonging the lives of people with life-threatening diseases. Objective: To assess the attitude and willingness of high school students towards bone marrow (BM) and blood (as tissue) donation for maintaining a safe and adequate pool. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the high school girls, aged 15–18 years, who studied in natural sciences, mathematics and humanities. All participants filled a questionnaire consisting of age, religion, education levels and study branch, attitude and willingness towards BM and blood donation according to a Likert scale. Results: Out of 416 students, with the mean±SD age of 16.3±1.2 years, 31% studied in grade I, 27% in grade II (25% natural sciences, 27% mathematics, and 48% humanities), 26% in grade III (30% natural sciences, 34% mathematics, and 36% humanities), and 16% in pre-university level (college) (32% natural sciences, 42% mathematics, and 6% humanities). The students had highly positive attitudes toward BM and blood donation (mean±SD score of 4.2±0.54). The willingness for BM and blood donation was declared respectively, in 87% and 71% of respondents. Moreover, 16% of students wanted to donate only to their relatives and 84% to all persons in need of therapy. There was no significant correlation between the donation willingness and educational levels and study branch; however, these variables significantly correlated with attitude towards tissue donation (p=0.02, p=0.01, respectively). Conclusion: Despite positive attitude towards BM and blood donation, willingness for BM donation is lesser than blood which may be attributed to insufficient information about this type of tissue donation. An organized educational program for high school students in all aspects of tissue donation seems necessary.


Talaromyces is an important and diverse genus. Its species have positive and/or negative impacts on humans and animals. On the negative side, many Talaromyces species are associated with food spoilage and mycotoxin production, while some are opportunistic pathogens for animals and humans. On the positive side, many species are exploited in biotechnology for the production of novel enzymes, antibiotics, anti-tumour agents and food colourants, while some species are used as bio-control agents. The diversity within the genus and its importance make correct identifications in Talaromyces crucial. This was the focus of this project and in the process we have established a polyphasic approach for working with the genus. This means that Talaromyces species can now be identified using morphology or multi-gene sequences. Morphological identifications may be tricky, as it often needs an experienced worker. This is evident from studies employing only morphological identifications, which lead to numerous misidentifications. The DNA barcoding initiative lead to more studies employing sequence-based identifications. However, for accurate identifications using only DNA sequences, the correct genes should be amplified and the sequences should be compared to a verified and trustworthy dataset. One goal of our study was to supply this dataset for Talaromyces. Also, BenA was proposed as a secondary barcode marker to ITS. In this study we provide verified sequence datasets for both ITS and BenA for the accepted 88 Talaromyces species. These sequences will not only be crucial for future identifications, but also for exploring for new species. From our studies on the T. verruculosus species complex and section Islandici the number of accepted species will soon rise to 97. Additionally, we have found a number of supposedly new species that will be described in future papers. Talaromyces species can be found in a wide range of substrates all over the world. It is clear that there are many more Talaromyces species in nature waiting to be discovered and this study has made a big contribution towards discovering the true diversity in Talaromyces.


Futures thinking involves a structured exploration into how society and its physical and cultural environment could be shaped in the future. In science education, an exploration of socio-scientific issues offers significant scope for including such futures thinking. Arguments for doing so include increasing student engagement, developing students' values discourse, fostering students' analytical and critical thinking skills, and empowering individuals and communities to envisage, value, and work towards alternative futures. This paper develops a conceptual framework to support teachers' planning and students' futures thinking in the context of socio-scientific issues. The key components of the framework include understanding the current situation, analysing relevant trends, identifying drivers, exploring possible and probable futures, and selecting preferable futures. Each component is explored at a personal, local, national, and global level. The framework was implemented and evaluated in three classrooms across Years 4-12 (8 to 16-year olds) and findings suggest it has the potential to support teachers in designing engaging science programmes in which futures thinking skills can be developed.