Hidden Web's broad and relevant coverage of dynamic and high quality contents coupled with the high change frequency of web pages poses a challenge for maintaining and fetching up-to-date information. For the purpose, it is required to verify whether a web page has been changed or not, which is another challenge. Therefore, a mechanism needs to be introduced for adjusting the time period between two successive revisits based on probability of updation of the web page. In this paper, architecture is being proposed that introduces a technique to continuously update/refresh the Hidden Web repository.


The development of molecularly targeted anti-cancer drugs is a result of decades of basic research [1-5] and the efforts of the human and cancer genome projects. Such therapeutics offer improved efficacy and fewer cytotoxic side effects compared to previous classes of therapies. The regulatory approval of molecularly targeted drugs such as imatinib (Gleevec), trastuzumab (Herceptin), gefitinib (Iressa), erlotinib (Tarceva), bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab (Erbitux), sorafenib (Nexavar), and sunitinib (Sutent ) has provided clinical validation for this approach. More targeted compounds such as the PARP inhibitors, based upon their synthetic lethal relationship with BRCA1/2, are currently in clinical trials demonstrating efficacy with little or no toxic side effects at therapeutic dosages [6]. The management of cancer patients is transforming from empirically based approaches to individualized treatments based on tumor specific molecular targets [4, 7, 8].


With the help of advances in synthetic biology, scientists are beginning to create early forms of bacteria computers, driven by artificial DNA circuits. We identify two immediate opportunities that would benefit the HCI and ubiquitous computing communities in better engagement with such developments. These are 1) The broadened curriculum for basic biological training and education, and 2) Increasingly shifting perception of living matter as hardware in interaction design. We introduce MouldCraft, a smartphone-controlled edutainment console, designed to facilitate playful interactions between humans and living micro-organisms. Main objectives of the console are to teach basic concepts in microbiology, and to re-frame the notion of bacterium as a growable, invisible, and connected 'toy', that can sense, actuate and communicate with computer systems and humans. With its accessible modular and interchangeable components, MouldCraft can be a timely toolkit for those outside of professional labs to start engaging with bacteria and their possible futures.


A high-efficiency boost dc-dc converter with adaptive peak-inductor-current (APIC) control method is proposed. Besides, a novel two-step startup procedure is also proposed and applied on the boost converter. The proposed integrated boost converter was fabricated by using a 0.18-μm 1P6M mixed-signal process with a die area of 0.96 mm × 0.75 mm, and it is meant to be used with low-power, low-voltage green energy sources and batteries, such as fuel cells, solar cells, and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Hence, the power efficiency, minimal startup voltage, and minimal input voltage are the most important design considerations. The output voltage of the proposed converter is set to 1.8V, and the measured power efficiency is up to 90.6%, occurring when the input voltage is 1.3 V, the output voltage is 1.8 V, and the load current is 50 mA. According to the measured results, the proposed converter can start up successfully with a 0.43-V input voltage. Then, the input voltage can be further lowered to 0.22 V after startup. Moreover, both the efficiency and the output voltage ripple are improved with the proposed APIC method. Furthermore, a two-step startup procedure, which does not require any extra startup assist circuit, is proposed.


Membrane distillation (MD) is a low-grade heat-based emerging technology found viable for seawater desalination. Membrane properties such as high hydrophobicity, mechanical strength, and thermal stability are crucial in assessing the compatibility of a membrane for use in this application. In this work, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were modified with oleylamine (Ol), which is an 18-carbon chain hydrocarbon. The attachment of oleylamine was confirmed via thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The modification resulted in an increase in the contact angle (CA) of MWCNTs from 104.0±2.1 to 140.5 ± 6.5°. Non-solvent Induced Phase Separation (NIPS) was then used to fabricate five polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based composite membranes by varying nanomaterial concentration from 0 up to 15 wt% of the polymer. The incorporation of the nanomaterial in the membrane was confirmed via SEM, and fourier-transform infrared radiation. CA, porosity, liquid entry pressure (LEP), and tensile strength were utilized to investigate the membrane properties. A 5% and 15% increase in the CA and LEP, respectively, was observed. An increase in the tensile properties was also achieved, where the membrane consisting of 5.0 wt% nanomaterial exhibited maximum tensile stress of 34.0 MPa, compared to 23.6 MPa in the pristine PVDF. The developed nanomaterials were found to enhance the membrane properties and result in a stable overall flux of the MD system.


A new mechanism is proposed to explain the origin of negative differential resistance (NDR) in a strongly coupled single molecule-metal junction. A first-principles quantum transport calculation in a Fe-terpyridine linker molecule sandwiched between a pair of gold electrodes is presented. Upon increasing the applied bias, it is found that a new phase in the broken symmetry wave function of the molecule emerges from the mixing of occupied and unoccupied molecular orbitals. As a consequence, a nonlinear change in the coupling between the molecule and the lead is evolved resulting in NDR. This model can be used to explain NDR in other classes of metal-molecule junction devices.


This paper examines the role the United States has played in the maintenance of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait from a constructivist/institutionalist perspective. My research questions are: In what way has the United States helped preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait? And in the process, how has the United States reproduced the status quo arrangement to shape the interests of Beijing and Taipei? It is maintained that a status quo arrangement has developed across the strait which the United States has helped to construct and which is supported to varying degrees by Beijing and Taipei. This status quo institution has been created and reinforced through direct codification as well through an indirect process of structuration. The three Washington-Beijing joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) form the first stage of institutional development through formal codification which emphasizes the use of peaceful means on both sides for the final resolution of the situation. Since the late 1990s, the construction and reproduction of the status quo arrangement, which generally follows a pattern of "neither use of force nor de jure independence," has been undertaken primarily through policy statements or actions. These policy statements normally uphold such supreme values as "prosperity," "stability," or "peace." They also help sustain the regulative, normative, or cognitive pillars of the status quo institution through the strategies of stigmatization, role conferment, or internalization. The main purpose of the status quo institution, instantiated by repeated policy statements or actions, is to shape the policy discourses, preferences, and interests of Beijing and Taipei. Although Beijing and Taipei are not merely passive and sometimes seek to test the rules or promote alternative norms, this behavior has not been sustained. If they have taken action, it has often been rationalized to ensure that the core values were not directly challenged. As such, it is concluded that the construction and reproduction of the status quo institution has been considerably effective so far; if not completely successful.


Recent advances have been recorded in the tanning industry with biotechnology in principle playing a very important role through related applied research. This review paper demonstrates that a previously tagged tanning sector as the most hazardous can be resolved through adoption of cleaner technologies, waste management and remedial measures that can be put in place. Pollution is depicted stepwise along the leather processing phases with a selected xenobiotic and contaminants identified such as Sodium chlorides, Chromium, Sulphates, Chlorinated phenolics etc. As an interventionist strategy, biological tools using novel techniques of investigation are shown including the aquatic ecosystems. Remedial methods using known threshold in an identified tannery in Kenya is used to comprehend how to scale down the pollutants eventually. However it is recognised that though phytoremediation potential exist, it will require a combination of several other recently developed methods to provide a much firmer basis of controlling pollution loads related to the tanning Industry.


The aim of this study is to design a detailed ESP syllabus for finance managers of Imetal Annaba Company. We believe that designing an ESP syllabus for this research population on the basis of the findings and results of needs analysis will lead to positive and effective results because it will focus on the linguistic knowledge lacks of this population and it will be motivating for them because it will take into consideration their wants. To carry out this study we have used two research tools: a questionnaire and authentic material analysis. The questionnaire to analyse the needs of the participants concerning their use of English at work and authentic material to analyse the characteristics of specific discourse of the research population. The study has taken place in the period between January 2017 and June 2017. The results of the study have helped in knowing the participants and their domain which is finance and accounting. They have also allowed us to fix the duration of the course, the frequency, the objective, the content of the course and the evaluation tools. We are optimistic that this syllabus will be efficient because we have taken into consideration the lacks, necessities and wants of participants. We have taken them in consideration during the needs analysis process and during the design of the course.


In cold and humid environments, airfoil icing is a major hindrance to UAV operations. Airfoil icing increases the aerodynamic drag coefficient, while reducing the maximum lift coefficient and the stall angle. This results in degraded endurance and safety of an UAV. Recently de-icing solutions for fixed-wing UAVs have been developed. These solutions use resistive heating in order to melt the ice on the wings. However, since this requires a high amount of energy it is desirable to only heat the wings if significant icing occurs. In this paper, a method for automatic icing detection is presented. A moving horizon estimator (MHE) is used, which combines aerodynamic, kinematic and stochastic wind models with data from a typical autopilot sensor suite to estimate angle of attack and lift coefficients. The sensor suite consists of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, a heading reference and a pitot-static tube. Within the MHE an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) is used for arrival cost approximation. FENSAP icing simulations show that in severe icing conditions, both the offset and the gradient of the lift coefficient change. Based on these icing simulations an UAV flight simulator that can simulate icing has been used. Simulation results show that the MHE is capable of monitoring changes in offset and gradient of the lift coefficient due to icing. A faster convergence to the estimated coefficient values could be achieved when using an external trigger signal, i.e. from a temperature and humidity sensor, to reset the covariance matrix of the arrival cost. We also investigate the effect on convergence speed resulting from an altitude change giving additional excitation. The estimation results show angle of attack estimation errors below 1 degree. These estimates can be used to limit the angle of attack and adjust the commanded airspeed in the autopilot in order to avoid stall.


We develop information-theoretical description of nonlinear optical communication systems. We present a non-perturbative calculation of the information capacity for different modulation formats, and demonstrate that fiber nonlinearity leads to exponential suppression of the channel capacity.


ABSTRACT Three studies (N = 1,346) detail the development of three theoretically grounded instruments operationalizing instructor strictness. Using open-ended questionnaire data (n = 427), study 1 inductively derives an understanding of the instructor behaviors that students perceive as strict. These patterns of behavior are then condensed into a comprehensive item pool designed to measure the relevant constructs. Study 2 (n = 391) evaluates the underlying factor structures comprised by the patterns of strictness identified in study 1 through a series of exploratory factor analyses. Study 3 (n = 528) establishes factorial validity of each new measure through confirmatory factor analyses. Studies 2 and 3 also provide evidence for convergent and concurrent validity between the newly formed measures of evaluative, regulatory, and interactive strictness and relevant variables within the nomological network, including the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) strictness inventory, the QTI admonishing behavior inventory, instructor caring, and cognitive flexibility. The research provides a roadmap to investigate how instructors who enforce classroom rules or demonstrate inflexibility may influence instructional outcomes in nuanced ways. The theoretical and practical implications of the new measures for instructional communication research, as well as future directions, are discussed.


This paper introduces the inaugural Multilingual Everyday Recordings- Language Identification on Code-Switched Child-Directed Speech (MERLIon CCS) Challenge, focused on developing robust language identification and language diarization systems that are reliable for non-standard, accented, spontaneous code-switched, child-directed speech collected via Zoom. Aligning closely with Interspeech 2023 theme, the main objectives of this inaugural challenge are to present a unique first-of-its-kind Zoom videocall dataset featuring English-Mandarin spontaneous code-switched child-directed speech, benchmark the current and novel language identification and language diarization systems in a code-switching scenario including extremely short utterances, and test the robustness of such systems under accented speech. The MERLIon CCS challenge features two task: language identification (Task 1) and language diarization (Task 2). Two tracks, open and closed, are available for each task, differing by the volume of data systems can be trained on. This paper describes the dataset, dataset annotation protocol, challenge tasks, open and closed tracks, evaluation metrics, and evaluation protocol.


In developed countries the interest to become entrepreneurs is quite large, helping patterns that exist in developed countries where they no longer want to be lower-level people to become entrepreneurs in areas of their interest. The country's economy can be built by growing business in various fields, namely by creating new jobs through entrepreneurship
In this case the Higher Education can be a place to foster and motivate students to have the courage and interest to become an entrepreneur. The problem faced by universities is how to foster interest in entrepreneurship to students so that their chosen career choice after graduation is as entrepreneurs.This study was conducted to measure entrepreneurship interest of  STIE Kesatuan Bogor  students and to find the the factors that affect such interest from motivation, skills, and education point of views. Survey with questionnaire was the data gathering method and Structural Equation Modeling was deployed for main analysis and diagonal analysis (Suharjo Split) is used to measure the level of interest and the level of interest of STIEK Bogor students for entrepreneurs


In 2003, UNESCO recognized the volatility of our heritage on the web. In response, many Canadian institutions rose to the challenge to preserve our digital heritage. This study examines web archives created by the University of Alberta Libraries relevant to Western Canadian heritage. We examine these collections in order to (1) assess their degree of link rot (which occurs when a website is no longer online) and (2) to determine how extensively these websites have been preserved.


Recently, fine pitch wafer level packaging (WLP) technologies have drawn a great attention in the semiconductor industries. WLP technology uses various interconnection structures including microbumps and through-silicon-vias (TSVs). To increase yield and reduce cost, there is an increasing demand for wafer level testing. Contact behavior between probe and interconnection structure is a very important factor affecting the reliability and performance of wafer testing. In this study, with a MEMS vertical probe, we performed systematic numerical analysis of the deformation behavior of various interconnection structures, including solder bump, copper (Cu) pillar bump, solder capper Cu bump, and TSV. During probing, the solder ball showed the largest deformation. The Cu pillar bump also exhibited relatively large deformation. The Cu bump began to deform at OD of 10 μm. At OD of 20 μm, bump pillar was compressed, and the height of the bump decreased by 8.3%. The deformation behavior of the solder capped Cu bump was similar to that of the solder ball. At OD of 20 μm, the solder and Cu bumps were largely deformed, and the total height was reduced by 11%. The TSV structure showed the lowest deformation, but exerted the largest stress on the probe. In particular, copper protrusion at the outer edge of the via was observed, and very large shear stress was generated between the via and the silicon oxide layer. In summary, when probing various interconnection structures, the probe stress is less than that when using an aluminum pad. On the other hand, deformation of the structure is a critical issue. In order to minimize damage to the interconnection structure, smaller size probes or less overdrive should be used. This study will provide important guidelines for performing wafer-level testing and minimizing damage of probes and interconnection structures.


In many areas of science, scientists need to find distinct common characterizations of the same objects and, vice versa, to identify sets of objects that admit multiple shared descriptions. For example, in biology, an important task is to identify the bioclimatic constraints that allow some species to survive, that is, to describe geographical regions both in terms of the fauna that inhabits them and of their bioclimatic conditions. In data analysis, the task of automatically generating such alternative characterizations is called redescription mining. If a domain expert wants to use redescription mining in his research, merely being able to find redescriptions is not enough. He must also be able to understand the redescriptions found, adjust them to better match his domain knowledge, test alternative hypotheses with them, and guide the mining process toward results he considers interesting. To facilitate these goals, we introduce Siren, an interactive tool for mining and visualizing redescriptions. Siren allows to obtain redescriptions in an anytime fashion through efficient, distributed mining, to examine the results in various linked visualizations, to interact with the results either directly or via the visualizations, and to guide the mining algorithm toward specific redescriptions. In this article, we explain the features of Siren and why they are useful for redescription mining. We also propose two novel redescription mining algorithms that improve the generalizability of the results compared to the existing ones.


We develop a theory of how state officials' political incentives can affect corporate behavior. In the pursuit of multiple goals, such as social stability and economic development, the state designs criteria to evaluate its officials' performance. Those officials may be motivated to prioritize different goals at different stages of their careers and to mobilize firms to help them achieve those goals. We test our theory in the context of Chinese publicly listed firms' diversification between 2001 and 2011, when the state faced economic and social ramifications of bankrupt state-owned enterprises (SOEs) laying off large numbers of workers. Our results show that when large layoffs occurred, some firms diversified into industries unrelated to their core business by acquiring bankrupt SOEs and reemploying their workers. This was more likely to occur when the governor of the firm's home province was closer to retirement, as social stability was more important than economic development for the retiring governor's career objective. The effect of career stage was weaker for Communist Party leaders, who more consistently prioritized social stability, and when a provincial state experienced intense collective actions that made social stability a stronger immediate focus. The effect was strengthened for firms more vulnerable to officials' influence, such as those with a strong socialist imprint and those dependent on government resources. Our study extends the Weberian state literature and the political economy research on incentives, and it offers a political explanation for corporate diversification in a major transitional economy.


For more than a century, the study of ceramics has been a fundamental base for archaeological research and anthropological interpretaion in the American Southwest. The widely distributed White Mountain Red Ware has frequently been used by archaeologists to reconstruct late 13th and 14th century Western Pueblo sociopolitical and socioeconomic organization. Relying primarily on stylistic analyses and the relative abundance of this ceramic ware in site assemblages, most scholars have assumed that it was manufactured within a restricted area on the southeastern edge of the Colorado Plateau and distributed via trade and exchange networks that may have involved controlled access to these ceramics. This monograph critically evaluates these traditional interpretations, utilizing large-scale compositional and petrographic analyses that established multiple production zones for White Mountain Red Ware including one in the Grasshopper region during Pueblo IV times. The compositional data combined with settlement data and an analysis of archaeological contexts demonstrates that White Mountain Red Ware vessels were readily accessible and widely used household goods, and that migration and subsequent local production in the destinaton areas were important factors in their wide distribution during the 14th century. Ceramic Commodities and Common Containers provides new insights into the organization of ceramic production and distribution in the northern Southwest and into the processes of social reorganization that characterized the late 13th and 14th century Western Pueblo world. As one of the few studies that integrate materials analysis into archaeological research, Triadan's monograph marks a crucial contribution to the reconstruction of these prehistoric societies.


The inclusion of symbolic resources related to South Slav Muslim collective identity in the educational material of the interwar Yugoslav state reveals a growing sensitivity for South Slav Muslim religious identity. The integration of these symbolic resources within Yugoslav nationhood took place along the broader pattern of the parallel nationalisation of the various religious traditions among the Yugoslav population. Intellectual representatives of South Slav Muslims repudiated the concretisation of this template for two related reasons. First, definitions of Yugoslav nationhood were informed by an overarching division between Occident and Orient. Consequently, South Slav Muslims occupied the hybrid position of an oriental element within the essentially Christian Yugoslav nation. Second, the state's nationalities policy assumed the Serbian 'tribal' affiliation of South Slav Muslims, which again carried certain religious claims with it. Representatives of South Slav Muslims rejected the close intertwining of religion and nationhood that substantiated these definitions of Yugoslav nationhood and suggested the complete division of religion and nationhood and the independent concurrence of Muslim religious togetherness and national affiliation with the nation-state. This diverging understanding of Yugoslav nationhood explains the growing relevance of a sense of South Slav Muslim religious and national togetherness.


It goes without saying that a child learns much in his /her mother tongue as compared with the other language made for a child as a medium of teaching, that is why almost all advanced countries have preferred to their own mother tongue as medium of education and today they are ruling the world almost in every sphere of life. when we consider about Brahui language as a medium of education in the light of above facts ,we come to know that Brahui language possesses all the required wherewithal to fulfil the demands of its making it medium of education for Brahui speaking people .today there is a good amount of literary treasures to bring a variation of literature or to find material for the character building of the students .furthermore, Brahui language is one of the ancient languages of this region and it offers a vast domain for research .the number of Brahui speaking people are in millions who love their mother tongue much whereas this language has been included in the list of impending vanishing languages. so it is imperative to make it the medium of education without further data. In this research paper Brahui language has been focused and research was carried out to ascertain the qualities of Brahui Language as a medium of education and relevant aspects of it have been discussed thoroughly. the methods adopted are collecting material, observation, deep study and analytical approach and after a comparison, the outcomes have been viewed in the context of realities exposed the above facts.


Large language models (LLMs) have shown the ability to produce fluent and cogent content, presenting both productivity opportunities and societal risks. To build trustworthy AI systems, it is imperative to distinguish between machine-generated and human-authored content. The leading zero-shot detector, DetectGPT, showcases commendable performance but is marred by its intensive computational costs. In this paper, we introduce the concept of conditional probability curvature to elucidate discrepancies in word choices between LLMs and humans within a given context. Utilizing this curvature as a foundational metric, we present Fast-DetectGPT, an optimized zero-shot detector, which substitutes DetectGPT's perturbation step with a more efficient sampling step. Our evaluations on various datasets, source models, and test conditions indicate that Fast-DetectGPT not only outperforms DetectGPT in both the white-box and black-box settings but also accelerates the detection process by a factor of 340, as detailed in Table 1.


Purpose Globe rupture is a serious condition. Despite advancements in vitrectomy, the postoperative prognosis for visual acuity remains poor in many cases. We conducted multiple regression analysis to identify preoperative factors associated with postoperative visual acuity. Methods Subjects comprised 24 patients with globe rupture in one eye who had 5 consecutive years of consultation and were followed up for 12 months or longer. Subjects comprised 13 males and 11 females with a mean age of 67.8 ± 17.4 years. Our methods involved performing multiple regression analysis with age, preoperative visual acuity, scope of injury, number of surgeries, hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and subchoroidal hemorrhage as explanatory variables, and postoperative visual acuity as the response variable. Results Preoperative visual acuity and scope of retinal detachment were explanatory factors found to correlate significantly with postoperative visual acuity after globe rupture. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that postoperative visual acuity can be predicted to some degree by preoperative visual acuity and the scope of retinal detachment.


Background: Cranberry pomace (CP), an underutilized by-product from juice processing, contains a wide range of biologically active compounds that can be recovered and used in a variety of applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals.  Methods: In this study, analytical chemical techniques such as solvent extractions and characterization of extracts in respect with their phenolic content were performed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and spectrophotometry. Crude CP extract and its phenolic acids, flavonols, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins–rich fractions were then evaluated for their anti-oxidant capacity, tyrosinase inhibitory activity, and anti-proliferation activity against hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Results: On a dry weight basis, the different CP fractions contained seven major anthocyanins (0.1-125 mg/g), six major phenolic acids (0.8-31 mg/g), seven flavonols (1-126 mg/g) and five flavan-3-ols (0.1-12 mg/g). Fractions rich in flavonols exhibited the most potent antioxidant capacities with ferric ion reducing antioxidant power values of 1.8-1.9 mmole/g and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging IC 50 values of 15.1-15.2 mg/L respectively. On the other hand, fractions rich in phenolic acids and flavan-3-ol monomers demonstrated the most potent anti-tyrosinase activity (IC 50 =6.1-6.2 mg/L) and anti-proliferative activity (IC 50 =7.8-15.8 mg/L). Generally, all the fractions exhibited a dose-response relationship in the selected biological activity assays. Conclusion: This study suggests an effective utilization of CP to obtain biologically active fractions with potential to be used in functional foods and nutraceuticals designed for the prevention of chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress. Keywords: cranberry pomace, polyphenol, anti-tyrosinase, anti-proliferation, nutraceuticals, functional foods


It is generally accepted within the reliability discipline that component failures occur when the strength of the component ie less than the stresses imposed. Due to the unavoidable variations in processing and materials, it will not be unusul to find component or product strength distributions that are bimodal in nature, consisting of a mixture of two Weibull distributions (i.e. weak and strong component distributions).

This paper presents an analysis of both field performance and burn-in data collated over a period of time on one particular type of display unit which clearly exhibits some form of bimodality.

The text also explains in detail the manner in which optimum burn-in duration can be computed via a Weibull plotting technique or by applying the sequential burn-in procedure.


Most developing countries have been debt ridden since the mid-1970s. This continuing debt burden has resulted in increasing prices and inflation, growing unemployment, and daily life difficulties. This problem has been acute for the Sudan. Sudan received help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1978 and negotiated new credit terms. By 1981, however, Sudan had defaulted on the agreement and its deficit had risen to about $1.3 billion and to $7 billion by 1982. The result of the IMF/World Bank manasement of the Sudan economy was deepening economic crisis precipitating declining social welfare. Various policies need to be put into place in order to improve the situation. Policies include the following: proper planning for training that is linked to the use of appropriate technology; use of training structures to their maximum capacities; and spreading of vocational training centers in all states. The following are specifically recommended: (1) training activities in the industrial, agricultural, youth, transportation, and energy and mining sectors; (2) women's training; (3) training for persons with disabilities and street children; (4) training of trainers; (5) the structure of the vocational training administration; (6) finance; (7) training at the state level; and (8) small-scale industries. Since human resource development is crucial for socioeconomic advancement of the country, more efforts are needed to increase awareness of people to the importance of having skilled personnel in the Sudan to ensure the success of national development plans. (KC) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) OVERCOMING STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT POLICIES IN AFRICA: STRATEGIES FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE SUDAN BY: Sidiga Washi, Ph.D. Lecturer, Head School of Family Sciences and Sunita Pitamber, MSc. Lectures, School of Organizational Management. Ahfad University for Women. P. 0 BOX 167 Omdurman, Sudan.


A new guided wave imaging application for fast, low-cost ultrasound-based cargo scanning system is presented. The goal is the detection of high-atomic-number, shielding containers used to diminish the radiological signature of nuclear threats. This ultrasonic technology complements currently deployed X-ray-based radiographic systems, thus enhancing the probability of detecting nuclear threats.An array of acoustic transceivers can be attached to the metallic structure of the truck to create a guided acoustic wave. Guided medium thickness and composition variation creates reflections whose placement can be revealed by means of an imaging algorithm. The knowledge of the reflection position provides information about the shielding container location inside the truck.Reflected waves in the guided domain bounds may limit the performance of imaging methods for guided media. This contribution proposes a solution based on Fourier domain analysis, where plane wave components can be filtered out, thus removing non-desired contributions from bounds. Apart from this, the imaging algorithm can be used to recover information about material composition. Simulation-based examples are used for algorithm validation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


The research about of the biopolymers film from oil palm trunk starch had been done.  Biopolymers  film  made  by  mixing  of  oil  palm  trunk  starch  (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and plasticizer sorbitol with the variation was 2:0,8 ; 2:1,0 ;2:1,2 (g/mL), then the film was molded on acrylic plate and dried in an oven at 40°C for 24  hours.  The results of  the film characterization  show that  the best variation of biopolymers on comparison 2:0,8 (g/mL) with the value of tensile strength was 4,26 MPa, percentage of elongation was 1,87 %, and film thickness was 0,16 mm, then it can be used as reference for addition 2 gram chitosan on the establishment of biopolymer film. It was characterized by tensile strength test with value was 14,00 MPa, pencentage of elongation with value was 3,20 %, and film thickness  with  value  was  0,10  mm.  The  results  of  Differential  Scanning Calorimetry  (DSC)  showed  increasing  of  the  endothermic  temperature  was 115,75 oC and exothermic temperature was 394,56 oC. The results of Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA) showed that at a temperature of 340,1 0C the film to start decomposed. The value of % Swelling was 63,176%. The Fourier Transform Infra  Red  (FT-IR)  result  showed  that  in  biopolymers  film  occurs  physical interaction  only.  As  well  as,  the  antibacterial  activity  analysis  showed  that addition of chitosan on biopolymer film made Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli bacterial was great inhibited with index antibacterial value of 0,625  respectively.  From SEM analysis showed  that film had  been  added by chitosan more homogenous than film without chitosan addition. The presence of chitosan addition tend to increase the physical and mechanical  properties of biopolymer film.


Pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly malignant and lacks an effective therapeutic schedule, hence that early diagnosis is of great importance to achieve a good prognosis. Oral bacteria have been proved to be associated with pancreatic cancer, but the specific mechanism has not been comprehensively illustrated. In our study, thirty-seven saliva samples in total were collected with ten from PC patients, seventeen from benign pancreatic disease (BPD) patients, and ten from healthy controls (HC). The oral bacterial community of HC, PC, and BPD groups was profiled by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic methods. As shown by Simpson, Inverse Simpson, Shannon and Heip, oral microbiome diversity of HC, BPD and PC groups is in increasing order with the BPD and PC groups significantly higher than the HC group. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) suggested that grouping by PC, BPD and HC was statistically significant. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) identified high concentrations of Fusobacterium periodonticum and low concentrations of Neisseria mucosa as specific risk factors for PC. Furthermore, predicted functions showed changes such as RNA processing and modification as well as the pathway of NOD-like receptor signaling occurred in both PC and HC groups. Conclusively, our findings have confirmed the destruction of oral bacterial community balance among patients with PC and BPD and indicated the potential of Fusobacterium periodonticum and Neisseria mucosa as diagnostic biomarkers of PC.


The authors examine how women who experienced intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) perceive social expectations of society toward forgiveness, how they incorporate IFCSA and reconstruct their life stories in relation to these expectations, and the costs and gains from such reconstructions. This is part of a larger study on the phenomenology of forgiveness for IFCSA among grown women. Twenty Jewish Israeli women who had experienced IFCSA were interviewed in depth. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analyses lead to four types of social expectations: forgiveness by forgetting, avenging, family preservation through forgiveness, and satisfying the voyeuristic needs of society, which has limited interest in forgiveness. These contradictory expectations are discussed in light of the cultural context and the experience of the women interviewed. Implications for practice are suggested.


Abstract Background The outcomes of hematogenous periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and reasons for failure are largely unknown. Methods The outcomes of consecutive patients with hematogenous PJI treated at our institution between 2010 and 2019 were evaluated. Failure was classified as persistence or relapse of infection or new infection. Failure-free survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Proportions between groups were compared with the Fisher exact test. Results One hundred thirty-two hematogenous PJI episodes involving knee (n = 76), hip (n = 54), shoulder (n = 1), or elbow (n = 1) prostheses experienced by 110 patients were included. The median follow-up (range) was 20.7 (0.2–89.9) months. Hematogenous PJIs were caused by Staphylococcus aureus (n = 49), Streptococcus spp. (n = 36), Enterococcus faecalis (n = 17), Enterobacterales (n = 16), coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 9), and other (n = 6). Debridement and implant retention were performed in 50 (38%), prosthesis exchange or removal in 79 (60%), and no surgery in 3 episodes (2%). Treatment failed in 42 episodes (32%), including 6 infection-related deaths. Among 36 nonfatal failures, 21 were caused by a new pathogen and 8 by the same pathogen, in 7 episodes no pathogen was isolated. Of all nonfatal failures, 19 (53%) PJIs were of hematogenous origin. Identification of the primary focus, causative pathogen, and CRIME80 Score did not influence treatment outcome, but the failure rate was higher following prosthesis retention compared with multistage exchange. Conclusions Persistence-/relapse-free survival after treatment of hematogenous PJI was high (84%). New hematogenous PJI due to the same or a new pathogen occurred frequently, reducing treatment success to 62% after 4 years of follow-up, suggesting an individual predisposition to hematogenous PJI. The outcome was similar for different pathogens but worse in episodes treated with prosthesis retention compared with multistage exchange.


Application of vermicompost in crop production results in improved soil chemical properties. Studies relating to use of vermicompost as alternative to synthetic fertilizers have gotten considerable attention as the demand for organically produced agricultural products increases. Goat manure has been reported to be rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. However, preparation and utilization of goat manure-based vermicompost in organic garlic production in the study area is scanty. Thus, farmers have solely relied on chemical fertilizers in garlic production which is a health and environmental hazards and causes ground and surface water pollution due to nitrate leaching. In Manyatta sub-county of Eastern Kenya, farmers use synthetic fertilizers in garlic production which is not sustainable despite having readily available goat manure which can be composted for use. The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate effectiveness of goat manure-based vermicompost for organic garlic production in Manyatta sub-county, Kenya. Goat manure-based vermicompost was prepared at KALRO Embu station, Embu County between July–November 2018. The vermicompost obtained was dried, screened and filled into bags and was used for growing garlic. A sample of goat manure-based vermicompost was analysed for chemical properties and the results showed that it had very high total N (1.79%), very high available P (52 ppm), very high exchangeable K (1.75 Cmol Kg-1) and it was moderately alkaline (pH 7.73). Hence, goat manure-based vermicompost is recommended in the organic production of garlic in Manyatta sub-county of Eastern Kenya.


ABSTRACT We expressed a protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in order to evaluate the humoral immune responses to the C-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax. This protein (Pv20018) had a molecular mass of 18 kDa and was reactive with the sera of individuals with patent vivax malaria on immunoblotting analysis. The levels of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies against Pv20018 were measured in 421 patients with vivax malaria (patient group), 528 healthy individuals from areas of nonendemicity (control group 1), and 470 healthy individuals from areas of endemicity (control group 2), using the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. To study the longevity of the antibodies, 20 subjects from the patient group were also tested for the antibody levels once a month for 1 year. When the cutoff values for seropositivity were determined as the mean + 3 × standard deviation of the antibody levels in control group 1, both IgG and IgM antibody levels were negative in 98.5% (465 of 472) of control group 2. The IgG and IgM antibodies were positive in 88.1% (371 of 421) and 94.5% (398 of 421) of the patient group, respectively. The IgM antibody became negative 2 to 4 months after the onset of symptoms, whereas the IgG antibody usually remained positive for more than 5 months. In conclusion, indirect ELISA using Pv20018 expressed in S. cerevisiae may be a useful diagnostic method for vivax malaria.


BACKGROUND Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) is a biomarker elevated in various cardiovascular diseases due to oxidation mediated free radical damage. It has been recently used in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events and in hospital adverse outcomes. The application of gamma glutamyl transferase to the traditional set of biomarkers like troponin I and T, creatinine kinase-MB (CKMB) adds to the value that it helps in reclassifying the patients into high and low risk and plan the appropriate treatment strategy. METHODS Patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes were classified into STEMI (ST elevation myocardial infarction), NSTEMI (Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction) and unstable angina based on cardiac biomarkers and electrocardiographic changes. Serum gamma glutamyl transferase of these patients were measured by photo spectrometry and were monitored for 5 days for major adverse cardiovascular events. RESULTS Of the study population (N = 210), 41 % presented with STEMI, 24 % unstable angina, 25 % NSTEMI. The normal range of GGT in our study population was 15 - 70 U/l. values more than 70 U/l was considered raised GGT major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was present in 35 % of the study population. 58 % of the patients with MACE had raised GGT (> 70 U/l) which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The ROC (receiver operator characteristic curve) for GGT to predict MACE was to the left of the reference line and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.915. The optimal cut-off for GGT to predict MACE from our study was 50.5 with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.813 and 0.868 respectively. CONCLUSIONS Raised GGT was significantly associated with MACE and in hospital adverse outcomes (ventricular arrythmias, heart failure, recurrent angina). GGT can be used as a prognostic marker in patients presenting with ACS. KEYWORDS Gamma Glutamyl Transferase, Acute Coronary Syndromes, St Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Unstable Angina


Email worms and the high amount of unsolicited email traffic on the Internet continue to be persistent operational security issues. In this work, we present a method to detect email worms soon after they appear at the local name server, which is topologically near the infected machines. Our method analyses at flow level the communication patterns between user machines and the local name server. With respect to this, it uses exact similarity search over time series produced by the Domain Name System (DNS) query streams of user machines, and unsupervised learning. To evaluate our method, we have constructed and used a DNS query dataset that consists of 71 recent email worms. We demonstrate that our method is remarkably effective in the long run, and that time series similarity search can be a useful tool for intrusion detection, one that has not yet been adequately explored.


The nitrations of 4-methyl (6a) and 4-ethyl (9a) tetrabromo phenols, and 4-methyl (6b) and 4-ethyl (9b) 2,3,5-tribromo-6-nitrophenols are described. The acid-catalysed rearrangements of 4-alkyl-4-hydroxycyclohexa-2,Sdienones (7a,b) and (8a,b) in concentrated sulfuric acid are described, and the effects of the nature of the C 4-alkyl group and C6-substituent (Br or NO2) on the observed reactions are discussed.


The problem of using covariates to predict shapes of objects in a regression setting is important in many fields. A formal statistical approach, termed Geodesic regression model, is commonly used for modeling and analyzing relationships between Euclidean predictors and shape responses. Despite its popularity, this model faces several key challenges, including (i) misalignment of shapes due to pre-processing steps, (ii) difficulties in shape alignment due to imaging heterogeneity, and (iii) lack of spatial correlation in shape structures. This paper proposes a comprehensive geodesic factor regression model that addresses all these challenges. Instead of using shapes as extracted from pre-registered data, it takes a more fundamental approach, incorporating alignment step within the proposed regression model and learns them using both pre-shape and covariate data. Additionally, it specifies spatial correlation structures using low-dimensional representations, including latent factors on the tangent space and isotropic error terms. The proposed framework results in substantial improvements in regression performance, as demonstrated through simulation studies and a real data analysis on Corpus Callosum contour data obtained from the ADNI study.


This study measured the polymerization contraction of a resin composite cured at three levels of energy density, each attained at six different levels of power density. The polymerization contraction of the composite was recorded by the method of the deflecting disc (n = 5) for 1 h following the start of irradiation. Power densities of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,000 mW cm(-2), as measured on a dental radiometer, were obtained by variation of distance and supply voltage of a commercial light-curing unit. The spectral distribution at each power density was recorded using a spectrophotometer. The absorption spectrum of camphorquinone was also recorded, and the efficiency of the radiation at each power density was calculated as the integral over wavelength of the product of absorption and emission. From the slope of the contraction curves, an approximation to the initial rate of polymerization, Rp, was calculated and was taken as an alternative measure of power density. Statistical analyses showed that polymerization contraction increased significantly with increasing levels of energy density received by the resin composite, and, for each level of energy density, that the contraction decreased significantly with increasing power density.


Particles as small as 0.3 μm in diameter have been successfully removed from a glass surface using a single ultraviolet pulse from a frequency doubled copper vapor laser (255.3 nm). Quantitative analysis of the particle density before and after laser irradiation shows that laser cleaning occurs after a fluence threshold is reached. The cleaning efficiency after threshold follows a nonlinear trend with respect to fluence. A model is presented which reveals that the cleaning efficiency is a function of the irradiance distribution of the beam used. Results of modeling thermal expansion of the substrate and particles, and particle adhesion do not confirm a thermal expansion mechanism for laser cleaning in this study, in contrast with other recent reports.


In this contribution, spirituality and sexuality are brought together as part of a quest for authenticity. In conversation with Hegel and Nietzsche, the confusion between sameness and difference as it plays out in the confusion between the public and private spheres is analysed, en route to proposing life-affirming sexual identities, including non-mainstream sexualities. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Aspects of philosophy, spirituality and human sexuality are brought in conversation with one another.


Since the late 1980s, when Australian universities witnessed unprecedented growth in the levels of international student enrolments, there has been extensive scholarship and research examining the international student experience in its various dimensions. The more recent research by educators and policy makers reflects a growing recognition of the diversity in the international student population. The cultural, social, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds of international students have been recognised as influencing the motivations, expectations, experiences and outcomes of international students studying abroad. However, a review of this significant body of literature on international students reveals a 'blind spot' on gender in relation to the international student experience and consequently a significant gap in our understanding of this cohort of students. This thesis investigates how female (and male) international students experience overseas education from the time they leave their home country to the time they return home to provide a holistic view of the international education journey. The aim is to bring a gender sensitive analysis to bear on the data to produce a richer and more nuanced understanding of the experiences of international students than that which has been provided in other studies to date. The empirical study is based on data from a social survey of 440 Malaysian alumni from Monash University Australia and supplemented with 30 qualitative interviews with Malaysian graduates of Monash University Australia. The interviews were conducted in Malaysia in 2009. The key findings show that while both male and female respondents have equitable opportunities to pursue higher education overseas, there were significant differences in the way male and female respondents viewed their overseas educational opportunities. Female participants described wider goals which extend beyond academic and career success when reflecting on their ambitions to study abroad and were more likely to view the Australian study experience as an opportunity to get away from home than their male counterparts. In Australia, female participants were found to be less likely to participate and be actively involved in student representative councils or university clubs as compared to male participants. Female participants also appeared to have poorer interaction with local students and the Australian community. This research suggests that the women in this study had a less positive overseas experience, especially given that the desire to gain cross-cultural experience in Australia forms an important part of the women's pre-Australian study experience. Nevertheless, the women were more likely to describe the benefits of the Australian education experience in terms of transformative changes to their personalities and attitudes than the men once they returned home to Malaysia. Finally, while the study also shows similar career and professional outcomes for female and male Australian-educated graduates in the Malaysian workforce, the female participants in this study were less optimistic about the role of women in the workplace, in particular for working mothers. On the other hand, the male participants were less likely to view gender issues as a concern for women in the workplace. While the study reports several significant gender differences during the various phases of the international education journey, the analysis of the data also reveals many common and shared experiences between men and women. To be quite clear, the analysis confirms the many commonalities and shared experiences between male and female international students. At the same time, it identifies the ways gender impacts and structures the social processes of everyday life of international students in all stages of the international education journey. The thesis demonstrates that employing gender as a category of analysis can deepen and provide a more nuanced understanding of the aspirations, experiences and outcomes of international students.


Q-switched Nd:YAG laser remains the gold standard for tattoo removal, but still some tattoos are not completely removed in a specified period as desired by the patient. Herein, we present a case report of 23-year-old patient who came to the outpatient department for tattoo removal. The tattoo measured around 20cm × 18cm and was located on the back. Nine to 12 sessions of 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser were planned at 4- to 6-week interval. After the completion of nine sessions, all the shades of the tattoo disappeared, but the lines persisted. A trial of increased laser energy and multiple-pass R20 treatment was performed, which rather increased the scarring and no improvement in tattoo clearance was noticed. We tried mini-punch skin excision for clearing the remnant tattoo lines. The tattoo was cleared successfully without significant scarring. Mini-punch skin excision is a very promising technique, similar to the follicular unit extraction technique of hair transplant, for tattoo removal of the patients who want immediate results as compared to lasers that take almost a year, provided the patient accepts the risk of scarring.


ABSTRACT A new species of Paralithoxus is described from the Ajarani River, a small tributary of the Branco River basin, Roraima State, Brazilian Amazon. The genus Paralithoxus comprises species described from the Essequibo drainage in Guyana, Approuague and Maroni in French Guiana, Suriname River in Surinam, and more recently, from Jari and Amapá rivers, in Brazil. Despite occurring in a rock-bottomed fast-flowing stream as the other species of Paralithoxus, this is the first species of the genus collected at 900 m altitude, in the Serra da Mocidade highlands, an isolated and poorly accessible small mountain chain at the southern border of the Guiana Shield. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by having truncate teeth, color pattern with green spots on dark olive-brown background, alternating dark and light blotches on fins and by the pelvic fin being as long as or longer than the pectoral fin. Sex dimorphism of the species is described. Comments on morphology and osteology are provided and compared with congeners.


Smartphones, electric vehicles and wind turbines all have one thing in common: they cannot be manufactured without critical mineral resources which often originate from conflict-affected or high-risk areas. These minerals which are often termed "conflict minerals", include tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold and, since more recently, cobalt. They make semiconductors faster, batteries more powerful and metal alloys more resistant to extreme temperatures.


Knowledge of the hydration structure of Na(+) and K(+) in the liquid phase has wide ranging implications in the field of biological chemistry. Despite numerous experimental and computational studies, even basic features such as the coordination number of these alkali ions in liquid water, thought to play a critical role in selectivity, continue to be the subject of intensive debates. Simulations based on accurate potential energy surfaces offer one approach to resolve these issues by providing reliable results on ion hydration. In this article, we report the results from molecular dynamics simulations of Na(+) and K(+) hydration based on a novel and rigorous strategy designed to overcome the challenges of QM/MM simulations of solvent molecules in the liquid phase. In this method, which we call Flexible Inner Region Ensemble Separator (FIRES), the ion and a fixed number of nearest water molecules form a dynamical and flexible inner region that is represented with high level ab initio quantum mechanical (QM) methods, while the water molecules from the surrounding bulk form an outer region that is represented by a polarizable molecular mechanical (MM) force field. Simulations yield rigorously correct thermodynamic averages as long as the solvent molecules in the flexible inner and outer regions are not allowed to exchange. Extensive FIRES simulations were carried out based on a QM/MM model in which the Na(+) or K(+) ion and the 12 nearest water molecules were represented by high level ab initio methods (RI-MP2/def2-TZVP and density functional theory with PBE/def2-TZVP), while the surrounding MM water molecules were represented by the polarizable SWM4-NDP potential. On the basis of these results, the ion coordination numbers are estimated to be within the range of 5.7-5.8 for Na(+) and 6.9-7.0 for K(+).


We investigate the dynamic evolution of the gaseous regions around FS CMa post-mergers. Owing to the slow rotation of the central B-type star, the dynamics is driven mainly by the magnetic field of the central star. Recent observations have allowed us to set realistic initial conditions, such as the magnetic field value ($B_\star \approx 6\times 10^{3}\, \mathrm{G}$), the mass of the central star ($M_\star =6\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$), and the initial disc density $\rho _{d0}\in [10^{-13}\, \mathrm{g\, cm^{-3}},10^{-11}\, \mathrm{g \, cm^{-3}}]$. We use the pluto code to perform 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of thin and thick disc models. Especially relevant for the interpretation of the observed properties of FS CMa post-mergers are the results for low-density discs, in which we find a jet emerging from the inner edge of the disc, as well as the formation of the so-called 'hot plasmoid' in the coronal region. Jets are probably detected as discrete absorption components in the resonance lines of FS CMa stars. Moreover, the magnetic field configuration in the low-density plasma region favours the appearance of magnetocentrifugal winds from the disc. The currents towards the star created by the magnetic field may explain accidentally observed material infall. The disc structure is significantly changed owing to the presence of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is also responsible for the formation of a hot corona, as observed in several FS CMa stars through the Raman lines. Our results are valid for all magnetic stars surrounded by a low-density plasma, that is, by some stars showing the B[e] phenomenon.


Recent attention to the relationship between aesthetic value and cognitive value has focused on whether the latter can affect the former. In this article, I approach the issue from the opposite direction. I investigate whether the aesthetic value of a work can influence its cognitive value. More narrowly, I consider whether a work's aesthetic value ever contributes to or detracts from its philosophical value, which I take to include the truth of its claims, the strength of its arguments, and its internal consistency. I argue that aesthetic value does have such an impact, at least sometimes and to some degree. The aesthetic merits of some works help to preserve their consistency, and the aesthetic defects of other works render them self-contradictory.


Learning about customers and their contexts is vital to firm strategy. We examine how firms can learn by participating in their customers' networks. Specifically, we explain how a bank can increase the value that it creates for customers by being embedded in the networks in which the customers are embedded. We argue that knowledge pertinent to a particular customer is available in the network of affiliated, inter-related customers, and that being structurally embedded in this network can help banks overcome information asymmetries. We use hierarchical linear modelling to test the argument that a bank's structural embeddedness in its customers' network positively affects the bank's ability to offer favourable credit terms. We find that not only does such structural embeddedness affect credit terms, but it also moderates the effects of previously examined relational embeddedness on credit terms.


Hierarchical assembly of heterogeneous particles is of great importance to interface and colloid science. In this work, a facile but powerful approach for the large-scale production of multifunctional hydrogel particles armored with biological colloidal species is developed by combining Pickering stabilization and photopolymerization. Biocompatible hollow pollen grains extracted from naturally occurring pollen species with an average diameter of ∼32 μm serve as universal solid emulsifiers dispersed in an oil phase and are self-assembled at the interface between an oil phase and a photo-cross-linkable hydrogel to make water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion droplets. While droplets are solidified into hydrogel particles by UV-induced free-radical polymerization, self-assembled hollow pollen grains are transformed to a robust shell on hydrogel particles with supracolloidal structures. The physically adsorbed hollow pollen grains on the hydrogel core can be released by a hydration-induced swelling of hollow pollen grains, leading to a transient floating behavior of core-shell particles. The size of the resultant core-shell particles is easily controlled by tailoring the process parameters such as a liquid volume or a loading mass of hollow pollen grains. The incorporation of magnetic or upconverting luminescent nanoparticles into a hydrogel core successfully expands the functionality of core-shell particles that can provide new design opportunities for floating drug delivery or ecofriendly proppants.


This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity and the related demographic data and health behaviors of Thai medical students. A cross-sectional study of 5441 medical students from all the 13 medical schools in Thailand was conducted in 2006 by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Demographic data, health behaviors, and self-reported body weight and height were recorded. The results revealed that Thai medical students have a lower prevalence of overweight/obesity than the general population of the same age group. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that higher academic year was associated with being overweight or obesity in males, having improper dietary habits were associated with being overweight or obesity in both genders, whereas alcohol consumption was associated with being overweight in male only. Therefore, medical curricula should place an emphasis not only on knowledge but also on attitudes and behaviors for healthy lifestyles.


The book of Job is cited with frequency within discourse on the Holocaust because of its protagonist's status as an archetypal figure of undeserved suffering. This article suggests that it may be further viewed as a resource in this context in a differing way: as a polyphonic text that acts as a disruptive force against finalized theological conceptualizations of unwarranted suffering. This urge to resist theodicy is one that has been often articulated by respondents to the Holocaust wishing to avoid the event's absorption into broader religious narratives. Yet, in certain instances, this is counter-voiced by a powerful drift toward theological resolution that renders appeals of this sort to "antitheodicy" and fragmentation little more than rhetoric. To consider these dynamics, two post-Holocaust receptions of the book of Job will be examined—those of David Blumenthal and Irving Greenberg. Job, it will be proposed, when understood as an internally dissonant text that queries its own utilization by theologians, can as act as a subversive force within Holocaust memory that pushes against finalization, forgetfulness, and religious "acceptance" of this radically dark element of modern history.


The selective growth technique on a mask-patterned planar substrate has attracted much attention because it enables simple integration of thickness-tapered waveguides as well as bandgap-energy control in waveguide layers. Moreover, narrow-stripe selective MOVPE enables the formation of active/passive waveguide layers without a mesa-etching process, which is an attractive approach to the fabrication of photonic devices. The paper reviews this technique, and discusses several device applications.


A variant of unisotopic optical DNA-DNA molecular hybridization method basing on the study of reassociation rate of DNA renaturation fragments is described. The choice of working part of the renaturation curve has been standardized. Using the species of Pseudomonas genus it has been shown that this method permits to obtain reproductive results.


Essential components and technical details of regional ocean forecasting systems configured from the Regional Ocean Modeling System are discussed with the goal of bridging the gap between user and ocean modeling communities. Recent development of these systems and applications are also surveyed. Design considerations of such a system for the South China Sea are discussed, based on regional dynamic characteristics and potential applications.


The genus Dichanthium Willemet (Gramineae) includes sexually reproducing diploid species and polyploid agamospecies. Strictly diploid species are confined to India and Australia. Harlan (1963) demonstrated that the Indian diploids D. armatum (Hook. f.) Blatt. et McCann, D. maccannii Blatt. and D. panchganiense Blatt. et McCann are narrow endemics, and can survive only in their limited and specialized ecological niches. The Australian diploids D. humilius J. M. Black, D. setosum S. T. Blake, D. sericeum (R. Br.) A. Camus and D. superciliatum (Hack.) A. Camus are widely distributed and morphologically variable (de Wet and Harlan, 1962). Cytogenetical evidence presented by de Wet and Singh (1964) demonstrated that these strictly diploid species are only distantly related to the polyploid agamospecies. The tetraploid agamospecies D. annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf, D. aristatum (Poir.) C. E. Hubbard and D. caricosum (Linn.) A. Camus have diploid populations scattered throughout most of their distribution range. These diploids reproduce sexually and differ from the tetraploid apomicts mostly in quantitative features. The origin of these diploids will be discussed.


Localized and delocalized plasmons in metallic nanoparticles are associated with a strongly confined electromagnetic field, inducing an enhanced interaction with emitters located in the close environment of the metal. When the plasmon/emitter interaction becomes predominant compared to the damping in the system, the system is in strong coupling regime leading to light matter hybridization. This strong coupling has been observed with a large number of materials, in particular disordered materials. These materials are constituted by a collection of independent emitters (molecules, semiconductor quantum dots...). The hybrid light/matter state can be described by considering a homogeneous absorbing system using coupled oscillator model. But if the microscopic structure of the molecular film close to a metallic film is considered, collective effects between the delocalized plasmon and the set of molecules are present. The spatial and dynamic properties of a set of molecules in strong coupling are dramatically modified compared to the same molecules in weak coupling (the usual configuration of emission). The excitations are not localised in a single particle anymore but delocalised on a large number of particles due to the formation of an extended hybridised state on several microns. We will describe some properties of disordered systems strongly coupled to surface plasmons and experimental demonstrations of the collective phenomena associated with the strong coupling. In particular we will present an experimental study of the coherent character of the emission of different emitters with a Young's interferences setup. The system studied consists of J-aggregated dye (TDBC) in interaction with a surface plasmon on silver. The extension of the coherent state will also be discussed.


Recent developments in the field of information technology (IT) have led commentators to announce the arrival of a third age of computing in which the computers themselves are being overshadowed by the communications capabilities they provide for individuals and companies. This emphasis on communication places IT at the centre of the marketing agenda as never before, and it is allowing computers to move from tools which support the planning, execution and control of marketing strategies to become integral to the external and internal relationships which marketers must manage. Although the marketing implications of emerging electronic or virtual markets are being discussed, the implications for the management of the marketing mix are often being overlooked. Already many innovative companies are taking advantage of the new generation of technologies to enhance or re‐engineer key elements of the marketing mix, giving marketing a leading role in introducing companies to the revolutionary world of third age computing.


In the twenty years surrounding the turn of the twentieth century, the form and character of agricultural buildings in the Northern Rockies and the construction methods used to build them changed dramatically. This essay focuses on the Gallatin Valley of southwestern Montana to explore the nature and meaning of these changes. It places them within the context of the region's growth and development during its early agricultural settlement, which coincided with a period of tremendous advances in agricultural practices. The earliest Euro-American buildings in the region (1862 to the 1880s) reflect typical frontier construction, with logs the predominant material due to the plentiful local pine and fir and the limited tools available. However, this construction method presented structural limitations when the need for larger buildings arose due to regional economic development. Lacking other alternatives, farmers and stock growers put their faith in light balloon frame construction, although many of them had little experience with this method, particularly for sizable buildings. The demand for larger and more complex buildings spurred the introduction and subsequent adoption of an essentially new architecture. High elevation, climate, and the forces of national economic markets were the principal factors that influenced the rapid transition to light wood framing in Rocky Mountain agricultural buildings. This transformation, a real revolution in local design and construction, relates to the larger history of American architecture in the western United States, and it led to the broad diversification of farm building forms and types in the Northern Rockies.


ABSTRACT This study sought to establish the impact of a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and a Proportional - Integral - Derivative (PID) controller in the control performance of an industrial type DC motor using MATLAB. The fuzzy logic controller was developed on the basis of Mamdani type fuzzy inference system (FIS). The centroid method of defuzzification was also adopted. A choice of seven membership functions was designed for the error and change in error inputs alongside the output, hence a resultant of 49 rules was achieved for the fuzzy controller. Simulations for the PID controller and with the fuzzy controller were obtained at no load and for a selected reference speed of 1200 rpm. The simulations were further repeated for a load torque of 7Nm with the same reference speed. The simulated results were compared. Based on the findings, it was observed that the fuzzy speed controlled DC motors perform better than the PID speed controlled DC motors in terms of its faster settling time, absence of an overshoot and its sensitivity to applied load. Sequel to the foregoing findings, the researchers concluded that fuzzy logic controllers should be readily implemented in our local industries to enhance precision and improve performance in operations involving DC motors. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i2.35


Forty-one consecutive patients were treated with high-dose chemotherapy with or without total body irradiation followed by autologous marrow transplantation. Four treatment regimens of varying intensity were used. Every patient's harvested marrow was evaluable for nucleated cell and progenitor cell loss during the cell separation and cryopreservation process. Of the 41 patients, 38 were evaluable for peripheral blood count recovery. Multivariate analysis of colony-forming cell assays and recovery of neutrophils and platelets showed a significant association with absolute numbers of post-thaw mixed colony-forming units (CFU-Mix) infused (p less than 0.002). Prefreeze CFU-Mix also correlated with recovery to a lesser degree, as did absolute numbers of nucleated cells. The number of diffusion chamber colony-forming units (CFU-D) prefreeze, but not post-thaw infused into the patient, was associated with recovery of neutrophils (p = 0.0001), but not platelets. When the precursor cell numbers were adjusted for body weight, post-thaw CFU-Mix showed the best correlation with recovery of both platelets and neutrophils. Prefreeze CFU-D per kg was also associated with recovery of neutrophils (p = 0.02). To some extent nucleated cells per kg predicted for recovery with neutrophils and platelets (p less than 0.05). When analyzed according to treatment regimen, cyclophosphamide-BCNU-VP16 (CBV) or cyclophosphamide-total body irradiation (CY/TBI) was associated with prolonged recovery compared to cyclophosphamide-adriamycin-vinblastine (CAV) or etoposide-cyclophosphamide (EC). In this setting only CFU-D number predicted neutrophil recovery (p less than 0.002). We conclude that determination of the number of total nucleated cells, CFU-D, and CFU-Mix, before cryopreservation of the sample is important in predicting hemopoietic reconstitution in autologous bone marrow transplantation.


The motion of a planet consisting of an external shell (mantle) and a core (rigid body), which are connected by a viscoelastic layer and mutually gravitationally interact with each other and with an external celestial body (considered as a material point), is studied (Barkin, 1999, 2002a,b; Vilke, 2004). Relative motions of the core and mantle are studied on the assumption that the centres of mass of the planet and external body move on unperturbed Keplerian orbits around the general centre of mass of the system. The core and mantle of the planet have axial symmetry and have different principal moments of inertia. The differential action of the external body on the core and mantle cause the periodic relative displacements of their centres of mass and their relative turns. An approximate solution of the problem was obtained on the basis of the linearization, averaging and small-parameter methods. The obtained analytical results are applied to the study of the possible relative displacements of the core and mantle of the Earth under the gravitational action of the Moon. For the suggested two-body Earth model and in the simple case of a circular (model) lunar orbit the new phenomenon of periodic translatory-rotary oscillations of the core with a fortnightly period the mantle was observed. The more remarkable phenomenon is the cyclic rotation with the same period (13.7 days) of the core relative to the mantle with a 'large' amplitude of 152 m (at the core surface). The results obtained confirm the general concept described by Barkin (1999, 2002a,b) that induced relative shell oscillations can control and dictate the cyclic and secular processes of energization of the planets and satellites in definite rhythms and on different time scales. The results obtained mean that giant moments and forces produce energy which causes in particular deformations of the viscoelastic layer between planet shells. This process is realized with different intensities on different time scales. Here we have almost some machine of transformation of mechanical energy of translatory–rotary motions of the shells to elastic energy of deformation of the intermediate layer. Owing to the inelastic (dissipative) properties of this layer, part of elastic energy will become warm energy. This fundamental process has a cyclic character so the variations in the mechanical energy of translational and rotational motions of the shells are cyclic. The rhythms and types of relative wobble of the shells define periodic variations and transformations of mechanical, elastic and warm energies on different time scales. These fundamental positions maintain a constant value in the particular problem considered about the dynamics of the Earth's shell and core–mantle dynamics of resonant objects: the Moon and Mercury. The cyclic accumulation of elastic energy and warm energy of intermediate layer (between the core and mantle) in realized owing to the action of the inner moments and forces between shells. A considerable part of this energy transforms to the energy of numerous dynamic and physical processes on the planet. It is the mechanism of energization of the planet that defines its endogenous activity (Barkin, 2002a,b). In a number of studies (see for example Barkin (1999, 2002a,b) and Ferrandiz and Barkin (2003)), celestial bodies are studied as objects with a complex structure (elastic, liquid or gaseous core, with shells). The dynamics of such objects in a gravitational field are described by a system of integrodifferential equations in ordinary and partial derivatives (Vilke, 1997a,b) for which research is difficult. At the same time, the complex structure of planets can appear as one of the factors determining the course of dynamic processes (the rotation of a planet around the centre of mass, tidal phenomena, orbit evolution, and tectonic processes as a consequence of relative displacement of parts of a planet) (Barkin, 2002b).


ABSTRACT Managing risk is an important aspect of owner-managers' decision-making; however, the impact of major environmental market disruptions remains largely under-researched. Underpinned by an effectuation lens, this study examines decision-making associated with the 'concentration versus spreading debate' (focusing on a single or limited number of product-market strategies rather than diversifying across a variety of product-markets). The context features post natural-disaster recovery strategies following a high magnitude earthquake that immediately ended firms' sales within their local proximity. The study employs a longitudinal qualitative research design involving 16 smaller-sized wine producers in the Canterbury/Waipara Valley cluster of New Zealand, illustrating different degrees of strategic flexibility among owner-managers. Unique insights offer varying 'how and why' perspectives into decision-making regarding the extent to which product-market strategies differed across core and augmented product portfolios and geographic markets prior to and following the disruption caused by the unanticipated natural disaster.


Summary 1. Accurate and precise estimates of abundance are required for the development of management regimes for deer populations. In woodland areas, indirect dung count methods, such as the clearance plot and standing crop methods, are currently the preferred procedures to estimate deer abundance. The use of line transect methodology is likely to provide a cost-effective alternative to these methods. 2. We outline a methodology based on line transect surveys of deer dung that can be used to obtain deer abundance estimates by geographical block and habitat type. Variance estimation procedures are also described. 3. As an example, we applied the method to estimate sika deer Cervus nippon abundance in south Scotland. Estimates of deer defecation and length of time to dung decay were used to convert pellet group density to deer density by geographical block and habitat type. The results obtained agreed with knowledge from cull and sightings data, and the precision of the estimates was generally high. 4. Relatively high sika deer densities observed in moorland areas up to 300 m from the forest edge indicated the need to encompass those areas in future surveys to avoid an underestimate of deer abundance in the region of interest. 5. It is unlikely that a single method for estimating deer abundance will prove to be better under all circumstances. Direct comparisons between methods are required to evaluate thoroughly the relative merits of each of them. 6. Line transect surveys of dung are becoming a widely used tool to aid management and conservation of a wide range of species. The survey methodology we outline is readily adaptable to other vertebrates that are amenable to dung survey methodology.


Abstract Intergovernmental institutions constitute "ecological" settings in which international human rights laws and norms are developed and shaped over time. Yet understandings of these settings remain limited. Notable feminist scholars of international law have argued that uncritical reliance on gendered dichotomies—such as objective/subjective, legal/political, and binding/nonbinding—has stunted knowledge of these spaces. I extend this critique by arguing reliance on yet another gendered dichotomy—the secular/religious—has further limited knowledge in this area. Moving past this unreflective reliance provides needed space to identify previously unrecognized ways supposedly local and global factors intersect to shape human rights norm-making within intergovernmental legal institutions. I demonstrate this using data collected as part of a qualitative study that examined how UN officials who work with women's rights conceptualize the meaning of religion and its relationship to the human rights legal standards they work to interpret, monitor, and advance.


In this paper, we consider spatially flat FLRW cosmological models in two contexts in an attempt to derive a set of conditions that characterize when such models exhibit oscillatory behaviour. In the first case, we consider a spatially flat FLRW model with only a minimally-coupled scalar field, described by a nonnegative scalar field potential. In the second case, we extended this model to include barotropic matter. We show that for the case of a positive cosmological constant, spatial flatness, and barotropic matter, oscillatory solutions are certainly possible. However, these solutions do not oscillate indefinitely, they decay over time. Interestingly, it is shown that all such solutions oscillate and decay towards the de Sitter equilibrium point, which represents an inflationary epoch in such models. This implies that for certain families of scalar field potentials, the universe may have undergone several oscillations before entering an inflationary epoch.


Andrew Johnson, who became president after the assassination of Lincoln, oversaw the most crucial and dramatic phase of Reconstruction. Historians have therefore tended to concentrate, to the exclusion of practically everything else, upon Johnson's key role in that titanic event. Although his volume focuses closely on Johnson's handling of Reconstruction, it also examines other important aspects of his administration, notably his foreign, economic, and Indian policies. As one of the few historians to do this, the author provides a broader and more balanced picture of Johnson's presidency than has been previously available. Johnson has always been an enigma: much is known about what he did, little about why he did it. He wrote few letters, kept no diary, and rarely confided in anyone. Most historians either admire or despise him, depending on whether they consider his Reconstruction policies right or wrong. Castel achieves an objective reassessment of Johnson and his presidential actions by examining him primarily in terms of his effectiveness in using power and by not judging him as most other scholars have on moralistic or ideological grounds. The book begins with an overview of America at the end of the Civil War and a description of Johnson's political career prior to 1865. Castel recounts the drama of Johnson's sudden inheritance of the presidency upon Lincoln's death and then examines how Johnson organized and operated his administration. Johnson's formulation of a Reconstruction policy for the defeated South comes under special scrutiny; Castel evaluates Johnson's motives for that policy, its implementation, and its reception in both North and South. He descries and analyzes Johnson's quarrel with the Republican-dominated Congress over Reconstruction, the triumph of the Republicans in the election of 1866, the president's frustrated attempt to remove Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton from office, his bitter dispute with General Ulysses S. Grant, and his impeachment by Congress. Johnson's impeachment trial is covered in detail; Castel explains how it was that Johnson escaped conviction and removal from office by the narrowest possible margin. The book concludes with a discussion of Johnson's place in history as judged by scholars during the past one hundred years. This study sheds light on the nation's problems during the chaotic period between 1865 and 1869 and contributes a great deal to a much improved understanding of the seventeenth president."


Panasonic will end production of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels used in televisions [1]. Their manufacturing plant, in Hyogo Prefecture, will end production by the end of September. The plant ...


10 Ss who were assessed on the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility as being highly susceptible to hypnosis were shown videotaped versions of their previous hypnotic sessions in the presence of an independent inquirer who attempted to foster Ss' personal comments on their own experiences. A special method of inquiry called the "experiential analysis technique" was constructed to study Ss' recall, which was examined for fantasy involvement, rapport, and individual modes of cognition. Data from the application of the method indicate the idiosyncratic ways in which Ss interpret routine suggestions, the degree to which they become personally involved with the hypnotist, and 3 distinct modes of cognizing, which were labeled "concentrative-cooperative," "cognitive-independent," and "cognitive-constructive." (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).


OBJECTIVE
To identify and map the technological tools of information and communication to support the teaching learning process in Nursing teaching courses.

METHODS
This is a scoping review whose search was carried out in seven databases and in grey literature. After an initial analysis of the selection, 88 texts were read integrally, and 29 made up the final sample.

RESULTS
Virtual learning environment and object, simulation, hypermedia, and software or cellphone applications were the tools the nursing professors used the most. Studies highlight that the application of technology was important in the teaching-learning process, since it encouraged teaching based on safe care, motivating and developing abilities/competences, supported on significant, effective, flexible, and autonomous learning.

CONCLUSION
The contribution of the technology for nursing formation stands out, but it should be highlighted that its employment must be critical, reflective, based on pedagogical theories and developed by trained professors.


With the introduction of low-k materials into the intermetal dielectric (IMD) layers, it is important to optimize the via etch process in order to minimize the IMD degradation that is caused by harsh O/sub 2/ and wet stripping treatments. A simple, sensitive, and cost-effective measurement method is introduced for the determination of low-k material degradation caused during the via etch process. By using a single damascene comb structure, a large sidewall area of low-k material can be exposed to the etch strip process in question. The intra-line capacitance between the trenches is an extremely sensitive parameter to evaluate material degradation. Using this method, etch and strip processes can be tailored for a specific low-k material, which in turn, improve the interconnect performance and via yield. The results from this method are identical to results coming from the optimization of electrical performance with completely integrated chips and is in very good agreement with FTIR analysis for bare films.


Abstract To assess the role of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, WTD) in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis, we conducted a national survey of WTD across the USA for Toxoplasma gondii infection. To do this, we combined serology with parasite isolation to evaluate the prevalence and genetic diversity of T. gondii in this game species. From October 2012 to March 2019, serum and tissues were collected from 914 WTD across the USA. Serum samples were screened for antibodies to T. gondii, and then the tissues of seropositive WTD were bioassayed in mice. Antibodies were detected in 329 (36%) of 914 WTD tested by the modified agglutination test (positive reaction at 1:25 or higher). Viable T. gondii was isolated from the heart of 36 WTD from 11 states. Three of the 36 isolates were pathogenic but not highly virulent to outbred Swiss Webster mice and all 36 isolates could be propagated further in cell culture and were genotyped. For genotyping, DNA extracted from cell culture-derived tachyzoites was characterized by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using the genetic markers SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico. Genotyping revealed seven ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotypes, including 24 isolates for genotype #5 (haplogroup 12), four isolates for #2 (type III, haplogroup 3), three isolates for genotypes #1 (type II, haplogroup 2), two isolates for genotypes #3 (type II, haplogroup 2) and one isolate each for #39, #221 and #224. Genotype #5 was the most frequently isolated, accounting for 66.6% (24 of 36) of the isolates. Combining the 36 isolates from this study with previously reported 69 isolates from WTD, 15 genotypes have been identified. Among these, 50.4% (53/105) isolates belong to genotype #5. Our results indicate moderate genetic diversity of T. gondii in WTD. The results also indicate that undercooked venison should not be consumed by humans or fed to cats.


Aims: The current study aimed to evaluate implementation fidelity of an Integrated Healthy Lifestyle Service (IHLS). Methods: A pragmatic sample of 28 individual interviews and 11 focus groups were conducted. This resulted in a total of 81 (22 male) individuals comprising key stakeholders (n = 18), as well as intervention staff across senior management (n = 4), team lead (n = 14) and practitioner (n = 11) roles, and intervention clients (n = 34). Results: A mixed degree of implementation fidelity was demonstrated throughout the five a priori fidelity domains of study design, provider training, intervention delivery, intervention receipt, and enactment. Stakeholders, staff and clients alike noted a high degree of intervention receipt across all services offered. Contrastingly, practitioners noted that they received minimal formal operational, data systems, clinical, and curriculum training as well as a lack of personal development opportunities. Consequently, practitioners reported low confidence in delivering sessions and collecting and analysing any data. A top-down approach to information dissemination within the service was also noted among practitioners which affected motivation and overall team morale. Conclusion: Results can be used to conceptualise best practices as a process to further strengthen the design, delivery and recruitment strategies of the IHLS.


We analyze the effect of MRC-based macrodiversity on the reverse-link and forward-link capacity in CDMA distributed antenna systems. A detailed analytical model is presented and exact outage probability expressions are derived. Our investigation shows that on the reverse link, with macrodiversity the interference can be suppressed greatly, which leads to a significant increase of capacity. However, on the forward-link, we prove that if simulcasting is used in CDMA distributed antenna systems, the forward-link capacity cannot increase with macrodiversity whatever power allocation scheme is adopted.


This paper summarizes the evaluation of a project that involved undergraduate mathematics students in the development of teaching and learning resources for statistics modules taught in various departments of a university. This evaluation regards students' participation in the project and its impact on their learning of statistics, as characterized in terms of statistical reasoning, statistical thinking, and skills for statistical consultancy. The participation of students is evaluated from the viewpoint of communities of practice. The evaluation resulted in a characterization of the benefits of such a project and suggestions for implementations of future projects, and in addition brought to light new theoretical elements both as regards the learning of statistics and as regards communities of practice. In particular, the analysis highlighted contributions of the students involved to resource development practice in the community of university statistics teachers, as well as contributions to students' learning as a result of participation in this community.


Since the second half of the twentieth century, life in advanced societies has been individualized, with the individual seen as the architect of his or her own life, creating his or her own destiny, and with the future being the result of personal choices, preferences and capacities. This view is not uncontested, though, as many continue to stress the importance of the social, cultural and economic origins of individuals in understanding life course choices. The central question of this paper is to what extent the socio-economic origin of adolescents influences their expectations about their future life course, in the domains both of work and education, and in their family life. This question is studied using a data set in which 60 schools throughout the Netherlands have participated. More than 1,500 adolescents, aged 14–17 years, were interviewed about their future plans, expectations and life ambitions. In addition, their parents were questioned on the future plans of their child.


Dried pasta is the Italian food "par excellence". Traditional foods have characteristics that can stimulate or evoke in the consumer sensorial stimuli and experiences, especially when these foods are consumed in a typical-traditional restaurant. Traditional restaurants can use sensory marketing as a promotional advantage, creating a unique and original atmosphere that can represent their main way of differentiation. The aims of this paper are to know consumer liking with regard to two high quality types of Sicilian pasta, common dried pasta, and whole-wheat pasta, consumed in three different venues of a typical-traditional Italian franchised restaurant, and to measure the influence of environmental factors of the venues on consumers' acceptance. Results showed that consumers are able recognize when the atmosphere of a restaurant is integrated and consistent with the food on offer and they appreciate more the contexts wherein they find this coherence. Moreover, the high degree of quality of the two types of pasta tasted was recognized by consumers that appreciated its gustative equilibrium, confirming that the gustatory sensations are not affected by the context in which a food is consumed. Finally, the study highlighted the importance of Olfactory marketing to influence the evaluation of the customer on restaurant's atmospherics.