Weight gain in women (n = 52) in four alcohol and drug user residential treatment programs in Boston, Massachusetts, was studied in 2004 through focus groups (n = 52) and weekly weights (n = 10). Focus group theme analyses revealed that weight gain was primarily attributed to availability of food and lack of exercise. Participants were very interested in improving nutrition, diet, and exercise in the programs. Weight gain (mean = 6.4 pounds) occurred in nine women (n = 10) in the first 12 weeks of treatment. The two-dimensional Food Model Chart and the Yale Physical Activity Survey were used. Limitations are noted and future research is suggested.


Several aspects concern the attention of labor and employer on Constitution Number 11, the Year 2020, under Job Creation Act. Initially, worries arise about the possibility of one-sided layoffs. Layoff often occurs through companies that have yet to have a discussion. Nevertheless, it is necessary to align that the layoffs mechanism, in brief, does not intend to promote one-sided layoffs by employers. Under the Job Creation Act, Article 151 provided the bases for stakeholders to prevent any layoff. Further Constitution yet gives the possibility of a chance if employees are offended by any employer's treatment. In brief, this mechanism covers appreciates, protects, and supports employment rights fulfillment. In other words, this mechanism is still based on equity. Secondly, there is no further appropriate explanation concerning the reduction of wage policy in the Job Creation Act, whereas it is relevant for employment. The revision in Wage Policy includes reformation effort in severance pay, which also includes affirmation effort in share effect as risk management means, such as the risk of unemployment. Such matter needs further study empiric that shows whether the multiplier number as listed in Job Creation Act Constitution, which is Government Regulation No. 35 the Year 2021, is at an ideal level or not (or corresponds with employer capability). Third, there is no doubt that severance pay implementation can not avoid Labor Union attention. For instance, Labor/employee object if said severance pay is easily accepted. According to them, this dispute often occurs in Industrial Relations Court. Hence, the successful, effective implementation of a new severance pay policy indicates a strengthened Social Security. Regarding this, there are a few notes on implementation. For instance, to ensure corresponding data of Health BPJS and employment BPJS.


4G architecture is the latest 3GPP development when it comes to mobile networks design and optimization. Designed initially for data, but having a flexible architecture, 4G is capable of integrating IMS, this way bringing in voice and services. 3GPP wanted to facilitate the migration from 3G and non-3GPP solutions to the 4G design, therefore the core network components of 4G are capable of interacting with 3G core network devices, provided these ones have a interoperability feature. This way, even 3G or non-3GPP devices are capable of using the 4G services. Nevertheless, one of the biggest issues when interoperating these solutions and devices are the security aspects.

This paper reviews some of the most common access methods and proposes a solution for having a more secure 4G authentication process, with regards to both 4G/3G mobiles authentication, but also with regards to non-3GPP mobile device authentication.


This paper aims to perform a study on the demand for urban public transportation by bus in the context of the city of Salvador. Three econometric models were specified, tested and compared between each other. It was found that the aggregation of variables is one possible way to minimize multicollinearity problems and that improvements in the mathematical modeling enabled a significant improvement in the goodness of fit, maintaining the statistical significance of the parameters. As a result, it was found that the elasticity of the demand in relation to average per capita income was 1.44% (statistically significant at 1%) and, in relation to tariff, it was -0.06% (statistically significant at 10%), revealing an inelastic behavior for this variable. When compared to the work of Carvalho and Pereira (2012), it indicates that the differences in the urban structure of cities should be taken into consideration and that individual studies for each city are necessary. Finally, forecasting in the short term was developed considering evolution scenarios of the analyzed variables.


PURPOSE
To review our initial experience with the holmium laser in patients with recurrent superficial bladder cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We treated 41 patients having 71 recurrent superficial transitional-cell tumors of the bladder between December 1994 and September 1997 using the holmium:YAG laser under local anesthesia. The laser treatment was carried out as a part of the follow-up flexible cystoscopy protocol, and topical anesthesia was used. The mean follow-up was 14 months (range 3-33 months).

RESULTS
There were 13 recurrent tumors in the treated area and 38 recurrences in the untreated areas. Of interest, a subgroup of 10 patients were treated before 1994 with cystodiathermy and later on with the holmium:YAG laser at various times during their follow-up. The local recurrence rate with cystodiathermy was 32% compared with 10% after laser treatment (P = 0.39). A questionnaire study of 33 patients showed complete satisfaction with the treatment. Only 2 (6%) elected to have a further procedure under general anesthesia. In the series, 83% scored their pain as 2 or less of 10 on a visual analog scale.

CONCLUSIONS
The absence of complications, high patient satisfaction, and ability to be used in the outpatient setting make the holmium:YAG laser an attractive alternative in the treatment of recurrent superficial cancer of the bladder.


The explicit coupling at meter and second scales of vegetation's responses to the atmospheric‐boundary layer dynamics drives a dynamic heterogeneity that influences canopy‐top fluxes and cloud formation. Focusing on a representative day during the Amazonian dry season, we investigate the diurnal cycle of energy, moisture and carbon dioxide at the canopy top, and the transition from clear to cloudy conditions. To this end, we compare results from a large‐eddy simulation technique, a high‐resolution global weather model, and a complete observational data set collected during the GoAmazon14/15 campaign. The overall model‐observation comparisons of radiation and canopy‐top fluxes, turbulence, and cloud dynamics are very satisfactory, with all the modeled variables lying within the standard deviation of the monthly aggregated observations. Our analysis indicates that the timing of the change in the daylight carbon exchange, from a sink to a source, remains uncertain and is probably related to the stomata closure caused by the increase in vapor pressure deficit during the afternoon. We demonstrate quantitatively that heat and moisture transport from the subcloud layer into the cloud layer are misrepresented by the global model, yielding low values of specific humidity and thermal instability above the cloud base. Finally, the numerical simulations and observational data are adequate settings for benchmarking more comprehensive studies of plant responses, microphysics, and radiation.


Now a day, cable plays a more and more important role in civil engineering. As an effective construction member, cable is used in many long-span spatial structures. The cable tension measurement is required in the construction control, assessment and long-term monitoring of cable-supported structures. Mostly, the detection uses the Fourier Transform to get the frequencies of the cable, and then applies the vibration-based cable tension theory to evaluate the cable tension. As a conventional method for cable tension measurement, the Fourier Transform can only be used in the static cable tension force test, but not dynamic cable tension test. The cable dynamic tension describes the load-deformation behavior of cables subjected to dynamic loading. It represents the intrinsic dynamic properties of cables. In order to get the dynamic cable force, time-frequency analysis must be done. In this paper, wavelet transform tool is used to analyze the signal, and obtain the cable tension dynamic change along with the time.


This paper reports on a pilot implementation of the FL2 approach and resources, developed to support tertiary students'
 wellbeing as well as their second language learning (L2). The FL2 approach and learning activities were piloted in two Spanish language
 courses at Australian universities. Evaluation data were collected through an online survey of participating students and compared to the
 results of previous pilots conducted with students of Italian. Responses to scale items and open-ended questions indicate that the majority
 of participants greatly enjoyed their experiences in the courses and were satisfied with the learning opportunities provided, which shows
 potential for the FL2 approach. Evaluations of seven Positive Psychology-informed learning activities also piloted in this study were more
 nuanced. Taken together, these results suggest that designing curriculum to support student wellbeing as well as disciplinary learning can
 yield positive results. However, careful consideration must be given to alignment between FL2 activities and curriculum, as well as to
 students' individual differences in the reception of Positive Psychology-informed activities.


As we all know that agriculture play a vital role for establishing agricultural society or country. Agriculture has been the career for people beyond a century however because of herbal aspect of climatic circumstance farmers are going through plenty of issues which might also additionally result in address critical issues in the society. So IoT can be a crucial key to help the farmers automate the whole process and deep leaning algorithms like CNN can be implemented for plant disease detection. This device will assist to govern the diverse environmental situations which include soil moisture, temperature and humidity for the growth of the plant and detect the plant disease. This paper presents the monitoring of the plant through Thingspeak and disease detection through CNN.


Spatial phase locking was achieved experimentally for radiation from linear arrays of 4 and 12 wide-aperture multimode semiconductor lasers. This phase locking was attained in an external cavity of 1 < L < 3 cm length with a plane mirror (R=90%) by diffractive exchange of radiation between neighbouring lasers. An analysis of all possible cavity oscillation eigenmodes (supermodes) was made for a phase-locked array of 4 coupled lasers. The output radiation of this array was characterised by a high degree of coherence (with the contrast of V=0.9). The angular width (at half-maximum) dy was 1.2 mrad for the fundamental (ν =1) and highest (ν =4) supermodes, and 0.8 mrad for the modes with ν =2 or 3, which corresponded to the diffraction limit. Full supermode selection was achieved in the 4-laser array as a result of the Talbot effect when the cavity length was L=ZT/4. The far-field distribution of the radiation was then characterised by the parameters V=0.98 and δψ = 1.2 mrad. The corresponding parameters of a phase-locked 12-laser array were V=0.93 for the axial propagation zone and δψ =0.46 mrad.


CYC2 is an essential PHO80-like cyclin that forms a complex with the cdc2-related kinase CRK3 in Trypanosoma brucei. In both procyclic and bloodstream form T. brucei, knock-down of CYC2 by RNA interference (RNAi) led to an accumulation of cells in G1 phase. Additionally, in procyclic cells, but not in bloodstream form cells, CYC2 RNAi induced a specific cell elongation at the posterior end. The G1 block, as well as the posterior end elongation in the procyclic form, was irreversible once established. Staining for tyrosinated α-tubulin and morphometric analyses showed that the posterior end elongation occurred through active microtubule extension, with no repositioning of the kinetoplast. Hence, these cells can be classified as exhibiting the "nozzle" phenotype as has been described for cells that ectopically express TbZFP2, a zinc finger protein that is involved in the differentiation of the bloodstream form to procyclic form. Within the tsetse fly, procyclic trypanosomes differentiate to elongated mesocyclic cells. However, although mesocyclic trypanosomes isolated from tsetse flies also show active microtubule extension at the posterior end, the kinetoplast is coincidentally repositioned such that it always lies approximately midway between the nucleus and posterior end of the cell. Thus, in the procyclic form CYC2 has dual functionality and is required for both cell cycle progression through G1 and for the maintenance of correct cell morphology, whereas in the bloodstream form only a role for CYC2 in G1 progression is evident.


This work describes an outlier detection procedure (named "OutlierTree") loosely based on the GritBot software developed by RuleQuest research, which works by evaluating and following supervised decision tree splits on variables, in whose branches 1-d confidence intervals are constructed for the target variable and potential outliers flagged according to these confidence intervals. Under this logic, it's possible to produce human-readable explanations for why a given value of a variable in an observation can be considered as outlier, by considering the decision tree branch conditions along with general distribution statistics among the non-outlier observations that fell into the same branch, which can then be contrasted against the value which lies outside the CI. The supervised splits help to ensure that the generated conditions are not spurious, but rather related to the target variable and having logical breakpoints.


Sustainable development (SD) has been defined as the development that lasts while also contributing to a better quality of life for everyone involved (stakeholders). This is a global concept that integrates and balances the social, economic, and environment factors. A major component of implementing the SD concepts is its governance. Activities such as training and developing standards of measuring SD (indicators) are of critical importance for control and proper implementation of SD for the mining and minerals industry in a global scale maintaining the local constraints. Achieving project sustainability satisfies a local sustainability goal, which in turn would contribute to the corporate sustainability, and then the global sustainability of a country or a region. A sustainable development framework in the form of sustainable performance management (SPM) is addressed. Implementation of SPM requires a set of indicators for measuring, monitoring, and reporting the progress. This paper emphasises the need for innovation and technology driven sustainable performance management (ITSPM) framework, encapsulated by a Multi-Stakeholder Process (MSP) for performance management and developing the relevant performance indicators.


Abstract There has been consistent interest in discourse makers over the past couple of decades, and various proposals have been put forth regarding their functions. The present paper analyzes discourse markers in general as indicators of types of connectedness between expositive illocutionary acts (Austin [1962]1975), which bring about illocutionary effects in discourse. The discourse marker well in particular indicates a gap between the preceding expositive illocutionary act and the present one, signaling the present expositive illocutionary act is of a non-committal type. This gap is analyzed, depending on the types of the preceding and present expositive illocutionary acts, as divergence, hesitancy, a transition from one expositive illocutionary act to another, or a boundary between them.


The measurement of semantic similarity has been widely recognized as having a fundamental and key role in information science and information systems. Although various models have been proposed to measure semantic similarity, these models are not able effectively to quantify the weights of relevant factors that impact on the judgement of semantic similarity, such as the attributes of concepts, application context, and concept hierarchy. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that comprehensively considers the effects of various factors on semantic similarity judgment, which we name semantic similarity measurement based on a weighted concept lattice (SSMWCL). A feature model and network model are integrated together in SSMWCL. Based on the feature model, the combined weight of each attribute of the concepts is calculated by merging its information entropy and inclusion-degree importance in a specific application context. By establishing the weighted concept lattice, the relative hierarchical depths of concepts for comparison are computed according to the principle of the network model. The integration of feature model and network model enables SSMWCL to take account of differences in concepts more comprehensively in semantic similarity measurement. Additionally, a workflow of SSMWCL is designed to demonstrate these procedures and a case study of geo-information is conducted to assess the approach.


Human rights are essential to global health, yet rising threats in an increasingly divided world are challenging the progressive evolution of health-related human rights. It is necessary to empower a new generation of scholars, advocates, and practitioners to sustain the global commitment to universal rights in public health. Looking to the next generation to face the struggles ahead, this book provides a detailed understanding of the evolving relationship between global health and human rights, laying a human rights foundation for the advancement of transformative health policies, programs, and practices. In bringing together leading academics in the field of health and human rights, this volume: (1) explains the norms and principles that define the field, (2) examines the methods and tools for implementing human rights to promote health, (3) applies essential human rights to leading public health threats, and (4) analyzes rising human rights challenges in a rapidly globalizing world. This foundational text shows why interdisciplinary scholarship and action are essential for health-related human rights, placing human rights at the center of public health and securing a future of global health with justice.


Ischemic stroke caused by cerebral artery occlusion induces neurological deficits because of cell damage or death in the central nervous system. Given the recent therapeutic advances in reperfusion therapies, some patients can now recover from an ischemic stroke with no sequelae. Currently, reperfusion therapies focus on rescuing neural lineage cells that survive in spite of decreases in cerebral blood flow. However, vascular lineage cells are known to be more resistant to ischemia/hypoxia than neural lineage cells. This indicates that ischemic areas of the brain experience neural cell death but without vascular cell death. Emerging evidence suggests that if a vascular cell-mediated healing system is present within ischemic areas following reperfusion, the therapeutic time window can be extended for patients with stroke. In this review, we present our comments on this subject based upon recent findings from lethal ischemia following reperfusion in a mouse model of stroke.


The title compound of Cu(C14H9O3)2(C5H5N)2(C2H5OH)2(1) was synthesized via the hy- drothermal reaction of CuCl2·2H2O and 9-hydroxy-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid(HHF) with pyridine, and characterized by elemental analysis and infrared spectra. The crystal belongs to triclinic, space group P1 with a = 8.8302(12), b = 10.1625(14), c = 12.2708(17), α = 86.207(2), β = 69.562(2), γ = 64.932(2)o, V = 930.3(2) 3, Z = 1, Mr = 764.30, Dc = 1.364 g/cm3, F(000) = 399, S = 1.059 and μ(MoKα) = 0.644 mm-1. The final R = 0.0459 and wR = 0.1274 for 3414 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). The copper atom is six-coordinated by two oxygen atoms from two different 9-hydroxy-fluorene-9-carboxylate ligands, two pyridine nitrogen atoms and two ethanol oxygen atoms, forming a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. The extensive O–H···O hydrogen bonding connects the molecules to form a one-dimensional chain structure. Between adjacent one-dimensional chains, a two-dimensional layered structure was formed by fluorene ring π-π packing interaction. Between the layers, a three-dimensional structure was formed through the π-π packing interaction of the pyridine ring. Moreover, the thermal stability and photoluminescent property of the complex has been investigated.


As the demand for broadband multimedia wireless services increases, the need to provide QoS and higher data rate enhancements to the widely deployed IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standard has become apparent. We propose a class-based adaptive ARQ scheme with QoS support for multimedia traffic, to facilitate higher throughputs through the reduction of MAC overhead. This scheme operates on top of the EDCA (enhanced distributed channel access) mechanism proposed in the IEEE 802.11e draft standard, which provides QoS support in the MAC layer through the use of service differentiation and traffic class prioritization. An OPNET simulation model is used to show that the proposed ARQ enhancement increases system performance.


The non-Watson–Crick (non-WC) base pairs of Escherichia coli loop E of 5S rRNA are stabilized by Mg2+ ions through water-mediated interaction. It is important to know the synergic role of Mg2+ and the water network surrounding Mg2+ in stabilizing the non-WC base pairs of RNA. For this purpose, free energy change of the system is calculated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as Mg2+ is pulled from RNA, which causes disturbance of the water network. It was found that Mg2+ remains hexahydrated unless it is close to or far from RNA. In the pentahydrated form, Mg2+ interacts directly with RNA. Water network has been identified by two complimentary methods; MD followed by a density-based clustering algorithm and three-dimensional-reference interaction site model. These two methods gave similar results. Identification of water network around Mg2+ and non-WC base pairs gives a clue to the strong effect of water network on the stability of this RNA. Based on sequence analysis of all Eubacteria 5s rRNA, we propose that hexahydrated Mg2+ is an integral part of this RNA and geometry of base pairs surrounding it adjust to accommodate the . Overall the findings from this work can help in understanding the basis of the complex structure and stability of RNA with non-WC base pairs.


We analyzed photoemission data for several doping levels of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x compounds, ranging from overdoped to underdoped. We show that the high frequency part of the spectra near (0,pi) can be described by Fermi liquid theory in the overdoped regime, but exhibits a non-Fermi liquid behavior in the underdoped regime. We further demonstrate that this behavior fits reasonably well to a 1/root omega behavior suggested for systems with strong spin fluctuations. [S0163-1829(98)50338-4].


The spread of Covid-19 was layered on to various intersecting crises ('polycrisis'), worsening people's lives and weakening governments' responses to the pandemic. Many responses to multiple crises focus on single hazards. This brief highlights effective responses to Covid-19, drought and conflict from Kenya and Ethiopia, which may offer lessons for future policy and programming that equitably address multiple crises. It focuses on two examples of how governments and local actors have sought to strengthen people's ability to cope with multiple crises: through collaboration at different levels of governance across sectors; and strengthening resilience through water management.


This study investigated the effectiveness of a supplemental computer-assisted reading program, Headsprout Early Reading, with nine second-grade students at-risk for developmental dyslexia. A single-case multiple baseline design within participants was utilized using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) to assess weekly oral reading fluency (ORF) performance. Stability of ORF performance was also evaluated during a six-week maintenance phase following completion of the program Finally, the social validity of Headsprout Early Reading was assessed through the use of a parent satisfaction survey. Multiple data analysis procedures were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program including visual analysis, three measures of effect size, examination of mean weekly growth rates, and change in DIBELS ORF risk status. Results of the study revealed that Headsprout Early Reading was effective at improving ORF performance in seven of the nine participants. Specifically, data findings indicated that Headsprout was highly effective at improving ORF performance in five participants, moderately effective in one participant, and marginally effective in another participant. Responses from the parent satisfaction survey indicated that parents were highly satisfied with the Headsprout Early Reading program.


This paper presents a practical method for computing solutions of concept forgetting in the description logic ALCOQ(neg,and,or), basic ALC extended with nominals, qualified number restrictions, role negation, role conjunction and role disjunction. The method is based on a non-trivial generalisation of Ackermann's Lemma, and attempts to compute either semantic solutions of concept forgetting or uniform interpolants in ALCOQ(neg,and,or). It is so far the only approach to concept forgetting in description logics with number restrictions plus nominals, as well as in description logics with ABoxes. Results of an evaluation with a prototypical implementation have shown that the method was successful in more than 90% of the test cases from a large corpus of biomedical ontologies. In only 13.2% of these cases the solutions were semantic solutions.


The study examined in specific terms the interaction between household food security and rural farming communities' perception of climate change in uMzinyathi District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A survey was conducted among 200 households randomly selected from five wards. Households were randomly selected from villages and only those household members at the age of at least 40 years and participating in agricultural activities were asked to volunteer to participate in the survey. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were carried out to obtain qualitative data. Data was then analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results show that communities' perception of climate change matched the quantitative data of climate of the area. The study area is becoming hotter and drier. Over the period 1993 – 2010, average annual temperature had increased by 1.5C. Rainfall generally decreased over the period 1981 2010 with the years 2004, 2007 and 2010 recording the least rainfall amounts of 368mm, 296mm and 319mm respectively below annual average rainfall of 784mm. Households observed increased frequency (73.0%) of droughts while incidences of floods had decreased over time by 52.0%. Households were evenly distributed across the five vulnerability categories with extreme categories of 18% households being very highly vulnerable and 20% being less vulnerable. The results confirmed that indeed households were experiencing climate change and that they are reacting to this change by adopting differing agricultural and nonagricultural practices. A large proportion (83%) of households anticipate that they will alter their livelihoods systems to respond to climate change with 59% of households indicating that government grants will play an important role in their adaptation to climate change. Households assessed (97%) were found to be severely food insecure while 3% were moderately food insecure. Households were worried about the negative impacts of climate change which included droughts, floods and soil erosion. Households who were found to be vulnerable to climate change recorded high levels of food insecurity. Perceptions of communities to climate change should be considered by policy makers in advancing strategies to mitigate impacts of climate change. Households are not homogenous and experience vulnerability to climate change differently, recommending that blanket interventions for communities should not be used to mitigate climate change but household specific interventions should be considered. Households will effectively adapt to a changing climate by governments putting in place mechanisms that will help finance the adaptation interventions. Capacity of households should be built through extension services so that


The encoding of time-varying stimuli in linear and half-wave rectifying neurons is studied. The information carried in single spike trains is assessed by reconstructing part of the stimulus using mean square estimation methods. For the class of models considered here, the mean square error in the reconstructions and estimates of the rate of information transmission are computed analytically. The optimal encoding of stimuli having statistical properties of natural images predicts a change in the temporal filtering characteristics with mean firing rate. This change relates to those observed experimentally at the early stages of visual processing. The transmission of information by model neurons is shown to be fundamentally limited to a maximum of 1.13 bit/spike and it is conjectured that nonlinear processing is necessary to explain higher rates which have been observed experimentally in certain preparations. In spite of the fact that single neurons might not transmit information efficiently, a substantial part of a time-varying stimulus can be recovered from single spike trains. In particular, our results demonstrate that a small number of 'noisy' neurons can carry precise temporal information in their spike trains.


Cefixime, the first oral third generation cephalosporin, was administered to 2,832 patients in the USA, UK, FRG and France. 478/1063 patients were treated for urinary tract infections (upper or lower UTI) with 200 mg cefixime bid; clinical cure was obtained in 92 and 96 per cent of upper and lower UTI respectively, and bacteriological cure in 97.5 and 89 per cent of the cases; among 142 patients with a 1 month follow-up, no relapse or reinfection was observed in 78 per cent of cases. Of 521 patients treated for lower respiratory tract infection, 355 received 200 mg cefixime bid and 166 received a single daily dose of 400 mg. Clinical cure was obtained in 88 per cent and 93 per cent patients with pneumonia or bronchitis respectively, with bacteriological cure in 93.2 and 93.8 per cent. Among ENT infections, the most interesting study was in the treatment of sinusitis and otitis. Good clinical results were shown in nearly 95 per cent of cases, with bacteriological cure in more than 90 per cent. The safety studies demonstrated a global 6.6 per cent incidence of undesirable effect. These manifestations were mild and reversible, consisting of abdominal discomfort and minor diarrhea in most cases. The overall effectiveness of cefixime appears to be similar to that of established compounds as far as susceptible pathogens are concerned. However, in clinical trials, cefixime seemed to be effective on isolated bacteria unresponsive to conventional antibiotics.


The article defines the current trends in European legislations concerning the issue of share capital in private limited companies, its necessity and fixed amounts. The analysis covers proposed amendments of legal provisions at both EU and national level, with a particular reference to Polish and German regulations. Moreover, the Author discusses the mechanisms applied worldwide to create and maintain the statutory capital, as well as the key arguments raised by the opponents and supporters of the commented institution.


As a starting point, this paper considers a compelling idea concerning fashion and sustainable HCI---rather than attempt to thwart fashion, or exhort people not to engage in fashion-related behavior, instead, based on a deeper understanding of the complexity of fashion, utilize this concept to design products and services so as to resonate with those dimensions of fashion that are most compatible with sustainability. Our ultimate vision is to provide mechanisms to allow designers to use fashion as a positive force for sustainable design, especially in the context of HCI and interaction design. As a step along the path between this starting point and our ultimate vision, this paper describes some related literature and thoughts about methods, reports on a collection of interviews and emergent insights, and several general design implications which link fashion positively to sustainable practices and futures. Moreover, we hope to inspire others to contribute to this idea and its potential for sustainable HCI.


This paper sets out to estimate expected lifetime of revolving credit facilities
(e.g. credit card products) and is motivated by the introduction of the International
Financial Reporting Standard 9 (IFRS 9) and its requirements for loan
impairments. The reporting entity is required to estimate lifetime expected
credit losses for certain nancial instruments. In practice, maximum contractual
period for revolving credit facilities cannot be used in dening lifetime for
the facility and credit risk mitigation actions need to be considered. A data
set for a retail credit card portfolio was provided by a Nordic bank and for
the lifetime denition derived, a model based on a conditional Markov chain
was selected. Expected lifetime was estimated and an analytical expression for
expected lifetime of revolving credit facilities was derived and validated.


The authors propose a new automatic optical frequency-control method for fast frequency switching. Simulation and experimental results for the new method are presented. In the experiment, the frequency of an optical coherent receiver was changed freely and accurately and was not affected by the thermal effect of the laser diode. By this method, switching time was reduced to less than one tenth that of an uncontrolled laser diode.


The basis for this paper is a logic designed by Dana Scott [1] in 1969 for formalizing arguments about computable functions of higher type. This logic uses typed combinators, and we give a more or less direct translation into typed λ-calculus, which is an easier formalism to use, though not so easy for the metatheory because of the presence of bound variables. We then describe, by example only, a proof-checker program which has been implemented for this logic; the program is fully described in [2]. We relate the induction rule which is central to the logic to two more familiar rules - Recursion Induction and Structural Induction - showing that the former is a theorem of the logic, and that for recursively defined structures the latter is a derived rule of the logic. Finally we show how the syntax and semantics of a simple programming language may be described completely in the logic, and we give an example of a theorem which relates syntactic and semantic properties of programs and which can be stated and proved within the logic.


Following acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, there is a potent antiviral CD8 T-cell response that eliminates the infection. This initial CD8 T-cell response is followed by a period of memory during which elevated numbers of virus-specific CD8 T cells remain in the mouse. CD4 T cells are also activated after LCMV infection, but relatively less is known about the magnitude and duration of the CD4 response. In this study, we used intracellular staining for interferon-gamma to measure both CD4 and CD8 responses in the same mice at the single cell level. After LCMV infection, there was an increase in the number of activated CD4 T cells and an associated increase in the number of virus-specific CD4 T cells. At the peak of this expansion phase, the frequency of virus-specific CD4 T cells was 1 in 20 (0.5-1.0 x 10(6) per spleen). Like the CD8 response, long-term CD4 memory could be found up to a year after the infection with frequencies of approximately 1 in 260 (0.5-1.5 x 10(5) per spleen). However, the magnitude of virus-specific CD8 T cells was greater than virus-specific CD4 T cells during all phases of the immune response (expansion, death, and memory). At day 8, there were 20- to 35-fold more virus-specific CD8 T cells than CD4 T cells. This initial difference in cell number lasted into the memory phase as there remained a ten- to 20-fold difference in the CD8 and CD4 responses. These results highlight the importance of the expansion phase in determining the size of the memory T-cell pool. In addition to the difference in the magnitude, the activation requirements of CD8 and CD4 T-cell responses were different: CD8 T responses were not affected by blockade of CD40-CD40 ligand interaction whereas CD4 responses were reduced 90%. So while there is long-term memory in both the CD8 and CD4 compartments, the rules regulating the activation of CD8 and CD4 T cells and the overall magnitude of the responses are different.


Recent work has reintroduced ontology as a research topic in learning theories, as a mean to make explicit the differences and links between existing approaches to the design of learning programmes. In the context of technology-supported information systems, ontologies can be represented in machine-understandable form to serve as a basis for automation and assessment. The notion of change is in some form part of every ontology of learning, but the interpretations attributed to the term differ between them both in scope and characterisation. Since change is central to the evolving behaviour of learning organisations, it is worth the effort of specifying it, especially for the sake of objective measurement and automation. This paper describes ontological structures for generic constructivist and socio-cultural learning frameworks, stating the differences in their overall concepts of change, and their implications for practice and assessment. The ontological definitions provided are intended to motivate further work in more specific approaches for learning technology-supported experiences.


The existence of FIQH as the main subject at each PTAI both private and public taught to students has a good purpose for scientific understanding of Islamic law. Learning FIQH has a progressive urgency that is taught science to students so that students are able to understand the basic Islamic law relating to human actions that are categorized as adults. Learning in Islamic religious colleges can choose and implement one or several variants of the integration relationship. The learning is based on Permenristedikti 44/2015 related to SNPT / national standard of higher education. Learning also has an interactive specificity, which occurs between students and lecturers. In interaction, of course, focus on students (Student Centered Learning) so that changes occur experienced by students into the cognitive realm, namely the ability to relate to knowledge, thoughts, and then the ability to prioritize feelings or known as affective terms. Fiqh is defined as a knowledge of Islamic law formulated by Islamic jurists (mujtahid) through the process of reasoning on the verses of the Qur'an and the hadith texts relating to human actions that are intelligent and mature. In the context of fiqh discussion here, fiqh in question is one of the Islamic Religious Education (PAI) courses relating to law, rules and procedures of worship to Allah SWT taught in tertiary institutions. In this case, fiqh is also one part of Islamic Religious Education courses that is directed to prepare students to recognize, understand, live and practice Islamic law which then becomes the basis of their way of life through guidance, teaching, exercise of use, practice and habituation


The field of nuclear cardiology has produced several new perfusion tracers within the last several years, and several more seem to be on the way. The major promise of these new radiopharmaceuticals is the delivery of superior perfusion images compared with those supplied by thallium-201. which has been the standard isotope over the last 20 years for myocardial perfusion. The imaging characteristics are enhanced by the incorporation of technetium-99m (Tc-99m) as the radioactive element because of its higher photon energy and shorter half-life as compared with thallium- 201.The prototype of these new agents is Tc-99m sestamibi, which has been approved by the Foot) and Drug Administration for general use.This review will discuss how this agent has changed the approach and management of patients with acute myocardial infarction. The ability to quantify jeopardized myocardium, subsequent infarct size, and myocardial salvage will be examined, as well as more refined methods in predicting the short-term outcome in such patients. The use of perfusion imaging as a triage strategy for patients with chest pain syndromes will also be discussed. Finally, a comprehensive management scheme will be presented to risk stratify patients treated with reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction.


This paper focuses on initializing 3-D reconstruction from scratch without any prior scene information. Traditionally, this has been done from two-view matching, which is prone to the degeneracy called "imaginary focal lengths." We overcome this difficulty by using three images, but we do not require three-view matching; all we need is three fundamental matrices separately computed from pair-wise image matching. We exploit the redundancy of the three fundamental matrices to optimize the camera parameters and the 3-D structure. The main theme of this paper is to give an analytical procedure for computing the positions and orientations of the three cameras and their internal parameters from three fundamental matrices. The emphasis is on resolving the ambiguity of the solution resulting from the sign indeterminacy of the fundamental matrices. We do numerical simulation to show that imaginary focal lengths are less likely for our three view methods, resulting in higher accuracy than the conventional two-view method. We also test the degeneracy tolerance capability of our method by using endoscopic intestine tract images, for which the camera configuration is almost always nearly degenerate. We demonstrate that our method allows us to obtain more detailed intestine structures than two-view reconstruction and observe how our three-view reconstruction is refined by bundle adjustment. Our method is expected to broaden medical applications of endoscopic images.


In this study, a green synthesis strategy was used to construct CuO-GO-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) by using biological components of Fagonia arabica. Copper Oxide (CuO) nanoparticles and silver (Ag) nanoparticles were fabricated by using a plant extract of Fagonia arabica. Graphene oxide was synthesized by hummer's method and hydrothermal approach. The characterization techniques used in this work were Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). As an innovative approach graphene oxide (GO) was firstly assorted with green synthesized CuO NPs and then Ag nanoparticles were incorporated to form amalgamated CuO-GO-Ag nanocomposite (NCs). The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of nanocomposite were examined. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ability of the nanocomposite were evaluated by UV-Visible spectroscopy. Results reveal that biologically synthesized CuO-GO-Ag NCs have high scavenging and inflammation reduction potential as compared to standards (ascorbic acid, diclofenac sodium). CuO-GO-Ag showed that scavenging efficiency for 0.3 mg/ml is 57.40% and for 0.5 mg/ml is 74.24% while scavenging efficiency for standard (ascorbic acid) is 44.22% for 0.3 mg/ml and 58.42% for 0.5 mg/ml. Likewise, CuO-GO-Ag nanocomposite showed a % inhibition value of 46.59 and 87.80 at 0.1 mg/ml and 0.5 mg/ml while diclofenac sodium showed a % inhibition value of 10.98 and 35.37 a similar concentration. Fagonia arabica seems to be a good source for acclimating the potential of NCs and nanoparticles toward different increased biological activities, according to the findings.


Information on solid particle movement through the pharynx, in addition to its physiologic importance, has relevance to the swallowing of medications in pill form. The purpose of this study was to determine the kinematics of a solid particle during the oral-pharyngeal phase of swallowing. We used a concurrent manometric-videofluoroscopic technique and identified two distinct zones of increasing bolus velocity, one at the tongue base and the other at the pharyngo-upper esophageal sphincter (UES) region. Velocity decreased significantly (p < .05), to 9.0 ± 1.0 cm/s, while the bolus traversed the area located between the tip of the horizontal epiglottis and the pharyngeal wall. The velocity of the liquid barium bolus head was similar to that of the solid barium pellet. The average bolus tail velocity was relatively constant. The acceleration of the barium pellet was temporally associated with development of an incrementally decreasing pressure distal to the location of the pellet in the hypopharynx and across the UES. In conclusion, the kinematics of a solid particle are similar to those of the head of a liquid bolus, but both are different from bolus tail kinematics. During the pharyngeal phase of swallowing, the area located ahead of the bolus exhibits an incrementally decreasing pressure, caudally. This may facilitate bolus transport and contribute to airway protection.


This paper employs data from the Labour Force Surveys of September 2000 and 2001 to update our earlier account of the evolution of the racial wage hierarchy in post-apartheid South Africa. We present evidence that the wage position of the majority African workforce improved relative to all other racial groups immediately following the transition to democratic rule in 1994, but that these gains had been largely eroded by 2001. The persistence of racial wage differences following the repeal of all overt discriminatory laws and regulations points to the need for concerted policy interventions to reverse the legacy of apartheid. We review the range of policy initiatives that have been taken by the South African Government since 1994 in the light of our


The problem of constructing frequency hopping patterns for use in time division multiple access-frequency division multiple access (TDMA-FDMA) cellular systems that employ frequency diversity to minimize bursty errors occurring due to the fading channel is discussed. Conditions under which two frequency and time channels fade independently in a mobile fading channel are reviewed. The construction of a family of effective frequency hop sequences for achieving maximum diversity is given. The construction is based on the theory of linear congruences, and the number of sequences for every integer is established. It is shown that when sequences are constructed using prime numbers they are also orthogonal. Examples of constructed sequences applicable to the Groupe Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular system are given.


Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PEEK abutments, an alternative to titanium abutments, with temporary acrylic restorations using immediate loading protocol on the marginal bone loss and periimplant tissues. Methodology: This study was performed with temporary restorations using 32 titanium and PEEK abutments (14 titanium and 18 PEEK) on 32 implants performed on 21 patients (13 females, 8 males). Before surgical placement of the implants, intraoral and radiographic examinations were performed. The patients were divided into two groups as titanium abutment group (Grup Ti) and PEEK abutment group (Grup PEEK). In both groups, all implants were placed according to the manufacturer's recommendations. After surgery, impressions were taken using polyvinyl siloxane impression material and closed tray impression technique. The gingiva, which is thought to be formed on the model, was scraped and screwed onto the appropriate titanium or PEEK abutment analogue according to the groups and temporary restoration was prepared and applied on the implant. Results: The results of the statistical analysis show that abutment types have no significant effect on ISQ values (p>0.05), but the diameter of the implant significantly affected ISQ values independently from abutment type (p<0.05). Less marginal bone loss was observed in the PEEK abutment group compared to the titanium abutment group (p<005), and similar results were obtained in both groups in terms of periodontal scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, there was less bone loss in the PEEK abutment group (p<0.05). There was no difference between PEEK and titanium abutments in terms of ISQ values and clinical evaluations (p>0.05).


A continuous β-Fermi–Pasta–Ulam (FPU) chain is investigated by using the knowledge of elliptic equation and Jacobian elliptic functions. We obtain the new solutions, two-kink soliton solution, breather solution and breather lattice solution, of the continuous β-FPU chain, besides the kink-soliton solution and chaos solution.


Nylon is a synthetic fiber made from petroleum products which was developed as an alternative to silk. Nylon is valued for its light weight, incredible tensile strength, durability, and resistance to damage. It also takes dye easily, making the fabric available in a wide array of colours for consumers. Nylon has conventionally been dyed by using Acid dyes on a major extent. In this study Nylon 6,6 was dyed with commercial di-chlorotriazinyl reactive dyes .using 100% nylon woven fabric was taken for this study. Nylon fabric GSM was 50 g/m2, EPI-20 and PPI-32. The pH was kept at 4 and the temperature was maintained at 98°C, this temperature was used in subsequent experiments. The blue reactive dyes and acid dyes are used for dyeing and it was concluded as good to excellent fastness to washing and rubbing. And light fastness was almost equal for both reactive dyed and acid dye. In acid and reactive dyes Blue MR had good colour variation,good colour strength.


Clinical forensic medicine is the branch of medicine that deals specifically with cases involving both legal and medical aspects of patient care. A forensic evaluation refers to the detection, collection, and preservation of evidence. Pattern injury recognition, interpretation of injuries, documentation of testimonial and injuries (including photography), reporting requirements, and regulations are all vital components of a forensic evaluation, but are rarely the topic of discussion in training hospitals. Medical professionals working in prehospital care and acute care settings are likely to encounter perplexing forensic issues related to child abuse, sexual assault, or unexpected childhood death in their practice. This article focuses on the most recent insights related to sexual assault and forensic evidence as it relates to successful prosecution, shaken baby syndrome, and pediatric nonaccidental thermal injury. Also reviewed are the most current publications related to clinical forensic medicine for the year 2002, incorporating practical clinical tips from the most informative articles from the past decade.


Converting the hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounder radiance spectrum to broadband is a common approach for intercomparison/calibration. Usually the convolution is performed in wavenumber space. However, numerical experiments presented here indicate that there are brightness temperature (BT) differences between wavelength and wavenumber spaces in convolving hyperspectral IR sounder spectrum to broadband. The magnitudes of differences are related to the spectral region and the width of the spectral response functions (SRFs). In addition, the central wavelength and central wavenumber should be determined separately in wavelength and wavenumber spaces, respectively; they cannot be converted to each other directly for broadband BT calculations. There exist BT differences (BTDs) between interpolating the resolution of SRF to hyperspectral IR sounder spectrum, and vice versa, for convolution. This study provides clarity on convolution, central wavelength/wavenumber determination, and spectral resolution matching between broadband SRFs and hyperspectral IR sounder radiances for intercomparison/calibration.


Since the increase in low quality protein food has been an issue in the developing countries, there is a need to explore good alternative protein sources. This study attempted to compare the single cell protein (SCP) production with baker's yeast and mixed culture of toddy from banana fruit juice in the Liquid State Fermentation (LSF) system. Fermentation media composed of glucose 10 g/l. MgSO4 0.5, NaCl 0.1, CaCl2 0.1 and KH2PO4 1 g/l as control medium inoculated with toddy and 100 ml/l (10%) of banana fruit juice was replaced instead of glucose for banana medium. When the culture growing conditions (inoculum size- baker's yeast: 0.5g and natural toddy: 5ml) of the fermentation processes were optimised separately, higher SCP production was achieved when time and temperature maintained as 3 days and 30o C respectively with 40.29% baker's yeast and 40.95% palmyrah toddy mix for banana medium. When the carbon source was replaced with 5% fruit juice, the SCP production significantly increased to 40.87% and 41.18% with baker's yeast and toddy mix respectively. This comparative fermentation study with baker's yeast and palmyrah toddy mix revealed that palmyrah toddy mix produces significantly higher protein content than that of baker's yeast. Findings suggest that cheap and naturally available palmyrah toddy mix yield higher SCP than the expensive and processed baker's yeast in the banana extract added fermentation medium. Keywords: Baker's yeast, Banana fruit extract, Palmyrah toddy mix, Single cell protein


Abstract The aim of this article is to analyze the reasons for Rainis' appreciation of the phenomenon he labels as the 'basic class'. The Latvian writer attributes this concept to the members of society who provide the livelihood for themselves by doing mainly the manual labour. Although thus a praise for the proletariat is voiced, the reasons are more nuanced than the common Soviet interpretation allowed to see. Rainis sees the 'Basic class' as a crucial agent in the struggle for Latvian national emancipation. At the same time, the article seeks an answer to the question why, according to Rainis, bourgeoisie is reluctant to fight this struggle.


2998 Background : AZD6244 is a potent, selective, and uncompetitive inhibitor of MEK1/2 kinases that is currently in phase 2 clinical development. The activity of AZD6244 was evaluated against the PPTP's in vitro and in vivo panels.
 Methods : The PPTP includes a molecularly characterized in vitro panel of cell lines (n=27) and in vivo panel of xenografts (n=61) representing most of the common types of childhood solid tumors and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). AZD6244 was tested in vitro at concentrations from 1.0 nM to 10 μM and was tested against the PPTP in vivo panel using a BID schedule (excepting weekends for which a QD schedule was used), with oral administration for 6 weeks at a dose of 100 mg/kg. Three measures of antitumor activity were used: 1) an objective response measure modeled after the clinical setting; 2) a treated to control (T/C) tumor volume measure; and 3) a time to event (4-fold increase in tumor volume) measure based on the median event-free survival (EFS) of treated and control animals for each xenograft.
 Results : AZD6244 demonstrated a clear cytotoxic effect against Kasumi-1, an AML cell line with an activating KIT mutation. The IC50 for Kasumi-1 was 200 nM, similar to IC50 values for AZD6244 in adult cancer cell lines with activating BRAF or RAS family mutations. Several other cell lines showed a limited response to AZD6244 that was consistent with a primarily cytostatic effect, while 18 cell lines had IC50 values > 10 μM. AZD6244 was well tolerated in vivo with toxicity in 2.6% of treated animals compared to 0% of control animals. AZD6244 significantly increased EFS in 10 of 37 (27%) evaluable solid tumor xenografts. Significant differences in EFS distribution occurred in the majority of xenografts in the glioblastoma panel (3 of 4) and in one-half of the xenografts from the osteosarcoma panel (3 of 6). None of the 6 evaluable ALL xenografts demonstrated significant increases in EFS. The EFS T/C values were below the criteria for intermediate activity for the time to event measure of activity (EFS T/C > 2) in all but three evaluable lines: the GBM xenograft BT-39 and two osteosarcoma xenografts (OS-1 and OS-33). The best objective response was PD2 (progressive disease with growth delay), with PD2 activity concentrated in the glioblastoma panel (2 of 4) and the osteosarcoma panel (3 of 6).
 Conclusions : AZD6244 was highly active against a PPTP cell line with an activating KIT mutation, but was not active against the majority of the cell lines of the PPTP in vitro panel and did not significantly inhibit growth for most of the xenografts in the PPTP in vivo panel. These observations are consistent with the relative paucity of BRAF and RAS family mutations in the pediatric cancers included in this evaluation. Combinations of AZD6244 with agents targeting other signaling pathways involved in survival/proliferation are of interest for future PPTP evaluations of AZD6244. (Supported by NCI NO1CM42216)


In this paper we model the pathways commonly traversed as user innovations are transformed into commercial products. First, one or more users recognize a new set of design possibilities and begin to innovate. They then join into communities, motivated by the increased efficiency of collective innovation. User-manufacturers then emerge, using high variable cost/low-capital production methods. Finally, as user innovation slows, the market stabilizes enough for high-capital, low variable cost manufacturing to enter. We test the model against the history of the rodeo kayak industry and find it supported. We discuss implications for "dominant design" theory and for innovation practice.


A broad spectrum of perioperative brain MR imaging findings was documented in infants with congenital heart disease. The authors propose an MR imaging protocol including T1-, T2-, diffusion- and susceptibility-weighted imaging, and MRV to identify ischemic, hemorrhagic, and thrombotic lesions observed in this patient group. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A uniform description of brain MR imaging findings in infants with severe congenital heart disease to assess risk factors, predict outcome, and compare centers is lacking. Our objective was to uniformly describe the spectrum of perioperative brain MR imaging findings in infants with congenital heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational studies were performed at 3 European centers between 2009 and 2019. Brain MR imaging was performed preoperatively and/or postoperatively in infants with transposition of the great arteries, single-ventricle physiology, or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction undergoing cardiac surgery within the first 6 weeks of life. Brain injury was assessed on T1, T2, DWI, SWI, and MRV. A subsample of images was assessed jointly to reach a consensus. RESULTS: A total of 348 MR imaging scans (180 preoperatively, 168 postoperatively, 146 pre- and postoperatively) were obtained in 202 infants. Preoperative, new postoperative, and cumulative postoperative white matter injury was identified in 25%, 30%, and 36%; arterial ischemic stroke, in 6%, 10%, and 14%; hypoxic-ischemic watershed injury in 2%, 1%, and 1%; intraparenchymal cerebral hemorrhage, in 0%, 4%, and 5%; cerebellar hemorrhage, in 6%, 2%, and 6%; intraventricular hemorrhage, in 14%, 6%, and 13%; subdural hemorrhage, in 29%, 17%, and 29%; and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis, in 0%, 10%, and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A broad spectrum of perioperative brain MR imaging findings was found in infants with severe congenital heart disease. We propose an MR imaging protocol including T1-, T2-, diffusion-, and susceptibility-weighted imaging, and MRV to identify ischemic, hemorrhagic, and thrombotic lesions observed in this patient group.


The radiation risk in mammography is traditionally evaluated using the average glandular dose. This quantity for the average breast has proven to be useful for population statistics and to compare exposure techniques and systems. However it is not indicating the individual radiation risk based on the individual glandular amount and distribution. Simulations of exposures were performed for six appropriate virtual phantoms with varying glandular amount and distribution. The individualised average glandular dose (iAGD), i.e. the individual glandular absorbed energy divided by the mass of the gland, and the glandular imparted energy (GIE), i.e. the glandular absorbed energy, were computed. Both quantities were evaluated for their capability to take into account the glandular amount and distribution. As expected, the results have demonstrated that iAGD reflects only the distribution, while GIE reflects both the glandular amount and distribution. Therefore GIE is a good candidate for individual radiation risk assessment.


In the current work an experimental study of the crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) is performed to evaluate the ability of this parameter to characterise fatigue crack growth. A methodology is developed to measure and to analyse the CTOD from experimental data. The vertical displacements measured by implementing Digital Image Correlation on growing fatigue cracks are used to measure the CTOD. Fatigue tests at R ratios of 0.1 and 0.6 were conducted on compact-tension specimens manufactured from commercially pure titanium. A sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the effect of the position selected behind the crack tip for the CTOD measurement. The analysis of a full loading cycle allowed identifying the elastic and plastic components of the CTOD. The plastic CTOD was found to be directly related to the plastic deformation at the crack tip. Moreover, a linear relationship between da/dN and the plastic CTOD for both tests was observed. Results show that the CTOD can be used as a viable alternative to ?K in characterising fatigue crack propagation because the parameter considers fatigue threshold and crack shielding in an intrinsic way. This work is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the different mechanisms driving fatigue crack growth and the address the outstanding controversy associated with plasticity-induced fatigue crack closure.


Background "Normalization" refers to the process whereby a household with a chronically ill member returns to a normal life to reduce its distress. There has been no valid and reliable instrument to investigate such normalization in Taiwan. Objective The aims of this study were to develop and validate a Chinese version of the Normalization Assessment Measure for Caregivers of Children With Cancer (NAM-CCC). Methods Translation and revision of the Normalization Assessment Measure into Chinese. Psychometric testing was conducted on 241 caregivers of children with cancer who were treated at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Results The Cronbach's α of the NAM-CCC (Chinese version) was .93. The construct validity was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, and 1 factor was extracted. The known group validity indicated that the rate of normalization is higher in the follow-up stage than in the treatment stage (P < .00). The criterion-related validity of the Taiwan version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment is 0.475 (P < .01). The content validity is 0.88 to 0.99. Conclusion The results indicate that the NAM-CCC possesses good reliability and validity when administered to caregivers of children with cancer in Taiwan. Implications for Practice The instrument can be used to measure normalization in the caregivers of children with cancer. In addition, it will help us understand what support these individuals require to construct normal lives.


cgi). The YFV Uganda 2016 strain envelope sequence was aligned with reference YFV genomes by using MAFFT through the EMBL-EBI server (http://www.ebi.ac.uk), and phylogenies were generated with BEAST 1.8.4 (9), as previously described (7). BLAST analyses determined that the highest percentage identity (95%) is shared between the Uganda 2016 strain and strains from South Sudan 2003 in the envelope region (the only region for which data from the Sudan strain are available) versus 83% with Angola 2016 strains from the same region. Furthermore, the Uganda 2016 sequences corresponding to the NS genes NS3 and NS5 have the highest percentage identities (94% and 95%, respectively) with a Uganda 1948 strain relative to 85% and 84% with the Angola 2016 strains in the same regions. Together these BLAST analyses indicate that the Uganda 2016 YFV is most similar to strains in the East African genotype. Phylogenetic analyses confirm the BLAST analyses and place the Uganda 2016 YFV in a well-supported clade along with these East African genotype strains, whereas the Angola 2016 strains group with an Angola 1971 YFV (Figure), indicating that the Uganda outbreak in 2016 was not seeded by the Angola outbreak. These findings reiterate the endemicity of YFV throughout the tropical regions of Africa because at least 2 concurrent yellow fever outbreaks of independent origins were identified in 2016. Our findings also highlight the importance of assessing the molecular epidemiology of the virus in outbreak investigations. These data improve our understanding of YFV epidemiology in Africa and support the previous studies of Mutebi and colleagues (2). In addition, removal of contaminating ribosomal RNA proved to be an effective method for unbiased enrichment of viral RNA in degraded samples to enhance sequencing sensitivity.


ABSTRACT In 1980, Zimbabwe inherited a Eurocentric education system from the British colony, aimed at the perpetuation of the subordination and silencing of the African child. When the government of Zimbabwe noticed the infestation of the colonial wound, demonstrated by the irrelevance and in-applicability of the inherited education system, it called for its reconstruction on a new curriculum, which was rolled out in 2015. However, Zimbabwean Social Studies teachers reported intractable inconsistencies in curriculum design and implementation between what is taught in the classroom and what is expected in the society, which they linked to lack of Ubuntu values and a decolonization perspective. Using the Social Studies curriculum as a case and the Ubuntu lens as a conceptual framework, this qualitative study investigates the strategies which can be used to reform the curriculum so that it speaks to the dictates of the Zimbabwean community in which it serves. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) from 12 purposefully sampled Social Studies teachers located in different school settings of Zimbabwe namely the rural, urban, growth points and farm areas. Findings indicated that the 'usable past' anchored in Ubuntu values as part of the decolonization agenda, though not given serious consideration in Zimbabwe, is fundamental to curriculum reform and implementation. Considering the findings, the study recommends the revisiting and extracting from the African past and its values to drive curriculum change to prepare the learner to lead an African life in the African continent. The study elucidates the need for a collective psyche in educational change in which curriculum planners practise cordial relations and engage the teachers in curriculum construction to perfect curriculum design and implementation. Keywords: Curriculum change; Curriculum implementation; Decolonisation; Social Studies; Ubuntu; 'Usable past'.


AIMS
To describe the incidence, procedural characteristics and discuss management strategies of device entrapment in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTO).

METHODS AND RESULTS
Device entrapment was characterized in a large consecutive series of 2361 CTO PCI cases performed by five high-volume CTO Italian operators between January 2015 and January 2020. Device entrapment occurred in 36 out of 2361 cases (1.5%) and consisted of coronary guidewires in 13 (0.5%), microcatheters in 6 (0.2%), balloons in 6 (0.2%), rotational atherectomy burrs in 10 (0.4%) and guiding catheter extension in 1 patient (0.04%). Complete device retrieval was achieved in 63.9%, with at least partial removal of material in 97.2%. Vessel recanalization was still possible in 86.1% of cases even after device entrapment. Intraprocedural myocardial infarction occurred in 3 patients (8.3%); tamponade with urgent pericardiocentesis in one (2.8%) and emergency surgical removal of the entrapped device in one patient (2.8%). Mean radiation dose was 4.7±2.3 Gy. At 30-day follow-up, one patient died with stent thrombosis of a non-target vessel and another required repeat percutaneous revascularization.

CONCLUSIONS
Device entrapment during CTO revascularizations is a rare but potentially severe complication. We describe and discuss current techniques of percutaneous retrieval that can be employed to safely achieve procedural success.


Along with the spread of Covid-19 throughout the world, all aspects of life that we are used to living, are forced to undergo changes. Therefore, the government includes the taxation sector, if it is drawn from the perspective of tax compliance itself. One of the taxes that is the biggest contributor to local tax revenues is the Motor Vehicle Tax. Motor vehicle tax is one of the tax revenues that affects the high regional income.
The purpose of the study was to empirically examine the effect of taxpayer awareness, tax service quality, income level, tax knowledge, and tax sanctions on taxpayer compliance with motorbikes and cars in the pandemic era at the South Surabaya Samsat.
Quantitative and explanative research methods, using non-propability sampling with accidental sampling classification to test whether taxpayer awareness, tax service quality, income level, tax knowledge, and tax sanctions on taxpayer compliance with motorbikes and cars in the pandemic era at the South Surabaya Samsat, and to test whether the predetermined hypothesis is accepted or rejected. Collecting data using a questionnaire with a sample of 100 taxpayers. Data analysis was performed with multiple linear regression.
The results showed that the variables of taxpayer awareness, tax service quality, income level, tax knowledge did not have a significant but positive effect, while the tax sanctions variable had a significant and positive effect on paying motorbike and car taxes in South Surabaya Samsat


ABSTRACT Introduction: A growing number of immunocompromised (IC) patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (ARF) is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) worldwide. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the ways to prevent intubation in IC patients with ARF. Expert commentary: Striking differences oppose ARF incidence, characteristics, etiologies and management between IC and non-IC patients. Survival benefits have been reported with early admission to ICU in IC patients. Then, while managing hypoxemia and associated organ dysfunction, the identification of the cause of ARF will be guided by a rigorous clinical assessment at the bedside, further assisted by an invasive or noninvasive diagnostic strategy based on clinical probability for each etiology. Finally, the initial respiratory support aims to avoid mechanical ventilation for the many yet recognizing those patients for whom delaying intubation expose them to suboptimal management. We advocate for not using noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in this setting. A proper evaluation of High-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNC) is required in IC patients as to demonstrate its superiority compared to standard oxygen therapy. Day-to-day decisions must strive to avoid delayed intubation, and make every effort to identify ARF etiology.


OBJECTIVES
Surgical resection is widely accepted as a beneficial treatment of pulmonary metastases originating from osteogenic and soft tissue sarcomas despite adequate validation. The factors associated with the selection of patients who receive pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) are controversial and not well known. In this study, we aimed to identify the prognostic factors associated with survival after treatment with PM and to disclose the candidates who profit from PM being performed on patients with osteogenic and soft tissue sarcomas.

METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the variables and survival outcomes in 52 consecutive patients who underwent PM to treat lung metastases originating from osteogenic and soft tissue malignancies from April 1996 to January 2011. Prognostic factors associated with overall survival after the first PM were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS
Fifty-eight PM procedures were performed in 52 patients as the first PM including 6 bilateral diseases. Wedge resection was the most frequently performed PM procedure (84%), and video-assisted thoracic surgery was introduced in 34 (59%). The median follow-up of the patients was 33 months and the 5-year survival rate after the first PM was 50.9%. Forty-eight (92%) patients underwent complete resection during the first PM. Thirty-three patients (62%) experienced relapse after the first PM. Among those patients, 20 received redo surgeries for pulmonary relapse, and the 5-year survival rate in this group was 49.7%. According to univariate analyses, the use of complete resection, the number of metastatic nodules (one or two) and the length of the disease-free interval prior to the first PM were each found to be significant favourable factors. According to a multivariate analysis, the use of complete resection and the number of metastatic nodules were both found to be independent prognostic factors associated with overall survival. Although our cohort included 15 patients with poor prognostic factors (29%), 5 patients who underwent redo surgery survived >22 months.

CONCLUSIONS
The survival of those patients with one or two pulmonary nodules and those who underwent complete resection was favourable following the treatment of osteogenic and soft tissue sarcomas with PM. Redo surgery may also provide some survival benefit in patients with poor prognostic factors.


The World Health Organization declared coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) linked to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), a global pandemic in March 2020. The pandemic outbreak has led to the most unprecedented and catastrophic loss of human life in the recent history. As of January 2021, there were more than 100 million cases of COVID-19 and more than two million deaths worldwide. Compared to the general population, patients with cancer are at a higher risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19. In large cohort studies, mortality from COVID-19 in patients with cancer can be as high as 40%. In addition to clinical variables (older age, male sex, and co-morbidities) that are associated with mortality in general population, cancer patients are uniquely vulnerable to severe COVID-19 due to immunosuppression from cancer and its therapy, and disruption of routine clinical care. Among patients with cancer, the lung cancer population is at a higher risk of poor outcomes and mortality from COVID-19 for several reasons. For instance, lung is the main target organ in COVID-19 that can lead to respiratory failure, patients with lung cancer have baseline poor lung function from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and smoking. In addition, some of the lung cancer treatment side-effects like pneumonitis, may obscure the diagnosis of COVID-19. In this article, we systematically review the most impactful cohort studies published to date in patients with cancer and COVID-19. We describe the rates of mortality in patients with cancer and COVID-19 with a special focus on the lung cancer population. We also summarize the factors associated with poor outcomes and mortality in patients with lung cancer and COVID-19. © The Author(s) 2021.


Errors such as wrong signature or upside down signature occur mostly during gathering in a bookbinding production line, and affect the quality of bookbinding. This paper presents a new algorithm for signature detection to detect these errors rapidly and accurately. The algorithm constructs scale space firstly by making use of pyramid method in morphology, then creates a region of interest by selecting a appropriate Pyramid image, extracts features from regions of interest, and make them matching templates, furthermore, filters the sample image and extracts the contour, finally selects the appropriate similarity coefficient for template matching, and obtain the matching results. This algorithm is implemented with MVtec Haclon software. Experiments show that the algorithm can anti-rotation, has strong robustness. The matching accuracy is 100%, meanwhile, the low time consumption of the algorithm can meet the demand of high-speed production.


Gravitational multipole moments of the Sun are still poorly known. Theoretically, the difficulty is mainly due to the differential rotation for which the velocity rate varies both on the surface and with the depth. From an observational point of view, the multipole moments cannot be directly measured. However, recent progresses have been made proving the existence of a strong radial differential rotation in a thin layer near the solar surface (the leptocline). Applying the theory of rotating stars, we will first compute values of J2 and J4 taking into account the radial gradient of rotation, then we will compare these values with the existing ones, giving a more complete review. We will explain some astrophysical outcomes, mainly on the relativistic Post Newtonian parameters. Finally we will conclude by indicating how space experiments (balloon SDS flights, Golf NG, Beppi-Colombo, Gaia...) will be essential to unambiguously determine these parameters.


Aspect Oriented Modeling separates crosscutting concerns by defining Aspects and composition mechanisms at the model level. Composition of multiple Aspects will most likely result in more than one Aspect matching the same join points. Consequently, Aspects do not always interact in a predictable manner when woven together. Intended interaction among aspects is designed by the system designer. Unintended interaction (or interference) must be automatically managed. When the woven aspect demonstrates a behavior that is different than its autonomous behavior, then this is a potential interference. Interference has been recently reported in Aspect Oriented Software Development (AOSD) by the industry. Leaving this problem unsolved may result in erratic software behavior and will hinder the adaptation of AOSD by the industry. This identified problem is similar to a phenomenon that exists in graph transformation systems where multiple Graph Transformation rules share some conflicting elements, it is referred to as Critical Pair Analysis and it provides an algebraic-based mechanism to detect and analyze the interaction of the rules. In this paper we propose a framework to detect unintended Aspect interaction at the model level. The proposed framework transforms Aspects modeled in UML State Diagram to Graph Transformation Rules, and then it applies Critical Pair Analysis to detect unintended interactions among aspects. This will enable developers to specify only the order of precedence for intended interaction among aspects without the need to manually investigate unintended interactions for the combinations of every Aspect to every other Aspect in the system. The proposed interaction detection solution is automated, modular, and independent of the base model; which adds the advantage of not having to re-evaluate the interaction each time the base model changes.


LINI considers that one of the main challenges to transport in Northern Ireland is the continued acceptance and policy promotion of rural dwelling, despite the lack of rural employment. Northern Ireland has traditionally had a significant rural population, however this was composed predominately of those peoples whose livelihood/ employment was associated with the rural environment. Nowadays the majority of our rural population avails of the private car and ever increasing road network to travel to other locations for employment, school, services etc. There is little benefit to the countryside or rural communities and economy, and the impact of roads on the environmental and social quality of local life in the countryside is largely negative. Further, all our urban centres, from small rural villages to the main cities, continue to suffer and deteriorate as a result of continued dispersal of our population into rural settings; it is simply not possible to have thriving urban centres with a commuting population.LINI notes that the granting of permission for building new homes and businesses in the countryside should be integral with bearing responsibility for the impact of the travel habits embedded within such development. For instance, rural housing should not be permitted to increase without parallel increase to public transport services. If the government is unwilling to provide one additional bus service for every 10 houses permitted in the countryside, the proposed houses should not be granted permission. Each planning application (even for individual homes in the countryside) should be required to submit a shortened environmental impact assessment which includes transport assessment, indicating how that development will function. If it is demonstrated by the applicant that the development cannot function without full reliance on the private vehicle and a particular number of travel miles, that development should not be permitted. It is often stated that construction favours the economy, but LINI recognises that construction which does not recognise the transport impact of its embodied lifestyle is unsustainable and an economic burden. Streets and roads are for all, and all means for the transport of and for people. If streets and roads are not first accessible to the most fundamental means of transport (walking) then they do not serve their purpose. All roads must be connected to the place which they pass through. LINI challenges DRD to give pedestrians priority on all roads, and to develop a hierarchy where some roads would also be accessible to cycles, some also to horses, some also to vehicles etc. The local would benefit, a sense of place and value in environmental and social wellbeing would result. The economy would benefit.


A standard method for nanoparticle sizing based on the angular dependence of dynamic light scattering was developed. The dependences of the diffusion coefficients for aqueous suspensions of polystyrene latex on the concentration and scattering angle were accurately measured by using a high-resolution dynamic light-scattering instrument. Precise measurements of the short-time correlation function at seven scattering angles and five concentrations were made for suspensions of polystyrene latex particles with diameters from 30 to 100 nm. The apparent diffusion coefficients obtained at various angles and concentrations showed properties characteristic of polystyrene latex particles with electrostatic interactions. A simulation was used to calculate a dynamic structure factor representing the long-range interactions between particles. Extrapolations to infinite dilution and to low angles gave accurate particle sizes by eliminating the effects of long-range interactions. The resulting particle sizes were consistent with those measured by using a differential mobility analyzer and those obtained by pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance measurements.


Background
This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of micro- and macrovascular complications in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Pakistan.

Methods
In this multicentre, observational, cross-sectional disease registry, patients (aged ≥18 years) who were diagnosed at enrolment with T2DM, defined by fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≥126 mg/dL and/or glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5%, were enrolled. Microvascular complications were ascertained by objective examination while macrovascular complications were identified from patients' medical history. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.

Results
Data from 891 patients were analysed in the study. Mean [±standard deviation (SD)] HbA1c, FBG, and random blood glucose were 9.9% (±2.2%), 193.4 (±74.0) mg/dL, and 294.3 (±72.7) mg/dL, respectively. Obesity (n=689, 77.3%) and familial history of diabetes (n=575, 64.3%) were the most common risk factors for T2DM. Overall prevalence of micro- and macrovascular complications was 68.6% [n=611, 95% confidence interval (CI): 65.4-71.5] and 9.0% (n=80, 95% CI: 7.3-11.0), respectively. Neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy were reported in 59.6% (95% CI: 56.3-62.8), 24.4% (95% CI: 21.6-27.2), and 15.9% (95% CI: 13.7-18.5) of the patients, respectively. Oral antidiabetic agents and insulin were prescribed to 839 (94.2%) and 140 (15.7%) patients, respectively. All study patients received education on T2DM management, mostly from the investigators, and also from diabetes educators and nurses.

Conclusion
The prevalence of micro- and macrovascular complications of T2DM is high, indicating a delay in diagnosis of disease. In order to counter the burden of diabetic complications, optimum strategies for screening of the general population are required.


Ideal photon-number-resolving detectors form a class of important optical components in quantum optics and quantum information theory. In this article, we theoretically investigate the potential of multiport devices having reconstruction performances approaching that of the Fock-state measurement. By recognizing that all multiport devices are minimally complete, we first provide a general analytical framework to describe the tomographic accuracy (or quality) of these devices. Next, we show that a perfect multiport device with an infinite number of output ports functions as either the Fock-state measurement when photon losses are absent or binomial mixtures of Fock-state measurements when photon losses are present, and derive their respective expressions for the tomographic transfer function. This function is the scaled asymptotic mean squared-error of the reconstructed photon-number distributions uniformly averaged over all distributions in the probability simplex. We then supply more general analytical formulas for the transfer function for finite numbers of output ports in both the absence and presence of photon losses. The effects of photon losses on the photon-number resolving power of both infinite- and finite-size multiport devices are also investigated.


PurposeTo evaluate three new approaches for staging severity of glaucomatous visual field defects using frequency doubling technology. Patients and MethodsOne hundred and four patients with either ocular hypertension or chronic glaucoma were tested with both standard automated perimetry (SAP, 30-2 Humphrey threshold test) and frequency doubling technology (N-30 threshold test). Standard automated perimetry results were classified into four groups (normal tests, early defects, moderate defects, and severe defects) using the Glaucoma Staging System. Frequency doubling technology tests were also classified in four groups using three different approaches: frequency doubling technology probability map analysis, considering the number and location of disturbed points, frequency doubling technology MD and PSD indices, graphed on a two-axis diagram (FDT Staging System), and an abnormality score, based on both the statistical significance and the spatial location of depressed points. A control group of 20 eyes from 20 normal subjects was also tested and classified in the same way. The Cohen Kappa was used to compare the level of agreement between the three frequency doubling technology methods of classification and the glaucoma staging system. ResultsMeasure of agreement was 0.679 using probability map assessment, 0.793 using the frequency doubling technology staging system, and 0.663 using the abnormality score. The specificity rate was 95% for all three methods. ConclusionsAll the studied approaches were able to correctly stage the glaucomatous functional damage, but the frequency doubling technology staging system was the easiest and quickest method. Moreover, it is the only method that supplies information on the characteristics of the defect, without requiring any other time-consuming procedures.


An analysis of mesostructures in an outlier of Silurian and Devonian rocks which were folded and downfaulted within middle Proterozoic rocks of the New Jersey Highlands reveals a noncoaxial two-stage kinematic and dynamic history of deformation. Mesostructures include disjunctive slaty and spaced cleavages of two orientations and generations, slickenfiber faults, and en echelon vein arrays. Most slickenfiber faults and the predominant cleavage record northwest-southeast-directed shortening approximately normal to fold hinges. The en echelon vein arrays record a transition from northwest-southeast- to northsouth-directed shortening. East-west- to east-northeast-west-south-west- trending cleavage records a near north-south-directed shortening, and a few slickenfiber faults preserve both northwest-southeast and north-northwest-south- south-east slip directions. Crosscutting relations indicate that the direction of maximum shortening and compression rotated clock-wise from northwest- southeast (stage 1) to near north-south (stage 2). The orientations of mesostructures and their timings of development correlate with the two stages of Alleghanian deformation reported northwest of the New Jersey Highlands. The use of slickenfiber faults and en echelon vein arrays for dynamic analysis supports the notion that the two stages of noncoaxial deformation recorded by Alleghanian structures reflect a clockwise shift in the regional or tectonic stress field that operated on the New York structural recess (concave toward craton) during the late Paleozoic. Geometric relations between the mesostructures and macroscopic folds suggest that deformation of the outlier was controlled by northwest-southeast compressive block faulting in the basement during stage 1 and by reactivated left-lateral, oblique basement faulting and north- south compression during stage 2.


Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch, with spire being rebuilt after the 1901 earthquake. Photographer unidentified.
The nave, tower and spire of Christchurch Cathedral was completed in 1881. Work on completeing the rest of the building began in 1900. In 1902 the transcepts were finished and work started on the chancel and apse. An earthquake in 1901 cracked the upper part of the spire in two places. In this photograph which dates from late 1902/1903 (see scaffolding beyond the transcept indicating work on chancel) the upper part of the spire has been removed by Messrs Graham and Greig in preparation for replacing this section with a copper covered wooden structure. The Cathedral was completed in 1904.
(Information from "Vision and Reality; Christchurch Cathedral in the Square," Colin Brown, Christchurch, 2000 and "A Dream of Spires," Ian Lochhead, Canterbury University Press, 1999, page 153.)
Preparation for erecting the scaffolding was reported in the Christchurch Star 15 January 1902. The cross was replaced on the top of the new copper covered wooden section of the spire on 29 June 1903.
Source of descriptive information - Notes on file print.
Source of title - Title supplied by Library
Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s).
Physical Description: Glass negative


Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are particles within the size range from 1 to 1000 nm and can be loaded with active compounds entrapped within or surface-adsorbed onto the polymeric core. The term "nanoparticle" stands for both nanocapsules and nanospheres, which are distinguished by the morphological structure. Polymeric NPs have shown great potential for targeted delivery of drugs for the treatment of several diseases. In this review, we discuss the most commonly used methods for the production and characterization of polymeric NPs, the association efficiency of the active compound to the polymeric core, and the in vitro release mechanisms. As the safety of nanoparticles is a high priority, we also discuss the toxicology and ecotoxicology of nanoparticles to humans and to the environment.


Dietary restriction (DR) is a well-established strategy to increase lifespan and stress resistance in many eukaryotic species. In addition, individuals fed a restricted diet typically reduce or completely shut down reproduction compared to individuals fed a full diet. Although the parental environment can lead to changes epigenetically in offspring gene expression, little is known about the role of the parental (F0) diet on the fitness of their offspring (F1). This study investigated the lifespan, stress resistance, development, body weight, fecundity, and feeding rate in offspring from parental flies exposed to a full or restricted diet. The offspring flies of the parental DR showed increases in body weight, resistance to various stressors, and lifespan, but the development and fecundity were unaffected. Interestingly, parental DR reduced the feeding rate of their offspring. This study suggests that the effect of DR can extend beyond the exposed individual to their offspring, and it should be considered in both theoretical and empirical studies of senescence.


As the world moves towards a net-zero future, different jurisdictions are considering various scenarios on how they can achieve their targets. Depending on the types of assets within each jurisdiction, it could mean the development of new projects, modifying existing infrastructure, or a combination of both. The Victorian Climate Change Act 2017 established a system of coordinated, whole-of-economy actions to achieve a net zero emissions target by 2050. This includes rolling 5-year plans and targets to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change impacts, obliging all government policies, plans and decisions to consider climate change, and requiring all sectors of the economy including the gas industry to develop and action emissions reduction pledges. Natural gas plays a major role in Victoria's energy mix with extensive gas infrastructure supplying over 2 million customers in Victoria and a network asset value of approximately A$6 billion. In 2021, Infrastructure Victoria provided its advice to the Victorian Government on potential scenarios for repurposing Victoria's gas transmission and distribution networks in a future where Victoria's carbon emission reduction targets are achieved. This paper provides the results of assessment on the suitability of existing gas infrastructure across the value chain to be repurposed for hydrogen blending, 100% hydrogen, biomethane and carbon dioxide service. This work was performed for the purpose of informing the Victorian Government of the opportunities and risks to gas infrastructure associated with achieving its 2050 net zero emission target.


The study of gastric emptying by isotopic and barium feeding, in 43 patients, before and 6 months after highly selective vagotomy, showed no retention after this type of operation. Whereas during the first 45 minutes following ingestion of the test meal, there was no modification of emptying, a significant acceleration thereafter was demonstrated by both methods. The isotopic meal allows continuous study of gastric emptying which appears to be more regular after the operation. There was no difference in gastric emptying between patients suffering from post-prandial gastric fullness, mild diarrhea or dumping syndrome.


The animal experimentation regulation is based on the ethical concern regarding not to cause animal suffering, expressed by social movements in favour of the animal protection, legislation on this subject, Animal Use Ethics Committees, amongst others. The objective of this review was to study the control of animal use in teaching and research in some countries, randomly selected, comparing them to the situation in Brazil and the State of Parana. The control process is performed by different institutions in different countries: the President and Parliament in South Africa; autonomous institution in Canada; Department of Agriculture in United States; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan; Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in Germany; Ministry of Agriculture in France and Sweden; Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in Netherlands; Home Office in United Kingdom; Federal Council in Switzerland; and National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia. The control is responsibility of the Ministry of Science and Technology in Brazil, under two Federal Laws, a Decree and a Resolution; in the State of Parana, there is the State Animal Protection Code. Knowing the work of institutions responsible for the control of the animal experimentation in different countries may help the improvement of this process in Brazil. Such control is urgent due to the need for animal welfare protection and the increasing ethical concern from society in general.