p‐Methoxyamphetamine (PMA) has been implicated in fatalities as a result of 'ecstasy' (MDMA) overdose worldwide. Like MDMA, acute effects are associated with marked changes in serotonergic neurotransmission, but the long‐term effects of PMA are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of repeated PMA administration on in vitro measures of neurodegeneration: serotonin (5‐HT) uptake, 5‐HT transporter (SERT) density and 5‐HT content in the hippocampus, and compare with effects on in vivo 5‐HT clearance. Male rats received PMA, MDMA (4 or 15 mg/kg s.c., twice daily) or vehicle for 4 days and 2 weeks later indices of SERT function were measured. [3H]5‐HT uptake into synaptosomes and [3H]cyanoimipramine binding to the SERT were significantly reduced by both PMA and MDMA treatments. 5‐HT content was reduced in MDMA‐, but not PMA‐treatment. In contrast, clearance of locally applied 5‐HT measured in vivo by chronoamperometry was only reduced in rats treated with 15 mg/kg PMA. The finding that 5‐HT clearance in vivo was unaltered by MDMA treatment suggests that in vitro measures of 5‐HT axonal degeneration do not necessarily predict potential compensatory mechanisms that maintain SERT function under basal conditions.


In this paper, we describe the architecture and implementation of a framework to perform content based search of an image database, where content is specified by the user at one or more of the following three abstraction levels: pixel, feature, and semantic. Query based Image Acquisition System deals with query passing, query parsing, SQL query generation and image retrieval. The image is retrieved just based on the query given by the user. It provides a user friendly interface for user to pass his query. The required image is returned to the user based on his query by performing a search on the database. All this procedure is carried on in semantic level. This framework is well suited for searching scientific databases, such as satellite image, medical, and seismic data repositories, where the volume and diversity of the information do not allow the apriori generation of exhaustive indices, but we have successfully demonstrated its usefulness on still-image archives.


From Lax representations, recursion operators for the supersymmetric KdV and the supersymmetric Kaup—Kupershimdt (SKK) equations are proposed explicitly. Under some special conditions, the recursion operator of the supersymmetric Sawada—Kotera equation can be recovered by the one of the SKK equation.


The traditional view of the eukaryotic cell nucleus as a more or less amorphous milieu in which proteins and nucleic acids are freely floating has been challenged by an ever increasing number of reports uncovering highly organized structures where biological processes are concentrated together with their corresponding factors. The identification and utilization of protein domains that are necessary and sufficient for targeting to different subnuclear compartments have begun to elucidate the molecular principles underlying this structural organization and its dynamic behavior. The combination of biochemical, cell biology, and biophysical approaches to study nuclear structure and function should help to elucidate how these higher‐order structures organize and coordinate countless enzymatic activities in time and space within the mammalian nucleus. J. Cell Biochem. Suppls. 32/33:15–23, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This study presents a formal model of obfuscation-based decision-making by autonomous agents, with particular focus on Automated Vehicles (AVs). The model is based on the often expressed concern that autonomous agents like AVs, as they will become more and more intelligent and autonomous over time, will develop rules and motivations of their own which may diverge from the objectives and moral principles of its supervisor (i.e., the human designing or training the AV). I postulate that such a highly autonomous agent may wish to hide from its supervisor the decision rules underlying their choices. Such obfuscation-based decision-making is beneficial to the agent, when it is unsure which rules will be appreciated by the supervisor, and which will be punished; if the agent wishes to avoid punishment, a rational strategy is to choose actions that give minimum information to the supervisor concerning the applied rules. An example would be the often discussed situation where the AV needs to make split second life-and-death decisions: the AV may have learned itself certain rules to apply in such a situation. Its human supervisor in turn would be very interested in learning which rules are applied by the AV in such a situation, and he will punish the AV when the rules are deemed unacceptable (e.g. involving a gender or racial bias). In this context, it would be beneficial to the AV to choose actions that provide the supervisor with as little as possible information concerning the underlying (moral) rule. Combining the well-known concepts of Bayesian inference and Shannon entropy, I propose a formal model of decision-making by autonomous agents with various degrees of obfuscation-objectives. I also show how a naive and a non-naive supervisor may anticipate obfuscating behavior by the agent, by means of designing choice sets that maximize information content. By doing so, the study aims to contribute to the rapidly growing field of Ethics & Artificial Intelligence, with special attention to the Automated Vehicle context. A short version of the full paper, which is currentl review, can be found below; the abstract


With the aging of the world's population, the quality of life of older adults is becoming more important. There are many studies on the use of Tai chi exercise, a popular form of mind-body exercise practiced by older adults. However, the effectiveness of Tai chi exercise on the quality of life of older adults is unclear. For this systematic review and meta-analysis, six databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, CNKI) were searched in English and Chinese languages to screen for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT), and their risk of bias was assessed by two independent reviewers. The results of quality of life, physical component, and psychological component among older adults were meta-analyzed using RevMan5.3 software. The search retrieved 2577 records. After screening, a total of 10 RCTs were included in this evaluation, with a total of 1170 participants. The meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, Tai chi exercise had a significant impact on the overall quality of life (SMD=1.23; 95%CI: 0.56–1.98; P<0.0001), and on the physical component of quality of life (MD=5.90; 95%CI: 1.05–10.75; P=0.02), but no significant impact on the psychological component of quality of life. This study had high heterogeneity. The results of this study suggest the potential use of Tai chi exercise as an activity for increased quality of life in older adults. Future research may enhance experimental rigor and explore the rationale behind Tai chi exercise.


There is a need for cables with water tree retardant (WTR) properties to increase confidence in long service life, particularly as cables can suffer mechanical damage during installation or service with treeing as a consequential result. Such a concern has been expressed by the Regional Electricity Companies (RECs) who are considering a change from paper to polymeric cables for medium voltage (MV) distribution. Long term testing is considered advisable to prove the permanence of the WTR and demonstrate the improved reliability needed to provide long service performance, particularly with regard to the growth of vented trees. The testing philosophy for such an assessment is being investigated by a number of workers worldwide and current European studies are leading towards test regimes with a 2 year duration. The authors describe the work carried out and give the results obtained in the extended test programme on the modified polymer option for WTR. Morphological aspects of water tree growth are discussed. >


This thesis addresses the storage-retrieval problem for a fully automated storage facility. We alter an existing deterministic and a factor-based storage and retrieval model to be applicable to a fully automated multi-deep storage facility. The models are able to handle uncertain supply and variable demand. Some practical attributes are added to the class based models, which can be inuenced by the assignment of penalties. The results show that the model based on deterministic supply shows better results than the factor-based allocation model, when applied on a multi-deep facility.


Saborami (1973) is the first book published by Chilean poet-artist Cecilia Vicuña (b. 1947) and one of the first artistic denunciations of the violence of the September 11, 1973 military coup d'état in Chile. This understudied work of the Chilean neo avant-garde was first published in a bilingual Spanish-English edition with Beau Geste Press, one of the most influential independent presses for the publication, printing and duplicating of experimental art in the 1970s. This first artisanal edition of 250 copies was constructed from recycled paper and gathered several of the art projects Vicuña had been working on in the years prior to the coup, pairing them with poetic reflections on the politics of her art. Saborami is a dense, complex, multi-tonal work composed of –among other things– found objects, personal letters, ironic and non-ironic self-portraits of the artist in suggestive positions, mimeographed images of various types, duplications of the author's earlier paintings, and a collection of erotic poems that were slated to be published during the last years of the Allende regime but were apparently censored for their explicit sexuality. Co-authors Lynd and Roncero-Bellido position this work at the crossroads between testimonio and vanguard art, then proceed to examine Vicuña's aesthetically innovative contribution to the testimonial genre. Recent new editions of Saborami, the authors argue, demonstrate the need for a scholarly discourse that takes seriously the role of 1960s and 1970s experimental art as an important manifestation of oppositional discourses.


Electroporation is a physical method used to transfer molecules into cells and tissues. Clinical applications have been developed for antitumor drug delivery. Clinical trials of gene electrotransfer are under investigation. However, knowledge about how DNA enters cells is not complete. By contrast to small molecules that have direct access to the cytoplasm, DNA forms a long lived complex with the plasma membrane and is transferred into the cytoplasm with a considerable delay.


Using Sm-doped Ceria electrolytes (SDC) in SOFCs (solid oxide fuel cell), the open circuit voltage (OCV) becomes lower than the Nernst voltage (Vth), which is obtained using Yttria-stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes. Classically, OCV is calculated with Wagner's equation. However, experimental verification of leakage currents using SDC electrolytes is necessary, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Furthermore, there are limitations in Wagner's equation using SDC electrolytes, from the limits of linear transport theory. Consequently, the voltage loss in OCV cannot be explained by the conventional transport equations with leakage currents, in which the system as being close to equilibrium. In this report, the constant voltage loss without leakage currents due to mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) dense anode is proposed, considering the local equilibrium to deal with the transition state while ion hopping. Thus, the effective Gibbs energy is smaller than the theoretical Gibbs energy.


In Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa (1998), an account of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Antjie Krog writes about her skepticism of the truth commission process. "A commission for truth?" she asks at one point, expressing doubt that this practice can engender justice. She recalls, however, being persuaded of its merits in "precisely seven and a half minutes" by Chilean philosopher and activist José Zalaquett, who served on the Chilean Truth Commission (31). "Truth does not bring back the dead," she writes, paraphrasing Zalaquett, "but releases them from silence" (32). Diasporic Dominican American writers perform this task of "releas[ing] [the dead] from silence" in literary truth commissions, which, like their political and officially sanctioned counterparts, bear witness to atrocities to promote and engender sustainable forms of democracy. Although the South African TRC may be the most well-known truth commission, truth commissions in Latin America have become a popular mechanism of what is known as transitional justice. Transitional justice can be described as the justice sought in the aftermath of political repression, as a society attempts to address the atrocities of a previous administration in order to transition toward democratic governance. This justice can come in many forms, but the most common mechanisms include trials, truth commissions, or hybrid tribunals. Scholars typically trace the origins of transitional justice to the trials held in the aftermath of World War II (such as the Nuremberg Tribunal), although the term itself did not appear until the early 1990s (Arthur 326). At present, we are in what Ruti G. Teitel calls the "third phase" of transitional justice, wherein what had once been an exceptional response to changes in power post-World War II has become a matter of course for transitioning states. While the first phase of the transitional justice movement was marked by a universalist conception of justice that emphasized punishing perpetrators in trials such as Nuremberg, the second and third phases have been defined by the emergence and prevalence of alternative methods of justice


Background Low-fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been widely used for the treatment of melasma. Although new Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers with photoacoustic twin pulse (PTP) mode have been recently developed for high-efficiency, there is limited information available for the new technique. Objective This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects after few sessions of repeated low fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment with PTP mode in Asian women with melasma. Methods Twenty-two Korean women were treated with a total of five sessions of low-fluence PTP mode Nd:YAG laser treatment (Pastelle®) at 2 weeks interval. Responses to treatments were evaluated by using Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) scoring, colorimeter measurement, and the investigators' and patients' overall assessments. Adverse events were recorded at each visit. Results Investigators' and patients' overall assessment showed that 'significantly improved' was assessed by 13 (59.1%) and 19 of 22 patients (86.4%), respectively. MASI scores were significantly reduced by 20.4%. The lightness, measured by using a colorimeter, was significantly increased by 1.3 point. Notable adverse events were not observed. Conclusion After 5 sessions of laser therapy alone, about 60% of the subjects showed significant improvement. Few sessions of repeated laser toning treatment using the PTP mode is a safe and effective way to treat facial melasma.


Caching frequently accessed data objects at the local buffer of a mobile user (MU) has been found to be very effective in improving information availability in mobile wireless environments. Several mechanisms have been proposed in the literature to address the challenging problem of cache consistency in cellular wireless networks. However, these mechanisms are limited to single cell systems. In this paper, we develop a novel Dynamic Scalable Asynchronous Cache Consistency Scheme (DSACCS) that can adaptively maintain mobile data objects globally or locally depending on the minimum consistency maintenance cost in multi-cell systems. The cost function is derived by taking into account each data object's update frequency, MUs' access pattern and roaming frequency, number of cells and number of MUs in the system. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate that DSACCS outperforms three existing cache strategies extended to multi-cell environments. The three cache consistency strategies are homogeneous invalidation reports (IRs), inhomogeneous IR without roaming check, and inhomogeneous IR with roaming check. Finally, an improvisation of DSACCS, called DSACCS-G, is proposed for grouping cells in order to facilitate effective cache consistency maintenance in multi-cell systems.


Aims: Biogenic amines were determined in 109 wines from two wine-producing areas (Jumilla and Bullas PDOs) situated in the Murcia region (SE Spain).Methods and Results: Biogenic amines (histamine, ethylamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, putrescine, tryptamine and cadaverine) were analysed by RP-HPLC with o-phthaldialdehyde precolumn derivatization and fluorescence detection. Histamine and putrescine were the most prevalent amines in Jumilla wines (49 and 48%, respectively), whereas tryptamine and putrescine were the most prevalent ones in Bullas wines (19 and 38%, respectively). Multivariate analyses were used to attempt a preliminary classification of wines according to production area.Conclusion: In general, wines from Jumilla PDO had a higher biogenic amine content than wines from Bullas PDO; however, all of them were safe from the health point of view.Significance and impact of the study: This study demonstrates that the Jumilla and Bullas wines studied are safe to drink and that geographical classification based on biogenic amine profiles is not possible with the analysed samples.


Mathematicians have shown interest in manifolds endowed with several distributions, e.g., webs composed of different regular foliations and multiply warped products, as well as distributions having variable dimensions (e.g., singular Riemannian foliations). In this paper, we extend our previous study of the mixed scalar curvature of two orthogonal singular distributions for the case of $k>2$ singular (or regular) pairwise orthogonal distributions, prove an integral formula with this kind of curvature, and illustrate it by characterizing autoparallel singular distributions.


The WHO 2010 classification divides gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs) into neuroendocrine tumor (NET) G1, NET G2, neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) and mixed adenoendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) groups. A total of 136 cases of GI-NENs diagnosed at our hospitals as gastrointestinal carcinoids, endocrine cell carcinomas and NENs over the last 11 years, using the WHO 2010 classification were assessed. Among the 136 cases, 88.2% (120/136) were classified into the NET group (NET G1/G2) and 11.8% (16/136) were classified into the NEC group (NEC/MANEC). The incidences of lymphatic and venous invasions were higher in the NEC group compared with in the NET group (P<0.0001 and P=0.0021, respectively). The immunohistochemical staining of cluster of differentiation 73 (CD73) was evaluated in GI-NENs. CD73 is a potentially useful molecule in tumor immunity. In general, CD73 on the tumor cell membrane converts adenosine monophosphate to adenosine, which restrains the production of interferon-γ and cytocidal activity. Although the association between stem cells of pancreatic NENs and CD73 has been reported, few studies have reported on CD73 expression in GI-NENs. Immunohistochemical CD73 expression on the cytomembrane of neuroendocrine cells was detected in 27.2% (37/136) of the GI-NENs. The positive ratio of CD73 was significantly higher in the NEC group compared with in the NET group (P=0.0015). CD73 is also considered as a potential biomarker of anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) therapy. The expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on the cytomembrane of GI-NENs was assessed. The positive ratio of PD-L1 was higher in the NEC group compared with in the NET group (P=0.0011). Furthermore, CD73 expression status was significantly correlated with PD-L1 expression (P<0.0001). These results indicate that CD73 may be an interesting candidate for a biomarker for certain prognostic factors and therapeutics concerning PD-1 therapy.


In the effective-one-body (EOB) approach the dynamics of two compact objects of masses m1 and m2 and spins S1 and S2 is mapped into the dynamics of one test particle of mass µ = m1 m2/(m1 + m2) and spin Smoving in a deformed Kerr metric with mass M = m1 + m2 and spin SKerr. In a previous paper we computed an EOB Hamiltonian for spinning black-hole binaries that (i) when expanded in post-Newtonian orders, reproduces the leading order spin-spin coupling and the leading and next-to-leading order spin-orbit couplings for any mass ratio, and (iii) reproduces all spin-orbit couplings in the test-particle limit. Here we extend this EOB Hamiltonian to include next-to-next- to-leading spin-orbit couplings for any mass ratio. We discuss two classes of EOB Hamiltonians that differ by the way the spin variables are mapped between the effective and real descriptions. We also investigate the main features of the dynamics when the motion is equatorial, such as the existence of the innermost stable circular orbit and of a peak in the orbital frequency during the plunge subsequent to the inspiral.


Study Design. Cadaveric study to accurately measure lumbar neuroforaminal area and height throughout the flexion-extension range of motion (ROM). Objective. Create a new computed tomography (CT)-based specimen-specific model technique to provide insight on the effects of kinematics on lumbar neuroforamen morphology during flexion-extension ROM. Summary of Background Data. Nerve root compression is a key factor in symptomatic progression of degenerative disc disease because these changes directly affect neuroforaminal area. Traditional techniques to evaluate the neuroforamen suffer from poor accuracy, have inherent limitations, and fail to provide data throughout the ROM. Methods. Six cadaveric specimens (L1-sacrum) were instrumented with radiopaque spheres and CT scanned. 3-Dimensional reconstructions were made of each vertebra and the sphere locations determined. During kinematic testing, the spheres were located in relation to optoelectronic targets attached to each vertebra. The result was a 3-dimensional representation of the specimen's CT reconstruction moving in response to experimental data. Bony contours of the L2–L3 and L4–L5 neuroforamen were digitized producing continuous neuroforaminal area and height data throughout the ROM. Results. Neuroforaminal area and height linearly increased in flexion and decreased in extension. There was significant correlation between flexion-extension motion and percent change in area (L2–L3: 3.1%/deg, R2 = 0.94, L4–L5: 2.5%/deg, R2 = 0.90) and neuroforaminal height (L2–L3: 2.1%/deg, R2 = 0.95, L4–L5: 1.6%/deg, R2 = 0.93). Regression analysis showed that the ratio between neuroforaminal height and area is at least 1:1.5 such that a 100% increase in height is associated with an area increase of more than 150%. Conclusion. This is the first study to measure lumbar neuroforaminal area and height throughout flexion-extension ROM. The CT-based specimen-specific model technique can accurately evaluate the effect of kinematics on morphological features of the spine. The demonstrated increase in neuroforaminal dimension in flexion is consistent with treatment modalities used in clinical therapies to relieve radicular symptoms. Level of Evidence: N/A


Abstract The shock-structure and the related acoustic field of underexpanded jets undergoes significant changes as the Mach number Mj is increased. The present investigation is carried out to study the effect of Mach number on an underexpanded 2:1 elliptic-slot jet. Experimental data are presented for fully expanded Mach numbers ranging from 1.3 to 2.0. It is observed that the 'cross-over' point at the end of the first cell at low Mach numbers gets replaced by a normal shock at a highly underexpanded condition resulting in the formation of a 'barrel' shock along the minor-axis side with a 'bulb' shock formed along the major-axis side. The above change in shock structure is accompanied by a related change in the acoustic field. The amplitude of fundamental frequency along the minor-axis side grows with Mj but falls beyond Mj = 1.75. Along the major-axis side, however, the fundamental frequency does not exist at low Mach numbers. It appears at Mj = 1.75 but then falls at Mj = 2.0. The related azimuthal directivity of overall noise levels (OASPL) shows significant changes with Mj.


Oral literature is one of the oldest art forms ever created and utilized by mankind. Swazis' use of oral literature through songs, praises, stories, riddles and proverbs shows how they love and value nature and the environment. The aim of this paper is to show how values expressed in Swazi oral literature are consistent with the ecological wisdom of the Swazi people who produce them. The paper demonstrates the dialectical relationship between environmental conservation and the preservation of oral literature. It is predicated on the hypothesis that Swazi oral artists are inspired in the composition and rendition of oral literature by their immediate environment. The paper further contends that Swazi oral literature offers textual sites that represent complex interactions between humans, other living beings and the environment. The natural environment should therefore be protected and conserved for posterity since it plays a vital role in the creative imagination of man. Written against the background of an ecocritical approach, this paper concludes by recommending, among other things, that Swazis should be encouraged and facilitated to preserve and share traditional environmental knowledge, not only for the conservation of the environment, but also for the cross-fertilization of oral literature.


The difficulties that the current model of TAC regulation generates in the current system of EU fisheries are analysed. Although the production structure of the TAC has been set up in collaboration with ICES, the determination process lacks short-term contributions from the field of biology. Once these inputs undergo the decision process of the EU, the resulting TACs are significantly biased in relation to the initial recommendations. To solve this problem, a different institutional model with the addition of a Central Bank-like of Fishes is proposed.


The paper presents the results of an exploratory research on parental practices and attitudes in three peripheral archipelagos of French Polynesia: the Marquesas, the Australs, and the Tuamotus Islands. Its aim was to identify parenting typologies in isolated contexts using the Parenting Skills Evaluation Scale (Échelle des Compétences Éducatives Parentales, ECEP) with 120 parents living in remote islands. The data analysis indicates that families living in such isolated contexts are in a rather vulnerable situation in relation to schooling. Parental attitude is in most cases normative, attributing a significant importance to school success, but domestic practices appear mostly liberal, characterized by unsupervised autonomy combined with moments of strictness, as observed in other postcolonial and marginalized contexts. Finally, the article discusses the efficacy of the ECEP as a valid measurement tool in family studies, confirming its effectiveness.


Most crustaceans are known to regenerate their appendages after losing them, and the pattern of regeneration may be related to its function. The pattern of regeneration of the right major cheliped was examined after experimentally induced autotomy and its behavioral function during male-male contests for mates was investigated in the hermit crab Pagurus middendorffii. Males with an autotomized major cheliped regenerated it at the first molt after autotomy and showed smaller growth in body size than in control males. The shape of the regenerated cheliped was more slender than the original, implying that the regenerated major cheliped would be less robust and weaker than previously. The length of the major cheliped of an owner male (guarding a female at the start of a dyadic contest) and the body size of an intruder affected whether or not the contest escalated, but the major cheliped length of the intruder and the body size of the owner determined the outcome of the escalated contest. The intruder used the major cheliped as an offensive weapon to take the female away from the owner by force after the contest escalated. The owner often moved the major cheliped forward, similar to a fencing weapon, before escalation. Such movement of the owner seems to be effective to prevent the intruders from approaching, and the regenerated cheliped of the owner may not require much robustness and strength as a defensive weapon before escalation. Rapid regeneration of the major cheliped in P. middendorffii would therefore be beneficial to minimize the disadvantages incurred by loss of the major cheliped.


We present a novel mixed method suitable for computing the low-to-middle resolution spectra of systems characterized by a large-amplitude motion s (defined by either a reaction or an internal path) coupled to a bath of harmonic oscillators r, which change with s. The method is based on an adiabatic approximation whereby s is considered much slower than r degrees of freedom and is treated classically. We show that the spectrum can be obtained by a suitable average of quantum vibronic spectra of the fast coordinates computed at representative values of the slow coordinate along the path. By our method we calculate the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) of 2,2,2-trifluoro-anthryl-ethanol, which possesses two conformers with opposite chirality separated by a low-energy barrier. Path-averaged spectra are significantly different from those obtained only at the stable minima: Agreement with experiment is improved. The method represents a generalization of those currently based on harmonic approximation.


This paper investigates the presentation of compositionally anomalous phrases in English monolingual learners' dictionaries (mlds). In particular, it argues that it would be pedagogically useful to explain to the dictionary user, where possible, the reason why certain types of anomaly exist. Two types of phrase are discussed: firstly, idiomatic expressions in which the relationship between phrasal meaning and original meaning may not be clear to the learner (e.g. run the gauntlet); secondly, phrases which include particularly unusual word forms or word senses. These include lexical fossils (as in the whys and wherefores) and phrases partially motivated by phonological characteristics (as in bits and bobs). In order to form an impression of how anomalous phrases are currently treated in mlds, samples of items were looked for in both print and online editions. It was found that, overall, little attention is paid to the motivation of phrasal composition, and it is suggested that more should be done in this direction. This would involve integrating current description, almost entirely synchronic in nature, with historical data, at least in the case of some types of phrasal unit.


OBJECTIVES
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is commonly used in children to allow recovery from ischemic injury or cardiac surgery, to support the circulation in case of end-stage cardiomyopathy, as bridge-to-bridge therapy and as bridge to transplantation as well. It has achieved success in providing cardiac support for these kind of patients with expected mortality due to severe myocardial dysfunction. In this modern era, ECMO support should be considered an important option for children with cardiopulmonary failure refractory to medical therapy or resuscitation. We report our experience in pediatric patients supported by ECMO for intraoperative cardiac failure between November 1991 and December 2006.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Sixty-six patients with a mean age of 5.2+/-4 years (range: 1 day-17 years) and mean weight of 14.3+/-11 kg (range: 2.8-69 kg) had intraoperative ECMO support for failure to wean off cardiopulmonary bypass (n=46, 69.7%), low cardiac output syndrome (n=8, 12.1%), isolated right ventricular failure (n=6, 9.1%), isolated left ventricular failure (n=3, 4.5%), malignant arrhythmia (n=1, 1.5%) and pulmonary hypertension (n=2, 3.1%). Mean duration of ECMO support was 5.1+/-3 days. Overall 30 (45.4%) patients were successfully weaned off ECMO and survived to decannulation. Overall 6 (9.1%) patients were successfully bridged to heart transplantation while on ECMO support. Thirty patients died (54.4%) (16 while on ECMO and 14 after decannulation) because of multi-factorial complications, i.e. cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary failure, consumption coagulopathy and therapy-resistant myocardial insufficiency, leding to an overall hospital mortality rate of 45.4%. Mean survival time after decannulation was 28+/-16 h. Overall survival rate on ECMO as bridge to recovery and transplantation has been 54.5% with successful hospital discharge of patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Our experience shows that ECMO support can be offered intraoperatively to any children after palliative or corrective surgery for congenital heart disease with potentially reversible pulmonary, cardiac or cardiopulmonary failure. In the majority of patients who did not survive late after weaning from ECMO support, significant myocardial dysfunction persisted or pulmonary hypertensive events. Nevertheless, an acceptable proportion of patients who were successfully weaned from ECMO ultimately survived to leave the hospital.


Background: Dupuytren's disease encompasses a spectrum of fibroblastic disorders from the presence of 1–2 nodules in the palm of a hand with no joint contracture to grotesque, crippling and disabling deformities of hands. Over the last 50 years, many enlightening studies have been forthcoming, which, through techniques of histopathology, biochemistry, tissue culture, and electron microscopy, have shed pearls of light on various aspects of the disease process. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature on Dupuytren's disease was undertaken, stringing together results from numerous studies to establish a table of events and their location in the development of the disease. Results: What will be seen is a credible scenario of events which will enable the clinician to be more proactive in the earlier treatment of the disease and more aware of factors that increase or decrease recurrence rates postoperatively. Conclusions: The most effective management of Dupuytren's disease is early recognition and treatment of the nodule, before the development of a joint contracture, particularly of a proximal interphalangeal joint. As there is evidence of a significant inflammatory role in the development of the nodule, the process of fibroplasia can be minimized by altering the macrophage > fibroblast > collagen cascade by the intralesional injection of a potent anti-inflammatory agent such as triamcinolone, which also blocks tissue inhibitors of collagenase, thus enhancing the action of native collagenase, and reduces the size and firmness of nodules and, at least temporarily, arrests their progression.


The illumination of single-layer graphene (SLG) transistors with visible light causes a negative shift in their transfer curves, attributable to the desorption of oxygen. However, their hysteresis is not affected by illumination, which suggests that charge traps are not affected by the visible-light exposure. When SLG transistors are covered with a layer of photoactive polymer, the photodesorption-induced current change in the transistors becomes less significant than the effects caused by the surrounding photoactive polymer. These observations demonstrate that the photoelectrical response of SLG transistors is dominated by extrinsic mechanisms rather than by the direct photocurrent process. The results suggest a new strategy for achieving light detection. The large cross section of SLG films for receiving photons and the capability of tailoring photoelectrical properties on them is potentially useful for optoelectronic applications.


ABSTRACT Gypsum deposits in the Carpathian Foredeep of southern Poland were altered daring burial to anhydrite. This alteration did not completely destroy primary lithologic features. Different gypsum lithotypes have equivalents in the altered sulfate sections. Relics of, and pseudomorphs after, crystalline and sedimentary structures indicate that extensive replacement and cementation occurred early during burial diagenesis. The replacement of gypsum by anhydrite was probably initiated in the shallow subsurface by high temperature and/or reaction with brines of high salinity. Accordingly, the importance of a deep burial for gypsum diagenesis in the studied area may have been overestimated.


Although hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated 2 channels (HCN2) are expressed in multiple cell types in the gut, the role of HCN2 in intestinal motility is poorly understood. HCN2 is down-regulated in intestinal smooth muscle in a rodent model of ileus. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of HCN inhibition on intestinal motility. HCN inhibition with ZD7288 or zatebradine significantly suppressed both spontaneous and agonist-induced contractile activity in the small intestine in a dose-dependent and tetrodotoxin-independent manner. HCN inhibition significantly suppressed intestinal tone but not contractile amplitude. The calcium sensitivity of contractile activity was significantly suppressed by HCN inhibition. Inflammatory mediators did not affect the suppression of intestinal contractile activity by HCN inhibition but increased stretch of the intestinal tissue partially attenuated the effects of HCN inhibition on agonist-induced intestinal contractile activity. HCN2 protein and mRNA levels in intestinal smooth muscle tissue were significantly down-regulated by increased mechanical stretch compared to unstretched tissue. Increased cyclical stretch down-regulated HCN2 protein and mRNA levels in primary human intestinal smooth muscle cells and macrophages. Overall, our results suggest that decreased HCN2 expression induced by mechanical signals, such as intestinal wall distension or edema development, may contribute to the development of ileus.


Longitudinal impact tests were conducted on the knees of four seated embalmed cadavers using an impact pendulum. Impact force and femur strain histories were recorded, and peak force at fracture was determined. The results show that femur stiffness (average = 3.29 MN) for impacts is nearly the same as for static loads. Peak fracture loads varied from 8731-11570 N, all above the fracture criterion proposed by King, Fan and Vargovick. Strain histories and fracture patterns suggest that bending effects play a major role in determining the response of embalmed cadaver femurs to longitudinal impact.


The overall aim was to study nurses' and managers' attitudes towards micro social patient advocacy (I) and factors related to patient advocacy (II, III) with the main focus being on advocacy in the care of older patients in community health care together with psychometric testing of the instrument 'Attitudes toward Patient Advocacy Scale-Attitudes toward MIcrosocial Advocacy' (IV).Methods: A quantiative cross-sectional study and a qualitative study were carried out. Nurses (n=207) and managers (n=23) in community health care responded to a questionnaire about patient advocacy, nursing competence, personal traits, quality of care and organisational climate (I, II, IV). Nurses' (n=18) perceptions of influencers of patient advocacy was studied in a phenomenographic study (III).The results showed that nurses and managers reported positive attitudes to patient advocacy (I, II), especially for patients unable to speak for themselves (I). Two areas of nursing competence (Performing the nursing process, Supervision and cooperation) and a dimension of quality of care of older patients were positively associated with attitudes towards patient advocacy (II). Two organisational dimensions were, negatively (dynamism) respectively positively (playfulness), associated with attitudes towards patient advocacy. The nurses' perceptions of influencers of patient advocacy consist of three hierarchically related levels: The nurse's character traits, The nurse's bond with the patient and The organisational conditions (III). The Swedish version of APAS-AMIA consists of 33 items in a four-factor structure (APAS-AMIA/SE): Support patients' beliefs and decision-making, Safeguard patients' health care, Support patients to communicate their wishes and Respect patients' wishes not to participate in decisions regarding care (IV).Conclusions: Maintaining the continuing professional competence of nurses is important, and is ensuring the organisational prerequisites to enable nurses' advocacy for patients.


We describe here a 57-year-old woman with a chronic-contained rupture of an internal iliac arterial aneurysm, and this was eroding the sacral neural foramen. Although an isolated internal iliac arterial aneurysm is known to be rare, the ruptured internal iliac arterial aneurysm was diagnosed based on the characteristic radiolgic findings with performing color Doppler ultrasound, MRI and multi-slice computed tomography. The ruptured aneurysm was successfully treated by coil embolization. Color Doppler US, MRI and multi-slice CT are useful for evaluating a mass of a vascular origin that involves the neural foramen.


The manufacturing industry, traditionally anchored in material resources, now faces the challenge to integrate knowledge-related activities to leverage development and foster jobs, wealth and economic growth. This study used extensive literature review, a qualitative study in manufacturing companies in Caxias do Sul (Brazil), and a Delphi consultation with experts from 12 countries to create a conceptual framework for knowledge-based development (KBD) in the manufacturing industry. The study revealed that knowledge markets nowadays require organisations to shift from a price-led competition to an attribute-led competition to foster better results through the implementation of knowledge assets in their value proposition. The framework generated is a guideline for repositioning the value system of the manufacturing industry in a knowledge-based universe.


Considerable work has been done on the mnicrobial metabolism of cholesterol, fats, and fatty acids. Much attention has also been paid to lecithinase action by clostridia and cell-free bacterial toxins (Wittcoff, 1951; MacLennan, 1953; MacFarlane and Knight, 1941), pseudomonads (Lembke, 1942), serratiae (Hayaishi and Kornberg, 1954; Monsour and Colmer, 1952), bacilli (Picci, 1952; Stone, 1952; Colmer, 1948), and fungi (Picci, 1952; Francioli, 1935; Fairbairn, 1948; Contardi and Ercoli, 1933). Less information is available on the microbial degradation of phospholipids other than lecithin. Which soil microorganisms, for example, attack various organophosphates is not known although the mineralization of these substances (Black and Goring, 1953; Pierre, 1948; Pearson et al., 1941; Rogers, 1942) from higher plants, algae (Fuller and Rogers, 1952), and bacteria (Black and Goring, 1953; Pierre, 1948; Goring and Bartholomew, 1950) has been studied in the soil. The presence of phosphatides and lysophosphatides in many eubacteria, mycobacteria, yeasts, molds, and higher fleshy fungi (Wittcoff, 1951) is presumptive evidence that enzymes which transform these substances occur among microorganisms. This paper reports the results of a survey on the distribution, isolation, and enzyme specificities of soil microflora which grow on phospholipids, other myelin constituents, and related substances. It also discusses the usefulness of such cultures and their enzymes.


The work presents measurements of the length stability of Zerodur glass ceramic with temperature change. Measurement of this thermal characteristic is necessary for determination of the optimal temperature at which the Zerodur glass ceramic has a coefficient of thermal expansion close to zero. The principle of the measurement is to monitor the length changes using an optical resonator with a cavity mirror spacer made from the Zerodur material to be studied. The resonator is placed inside a vacuum chamber with a temperature control. A tunable laser diode is locked to a certain optical mode of the resonator to monitor the optical frequency of this mode. A beat-note signal from optical mixing between the laser and a stabilized femtosecond frequency comb is detected and processed. The temperature dependence of the glass ceramics was determined and analyzed. The resolution of the length measurement of the experimental set-up is on the order of 0.1 nm.


Formal concept analysis (FCA) is the core of Conceptual Knowledge Processing, being closely related to a deeper understanding of existing facts and relationships, while at the same time trying to find explanations for their existence. Polyadic formal concept analysis is an extension of classical FCA that instead of binary relations uses an n-ary incidence relation to define formal concepts, i.e. data clusters in which all elements are interrelated. In this thesis, we introduce new methods of visualization, navigation and exploration based on polyadic formal concept analysis for n-adic datasets with n ≥ 3. In Chapter 3.1, we introduce a triadic approach to study the Web usage behavior of an e-learning platform. We analyze temporal aspects of the users' behavior and visualize the results in a circular layout using the Circos tool. In the subsequent chapter, we define methods to reduce the size of a triadic dataset without altering its underlying structure. For this purpose, we extend the notions of clarification and reduction from the dyadic to the triadic setting and show that these processes have an influence solely on the efficiency and not on the results of any further analysis. In Chapter 3.3, we introduce a navigation paradigm based on a reachability relation among formal concepts. This relation gives rise to so-called reachability clusters containing mutually reachable concepts. We discuss theoretical aspects about the properties of the formal concepts arising from the defined reachability relation and describe the framework of the proposed navigation paradigm. In Chapter 3.4, we consider the problem of satisfiability of membership constraints in order to determine if a formal concept exists whose components include and exclude certain elements. We analyze the computational complexity of this problem for particular cases as well as for the general n-adic problem and present an answer set programming encoding for the membership constraint satisfaction problem. Next, we propose a navigation paradigm based on membership constraints and implement it for the dyadic, triadic and tetradic case using different strategies, one based on the proposed ASP encoding and one using an exhaustive search in the whole concept set, precomputed with an external FCA tool. We evaluate and compare the implementations and discuss the limitations and the possibility of generalizations of each approach. In the final part of the thesis, we describe the achievements of our research as well as possible directions for future work.


Proteinase-3 (PR3) is a polymorphonuclear leukocyte serine proteinase that is a potent inducer of emphysema in experimental models. PR3 is also the target antigen associated with Wegener's granulomatosis. By analysis of a panel of somatic cell hybrids, the gene encoding PR3 was localized previously to chromosome 19; we have used fluorescence in situ hybridization to sublocalize this gene to 19p13.3.


Objective. To describe treatment peculiarities of ambulatory chronic heart failure patients' in one of Lithuania's university centres, participating in European Society of Cardiology EURObservation Research Programme (EORP) Heart Failure Long- Term Registry. Methods. 240 ambulatory patients with chronic heart failure were entered in European Society of Cardiology EURObservation Research Programme (EORP) Heart Failure Long-Term Registry from our university centre between May 2011 and March 2013. Follow-up data were collected after 12 months. Registered data about heart failure treatment were included to this study. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 22 program. Results. In our centre 67,1% of patients received angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors at target doses, one third (34,3%) had not reached target doses due to symptomatic hypotension. Beta blockers were up-titrated to target doses for 82,5% of patients and the main reasons for failure to reach their target dose were: symptomatic bradycardia (12,7%), symptomatic hypotension (10,7%). Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists were up-titrated to a target doses just for half of the patients – 52,1% and the most frequent reason for not reaching target doses was hyperkalemia (15,4%). Conclusions. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptors antagonists, except angiotensin receptor blockers, were prescribed in a guideline-recommended doses. The main reasons why the target doses of neurohormone blockers have not been achieved were symptomatic hypotension for angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, symptomatic bradycardia for beta-blockers and hyperkalemia for mineralocorticoid receptors antagonists.


Japanese leadership style has encompassed worldwide success and criticism. For example, Toyota is an example of a leading and successful Japanese company in industry. With its new and creative ideas, this company was able to rebuild the marginalized image of Japanese cars in the international business scene and take a large share of the car market in the world. Our interviews with 34 Japanese leaders and employees and our observations as senior consultants in Japanese organizations have shown that the innovative and agile organization of these organizations minimizes inefficiencies in the two prominent areas of human resource and leadership development. However, a quote from a Japanese business leader posits that "non-Japanese employees of Japanese firms frequently mention the penchant that many Japanese managers have for public criticism. Whereas Americans would prefer to receive negative feedback in private, Japanese seem to prefer to give it in public. And in some cases, the negative feedback goes one step beyond into the realm of "chewing out," or just plain yelling." We identified 5 secrets of success and long-term Survival of Japanese companies. They are strategy, social capital, new competencies, leadership development and systems approach. Now we will look at the five secrets of the success of these organizations so that managers can use them.


Welding onto an in-service pipeline is frequently required to repair damaged areas and for system modifications. There are often significant economic and environmental incentives to perform in-service welding, including the ability to maintain operations during welding and to avoid venting the contents to the atmosphere. Welds made onto in-service pipelines tend to cool at an accelerated rate. These welds are likely to have high heat-affected zone (HAZ) hardness which increases their susceptibility to hydrogen cracking. Accurate prediction of HAZ hardness is critical in developing successful welding procedures for in-service hot-tap welds. The present PRCI thermal analysis software for hot-tap welding uses an empirical-formula-based HAZ hardness prediction procedure. This paper describes an effort funded by PRCI to produce a significantly improved HAZ hardness prediction procedure over the procedure in the current PRCI thermal analysis software. A markedly improved hardness prediction procedure was developed and systematically validated using extensive experimental data of actual welds. The underlying hardness calculation algorithms were based on the proven state-of-the-art phase transformation models. Although on the average the procedure under-predicts the measured hardness by a small amount, the new hardness prediction procedure is a significant improvement in overall accuracy over the procedure in the current PRCI thermal analysis software. The procedure developed here lays the foundation for a much more accurate hardness prediction module in the future version of the PRCI thermal analysis software.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


Increasing air traffic and airport congestion calls for solutions to improve traffic throughput. In this paper, we evaluate one solution, Flight-deck Interval Management and its underlying logic, particularly in terms of its utility. An environment to simulate traffic engaged in interval management on the most common arrival routes toward Tokyo International Airport was set up and run as a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation on the K-Supercomputer. The results show that under low wind conditions in particular, spacing goal times with a standard deviation of less than 5 s can be achieved and a speed tolerance mode can reduce the number of speed commands without compromising performance.


CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technologies are revolutionizing developmental biology. One of the advanced CRISPR-based techniques is prime editing (PE), which enables precise gene modification in multiple model organisms. In the current study, we describe a method to apply PE to the genome of chicken fibroblasts and primordial germ cells (PGCs). By combining PE with a transposon-mediated genomic integration, drug selection, and the single-cell culture method, we successfully generated prime-edited chick PGCs. The chicken PGC is widely used as an experimental model to study germ cell formation and as a vector for gene transfer to produce transgenic chickens. Such experimental models are useful in the developmental biology field and as potential bioreactors to produce pharmaceutical and nutritious proteins. Thus, the method presented here will provide not only a powerful tool to investigate gene function in germ cell development but also a basis for generating prime-edited transgenic birds.


Purpose - – Labor is the largest single cost contributor in agriculture. Accurate estimation of labor requirements is, thus, a key to cost reduction. Work measurement is the professional discipline for this type of estimations, in the industrial engineering domain. Horticulture, however, lays a substantial barrier to work and, thus, to work measurement. Till harvesting, its products – fruits/flowers, are in fixed positions, and for all tasks the workers have to arrive at the plant. The purpose of this paper is to develop, test and analyze a system to perform horticultural work study in agricultural environments in order to accurately estimate the required amount of labor for each activity and to improve productivity. Design/methodology/approach - – In this paper, the development of an advanced system for work study on a hand-held computer (HHC) platform for horticultural work measurement is presented and an experimental study was conducted. The methodology consists of characteristics of the system platform including hardware, interface and software, development of a dedicated measuring software, a controlled experiment in agricultural environment and a statistical analysis. Findings - – The study shows that a single surveyor who uses traditional tools is subject to measurement errors, which can be reduced only with the assistance of a second surveyor. The study further shows that the HHC platform enables to avoid this second surveyor – a single surveyor who uses the HHC platform performs as accurate as two surveyors who use traditional tools. Of course, being computers, the HHC platform maintains the advantage of error free data transfer, in practically negligible time. Originality/value - – This paper presents a unique approach to perform work study in agricultural environment and contributes to minimize the errors accumulated in the process and the manpower required to perform the measurements.


This research explores the ongoing process by which customer knowledge influences the brand awareness, brand image and brand value perception of consumers in telecommunication sector. This study applied quantitative research methodology. Survey was conducted using administered questionnaire as research instrument. For this purpose a sample of 600 respondents was chosen on the basis of mobile sim usage, gender and geoghraphical location from District Gujrat, Pakistan to test the conceptual model developed by reviewing literature from multidisciplinary fields. The results reveal that customer knowledge management positively and significantly contribute in strengthening the brand value through mediating role of brand image. However, brand awareness is not found a mediator between customers knowledge management and brand value relationship. Results postulates that marketing strategies on the basis of gender and geogrphical location play a significant role in brand value.


Allelopathy can play an important role in structuring plant communities, but allelopathic effects are often difficult to detect because many methods used to test for allelopathy can be confounded by experimental artifacts. The use of activated carbon, a technique for neutralizing allelopathic compounds, is now employed in tests for allelopathy; however, this technique also could produce large experimental artifacts. In three independent experiments, it was shown that adding activated carbon to potting media affected nutrient availability and plant growth. For most species tested, activated carbon increased plant biomass, even in the absence of the potentially allelopathic agent. The increased growth corresponded to increased plant nitrogen content, likely resulting from greater nitrogen availability. Activated carbon also affected nitrogen and other nutrient concentrations in soil media in the absence of plants. The observed effects of activated carbon on plant growth can confound its use to test for allelopathy. The detection of allelopathy relies on the difference between plant growth in medium with carbon and that in medium without carbon in the presence of the potentially allelopathic competitor; however, this difference may be biased if activated carbon alters soil nutrient availability and plant growth even in the absence of the focal allelopathic agent.


Affective instability (AI) is as a central component of a number of psychiatric disorders, but it has received relatively little empirical attention as an individual construct. The goal of the current study was to study AI in the context of a broad empirical network of relevant constructs and compare its pattern of relations with those generated by trait neuroticism, both of which were assessed using both self- and informant reports. In a sample of 343 college students, the present study examined the correlations generated by an AI factor (derived from a factor analysis of relevant scales) in comparison to neuroticism in relation to personality and etiological and outcome variables. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure of AI related to the experience of intense and changeable negative affect and subsequent physical and behavioral consequences. The correlations generated by self- and informant reports of AI with these external criteria were almost perfectly correlated with the correlations demonstrated by self- and informant reports of neuroticism. Self- and informant reports of AI generated a pattern of results consistent with its role in a number of psychological disorders that are associated with substantial impairment. The current data suggest that AI might be best conceived of as largely overlapping with neuroticism rather than as a distinct construct.


ABSTRACT For higher education graduates to be effective in the workplace, they require strong technical skills and the capability to operate across diverse knowledge landscapes to solve real world problems. At an Australian university, an interdisciplinary, short-term study tour programme was utilised to enhance students' inexplicit employability skills with a focus on managing complexity while developing agility and creativity. To investigate the effectiveness of such a programme, we examined students' perceptions of an interdisciplinary teamwork assessment task that was undertaken in an international context via a study tour model. We achieved this by, first, introducing a purposely designed interdisciplinary teamwork assessment task, which focused on students presenting innovative ideas to peers and industry members. Second, we elicited student responses via a case study approach that incorporated mixed methods, utilising several data collection instruments prior to, during, and after students participated in a study tour. The findings suggest that integrating a purposely designed interdisciplinary teamwork assessment task, via a short-term study tour model, uncovered certain inexplicit employability skills, namely managing complexity, developing agility and creativity. We make specific recommendations to support this insight, contributing to the mobility teaching and learning research field.


BACKGROUND
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) generally rises with increasing adiposity, but tends to plateau at the highest levels of body mass index (BMI) with some individuals, even with severe obesity, expressing few or no components of MetS. We examined factors associated with the expression of MetS in severely obese women participating in a large observational study.

METHODS
Anthropometrics, including Heath equation-adjusted bioimpedance-determined fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM), lipids and related laboratory measurements, resting energy expenditure (REE), and respiratory quotient (RQ), were studied in 949 women with severe obesity.

RESULTS
Even though the mean BMI was 45.7 kg/m2 and all participants met MetS criteria for increased waist circumference, 30% of subjects did not have MetS. Unadjusted FM (P = 0.0011), FFM (P < 0.0001), and REE (P < 0.0001) were greater in the women with MetS. Surprisingly, in multivariate logistic regression FFM was positively associated with MetS (P = 0.0002), while FM was not (P = 0.89). Moreover, FFM, not FM, was significantly associated with all five components of MetS except for triglyceride levels. REE and RQ were higher in those with MetS, and REE was strongly associated with multiple components of MetS.

CONCLUSIONS
In women with severe obesity, higher FFM and REE were paradoxically associated with increased rather than decreased risk of MetS, while FFM-adjusted FM was unrelated to MetS.


In many real-world applications, temporal information is often imprecise about the temporal location of events (indeterminacy) and comes at different granularities. Formalisms for reasoning about events and change, such as the Event Calculus (EC) and the Situation Calculus, do not usually provide mechanisms for handling such data, and very little research has been devoted to the goal of extending them with these capabilities. In this paper, we propose TGIC (Temporal Granularity and Indeterminacy event Calculus), an approach to represent events with imprecise location and to deal with them on different timelines, based on the EC ontology.


The current study seeks to attain the following objectives: (1) to develop a comprehensive construct to measure marketing performance of Libyan Tourism SMEs; (2) to investigate Libyan managers' attitudes towards their businesses' Marketing Performances; (3) to measure the linkage between Libyan political crisis 2013/ 2016 and marketing performances of Tourism SMEs; and (4) to introduce some key recommendations and implications for theory and practice. In terms of research methodology, a comprehensive construct was developed based on literature review to collect the required data. A number of (15) components and (82) items were generated to capture the marketing performance domain. This construct was reviewed by a pool of (8) academicians at Management Schools of Libyan universities. Top management nominees in Libyan tourism SMEs in Benghazi City were targeted in two different occasions: the pilot-study and actual field work. A number of (65) tourism agencies, (7) hotels, (3) airlines representatives has been targeted in this research. Out of (400) questionnaires circulated, only (113) questionnaires were returned with (98) deemed valid for data analysis. The key finding of the study is that there is evident decline in marketing performance of Libyan tourism SMEs. The Libyan Political Crisis (2013 – 2016) has negative correlation with businesses' marketing performances as well. Furthermore, demographical and institutional factors demonstrated to have no significant impact on the research results. The key value of this research is that it is conducted under crisis circumstances, and it might be the first research to focus on measuring marketing performance of Libyan tourism businesses. Additionally, the emphasis was placed in particular on the crisis's consequence. Therefore, this article enriches international marketing literature with findings from the Arabic and North African region. Practically, the paper demonstrates the consequences of (exceptional events) political crises on tourism industry's performances. Therefore, foreign businesses, Libyan decision makers and tourism businesses' managers should take advantages from the results of this research. Finally, the paper concludes with limitations and future research.


This paper presents a descriptive review of laws and regulations on the management of drugs and the residues thereof adopted by countries in Europe, the Americas and Australia. This review integrates relevant points of official documents of regulatory agencies in these countries, as well as important scientific works. All countries surveyed carry out drug management concomitant with the management of the residues thereof, ranging from awareness programs on the rational use and the risks of drugs through to the collection and safe disposal of such residues. Germany, the USA and Sweden demand a prior assessment of the environmental impact caused by a given drug as a criterion for its registration. Sweden is noteworthy in that it periodically updates a list of essential drugs based on risk assessment and the environmental risks posed by the residues thereof. In Brazil, the legal measures proposed including rational prescription and reverse logistics have not yet been effectively implemented. Prior environmental impact assessment safeguards the risks to human health and the wild biota caused by exposure to drug residues. Therefore, these international models could serve as a basis for discussion and/or legal and regulatory changes in Brazil.


Latchup failure induced by ESD protection circuits occurred in a high-voltage IC product. Latchup occurred anomalously at only several output pins. All output pins have nearly identical layouts except the side output pin has a N-well resistor of RC gate-coupled PMOS beside. It was later found this N-well resistor is the main cause of inducing latchup.


In this paper, we study supervisory control of partially observed discrete event systems with arbitrary control patterns. We assume that the desirable behavior is specified as a nonempty and closed language. We present a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a supervisor which achieves the desirable behavior under partial observation. We also consider the case that there does not exist a supervisor for a given specification language under the assumption that the set of control patterns is closed under union. We present a sublanguage of the specification language for which a supervisor exists.


Printing by photolithography may not produce the most elegant books as judged by the present one, but it certainly appears to be speedy. Contributors, editor, and publisher have collaborated so effectively that the finished product was made available within a few months of the seventh conference on advanced medicine at the Royal College of Physicians in February 1971. Like-minded editors please note that there really is no excuse for the usual delay of a year or two. I have to confess, however, such is the weakness of human nature, that it has taken me almost that time to read and review this book. The conference began with a session on cardiovascular disorders, and once you have read the excellent if dogmatic opening lecture by J. Green of Beecham Research Laboratories on cholesterol metabolism you will be securely hooked. There follow reviews of lipid disorders (some overlap here), myocardial metabolism, and arrhythmias, all by well-known authorities. And the same pattern was followed by other specialties. The geneticists discussed fetal diagnosis, chromosomes, rhesus immunization, and counselling; the haematologists iron, porphyrin, and fibrinolysis; and the nephrologists renin-angiotensin, proteinuria, diabetic nephropathy, and transplants. All very predictable you may say, and no doubt you can guess the names of the lecturers, but surely a boon for the practising physician. The neurologists had obviously done some careful audience research too, for they provided fascinating reviews of cerebral circulation, metabolic conditions causing mental subnormality, and myasthenia, as well as a tantalizingly short account of extrapyramidal syndromes. But perhaps the most interesting and unexpected (though why should it be?) group was "Stress in Society," the title of which provided the first lecture. The others were interpersonal stress, alcoholism, and self-poisoning, and I speculated that a whole college conference could well be built around this absorbing theme. As usual this latest volume contains some of the college lectures, which always make rewarding reading and are a feast in themselves.


Nanostructures are constructed with destructively fabricated nano building blocks based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes through three-dimensional nanorobotic manipulation in free space. In situ mechanical property characterization is applied for the selection of a nanotube with desired elasticity. Destructive fabrication is demonstrated as an effective way to obtain layered and/or sharpened structures of nanotubes for the applications as nanobearings and probe tips, linear nanobearing motion has been observed, and a method is shown by using surface clamping van der Waals forces for the better control of the geometries of the nanotubes with destructive fabrication. The prepared building blocks are positioned together with nanorobotic manipulators under real-time observation with a field-emission scanning electron microscope, and are constructed through electron-beam-induced deposition.


Chronic pain is the leading reason patients see their primary care physician, and the burden of pain and depression in those with medical illness is particularly severe. Improving depressive symptoms can decrease physical symptoms in many patients, but these patients may require a different treatment strategy than those with depression alone. This activity provides guidance on recognizing and accurately diagnosing pain and major depression, managing these conditions using assessment tools and measurement-based care, avoiding unwanted side effects and drug interactions, and properly matching patients to appropriate treatments.


Abrupt coronary occlusion following conventional balloon angioplasty (PTCA) remains a serious complication afflicting up to 10% of patients. Although repeat PTCA for prolonged durations can restore blood flow in approximately 50% of patients, if this technique fails, the patient is generally referred for emergent coronary bypass surgery. In this report, we describe the use of directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) as a bail-out technique on 16 patients (17 lesions) undergoing angioplasty who demonstrated a flow limiting dissection and clinical evidence of ongoing ischemia following the procedure which could not be reversed with repeat dilatation (mean 3.5 inflations) at prolonged balloon inflations (mean 6.9 min). Ten of these patients presented to the hospital with a diagnosis of unstable angina and the remaining patients were admitted with acute myocardial infarction. The majority of the incidences of abrupt occlusion (83%) occurred while the patient was still in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Successful rescue atherectomy was achieved in 15 of the target arteries (88%). In two patients, this technique failed to stabilize the artery and emergent coronary bypass surgery was performed. A complication related to the bail-out procedure developed in three of the successfully treated patients during the same hospitalization. Two patients experienced recurrent abrupt occlusion which was successfully treated with a repeat bail-out atherectomy procedure and one patient developed a non Q wave myocardial infarction. All patients were followed clinically for a mean interval of 9.93 months. Ten patients (71%) remained free of symptoms and cardiovascular events for this period. Stress electrocardiography was performed on eleven (79%) of the successfully treated patients and in no case was ischemia demonstrated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The contentious issue of international intervention has for centuries created both political and legal dilemmas for policymakers and political leaders , who find themselves in the position of having to make decisions that often have far-reaching consequences. What distinguishes the present era from the past is that international lawyers as well as political leaders have been forced to address evolving political, economic, and moral questions surrounding international intervention as new civil conflicts occur. Two main debates are currently raging surrounding international intervention. International lawyers as well as many political leaders maintain that international intervention is not legally justified under the current international legal framework, and that territorial integrity must remain paramount. A counter argument is being articulated by those who believe international intervention is justified on humanitarian grounds, specifically when there are gross and systemic instances of human rights abuses occurring that jeopardise international security and peace. This debate is affecting the classical notion of state sovereignty. The increasing number of failed states and the growing number of instances of a claim to statehood are two auxiliary but intertwined additional concerns within the intervention vs. sovereignty debate that need to be considered.


The extent of inequality in society is determined by the distribution of assets, the rates of returns on different assets, and government policy. All of these things are deeply political and reflect the balance of political power in society and the institutions to which this balance gives rise. I illustrate this perspective on the determination of inequality by a case study of the Sudan and argue that in the Middle East and North African countries it suggests a paradox - inequality is much lower than one might anticipate. I make some conjectures about why this might be based on a comparison with the historical development of inequality in Latin America.


Optogenetics may be the answer to a search for temporal and spatial specificity in neuroscience. The well-known trade-off between temporal and spatial specificity might be resolved with this "combination of genetic and optical methods to achieve gain or loss of function of well-defined events in specific cells of living tissue" (Deisseroth, 2011). It is a technology that enables researchers to stimulate cells with light, thereby allowing for the direct control of behavior. Until now, this technique has been applied in animal research only but, as we argue, it holds promise for research in humans as well.

The idea of using light to control cells is not a recent one. Already in 1979, Francis Crick anticipated the struggle of neuroscience to target individual cells in vivo without affecting others, and he suggested light as a tool to achieve that. Around that time it became clear that certain microorganisms possess proteins that respond to light. Oesterhelt and Stoeckenius (1971) discovered bacteriorhodopsin, an ion-pump that can be activated by light photons. Other members of this family were identified soon after, including halorhodopsin (Matsuno-Yagi and Mukohata, 1977) and channelrhodopsin (Nagel et al., 2002). In 2005, researchers at Karl Deisseroth's laboratory first demonstrated a single-component optogenetic system (Boyden et al., 2005), and in 2006 the term "optogenetics" was born.

It is beyond the scope of this article to provide an exhaustive discussion of all discoveries that led to what optogenetics is today, or of all the impressive and sophisticated advances to improve the technique. Instead, we will restrict ourselves to briefly introducing the general concept of optogenetics and discussing its potential for cognitive neuroscience.


Background: Transradial cardiac catheterization (TCC) is now preferred method over trans-femoral approach globally including Bangladesh. But the incidence of radial artery occlusion (RAO) after TCC is not infrequent and it ranges from 1-18% in different studies. The aim of our study was to see the incidence of RAO after TCC in a population coming for coronary angiogram and/or coronary intervention and also to evaluate the factors responsible for RAO. Methods: The observational prospective study was performed in all consecutive patients coming for TCC. Pre and three month post-procedural modified Allen's test, reverse Barbeau test & Duplex ultrasonography for radial artery diameter (RAD), peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI) were measured. Results: 69 patients underwent TCC. Mean age was 54 years, 67% were male, 80% hypertensive, 65% diabetic. Follow-up at third month showed one total RAO (1.45%) and mean RAD of the remaining patients was significantly reduced from 2.2+0.03 mm to 2.1+0.03 mm (p=0.001) but none had any symptom or sign of ischemic hand. PSV, EDV & RI were not significantly altered. Reduction of RAD (to <2.0 mm) were significantly higher in female (p=0.032), but no association was found in presence of diabetes or its duration, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, smoking, peripheral vascular disease. The size & number of catheters used or duration of vascular access sheath kept in the artery did not affect the reduction of RAD.Conclusion: The mean RAD of the study was smaller than other study population, but incidence of RAO is very low. RAD was significantly reduced after procedure without any clinical evidence of ischemia or alteration of flow velocity. Female sex was the only factor found to be associated with reduction of RAD in this study. University Heart Journal Vol. 10, No. 2, July 2014; 66-72


Several factors account for innovation output in developed economies as documented in extant literature. The objective of this study is to make a case for a multi-faceted approach to innovation in developing countries. To analyze various factors affecting innovation, a sample of 43 developing countries is taken and the period of study is between 2009 and 2018.  A vector auto-regression model is used in a panel data setting to test the effect of various variables on innovation at country level, a granger causality test is also conducted to determine the causal relationship among these factors that together can spur innovation activities. Findings suggest a strong influence of R&D and government procurement of technology on the advancement of innovation. R&D is largely affected by the quality of research institutions and university-industry collaborative research, thus showing the strength of the effect of these variables on innovation. Scientists and engineers with requisite expertise greatly improve a country's innovation efforts, however, developing countries do not benefit fully from the economic value of these experts. These results show that an integration of all these factors is a good approach to enhancing innovation in developing economies.


The field of development studies has produced a number of institutional ethnographies in recent years that evaluate the internal workings of development agencies such as the World Bank or grassroots social organizations. Although within the social sciences research on conservation often emphasizes the power of international conservation institutions, there have been few comparable studies assessing the internal workings of these organizations. In addition, less is known about the specific activities of national and provincial conservation agencies operating in the Global South. Ethnographies of these institutions are also needed in order to examine how conservation is variously understood and executed by organizations within different contexts. This paper presents an institutional ethnography of the Mpumalanga Parks Board, which is the chief conservation agency operating in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Following the 1994 democratic elections, the Mpumalanga Parks Board pursued a neoliberal commercialized conservation mandate that reflected the position of natural resource management in relation to other national priorities. This paper traces out the construction of the commercialization discourse in order to understand the internal and external factors that produced it while assessing its implications for nature preservation. Although the commercialization drive emulated a general trend towards neoliberal decentralization in the Global South, I argue that its particular manifestations were deeply embedded in South Africa's particular spatial economy and history of racial segregation. In tracing out the commercialization discourse from within the conservation agency itself, this paper assists in an understanding of how neoliberalism shapes natural resource management and can become hegemonic at the expense of other possibilities.


Introduction. Amphotericin B remains the drug of first choice in the treatment of most severe systemic fungal infections. However, it is characterized by very low solubility and high toxicity. Amphamide – semisynthetic derivative of Amphotericin B – have been prepared at the Gause Institute of New Antibiotics. It showed several advantages over amphotericin B in vivo. Objective. The aim of the study was to investigate the toxicological safety of amphamide drug formulation in chronic experiment on rats. Materials and methods. The study was performed in male and female Wistar rats. Amphamide drug formulation was injected intraperitonealy at the total doses of MTD and LD 50 (30 × 0,07 mg/kg or 30 × 0,17 mg/kg with 24-h interval). During the experiment body weight, hematological parameters, blood biochemical parameters, electrocardiography and urinalysis were performed. Animals were sacrificed on 1st and 30th day after the end of treatment. At necropsy, the mass coefficients of heart, liver, kidneys, spleen and thymus were calculated. The internal organs were subjected to histological evaluation. Results. It has been shown that the treatment with total dose of amphamide produces an increase of urea and creatinine level in serum, changes in urine composition and its specific gravity. Microscopic pathology observation showed dose-dependent structure abnormalities in kidneys, liver, lungs, stomach, and testes. Multiple administration of low dose of the drug produces transient toxic effects completely reversible within 30 days. When amphamide was used in a high dose, morphological signs of toxic cardiomyopathy were found. Conclusion. The results of the clinical and laboratory studies and microscopic pathology observation of kidneys demonstrate that nephrotoxicity is the main limiting type of drug toxicity. Dose dependence and reversibility within a month of toxic effects of amphamide allows us to recommend it to further advance.


BACKGROUND
In countries where the resistance of cytomegalovirus to ganciclovir has been studied, strains resistant to therapeutic doses of this drug have been isolated. When a change in treatment has been impossible the patient has shown bad clinical evolution. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of these strains in our medium, observe whether the resistances appear in patients previously treated with ganciclovir and determine its implication in the evolution of cytomegalovirus infection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
One hundred twenty-three stains of cytomegalovirus, isolated during the period 1990-1998, corresponding to the following 94 patients were studied: 17 breast feeding children of healthy parents who were negative controls (sensitive strains), 43 organ transplant recipients, 29 AIDS patients, 2 with other immunodeficiencies and 3 children with intrauterine infection. Seventeen patients were studied due to the insidious course of the infection despite treatment. The remaining were random. The technique used was that of growth inhibition of the strains seeded on different gradients of ganciclovir: 0, 1, 5, 10 and 20 microM. The inoculate consisted in a cellular suspension evaluated according to the degree of viral growth. The strains presenting an inhibitory doses 50% (ID 50%) greater than 10 microM were considered as resistant.

RESULTS
Eighty-two strains presented an ID 50% lower than 5 microM, 24 from 5 to 10 microM and in the 17 remaining strains, corresponding to 12 patients, the ID 50% was greater than 10 microM. The evolution of these latter 12 patients with strains considered to be resistant to ganciclovir was of death in 8. All were immunodepressed and with a history of having previously received ganciclovir. Another currently has a chronic evolution and the three remaining patients, who presented better immunity, became cured. All patients has a chronic evolution and the three remaining patients, who presented better immunity, became cured. All patients had undergone previous treatment with ganciclovir except two: one patient with Wegener disease treated with acyclovir 15 days before, and the other was an infant of an HIV positive mother who had received the drug.

CONCLUSIONS
The presence of cytomegalovirus strains resistant to ganciclovir was confirmed in our patients. The previous use of ganciclovir and, in one case of acyclovir, appears to be implicated in the appearance of resistance. The evolution of the immunodepressed patients with infection by resistant strains was mortal except when their immunity was improved.


The avoidance strategy of prey to predation and the predation strategy for predators are important topics in evolutionary biology. Both prey and predators adjust their behaviors in order to obtain the maximal benefits and to raise their biomass for each. Therefore, this paper is aimed at studying the impact of prey's fear and group defense against predation on the dynamics of the food-web model. Consequently, in this paper, a mathematical model that describes a tritrophic Leslie-Gower food-web system is formulated. Sokol-Howell type of function response is adapted to describe the predation process due to the prey's group defensive capability. The effects of fear due to the predation process are considered in the first two levels. It is assumed that the generalist predator grows logistically using the Leslie-Gower type of growth function. All the solution properties of the model are studied. Local dynamics behaviors are investigated. The basin of attraction for each equilibrium is determined using the Lyapunov function. The conditions of persistence of the model are specified. The study of local bifurcation in the model is done. Numerical simulations are implemented to show the obtained results. It is watched that the system is wealthy in its dynamics including chaos. The fear factor works as a stabilizing factor in the system up to a specific level; otherwise, it leads to the extinction of the predator. However, increasing the prey's group defense leads to extinction in predator species.


Green agenda is a participatory method for developing and implementing local sustainable development strategies and plans with active involvement of different sectors in the local community where the process is conducted. But Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and Building Related Illness (BRI) are building concerns in African cities, because building designs, materials and styles are alien the culture and climate. The focus of the paper therefore was to deploy sustainability parameters (Green Agenda) to address SBS and BRI in African Domestic Architecture. Taking into consideration the three main aspects of green agenda which includes; identifying local values, process participation and genuinely owned result. The methodology employed was quantitative and qualitative. The findings revealed that the research had addressed the issues of imported design, sick building syndrome and building related illness using sustainability considerations. The study result has shown that the three aspects of local green agenda has socio-cultural nuance in Domestic Architecture that includes the values, beliefs, available materials in the studied community. This pre-supposes that building design necessarily need to have organic content (i.e. it has to be culture specific, socially responsive and environmentally friendly). Organic designs however have proved to be sustainable and also one of the way out of SBS and BRI. Keywords: Green Agenda, Agenda 21, Habitat Agenda, Socio-Cultural, Domestic Architecture, SBS and BRI


Past Bleeds Present presents a typographic installation that unpacks and re-contextualizes America's recurring history of racially charged violence. Particularly frequent during the 20th century, these "race riots" included instances of state-sanctioned violence against African-American populations, as well as civil unrest sparked by a combination of racial and socioeconomic tensions. Despite their prevalence and the lasting impact that they have had on our country, cities, and populace, very few of these events are taught in classrooms or discussed. This work utilizes the language of archived newspaper coverage of these events and collected headlines from media outlets across the country. In directly co-opting this archaic language and dialogue, Past Bleeds Present confronts and reintroduces a history of violent racial conflict into modern conversation. In doing so, this work provides a lens through which a thorough understanding of present day issues can be formed.


-- UPDATED FOR THE 2015 CISSP EXAM -- Countless time and money is spent preparing for the CISSP certification exam. So why aren't students laser-focused on taking practice exams before attempting the real thing?Based on the official CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) and the ten CBK domains, the practice exams in this book are designed to help students adjust to the pace, subject matter, and difficulty of the real CISSP exam. Geared towards anyone preparing for the exam, all tests include clear solutions to help you understand core CISSP concepts.If you plan on passing the CISSP certification exam, it's time to test your knowledge. It's time for CISSP Exam Prep Questions, Answers, and Explanations.Now packed with Over 1,000 realistic CISSP sample questions to help you pass the exam on your FIRST try.In this book: 1000+ detailed CISSP exam practice questions including 19 condensed CISSP mock exams that can be completed in one hour; 12 Targeted CISSP Domain Area tests, and detailed solution sets for all CISSP questions which include clear explanations and wording, CISSP Domain references, and reasoning based on the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) materials (2015).*** Edition Updates ***The latest edition of CISSP Exam Prep Questions, Answers, & Explanations includes content improvements and edits which further assist students in preparing for their CISSP Exam. Improvements include:Content updated to reflect 2015 revisions to CISSP domainsQuestions updated for improved readability and applicability to examExplanations updated to further reinforce CISSP conceptsSpecific responses edited to reflect minor labeling corrections[CISSP is a registered certification mark and (ISC) is a service mark of the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc.]Student Testimonials"It is the only product I have seen which utilizes the same question logic as the actual CISSP exam. If you utilize this training course you will have the ability to apply your already learned knowledge to the real exam very well. CISSP exam prep provides an important tool which helped me pass the CISSP on the first try." Bobby Narasimham, CISSP - Information Security Engineer - Boston, MA"This exam prep delivers as promised. Top notch CISSP questions and explanations are provided that will dramatically expand your insight base. A comprehensive yet affordable augment for your exam preparation." John Latawiec, CISSP"Great exam prep! Test questions are very similar to what I saw on the actual test. Passed CISSP on first attempt! Thanks." Steve Toole, CISSP - Buffalo, NY"The thing that made this book stand out is that it helps to train the mind to tackle questions in a more systematic way... and are not just questions that need to be memorized. The questions are real life and I could not find any other set of questions similar." Ali Jawad, CISSP - HRSmart INC, Lebanon"I passed the CISSP exam which and also have completed my endorsement as a CISSP. The question quality was very good. Keep up the good work. I would recommend this product to anyone who aspires for CISSP." Ninad Varadkar, CISSP** Visit CISSPExamPractice.com for support and additional materials **


This is an exploratory study of the application of a support tool for the detection of asymptomatic subjects carrying enteric parasites in two vulnerable populations in Argentina: a shantytown in the city of Buenos Aires and a rural Wichí indigenous community in the province of Chaco. The ethnic and cultural diversity, high illiteracy rate, and language barriers called for the development of an auxiliary resource to explain stool sample collection procedures. In individual interviews with each family, the authors used two instructional guidance leaflets in comic strip format depicting the procedures. They evaluated the acceptance of the graphical communication tool on the basis of the number of retrieved samples. Percentages of respondent families were 72.2% and 66.7%, respectively. Definitive validation of these instruments would allow their use in community studies, community service learning experiences, and research on aboriginal communities that would otherwise be excluded from studies on health status.


The effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on shoot regeneration from rice callus was examined in a two-stage culture. ABA in regeneration and preculture media at the concentrations of 1, 10 and 100 mg/l inhibited the regeneration of precultured callus presumably by countering the effect of auxins and cytokinins in the media. However, ABA in 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) free preculture medium at the concentrations of 1 and 10 mg/l enhanced the callus growth as observed in the medium containing 2, 4-D, and showed no inhibition on the shoot regeneration. These results show that ABA in the preculture stage can substitute 2, 4-D for the callus growth.


In the fall of 1998, the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) contracted with the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) to conduct the evaluation of the America's Choice School Design. This is a summary of CPRE's first report of a three-year evaluation of the design. The evaluation of America's Choice seeks to answer four basic questions: Are schools successfully implementing the America's Choice program design? What environmental characteristics are facilitating or impeding implementation? How effective is America Choice's implementation strategy? And what are the impacts of the program on teachers and students? As America's Choice is still in the early stages of implementation, most evaluation efforts are directed toward the questions about the implementation of the program and the conditions surrounding its implementation. In subsequent years, CPRE increasingly will emphasize its evaluation of the impacts of the program on students. This report describes the first year of the implementation of America's Choice. Following this introduction, section two provides a description of America's Choice and the theory behind the America's Choice school design. Section two concludes with a set of reasonable expectations for the progress of America's Choice in its first year. Section three describes CPRE's findings concerning the implementation of America's Choice, including many of the specific design components. Section four analyzes the role of the school district in the implementation of America's Choice. The report concludes with a summary of the findings of the first year's evaluation. Disciplines Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Sociology | Education Policy Comments View on the CPRE website. This report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cpre_researchreports/9


Top Joke in UKA woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: "That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!" The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: "The driver just insulted me! "The man says: "You go right up there and tell him off - go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you."


The amino acid sequence of the known strain HXB-2 belonging to subtype B is used as a reference strain matrix to determine HIV genotypic resistance by the sequencing technique. However numerous studies have ascertained that HIV non-B subtypes have been widely accepted in Russia. The authors data show that the significance of low score mutations in the Russian populations of HIV-1 is yet to be explained unquestionably arouses great scientific interest and calls for further study.