Modern polymer bonded explosives (PBX) are often characterized by a sensitive response to external thermomechanical insult that in some cases lead to accidental detonation. Current strategies for desensitizing PBXs come at the expense of a significant reduction in performance. A possible method for desensitizing PBX without adverse performance effects is the multifunctional tailoring of mechanical properties through strategic incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) directly into the binder phase. In this work, a fabrication method is presented that produces polymer bonded simulants (PBS) of PBX that incorporate MWCNTs into the binder phase, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). These materials were characterized via microscopy and unconfined quasi-static compression testing to determine the effects of MWCNTs. Quasi-static compression showed evidence of a MWCNT induced structural skeleton effect that provided the binder with an increased strength, load transfer, and a greater ability to resist strain localizations prior to failure. These enhancements demonstrate the potential of using MWCNTs to enhance energetic materials.


-A method is proposed for the simultaneous approximation of attenuation and group delay characteristics of analog and digital filters. The attenuation is approximated to be equal ripple in the passband and the stopband, while the group delay is equalized in the passband using a least-mean-square norm. The number of attenuation ripples in the passband, and the degrees of freedom for the group delay equalization can be traded off for the best possible approximation.


This in vitro study investigated whether a resin-bonded dental prosthesis (RBDP) with a hyperstatic, rigid joint was preferable to an isostatic, nonrigid construction in terms of debonding and fracture strength. RBDPs replacing a missing molar with a rigid (design I) or a resilient model (design II) were compared to a commercially available system (Crownless Bridge Work) (design III, control). All groups were subjected to thermocycling (TC) and dynamic mechanical loading (ML) in a dual-axis chewing simulator (TC: 6,000 x 5 degrees C/55 degrees C; ML: 1,200,000 x 49 N x 1.4 Hz). None of the RBDPs of design III showed movement or fracture during the test period. Significant differences between designs I and III (P= .0049) and between designs II and III (P = .0007) were noted. Despite a tendency for lower fracture values of design I, no significant differences could be established between the test designs with a rigid or nonrigid construction. The commercially available dental prosthesis with a nonrigid joint was confirmed to resist a 5-year survival simulation.


Background and Objective: Lushoto district in north-eastern Tanzania has been an active focus of plague disease since 1980 and many pesticides were used to control rodents and fleas from 1980 to 2003 when outbreaks occurred yearly. For over seven years ago commercial Carbaryl 5% powder has been used for controlling fleas in the area. However, there is no current research to substantiate its effectiveness either in the laboratory or in the field. Methods: Immature stages of Xenopsylla brasiliensis were collected from two villages in Lushoto and transported to Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro and reared in an insectary to stock colony. Known weights of commercial Carbaryl 5% powder were thoroughly mixed with known weights of clean fine sand as to obtain a final concentration of 0.05% of Carbaryl+sand mixture. The same concentration was suspended in 50cc distilled water and pieces of filter paper were soaked in the solution, left at room temperature until the suspension was fully adsorbed and the papers were left to dry.  Adult fleas of mixed ages and of both sexes were obtained from the stock colony and exposed to both Carbaryl+sand mixture and Carbaryl-adsorbed filter papers for various periods of time. Field trials were carried out at Manolo and Viti villages where house and rodent flea indices were determined before and after dusting with commercial Carbaryl 5% powder. Results: In the laboratory tests, 100% mortality occurred at 90 minutes exposure in Carbaryl+sand mixture experiments and at 35 minutes exposure to Carbaryl-adsorbed filter papers. LT 50 in both sets of exposure was 48.2 min and 23.1 min in Carbaryl+sand mixture and Carbaryl-coated filter papers tests respectively. In field trials, X. brasiliensis and Pulex irritans were the most abundant flea species. Post-dusting flea populations were significantly lower in treated than in control houses (p=0.028). House flea indices dropped from 7.7 to 0.33 and 37.8 to 0 in Viti and Manolo villages respectively at 3 months post-dusting. Conclusion: Commercial Carbaryl 5% powder in current use was still effective against potential flea vectors in Lushoto.


In this study. we analyzed the old's characteristics for depth perception in comparison with the young's as a basic study for universal design in field of products or facilities. Twenty three of the old and twenty two of the young had participated and the depth perception apparatus was used in this experiment. Gender. viewing distance. and age were considered as factors and the differences of depth perception were analyzed for each experimental condition. In the result. a significant difference was not detected on gender. but significant differences were detected on age and viewing distance. That is. we can see that the old is remarkably worse than the young on depth perception task. Therefore. it means that these characteristics have to be absolutely considered in user interface design to improve the old's accessibility for products or facilities


Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume with a great potential for animal feeding, however it also contains antinutritional properties. In order to determine the chemical composition and in vitro protein digestibility of processed Mucuna pruriens seeds this experiment was developed. The experiment was conducted at the Animal Nutrition laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Yucatan, Merida, Mexico. Five treatments consisted in: seed soaking in water 24 and 48 hours or in sodium bicarbonate 0.1 % and 0.2 % and the raw legume were used. The pH-stat ® methodology for determining the degree of hydrolysis of the protein was used. MS, ash and gross energy (GE), fibrous fractionation, tannin content and total phenols were analyzed. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with five treatments and four replications each. Dry matter was lower and the protein fraction in water treatments after 24 and 48 hours and 0.2% bicarbonate were increased comparing to the raw legume. An increment in degree of protein hydrolysis from all treatments compared to the raw legume was observed (5.52 vs 8.17, 8.38, 8.99 and 8.62 %, respectively) (P <0.001). The results show that in Mucuna pruriens seeds soaking in water and cooking as well as soaking in 0.1-0.2 % NaHCO3 and pressure cooking are equally effective methods to improve in vitro protein digestibility. Key words: pH-stat method; seed processing; velvet bean


This paper argues that while the framers of the new East African Community, cognizant of the problems of the defunct one, set out to create a new organization that would avoid the pitfalls of the old they were not bold enough to put in place legislation, institutions and processes that fully addressed them. Instead, they introduced bottlenecks that have impeded the realization of greater and faster cooperation through: 1) the creation of a complex and highly centralized decision-making process that is constrained by parochial issues of sovereignty and "zero-sum" national politics; and, 2) the reluctance by partner states to strengthen the Secretariat and other Community organs to respond to emerging issues. This notwithstanding, the Community is not yet in danger of collapse owing to important global and regional changes that make the environment for cooperation more conducive. However, if changes are not made, the community will stagnate.


Background Antenatal corticosteroids (AC), recommended by the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development panel, are widely administered in pregnant women with impending preterm irth to hasten maturity of the lungs in the fetus. In preterm infants, treatment with AC has been shown to reduce neonatal death and morbidity, however, less is known about the longer term mental health outcomes in the exposed offspring. Our aim was to assess the effects of AC on the mental health of the exposed offspring as compared to the unexposed offspring. Methods Studies were retrieved from electronic searches of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsychINFO and Pubmed with no language or date restrictions. All databases were searched from inception to May 2017. The search strategy was developed in Ovid Medline and adapted as necessary for other databases to identify the relevant studies by utilizing a combination of Medical Subject Headings terms for antenatal, corticosteroids, offspring and adverse mental outcomes. Reference lists and the bibliographies of the retrieved articles were searched by hand. We included comparative studies that assessed any mental health outcomes in offspring with threatened preterm birth whose mothers were exposed to AC. Relevant studies were selected using pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study characteristics were extracted using a pre-defined and piloted form and quality assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme criteria. A narrative synthesis of the data was conducted to compare mental health outcomes between offspring exposed to AC and unexposed to AC. Results A total of 2329 unique citations were identified, 28 full-text publications were screened and 11 cohort studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. The 11 studies included a total number of 18 261 participants in which 13 131were exposed to AC. All the studies compared offspring exposed to AC to those who were unexposed with variation in the courses of AC exposure in terms of single or repeat courses. Nine studies assessed neurodevelopmental impairment in offspring aged <3 years. Two studies reported adverse effects of AC in offspring aged ≥3 years; behavioral problems in 3-year-olds and depression, anxiety, avoidant personality problems in 22–39 year-olds. Conclusion The results of this review demonstrate insufficient evidence to conclude that AC exposure in offspring with threatened preterm birth is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. There is a need for conducting further research studies with long-term follow up of exposed offspring to ascertain the association.


We prepare an all-garnet multilayer film structure by sandwiching a magneto-soft garnet material in between two magneto-hard garnet materials with high bismuth substitution levels using RF magnetron sputtering technique and investigate the microstructure and the effects of magnetostatic inter-layer coupling on magnetic properties. Both types of the Bi-substituted magneto-optic garnet materials used possess excellent optical, magnetic and magneto-optical properties suitable for the application in different new and emerging technologies in optics and photonics. Garnet layers of composition type Bi2Dy1Fe4Ga1O12 have strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and Bi1.8Lu1.2Fe3.6Al1.4O12 magneto-soft layer features magnetization behavior similar to that of in-plane magnetized films. The all-garnet magnetostatically-coupled multilayer structure fabricated demonstrates an attractive combination of low coercive force and high uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, which is extremely useful for applications in nanophotonics, optical sensors and isolators.


Humans – foragers and megacity dwellers alike – inhabit complex social worlds. Many behavioural and non-behavioural traits show distinct patterns of social clustering: members of social groupings are more similar to each other than to random individuals. This thesis uses social clustering as an entry point for the study of behavioural variation, exploiting the fact that different causal mechanisms will produce different clustering patterns. I combine this with a focus on evolutionary explanations of behavioural variation, particularly those derived from life history theory, and apply this approach to contemporary adolescents in the United Kingdom. Adolescents are a key demographic from a life history theoretical perspective: transitioning from the prereproductive to the reproductive phase of life, adolescents start displaying many of the behaviours and traits of interest to life history theorists. Moreover, paths taken during adolescence may have long-term implications for an individual's life history trajectory. I quantify social clustering of sexual experience and cooperativeness in neighbourhoods, schools and friendship networks and investigate whether life history predictors, such as socioeconomic deprivation and father absence, explain behavioural variation or their social clustering. I further examine the social clustering patterns across a range of behavioural and non-behavioural traits, in order to assess the explanatory scope of different evolutionary models. Finally, I examine whether measures of the quality of the childhood environment affect a range of measures of pubertal development in girls and boys, in line with theoretical predictions. Overall, results indicate that adolescent behaviours tend to cluster in friendship networks but barely in neighbourhoods or schools. This suggests limited scope for explanatory theories centred on contextual influences on behaviour in this population. While life history predictors do not explain much social clustering of adolescent behaviour, they are associated with sexual experience, cooperativeness, and pubertal development in ways broadly consistent with life history theoretical predictions.


Two couples were studied in whom the male partner had become sterile due to irradiation therapy given for advanced Hodgkin's disease. Both couples achieved conception during the first and second treatment cycle, respectively, despite obviously subfertile freeze-thawed sperm. The success is attributed to optimal timing of a single homo-insemination (AIH), which was made possible because we could detect ovulation by using currently available sophisticated methods. The importance of precise timing of ovulation for insemination and the ability to retain fertilizing capacity of young males with compromised sperm, who underwent sterilizing treatment, is discussed.


We present the development of novel coatings for the far and extreme ultraviolet (FUV-EUV). In the EUV above ~50 nm, the strong absorption of materials has precluded the development of narrowband coatings. An extensive research has been performed on the search and characterization of new materials with low absorption; the lanthanide series has been found to be a source of materials with relatively low absorption in the range of interest. The discovery of a wealth of materials with relatively low EUV absorption is basic to develop efficient multilayers, particularly with narrowband properties. In this way, we have developed multilayers based on Yb, Al, and SiO with narrowband performance in the 50-92 nm range; these are first narrowband coatings peaked above 70 nm. Our recent research on multilayers based on Eu, Al, and SiO provide promising results, with an increase in the peak reflectance versus Yb/Al/SiO multilayers, along with a peak wavelength that can be extended up to ~100 nm. For applications where FUV-EUV narrowband coatings have not been able to be prepared, we can design multilayers that address specific purposes, such as maximizing the reflectance ratio at two wavelengths or bands. Our first goal in this direction is the development of coatings with high 102.6 nm/ 121.6 nm reflectance ratio. Calculations predict that a high reflectance at Lyman β with a good rejection at Lyman α can be obtained through multilayer coatings. We are at the beginning of experimental research for this goal.


Purpose Different PDR treatment schemas are used in clinical practice, however optimal length of interval between pulses still remains unclear. The aim of this work was to compare value of BED doses measured in surrounded healthy tissues according to different intervals between pulses in PDRBT. Influence of doses optimization on BED values was analyzed. Material and methods Fifty-one patients treated in Greater Poland Cancer Centre were qualified for calculations. Calculations of doses were made in 51 patients with head and neck cancer, brain tumor, breast cancer, sarcoma, penis cancer and rectal cancer. Doses were calculated with the use of PLATO planning system in chosen critical points in surrounded healthy tissues. For all treatment plans the doses were compared using Biologically Equivalent Dose formula. Three interval lengths (1, 2 and 4 hours) between pulses were chosen for calculations. For statistical analysis Friedman ANOVA test and Kendall ratio were used. Results The median value of BED in chosen critical points in healthy tissues was statistically related to the length of interval between PDR pulses and decreased exponentially with 1 hour interval to 4 hours (Kendall = from 0.48 to 1.0; p = from 0.002 to 0.00001). Conclusions Prolongation of intervals between pulses in PDR brachytherapy was connected with lower values of BED doses in healthy tissues. It seems that longer intervals between pulses reduced the risk of late complications, but also decreased the tumour control. Furthermore, optimization influenced the increase of doses in healthy tissues.


Sketch-based 3D model retrieval is to retrieve 3D models given a user's hand-drawn sketch. Due to the big semantic gap between rough sketch representation and accurate 3D model coordinates, sketch-based 3D model retrieval (SBR) is one of the most challenging research topics in the field of 3D model retrieval. To bridge the semantic gap, a novel semantic tree-based SBR algorithm is proposed in this paper. Given a 2D sketch query and a collection of 3D models, a 3D semantic tree is built up first based on the ontology structure of WordNet. Every leaf node in the tree contains a set of 3D models assigned to this class according to their semantic classification/label information. Then, sketch components of the 2D query sketch are identified by sketch segmentation and annotation. Finally, by measuring the semantic relatedness between the sketch components' annotations and tree nodes in the 3D semantic tree, the similarities between the 2D sketch and 3D models are computed to find out the most relevant 3D models. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and promising potentials of our approach on sketch-based 3D model retrieval.


Objective: To observe the biocompatibility of porcine omental derived extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and the feasibility of ECM hydrogel as a delivery vector of cell transplantation. Methods: A series of chemical, physical and enzymatic methods were applied to acellularize the porcine omentum. Subsequently, the extracted ECM was prepared into thermosensitive hydrogel. The biochemical composition of the hydrogel was identified by histological staining. The microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The hydrogel was then injected into the myocardium of mice to observe its in situ gelation ability. Differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes was achieved by small molecule induction, and then the obtained hiPSC-CMs were cultured. hiPSC-CMs cultured onto the prepared hydrogel were defined as the hydrogel group, while conventionally cultured hiPSC-CMs were defined as the control group. Cardiomyocyte viability and growth patterns were detected using live/dead staining, CCK-8 and phalloidin staining. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot of cardiomyocytes were used to determine the survival and phenotypic maintenance markers of cardiomyocytes in materials. Results: The results of HE staining, oil red O staining and DAPI fluorescence staining showed that there was no significant cell debris, nucleus and lipid residue in the prepared ECM hydrogel. The Sirius red staining and Alcian blue staining showed that the hydrogel retained collagen and glycolaminoglycan, which were the main components of ECM. The prepared hydrogel behaves as a viscous liquid at 4 ℃ and as a gel state at 37 ℃. Scanning electron microscope results showed that the microstructure of the hydrogel was composed of irregular fibers and pores of different sizes. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the prepared ECM hydrogel could be successfully injected into the myocardium of mice. Immediately after the injection, the hyperechoic signal could be observed under ultrasound, suggesting that the hydrogel remained in the myocardium. HE staining of myocardial tissue evidenced that there was lump of gel in the injection area. The differentiated hiPSC-CMs were co-cultured with the prepared ECM hydrogel, and the results of live/dead staining showed that most of the hiPSC-CMs in the hydrogel group and the control group were alive, dead cells were scanty. The results of CCK-8 test showed that the absorbance values of the two groups were similar (P>0.05). The results of phalloidin staining showed that hiPSC-CMs could extend normally when co-cultured with ECM hydrogel. The cell morphology of the hydrogel group was similar with that of the control group, and there was no statistically significant difference in the F-actin coverage area per cell between the two groups (P>0.05). Immunofluorescence staining of cardiomyocyte markers showed that there was no significant difference in the coverage area of α-actinin and connexin-43 (Cx-43) per field between the hydrogel group and the control group (both P>0.05), the quantitative results of DAPI staining showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cells between the two groups (P>0.05). Meanwhile, the results of Western blot showed that the expression levels of α-actinin and Cx-43 in cardiomyocytes in the hydrogel group were similar as those in the control group (both P>0.05). Conclusions: These results show that preparation of the ECM hydrogel from porcine omentum is successful. The hydrogel has good biocompatibility and no obvious cytotoxicity. Besides, the hydrogel can support the survival of hiPSC-CMs in vitro and maintain its phenotype. These properties make it a promising injectable cardiac tissue engineering material.


Interest and information in the field of medical toxicology has grown rapidly, but there has never been a concise, authoritative reference focused on the subjects of natural substances, chemical and physical toxins, drugs of abuse, and pharmaceutical overdoses. This volume finally gives you an easily accessible resource for vital toxicological information on foods, plants, and animals in key areas in the natural environment.


Purpose

Information on the risk of dementia in aging persons with intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD) in Manitoba, Canada is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to estimate dementia prevalence in adults with IDD.

Design/methodology/approach

Anonymized population-level health and non-health administrative data (1979-2012) contained in the Population Health Research Data Repository of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) were linked to identify adults with IDD, and estimate the prevalence of dementia based on the presence of ICD codes. Prevalence of dementia was estimated for persons aged 18-55 years and 55+ years, and was reported by sex, type of residence, region of residence, neighbourhood income quintiles, and IDD diagnostic category.

Findings

Of the 8,655 adults with IDD identified, 8.1 per cent had an indication of dementia in their medical records; an estimate three times greater than that found for those without IDD (2.6 per cent). More than 17 per cent of Manitobans with IDD aged 55+ years had an indication of dementia, which was nearly twice the rate reported previously. Of those with IDD and dementia, 34.7 per cent lived in long-term care facilities.

Originality/value

Health and social support services are typically available to individuals with dementia aged 65+ years; thus, younger adults with IDD and dementia may not be eligible for those supports. To promote equity in health and access to care, dementia screening and increased supports for aging individuals with IDD are recommended.


Skeletal muscle myosin (SkM) can bind factor (F)Xa and FVa, thereby providing a surface that promotes thrombin generation by the prothrombinase complex (FXa:FVa:Ca++) that cleaves prothrombin. A recent BLOOD paper (Novakovic & Gilbert, 2020) asserted that this activity of SkM preparations is entirely due to contaminating phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing phospholipid vesicles in SkM preparations because annexin V and lactadherin neutralized the ability of SkM to enhance prothrombin activation. However, annexin V and lactadherin are certainly not monospecific for binding PS as they are globular proteins that can bind other lipids and many proteins. Without any PS measurements or use of any reagents specific for PS (e.g., monoclonal (mAb) anti-PS antibodies), that report, in a gross overinterpretation of its incomplete data, dismissed any direct role for myosin for SkM's procoagulant activity. When we previously observed that annexin V is inhibitory of SkM's support for prothrombinase activity, we sent a sample of SkM (Cytoskeletal Inc) to Avanti Polar Lipids for quantitation of the PS content based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. That analysis showed that only a small amount of PS was present in the SkM, approximately 0.90 µmol PS per 40. µmol SkM. This amount of PS present in SkM preparations is not enough to explain SkM's procoagulant activity. For example, standardized purified prothrombinase reaction mixture assays show that 10 nM SkM enables formation of 3 nmol thrombin/min while 0.22 nM PS (in 1.1 nM phosphatidylcholine (PC)(80%)/PS(20%) vesicles) enables formation of only 0.4 nmol thrombin/min (Figure 1A). We directly assessed the role of contaminating PS for SkM's prothrombinase support using the well characterized anti-PS mAb 11.31 (aka mAb PGN632). When the ability of mAb 11.31 to inhibit prothrombinase enhancement by SkM or, in controls, by PC/PS vesicles was determined, the data showed that, in controls, mAb 11.31 at 1.0 nM severely inhibited PC/PS vesicle's enhancement of prothrombinase by > 90% (Figure 1B). The dose-response gave an inhibitory IC50 value of 0.2 nM which is near this mAb's reported Kd of 0.17-0.35 nM for PS, establishing the potent ability of this anti-PS mAb to neutralize PS procoagulant activity. However, there was no substantial inhibition of SkM's enhancement of prothrombinase by the anti-PS mAb 11.31 at up to 1 nM mAb 11.31 (Figure 1B). This indicates that contaminating, PS-containing vesicles are not a significant factor for SkM-dependent enhancement of prothrombin activation by the SkM preparation -- in direct contradiction of the assertion of Novakovic & Gilbert (BLOOD 2020). That recent report was correct that annexin V inhibits the ability of SkM to enhance prothrombinase as well as the ability of PC/PS vesicles to do so (Figure 1B). So it was the overinterpretation of the annexin V and lactadherin data as well as the failure to provide any direct measurement of PS that were problematic in that report. The observation that annexin V and lactadherin inhibit SkM's enhancement of prothrombinase merits further studies to understand what may be their mechanistic influences. Another informative test for an essential role for PS in SkM's enhancement of prothrombinase involves the use of FXa that lacks its gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain because this N-terminal domain of FXa is required for FXa binding to PS-containing phospholipid vesicles. Data in Figure 1A show that SkM, but not PS-containing PL vesicles, supports the prothrombinase activity of des-Gla Domain (DG)-FXa which lacks its Gla domain. Dose-response data show that, in prothrombinase assays, DG-FXa has only 1% activity in the presence of PC/PS vesicles but has 25-35% activity in presence of SkM (Figure 1A). These data indicate that SkM's procoagulant activity does not absolutely require the Gla domain of FXa whereas PS-containing vesicles do require the Gla domain of FXa for significant activity. These data prove that the recent assertion that PS vesicle contamination, not myosin, explains SkM's procoagulant activity represents an overinterpretation of annexin V and lactadherin data and is simply wrong. In conclusion, both new data here, i.e., PS content of SkM preparations and data for effects of anti-PS mAb 11.31 (Figure 1B) and previous data (Deguchi et al, Blood 2016 and J Biol Chem, 2019), affirm that the myosin protein is a key factor for SkM's ability to enhance prothrombin activation.
 Figure 1

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Software product lines and related approaches, like software factories, are starting to capture the attention of the industry practitioners. Nevertheless, their adoption outside the research community and big companies is still very restricted. We believe that model-driven approaches, like OMG's MDA, with proper tool support, can bring the advantages of product lines to a broader audience. For this to become a reality, model-driven methods should integrate requirements models into the software development process. In this paper, we discuss the semantics of use case relationships and their formalization using activity diagrams to support variability specification. Particularly, we propose an extension to the LtextendGt relationship that supports the adoption of UML 2.0 use case diagrams into model-driven methods. Our proposal results from our work with 4SRS (4 step rule set), a model-driven method in which use cases are the central model for requirements specification and model transformation


Changing energy policies, such as those in Europe, can influence the profitability of cogeneration plants immensely. In Europe, the introduction of the liberalised electricity market resulted in a fall in electricity prices. This had a negative impact on the profitability of cogeneration plants. On the other hand, the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental concerns has shown the importance of developing energy-saving technologies and energy efficiency measures. Cogeneration presents a potential for substantial increased energy efficiency and a major reduction in environmental impacts. It is therefore of strategic importance. The EU, along with many of its member states, considers the production of electricity from cogeneration plants to be a priority area. There are several programmes at the community level that support cogeneration. On the national level, the importance of cogeneration has been translated into legal text in many cases. According to a study that has been carried out by ZREU and CRES, nearly 60 percent of cogeneration experts have expressed a strong interest in learning more about legal and institutional framework conditions. As these change quite often and are sometimes very complex, there is a need for information on this subject.


Plate tectonics can lead to construction of mountain belts, whereas surface processes destruct the orogenic masses and redistribute the surface load. These processes can be modulated by climate through variation in air temperature and the magnitude-frequency distribution of precipitation. In the northwestern Zagros orogenic belt the driving force for hinterland uplift has been baffling. The key concern is whether uplift is due to upper crustal shortening and related crustal thickening (local uplift) or to deep lithospheric processes (regional dynamic uplift) such as slab breakoff and/or to lithospheric mantle delamination. The stratigraphic record is sensitive to geodynamic processes, yet distinguishing the tectonic signatures from the climate-induced signatures is necessary. The goal of this research is to test these competing mechanisms of orogenesis through field-based evaluations of shifts in foreland basin stratigraphy, provenance, detrital geochemistry, and climate change through time as well as flexural modeling for the northwestern Zagros orogenic belt. In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the northwestern Zagros orogenic belt is characterized by a well preserved ~4 km thick stratigraphic column of the Neogene synorogenic predominantly clastic continental deposits that coarsen and thicken upwards: The Fatha (middle Miocene), Injana (late Miocene), Mukdadiya (latest Miocene), and the Bai-Hasan (Pleistocene) Formations. These units, in addition to sandstone beds, include thick poorly consolidated mudstone packages that in some places reach ~100 m. Preliminary results show that the frequency and thickness of sandstone-filled channels increases upsection, leading to an amalgamation of sandstone packages towards the top. This thickening-upward trend was additionally associated with an increase in the grain size. These patterns of stratigraphy dynamics hint to a progradation of the depositional systems, driven either by an increase in the sediment flux relative to the subsidence rate, or by a propagation of the orogen front towards the foreland basin. Sm-Nd analysis on the fine material packages revealed a crustal origin (εNd-) comparable to the Arabian shield, with an older crustal age upsection. Weathering proxy data such as chemical index alteration (CIA) and K2O/Al2O3 ratio yield evidence for a weathering intensity that increases upsection. X-Ray diffraction data from the clay-size materials (<2-μm) show contents of smectite, illite, kaolinite and Fe-rich chlorite, with an increasing abundance of smectite minerals upsection. These mineral assemblages demonstrate a semi- arid/humid climate likely with an increasing seasonality through time, which could possibly have resulted in an increasing sediment flux. Furthermore, basic flexural modeling for the northwestern Zagors orogenic belt indicates that the present-day Zagros topography, and thus topographic load alone, cannot explain the observed basin depth. Overall, these evidences suggest that exhumation of the source terranes was enhanced by increased weathering, yet a geodynamic process could have been the main driver for controlling the formation of accommodation space and uplift of the mountain belt.


Learning from demonstration (LfD) is an important way for robots to learn new skills. Its principle is to obtain an optimized trajectory through an instructor's action teaching or action coding regression. By learning the teaching trajectory, the robot can master the movement skills. However, adapting the learned motor skills to meet additional constraints that arise during the task can be challenging. This article proposed a noise exploration method policy improvement through black-box optimization with an adaptive covariance matrix (PIBB-CMA), which improves the PIBB algorithm by using an adaptive covariance matrix. In our method, the teaching trajectory is collected with our designed inertial motion capture system. After that, a more reasonable trajectory is synthesized as the input to dynamic movement primitives (DMPs) using the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and Gaussian mixture regression (GMR). Finally, the improved algorithm PIBB-CMA is used to perform noise exploration to ensure that the robot arm can pass the designated points in the path planning. Furthermore, three baseline methods are chosen for comparison to validate the robustness of our proposed method. The experimental results demonstrated that our proposed method outperforms the baseline algorithms and is feasible for improving robot intelligence. We believe that our method has a certain potential in the aspect of skill learning for robots.


Pitch contours are important for synthesizing highly natural speech signal. In this paper, we study a new pitch-contour generation method. The method proposed is to combine ANN prediction module with global-variance matching (GVM) and real contour selection (RCS) modules. Here, a syllable pitch contour is first analyzed and then transformed via discrete cosine transform (DCT) to a DCT-coefficient vector. Each sequence of DCT vectors analyzed from a training sentence plus contextual parameters are then used to train the ANN weights and GVM parameters. In pitch-contour generation experiments, we measure variance-ratio (VR) values for objective evaluations. The modules, GVM and RCS, are shown to be helpful to promote VR values. In addition, in subjective evaluation, the pitch-contour generation method, ANN + GVM, is shown to be more natural than the method, ANN only. Also, the method, ANN + GVM + RCS, is shown to be better than ANN + GVM.


Community colleges are in the national spotlight. With an increased demand for accountability and responsiveness to community needs, especially in challenging economic times, there is amplified focus on creating and utilizing frameworks to address the expanding needs of their constituencies and in particular to increase college completion rates. In response to addressing the completion challenge, we propose practical strategies to complement existing efforts, primarily through highlighting the advantages of faculty professional development and enhancing the racial/ethnic diversity of faculty in community colleges. With current literature indicating that 40 to 80 percent of community college faculty expecting to retire by 2015, these institutions are poised to address recruitment and retention of faculty that is more reflective of the students they serve as well as of the overall demographic makeup of the communities in which they serve. FOCUS ON COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND SCHOOLS 2___________________________________________________________________________________________


Patronage regularly figures as the dominant paradigm in discussions of late-medieval literary production and circulation. Common practice dictates that behind every text, a patron-figure looms, typically identified as a member of nobility for whom the text was composed. Many medieval texts promote this view by spotlighting extratextual relations in dedication materials or by folding into the narrative itself the story of its inception. Regardless of the source of these narratives, scholarship places under the patronage umbrella a large spectrum of exchanges said to have fostered the literary enterprise while excluding other partnerships that are seen to destabilize the system. Thus, transactions as distinctive as Guillaume de Machaut's Confort d'amy, presented as an unsolicited text intended to comfort the imprisoned Charles of Navarre; Jean Froissart's fictive account of literary collaboration with a prince in the Prison amoureuse; Christine de Pizan's biography of Charles V, identified in the prologue as a commission ordered by the duke of Burgundy; and Geoffrey Chaucer's dedication of Troilus and Criseyde to fellow poet John Gower and the lawyer Ralph Strode are presented as forms of patronage with little thought to the implications of the relational variations. At the same time, a number of transactions are sidelined in patronage studies because they seem to transgress the boundaries of expected exchange, even though they reproduce many of the same dynamics; hence, regifting, seizure of books, multi-copy dissemination of a single work, and purchase of a book from a third party regularly fail to figure into analysis. To date, scholars have avoided interrogating these arbitrary boundaries that define patronage studies. Critical avoidance of the heterogeneity of literary support networks is further exacerbated by a generalized failure to interrogate the impact of time, place, or cultural practices on sponsorship, not to mention possible manipulations of this exchange based on political, economic or personal concerns.


Anionic ordering is a promising route to engineer physical properties in functional heteroanionic materials. A central challenge in the study of anion-ordered compounds lies in developing robust synthetic strategies to control anion occupation and in understanding the resultant implications for electronic structure. Here, we show that epitaxial strain induces preferential occupation of F and O on the anion sites in perovskite oxyfluoride SrMnO2.5-dFg films grown on different substrates. Under compressive strain, F tends to take the apical-like sites, which was revealed by F and O K-edge linearly polarized x-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, resulting in an enhanced c-axis expansion. Under tensile strain, F tends to take the equatorial-like sites, enabling the longer Mn-F bonds to lie within the plane. The anion ordered oxyfluoride films exhibit a significant orbital polarization of the 3d electrons, distinct F-site dependence to their valence band density of states, and an enhanced resistivity when F occupies the apical-like anion site compared to the equatorial-like site. By demonstrating a general strategy for inducing anion-site order in oxyfluoride perovskites, this work lays the foundation for future materials design and synthesis efforts that leverage this greater degree of atomic control to realize new polar or quasi-two-dimensional materials.


: The efficacy of influenca prophylaxis by a new Soviet chemopreparation tebrophen was studied during the influenza epidemics of 1972-1973 caused by the influenza virus of A/Hong-kong/68 and A/England/72/H3N2/types. Investigations were carried out under conditions of an epidemiological experience among the organized (adult) collective bodies (4352 persons in all). The preparation was instilled intranasally in the form of a 0.25 and 1% ointment on vaseline base. The efficacy index was 2.0-2.7, and the protection index--51--60%.


Quantum computing (QC) introduces a novel mode of computation with the possibility of greater computational power that remains to be exploited - presenting exciting opportunities for high performance computing (HPC) applications. However, recent advancements in the field have made clear that QC does not supplant conventional HPC, but can rather be incorporated into current heterogeneous HPC infrastructures as an additional accelerator, thereby enabling the optimal utilization of both paradigms. The desire for such integration significantly affects the development of software for quantum computers, which in turn influences the necessary software infrastructure. To date, previous review papers have investigated various quantum programming tools (QPTs) (such as languages, libraries, frameworks) in their ability to program, compile, and execute quantum circuits. However, the integration effort with classical HPC frameworks or systems has not been addressed. This study aims to characterize existing QPTs from an HPC perspective, investigating if existing QPTs have the potential to be efficiently integrated with classical computing models and determining where work is still required. This work structures a set of criteria into an analysis blueprint that enables HPC scientists to assess whether a QPT is suitable for the quantum-accelerated classical application at hand.


A total of 519 patients presenting with carcinoma of the caecum in the Plymouth Health District between 1975 and 1987 were reviewed. The clinical course was determined in relation to patients with and without a history of previous appendicectomy. There was no difference in the incidence of previous appendicectomy between patients with carcinoma of the caecum and an age and sex matched control group. The presence of synchronous carcinomas and/or adenomas was unrelated to previous appendicectomy. Ten patients presented with appendicitis and 11 with a mucocele of the appendix as the first sign of carcinoma of the caecum. Previous appendicectomy was associated with a higher incidence of local fixity, invasion of the abdominal wall, metastatic spread and poor differentiation. These differences were reflected in a significantly lower resection rate for carcinomas in patients who had previously undergone appendicectomy. The survival of patients who had previously had appendicectomy was significantly reduced. Four independent prognostic factors for survival were identified using multivariate discriminant analysis. These were Dukes' classification, local invasion, tumour differentiation and previous appendicectomy. Local recurrence was more common in patients who had previously had appendicectomy and was often in the old appendicectomy wound itself. Appendicectomy does not increase the risk of carcinogenesis in the caecum. In this study a history of appendicectomy was an independent risk factor for survival and significantly worsened the prognosis for patients who subsequently developed carcinoma of the caecum.


We present the design of CBC2, the new version of the CMS Binary Chip ASIC for the readout of CMS Tracker Phase-two upgrade. CBC2, designed in 130nm CMOS, doubles the input channels to 254 and will be bump-bonded to the substrate. The ASIC is designed to instrument double layer modules in the outer tracker, consisting of two overlaid silicon sensors with aligned microstrips, and incorporates the logic to identify L1 trigger primitives in the form of ``stubs'': high transverse-momentum candidates which are isolated from the low momentum background by selecting correlated hits between two closely separated microstrip sensors. The functionality of the coincidence logic, which includes rejection of wide clusters and offset correction to account for the position of the module in the R- plane, is described in detail.


Abstract Food sovereignty has struggled to make inroads into changing the structures and processes underlying the corporate food regime. One reason is that scale is still underspecified in the politics, strategies, and theories of food sovereignty. We suggest that much can be learned from examining the multiple dimensions of scale inherent in ongoing food sovereignty struggles. A gap exists between these in vivo experiments and the maturing academic theory of scale. The concept of 'sovereignty' can be opened up to reveal that movements, peoples, and communities, for example, are creating multiple sovereignties and are exercising sovereignty in more relational ways. Relational scale can aid movements and scholars to map and evaluate how spatial and temporal processes at and among various levels work to reinforce dominant agri-food systems but could also be reconfigured to support progressive alternatives. Finally, we apply relational scale to suggest practical strategies for realizing food sovereignty, using examples from the Potato Park in the Peruvian Andes.


To investigate the effects of wave shape on cohesive sediment flux in shallow water environments, a one‐dimensional vertical (1DV) model for cohesive sediment transport previously validated with field measurement is applied to conditions of skewed and asymmetric oscillatory flows. Cohesive sediments usually portray behaviors different from those of noncohesive sediments. This is mainly due to the flocculation process through which the density and the size of cohesive sediment change continuously. Therefore, a robust flocculation model is incorporated with a 1DV model in this study. Under the condition of skewed oscillatory flow (second‐order Stokes wave‐type oscillatory flow), the flux of cohesive sediment is significantly affected by the change of flow skewness, whereas the flux of noncohesive sediment of which size is 100 µm does not show a clear relationship with skewness. Under the condition of forward‐leaning asymmetric oscillatory flow (saw‐tooth wave‐type oscillatory flow), the direction of cohesive sediment flux is negative, whereas the flux of noncohesive sediment shows the positive direction. The phase‐lag effect is considered as the main mechanism of these behaviors. The interactional relationship between the settling velocity, the variation of concentration profile, and hydrodynamics of carrier fluid enhances the phase‐lag effect and causes different behaviors in cohesive sediment compared to the flux of fine noncohesive sediment.


The principle objective of groundwater study under reference is to estimate the aquifer parameters. Hydraulic properties of aquifers and associated layers have been determined by the pumping test which involves abstraction of water in response to the stress applied due to pumping at a known discharge rate and observing aquifer′s hydraulic head with respect to time. The nature, occurrence and availability of groundwater are directly related to relative thickness of sand and clay zones in the region. Sandy layers form the most significant aquifers in the study area. Good quality potable water is available from coarse grained deep sandy aquifers. On the basis of electrical logging interpretation, the groundwater is saline from ground level to 75.00 m mbgl. The zone from 73.00-78.00 m mbgl has been properly sealed by cement slurry. The well has been shrouded with 3-5 mm pea size gravel up to 75 m from bottom and clay was filled up to the ground surface after proper development. During the well development process by an over-pumping unit, a pumping test was conducted, which comprises of Step Drawdown Test (SDT) and Aquifer Performance Test (APT) to determine the performance, efficiency of well and hydraulic properties of the aquifer respectively. The aquifer parameters evaluated are transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, storativity, leakage factor, leakance, hydraulic resistance and hydraulic diffusivity. The estimated data shows an appreciable significance regarding the estimation of aquifer properties. As far as the groundwater quality is concerned the groundwater samples collected during SDT is found to be satisfactory, devoid of previous salinity problem which existed earlier.


Background: Resistance to antimicrobials of different structural classes including fluoroquinolones has arisen in a multitude of bacterial species both in the community and the hospitals. This may complicate the therapeutic management of infections. Decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolones arises mainly by singlestep mutations in the gyrA and parC genes, which encode the fluoroquinolones targets, the topoisomerase enzymes, conferring cross resistance to all fluoroquinolones. Accumulation of multiple mutations in several genes confers increasing level of resistance associated with clinical failure. However, even low level resistance can generate therapeutic failure. In 1998, some mobile elements with a potential for the horizontal transfer of the quinolone resistance genes were described. The loci which are responsible for this plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance, which have been designated as qnrA, qnrB and qnrS, have been identified in the Enterobacteriaceae species. Aim: To evaluate the susceptibility pattern of the isolates to various antibiotics and to know the prevalence rate of ciprofloxacin resistance in our hospital. Materials & Methods: A total of 916 gram-negative bacilli (GNB) were isolated from different clinical specimens over a period of nine months, were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. Isolates with resistance or with a decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (£20 mm) were then screened for their minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) by using the E-test. Results: Out of 916 GNB, 321 (35%) isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The MIC of these isolates ranged from 4 to >32?g/ml. Conclusion: The resistance rate to ciprofloxacin was 35% in our study. Most of the ciprofloxacin resistant isolates were from urinary tract infections (UTI). The ciprofloxacin resistance was also closely associated with multi-drug resistance, thus limiting the treatment options. Ciprofloxacin resistance can be used as a general surrogate marker of multidrug resistance, thus limiting the already restricted treatment options. The considerably high MIC values for ciprofloxacin in this study reflected the extent of the treatment problems for these resistant isolates and a need for the continuous evaluation of the commonly used antibiotics. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v11i4.12604 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 11 No. 04 Oct'12


In this paper we consider an inventory system with increasing concave ordering cost and average cost optimization criterion. The demand process is modeled as a Brownian motion. Porteus (1971) studied a discrete-time version of this problem and under the strong condition that the demand distribution belongs to the class of densities that are finite convolutions of uniform and/or exponential densities (note that normal density does not belong to this class), an optimal control policy is a generalized (s, S) policy consisting of a sequence of (si , Si ). Using a lower bound approach, we show that an optimal control policy for the Brownian inventory model is determined by a single pair (s, S).


Photonic microcavity coupling of a subwavelength hole-disk array, a two-element metal/dielectric composite structure with enhanced extraordinary transmission, leads to 100% coupling of incident light to the cavity system and subsequent absorption. This light-funneling process arises from the temporal and spatial coupling of the broadband localized surface plasmon resonance on the coupled hole-disk array and the photonic modes of the optical cavity, which induces spectral narrowing of the perfect absorption of light. A simple nanoimprint lithography-based large-area fabrication process paves the path towards practical implementation of plasmonic cavity-based devices and sensors.


Background: We describe our experience with bidirectional forehead narrowing and eyebrow lifting (BiNaLi), a surgical technique we have been practicing for several years to correct facial esthetic issues of patients such as long forehead, high hairline, and low eyebrow level, which helps us achieve forehead height reduction with eyebrow lifting, using 1 incision line in a one-stage procedure. Methods: We divided 576 patients who visited our institution between March 2014 and February 2019 into 4 groups: long forehead only (group I), low eyebrow level (groups II and IV), and M-shaped hairline (groups III and IV); BiNaLi operation was performed as appropriate for each group. Results: The preoperative length of the median area of the forehead was 7.3 cm, and the mean postoperative change in the length of the same was 1.4 cm. The lateral forehead length was also measured for groups III and IV. The mean preoperative length was 7.7 cm, and the mean postoperative change in the length was 1.7 cm. Eyelid length was also measured for groups II and IV. The mean preoperative length was 0.7 cm, and the mean postoperative change in the length was 0.3 cm. More than 90% of the patients gave a score of 4.0 or higher for esthetic satisfaction. Conclusions: We designed a BiNaLi technique to satisfy patients' facial esthetic needs using changes in flap movement direction, adjustment in the range of skin excision, and differences in flap dissection. A single operation can have various effects, including achieving forehead shortening, clear double-fold line through eyebrow lifting, and correction of a mild M-shaped hairline.


ABSTRACT: An analytical model is presented to study the behaviour of propagation of torsional surface waves in initially stressed porous layer, sandwiched between an orthotropic half-space with initial stress and pre-stressed inhomogeneous anisotropic half-space. The boundary surfaces of the layer and halfspaces are taken as corrugated, as well as loosely bonded. The heterogeneity of the lower half-space is due to trigonometric variation in elastic parameters of the pre-stressed inhomogeneous anisotropic medium. Expression for dispersion relation has been obtained in closed form for the present analytical model to observe the effect of undulation parameter, flatness parameter and porosity on the propagation of torsional surface waves. The obtained dispersion relation is found to be in well agreement with classical Love wave equation for a particular case. The cases of ideally smooth interface and welded interface have also been analysed. Numerical example and graphical illustrations are made to demonstrate notable effect of initial stress, wave number, heterogeneity parameter and initial stress on the phase velocity of torsional surface waves.


While the population‐based case‐control approach is the popular study design for association mapping of complex genetic traits because of ease of data collection and statistical analyses, it suffers from the inherent problem of population stratification. There have been methodological developments for adjusting these studies for population substructure, but efficient estimation of the number of subpopulations (K), which has evolutionary significance, remains a statistical challenge. In this article, we propose a Bayesian semiparametric approach to estimate population substructure under the assumption that K is random. Using extensive simulations, we find that our proposed method is not only computationally much faster than an existing Bayesian approach Structure, but also estimates the number of subpopulations more accurately, and thus, yields more power in detecting association in case‐control studies.


Plasmablastic lymphoma is a very rare B-cell lymphoma typically associated with immunosuppression: It occurs primarily in the oral cavity, although some cases were reported in other organs and tissues.To date, only 10 cases of primary cutaneous plasmablastic lymphoma have been described. Clinically, primary cutaneous plasmablastic lymphoma presents as non-specific cutaneous lesions (purple nodules, erythematous infiltrated plaques). In previously described cases, as in this case, histology and immunohistochemistry are required to make the diagnosis. Owing to the rarity of this entity, there is no established therapy, which makes its management an individualized, patient-based decision.


The transition of manufacturing industry towards service, also called servitisation process, is currently spreading
throughout the whole economy. Servitisation of large companies has been largely studied by the scientific
literature, but still little is known more specifically regarding SMEs. Yet, in such context, SME managers are
confronted to a highly complex enterprise transformation process. The paper explains a diagnosis framework
dedicated to help SME manufacturing decision-makers to manage situations of strategic changes affecting their
business, for which servitisation is perceived as a consistent opportunity. The framework is conceptually
presented, then applied to an industrial SME, in the pharmaceutical equipment sector.


Frisian has four types of hypocoristic names, viz. diminutive names, 'real' hypocoristics, names ending in -/i/ (-), and shortened names. The latter are the subject of this article.     Shortenend names are argued to be in accordance with the scheme 'shortened name = diminutive name minus diminutive suffix'. This means that there is a strong formal relationship between these two name types, for which ample evidence is put forward.These names derive from diminutive names by omitting the diminutive suffix. The morphological operation of 'suffix subtraction', however, is rare in Frisian morphology. In fact, it seems to be needed for the derivation of shortenend names only, which renders it a somewhat suspicious option.     Shortened names occupy a position in between diminutive names, 'real' hypocoristics, and y-names, that is, they share properties with all these types of names (and differ from them as well). They thus have their own place in the Frisian landscape of names.


This paper presents experimental and computational results demonstrating that the switching of single-domain permalloy nanomagnets can be assisted by the stray field of a passing transverse domain wall. We applied external magnetic fields with different magnitudes to show that nanomagnets switch for a certain field range only if the field of a domain wall and the externally applied field are superposed. We estimate that the stray field of the domain wall provides an extra 10 mT field in addition to the externally applied field. Micromagnetic simulations are in good agreement with experimental results, revealing that the strongly localized magnetic field of a propagating transverse wall is switching nearby dots. This effect can be exploited to generate clock fields for nanomagnet devices.


Relative power within the delta, theta, low-alpha, high-alpha, and gamma electroencephalographic spectra of 8 human volunteers was recorded over the left and right frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes during and after the circumcerebral application through an array of 8 solenoids of 6 different configurations of weak (5 to 10 microTesla) magnetic fields. The solenoids were equally spaced around the subject's head along a horizontal plane above the ears. An approximately 30% increase in power within the theta band occurred transcerebrally during the application of a specific configuration, previously shown to affect subjective time, involving 20-msec. rates of change in the duration of delivery of the magnetic fields to each successive solenoid. Compared to the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere displayed a 20% increase in power within the 5.0- to 5.9-Hz range for all 6 configurations. The results suggest that very complex magnetic fields with the appropriate temporal parameters rotated around and within brain space can interact with the cerebral processes, measured as specific bands of frequencies, generating consciousness. Implications for the roles of hippocampal theta activity, cortical resonance, and Goldstone bosons in these processes are discussed.


In this article, we argue that it is necessary to cut the Gordian knot that is the value–action gap in climate action research. We do this theoretically by demonstrating the link connecting research findings on the gap with mainstream environmental psychology's implicit theory of human conduct, and we do it empirically by demonstrating the field's own finding: that this theory of human conduct is a poor fit with reality. We present an existing, alternative theory of human conduct and illustrate the value of this alternative with empirical data. We show that (a) there are theories that offer a better fit with reality, one of them being the person perspective and (b) according to these theories and the empirical example, people do not show value–action gaps (i.e., no void) but rather very meaningful considerations of and prioritizations among their many intertwined motives.


Epidemic surveillance is an effective means to determine the characteristics of acute diarrhea and the benefits of disease control and prevention. The epidemiological, clinical and etiological data of adult acute diarrhea in Shanghai were collected and analyzed. Of the 2,430 acute diarrhea patients, the 162 subjects that were sampled (sample ratio: 16:1) had an average age of 44  18; 142 (87.7%) patients had a history that indicated the ingestion of contaminated food and 40 (24.7%), 54 (33.3%), and 73 (45.1%) patients had diarrhea attributed to viral, bacterial and unknown etiological origins, respectively. Viral diarrhoea is mainly prevalent in the winter and spring months, while bacterial and diarrhoea of unknown aetiology occur mainly in the summer months. The average age of the unknown aetiology group (48  19) was significantly older than that of the viral diarrhoea group (39  16). The number of patients with vomiting in the viral group (30.6%) was significantly higher than that in the bacterial (17.1%) and unknown aetiology (8.2%) groups. Viral and bacterial infections are the main cause of acute diarrhoea in Shanghai. However, further effective technological means are needed to improve the surveillance, control and prevention of acute diarrhoea.


AIMS & OBJECTIVES
 To study the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with dyspepsia undergoing upper Gastrointestine endoscopy in Meenakshi Medical College Hospital & Research Institute and to study the association of Helicobacter pylori with Acid peptic diseases & Malignant conditions of upper Gastro intestine tract
MATERIALS & METHODS
 389 cases of dyspepsia, studied clinically from 2009 to 2012, were subjected to upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy, during which 4 biopsies, two each from the antrum and the pathological areas were taken.
 Two biopsy specimens, one of the antral area and the other of the pathological finding were immediately subjected to Rapid urease test.
 Positive test for Helicobacter pylori was indicated by change in colour of the medium from yellow to pink or red.
 The other two biopsy specimens were sent for routine histopathology and special staining with Giemsa stain. The case was taken as Helicobacter pylori positive when the rapid urease test and/or histopathological examination were positive.
RESULTS
Out of 389 patients, with mean age of 41.8 years
172 patients were diagnosed to have been infected with Helicobacter pylori (44.21%).
 Out of 49 patients, with gastric & duodenal ulcers, 37 patients were infected with Helicobacter pylori (75.51%). 22 out of 25 patients(88%) with duodenal ulcers and 10 out of 14 patients(71.4%) with gastric ulcers were positive for H. pylori while only 8 out of 10 patients(80%) with gastric cancer were positive for H. pylori.
 Out of remaining 340 patients out of which 43 were found to be positive for Helicobacter pylori infection (33.85%) and 213 patients with gastritis/ duodenitis, out of which, 92 were infected with Helicobacter pylori (43.19%), there were 127 patients with normal endoscopic findings.
CONCLUSION
 In this study, we found that Helicobacter pylori was consistently associated with peptic ulcer disease and malignant conditions of upper GI tract, which is in broad agreement with the studies done earlier. Thus we conclude that, Helicobacter pylori infection may have a major role in the etio pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease and malignant conditions of upper GI tract here appear to be no significant association between Helicobacter pylori infection and unexplained dyspepsia. Hence, we recommend eradication of the bacteria only in patients positive for the bacterium, who have peptic ulceration.
 The cases positive by rapid urease test were found positive from biopsy also.


Presently, any individual can claim to be an "expert" in a particular process, subject matter or technology. In fact, one disadvantage in the tacit knowledge approach is that individuals in an organization may claim to have knowledge that they do not actually have or may claim to be more knowledgeable than they really are. Despite this fact, qualifications and credentials have long served as signals for organizations. As some authors put it, certifications are double-edged, as they can also be used as "credentials" to gain prestige and influence, having nothing to do with competence development, as they are valued as impression management or self-presentation strategies. The data for this exploratory study was gathered from a 58 employee sample of a Portuguese-based multinational software engineering company. An experimental Competence Certification Effects Scale (CCES) was used, and after a consistency analysis, the original 22 items were reduced to 17, grouped in a 4-factor structure: "Certification Intrinsic Value"; "Certification as Training"; "Career Management"; and "Effort Trade-off". Cronbach`s alphas were .81, .81, .83, and .81, respectively. The study findings indicate that there is a significant difference in the perceived usefulness of a certification, if an employee participates or not in a dedicated certification program. The study further points out that certification programs tend to be judged in an instrumental way, for extrinsic motivation reasons, more by its positive effects in terms of career management or professional within-peers recognition, than by its intrinsic value as institutional learning or knowledge management anchors or personal development drivers.


The paper analyzes the organizational commitment of North American male andfemale accountants working in professional organizations. Unlike others, the present study controlledfor the critical variables of type of occupation, level and subject of higher education, and type of organization. The independent variables were age, gender, tenure, organizational level, cognitive affective orientation to the job, professional commitment, overalljob satisfaction, and intrinsic and e-xtrinsic need satisfaction. It was found by an analysis of covariance that women tended to have lower levels of organizational commitment than men. However, an hierarchical regression analysis indicated that sex did not significantly explain the variance beyond the demographic and cognitive-affective variables. Women were also less satisfied than men in terms of overall job satisfaction and extrinsic satisfaction.


Nigeria is predominantly a rural environment that has been experiencing endemic and protracted crises. Since a national crisis is no other than the totality of its rural crises manifesting in, among others, a fall in rural productivity and income, chronic rural poverty, rural unemployment and underemployment, rural – urban migration, collapse of basic infrastructural needs etc. Maigana offers and demonstrates empirical insights into the practical condition of Nigeria's rural malaise. Whereas analysis of the socio-economic setting of a rural community can not be complete and accurate without being placed within the orbit of the State and international capital, it is rather not unusual that the various World Bank/IMF 'solutions', adopted by the Nigerian State, further worsen the rural crisis. Maigana, one of the few rural communities where direct capitalist intervention was unleashed even before the direct colonial domination provides basic data for our analysis.


The three-dimensional (3-D) eddy-current transient field problem is formulated first using the u-v method. This method breaks the vector Helmholtz equation into two scalar Helmholtz equations. Null-field integral equations and the appropriate boundary conditions germane to the problem are used to set up an identification matrix which is independent of null-field point locations. Embedded in the identification matrix are the unknown eigenvalues of the problem representing its impulse response in time. These eigenvalues are found by equating the determinant of the identification matrix to zero. The eigenvalues, which can be equated with temporal response, are found to be intimately linked to the initial forcing function which triggers the transient in question. When this initial forcing function is Fourier decomposed into its respective spatial harmonics, it is possible to associate with each Fourier component a unique eigenvalue by this technique. The true transient solution comes through a convolution of the impulse response so obtained with the particular imposed external field governing the problem at hand. The technique is applied to the FELIX medium cylinder (a conducting cylinder placed in a collapsing external field) and compared to data. A pseudoanalytic confirmation of the eigenvalues so obtained is formulated to validate the procedure. The technique proposed is applied in the low-frequency regime where the near-field effects must be considered. Application of the technique to a high frequency follows directly if the Coulomb gauge is adopted to represent the vector potential.


Genetic polymorphisms in TNFB are involved in the regulation of its expression and are found to be associated with various autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine whether TNFB +252A/G (rs909253) and exon 3 C/A (rs1041981) polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo susceptibility, and expression of TNFB and ICAM1 affects the disease onset and progression. We have earlier reported the role of TNFA in autoimmune pathogenesis of vitiligo, and we now show the involvement of TNFB in vitiligo pathogenesis. The two polymorphisms investigated in the TNFB were in strong linkage disequilibrium and significantly associated with vitiligo. TNFB and ICAM1 transcripts were significantly increased in patients compared to controls. Active vitiligo patients showed significant increase in TNFB transcripts compared to stable vitiligo. The genotype-phenotype analysis revealed that TNFB expression levels were higher in patients with GG and AA genotypes as compared to controls. Patients with the early age of onset and female patients showed higher TNFB and ICAM1 expression. Overall, our findings suggest that the increased TNFB transcript levels in vitiligo patients could result, at least in part, from variations at the genetic level which in turn leads to increased ICAM1 expression. For the first time, we show that TNFB +252A/G and exon 3 C/A polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo susceptibility and influence the TNFB and ICAM1 expression. Moreover, the study also emphasizes influence of TNFB and ICAM1 on the disease progression, onset and gender bias for developing vitiligo.


We investigated effect of farm yard manure (FYM) and compost applied to metal contaminated soil at rate of 1% (FYM-1, compost-1), 2% (FYM-2, compost-2), and 3% (FYM-3, compost-3). FYM significantly (P < 0.001) increased dry weights of shoots and roots while compost increased root dry weight compared to control. Amendments significantly increased nickel (Ni) in shoots and roots of maize except compost applied at 1%. FYM-3 and -1 caused maximum Ni in shoots (11.42 mg kg−1) and roots (80.92 mg kg−1), respectively while compost-2 caused maximum Ni (14.08 mg kg−1) and (163.87 mg kg−1) in shoots and roots, respectively. Plants grown in pots amended with FYM-2 and compost-1 contained minimum Cu (30.12 and 30.11 mg kg−1) in shoots, respectively. FYM-2 and compost-2 caused minimum zinc (Zn) (59.08 and 66.0 mg kg−1) in maize shoots, respectively. FYM-2 caused minimum Mn in maize shoots while compost increased Mn in shoots and roots compared to control. FYM and compost increased the ammonium bicarbonate diethylene triamine penta acetic acid (AB-DTPA) extractable Ni and Mn in the soil and decreased Cu and Zn. Lower remediation factors for all metals with compost indicated that compost was effective to stabilize the metals in soil compared to FYM.


Justice KG Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India, who inaugurated the CRAT court room, said the increase of computers pose question for legal system. Union Law Minister of India Dr. M Veerappa Moily has opined that he would like to see more Acts to deal with the increasing volume and variety of cybercrimes. In December 2009, Government amended IT Act 2000, which was mainly intended to give legal recognition to e-commerce, including electronic filing of documents. It is only chapter 11 of the said Act that covers a few offences relating to use and abuse of computer system which invites penalty of fine or imprisonment or both. While other developed states for e.g. USA has several Acts including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Computer Misuse Act, Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Child Online Protection Act. We require well defined laws to deal with the fast emerging issues of cyber crimes in future. Present Indian Penal Codes are quite helpful in tackling IT related offences, but that may not be enough, Information Technology Act 2000 of India addresses some basic aspects such as legal recognition of electronic cards and digital signature for the purpose of entering in to contract. There are grey areas in forming contract in cyberspace. We are still trying to apply the Indian Contract Act 1872 in the contract entered through Internet. Of course there are some provisions in IT Act 2000, but those are not sufficient to deal with cyber contracts. Justice Rajesh Tandon the would be presiding officer of CRAT ( first cyber court room ) in India very rightly expressed concern to organize an international conference for the enforcement of cyber laws as most of the cyber crimes originate outside the country. Probably the next world war would be fought in cyber space. Cyber terrorist and Mafias are emerging, whose activities are growing to threaten the sovereignty of India and the world over. Terrorists often take over us in the cyber space, which is a product of technical innovation. This we can only prevent by putting proper regulation everywhere. An appellate tribunal at national level and cyber courts in various states will also be established soon. This is really a great initiative of the Govt. which will pave the way for fast growth of cyberlaw in India.


RATIONALE
Healthcare research exploring the lived experiences of health care professionals from different disciplines, such as nursing, medicine, and allied health, has repeatedly highlighted many methodological challenges, especially in understanding the individual human experience within complex systems. In response, complexity theory and phenomenological approaches emerged and evolved in ways that potentially offered researchers frameworks to inform an understanding of the individual human experience. However, while these two theoretical approaches inform a method of inquiry, there is a gap in understanding the phenomenon of 'being' and how this is embodied within complex systems such as the healthcare system.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this paper is to present an integrated theoretical framework, namely complex adaptive phenomenology (CAP). CAP aims to address this inquiry gap by offering a structured conceptual framework wherein complexity theory and phenomenology are complementary but multi-dimensional. The key objective of CAP was to synthesize and integrate two methods of inquiry that examine the relational aspects of 'being', that is the gestalt of perception, action, and context, The authors argue that CAP is well-suited to complex research contexts such as healthcare. The framework focuses on the reciprocal, co-constructive relationships extant between perception, meaning, context, and action that shape experiences of 'being' within complex systems. Complexity theory's connectionist orientation explains the relationships that are formative of the experience of being, while phenomenology explores the manifestations of these formative relationships by attending to the notion of 'being' itself.

CONCLUSION
The authors propose that an integrated framework, of phenomenology and complexity theory, can provide a platform for deeper understandings of the experiences of health professionals and contribute to healthcare scholarship.


Two studies examine differences in participants' moment-to-moment and retrospective evaluations of an experience depending on whether they are alone or in the presence of another person. Findings support our hypotheses that joint consumption leads to similar patterns or "coherence" in moment-to-moment evaluations and that greater coherence leads to more positive retrospective evaluations. We trace the emergence of coherence to processes of mimicry and emotional contagion in experiment 1 by comparing evaluations for pairs of participants who could see each other's expression with pairs who could not do so and in experiment 2 by coding participants' facial expressions and head movements for direct evidence of contagion.


This article tests whether variation in issue salience can explain the rise of the populist right in Western Europe. By taking a novel cross-country and cross-time approach at both the aggregate- and individual levels using panel data, I robustly demonstrate that the salience of immigration positively affects electoral support for the populist right. I also find, using a structural equation modeling approach, that the salience of immigration, in turn, is partially caused by immigration rates. I do not find evidence of a positive effect of the salience of the issues of crime, unemployment, the economy, or terrorism. I find evidence of a positive effect of the salience of Europe at the individual level, which is of a similar scale to immigration.


By-products from fruit industrialization retain nutritional and functional components; thus, they may find use in animal feeding. This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary fruit industrial by-products on the tilapias blood biochemical and oxidative parameters and on the composition and lipid peroxidation of their fillets. Four diets were supplied to the tilapias: a C-control diet, with no fruit meal, and three diets containing 5% of either acerola (ACM), apple (APM) or grape (GRM) meal. The phenolic compounds and the carotenoids in the meals and their antioxidant capacities were measured. Fish were weighed and measured for the calculation of the growth performance data, their blood was analyzed for health and oxidative status biomarkers and their fillets were analyzed for proximal composition and lipid peroxidation. Grape meal had the highest concentration of phenolics and carotenoids and the highest antioxidant activity, followed by acerola and apple meals. The productive performance was similar among the treatments. The fruit by-product diets either maintained or improved the biochemical biomarkers of health and improved the oxidative status of the fish. The fruit by-product diets increased the concentration of lipids in the fillets and slowed down the onset of the lipid peroxidation during frozen storage.


It is very important for elementary school students in sixth grades who are reaching the age of puberty to acquire right knowledge and desirable attitude toward sex so that can overcome psychological instability caused by physical growth, be responsible for their behaviors and lead happy lives. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out the effects of sex educatin in the population of primary school students. The subjects of this study were 767 six-grades in one private and two public elementary school in Seoul. The research tool was a questionnairebased on a literature review. The sex education given to the subjects included 50 minutes lecture. The research methodology included data collection done before and the sex education was given to the subjects, to assess their knowledge of, and attitude toward sex, one week later after the sex education was given to assess change in knowledge of, and attitude to, sex. The data was analyzed through pc-SAS program. real numbers, percentage, 1-test, and ANOVA were utilized. The results of this study are as follows : 1. After sex education, the score of sixth grade elementary students' sex knowledge was higher than before(t=11.92, p=0.0001) 2. After sex education, the score of sixth grade elementary students' sex attitude was higher than before (t=2.08, p=0.0373). From the above findings, it can be said that sex education given to the children reaching the age of puberty significantly influences their knowledge of, and attitude toward. Therefore, for children to have the sound knowledge and positive attitude of sec, it is suggested that sex education should be included in their curriculum in order that systematic sex education be practiced.


Age and sociodemographic differentials in food patterns were examined in a probability sample of 372 households in a midwest metropolitan county. Two aspects of food patterns were delineated: food intake and eating patterns. Food intake was measured by the 24 hr recall method, and eating patterns by frequency of eating, skipping meals, and foods consumed shortly after rising. Meat was the only food consumed with recommended frequency by all age groups. Dairy products were reported with less than one-half the recommended frequency by all age groups over 35. The elderly consumed less milk, but more fruits and vegetables, and more breads and cereals than younger groups. The aged reported fewer eating episodes on the recall day, although they tended to skip fewer meals. Multiple regression analysis indicated that food intake and eating pattern differences by age remained when the effects of income, education, household compostion, and gender were controlled.


Although thymomas are the commonest neoplasms of the anterior mediastinum, distinction between benign and malignant thymomas is controversial on Fine needle aspiration biopsy. We present cytomorphological features of a case of invasive thymoma on computed tomographic guided fine needle aspiration cytology and its basis is discussed in light of current concepts of thymic tumours.


Anxiety and depression are more common among diabetic
patients than general population and can impact on
treatment. The aim of this study is to screen a random
selection of diabetic patients attending the diabetes clinic of
Shahid Mohammadi hospital, Iran for anxiety and depression.
100 patients were surveyed using a valid and reliable measure
for anxiety and depression. Data analyzed using SPSS 13
software. Prevalence of depression and anxiety was 50 and 67
percent respectively. Both depression and anxiety was more
common among female patients, those with type 2 diabetes
and those had at least one complication of diabetes. We
report a very high prevalence of anxiety and depression in
these patients. Routine assessment and treatment for anxiety
and depression is indicated. Further research on the reason
for the high incidence of depression in this patient group is warranted.


Purpose To observe the occurrence and influencing factors of the symptoms related to the digestive system of people at the early and middle stages of PD and of healthy controls (HCs) using a questionnaire. Method The questionnaire was given to 108 PD patients at early and middle stages. Twelve symptoms related to the digestive system, of which seven were listed on the Parkinson's Disease Non-Motor Symptom Scale (PD-NMSS) and the Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) (dysgeusia, dysphagia/choking, salivation, early satiety, constipation, loose stools, and fecal incontinence) and five symptoms used in the diagnosis and treatment of PD (loss of appetite, dry mouth, mouth pain, nausea and vomiting), were used. The questionnaire was also given to HCs. Results There was no significant difference in age, sex, height, weight, or body mass index (BMI) between the PD group and HCs. Of the 108 people at the early and middle stages of PD, the most common symptoms related to the digestive system were 64 cases of dry mouth (59.26%), 53 cases of constipation (49.07%), and 40 cases of dysgeusia (37.04%). Multivariate binary logistics regression revealed that dysgeusia (P < 0.001), dysphagia (P = 0.004), early satiety (P = 0.001), and constipation (P = 0.007) were more likely to occur in males. BMI, disease duration, and motor symptoms had no significant correlation with the symptoms related to the digestive system (P > 0.05 for all). Conclusions Dry mouth, constipation, dysgeusia, loss of appetite, early satiety, and dysphagia are the most common (and possibly characteristic symptoms) related to the digestive system in people at the early and middle stages of PD. Being male is a risk factor for dysgeusia, dysphagia, early satiety, and constipation.


A generalized Monte Carlo method for the solution of the Wigner transport equation in semiconductor devices is proposed. The theoretical approach is based on the Wigner transport equation describing the time evolution of our electron-phonon system, and the Monte Carlo procedure is based on an iterative expansion of such an equation in powers of the various interaction coupling constants. In addition to a fully coherent description of the electron dynamics, the proposed approach allows us, in principle, to introduce in a quantum framework all the various interaction processes, such as electron-phonon, electron-impurity, and electron-electron scattering. Furthermore, boundary conditions, and therefore open systems, can be considered, as required for the analysis of semiconductor devices. Some numerical results are presented for a biased double-barrier structure with electron-phonon interaction.


Abstract Context: Bitter taste, as well as dissolve time, presents a significant challenge for the acceptability of formulations for oral transmucosal drug delivery. Objective: To characterize a novel sublingual tablet formulation of buprenorphine/naloxone with regards to pharmacokinetics, dissolve time and formulation acceptability. Methods: Dry mixing techniques were employed to produce a small and fast dissolving buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablet formulation, OX219 (Zubsolv®), using sucralose and menthol as sweetener and flavor to mask the bitter taste of the active ingredients. Two cross-over studies were performed in healthy volunteers to evaluate pharmacokinetics, dissolve time and acceptability of OX219 5.7/1.4 mg tablets compared to the commercially available buprenorphine/naloxone formulations Suboxone® tablets and films (8/2 mg). Results: Buprenorphine exposure was equivalent in OX219 and Suboxone tablets. Sublingual dissolve times were significantly shorter for OX219 than for Suboxone tablets and were similar to Suboxone films. The OX219 formulation received significantly higher subjective ratings for taste and overall acceptability than both Suboxone formulations. OX219 was preferred over Suboxone tablet and film formulations by 77.4% and 88.9% of subjects, respectively. Conclusions: A sublingual tablet formulation with an improved acceptability has been successfully developed.


Since we have found that conventional methods of dentin apposition measurements are inaccurate, we have devised a three dimensional model. This model allows the investigator to measure dentin apposition volumetrically, and simultaneously consider odontoblast activity and the geometric relationships which influence the configuration of the dentin.


It has been an old argument that Business Corporation is a legal entity, a separate entity, and separate from the owner. It has a blanket to protect itself from being sued. The corporate veil has been used as a shield to protect itself from prosecution. With such protection, how can it be morally responsible for its actions? Moral responsibility is only applied to humans, not to any other things. However, this paper will argue otherwise. Based on paper reviews, it is found that one of the requirements in determining moral responsibility is the presence or the absence of knowledge and free will in a certain act. Such requirement clearly strengthen the idea that a corporation, though it is a separate entity from the owner may not completely out of hand, wash its hands and can just do what it wants but it has to be also guided by moral standards and take moral responsibility to its immoral actions. The reason is that a corporation as an entity is still composed of rational beings that have the knowledge and free will in pursuing their objectives. Therefore, when things go wrong in the corporation, it is not only individual employees who committed the crime are taking the moral blame but also the corporation as a whole including the owner.


The lattice deformation strain dependence of the invariant plane (IP) condition at the habit plane, and the kinematic compatibility (KC) condition at the interface between habit plane variants (HPVs), were numerically analyzed in the cubic-orthorhombic martensitic transformation. The IP condition can be satis ed in a limited region of the principal component space of the lattice deformation. The KC condition at the averaged junction plane between HPVs can be satis ed in only the six types of HPV pairs classi ed in our previous study, provided the IP condition at the habit plane is satis ed. Furthermore, three of the six types of HPV pairs can form a fully compatible junction plane as long as the IP condition is satis ed. The kinds of interfaces that can be kinematically compatible in the six morphologies are invariant against the lattice parameters when the IP condition at the habit plane is maintained. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2015456]


4. Topical Reports During the months following the Workshop, each of the 8 topical groups completed a report. Authored by the co-chairs (with feedback from key members of their group), its purpose was to capture the sense and insights of the working group. The length and substance of the reports was left to the discretion of the co-chairs, with the following core instruction: capture the motivation and insights behind the statements/bullets, using a structured narrative that could be 3-10 pages in length (the majority ended up 6 pages). Since the purpose was to capture the 9 hours of time spent on the given topical area by a diverse team of experts, in preparing their report, the co-chairs were not given access to the summary results (which were evolving during the same time period). All reports were lightly edited, in two ways: to create a level of uniformity in organization and style, and to reorder the presentation (and numbering scheme) of the statements/bullets based on the rank-ordering by all participants (but without changing the actual discussion). Of note is that often only a prioritized subset of the bullets within a certain category (e.g., barriers) could be presented to the assembled group on the last day (Friday); in such cases the only documentation of the bullet is then within the respective report. Each report stands on its own as a useful document, and these reports represent one of the key contributions of this Workshop.


Fishers have a considerable knowledge about how fish stocks behave; knowledge that is difficult to acquire in other ways. Short-term fisher tactics employed on trip by trip basis can change significantly due to their targeting behaviour, which in turn can lead to changes in catch composition and production output. A stochastic distance function was used to examine a Mediterranean pelagic fleet's technical efficiency and fishers' ability to modulate their targeting behaviour. The purse seine fleet operated under increasing returns to scale, suggesting that the larger vessels could potentially amplify their short-term profitability by increasing the levels of inputs and harvests. Production was mainly joint, yet the possibility for limited substitution between species existed. The observed fishers' targeting behaviour was dissimilar between fleet segments due to differences in fishing effort and vessel characteristics, with larger vessels able to modify their revenue more than smaller ones. The estimated differences between the two fleet segments could be important in designing effective management regimes aimed at reducing resource overexploitation through individual input controls.


Abstract:Australian asylum records (circa 1860 to circa 1945) demonstrate that medical staff went to great lengths to provide recreation to suitable patients. This article examines how the demarcation of Australian institutional spaces along gender divisions was also mirrored by the gender-specific recreational activities provided in purpose-built facilities. Using Australian examples I demonstrate how the main forms of recreation--that is divine service, music and dance, and sport--were justified to governments on medical grounds. Some designated recreational spaces even offered select female and male patients the opportunity to mix under medical supervision. Recreation was therapeutic because of its psychological, physical, social, and moral benefits, and government authorities funded the construction of costly chapels, recreation halls, and sports grounds expressly for this medical purpose.


The quality of life is considerably impaired in patients on regular hemodialysis has been changed. It is difficult to determine it because there are no general definitions or measuring instruments. There are objective and subjective components of the quality of life, one among them being occupational ability. During the progression of chronic renal disease (CRD) to terminal renal failure (TRF) physical activity of the patients becomes poorer. In this stage, their physical activity is by 40-60% below the value expected for the same healthy age cohort. The intention of this analysis was to determine occupational ability in patients on regular hemodialysis. The analysis included 161 patients on hemodialysis, 78 (48.5%) female and 83 (51.5%) male, mean age 61.2 +/- 13.1 years, and mean time on hemodialysis was 54 +/- 71.9 months. All patients filled-out a self-administered questionnaire on schooling and occupational ability. The cause of TRF was glomerulonephritis in 45 (26.8%), diabetes mellitus in 42 (26.3%), nephrosclerosis in 26 (16.1%), and pyelonephritis in 12 (7.4%) patients. Age distribution was as follows: 0-19 years 1 patient, 20-44 years 14 (8.7%); 45-64 years 64 (39.8%) and 65 years 82 (50.9%) patients. Educational structure: elementary school 65 (40.4%), secondary school 79 (49.1%), college 10 (6.2%), and university 6 (3.7%) patients. Occupational structure: retired 123 (76.4%), housekeeper 20 (12.4%), never employed 4 (2.5%), employed 10 (6.2%), unemployed 2 (1.2%), 1 child and 1 student. Among employed patients there were 7 men and 3 women. Their educational level was as follow: elementary school 1 patient, secondary school 8 patients, college 1 patient. At the beginning of hemodialysis their occupational status was: full-time employment 30 (18.6%) patients, part-time employment 1 patient, longer time on sick-leave payment (3.1%), retired 95 (59%), pupils and students 3, unemployed 2, and 1 child did not attended school. Time interval between the beginning of hemodialysis and retirement was: less than 1 year work 13 (36.1%) patients, 1-2 year work 6 (16.7%), three year work 2 patients, more than 8 year work 2 patients, and 10 year work only 3 patients, for 14, 18 and 26 years each. Two patients lost their job for employer bankruptcy. The judgment of patients regarding their occupational ability was as follows: out of 161 patients, 23 (14.3%) felt fit for work, 12 on full-time and 11 on part-time basis. Occupationally incapable were 46.6% of patients, and 63 felt unable to take care of another person. Some kind of additional activity, like working in garden or taking care of children was reported by 26 patients. The aforementioned results showed that 22.4% of the patients were occupationally active at the time of starting hemodialysis. Many patients were retired after hemodialysis had started. Only 6.2% of hemodialysis patients were occupationally active although 14.3% felt occupationally capable. The main reasons for such a low level of employment were advanced age, diminished physical activity due to the disease, and difficulties associated with the socioeconomic situation in the country.