Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of bronchoscopic cryotherapy(CO2)combined with argon knife for treating tuberculosis(TB)airway stenosis.Methods 150 cases of TB airway stenosis in our department from March 2010 to June 2013 were selected and divided into 3groups according to the hospitalization order:the control group 1,control group 2and the study group.The 3groups were treated by anti-TB drugs,aerosol inhalation,topical injection of drugs;the control group 1(50cases)was given the argon knife therapy;the control group 2(50cases)was given the cryotherapy;the study group(50cases)was treated with bronchoscopic interventional cryotherapy combined with argon knife.The total course of treatment was 6months.The clinical effects in 3groups were performed the comparative analysis.Results The relief rate after treatment in the study group was 94.0%,which was significantly superior to 70.0% and 64.0%in the control group 1and 2,the differences among them showed the statistical significance(P0.05).Meanwhile,the tracheal internal diameter and FEV1/FVC values in the study group were significantly improved compared with the control group 1and 2,the difference had statistical significance(P0.05).Conclusion The bronchoscopic cryotherapy combined with argon knife has better clinical effect for treating tuberculosis airway stenosis,at the same time has high safety without serious complications and with high clinical promotion value.


It is my conviction that the quality and timing of the AGU meetings would be much improved if each speaker were to rehearse his talk before colleagues. Such a rehearsal would improve the content, emphasis, and presentation of the talk and would also help to optimize informationtransfer at the meeting. Rehearsal is, in fact, the verbal counterpart of the editorial process.

Authors submitting manuscripts to journals are willing that their drafts undergo editorial scrutiny, so by analogy, authors ought to be willing to rehearse their talks. A step in this direction would be to include a statement in each Call for Papers to the following effect: 'The submission of an abstract to AGU constitutes a commitment by the author(s) that, in the event of acceptance, the speaker will rehearse the talk before colleagues.'


Ocean currents contain a remarkable amount of kinetic energy and have potential worldwide capability. Initial tests to harness current power focus on the Straits of Florida where the Florida Current has a total flow capacity of about 30 × 106 m3 s−1 . Generation of clean electricity from ocean currents off southeast Florida is based on a power extractor comprised by open-center turbine technology. This innovative turbine provides safe passage for fish and other aquatic species. The water-column array of energy production units (EPUs) will have a 350 km2 footprint, based on a 600 m (10 rotor diameters) downstream separation distance between EPUs with a lateral separation of 400 m. Water depths for the EPU field are in the range of 100 to 500 m. With such a large area of water column and benthic habitat utilized, environmental concerns must be overcome, including routing of transmission lines to shore. Risks and vulnerabilities of the proposed ocean current generated electricity include failure of individual EPUs and damage to sensitive coastal marine environments during installation.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


AIM
This paper is a report of a study to explore the nature of military nursing in an environment of war, in particular the union of personal, professional and organizational tenets and to identify the actual or potential effect this had on the nursing role in this unique environment.

BACKGROUND
The history of nursing is intrinsically linked with war. There is an irony to this relationship. Active involvement with military activities has provided a vehicle in which nursing has developed, albeit through fostering war, which itself destroys health and contravenes the ethos of nursing. Military nurses, one would assume, are able to reconcile the dichotomy existing between their caring role and being a member of an organization associated with conflict.

METHODS
A grounded theory design was adopted and the data were collected from 1999 to 2002 using a series of in-depth interviews and focus group with of 24 military nurses.

FINDINGS
Three categories were identified: 'It's Just Different Levels', 'That Double Hat' and 'It's Who We Are!' The first illustrates the reality of conflict. 'That Double Hat' outlines the military nurses dual role: those of caring and the military. 'It's Who We Are!' demonstrates the transition from nurse-to-warrior. These integrate to create the core category: 'Caring for War: Transition to Warrior'.

CONCLUSION
The symbiotic relationship of carer and warrior arises as a consequence of strategies used by military nurses to embrace their dual role. Further research is needed to explore the essence of the caring role within a conflict zone from military and civilian perspectives.


The stripe phase in high Tc cuprates is modeled as a single stripe coupled to the RVB spin liquid background by the single particle hopping process. In normal state, the strong pairing correlation inherent in RVB state is thus transfered into the Luttinger stripe and drives it toward spin-gap formation described by Luther-Emery Model. The establishment of global phase coherence in superconducting state contributes to a more relevant coupling to
Luther-Emery Stripe and leads to gap opening in both spin and charge sectors. Physical consequences of the present picture are discussed, and emphasis is put on the unification of different energy scales relevant to cuprates, and good agreement is found with the available experimental results, especially in ARPES.


With the advancements in ubiquitous computing, ubicomp technology has deeply spread into our daily lives, including office work, home and house-keeping, health management, transportation, or even urban living environments. Furthermore, beyond the initial metrics commonly applied in computing, such as "efficiency" and "productivity", the benefits that people (users) get from well-being-aware ubiquitous technology have been greatly emphasized in the recent years. Through the fifth "WellComp" (Computing for Well-being) workshop, we will discuss and debate the contribution of ubiquitous computing towards users' well-being covering both physical, mental, and social wellness (and the combinations thereof), from the viewpoints of various different layers of computing. Organized by a diverse international team of ubicomp researchers, WellComp 2022 will bring together researchers and practitioners from both academia and industry to explore versatile topics related to well-being and ubiquitous computing.


We investigate the antiferromagnetic (AF) order in the d-wave superconducting (SC) state at high magnetic fields. A two-dimensional model with on-site repulsion U, inter-site attractive interaction V and antiferromagnetic exchange interaction J is solved using mean field theory. For finite values of U and J, a first order transition occurs from the normal state to the FFLO state, while the FFLO-BCS phase transition is second order, consistent with the experimental results in CeCoIn5. Although the BCS-FFLO transition is continuous, the Neel temperature of AF order is discontinuous at the phase boundary because the AF order in the FFLO state is induced by the Andreev bound state localized in the zeros of FFLO order parameter, while the AF order hardly occurs in the uniform BCS state. The spatial structure of the magnetic moment is investigated for the commensurate AF state as well as for the incommensurate AF state. The influence of the spin fluctuations is discussed for both states. Since the fluctuations are enhanced in the normal state for incommensurate AF order, this AF order can be confined in the FFLO state. The experimental results in CeCoIn5 are discussed.


Developing mixed-signal analog-digital neuromorphic circuits in advanced scaled processes poses significant design challenges. We present compact and energy efficient sub-threshold analog synapse and neuron circuits, optimized for a 28 nm FD-SOI process, to implement massively parallel large-scale neuromorphic computing systems. We describe the techniques used for maximizing density with mixed-mode analog/digital synaptic weight configurations, and the methods adopted for minimizing the effect of channel leakage current, in order to implement efficient analog computation based on pA-nA small currents. We present circuit simulation results, based on a new chip that has been recently taped out, to demonstrate how the circuits can be useful for both low-frequency operation in systems that need to interact with the environment in real-time, and for high-frequency operation for fast data processing in different types of spiking neural network architectures.


With the recent increase in Gold (Au) wire cost Copper (Cu) wire becomes an attractive way to manage overall package cost. On the other hand, Copper wire bonding introduces much higher mechanical impact to underlying BEoL structures and actives because of the higher stiffness and lower ductility of Copper compared to Gold. These trends are accompanied by the application of new porous or nano-particle filled materials like low-k and ultra low-k materials for Back-end of Line (BEoL) layers of advanced CMOS technologies. As a result, higher delamination and cracking risks in BEoL structures underneath bonded areas represent an increasing challenge for the thermo-mechanical reliability requirements. To overcome the related reliability issues the authors performed a two level nonlinear FEM-simulation approach. Initially nonlinear axisymmetric modeling and simulation of the copper bonding process are coupled with a spatial simulation model of the whole BeoL and bond pad structure. Cracking and delamination risks are estimated by a surface based cohesive contact approach and the utilization of a crushing foam constitutive material model for ultra low-k materials.


Realist methodologies have been increasingly advocated for the investigation of complex social issues. Public health programs, such as those designed to prevent adolescent risk behavior, are typically considered complex. In conducting a realist review of the empirical literature relating to such programs, we encountered several challenges, including (a) an overabundance of empirical evidence, (b) a problematic level of heterogeneity within and between methodological approaches, (c) discrepancies between theoretical underpinnings and program operationalization, (d) homogeneity of program outcomes, with very little variation in program effectiveness, and (d) a paucity of description relating to content and process. To overcome these challenges, we developed a customized approach to realist evidence synthesis, drawing on the VICTORE (Volition, Implementation, Contexts, Time, Outcomes, Rivalry, and Emergence) complexity checklist and incorporating stakeholder engagement as primary data to achieve greater depth of understanding relating to contextual and mechanistic factors, and the complex interactions between them. Here we discuss the benefits of this adapted methodology alongside an overview of the research through which the methodology was developed. A key finding from this research was that combining the complexity checklist with primary data from stakeholder engagement enabled us to systematically interrogate the data across data sources, uncovering and evidencing mechanisms which may otherwise have remained hidden, giving greater ontological depth to our research findings. This paper builds on key methodological developments in realist research, demonstrating how realist methodologies can be customized to overcome challenges in developing and refining program theory from the literature, and contributes to the broader literature of innovative approaches to realist research.


The thesis reports the first examples of Reissert compounds prepared
from the benzimidazole ring system; the first examples of
monocyclic five-membered ring Reissert compounds; and an
exploration of the chemistry of these compounds. The key procedure
for their formation utilizes trimethylsilyl cyanide in a single-phase
non-aqueous medium. Previous attempts to synthesize five-membered
ring Reissert compounds have failed because, under the
conventional two-phase conditions, the reaction either does not
proceed or ring opening of the heterocycle occurs.
The reactions of benzimidazole with an acid chloride (aliphatic,
aromatic or chloroformate), trimethylsilyl cyanide and a Lewis acid
catalyst in dichloromethane has been shown to give rise to 1,3-bisacyl-2-cyano-2,3-dihydrobenzimidazoles in yields of 69–90%. Eight
such novel Reissert compounds have been prepared and have been shown
to be versatile in the modification of the heterocyclic ring system.
Analogous reactions with N-alkylbenzimidazoles did not give Reissert
compounds: use of aroyl chlorides gave only aroyl cyanides; use of
chloroformates unexpectedly provided a new direct route to 2-cyanobenzimidazoles. [Continues.]


Electric currents induced in conductive planetary interiors by time‐varying magnetospheric and ionospheric current systems have a significant effect on electromagnetic (EM) field observations. Complete characterization of EM induction effects is difficult owing to nonlinear interactions between the three‐dimensional electrical structure of a planet and spatial complexity of inducing current systems. We present, a general framework for time‐domain modeling of three‐dimensional EM induction effects in heterogeneous conducting planets. Our approach does not assume that the magnetic field is potential, allows for an arbitrary distribution of electrical conductivity within a planet, and can deal with spatially complex time‐varying current systems. The method is applicable to both data measured at stationary observation sites and satellite platforms, and enables the calculation of three‐dimensional EM induction effects in near real‐time settings.


This study analyzes the type of subjectivity of married women who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides basic data on clothing development that can provide satisfaction to the physical comfort and appearance of pregnant women by understanding the conditions necessary for maternity wear design. This study used Q methodology. The type of recognition for maternity wear was classified into three types and explained 90.88% of total variance. Type 1 was comfort and activities style-oriented. They preferred the A-line shape with a size adjustable style and elastic material. In addition, they preferred designs using details such as wrinkles. Type 2 was a fitted body and modern style-oriented. It was analyzed that they prefer a pants style that is close to the body in a simple and modern style of monotone. Type 3 held a lot of space and was cute styleoriented. They preferred cute dress style along with a maternity suit that could cover the hip and abdomen. Maternity wear design is necessary to develop various designs considering preferences because it is classified into types that emphasize comfort, types that emphasize modernity that is close to the body, and styles that emhasize cute styles.


ABSTRACT Maqui ( Aristotelia chilensis ) is an edible berry native to Southern Chile. The anthocyanin profiles and concentrations of this fruit have been widely studied. The high concentration of anthocyanins confers a deep colour to the skin and pulp of maqui berries, and the biological activity of this fruit has been attributed to these compounds. However, other compounds such as flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives in this fruit have not been studied to date.The objective was to determine the hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and flavonol profiles in maqui berries in order expand the knowledge base for this fruit.Two extraction methodologies (solid phase extraction using a mixed mode cation exchange cartridge and selective precipitation), followed by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS were applied to the extraction and identification of the main hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols in the berries. Quantification was accomplished by using the first extraction procedure. Low levels of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were detected in maqui berries, where 5-galloylquinic acid was the only quantifiable derivative. However, diverse and high levels of flavonols were detected in the fruit, the most relevant of which are myricetin-galactoside, quercetin-rutinoside, and quercetin-3-galactoside. Nineteen other flavonols were identified, with total concentrations between 1.05 and 1.18 µmol/g fresh weight.The diversity of flavonols makes the profiles and concentrations of these compounds significant, whereas hydroxycinnamic acids in maqui are not significant. The comparatively high levels of flavonols combined with the high concentration of anthocyanins contribute to the consideration of this native fruit from Chile as a "superfruit".


Novel idea of hierarchical visual cryptography is stated in this paper. The key concept of hierarchical visual cryptography is based upon visual cryptography. Visual cryptography encrypts secret information into two pieces called as shares. These two shares are stacked together by logical XOR operation to reveal the original secret. Hierarchical visual cryptography encrypts the secret in various levels. The encryption in turn is expansionless. The original secret size is retained in the shares at all levels. In this paper secret is encrypted at two different levels. Four shares are generated out of hierarchical visual cryptography. Any three shares are collectively taken to form the key share. All shares generated are meaningless giving no information by visual inspection. Performance analysis is also obtained based upon various categories of secrets. The greying effect is completely removed while revealing the secret Removal of greying effect do not change the meaning of secret.


Developmental Aspects in the Early Detection and Intervention in Clinical High Risk States for Psychosis The early detection and intervention in psychoses, which are a main source of disability-adjusted life years already in children and adolescents, have made good progress within the past years. In particular the attenuated and transient positive symptoms of the ultra-high risk criteria and the basic symptom criterion "Cognitive Disturbances" open promising routes to an indicated prevention and have recently been considered as diagnostic criteria of a psychosis-risk syndrome by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA). However, because their association with a development of psychosis has been weaker in children and adolescents than in adults, only the assessment and monitoring of these risk symptoms was recommended for children and adolescents, while interventions aiming at the prevention of psychoses were discouraged. Furthermore, treatment of comorbid current mental disorders and psychosocial problems over the prevention of a potential future disorder also characterizes the intervention recommendations of the EPA. Furthermore, these give primacy to psychological, in particular cognitive-behavioral interventions over psychopharmacological treatments. Yet, also with regard to an early intervention, current evidence indicates that children and adolescents might benefit less than adults. Overall, age-related or developmental peculiarities in the early detection and intervention in psychoses become more and more apparent and should be more focused in future research in this field.


: Cementoblastoma is a rare odontogenic tumor that tends to occur in the jaws of young people. It is most commonly characterized by a circumscribed radiopaque mass attached to the tooth roots and rimmed by a radiolucent zone. To our knowledge, few reports have documented an increase in the size of this tumor. We studied a cementoblastoma arising in the mandibular left first molar of a 13-year-old girl and analyzed the growth of this tumor on computed tomography. During a period of 5 months, the tumor diameter increased by about 4 mm, and the volume increased from 6.484 cm 3 to 11.955 cm 3 .


Problem Statement: The evolution of software is made difficult by the need to integrate new features with all previously implemented features in software applications. Approach: present study introduced a general-purpose, platform-independent object-oriented design metric plug-in framework called jmetric intended to help building scalable, extendable object-oriented design metric plug-ins. jmetric seeks to address problem by providing the plug-in developer a structured way to separately develop and incrementally integrate independent object-oriented design metrics as plug-ins to a domain specific object-oriented design metrics framework. jmetric was engineered to provide functional building blocks to accelerate the adding, removing and updating of object-oriented design metric plug-ins in tools such as Eclipse, JDeveloper, NetBeans, JBuilder and other Java-based tools. Dependency injection is heavily used in jmetric to accelerate the adding, removing and updating of object-oriented metrics plug-ins. We studied several commonly used integrated development environments and software metrics tools to identify the extendibility of the tools to provide additional object-oriented design metric functionalities as plug-ins. Results: We demonstrate a tool called jmetric tool that had developed as a reference implementation to validate the plug-in capabilities of jmetric. Conclusion: Extending other tools such as Eclipse, JDeveloper and NetBeans to include metric functionalities is possible by wiring plug-ins through dependency injection mechanism in jmetric.


While modernism with its principles lying in reason and metanarratives was commended for rationalism and absolute truth yielded in science and technology, postmodernism rejects scientific achievements which have brought both benefits and disasters to life and widened social stratification. It describes a rejection of such fundamental Western philosophies as Euro-centricism, metaphysics, authoritarianism and domination. It denies the existence of objective knowledge, the consistence of the self and rationalism. On the one hand, the reality we live in is said to be full of holes with scientific establishments with which scientists have created for a better life, and on the other in views of ethics many of us have become skeptical about the unique existence of truth. Higher education no longer seeks the unity of culture and consensus of communal communication, but accepts to challenge itself to criticisms and to swim in global competition flows. Knowledge from universities which has both lost its ivory power and broken its science-exclusive preserving border becomes functional when students aim to ingest what they want to ingest as they find it useful for their global civic participation. Universities must consequently become a pioneering cradle in the production of new knowledge for society and human beings, and they are mandated to provide global-adaptive knowledge to global moving students. While modernist education tried to educate students for citizenship and fixed jobs, postmodernist education is believed to train them for uncomfortable uncertainties and the ability to live with chaos. Postmodernism changes our mindset. It changes higher education.


LOCAL GASTRIC HYPOTHERMIA has been employed successfully for control of massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a variety of pathological conditions. The beneficial effects derived from this form of management in massive, uncontrolled hemorrhage from duodenal ulcer have been especially gratifying. Bleeding gastric lesions also have responded to this form of therapy, but less uniformly. 1 Previous experiments have shown that local gastric hypothermia results in a 66% decrease in gastric blood flow. 2,3 Marked decreases in the rate of gastric secretion and in the digestive activity of the gastric juice secreted also have been observed. 2,4-6 Despite accumulating knowledge, the mechanism of control and arrest of hemorrhage from ulcers of the duodenum remains obscure. Gastric secretion and the digestive activity of the juice are markedly inhibited at all temperatures below 30 C (86 F), but temperatures of 8 to 10 C (46.4 to 50 F) are required for


CONTEXT
Intestinal transplant has become a standard treatment option in the management of patients with irreversible intestinal failure. The histologic evaluation of small-bowel allograft biopsy specimens plays a central role in assessing the integrity of the graft. It is essential for the management of acute cellular and chronic rejection; detection of infections, particularly with respect to specific viruses (cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus); and immunosuppression-related lymphoproliferative disease.

OBJECTIVE
To provide a comprehensive review of the literature and illustrate key histologic findings in small-bowel biopsy specimen evaluation of patients with small-bowel or multivisceral transplants.

DATA SOURCES
Literature review using PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) and data obtained from national and international transplant registries in addition to case material at Columbia University, Presbyterian Hospital, and Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York.

CONCLUSIONS
Key to the success of small-bowel transplantation and multivisceral transplantation are the close monitoring and appropriate clinical management of patients in the posttransplant period, requiring coordinated input from all members of the transplant team with the integration of clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic parameters.


Pelvic angiography was analyzed in 24 patients with malignant trophoblastic disease. Abnormal findings such as prominent uterine arteries, hypervascularity of the uterus, arteriovenous shunts, tumor staining and pooling were observed. Translucency was observed in all patients with choriocarcinoma. This finding was observed in only 3 of 11 patients (27.3%) with invasive mole and was not apparent in patients with an undetermined group. These differences were statistically significant. Translucency of pelvic angiography in malignant trophoblastic disease was more suggestive of choriocarcinoma than of invasive mole. Thus, translucency in pelvic angiography may be a distinctive finding with which to differentiate choriocarcinoma from invasive mole, without resection of the uterus.


A semisubmersible-type bucket ladder dredge is a candidate to satisfy the need of the Indonesian tin mining company, PT Timah, to recover tin deposits in water depths of 50 m and deeper. Their current vessel is a barge-type bucket ladder dredge capable of operating in depths shallower than only 30 m. In order to evaluate the dredging capabiilty in 50 m water depth, a dynamic analysis of both semisubmersible-type and barge-type bucket ladder dredges was conducted. The vessel was designed by modifying an existing semisubmersible platform used in the oil and gas industry, while the barge-type used is a conventional bucket ladder dredge. Hydrodynamic coefficients, wave forces, and response amplitude operators (RAOs) of both vessels were computed by using the 3D linear diffraction-radiation software WAMIT. The response spectra of the vessels were obtained in head, quarter, and beam seas of sea state 4. The effect of mooring stiffness was also investigated. Besides modeling the system with low stiffness, such as a catenary mooring, the dynamic analysis was also conducted for the free-floating condition. Finally, the motion performance for the two vessels was compared for various sea conditions, and it is shown that the semisubmersible-type bucket ladder dredge performs better with smaller responses in the selected sea conditions expected in water depths greater than 50 m.


As artificial intelligence is increasingly affecting all parts of society and life, there is growing recognition that human interpretability of machine learning models is important. It is often argued that accuracy or other similar generalization performance metrics must be sacrificed in order to gain interpretability. Such arguments, however, fail to acknowledge that the overall decision-making system is composed of two entities: the learned model and a human who fuses together model outputs with his or her own information. As such, the relevant performance criteria should be for the entire system, not just for the machine learning component. In this work, we characterize the performance of such two-node tandem data fusion systems using the theory of distributed detection. In doing so, we work in the population setting and model interpretable learned models as multi-level quantizers. We prove that under our abstraction, the overall system of a human with an interpretable classifier outperforms one with a black box classifier.


Hollandite-type compounds are showed with chemical formula as AxMxM' 8-xO16. In A-site enter to alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. In M-site enter to divalent or trivalent metal, and in M'-site enter to tetravalent metal ion. Metal-oxygen octahedron builds onedimensional (1-D) tunnel taken along c-axis. The 1-D tunnel has cavity and bottle neck, and it is known that A-site will be settled in each cavity. In this study, the condition of guest ion sites of K1.88Ga1.88Sn6.12O16 was examined by single X-ray diffraction from 293K to 93K. And, the refinement used the following resiraint conditions; (a) full occupation at the metal site in a host structure, (b) charge neutrality in a whole crystal, (c) exist two K2-site (0, 0, z) shifted from cavity center <K1-site (0, 0, 0.5)> for one vacancy [1]. In refinement of K1.88Ga1.88Sn6.12O16 at 293K and 223K, the ADPs (Atomic Displacement Parameters) and the site occupation were optimized by using these restraint conditions. On the other hands, in refinement at 173K, 130K and 93K, the atomic coordinate of K1-site had to shift from cavity center for optimization. Furthermore, it was shown that the site occupation of K2-site increases from a theoretical value. Therefore, the newly following constraint conditions were introduced for optimizing refinement; (a') K2-site (0, 0, z) is the guest ion site which adjacent to vacancy, (b') the guest ion site next to K2-site is K3-site (0, 0, z'), and (c') other guest ion sites in cavity center are K1-site. By using these equations it was showed the degradation of ADPs and reliability factor of guest ion site. From these results, it was thought that two or more guest ion sites near vacancy would shift from cavity center. Reference [1] Y, Michiue, Acta.Cryst. B63 (2007) 577-583.


This paper proposes a method for teaching a first-year course in computer science using graphicsbased problems as the teaching medium. Specifically, we present a method for instruction in programming using a semester-long project of developing a ray tracer. This effort is part of a larger project, known as , in which a broad range of undergraduate courses are taught using computer graphics as the motivating application. An overview of this project is provided, along with description and results from the first trial CS2 course instructed using this technique.


Relational learning is becoming increasingly important in many areas of application. Here, we present a novel approach to relational learning based on the factorization of a three-way tensor. We show that unlike other tensor approaches, our method is able to perform collective learning via the latent components of the model and provide an efficient algorithm to compute the factorization. We substantiate our theoretical considerations regarding the collective learning capabilities of our model by the means of experiments on both a new dataset and a dataset commonly used in entity resolution. Furthermore, we show on common benchmark datasets that our approach achieves better or on-par results, if compared to current state-of-the-art relational learning solutions, while it is significantly faster to compute.


THIS useful edition of what its editors claim as 'incomparably the best book of Latin epigrams in the sixteenth century' (what of George Buchanan?) is based on the 1520 issue, printed at Basel from a copy, imperfectly corrected by More himself, of the second Basel print of 1518, which derived mainly from manuscripts not revised by More. They correct the 1520 readings by those of 1518, or by More's manuscripts where relevant, and even by a Greek original (Ep. 2:4). At Ep. I, line 165, they print, with Basel, Eloquio foccunda cui Cornelia cedat: but More's presentation manuscript has facunda, surely preferable in view of Ep. 125, where he says of Cornelia (175-6) Nee profuit minus Magistra quam parens, and recommends erudite loquacity as a wifely virtue. (He cultivated it in his daughters.) Foecunda seems to be a misprint overlooked by More. To correct others, at Ep. 17. 2 read nato for the unmetrical nata; Ep. 248. 38 uidear; 250. 13 Upidissimus • Append. 1. 2. 12 scelerum; App. 2. 2. 10 pauca. The translations are mainly correct, and often happy, but offer odd errors: e.g. at App. 2. 7 Desine morari, et caelo meditare morari the authors render by 'Cease to delay, and contemplate staying in heaven', missing the long and short of the pun; while Moraris si sit spes tibi longa morandi (it lacks a half-foot) is ill turned by 'You delay, in case your expectation of staying be extended'. At Ep. 1. 113-17 they miss the reference to Henry VIII's debt-remission, translating Nominibus populus multis obnoxius omnis Regi erat as 'The whole people used to be, on many counts, exposed to danger from the king': write ' . . . indebted to . . . ' . They paraphrase Omnibus ignouit as 'Our prince ignored this opportunity in every case.' Jgnosco and ignoro are confused at Ep. 249. 17, Nunc ignosco mei quod non monuere ministri, rendered 'Why my servants did not prompt me in this matter I do not know' (it means, 'Now I forgive my servants' not telling me'). At Ep. 1. 27 rependunt means 'compensate', not 'compare'; at 1. 103 prorsus descisceret is 'utterly losing character', not 'actually deserting'; at 1. 125 dempto satellite is not 'in the absence of sycophants', but (cf. Ep. 62. 10; 102; 222. 7) 'without a lifeguard'; at 57. 5 qua se metitur et ipsam means 'as it measures its own length', not 'even of its very essence'. As the authors usually note the saint's divergences from his originals, and his false quantities, one may add to their lists Ep. 25, where he renders j3oA/5oi» (not floXfSav), and Ep. 127, where porrectiores mistranslates fiaduAijious; while Ep. 246. 14 ends a pentameter impossibly with experimenta capit. The translations are inconveniently placed at the back, instead of opposite the Latin; the few appended notes refer to line-numbers, but the lines are not numbered.


In this article, we aim to extend the firefly algorithm (FA) to solve bound constrained mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problems. An exact penalty continuous formulation of the MINLP problem is used. The continuous penalty problem comes out by relaxing the integrality constraints and by adding a penalty term to the objective function that aims to penalize integrality constraint violation. Two penalty terms are proposed, one is based on the hyperbolic tangent function and the other on the inverse hyperbolic sine function. We prove that both penalties can be used to define the continuous penalty problem, in the sense that it is equivalent to the MINLP problem. The solutions of the penalty problem are obtained using a variant of the metaheuristic FA for global optimization. Numerical experiments are given on a set of benchmark problems aiming to analyze the quality of the obtained solutions and the convergence speed. We show that the firefly penalty-based algorithm compares favourably with the penalty algorithm when the deterministic DIRECT or the simulated annealing solvers are invoked, in terms of convergence speed.


Progress in charm physics has been prodigious over the last twenty years; it comes both from fixed target and collider experiments, and can guide us toward future investigations. To fully exploit the power of flavor physics, complications coming from strong dynamics effects have to be dealt with. The role of charm in the search for New Physics, the lessons learnt so far and warnings for the future are briefly discussed.


An automated classification technique is desirable to identify the different stages of sleep. In this paper a technique for differentiating the characteristics of each sleep phase has been developed. This is an ideal pre-processor stage for classifying systems such as neural networks. A wavelet based continuous Morlet transform was developed to analyse the EEG signal in both the time and frequency domain. Test results using two 100 epoch EEG test data sets from pre-recorded EEG data are presented. Key rhythms in the EEG signal were identified and classified using the continuous wavelet transform. The wavelet results indicated each sleep phase contained different rhythms and artefacts (noise from muscle movement in the EEG); providing proof that an EEG can be classified accordingly. The coefficients founded by the wavelet transform have been emphasised by statistical techniques. Hypothesis testing was used to highlight major differences between adjacent sleep stages. Various signal processing methods such as power spectrum density and the discrete wavelet transform have been used to emphasise particular characteristics in an EEG. By implementing signal processing methods on an EEG data set specific rules for each sleep stage have been developed suitable for a neural network classification solution.


This thesis investigates the growth dynamics of Escherichia coli bacteria in the presence of cell wall-targeting antibiotics, using experiments and mathematical modelling in order to understand quantitatively how these antibiotics interact with growing bacterial cells. In the experiments E. coli were grown in various growth media (which result in different growth rates), with a range of antibiotic concentrations. Measurements of optical density and viable colony counts revealed complex growth medium-dependent inhibition dynamics for the different antibiotics, contrary to the "standard" picture that cell wall-targeting antibiotics are more effective against fast growing bacteria. Complementary microscopy analysis suggested a strong correlation between the antibiotic mechanism of action and changes in cell morphology, and consequently the population's inhibition dynamics. To link the mechanism of antibiotic action to bacterial population dynamics, a mathematical model is presented, guided by the experiments. The model is able to reproduce the inhibition dynamics and morphological changes observed in the presence of mecillinam and aztreonam. The model's robustness and generality is tested by applying it to other growth conditions, to other antibiotics such as fosfomycin, and to combinations of antibiotics. The model performs very well, capturing many of the inhibition dynamics and morphology changes as observed experimentally, as well as testing different hypotheses for the mechanism triggering division in E. coli. In summary this thesis presents a unified experimental and theoretical approach to understanding the effects of cell wall-targeting antibiotics on growing bacterial cells.


The article is devoted to consideration of the problem of long-term development of transport under the conditions of uncertainty, which is a fundamental feature of the conditions of human activity. The objectives are to reveal the specifics of the «path dependence» in the field of transport, to show the fundamental nature of the problem of uncertainty of human activity and its special significance for development of transport, to propose a methodological basis for mitigating the problem of uncertainty in the long-term development of transport.While achieving the objectives, it is shown using historical analysis that the development of transport systems forms a specific kind of «path dependence», having a significant long-term impact on the future of not only transport itself, but also on other sectors of the economy, as well as on the development of demographic and other social processes.The location of the population, the development of production capacities, the choice of places of recreation are adapted to the existing transportation network. The decisions regarding location of transport infrastructure, the configuration of transport networks, the use of various technical solutions significantly influence the future of the transport itself.In this regard, it is desirable to reduce the uncertainty of the future of the transport. Uncertainty does not mean absolute unawareness. Although the future cannot be predicted accurately, it can be predicted with a certain probability. It is necessary, while fully understanding the impossibility of achieving complete certainty in predicting the future, to assess, at least at a qualitative level, the probability of these forecasts, strive to increase it and to develop transport systems considering the greater or lesser likelihood of certain forecasts.Hence, it is recommended to use both the logical-analytical method as the basis for forecasting longterm development to identify and consider long-term trends in the development of transport, and the foresight and predictive analytics to reveal newly emerging trends. An important condition of success is the ability to develop and implement various alternative solutions in response to emerging challenges, requiring development of a competitive and innovative environment both in the field of transport and in related areas of economic activity.


An implementation of the nonlinear iterative partial least squares algorithm (NIPALS) was used as a test case for use of OpenCL for computation on a general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) cluster using MPI. Timing results are shown along with results of a model of time required per iteration for defined problem sizes. Various steps in optimization of the code are discussed, moving from use of a single GPU, to multiple GPUs on a single node, to multiple GPUs on multiple nodes. Comparison of performance between OpenCL and BLAS implementations, modern CPU architectures and NVidia Tesla and Fermi class GPU systems are given.


This article presents a new methodology to elaborate various British wheat annual series, in physical units, during an intriguing period: 1645-1761. Under this perspective, it can be proved that the recent agrarian GDP which appears in the literature is very precise. Davenant's Law follows the logic of a minor crop variability in the long term, but it is also in keeping with the yield obtained from probate inventories, farm accounts and weather changes. This takes us to consider the idea that it was a common rule, not just intellectual speculation. Income was not a factor of decision of consumption until the middle of the 18th century. However, it gradually became more and more important since then.Lengthening the series until 1884 we observe a period of stagnation of production in the second half of the 18th century followed by a spectacular take off. Under a physical and environmental perspective, the timing of the Agrarian Revolution seems to be a phenomenon prior to 1750 and later than 1800. In a first practical assessment of the series with the example of the landrace seeds, everything seems to indicate that their improvement might have been one of the keys of the first wave of the agrarian change.


ABSTRACT We investigate the efficiency and equity implications of a redistributive rule that takes into account both local tax collection efforts and deviation of local incomes from respective targets under alternative fiscal mechanisms. We show that, if the general budget constraint is binding, the proposed transfer rule leads to higher fiscal discipline under fiscal decentralization (FD) than under centralized redistribution. Although the centralized decision yields better income distribution than FD, FD also improves income distribution unambiguously when equalization across regions is targeted explicitly. When localities act strategically, the private sector's utility weight enhances the disciplinary effect of decentralization.


The oncology nurse's role in breast cancer management is enhanced by knowledge of the patient's perceptions of risks. This case study elucidates the process by which perceived risks of breast cancer are embedded in sequences of biographic experiences including childhood sexual abuse, childhood injuries, and an abusive marriage. The case study shows that risk perceptions and subsequent delayed breast cancer detection is related to (a) a belief that breast cancer results from "bad luck, or fate"; (b) lack of cancer-related symptoms; (c) belief that a higher power determines ill health; (d) reluctance to turn to others for help while in an abusive marriage; (e) family history of cancer invulnerability since generations of family members died of diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy-related illnesses; and (f) fear of gynecologic exams resulting from childhood sexual abuse. Furthermore, nonapplicability of traditional breast cancer risk factors such as heredity, age older than 30 years at first full-term pregnancy, early menarche, and late menopause prohibit an accurate assessment of self-risk. This case study suggests that breast cancer risk perception often differs from that of biomedical factors, and that an understanding of risk judgments is essential for appropriate therapeutic responses.


During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, people in north China took advantage of a Mongol policy that gave Buddhist officials a status equivalent to what civil officials enjoyed, as a strategy for family advancement. Monk Zhang Zhiyu and his family provide a case study of an emerging influential Buddhist order based at Mount Wutai that connected the Yuan regime with local communities through the kinship ties of prominent monks. Within this Buddhist order, powerful monks like Zhiyu used their prestigious positions in the clerical world to help the upward social mobility of their lay families, displaying a distinctive pattern of interpenetration between Buddhism and family. This new pattern also fit the way that northern Chinese families used Buddhist structures such as Zunsheng Dhāranῑ pillars and private Buddhist chapels to record their genealogies and consolidate kinship ties.


This study aims to investigate the impact of ICT application on student's collaborative learning. The chosen college is Uqlat Al Soqur College of Arts and Sciences, which is a branch of Qassim University. The sample for this study was the students of the third level. (26) students who majored in the English language for the academic year 2015/2016. The most important hypotheses of this study are that the use of ICT results in better language performance and enriches students' vocabulary. Three tools used for data collection were a student questionnaire, pre and post-tests. The pre-test was given to measure the actual level, while the post-test was given to check the progress made by the students after they learnt with ICT (projector, smart board and computer) for one academic term. Some English teachers from different Universities in Saudi Arabia were interviewed. The data was analyzed by using a variety of statistical methods, including the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), to process the study data. The findings revealed the vital role that ICT play in supporting collaborative learning. Finally, there are some recommendations and suggestions for further research.


In hypertension, increased peripheral resistance maintains elevated levels of arterial blood pressure. The increase in peripheral ressitance results, in part, from abnormal constrictor and dilator responses and vascular remodeling. In this review, we consider four cellular signaling pathways as possible explanations for these abnormal vascular responses: (1) augmented signaling via the epidermal growth factor receptor to cause remodeling of the cerebrovasculature; (2) reduced sphingolipid signaling leading to blunted vasodilation and increased smooth muscle proliferation; (3) increased signaling via Rho/Rho kinase leading to enhanced vasoconstriction, and (4) a relative state of microtubular depolymerization favoring vasoconstriction in hypertension. These novel cell signaling pathways provide new pharmacological targets to reduce total peripheral vascular resistance in hypertension.


In recent years culture has become one of the most studied topics in project management research. Some studies have investigated the influence of culture at different levels – such as national culture, industry culture, organisational culture and professional culture. As a project-based industry, the construction industry needs to have more insight concerning cultural issues at the project level and their influence on the performance of construction projects. Few studies, however, have focused on culture at the project level. This paper uses a questionnaire survey to determine the perceptions of Chinese contractors about the impact of project culture on the performance of local construction projects. This is augmented by a series of in-depth interviews with senior executive managers in the industry. The findings indicate that specific project culture does contribute significantly towards project outcomes. In particular, goal orientation and flexibility, as two dimensions of project culture, have a negative statistical correlation with perceived satisfaction of the process, commercial success, future business opportunities, lessons learnt from the project, satisfaction with the relationships, and overall performance. This paper also indicates that the affordability of developing an appropriate project culture is a major concern for industry practitioners.


BACKGROUND
The levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) have been reported to be higher in sites with periodontitis than in healthy controls. This may be the result of a more severe inflammation and/or constitutional differences in IL-1β production. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the level of IL-1β in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) is a characteristic trait of periodontitis, regardless of the degree of tissue destruction. As a secondary aim, we investigated the correlation between IL-1β and neutrophil elastase. An untreated population was used.

METHODS
GCF samples from inflamed sites in 13 patients with gingivitis (GG), and from inflamed sites with shallow (GP) and deep (PP) pockets in 18 patients with periodontitis were collected. Interleukin-1β, elastase-α-1-antitrypsin complex (E-A1AT), α-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), and α-2-macroglobulin (A2MG) were measured with ELISA. Elastase activity was measured with a specific substrate.

RESULTS
The concentration of IL-1β was significantly higher in PP than in GG, but no significant differences were detected between PP and GP. A weak positive correlation between the elastase activity and IL-1β was also observed. The elastase activity had a tendency to be higher in PP, although no significant difference was found among the 3 groups. The concentrations of E-A1AT, A1AT, and A2MG were similar in the 3 types of sites.

CONCLUSIONS
The levels of IL-1β in GCF were increased in samples from periodontitis patients, regardless of the severity of disease at the sampled site, suggesting that the levels of IL-1β are typical of a given patient. J Periodontol 1999;70:1457-1463.


In this work the inner surface geometry of a cylindrical furnace wall is estimated using inverse process method combined with grey prediction model. In estimating process a virtual area extended from the inner surface of furnace wall is used for analysis. The heat conduction equation and the boundary condition are first discretized by finite difference method to form a linear matrix equation; the inverse model is then optimized by linear least-squares error method and the temperatures of virtual boundary are obtained from a few of measured temperatures in furnace wall using the linear inverse model; and finally the temperature distribution of system is got by direct process and the inner surface geometry of furnace wall can be estimated accordingly. The result shows that using inverse process combined with grey prediction model the geometry can be exactly estimated from relatively small number of measured temperatures.


Waste water generated from dyeing unit is highly coloured and exerts high SOD, COD, turbidity, etc. Low cost adsorbent for the treatment of waste water can make the treatment process more economical, variation in the pollution load make the treatment more difficult since most of the dyeing units are located in small scale sector. The object of this work is to determine adsorption behavior of a low cost adsorbent for the adsorption of Dyes - Methylene blue and Congo Red. The experiment was carried out at the temperature 25°CS2•C (Constant temperature) and hence adsorption Isotherms are helpful in determining the various parameters known as-well-as unknown. The values form Langmuir Isotherm for CR and MB are R2 - 0.9269 and0.9382, QM - 0.150 and 0.8851,KL - 50393 and 0.263 respectively. And the Values from Frenudlich Isotherm for MB and CR are R2 - 0.9354 and 0.9952, Kf -6394.5 and 93084, n - 0.1948 and 058018 respectively. From this result It is clear that for this experiment Freundlich isotherm is best fitted. This result shows that the experiment was successfully performed.


It can be difficult to discern the place of student experience in the present academic quality framework that focuses on the alignment of designed unit and course outcomes with abstract quality standards through the collection of curriculum profile data.  The problem may be fundamentally one of information design and this paper explores the use of Edward Tufte's work to critique current practices and build interpretive tools which make the connection between governance frameworks and lived student experience.  Reflecting on the establishment of the CQ University Business and Law School's Landmarks Project, this paper suggests that an interpretive layer might be used to balance micro and macro concerns, to find a balance in the tension between quality objectives of standardisation and specification and to create a space where students might engage with and participate in the process.


This paper compares and contrasts the current attitudes, the awareness of and the take-up of eLearning in Irish High-Technology large and small organisations. An in-depth study was conducted with individuals responsible for training in the Irish sites of a number of high technology multinational companies in the electronics, aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. The study focused on awareness, perceptions, technology support infrastructure, current and planned involvement, most frequent and most preferred methods of delivery, benefits, barriers, the motivational factors and overall attitudes to eLearning. A similar study has been conducted with a number of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) across 5 European countries. The comparison outlines a number of notable differences between the large and the small organisations but also describes a number of similarities and highlights a number of differences both within the large organisation sector and within the SME sector.


In recent years, the large-scale application of robots in industrial production is one of the most prominent features. The operational stock of industrial robots is growing rapidly in China nowadays. According to the statistics from the International Federation of Robotics, the operational stock of industrial robots in China accounts for about 27% of the global total in 2018. The large-scale application of robots in production is bound to increase the technical complexity of production environments. As the skilled labor has stronger adaptability and shorter adaptation time, does the new intelligent environment formed by the application of robots increase the demand for skills, encourage the individual to increase the investment in human capital, and improve the level of human capital?This paper firstly combines the relevant literature to investigate the human capital improvement effect of industrial robot application and its transmission mechanisms from a theoretical perspective. Secondly, based on the micro data from China Family Panel Studies, this paper empirically examines the impact of industrial robot application on the level of human capital, conducts robust tests by replacing the measurement indicators of human capital and industrial robots and the samples by region and industry, and uses robot penetration in other countries and optical cable density in China as the instrumental variable to solve endogenous problems. Furthermore, the interaction term regression and the mediation model have been adopted to examine the transmission mechanism. At last, this paper compares the differences in the human capital improvement effect of industrial robot application under different factor endowments.The results suggest that: (1)The application of industrial robots has a significant impact on human capital. After replacing the measurement indicators of variables and the samples with different dimensions and considering the endogeneity, the conclusion still holds.(2)The application of industrial robots not only promotes the growth of household income, but also results in the job alternation and the transformation of industrial structure to increase the level of human capital.(3)When the factor endowment in production environments changes, the human capital improvement effect of industrial robot application will also change. Compared with capital-intensive and non-technology-intensive regions, the application of industrial robots has a greater impact in labor-intensive and technology-intensive regions.


Rapid ascent to high altitude may cause serious problems for climbers, skiers, and aviators. In contrast, gradual ascent enables humans to function where the unacclimatized cannot. To examine changes in the O2 transport system that produce acclimatization, eight men were taken in a decompression chamber (without other stresses experienced on high mountains) to a simulated altitude of 8,840 m (29,028 ft, ambient PO2 = 43 Torr) in 40 days. Maximal O2 uptake fell to 1.2 l/min, and arterial PO2 and PCO2 were 30 and 11 Torr, respectively, with arterial pH of 7.56. Many sophisticated studies were done: Swan-Ganz catheterization and inert gas diffusion studies at three altitudes showed that normal cardiac function persisted, pulmonary vascular resistance increased and at extreme altitude was not lowered by O2, and pulmonary ventilation-perfusion mismatch increased, though variably. This appears to be an important factor limiting performance at extreme altitude. This paper presents the background, general approach, and a summary of major observations reported in detail in other papers.


This study examined the opinions of more than 300 primary teachers. The first purpose of the study was to investigate the reported frequency with which teachers used various beginning reading materials (e.g., literature, basals, workbooks, predictable text, leveled text, decodable text, and vocabulary-controlled text). The second purpose of the study was to inspect how instructional purposes, state text policies, programs, grade levels, and freedom of choice influenced reported uses. The results suggested that teachers of beginning readers use many different types of materials and are guided primarily by instructional purposes rather than programs or grade levels. Teachers reported using decodable text and literature for very particular instructional purposes but reportedly used other materials less specifically. Respondents in states with strong text mandates, like Texas and California, did differ from respondents in other states. In sum, the results suggested that teachers believed that different materi...


Solvent suspensions of a high performance polymer, Polyamide-imide (PAI) are widely used in magnetic wire coatings. Here we investigate the effect that the introduction of montmorillonite (MMT) has on PAI. MMT was introduced into an uncured PAI suspension; the sample was then cured by step-wise heat treatment. Polarized optical microscopy was used to choose the best suitable MMT for PAI matrix and to study the distribution of MMT in PAI matrix. Concentration dependent dispersion effect was studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and was confirmed by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Differential scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study impact of MMT on glass transition temperature (Tg) and degradation properties of PAI respectively. Micro-hardness testing of PAI nanocomposites was also performed. A concentration dependent state of dispersion was obtained. The glass transition (Tg), degradation and mechanical properties were found to correlate to the state of dispersion.


Objective: mHealth interventions often favour individual-level effects. This is particularly problematic in contexts where social support and shifts in social norms are critical to sustained behaviour change. Mobile digital games represent a promising health education strategy for youth, including in low-resource settings. We sought to better understand the interpersonal and social interactions that can be elicited by digital games for health. Design: We piloted Tumaini, a smartphone game rooted in interactive narrative designed to prevent HIV among young Africans (aged 11–14), in a randomised controlled feasibility study and analysed reports of the household dynamics surrounding gameplay. Following a 16-day intervention period, phone gameplay log files were downloaded, and intervention arm participants (n = 30) completed a gameplay experience survey; eight focus group discussions were held, four with intervention arm participants (n = 27) and four with their parents (n = 22). Setting: This study took place in Kisumu, Kenya, in Spring 2017. Method: Descriptive statistics were computed from survey responses and log files. Focus group transcripts were labelled, analysed thematically and compared demographically using MAXQDA software. Results: Data from log files, surveys and focus groups indicate that the game generated considerable interaction and dialogue with parents, siblings and friends and served as a catalyst for children to act as advocates for healthful decisions about sex, both within the family and beyond. The game showed a high level of acceptability with parents. Conclusion: Serious digital games using a smartphone platform can generate considerable household interaction. Games can model and facilitate these exchanges, maximising multi-level effects. An additional app for parents could reinforce these effects.


Purpose : This research aims to determine the implementation of the marketing to the sales of meeting room in The Jayakarta Lombok Beach Resort & Spa. The problem outlined in this research is what strategy to do by the sales & marketing in increasing meeting room sales at The Jayakarta Lombok Beach Resort & Spa. Research methods : This research was conducted on the sales & marketing parties that is sales & marketing managers and sales executives at The Jayakarta Lombok Beach Resort & Spa. Analysis of the data used a qualitative descriptive analysis that elaborates information from the interviews and links with theories that support the discussion related to the marketing mix conducted by The Jayakarta Lombok Beach Resort & Spa. Results and discussion : The results obtained are the marketing mix strategy carried out at The Jayakarta Lombok Beach Resort & Spa, especially in the meeting section, which is quite good, but has a lack of promotion. The strategy implemented to increase sales are also quite effective. Implication : The development that can be done is to increase online and offline promotions and also keep communication between the sales team and consumers.


I just found out I tested positive for high-risk HPV. My pap smears have been normal for years. I'm 45 years old and have had lots of basal cell skin cancer. I'm scared to death of getting cancers that are caused by HPV. I'm so stressed. What are the odds that I will actually get cancer, now that I am supposedly high-risk? It appears there it nothing I can do at all to prevent this from happening other than keeping up with my visits and pap smears and hoping I beat the odds. I just wonder at how much risk am I when they say I am HIGH-RISK???


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the yields of peer learning between a radiology electronic peer learning tool (PLT) and a score-based peer review (SBPR) system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective study was performed from May 1, 2017, through October 31, 2017, at a 776-bed academic hospital performing more than 620,000 radiology examinations annually. Use of a PLT that generates alerts facilitating closed-loop feedback was initiated on March 1, 2017. Functions included providing peers with the following: clinical follow-up after review of prior reports, positive feedback, and consultation to solicit second opinions. In the same period, an SBPR system yielded the following scores: 1, agree with original interpretation; 2, minor discrepancy; 3, moderate discrepancy; and 4, major discrepancy. Potential learning opportunities were defined as cases receiving a clinical follow-up alert (PLT system) and reports scored 3 or 4 (SBPR system). Primary outcome was clinically significant feedback per total reports reviewed, measured as radiology report addendum rate (number with addenda divided by number of reports reviewed monthly for each system). The secondary outcome was potential learning opportunity rate (number of clinical follow-up alerts or reports scored 3 or 4 divided by the total number of radiology reports reviewed monthly). A paired t test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS
The overall PLT report addendum rate was 11.2% (23 addenda/206 reports) versus 0.27% (13 addenda/4861 reports) for SBPR (p = 0.03), a 41-fold difference (11.2/0.27). The potential learning opportunity rate for PLT was 50.0% (206 clinical follow-up alerts among 412 total alerts) versus 0.53% (26 scored 3 or 4 among 4861 reports reviewed) for SBPR (p = 0.00003), a 94-fold difference (50/0.53).

CONCLUSION
A PLT improves radiology peer learning with a significantly higher yield of clinically significant feedback and potential learning opportunities compared with a traditional SBPR system.


We thank Professor Dan Hellberg for his interest in our study. The main message of our study was that women with cervical cell changes (suggestive for HPV) had higher levels of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) in cervical fluid compared to women with normal cytology. We made subgroup analyses by age, parity, use of oral contraceptives, and history of miscarriage or termination of early pregnancy and found that these variables did not affect the result. In another study we compared the level of cervical fluid NOx in women with or without of high-risk HPV DNA, and found that women showing the presence of high-risk HPV DNA had a higher level of cervical fluid NOx compared to women without high-risk HPV DNA (1). Smoking is an independent risk factor for cervical cancer and it worsens the prognosis of mild abnormalities in cervical cytology (2). In Finland, 15% of women smoke and that would have been 45 smoking women in our study. However, the majority of the women had low-grade cell changes, most of which are known to regress spontaneously (3). In addition, the progression from low-grade changes to cancer takes years (3). Thus, even if we would have controlled for smoking, we think that from our study population we cannot conclude on a straight link between cervical carcinogenesis and NOx or between smoking and carcinogenesis. On the other hand, the effect of NO is dual; it may even suppress or promote tumor growth depending on the microenvironment and concentration and duration of NO exposure (4). Therefore, more studies need to be performed to clarify whether NO associated to cell changes is beneficial or deleterious to the host.


Conventional time and space filtering of stationary random signals, which amounts to forming linear combinations of time translates and space translates, exploits the temporal and spatial coherence of the signals. By including frequency translates as well, the spectral coherence that is characteristic of cyclostationary signals can also be exploited. Some of the theoretical concepts underlying this generalized type of filtering, called frequency-shift (FRESH) filtering, are developed. The theory of optimum FRESH filtering, which is a generalization of Wiener filtering called cyclic Wiener filtering, is summarized, and the theory is illustrated with specific examples of separating temporally and spectrally overlapping communications signals, including AM, BPSK, and QPSK. The structures and performances of optimum FRESH filters are presented, and adaptive adjustment of the weights in these structures is discussed. Also, specific results on the number of digital QAM signals that can be separated, as a function of excess bandwidth, are obtained. >


A male calf with ectopia cordis cervicalis inferior was investigated clinically, hemodynamically, and morphologically from the 3rd day of age until slaughter at the age of 22 months. Arterial hypertension (mean AOP 140 mm Hg), concentric myocardial hypertrophy and good ventricular contractility with normal valve function were found. Normal clinical condition at rest (cardiac output 48 l/min in the 600 kg bullock), but cyanosis and dyspnea during physical exercise were observed. Variations in the large vessels, such as persistence of the right cranial caval vein and one common pulmonary vein emptying into the left atrium, were found. Abrupt caliber differences of large arterial vessels together with a right angled aortic arch were observed, presumably contributing to increased afterload. The cytogenetic analysis showed the presence of a small marker chromosome leading to a chromosome number of 61 in a fraction of metaphases (mosaicism). Moreover, chromosome breakages were observed in many cells. From the 5 cows which were inseminated, 3 became pregnant. Ectopia cordis was not observed in any offspring. We conclude that in this animal compensated cardiac insufficiency with peripheral hypertension was established.


Synthesis of acyl and alkyl derivatives of 1-benzyl or 1-benzhydryl-2-imino-1, 3-diazacycloalkanes (1) was attempted. Acetylation of 1a, c having five-membered ring with ethyl acetate gave 2-acetyl derivatives. However, reactions of 1a, c with dialkylcarbonate, acyl chloride and alkyl or aryl isocyanate afforded a mixture of 2- and 3-substituted compounds and reactions of 1a, c with isothiocyanate derivatives gave predominantly 3-substituted compounds. On the other hand, 1b, d having six-membered ring gave predominantly 2-substituted compounds by the similar reactions. Direct alkylation of 1a, c with alkyl iodide in the presence of sodium hydride yielded 3-alkyl derivatives (5). In the similar alkylations, 2-alkoxycarbonylimino and 2-cyanoimino derivatives, 2 and 9, gave 3-alkyl compounds 7 and 8, in which 2-alkaxycarbonyl and 2-cyano groups were removed on heating in t-butanol containing a small amount of hydrochloric acid to give 5 in good yields. Heating 7 and 8 having 1-benzhydryl group with sodium hydride gave 2-oxo- or 2-imino-3, 3-diphenylimidazo [1, 2-a] [1, 3] diazacycloalkane derivatives (10, 11 and 12). Some of 1-substituted 3-acyl and 3-alkyl-2-imino-1, 3-diazacycloalkanes showed hypoglycemic activity.


We evaluated transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression in the muscle of four laminin alpha2-negative, four laminin alpha2-positive and seven partial laminin alpha2-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) patients, and compared it to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients and controls. TGF-beta1 mRNA levels in skeletal muscle from laminin alpha2-negative and laminin alpha2-positive CMD patients were significantly greater than in controls (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005, respectively), while in partial laminin alpha2-deficient muscular dystrophy patients the amount was not significantly higher than in controls (P > 0.1). The TGF-beta1 values were lower than those found in DMD, although the extent of fibrosis was greater in CMD than in DMD and controls. Our findings suggest that TGF-beta1 is involved in CMD muscle fibrosis, but differently from what we observed in DMD muscles as it seems not to be the major player in connective tissue proliferation.


This study aimed to examine the development of EFL students' vocabulary knowledge adopting a task-based method with 32 Thai students who enrolled in an English for Communication course at a university in northern Thailand. This study emphasized improving the Thai EFL students' English vocabulary knowledge by requiring students to retell six Thai folktales in English translation to their group members. The pretest-posttest design, as well as an interview, were employed to indicate the students' vocabulary improvement after retelling Thai folktales. The findings showed that the students' post-test scores were statistically higher than their pre-test scores, and the students felt that the folktale tasks helped them enhance their vocabulary knowledge. The results of this study indicate that the students learned English vocabulary in an engaging and meaningful way through storytelling; therefore, the students' vocabulary retention is likely high.


The granular sludge biofilm sequencing batch reactor technology can become a next generation standard for high-rate biological nutrient removal from wastewater. This attractive process innovation based on mobile granular biofilms formed by self-aggregation of microorganisms is slowly penetrating the wastewater treatment market. Whereas full-scale plants are currently designed and installed, the design of operation strategies should rely on advanced understanding of mechanisms of microbial selection and granule formation. Based on five years of research conducted from process to biofilm and microbial scales, we provide an applied methodology towards efficient management of the bacterial resource in granular sludge


The authors study the acceptance of family planning methods according to the level of couple's literacy in 14 states in India during 1986-87, using the Lorenz curve. The Gini Concentration Ratio and Index of Dissimilarity were calculated by level of couple's literacy for vasectomy, tubectomy, IUD, and all method combined. Firstly, analysis found literates to have accepted vasectomy and IUD more than tubectomy. Secondly, among the 3 methods, a high Gini Concentration Ratio was found for vasectomy when the wife was literate. Moreover, when the wife was literate, the Gini Concentration Ratio of IUD acceptance was higher than the acceptance of IUD by the wife whose husband was literate. Thirdly, the same trend was observed when the husband was illiterate. It is therefore clear that the level of a woman's literacy is a key factor in securing the acceptance of male or female methods of family planning. Planners should therefore concentrate on literacy programs for females independently of their age. Increasing the level of female literacy may ultimately help improve the understanding of family planning methods, while these women may also motivate their husbands to undergo vasectomy which will ultimately foster the success of the family planning program.


Stress intensity factors are calculated for a cracked plate reinforced locally subject to mode I loading. The stiffeners are considered to have both longitudinal and transverse stiffness. There is no relative displacement between the plate and the stiffener. It is considered that the shear stresses are lumped at a finite number of locations, the result is obtained by summation. The influence of the stiffener location and the stiffener relative stiffness on cracked plate is included. The stress intensity factor depends on all these factors. Case study shows that the shear stress acting parallel to the stiffener gives more effect on the stress intensity factor than the shear stress acting perpendicular to the stiffener. To increase the relative stiffness of stiffener avails to reduce the stress intensity factor of the cracked plate.


Three new partition identities are found for two-color partitions. The first relates to ordinary partitions into parts not divisible by 4, the second to basis partitions, and the third to partitions with distinct parts. The surprise of the strangeness of this trio becomes clear in the proof.


A duodenal somatostatinoma was found incidentally in a 60-year-old woman undergoing cholecystectomy. Microscopically, the tumor had a glandular architecture with abundant psammoma bodies. Electron microscopy revealed tumor cells resembling D-cells of the pancreatic islets. Immunohistochemically, there was staining for neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin, and diffuse cytoplasmic positivity for somatostatin only. By immunoelectron microscopy, somatostatin was identified predominantly in lucent membrane-bound secretory granules. X-ray-dispersive microanalysis showed the psammoma bodies contained calcium apatite crystals. This case is compared with other reported cases with a description of cellular localization of somatostatin and development of psammomatous calcification.


The essence of dental education is not only to impart knowledge but also to equip an aspiring clinician with all the paraphernalia to face most clinical situations if not all. What becomes important here is the requirement that a student be not only observant but also have a precise idea of what a lesion or a surface should feel like under an instrument. No matter how far we have come in terms of pathogene-sis and treatment of diseases of the oral cavity, there is still no one good way to teach a student about the tactile sense, be it while de-tecting calculus/caries or placing the incisions or detecting the smoothness of a restoration. Most often than not students learn the-se by a trial and error method. A not-so-recent development called Haptics may well be the answer to this predicament, at least in the near future. The concept which is extensively in use and indispensa-ble in other fields like aviation, telecommunication etc is now making inroads into dentistry. It is essentially software which brings in the idea of giving the feedback response to applied force, be it simple exploration of caries or the fine pressure applied in placing an inci-sion or an array of other areas/situations in dentistry where fine tac-tile sense becomes a prerequisite for intelligent diagnoses or cutting edge treatment procedures. The following write-up is an attempt to throw light on this new technology and the impact it may have on pre-clinical teaching in dentistry. The advantages, disadvantages be-tween manikin based dental simulators and haptics based dental simulators are also presented.


The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound and ongoing impact on supply chains, affecting various aspects such as restrictions on movement, transportation methods, and the challenges of producing goods and services due to the virus's impact on human resources. Addressing these supply chain disruptions is crucial to ensure the smooth operation of global supply chains, supporting societies and commerce. Hence, the current study aims to examine the influence of the pandemic on raw materials in packaging plants in KSA and shed light on its impact on supply chains in those facilities, specifically the availability of spare parts. The study holds significance from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Theoretical importance lies in contributing to existing research by exploring the variables and their interrelationships, highlighting the significance of the selected sample, and paving the way for future related studies. On the practical side, the study's findings are valuable for developing strategies and solutions to prevent similar disruptions in the future. The study concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted companies to embrace a technology-driven work culture, optimize resource utilization, and expand the adoption of remote work practices. Additionally, the focus is on fostering mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers, ensuring flexible production and supply processes, incorporating local and international specifications into products, accommodating customer preferences, and striving to deliver high-quality and efficient products that meet customer demands.


The objectives of national education are realizing the fair and prosper society in term of material and spiritual based on the value of Pancasila, in which the main point is developing Indonesian citizens wholly. One of the most important components of Indonesian citizens is children, because they are the owner of the nation's future. Thus, it could be said that the implantation of self-concept, moral, and religious values should be started earlier, so that it would be strongly implanted on Indonesian children. One of the methods is storytelling with woman heroes and public figures, whether they are from Indonesia or Islamic history. The consideration in choosing the woman heroes and public figures is as a form of moral education, introducing Islamic religious values, as well as gender education on children. This becomes important because of Indonesian's social life which is full of various religions, cultures, tribes, race or ethnics, social status and others. The storytelling process as a form of learning media is expected to be applied in kindergarten (TK), Islamic Kindergarten (RA), or elementary school
Keywords: storytelling, character education, children, moral education, gender education


Acute thermal injury (70 degrees C, 30 sec) to rat skin results in progressive consumptive depletion of the complement system. Individual complement components (C3, C4, C6) each show reductions in hemolytic activity. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis analysis of serum from thermally injured rats reveals conversion of C3 compatible with activation of the complement system. During the first hour following thermal injury, C5a-related chemotactic activity appears in the serum and is temporally related to the development of neutropenia. Lung injury, as revealed by increases in lung permeability, develops progressively during a 6-hour period and parallels changes in complement levels. Morphologically, lung changes include leukoaggregates within pulmonary capillaries and the presence of intra-alveolar hemorrhage. Protection from lung injury following remote thermal injury to skin is afforded by depleting animals of complement or neutrophils, or by systemic treatment of animals with a combination of catalase and superoxide dismutase. Antihistamine drugs have no protective effect. These data suggest that acute thermal injury leads to systemic complement activation, neutrophil activation, and acute lung injury that is related to production of toxic oxygen products by activated blood neutrophils.


Digital innovation starts with a problem worth solving. We've found it's amazingly helpful to have a single statement that represents the nature of the problem, which's experiencing it, and why it's so important to solve. There for the main problem is "To what extent consumers are fitted and accepted Digital transformation attributes". This research could serve as a base for further investigation and improvement on the DHL express in Eritrea. Enhance our understanding of digital system and consumers driving. Moreover, it will contribute to the understanding of whether consumer are accepted and satisfied the digital transformation system in a developing country context. This research could also serve as a base for anyone who wants to study about how much consumers are accepted the digital transformation driving on them without any compliment on Postal Express service delivered in Eritrea. In addition, it will create a sense of awareness to the people who are engaged in offering digital system services on DHL. To undertake this research paper, primary and secondary data used. Primary data gathered by distributing online questionnaire to a sample of consumers. Secondary data extracted from several sources such as internet, magazine, books, periodicals, journals, company documents, etc. This research focuses on the digital transformation of consumers on DHL express despite the fact that consumer driving in digital transformation system is critical issue in any type of business. It focuses only on transformation from analog to digital system on consumers in experience on DHL express. It doesn't concern about the technical issues of the DHL express over the entire world.


Switzerland and Japan – both highly developed nations – are challenged by a historically unprecedented phenomenon – the phenomenon of a shrinking and rapidly ageing workforce. Both policy makers and business leaders must seek strategies to cope with this phenomenon to prevent the impending decline of the economy and the disintegration of a civil society that has a sophisticated social security system. Based on 36 high-profile interviews and extensive literature research, this book devises strategic recommendations for business leaders and policy makers by applying a comparative method. The interviewee sample was selected deliberately and carefully. The profiles were diverse, consisting of senior managers, professors, an embassy representative, and other labor market experts from both countries. Although both Switzerland and Japan have similar economic focuses, they are currently at different stages of demographic change. In addition, they have quite different cultures. Consequently, recommendations benefit from cross-pollination based on fundamental differences and surprising similarities in facing and approaching this challenge.


A series of ZrO2-supported WOx catalysts were prepared using atomic layer deposition (ALD) with W(CO)6, and were then compared to a WOx/ZrO2 catalyst prepared via conventional impregnation. The types of sites present in these samples were characterized using temperature-programmed desorption/thermogravimetric analysis (TPD-TGA) measurements with 2-propanol and 2-propanamine. Weight changes showed that the WOx catalysts grew at a rate of 8.8 × 1017 W atoms/m2 per cycle. Scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (STEM-EDS) indicated that WOx was deposited uniformly, as did the 2-propanol TPD-TGA results, which showed that ZrO2 was completely covered after five ALD cycles. Furthermore, 2-propanamine TPD-TGA demonstrated the presence of three types of catalytic sites, the concentrations of which changed with the number of ALD cycles: dehydrogenation sites associated with ZrO2, Brønsted-acid sites associated with monolayer WOx clusters, and oxidation sites associated with higher WOx coverages. The Brønsted sites were not formed via ALD of WOx on SiO2. The reaction rates for 2-propanol dehydration were correlated with the concentration of Brønsted sites. While TPD-TGA of 2-propanamine did not differentiate the strength of Brønsted-acid sites, H–D exchange between D2O and either toluene or chlorobenzene indicated that the Brønsted sites in tungstated zirconia were much weaker than those in H-ZSM-5 zeolites.


We explore the capabilities of the frequency-resolved frozen phonon multislice method introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 025501 (2020) to model inelastic vibrational scattering in transmission electron microscopy. We review the method in detail and discuss advantages of using a so called hotspot thermostat instead of the $\delta$-thermostat used in our first report. We apply the method to simulate vibrational electron energy loss spectra of hexagonal boron nitride under plane wave illumination. Simulated spectroscopic information well represents the theoretical phonon bandstructure of the studied material, both in terms of energies as well as polarization vectors of individual phonon modes.


The development of cell-mediated immunity was studied in rabbits: a) experimentally injected with T. pallidum, and b) artificially immunized with nonviable T. pallidum. The macrophage migration inhibition test (MMI test) using ultrasonicate of T. pallidum as antigen was employed to demonstrate this type of immunologic response. Lymphocytes of syphilitic rabbits were found to exert a pronounced inhibitory effect upon macrophage migration as early as one month after infection; between the fourth and sixth month, a transient decrease of this capacity occurred, followed by a slow but steady increase during the next two years, i.e. until the end of the observation period. In rabbits in which the infection had been controlled by penicillin treatment in the fifth month, no increase but gradual diminution of this capacity was observed. In the group of rabbits artificially immunized with nonviable T. pallidum, the MMI response appeared very shortly after commencement of the immunization and persisted for about nine months after completion of the immunization procedure. Only a crude correlation could be established between levels of the MMI response of the immunized animals and their resistance to infection with T. pallidum.


This is a quasi-experimental study with one-group pretest-posttest design to investigate the effect of dementia club activities on college life satisfaction, dementia knowledge, and dementia attitude in nursing students. The subjects were 26 nursing students who participated in club activities for more than three hours per a week. The college life satisfaction was measured using School Life Satisfaction Scale and dementia knowledge was measuring using Questionnaire for Awareness of Dementia used in dementia prevalence survey. Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS) was used to measure dementia attitude. The tests were performed before and after club activity, and collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test. The results showed that the scores of college life satisfaction (t=-2.38, p= .025), dementia knowledge (t=-5.56, p< .001), dementia attitude social comfort that evaluate emotion, behavior, and awareness about dementia (t=-4.50, p< .001), dementia attitude dementia knowledge (t=-2.59, p= .016), and dementia attitude total score (t=-4.20, p< .001) increased statistically significantly after club activity. It is concluded, based on the results, that the club activities in college improve college life satisfaction, dementia knowledge, and dementia attitude thus provide contribute to caring for patients with dementia. The replication studies with larger random samples, however, are necessary to confirm the findings obtained from this study.


Most of the world's forest has been cleared, cultivated, and then often abandoned. In many instances these areas have changed to successionally arrested grasslands, shrublands, or fernlands maintained by frequent fires and high herbivore populations. Many studies have shown that various herbaceous, nitrogen‐fixing legumes can protect soil surfaces, retain soil moisture, improve soil fertility, and retard ground fires. Our objective was to ascertain if some of these species can potentially inhibit herbivory and satisfactorily establish in these arrested grassland areas to serve as sites for reforestation. We evaluated the potential for four species of nitrogen‐fixing legumes (Calapogonium mucunoides, Centrosema pubescens, Desmodium ovalifolium, and Pueraria phaseoloides) to establish on exposed soil within successionally arrested grasslands of Panicum maximum and Cymbopogon nardus in the central hills of Sri Lanka. Four different sites within rectangular grassland areas were cleared of graminoids and sown with seed of each legume. Half of each clearing was protected from browsing rabbits and porcupines, and half was not protected. After 6 months, certain plots were destructively sampled to determine dry biomass gain for each species and treatment. Analyses of variance were performed to test for differences among sites, treatments, and species. All three factors revealed differences, indicating that species must be matched to site. On sites with high amounts of herbivory, D. ovalifolium had the greatest dry biomass gain after 6 months of growth, possibly because of its relatively low nitrogen and moisture content. Where herbivory was absent, P. phaseoloides and C. muconoides had the greatest dry biomass gain. Dry biomass gain of all four legume ground covers was low on sites with lowest pH and nutrient concentrations. Under conditions of low relative fertility and low pH, establishment of the tested legumes failed. Though soil moisture availability was not measured, we speculate that these low fertility sites were also prone to drought. Findings support the site‐specific establishment of legume species for purposes of reforestation and watershed protection in central Sri Lanka. This work is applicable to other regions particularly dominated by successionally arrested grasslands with similar circumstances in other parts of south and southeast Asia.


Purpose
This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain (SC) operations of importing used vehicles into New Zealand and how such SCs affect business practices and performance.

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an exploratory qualitative semi-structured interview approach to interview the different stakeholders involved in the global used vehicle SC.

Findings
The research identifies the overall network structure of the used import vehicle SC from Japan to New Zealand and characterises key aspects of its operations and network connections. This paper finds that Japanese buying agents have integrated increasing numbers of services to provide a trouble-free trading platform, which has created a direct-import model for used vehicle companies in New Zealand.

Practical implications
The findings and recommendations are useful in designing and managing the used vehicle SC for all stakeholders and effective real-time management of uncertain factors.

Originality/value
The paper primarily analyses SC operations by researching the cooperation and coordination between SC components and networks, based on providing the flow of used vehicles from Japan to New Zealand. It constitutes a pioneering practice-perspective research paper in this domain.


Vaccinia virus is able to replicate in many cell types and is known to modulate apoptosis in infected cells. In this study, expression of apoptosis-related genes was screened in human adherent monocytes after vaccinia infection using a DNA array. A marked increase of the key glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) expression was found. Increased expression and nuclear translocation of GAPDH have recently been reported to participate in apoptosis of many cell types. To confirm the array results, levels of GAPDH mRNA were estimated by RT-PCR, showing an increase at 4 h p.i. followed by a slight decrease, which correlated with the viral anti-apoptotic E3L gene transcript levels. Subcellular localization of the enzyme in human monocytes was examined by Western blot and immunostaining of the infected cells. Both experiments revealed accumulation of GAPDH in the nucleus at 14 h p.i., which was completely suppressed at 24 h p.i. This might indicate GAPDH as a novel target for vaccinia anti-apoptotic modulation.


Many people believe that Bangladesh is a land of natural calamities, poverty, and unemployment. Bangladesh is on the verge  of overcoming those problems. Due to the resource and economic constraints, the government could not provide an economically solvent life to its people. The NGOs could fill up those gaps in manifolds. At present almost 25,000 NGOs are operating in Bangladesh. They have a wide range of functional coverage, namely, microcredit, empowerment/income generation, education, health and nutrition, environment, natural calamities/disaster management, human rights and legal aids, water and sanitation, poultry and livestock, agriculture, relief and rehabilitation,  advocacy etc. BRAC is the largest NGO in Bangladesh. In addition, ASA, Proshika, PKSF, Caritas, TMSS, World Vision, Swanirvar Bangladesh, CARE, Shakti Foundation, RDRS are the major NGOs operating in Bangladesh. Microcredit model invented by Yunus is used by the NGOs in Bangladesh and many counties of the globe. This study carries out a longitudinal research following the observational method and multi-stage sampling with open interviews with the NGO-employees, foreign donors  and the beneficiaries in the seven administrative divisions in Bangladesh with a view to  finding out the  answer of the following research questions: (i) is  poverty  wiping out from Bangladesh? (ii) what is the role of the NGOs and Grameen Bank (GB) in the socio-economic development of the people? In brief, the study could understand- though the progress is slow,  the poverty level of the people gradually going down in Bangladesh. In this regard the contributions of the NGOs and the Grameen Bank cannot be ignored. A number of recommendations are chalked out. Suggestions for future researchers are presented Key Words: Poverty, NGOs, Bangladesh


Bridge scour is the soil erosion caused by water flowing around bridge supports. Research has shown that scour has been the number one cause of bridge failure in the United States with an average annual rate of 22 bridges collapsing or being closed due to severe deformation. In this paper, the authors aimed to quantify the bridge scour risk in order to help people understand how risky the bridge scour is. The widely accepted definition of risk was adopted in the paper, the probability of failure times the value of the consequence. First, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Bridge Failure database and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Unknown Foundation Bridges Database were used to quantify the bridge scour risk. Second, several other societal risks, including cancer, car accidents, and plane crashes, were analyzed to be comparable to bridge scour risk. Finally, the authors proposed the acceptable risk level, medium risk level, and unacceptable risk level in the United States based on the analyses in the paper. The outcome of this paper will aid people or authorities in understanding the risk of bridge failure as well as other society risks.