Lameness is one of the most costly dairy cow diseases, yet adoption of lameness prevention strategies remains low. Low lameness prevention adoption might be attributable to a lack of understanding regarding total lameness costs. In this review, we evaluated the contribution of different expenditures and losses to total lameness costs. Evaluated expenditures included labor for treatment, therapeutic supplies, lameness detection and lameness control and prevention. Evaluated losses included non-saleable milk, reduced milk production, reduced reproductive performance, increased animal death, increased animal culling, disease interrelationships, lameness recurrence and reduced animal welfare. The previous literature on total lameness cost estimates was also summarized. The reviewed studies indicated that previous estimates of total lameness costs are variable and inconsistent in the expenditures and losses they include. Many of the identified expenditure and loss categories require further research to accurately include in total lameness cost estimates. Future research should focus on identifying costs associated with specific lameness conditions, differing lameness severity levels, and differing stages of lactation at onset of lameness to provide better total lameness cost estimates that can be useful for decision making at both the herd and individual cow level.


Public access to data collected by remote sensing Earth Observation Satellites has, until recently, been very limited. Now, citizens and rights advocacy groups are increasingly utilising satellite-collected images to interrogate justice issues; to document, prevent and verify rights abuses; and to imagine and propose social change. Yet while other communication technologies have received substantial critical analysis regarding their value as tools of social justice, activism and resistance, satellites have received comparatively scant attention. This article examines the uses of satellite-collected images in human rights contexts including the opportunities, challenges and risks they pose. We conclude this examination by arguing that if satellites are to be used effectively to collect evidence from above by rights advocates, greater attention to and capacity for ensuring accountability from below is required.


BACKGROUND
Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is recommended for hand hygiene, and application on dry skin is generally well tolerated. However, hydration of the skin may lead to increased susceptibility to ABHR.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate if increased skin hydration changes skin barrier response to ABHR, as compared to application on dry skin.

METHODS
Twenty healthy volunteers participated in a three-day experimental setup. Intervention areas on forearms were exposed to either water immersion or occlusion followed by repeated exposures to ABHR. Skin barrier function was assessed by measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), electrical conductance, pH and erythema at baseline and day three.

RESULTS
The area exposed to water immersion preceding ABHR showed a significant increase in TEWL from baseline to day three (P = .04), and for the occluded area the same trend was found (P = .11) with an additional decrease in electrical conductance (P = .03). No significant differences were found for the control area. The assessments did not differ significantly between intervention and control sites.

CONCLUSION
Our results indicate that extensive skin hydration may lead to increased susceptibility to ABHR. Further evaluation of this observation is important, since ABHRs are widely used, particularly among health care workers in whom hand eczema is a huge problem. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


The quantity of periodontopathic bacteria in plaque samples is an important determinant for understanding the etiologic role of bacteria. The real‐time PCR method was used to detect and quantify periodontopathic bacteria, such as Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Treponema socranskii, in saliva and subgingival plaque samples. There was good agreement between the results of conventional PCR and real‐time PCR methods. Using the LightCycler™ system we were able to determine the amount of periodontopathic bacteria within an hour. The real‐time PCR method was linear for samples containing from 103 to more than 108 cells (r2=0.999). The application of the real‐time PCR method should be useful in the rapid detection and quantification of periodontopathic bacteria in clinical samples.


Kazakhstan Abstract The effect of decationized forms of zeolites (ZSM, NaY and clinoptilolite) on the hydrocracking and hydroisomerization activity of alumina catalysts modified by metals in the n-decane conversion has been shown. The synthesized catalysts were studied in a laboratory flow reactor at temperature of 350-500 ° C and P= 2.0 MPa and feeding flow rate = 2.0-6.0 hr -1 . It has been established that both n-decane conversion and selectivity of isomer formation depend on the nature of modified additives. The GK-3 catalyst synthesized on the base of high silica ZSM-zeolite has the most cracking and isomerization


The effects of varying concentrations (2, 4, and 6%) of 2 types of rice flours (RF 1 and RF 2) on the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of vanilla ice cream samples were assessed at different fat levels (0, 4, and 10%) and storage conditions (control vs. heat-shocked). Fat and total solids were measured as well as hardness, viscosity, and melting rate. Eight trained panelists conducted descriptive sensory analyses of the samples at 0 and 7 wk. The 2% rice flour level and to a certain extent the 4% usage level generally improved texture while affecting to a lesser extent the flavor characteristics of the samples compared with the control. The RF 2 generally had a more significant effect than RF 1, especially on the texture attributes. Although the rice flour reduced the negative impact of temperature abuse on textural properties, the samples still deteriorated in textural properties (more icy) under temperature abuse conditions. In addition, rice starch does lower perceived sweetness and can have a "flour flavor" at high usage levels. The use of rice flour appears to be most advantageous for low fat ice cream samples.


In the current situation of global aging, the current market shortage of age-appropriate smart home products and the recent epidemic have led to greater isolation of the elderly, seriously affecting their physical and mental health. In order to optimize the sustainable user experience of the elderly when using smart home products, this paper proposes a research method based on Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for the optimal design of user experience of smart home products for the elderly, taking the design of age-appropriate home smart refrigerators as an example. Firstly, based on the results of market research and user interviews, the requirements of smart refrigerators for the elderly are screened and integrated, and the Kano model is used to prioritize these needs, resulting in the identification of important features needed in smart refrigerators for the elderly. Secondly, based on QFD, user requirements are transformed into design requirements, and a quality house model is established to ascertain the degree of importance of each design requirement through user ratings so as to obtain the key requirements as the theoretical basis for the solution design. Finally, optional solutions are generated for concept evaluation based on PUGH concept selection, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions and recombining them into an evaluation to determine the best solution. The quantitative evaluation of the four solutions reveals that Solution A has the highest score of 117.358, followed by Solution D with 113.259, Solution B with 96.415, and Solution C with 85.511, which is the lowest. The scoring allows the best design solution to be selected and applied to product development. The results show that the introduction of the Kano model and PUGH concept selection into QFD can be effectively used as a research method for optimizing the user experience of smart refrigerators for the elderly, and a corresponding design strategy for sustainable user experience optimization is proposed. The method and strategy provide guidance for the innovative design of new smart home products.


We propose to develop an algorithmic toolbox for designing distributed optimization algorithms which drastically outperform state-of-the-art algorithms on non-worst-case topologies. The modern computation and information processing systems shaping our world have become massively distributed and a fundamental understanding of distributed algorithmics has never been more important. This shift towards distributed systems has resulted in increased interest and fast acceleration in our theoretical understanding of distributed optimization problems. At the same time, extremely general lower bounds uncovered that any distributed optimization requires Ω̃( √ n) rounds on worst-case topologies, even if the diameter of the diameter of the network is small. Many fundamental optimization problems, including MST, shortest paths, and cut/flow problems, now have "optimal" algorithms matching this worstcase performance bound. Real world networks, however, are never worst-case and no network of interest shares the limiting bottleneck characteristics of the lower bound topology. In fact, there is no known barrier for ultra-fast polylogarithmic round distributed algorithms on any network of interest. This exponential gap between worst-case-optimal Θ̃( √ n) algorithms and the O(log n) performance which is likely possible in many, if not all, interesting small-diameter networks motivates this proposal and shows clearly that further studies going beyond worstcase topologies are necessary. Our prior work shows that o( √ n) round algorithms are possible for several important problems such as the MST and min-cut when the network is planar, genus-bounded, treewidth-bounded or, more generally, has excluded minors. We first ask the following ambitious questions: are the techniques used to achieve the above results sufficient to construct uniform algorithms that optimal across each possible instance, i.e., are instance-optimal? Barring the question of instance-optimality, another direction we propose is adapting our techniques to novel problems for which no o( √ n) algorithms currently exist (such as the shortest path problem), or for alternative models (e.g., faulty models or Õ(n)-message complexity in KT1).


The design of grants from central government to local government is an important issue in developing countries. In hese countries the decentralisation process involves a vertical gap, i.e. an imbalance between the cost of local public competences and local governments' revenue-raising powers. Our analysis considers the crowding-in (or crowding-out) effect of simple unconditional central grantsonlocal own-source revenue.Wedemonstrate atheor- etical ambiguity concerning the nature of this effect by taking into account the collection costs of local governments'ownrevenue.Ourempirical analysis focuses on Benin.We study the impact of a very simple grant that is collected at the border by Customs and is allocated to local governments through a fixed rule (based on population). Our empirical analysis covers panel data for the seventy-seven Benin communes (local governments) from 2003 to 2008, and addresses the potential endogeneity issues of transfer from the centre. We conclude unambiguously that there is a positive impact of this grant on local own-source revenue. This effect is contingent on a minimum level of wealth of the commune and is stronger for local governments that do not share the same political affiliation as the president in office. Our result emphasises a neglected property of those unconditional transfers whose allocation rule is solely population based: their complementarity with local own-source revenue. Such transfers are not only simpler than other formula-based equalisation transfers, but they may also have an incentive effect on local own-source revenue.


Reactions of tervalent phosphorous reagents [(EtO)2PMe, Ph2, Ph2POEt] with nitroarenes (XC6H4·NO2; X = H, o-, m-, or p-Me, m- or p-CO2Et, m- or p-Cl, m- or p-Br, m-MeO, or 2·4.6-Me3) in diethylamine give 2-diethylamino-3H-azepines in 36–78% yields, together with smaller amounts of the corresponding anilines. m-Nitroarenes give mixtures of 4- and 6-substituted 2-diethylamino-3H-azepines, the isomeric compositions of which are identical, within experimental error, with those obtained by photolysis, in Pyrex, of the corresponding m-substituted aryl azides in diethylamine, thus providing strong confirmatory evidence for the existence of a common intermediate, the 7-azabicyclo[4.1.0]heptatriene (2), in equilibrium with the arylnitrene, in these reactions. In the above reactions of diethyl methylphosphonite with nitroarenes, the ratio of 3H-azepine to aniline produced varies with substituent. Reactions of m- and p-chloronitrobenzenes with tris(diethylamino)phosphine in t-butyl alcohol gave the corresponding 2-diethylamino-3H-azepines.In the photoconversion of aryl azides into 3H-azepines, benzophenone enhances the formation of anilines, the triplet-derived products, but pyrene does not exhibit noticeable singlet sensitiser behaviour, in contrast to previously reported results obtained from related systems.


In this book, deterministic and probabilistic methods are developed for optimal planning of distribution networks with integration of WTs within a market environment. With regards to the deterministic methods, hybrid optimization methods for optimal allocation of WTs from viewpoints of DG-owning DNOs and WTs' developers respectively for jointly minimizing annual energy losses and maximizing SW as well as maximizing NPV and SW are proposed: (i) The method jointly minimizes the annual energy losses and maximizes the SW considering different combination of wind generations and load demands to determine the optimal locations, sizes and numbers of WTs to be allocated at candidate buses. The GA is used to select the optimal locations and sizes among different sizes of WTs while the market-based OPF is used to determine the optimal number of WTs. DNO acts as the market operator of the DNO acquisition market that estimates the market clearing price and the optimization process for the active power hourly acquisition. The stochastic nature of both load and wind is modeled by hourly time series analysis. The method is also able to model the correlation among wind resources, i.e. for eac


Consideration is given to the phase error estimation and correction problem in tomographic acoustic microscopy. In a recent paper, Z.C. Lin and G. Wade (ibid., vol.ASSP-35, p.1037-45, July 1987) modeled the phase error as a constant and proposed a single-sideband technique for its correction. The present authors point out that the phase error is not a constant, and that the single-sideband technique removes only the effect of the error in the displayed image. They propose a new method for estimating and correcting the spatially varying phase error. The method is demonstrated for experimental data from the scanning laser and acoustic microscope. >


Pleiotropic actions of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) are well described in the central nervous system and periphery, but the intracellular mechanisms mediating biological actions of CART are poorly understood. Although CART is not expressed in mouse ovaries, we have previously established CART as a novel intracellular regulator of estradiol production in bovine granulosa cells. We demonstrated that inhibitory actions of CART on estradiol production are mediated through inhibition of FSH-induced cAMP accumulation, Ca(2+) influx, and aromatase mRNA expression via a G(o/i)-dependent pathway. We also reported that FSH-induced estradiol production is dependent on Erk1/2 and Akt signaling, and CART may regulate other signaling proteins downstream of cAMP essential for estradiol production. Here, we demonstrate that CART is a potent inhibitor of FSH-stimulated Erk1/2 and Akt signaling and the mechanisms involved. Transient CART stimulation of bovine granulosa cells shortens the duration of FSH-induced Erk1/2 and Akt signaling whereas a prolonged (24 h) CART treatment blocks Erk1/2 and Akt activation in response to FSH. This CART-induced accelerated termination of Erk1/2 and Akt signaling is mediated both by induced expression and impaired ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation of dual specific phosphatase 5 (DUSP5) and protein phosphatase 2A. Results also support existence of a negative feedback loop in which CART via a G(o/i)-MAPK kinase dependent pathway activates Erk1/2, and the latter induces DUSP5 expression. Moreover, small interfering RNA mediated ablation of DUSP5 and/or protein phosphatase 2A prevents the CART-induced early termination of Erk1/2 and Akt signaling. Results provide novel insight into the intracellular mechanism of action of CART in regulation of FSH-induced MAPK signaling.


Interleukin-17 is a T cell derived pro-inflammatory cytokine exhibiting multiple biological activities in a variety of cells and believed to fine tune all general phases of hematopoietic response. However, the signaling mechanism of this novel cytokine remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Interleukin-17 induces tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins and to find out whether the raf-1 kinase signaling pathway is involved in mediating its signaling. Using immunoblotting and immunocomplex kinase assays, we report that the early signaling events triggered by rhIL-17 involves rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular proteins including raf-1 within 0.5 to 30 min. Optimal stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation was observed with 0.5 to 1.0 ng/ml of Interleukin-17. Further, Interleukin-17 stimulates rapid activation of raf-1 kinase. These findings provide the first evidence that the mechanism of IL-17 signaling involves rapid tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of raf-1 serine/threonine kinase.


When the names of child victims and other identifying information appear in the media it can exacerbate trauma, complicate recovery, discourage future disclosures and inhibit cooperation with authorities for the children involved. In this study, we evaluated the amount of identifying information available in a systematic sample of 561 newspaper articles about non-fatal child victimizations published from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004. Identifying information about the victim (e.g. name of the child's street, school or a family member's full name) was published in 51 percent of articles covering child victimizations. For cases of sexual assault, victim identifiers were most likely to be included when the alleged offender was related to the victim or was a high-profile community member. Based on these findings, we examine the arguments for and against more restrictive policies regarding identifying information, and suggest some guidelines that would provide additional protections for child victims.


Imidacloprid (IMI) is the first-generation neonicotinoid insecticide. But, the long-term use of IMI as a pesticide has caused severe water pollution. Recently, the toxicity of IMI to aquatic organisms has received increasing attention. This study aimed to investigate the absorption and distribution of IMI in various tissues (gills, intestine, liver, muscle, brain and gonads) of goldfish through short-term and continuous exposure tests over 28 days. The results of short-term exposure indicated that the concentration of IMI and its metabolites in tissues at the transfer stage decreased steadily after 1 day of 40 mg/L IMI water treatment and was below the detection limit after 3 days. Continuous exposure for 28 days at various treatment concentrations showed that the concentrations of IMI and its metabolites differed significantly among the different tissues of the goldfish. In the 20 mg/L treatment group (S1), the highest concentration of IMI was found in the liver (12.04 μg/gtissue), followed by the intestine (9.91 μg/gtissue), muscle (6.20 μg/gtissue), gill (6.11 μg/gtissue), gonads (5.22 μg/gtissue) and brain (2.87 μg/gtissue). In the 40 mg/L treatment group (S2), the order of the tissue concentrations was similar to that of the S1 group, with the highest concentration observed in the liver (12.04 μg/gtissue), followed by the intestine (9.91 μg/gtissue), muscle (6.20 μg/gtissue), gill (6.11 μg/gtissue), gonads (5.22 μg/gtissue) and brain (2.87 μg/gtissue). Furthermore, the study detected 5-hydroxy-IMI, IMI urea and 6-chloronicotinic acid in IMI metabolites in all tissues, while IMI was detected only in the intestine and liver. Overall, the results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the metabolic behavior of IMI in organisms and provide new data to support the assessment of IMI toxicity in fish.


To address the question of whether translocation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the blood could be involved in the process of exercise-induced polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) activation, 12 healthy male subjects who took part in a sprint triathlon (1.5 km river swim, 40 km bicycle race, 10 km road race) were studied. While there was no detectable amount of endotoxin in the blood samples drawn at rest, exercise was followed by the appearance of circulating endotoxin molecules at the end of competition in four subjects, and after one and 24 h recovery in three and seven athletes, respectively. The concentrations of plasma granulocyte myeloperoxidase ([MPO]), were significantly higher immediately after exercise and one hour later-than baseline values (P<0.001). This variable returned to pre-race levels the day after exercise, despite the presence of detectable amounts of LPS, at that time, in seven athletes. The absence of significant correlation (r=0.26; P=0.383) and temporal association between [MPO] and plasma endotoxin levels led us to conclude that endotoxaemia was not involved in the process of exercise-induced PMN degranulation observed in our subjects.


Abstract On satellite images in the near-infrared 3.7 μm atmospheric window some low clouds appear warmer than the sea. A simple analysis of the radiation balance of elements of the cloud and sea surface indicates that the anomaly can be explained by the difference in reflectance between these elements. In some areas of the image, low clouds return more reflected solar radiation to the satellite than does the background sea. These clouds may then appear warmer. A method to measure the albedo of clouds using these satellite data is suggested.


BALANCING PERCEIVED SENSORY DIMENSIONS AND BIOTOPES IN URBAN GREEN SPACE DESIGN Amanda Lockwood Advisor: Robert Corry University of Guelph, 2017 Eight Perceived Sensory Dimensions (PSDs) were identified from previous studies to describe user preferences of park qualities and characteristics: nature, culture, prospect, social, space, rich-in-species, refuge, and serene. Recently, PSDs and biotopes have been integrated to enhance park users' preferences and vegetation structure. Usable green space needs to balance social aspects (PSDs) and environmental aspects (biotopes) at the design stage. This study assesses urban green spaces through experimental design based on the inclusion of the biotope 'green space' and PSDs. Designs were created based on market squares in Guelph and London, Ontario, by including biotope characteristics for plazas and PSDs. Designs were critically analyzed to determine that PSDs and the biotope category 'plaza' had a positive relationship aside from the PSD 'nature'. This research contributes to the understanding of socially and environmentally cohesive urban green spaces, providing landscape architects with tools for creating usable green spaces in Southern Ontario cities.


The X-ray light curves of hundreds of bursts are now available, thanks to the X-ray Telescope on board the Swift satellite, on time scales from ~1 minute up to weeks and in some cases months from the burst explosion. These data allow us to investigate the physics of the highly relativistic fireball outflow and its interaction with the circumburst environment. Here we review the main results of the XRT observations, with particular regard to the evolution of the X-ray light curves in the early phases. Unexpectedly, they are characterised by different slopes, with a very steep decay in the first few hundred of seconds, followed by a flatter decay and, a few thousand of seconds later, by a somewhat steeper decay. Often strong flare activity up to few hours after the burst explosion is also seen. These flares, most likely, are still related to the central engine activity, that last much longer than expected and it is still dominating the X-ray light curve well after the prompt phase, up to a few thousand of seconds. The real afterglow emission (external shock) is dominating the X-ray light curve only after the flatter phase ends. The flatter phase is probably the combination of late-prompt emission and afterglow emission. When the late-prompt emission ends the light curve steepens again. Some flare activity can still be detected during these later phases. Finally, even the late evolution of the XRT light curves is puzzling, in particular many of them do not show a ``jet-break''. There are various possibilities to explain these observations (e.g.time evolution of the microphysical parameters, structured jet). However, a clear understanding of the formation and evolution of the jet and of the afterglow emission is still lacking.


Networks of two input-one output cells are described in which the cells are restricted to realize a subset of the 16 two-variable functions. The restriction, if appropriately chosen, will result in a network whose function set is the same as that of a network of identical structure in which each cell realizes all 16 functions. A restricted network is demonstrated which realizes exactly those functions realized by an irredundant disjunctive network which are dependent on all inputs. In addition, a restriction on cell set size is shown which produces the same functions realized by a general network in which all cells realize 16 functions. From this latter result, it can be concluded that 16 · 7c-1is an upper bound on the number of functions realizable by any network of c cells.


ABSTRACT Yang, L.; Wang, C.; Zhang, S.; Gu, H.; Thiruvenkataswamy, K.; Cheng, L., and Lin, P., 2023. Using coastal reservoirs for a sustainable freshwater supply: Feasibility study in Ningbo, China. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 712–721. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. In 2020, there was a very serious shortage of freshwater during the dry season in Ningbo, China. Aiming to solve this problem, methods to address the shortage by coastal reservoir development are proposed in this paper. According to the analysis of annual rainfall, extreme rainfall, total amount of freshwater resources, and water supply, Ningbo is not short of freshwater resources, but it is short of available freshwater. Based on the characteristics of river basins and landforms, the types of coastal reservoirs that could be built were analyzed. Results show that the northeastern plain area is suitable for construction of tidal flat reservoirs and river mouth reservoirs, and Xiangshan Port and Sanmenwan river basin are suitable for construction of river mouth reservoirs, estuarine reservoirs, and combined river reservoirs.


ABSTRACT The present study describes the development and validation of an instrument to measure volition in the exercise context. Volition describes an individual's self-regulatory mental processes that are responsible for taking and maintaining a desirable action (e.g., exercising regularly). The scale structure was developed in an exploratory factor analysis which resulted in a reliable structure of the following six factors: Volitional Inhibition—Reasons, Volitional Inhibition—Postponing Training, Volitional Facilitation—Self-Confidence, Volitional Inhibition—Unrelated Thoughts, Volitional Inhibition—Approval From Others, and Volitional Facilitation—Coping with Failure. A sound theoretical explanation for these six factors is based on the Personal System Interaction Theory. This six-factor structure was also confirmed in a new sample in a confirmatory factor analysis, delivering an 18-item questionnaire with strong model fit and good internal consistency. In addition, the Volition in Exercise Questionnaire showed convergent validity because it was able to predict exercise participation. It showed incremental validity by explaining additional variance to the Sport Motivation Scale's well-established predictors of exercise participation.


The key technical issues involved in producing high-quality Ada compilers and related support tools are discussed. These include real-time issues, programming tools and environments, and code optimization. Also addressed are some important problems that compiler designers face, for example, determining which deficiencies of existing Ada systems can be attributed to the language and which are simply hard-to-implement features or unresolved issued in Ada compiler technology.<<ETX>>


James D Hundertmark, Western Mental Health, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia: In a recent article in the Journal, Doessel et al . conclude that deinstitutionalization in Queensland was over before the National Mental Health Strategy was developed or implemented [1]. Their conclusion begs the question, Has the Strategy been a key driver for any meaningful change at all? Priebe and Turner describe reinstitutionalization where the number of forensic beds and compulsory admissions have risen, placement in private-supported housing has increased enormously ('private madhouses' to replace the asylums) and dilemmas exist in treating people in the community who do not want to be treated [2]. The Not For Service Report [3], while being somewhat destructive in its tone, does make some strong arguments for changes to our mental health system. Hickie's important article outlines some of the obvious areas which could be improved [4]. The areas include implementation of world-leading innovations which have been developed in this country such as legitimate roles for consumers and carers and novel early intervention programs for young people with psychosis. In the Foreword to the 2005 National Mental Health Report [5], the Secretary on Health and Ageing candidly admits 'the question of whether the existing service configuration is appropriate to meet the demand for services, or whether a different service configuration is required remains fundamental'. He goes on to describe an impending revision of the National Mental Health Policy. Many Australians believe that the past policies have failed us. We have slavishly followed international trends without recognizing the uniqueness of our system. We have brought in changes which have not shown clear benefits internationally. We have ignored our own sound and innovative ideas. We now have research data to show aspects of our Strategy have not driven change. Clinicians, academics, consumers and carers must now work with policy-makers to bring about sustained improvement to our mental health system as the time is clearly ripe.


Introduction: Social media has emerged as a useful tool in the fellowship recruitment process. We aimed to assess the prevalence of social media use among hand surgery fellowships, to analyze social media posts according to content, and to evaluate the level of engagement generated by specific content. Methods: We used a list of accredited hand surgery fellowships from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Fellowship Directory to identify all hand surgery fellowship profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Instagram was the most commonly used platform and thus the focus of this study. Two reviewers independently assessed all Instagram posts from each program and assigned content labels. We assessed the variability in content published by each program using a Monte Carlo estimation of an exact chi-square test. We calculated the level of engagement generated by each content label using the number of likes per post per number of account followers. We analyzed the variability in engagement using a Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: We identified 21 Instagram accounts from 89 fellowship programs (24%). Seventeen of 21 (81%) were created after the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. There was significant variability in the scope of content published by each program (P < 0.0001) and in the level of engagement generated by each content label (P < 0.0001). Skills, conferences, fellow, case example(s), faculty, and team dynamics generated some of the most engagement. Logistics, miscellaneous, and facilities generated the least. Discussion: There is wide variability in the content produced by hand fellowship programs. Specific types of content generate more engagement from followers than others. This information may guide fellowship programs to produce the type of content potential applicants find most useful when making application and rank list decisions.


What does it mean to say rhetoric scholarship should be relevant to democratic practice? A prevailing answer to this question insists that rhetoric scholars are participants in the democratic contest for power just like all other citizens, no more and no less. Drawing on the work of Slavoj Žižek, the argument of this essay is that reducing scholarship to a mode of political agency not only produces an increasingly uninhabitable academic identity but also draws our attention away from producing results of rhetorical inquiry designed to be useful to citizens in democracy. Clinging to the idea that academic practice is a mode of political action produces a fantastic blindness to the antagonism between scholarly reflection and political agency that structures academic purpose. While empirical barriers to the production of rhetorical resources suitable for democratic appropriation undoubtedly exist, ignoring the self-frustrating character of academic desire is no less of an impediment to the production of democratically consequential rhetoric scholarship.


SummaryTo assess the treatment of tubal pregnancy with prostaglandins, serial analysis of β-hCG, prolactin, oestradiol and progesterone was performed in 42 patients. A total of 30 patients (71 per cent) were managed successfully with prostaglandins. Below an initial serum β-hCG value of 2500 miu/ml the success rate was 86 per cent; above 2500 miu/ml the rate dropped to 39 per cent. In the low β-hCG group serum prolactin values decreased after successful treatment but there was no decrease in the failure group. Oestradiol and progesterone levels did not differ between the groups. In patients with initial β-hCG values < 2500 miu/ml prostaglandin treatment seems to produce favourable results. Patients with β-hCG values < 2500 miu/ml should be treated by alternative surgical methods.


Doubts as to the literary unity of the book of Isaiah are fairly recent. The late nineteenth century saw a division of Isaiah into three parts by critics, who categorized only 262 of the 1292 verses as the genuine product of Isaiah. These critics deny the prediction element of prophecy and highlight different literary forms and theological ideas. The Book of Mormon attributes two of these three sections to Isaiah by quotation; ancient scriptures as well give no hint of a division. Christ and the apostles themselves attribute the book to Isaiah. Internal evidences of the unity of the book include imagery, repetition, expressions peculiar to Isaiah, and song. Changes in style can be attributed to mood. The differences between the Book of Mormon and the King James Version support the authenticity and literary unity of Isaiah.


Six months in Swaziland working as a project pharmacist in tough conditions is not everyone's idea of the perfect job.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the intra- and inter-scanner reproducibility of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) of cerebral subcortical nuclei in healthy adults.

METHODS
QSM was performed in 21 healthy adults on two different 3.0T MR scanners, and the region of interest (ROI) method was used to measure the magnetic susceptibility value of the left subcortical nuclei (the head of the caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra and red nucleus). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate the inter-scanner and intra-scanner reliability.

RESULTS
The ICCs of the susceptibility value ranged from 0.90 to 0.99 for all the subcortical gray nuclei except for the head of the caudate nucleus measured on the same MR scanner by the same observer. Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the points with susceptibility differences for all the subcortical gray nuclei except for substantia nigra located in the 95% CI of limits of agreement for the same MR scanner. The ICCs of the susceptibility value for the inter-scanner was 0.49 (0.08-0.75) for the head of the caudate nuleus, 0.80 (0.57-0.91) for the putamen, 0.77 (0.51-0.90) for the globus pallidus, 0.78 (0.54-0.91) for the thalamus, 0.80 (0.56-0.91) for the substantia nigra and 0.93 (0.83-0.97) for the red nucleus. The points with susceptibility difference (95.2%, 20/21) located in the 95% CI of limits of agreement for the putamen and the thalamus measured on two different MR scanners.

CONCLUSIONS
The intra-scanner reproducibility of QSM of the subcortical gray nuclei is superior to the inter-scanner reproducibility in healthy adults.


Measurement of the atmospheric concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollutant was demonstrated by differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) using a visible acousto-optic tunable filter. In a traditional spectral scanning DOAS system for atmospheric concentration monitoring, a highly stable light source is required. When the light intensity fluctuates during scanning, the concentration retrieval will be inaccurate. In order to reduce the error due to intensity fluctuations, a modified DOAS system has been developed by introducing a broadband light intensity monitoring channel. Using the measured intensity of the broadband channel as the intensity of the light source, the spectrum can be de-biased and the residual intensity variation will primarily result from atmospheric extinction. In addition, by employing the lock-in detection technique, the background light interference is also removed in the modified DOAS system. The atmospheric NO2 concentration measurement was performed at the campus of City University of Hong Kong, and the results were compared with the concentration reported from a nearby monitoring station in Sham Shui Po, operated by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department.


Despite the existence of hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still prevalent worldwide and accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. In chronic infection with hepatitis virus B the fact that HBeAg becomes negative does not always means suppression of viral replication. It is encouraging that majority of patients do recover from the acute infection, however, those that progress to chronic disease state is at great risk of developing complications such as hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis and liver failure. The selection of patients was those who had elevated levels of liver enzyme SGPT (ALT), The HB s Ag and anti HCV n = 1890  by ELISA were performed to identify the positive cases with HB s Ag. Furthermore, in this study we performed HB e Ag by ELISA for identifying the infectious and the carrier state. The PCR was performed for the confirmation of infectious status, carrier state and the late sero conversation state. HB s Ag were n = 1890; out of which n = 1242 are negative cases and 648 were positive cases. On further analysis of hepatitis B virus variant were carried out and HB e Ag, HB e Ab,  HB c Core Ig M, and anti-HB c Core was also performed on n = 648 cases to put patients in different status of infection. During this study we also identified the chronic carrier status with No sero conversion and later sero conversion state. It is encouraging that we easily identify different stages of hepatitis B by Serological markers, DNA extraction, determination of HBV – DNA by PCR. Present study helps in understanding the nature of HBV infection and delivering better care for patients, it was very important to screen the different stages of the infection.

 Key words: Hepatitis B, stages of HBs Ag, HBV infection.


This paper analyzes the reliability of a simple dynamic system with redundant element and demonstrates an optimization technique for system reliability. A computer program was implemented to calculate the true reliability and the near optimal redundancy allocation for a dynamic subsystem. The solutions for the examples were always truly Optimum which is illustrated by an example.


This chapter examines some of the tensions between the ideals and the operationalization of responsible research and innovation (RRI). We are interested in those kinds of integrations that take place as social scientists, humanities and legal scholars seek closer collaborations with scientists, innovators, engineers, industrialists and policy-makers. Our aim is to address some aspects of what actually happens, as collaborations are worked out (or not) across boundaries, including some of the frictions and problems that arise in practice and theory. We propose a concept of epistemic networks to describe and articulate contemporary networked-based problem-solving to innovate and address societal issues. Situated within the broader horizon of an empirical investigation into integration of assessments in digital and smart technology domains, we recount three (practical and theoretical) lessons for RRI. Our lessons stem from three persistent problems: the framing of research questions, interdisciplinarity in practice and the role of law in interdisciplinary collaborations. We argue that such problems, being simultaneously epistemic and normative, should not be seen as mere obstacles to be done away with in order for innovation to run its course. Instead, they are pointers towards critical sites and sources for the deepening of RRI in theory and in practice.


The firefly subgenus Hotaria sensu lato of the genus Luciola currently includes four morphospecies: L. (H.) parvula, L. (H.) unmunsana, L (H.) papariensis, and L. (H.) tsushimana. The latter three are taxonomically controversial based on both morphological and molecular data. We examined the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the species and related congeners using partial COI gene sequences (DNA barcoding). Our phylogenetic analyses consistently supported the monophyly of Hotaria sensu lato, but did not resolve the generic rank. The two types of L. (H.) parvula in Japan can be considered distinct species that arose by pseudocryptic speciation during the Miocene, with substantial genetic divergence (15.41%). Three morphospecies, L. (H.) unmunsana, L (H.) papariensis, and L. (H.) tsushimana, split into several polyphyletic or paraphyletic groups, forming entangled species groups. They are considered an incipient group that is distinguishable genetically but not morphologically, with evidence for recent allopatric speciation events corresponding to geologic events and sea-level changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Group III of L. (H.) unmunsana collected from the Jeolla region is a new taxon.


[1] The phase asymmetry in a downstream pattern of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is examined during boreal winter time. We compared the downstream anomaly patterns associated with the positive and negative persistent NAO events over several days. Both phases of the persistent NAO events accompany quasi-stationary wave trains in downstream upper levels. However, a distinct low level anomaly appears only for the negative persistent NAO events. The low level anomaly migrates eastward as a surface anticyclone that is confined to the low troposphere. A few days later, the surface anticyclone reaches central Siberia and induces cold advection over East Asia. Therefore, the phase-dependent downstream development of the NAO expands the impact of the NAO to the East Asian region. We also discuss the possible interaction between the upper and lower level anomalies, a necessary condition for the amplification of the Siberian high.


Wilson disease (WD), an autosomal recessive disease with abnormal copper metabolism, is caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene. It is characterized by liver, nervous system, and ocular manifestations related to the deposition of copper in the liver, lens nucleus, and cornea. The case reported in this article was a 30-year-old woman with high muscle tension, unable to stand or walk, low voice, and short-term memory loss. Brain MRI showed patchy T1, long T2 signals, and high FLAIR showed signals in the basal ganglia thalamus area, subcortex, and brain stem. Low signal shadows were presented in magnetically sensitive bilateral basal ganglia region, callus, and cerebellar dentate nucleus. Ceruloplasmin was significantly reduced. With conventional treatment by western medicine, the symptoms were not alleviated. However, after the application of acupuncture-assisted treatment, the patient is capable with self-care ability, thus a desired effect was achieved. It is therefore suggested that acupuncture shall be applied to assist treatment of WD to relieve symptoms and help patients return to the society.


ABSTRACT Subcutaneous vaccination with recombinant antigen 2/PRA (rAg2/PRA) protected BALB/c mice against intranasal infection with Coccidioides immitis. Subcutaneously vaccinated C57BL/6 mice and intranasally vaccinated BALB/c mice were protected against larger numbers of infecting spores. Weight loss correlated with lethality, but histologic appearance did not. These studies support rAg2/PRA vaccination to prevent coccidioidomycosis.


We are interested in phase transitions in certain percolation models on point processes and their dependence on clustering properties of the point processes. We show that point processes with smaller void probabilities and factorial moment measures than the stationary Poisson point process exhibit non-trivial phase transition in the percolation of some coverage models based on level-sets of additive functionals of the point process. Examples of such point processes are determinantal point processes, some perturbed lattices and more generally, negatively associated point processes. Examples of such coverage models are k-coverage in the Boolean model (coverage by at least k grains), and SINR-coverage (coverage if the signal to-interference-and-noise ratio is large). In particular, we answer in affirmative the hypothesis of existence of phase transition in the percolation of k-faces in the Cech simplicial complex (called also clique percolation) on point processes which cluster less than the Poisson process. We also construct a Cox point process, which is "more clustered" than the Poisson point process and whose Boolean model percolates for arbitrarily small radius. This shows that clustering (at least, as detected by our specific tools) does not always "worsen" percolation, as well as that upper-bounding this cluster-ing by a Poisson process is a consequential assumption for the phase transition to hold.


Mouse blastocysts with and without zonae pellucidae are susceptible to complement-dependent antibody cytotoxicity. Exposure of blastocysts to rabbit anti-mouse serum together with complement results in the death of all cells; however, when blastocysts are exposed to antiserum alone and then transferred to guinea pig complement, only the trophoblastic cells are killed. These results suggest that the mouse blastocyst is not permeable for certain antibodies. The inner cell masses can easily be separated from the remnants of trophoblastic cells and are then able to grow and differentiate in vitro. This method of immunosurgery can be used to obtain large quantities of pure inner cell masses in a relatively short period of time.


Rate allocation for available bit-rate (ABR) services in ATM networks has received a considerable amount of attention, but important issues such as bandwidth fairness, MCR rate guarantees, and queue control still require further investigation. In light of these concerns, an enhanced rate allocation algorithm is proposed for congestion management using explicit rate feedback control. The algorithm uses fast, exact rate computations and is capable of achieving a variety of MCR-related fairness criteria. The scheme handles transient effects and can function in heterogeneous networks carrying higher priority real-time traffic. Simulation results for a wide range of network scenarios demonstrate that the algorithm effectively controls queue buildups and achieves good fairness. Performance scalability to large networks under challenging conditions is also shown for a given control parameter set.


Hypersensitivity drug reactions (HDRs) represent a large and important health problem, affecting many patients and leading to a variety of clinical entities, some of which can be life‐threatening. The culprit drugs include commonly used medications including antibiotics and NSAIDs. Nontherapeutical agents, such as contrast media, are also involved. Because the pathophysiological mechanisms are not well known and the current diagnostic procedures are somewhat insufficient, new approaches are needed for understanding the complexity of HDRs.


Energy is often the most significant factor in the affordability and sustainability of treating various different source waters with reverse osmosis membrane facilities. More than 33% of the cost to produce water using reverse osmosis (RO) technology is attributed to electrical demands. The largest energy-consuming component of the overall treatment are the high pressure pumps required to feed water to the process. Because of the high energy burden and production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, renewable energy is being increasingly considered for desalination projects. The selection of the appropriate renewable energy resource depends on several factors, including plant size, feed water salinity, remoteness, availability of grid electricity, technical infrastructure, and the type and potential of the local renewable energy resource. The cost of desalination with renewable energy resources, as opposed to desalination with conventional energy sources, can be an important alternative to consider when reduced environmental impact and lower gas emissions are required. Considering the proposed climate protection targets that have been set and the strong environmental drivers for lowered energy usage, future water desalination and advanced water treatment systems around the world could be increasingly powered by renewable energy resources. In addition to renewables, energy optimization/minimization is deemed critical to desalting resource management. Methods employed include enhanced system design, high efficiency pumping, energy recovery devices and use of advanced membrane materials.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a potent stimulator of collagen and glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis and may play an important role in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling. Heparin sulphate was shown to be the major proteoglycan molecule in ECM of leiomyoma. It shows ability to bind some growth factors, including FGF. It was decided to evaluate bFGF presence and binding in leiomyoma tissues. Our results show that bFGF binds to the leiomyoma components of different molecular mass. Most of bFGF was identified in large leiomyoma. We suggest that the level of bFGF in leiomyoma tissue may reflect the intensity of tumour growth.


Early parental loss or trauma has been proposed by some as a significant factor in the adoption of atheist, non-theist, or irreligious worldviews. Relevant empirical data, however, have been limited, impressionistic, methodologically questionable, or limited to historically prominent figures. Survey data from the GSS and a study of affirmatively non-theistic and irreligious secular group affiliates in the U.S. do not provide evidence of disproportionately high rates of early parental loss among individuals who describe themselves as "atheist(ic)" or "anti-religious," reject belief in God, or express strong anger about religion. Loss of a parent or other loved may play a role in turns toward, as well as away from, God and religion for some. There is also evidence of comparatively high rates of parental loss in the lives of historically prominent figures, both religious and non-religious. Present results, however, do not support the hypothesis that early loss is a disproportionately frequent experience in the lives of ("ordinary") atheistic or irreligious people.


This paper provides a brief overview of the seismic activities in Vietnam. In the past, Vietnam did not have its own earthquake code. A new earthquake code which was based on Eurocode has been issued in 2006. The new earthquake code for Vietnam is reviewed in this paper. Due to the lack of historical records the establishment of the local site factors and design seismic response spectrum for major cities in Vietnam was found problematic. A case study was carried out to determine the full range response spectra for seismic design of building structures in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. The study comprises the following components: (i) development of a seismic activity model for the potential earthquake sources in the region surrounding Hanoi; (ii) the response spectrum modelling for rock sites based on the assumed seismic activity; (iii) soil amplification modelling to represent typical soil conditions in Hanoi. Several representative boreholes have been obtained for soil resonance analyses based on the predicted bedrock motion. This method has been found very useful to produce important seismic parameters for earthquake design.


Conformance control is any action taken to improve the injection or production profile of a well. It encompasses procedures that enhance recovery efficiency, improve wellbore/casing integrity, and satisfy environmental regulations. Unwanted fluid production in oil- and gasproducing wells is a limiting factor that controls the productive life of a well. The cost of produced water disposal in an environmentally non-threatening fashion may be a major concern for many producers. In addition, control of excess water and gas production improves profitability by allowing additional oil to be produced. Application of water control technology assists to minimize water production and maintain the oil flow rate of a well. Reservoir engineering and well testing play essential roles in characterizing and detecting the problems associated with producing formations and wells. This paper starts with problem identification in both producing and injection wells. It then covers the behavior and control of of several types of reservoirs with different drive mechanisms. Applications of reservoir simulation and well testing in the control of water and gas coning, determination of the amount and the best appropriate treatment application, effect of formation layering, control of relative permeability to water, application of permeability blocking agents, water channeling, secondary recovery, viscous fingering, and polymer flooding are detailed in this paper. In addition several techniques to evaluate the overall success of a conformance control procedure are presented.


This study aimed to utilize structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques to determine the effects of dietary calcium, protein and vitamin D on adiposity and lipidemia and to assess mediatory effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 150 diabetic patients (93 females and 57 males) were randomly selected. Anthropometric measures, biochemical analyses, and fat mass percent were recorded. Nutritional data were collected. SEM was performed. Based on the primary hypothesis, adiposity and lipidemia were fitted in a model. The direct effects of dietary calcium (λ = –0.165, p value = 0.002) and PTH (λ = –0.143, p value = 0.011) were significantly associated with lipidemia. There were no significant effects for dietary protein on PTH (λ = –0.270, p value = 0.057), 25(OH)D (λ = –0.071, p value = 0.613), lipidemia (λ = –0.044; p value = 0.638) or adiposity (λ = –0.009, p value = 0.949) as well as for dietary vitamin D on PTH (λ = –0.119, p value = 0.194), 25(OH)D (λ = 0.023, p value = 0.806), lipidemia (λ = 0.034, p value = 0.587) or adiposity (λ = –0.221, p value = 0.118). The correlation between calcium intake and lipidemia, and adiposity are not mediated by 25(OH)D and PTH. There were the direct effects of dietary calcium on adiposity in patients with type 2 diabetes. The model can be tested in future longitudinal and intervention studies to identify the predictors of obesity.


THE recovery of belief in God's redemptive presence in history, following the partial collapse of the classical theistic and salvation-history framework of Christian belief, was one of the great achievements of nineteen th<entury liberal theology. Its evident weaknesses have been exposed and exaggerated, but its moral seriousness and social commitment compare favourably with much of what followed. Its optimism proved premature, and much twentieth-century thought outside Marxism has been a flight from history that has reached newextremesin post-modernism. Theology of history thus looks a more daring enterprise today than ever before. It is also more necessary than ever in a western culture uncertain of its ideals, much less their possible relationship to Christian faith. Nobody is better equipped than Peter Hodgson of Vanderbilt to draw on the resources of nineteenthcentury thought in rising to this challenge. He has spent much of the past decade editing (monumentally) Hegel's Lectureson the Philosophy of Religion, and has now turned these labours to theological account by relating them to contemporary debates in history, philosophy, theology, and literary criticism. Ernst Troeltsch's notion translated 'figuration' (Gestaltung) provides Hodgson with an echo of the creative forming and transforming that Christians find in God's way with the world. Barth's thought of God as'the one who loves in freedom', which Christians find expressed paradigmatically in the proclamation and crucifixion of Jesus, sums up what he wants to say about God and history as correlative realities whose relationship is focused in emancipatory praxis. This is an inspiring Enlightenment-based vision, worked out in conversation with an impressive range of contemporary thought—liberal theology at its best. Readers who get beyond the dazzle of its in tellectual bravado will be challenged by this sequel to Hodgson's earlier New Birth of Freedom to reflect on freedom as a key theological category for today and to find God's activity in our shaping of human destiny. Even those who doubt that the classical framework of Christian faith is finished will find this modern rethinking of Trinitarian theology, the historical process, and the ethical challenge, deeply suggestive. The language is exhausting, but thinking as hard about God and the world as this theologian has done was never meant to be easy.


The export entry behaviour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is a complex behaviour that requires specific tools for a holistic investigation. Thus far, there are inconclusive findings in the literature on key predictors of export behaviour, which may be explained by methodological limitations. In this chapter, using a novel fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis for its ability to capture complex causality, the authors study the impact of managerial attributes and collaborative behaviours on SMEs' export propensity. The analysis is based on a sample of 80 SMEs operating in the emerging country context of Turkey. Participants were selected using a non-probability sampling approach. For export propensity, it is found that no single driver is sufficient to facilitate SMEs' export entry. Rather, a combination of managerial attributes including export knowledge, international orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and export perception is more likely to lead to export entry. Alternatively, the lack of some of these attributes could be offset by the presence of collaborative activities. Specifically, the shortage of export knowledge, international orientation and entrepreneurial orientation at any rate could be mitigated by collaborative activities. These findings hold important implications for SMEs and export promotion organisations in similar emerging contexts.


A simple, sensitive, and precise high-performance thin layer chromatographic method has been developed for the estimation of propranolol hydrochloride and Flunarizine dihydrochloride in combined dosage form. The method employed HPTLC aluminum plates precoated with silica gel 60F as the stationary phase while the solvent system was toluene:methanol: ethyl acetate: acetic acid (7 : 1.5 : 1.5 : 0.1 v/v/v/v). The Rf value was observed to be 0 . 0 7 ± 0 . 0 2 and 0 . 6 7 ± 0 . 0 2 for propranolol hydrochloride and flunarizine dihydrochloride. The densitometric analysis was carried out in absorbance mode at 240 nm. The method was linear in the range of 400–2400 ng/band for propranolol hydrochloride and 50–300 ng/band for flunarizine dihydrochloride. The method was validated with respected accuracy, precision and specificity. The limit of detection for Propranolol hydrochloride and flunarizine dihydrochloride were found to be 118.4 and 13.75 ng/spot, respectively. The limit of quantification for propranolol hydrochloride and flunarizine dihydrochloride was found to be 355.2 and 45.4 ng/band, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the estimation of propranolol hydrochloride and flunarizine dihydrochloride in combined dosage form.


Motivated by our previous results, we investigate structural properties of probability measure-preserving actions of sofic groups relative to their Pinsker factor. We also consider the same properties relative to the Outer Pinsker factor, which is another generalization of the Pinsker factor in the nonamenable case. The Outer Pinsker factor is motivated by extension entropy for extensions, which fixes some of the "pathological" behavior of sofic entropy: namely increase of entropy under factor maps. We show that an arbitrary probability measure-preserving action of a sofic group is mixing relative to its Pinsker and Outer Pinsker factors and, if the group is nonamenable, it has spectral gap relative to its Pinsker and Outer Pinsker factors. Our methods are similar to those we developed in "Polish models and sofic entropy" and based on representation-theoretic techniques. One crucial difference is that instead of considering unitary representations of a group we must consider *-representations of algebraic crossed products.


Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is secreted by the testes with a diurnal rhythm and has a strong anti-catabolic (anabolic) effect on muscles. There is a strong relationship (r > 0.9) between concentrations of testosterone in the saliva and blood. The main purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of strength-training on levels of salivary testosterone in male judoists. In a cross-sectional investigation, a population of 18 fit young male judoists (aged 17.0 ± 1.2 year, body mass 72 ± 3 kg, height 175 ± 3 cm, means ± SD), with at least 1.5 years of experience in judo classes was examined in Isfahan, Iran, in December, 2012. The period of testing consisted of two days of "rest" and two days of "exercise". Subjects were randomly divided into two conditions that performed either the "rest" or "exercise" days during the first week, with the opposite type of day in the second week. The training regimen consisted of three repetitions of nine tasks, with 1 min of rest between each of the three sets, performed on alternate days for 8 weeks. Unstimulated saliva was collected (1–2 ml) every 2 h from 06:00 till 22:00 h. ANOVA with repeated measures was used to assess differences between the rest and exercise days. Strength-training sessions caused a significant decrease in testosterone levels immediately after exercise (p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between the daily profiles of testosterone during the rest or exercise days (p > 0.05). It is concluded that strength-training does not significantly affect the normal biological rhythm of salivary testosterone during the waking period in male judoists.


Abstract Persons with disabilities are vulnerable to rights violations when accessing health care, including allied health care. However, the commitment of allied health professional education to disability rights has not been researched. This study is the first to investigate the extent to which disability rights principles are integrated into allied health competencies and education. Specifically, this paper explores the extent to which disability rights principles are integrated into the competencies and education of the six allied health professions taught by the University of Sydney's Faculty of Health Sciences. The study brings to light facilitators and barriers to professional curriculum renewal, and recommendations for future health professional education. This case study reveals that three allied health professions—exercise physiology, physiotherapy, and radiography—incorporate a rights-based approach to a lesser degree than the other three—speech pathology, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation counseling. We refer to this as an "allied health continuum." The paper concludes that there is considerable scope for the allied health professions to strengthen human rights-based education and care provision through ethical codes of conduct, competencies, curriculum renewal, accreditation, and registration requirements, with the aim of reducing rights violations experienced by persons with disabilities when accessing allied health care.


Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of the chronic enteric disease paratuberculosis in ruminants that causes considerable economic losses worldwide. Due to rigorous control measures, paratuberculosis is rare or absent in Sweden. However, import-related outbreaks have occurred. Diagnostic surveillance and outbreak investigations are mainly carried out by very slow culture methods. Faster and equally reliable molecular methods are needed for detection of MAP in several clinical matrixes. MAP is primarily shed in faeces, the most important testing material. The abundance of PCR inhibitory substances in faeces constitutes a diagnostic challenge. Semen, imported for breeding purposes, may contain MAP if the donor bulls are asymptomatic carriers. MAP has been suggested as the causative agent of Crohn's disease and its presence in consumers' milk might be of concern. In this thesis, the development and sensitivity assessment of protocols for detection of MAP in ruminant faeces, semen and milk by real-time PCR are described. The analytical sensitivities were assessed to 104 MAP/g faeces, 10 MAP/100 µl semen and 100 MAP/ml milk. The faeces direct PCR was validated on 202 proficiency test samples. MAP was detected in 97% of previously frozen positive samples - better than culture. Pellet and cream fractions of milk were pooled before cell lysis and DNA extraction by automated magnetic bead separation. In a study of 56 dairy herds, tank milk PCR was compared to culture of environmental faecal samples for herd prevalence testing. By the latter, 68% of the herds were positive, while 30% were positive by PCR. Due to the concluded low abundance of MAP in milk tanks, milk PCR would be more useful for testing of MAP in consumers' milk, than for herd prevalence testing. Three real-time PCR systems were designed for confirmation of PCR positives and validated on 267 strains and 58 positive faecal and tissue samples. The system based on the gene F57 was the most specific. A faecal culture screening of 501 wild guanacos in Chile yielded MAP colonies from 21 guanacos (4.2%), representing the first isolation of MAP from wild animals in the Chilean Patagonia. Confirmation was done by PCR and typing was performed by PCR-REA. All strains proved to be of C type.


It might be desirable to have available for professors a book with the title "What Every Professor Should Knov About American Higher Education." Some topics that could be included are the organization, function, and purpose of American colleges and universities. Other topics of importance needing examination are various teaching roles, the role of research, and the administrative process. (Author/KE)


Text clustering is the major route for topic detection. The major shortcoming which the current algorithms always suffers is the high computing complexity and great time cost when the number of instance is too large. We introduce a new algorithm which cluster the text copra is two steps: in the C-process we divide the copra into some overlapping subsets using Canopy clustering; in the K-process we take X-means algorithm to generate rough clusters from the canopies which share common instance. Experiments show this text clustering technique reveals the true number of the clusters from the copra and runs faster than Single-pass and K-means clustering algorithms.


: In this work, a weighted H ö lder function that approximates a Jacobi polynomial which solves the second order singular Sturm-Liouville equation is discussed. This is generally equivalent to the Jacobean translations and the moduli of smoothness. This paper aims to focus on improving methods of approximation and finding the upper and lower estimates for the degree of approximation in weighted H ö lder spaces by modifying the modulus of continuity and smoothness. Moreover, some properties for the moduli of smoothness with direct and inverse results are considered.


Here, we used pseudotyped viruses to characterize the neutralization capacity of antibodies elicited by the CoronaVac and BNT162b2 vaccines against the emerging variant of interest Lambda. We observed that BNT162b2 elicits higher neutralizing antibody titers than CoronaVac, ranging from 5.8-fold for the ancestral spike to 9.4-fold for the Lambda variant. Neutralization against D614G, Alpha, Gamma, and Lambda variants was reduced between 1.78 to 3.05-fold for CoronaVac and 1.10 to 1.87-fold for BNT162b2. Structural analyses of the Lambda spike show significant changes in antigenic sites including the 246–252 deletion in an antigenic supersite at the NTD loop and, L452Q/F490S within the RBD that may account for immune escape. Our analysis of pseudotyped viruses also suggests increased infectivity driven by the Lambda spike. Together, our data indicate that inactivated virus and mRNA vaccines elicit different levels of neutralizing antibodies with different potency to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the emergent variant Lambda.


We reviewed 1392 midtrimester abortions carried out at the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion from 1 April 1984 to 31 December 1990, when gemeprost pessaries were first used to terminate midtrimester pregnancies. Overall 904 pregnancies (between 12 and 22 weeks gestation) were terminated using the regimen described by Cameron et al. (1987), 209 pregnancies were terminated using intra-amniotic prostaglandin E, and urea, 275 were terminated with extra-amniotic prostaglandin E, and four were terminated with intra-amniotic urea together with gemeprost pessaries. In this consecutive series of 904 midtrimester pregnancies that were terminated with gemeprost, 50 women had pretreatment with mifepristone (Rodger et al. 1990). Of the 904 pregnancies terminated with gemeprost pessaries 158 (17%) required more than five pessaries because abortion had not occurred after 24 h and 37 (4%) failed to abort after a further course of five pessaries. Of the 37 patients who failed to abort after a further course of five pessaries 29 were given an intravenous infusion of oxytocin in incremental dosage to a maximum of 111 mU/min, Four failed to abort following administration of oxytocin, two of these pregnancies were terminated by dilatation and evacuation and the other two with extra-amniotic prostaglandin E,. In the remaining eight women who failed to abort after 10 pessaries, six had their pregnancies 'electively' 1061-10621. terminated using extra-amniotic prostaglandin E,, one had a dilatation and evacuation and one pregnancy was terminated with intra-amniotic prostaglandin E, and urea. The cumulative abortion rates after 96 h were 99% for gemeprost pessaries (with intravenous oxytocin when necessary), 87% for intraamniotic prostaglandin E, with urea and 99% for extra-amniotic prostaglandin E,. In our large series of midtrimester abortions using gemeprost, there was not a single uterine rupture and we would agree with the authors that this complication is rare. In our experience, the use of gemeprost pessaries for midtrimester termination is safe, effective, non-invasive and simple. Dr K. J. Thong Professor D. T. Baird Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology University of Edinburgh 37 Chalmers Street, Edinburgh EH3 9EW


BACKGROUND
Telephone consultations are a part of everyday practice, there is surprisingly little research on the subject.

AIM
To describe the variation of consulting skills within a body of telephone consultations in primary care, highlighting the performance of one method of assessing the process of the consultation-- the Roter Interaction Analysis System-- with telephone consultations.

DESIGN OF STUDY
Cross sectional study of 43 recordings of telephone consultations with GPs.

SETTING
One rural county in the Midlands.

METHOD
Recordings were made of 8 GPs, purposively selected for maximum variance in one region of the UK. Forty-three consultations were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System. From the descriptive categories, six composite categories were compiled reflecting a number of domains of interaction in a consultation: rapport, data gathering, patient education and counselling, partnership building, doctor dominance and patient-centredness. Analysis of variance was undertaken to explain variations between consultations for the different domains. Comparison was made to findings from similar work for face-to-face consultations.

RESULTS
These telephone consultations feature more biomedical information exchange than psychosocial or affective communication. Length of interaction accounts for much of the variation seen between consultations in the domains of rapport, data gathering, patient education and counselling and partnership. Male doctors are more patient centred in this study. There is the suggestion of more doctor dominance and a less patient-centred approach when comparisons are made with previous work on face-to-face consultations.

CONCLUSIONS
Although the telephone is increasingly being used to provide care, this study highlights the fact that telephone consultations cannot be taken as equivalent to those conducted face to face. More work needs to be done to delineate the features of telephone consultations.


Hydroxyl radical produced by non‐equilibrium plasma, which was induced by micro‐gap dielectric barrier discharge, was used for the treatment of phenol wastewater. The advantage of this method was that chemicals and catalysts were not involved when hydroxyl radical was generated from water and oxygen. A proportional efficiency of phenol removal was observed with the hydroxyl radical increasing. The removal efficiency was higher in a basic condition than in an acidic condition, which was enhanced with the pH value of the solution increasing from 3.6 to 11.2. It was rational to adjust the pH value between 9.0 and 10.0. The removal efficiency of phenol was reduced when the conductivity of the solution increased from 0 to 200 μs · cm −1; the highest was found in the solution without Na 2CO 3. The UV spectral absorption in the process indicated that few organic compounds with a conjugated structure were included in the treated wastewater.


The adsorption of phosphate onto mesoporous TiO2 was investigated in order to reduce phosphorus concentrations in wastewater and provide a potential mode of phosphorus recovery. Three equilibrium isotherms were used to optimize and properly describe phosphate adsorption (R > 0.95). The maximum capacity of phosphate on the adsorbent was found to be 50.4 mg/g, which indicated that mesoporous TiO2 could be an alternative to mesoporous ZrO2 as an adsorbent. A pseudo-second order model was appropriately fitted with experimental data (R > 0.93). Furthermore, the suitable pH for phosphate removal by TiO2 was observed to be in the range of pH 3–7 in accordance with ion dissociation. In contrast, increasing the pH to produce more basic conditions noticeably disturbed the adsorption process. Moreover, the kinetics of the conducted temperature study revealed that phosphate adsorption onto the TiO2 adsorbent is an exothermic process that could have spontaneously occurred and resulted in a higher randomness of the system. In this study, the maximum adsorption was observed at 30 °C.


Building a biogeochemical battery Iron acts as both a source and sink of electrons for microorganisms in the environment. Some anaerobic bacteria use oxidized Fe(III) as an electron acceptor, whereas phototrophic bacteria can use reduced Fe(II) as an electron donor. Byrne et al. show that the iron-bearing mineral magnetite, which contains both Fe(II) and Fe(III), can serve as both an electron acceptor and donor. Cocultures of iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria exposed to simulated day/night cycles or changes in organic matter altered the ratio of Fe(II) to Fe(III) in magnetite particles. Science, this issue p. 1473 Magnetite can serve as both an electron donor and acceptor for cocultures of iron-metabolizing bacteria. Microorganisms are a primary control on the redox-induced cycling of iron in the environment. Despite the ability of bacteria to grow using both Fe(II) and Fe(III) bound in solid-phase iron minerals, it is currently unknown whether changing environmental conditions enable the sharing of electrons in mixed-valent iron oxides between bacteria with different metabolisms. We show through magnetic and spectroscopic measurements that the phototrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 oxidizes magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles using light energy. This process is reversible in co-cultures by the anaerobic Fe(III)-reducing bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens. These results demonstrate that Fe ions bound in the highly crystalline mineral magnetite are bioavailable as electron sinks and electron sources under varying environmental conditions, effectively rendering magnetite a naturally occurring battery.


Background: Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability worldwide; cartilage degeneration and defects are the central features. Significant progress in tissue engineering holds promise to regenerate damaged cartilage tissue. However, a formidable challenge is to develop a 3-dimensional (3D) tissue construct that can regulate local immune environment to facilitate the intrinsic osteochondral regeneration. Purpose: To evaluate efficacy of a 3D-printed decellularized cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) integrated novel scaffold (PEGDA/ECM) together with the natural compound honokiol (Hon) for regenerating osteochondral defect. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: We used a stereolithography-based 3D printer for PEGDA/ECM bioprinting. A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats with cylindrical osteochondral defect in the trochlear groove of the femur were randomly assigned into 3 different treatments: no scaffold implantation (Defect group), 3D printed PEGDA/ECM scaffold alone (PEGDA/ECM group), or Hon suspended in a 3D-printed PEGDA/ECM scaffold (PEGDA/ECM/Hon group). 12 rats that underwent only medial parapatellar incision surgery were used as normal controls. The femur specimens were postoperatively harvested at 4 and 8 weeks for gross, micro-CT, and histological evaluations. The efficacy of PEGDA/ECM/Hon scaffold on the release of proinflammatory cytokines from the macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated in-vitro. Results: In vitro results determined that PEGDA/ECM/Hon scaffold could suppress the release of proinflammatory cytokines from macrophages that were stimulated by LPS. Macroscopic images showed that the PEGDA/ECM/Hon group had significantly higher ICRS scoring than that of defect and PEGDA/ECM groups. Micro-CT evaluation demonstrated that much more bony tissue was formed in the defect sites implanted with the PEGDA/ECM scaffold or PEGDA/ECM/Hon scaffold compared with the untreated defects. Histological analysis showed that the PEGDA/ECM/Hon group had a significant enhancement in osteochondral regeneration at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery in comparison with the ECM/PEGDA or defect group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 3D printing of PEGDA/ECM hydrogel incorporating the anti-inflammatory phytomolecule honokiol could provide a promising scaffold for osteochondral defect repair.


The depressurization of a vessel containing saturated or subcooled liquid may occur in a variety of industrial processes and often poses a potentially hazardous situation. A numerical model was developed for estimating the thermodynamic and the dynamic state of the boiling liquid during a boiling liquid vapor explosion (BLEVE) event. The model allows calculation of bubble nucleation and growth processes in the liquid at the superheat-limit state, the front velocity of the expending liquid and the shock wave pressure formed by the liquid expansion through the air. Conditions of shock formation were found to be normally associated with high initial temperatures that can bring the liquid to its superheat-limit state during the initial depressurization. Furthermore, the high initial temperature also induces a generation of higher vapor pressures that forces a rapid mixture expansion.


Processing and storage vessels in chemical industries are available in different shapes. The time required to drain these vessels is known as efflux time. Draining a liquid from a large storage vessel through an exit pipe is always associated with laminar flow in the tank and turbulent flow in the exit pipe depending on the physical properties of the liquid and the geometrical characteristics of the exit piping system. During draining, the liquid experiences friction and this friction is a measure of drag. The drag increases many fold when the flow transforms from laminar flow in the tank to turbulent flow in the exit pipe. Hence, drag reduction options are to be explored. The phenomenon of drag reduction by minute concentrations of polymer additives has been attempted for over sixty years, ever since its discovery by Toms. This book is focused on understanding drag reduction using water soluble polyacryl amide polymer solutions when a Newtonian liquid ( water in this case) is drained from a cylindrical storage vessel ( Where the flow is essentially laminar) through an exit piping system ( When the flow in the exit pipe is turbulent).


Previous binding studies have suggested the presence of a so far unknown nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit in dorsal root ganglia (Pugh et al., 1995). Here, we investigated whether the most recently identified subunit, alpha10, and its potential interaction partner, alpha9 (Elgoyhen et al., 2001), are expressed in these ganglia. All neurons of rat dorsal root ganglia, but no glial cells, expressed both alpha9 and alpha10 mRNA in in situ hybridization, and exhibited alpha10 immunoreactivity using a newly raised antibody. These findings were confirmed by RT-PCR and western blotting. The data show that dorsal root ganglion neurons coexpress alpha9 and alpha10 nicotinic receptor subunits, thereby providing the first example of neuronal expression of this receptor subunit pair.


We demonstrate an experimental study of the influence of potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) length on the performance of intracavity frequency-doubled diode-pumped Nd:YVO/sub 4/ lasers operating in continuous-wave (CW) mode and passive Q-switch mode. Theoretical and experimental results show that the optimum KTP length for CW mode is determined by the nonlinear coupling and walkoff effect and the highest optical conversion efficiency in CW mode is nearly 30% with a 10-mm KTP. On the other hand, a 2-mm KTP crystal, which is sufficient for efficient internal second-harmonic generation in a passive Q-switch mode, yield the highest peak green power of 240-W.


To investigate the effect of preoxidation on the secondary spontaneous combustion of coal, the changes in the key groups and thermal characteristic parameters in coal after preoxidation were investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), laser thermal conductivity, and thermogravimetric experiments. Results showed that the aromatic hydrocarbons in coal gradually decrease with the rise in the preoxidation temperature, the aliphatic hydrocarbons increase and then decrease, the −C–O– group gradually decreases, and the −C=O and −COO– group content slowly increases. Preoxidation promotes the breakdown of aromatic hydrocarbons and the oxidation of oxygen-containing functional groups in coal. Meanwhile, the thermal diffusivity of coal decreases after preoxidation, while the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity increase and then decrease. The results of the thermogravimetric analysis indicate that preoxidation changes the characteristic temperature, but it does not change the process of spontaneous combustion. The spontaneous combustion process of raw and preoxidized coals can be divided into three stages: water evaporation, oxygen adsorption, and combustion. Further, the apparent activation energy increases and then decreases with a rise in the preoxidation temperature during the moisture evaporation stage, increases during the oxygen adsorption stage, and decreases during the combustion stage.


Approaches, such as Cloud Robotics, Robot-as-a-Service, merged Internet of Things and robotics, and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) in production, show that the industrial robotics domain experiences a paradigm shift that increasingly links robots in real-life factories with virtual reality. However, despite the growing body of research to date, though insightful, the paradigm shift to CPS in industrial robotics remains an under-researched area. Findings from the present paper make several contributions to the current state of research: We provide a potentially reusable framework of analysis and apply this framework in order to reveal whether and to what extent the industrial robotics branch implements abilities and characteristics of CPS. We examine the top five industrial robot manufacturers ABB, Fanuc, Kawasaki, Kuka, and Yaskawa and identify considerable, current implementations. However, concerning one of three perspectives—the perspective on CPS as industry platform constructs, takes the industrial robotics branch only certain small steps towards CPS platforms. We discuss them and outline a set of business model patterns that can transform product innovations, enabled by abilities and characteristics of CPS, into business model innovations in the industrial robot domain. In order to enable the industry to exploit the full potential of industrial robots understood as CPS, we question the right degree of openness in the context of industry platform constructs. Our methodological approach combines conceptual with empirical research.


This paper presents the design of a snake-like robot capable of moving with serpenoid motion presented by snakes in real world. A mechanism for measuring the contact between surface and robot is designed and finally, using the data collected by the sensors, a controller is designed for optimizing the motion on surfaces with different coefficients of friction. Experiments are conducted and results show the efficiency of the controller.


During the second half of the nineteenth century, geology was added as a topic taught at schools of higher education in central Europe. As a consequence, teachers had an interest in finding practical methods to make theoretical knowledge more interesting to their pupils. Pedagogic tools included fieldtrips which could be logistically challenging, and the so called 'geology walls' and other stone structures, such as 'geology pyramids'. These solidly built structures erected from various types of rocks, were put together to simulate the complexities of the underground geology from the lowlands to the mountains of certain geographic areas and may be considered to represent precursors of modern geoparks. Many of these 'geology walls' built in several central European cities are preserved and may still be used today to explain and discuss geoscientific phenomena. The fruitful interactions between teachers and pupils, and scientists and amateurs, are topics of this paper. Questions of restitution and international relationships are touched on as well.


Objective: There is limited research examining the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and neuropsychological functioning, particularly in racial/ethnic minority and HIV+ populations. However, there are complex associations between poverty, education, HIV disease, race/ethnicity, and health outcomes in the US. Method: We explored these relationships among an ethnically diverse sample of 134 HIV+ adults using a standardized SES measure (i.e., the Hollingshead scale), a comprehensive NP test battery, and a functional evaluation (i.e., Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory and Modified Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale). Results: Bivariate analyses showed that adult SES was significantly, positively correlated with neuropsychological performance on specific tests within the domains of verbal fluency, attention/concentration, learning, memory, processing speed, and executive functioning, and childhood SES was significantly linked to measures of verbal fluency, processing speed, and executive functioning. In a series of linear regressions, controlling for SES significantly attenuated group differences in NP test scores between racial/ethnic minority individuals and non-Hispanic White individuals. Finally, SES scores significantly differed across HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND) diagnoses. In a binary logistic regression, SES was the only independent predictor of HAND diagnosis. Conclusions: HIV+ individuals with lower SES may be more vulnerable to HIV-associated neuropsychological sequelae due to prominent health disparities, although the degree to which this is influenced by factors such as test bias remains unclear. Overall, our results suggest that SES is significantly linked to neuropsychological test performance in HIV+ individuals, and is an important factor to consider in clinical practice.


Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to your Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on the agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing inservices. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation (DUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent to you in print and are also available online. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of your facility. Subscribers to the The Formulary Monograph Service also receive access to a pharmacy bulletin board, The Formulary Information Exchange (The F.I.X.). All topics pertinent to clinical and hospital pharmacy are discussed on The F.I.X. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. If you would like information about The Formulary Monograph Service or The F.I.X., call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The April 2008 monograph topics are fosaprepitant dimeglumine injection, thrombin (topical recombinant), etravirine, ciclesonide inhalation aerosol, and tetrabenazine. The DUE is on fosaprepitant dimeglumine injection.


The objective of this study was to determine the social benefits of school farms in secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.In Nigerian secondary schools, agriculture has been recognized as a core curriculum subject. The study used two research questions and simple random sampling technique for data collection with a total of 560 questionnaires administered to teachers and students. A holistic implementation of agricultural science curriculum in secondary schools is expected to embrace classroom instruction and practical experiences which the students in agriculture are exposed to. According to the findings, 75% of secondary schools in Rivers State had adequate farm space, and 85.71 % of students practised farming with simple farm equipment. Allowing students to improve their farming skills (with a mean score of 2.93); assisting students in forming a valuable context as potential agriculturalists (2.80); and assisting students in appreciating the fact that profitable farming was possible within the constraints of available technology(2.73) are all social benefits derived from school farms . Over 96% of schools surveyed lacked tractors, harvesters and about 85% of schools visited did not have properly laid out farm plots. Only 23.21% of schools visited had barns and livestock pens, 21.43% of schools had fishery equipment, 22.79% of schools surveyed had well established and managed fish ponds. This study suggested that school administrators in Rivers State, Nigeria, use all available resources to collect funds for the purchase of facilities and material inputs for secondary school farms.


The design and testing of a new configuration of micromachined bandpass filter for millimetre-wave applications is presented. The design is based on image parameter representation of identical symmetrical cells connected in cascade. The measurements demonstrate transmission losses lower than 1 dB and very good agreement with the electromagnetic simulations.


Shape-memory polymers (SMP) are versatile stimuli-responsive materials that can switch, upon stimulation, from a temporary to a permanent shape. This advanced functionality makes SMP suitable and promising materials for diverse technological applications, including the fabrication of smart biomedical devices. In this paper, advances in the design of SMP are discussed, with emphasis on materials investigated for medical applications. Future directions necessary to bring SMP closer to their clinical application are also highlighted.


Controlling risk and skilful planning of the continuity of the organization's operation positively influences the value of the organization, its image and the ability to achieve the planned goals in the economic, social and environmental dimensions. This article presents risk management as a determinant of the implementation of sustainable development assumptions in an organization. The process consisting of: identification and analysis of stakeholders, setting partial goals and relations between the key perspectives of the organization's functioning (legal, economic, social and environmental), risk identification, its measurement, regulation, monitoring and control contributes to the improvement of the organization's safety. Thanks to the focus on the concept of sustainability, organizations manage risk in a systematic manner. One of the basic assumptions of the "triple bottom line" concept is the organization's focus on economic goals, i.e. profit maximization. The second foundation is focusing on the human aspect in the organization and achieving goals under the assumption of corporate social responsibility. The third is to focus on environmental goals and eco-efficiency. The aim of the research was to identify critical variables for improving risk management in the organization in the context of the implementation of the concept of sustainable development, and to indicate the approach applied to risk management by organizations that manage many aspects in a systemic manner. The research was carried out in 150 organizations in Poland that have at least one certified management system, e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001. It was determined that such a number of surveyed organizations is representative, taking into account the fact that the ISO 9001 certificate in Poland can be found in almost 15,000 organizations.


This paper examines a growing trend of contemporary Australian writing, life narrations by refugees, along the genre of testimonio. It uses the example of Iranian writings, as Iranians compose the majority of asylum-seekers in Australia today. It questions the voice refugee writers are given by the Australian writers who help them to write or publish their life stories and ask how their writings redefine the genre of testimonio, used to tell the history of contemporary traumatic migrations to Australia.


This paper extends the paradigm of "mobile edge learning (MEL)" by designing an optimal task allocation scheme for training a machine learning model in an asynchronous manner across mutiple edge nodes or learners connected via a resource-constrained wireless edge network. The optimization is done such that the portion of the task allotted to each learner is completed within a given global delay constraint and a local maximum energy consumption limit. The time and energy consumed are related directly to the heterogeneous communication and computational capabilities of the learners; i.e. the proposed model is heterogeneity aware (HA). Because the resulting optimization is an NP-hard quadratically-constrained integer linear program (QCILP), a two-step suggest-and-improve (SAI) solution is proposed based on using the solution of the relaxed synchronous problem to obtain the solution to the asynchronous problem. The proposed HA asynchronous (HA-Asyn) approach is compared against the HA synchronous (HA-Sync) scheme and the heterogeneity unaware (HU) equal batch allocation scheme. Results from a system of 20 learners tested for various completion time and energy consumption constraints show that the proposed HA-Asyn method works better than the HU synchronous/asynchronous (HU-Sync/Asyn) approach and can provide gains of up-to 25\% compared to the HA-Sync scheme.