Random geometric graphs have proven to be extremely useful in modeling static wireless ad-hoc and sensor networks. The study of these graphs and their spectral properties is a very active field with many interesting applications. In this work, we study the spectral properties of these graphs and in particular we prove the lack of spectral gap in random geometric graphs under a wide range of cases. We also present some results on the spectral properties of generalized weighted versions of these graphs. We later focus on mobile geometric graphs or dynamic Boolean models as were introduced by van den Berg, Meester, and White in 1997. These mobile models have been used to model mobile ad-hoc and sensor networks. Our results are aimed at understanding the dynamics of message spreading in a real-world dynamical network. We simulate a message spreading process and present some results related to the total propagation time under different scenarios. We call total propagation time the time it takes for a certain message to reach all the nodes in the network. This message could be a packet, a virus, a rumor in a social network, or something more general. In particular, we study how the metric, the mobility properties, the presence or absence of obstacles and finally the propagation characteristics affect the dynamics of the message spreading.


The conduction-band alignments of and heterostructures grown on (111) and (001) crystallographic planes, respectively, are analysed. We have obtained the selection rules for interband dipole optical transitions in the heterostructures, and discussed the possibilities for specifying the types of the lowest conduction-band minima. We show that this can be done by, for example, exploring the polarization of different phonon-assisted band-edge optical transitions. The conduction-band minima may be at different L or points of the Brillouin zone, depending on the structure parameters. Although bulk Ge, Si, and their alloy are indirect-gap semiconductors, the heterostructures and can have a direct band gap. We found the parameter regions where type-I and type-II band alignment were realized, and those where the band gap was direct in quantum well (QW) structures. It is shown that in direct-gap QW structures grown on (001) planes, direct interband optical transitions between the nearest electron and hole subbands are allowed, but the same transitions are forbidden for direct-gap structures grown on (111) planes.


Whole life costing analysis is becoming much more important as long‐term building owners and clients start to demand evidence of what their costs of ownership will be. It is also becoming more important as more private companies invest in private finance initiative (PFI), public private partnership (PPP) and prime contracting (PC) projects. One of the main barriers to the successful implementation of whole life costing (WLC), is the lack of reliable and consistent data on elements of whole life cost (capital, facilities management, and disposal) and the performance of building elements and services. The objective of this paper is to discuss the development of a consistent and flexible framework for collecting whole life cost data for buildings. A description of the taxonomy of the cost breakdown structure is given. The proposed data structure will be of value to all the project team (designer, contractor, facilities manager, supplier, etc.) who might be involved in traditional procurement or PFI, PPP, and PC projects. When the cost data structure is populated, it will provide the foundation from which the whole life costs of different alternatives can be estimated and from which the risks such as the technical and financial risks related to WLC elements, operational risks, etc. associated with, PFI, PPP and PC projects can be assessed and minimised.


Germplasm collections may represent excellent sources of genes for plant breeding programs, since they bring together genetic compositions from different origins and from different breeding levels. Therefore, it is essential for plant breeders to be informed about the genetic variability and agronomic performance of the available germplasm of a given species. The aims of the present work were to estimate the genetic variability of 356 cassava accessions from the Embrapa-Cerrados germplasm collection in relation to 27 morphological descriptors, find out which of them show the highest entropy levels and to group the accessions in terms of genetic dissimilarity. Based on the data, the entropy level of the characters and the genetic dissimilarity were estimated. Later, the accessions were grouped according to Tocher's grouping method. The cassava accessions were organized in 34 different groups which presented high genetic variability. The characters showing the highest entropy levels were stem external colour, petiole colour, shape of the central lobule, and colour of the apical leaf. The characters presenting the lowest entropy levels were stem growth habit, flowering, texture of the root epidermis, and the occurring of constrictions in roots. Additional keywords: Manihot esculenta Crantz; genetic distance; entropy; genetic resources; plant breeding.


Abstract Quadricuspid aortic valve is a rare congenital heart defect. The authors present a case of this anomaly in a young, asymptomatic adolescent who presented to the echocardiography laboratory for further evaluation of a cardiac murmur detected on routine physical examination. Imaging revealed a quadricuspid aortic valve with aortic regurgitation. This case highlights the importance of auscultation in detecting cardiac abnormalities.


A 32:1 static frequency divider consisting of five stages of 2:1 dividers using current mode logic (CML) was fabricated in a 130-nm bulk complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic process. By optimizing transistors size, high operating speed is achieved with limited power consumption. For an input power of 0dBm, the 32:1 divider operates up to 26GHz with a 1.5-V supply voltage. The whole 32:1 chain including buffers consumes 8.97mW and the first stage consumes only 3.88mW at a 26-GHz operation. The power consumption of the first 2:1 stage is less than 15% of other bulk CMOS static frequency dividers operating at the same frequency.


Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are expected to be used in various life science areas, ranging from basic research to medical applications. This article describes perspectives regarding the potential use of hiPSCs, especially in Japan, for manufacturing products related to regenerative medicine as well as for establishing cell-based assay/screening systems that can be used for effective and efficient assessment of candidates for new drugs. The applications of hiPSCs include the following: hiPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells for treating age-related macular degeneration; potential corneal reconstruction by using a combination of various relevant hiPSC-derived differentiated cells; potential treatment of Parkinson's disease by using dopaminergic neurons generated from hiPSCs; potential treatment of spinal cord injury by using neural stem/progenitor cells generated from hiPSCs; potential treatment of chronic heart failure by using hiPSC-derived functional cardiomyocytes; and development of cell-based drug toxicity screening and drug effect assay systems involving cells such as cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, and neural cells that are differentiated from hiPSCs and can be used in the early phase of new drug development. The current situation regarding the development of guidelines for ensuring the quality and safety of hiPSC-derived medicinal products has also been described.


Information systems are continually expanding as evidenced by the doubling of Internet connections every year. Similar growth is exhibited by information systems in defense. The Air Force's goals to achieve global awareness, dynamic planning/execution, and global information exchange involve the technologies to provide information to the warrior anywhere, anytime, and for any mission. This far-reaching enterprise will necessarily span multiple networks and computing domains of both the commercial and military varieties. As a result, many users with different goals and priorities vie for the communication and computing resources of the information grid. Managing this vast system to assure dependable operation that maintains users' quality of service levels has led researchers to propose economic models to solve the resource management problem. The envisioned market-based, large-scale information systems for defense is described. Due to their criticality, these systems must also manage resources to provide survivability in the presence of information attacks. This potential for technology transfer from the defense sector to the commercial sector are described. Conversely, the leveraging of research performed in the non-military realm of e-commerce to reach the Air Force's goals is also explored.


Symptoms can markedly influence the hemodialysis patients well-being and quality of life. The aim of this paper is to study the frequency of symptoms at home and how these relate to biochemical and treatment variables. Seventy-three hemodialysis patients were questioned on the absence, occasional presence or daily recurrence (score = 0, 1, 2) of 14 symptoms and a record was made of their biochemical parameters, age, time on treatment and KtIV as a function of each symptom. The following relationships were detected: thirst with high Osm and BUN; asthenia with old age and hypoalbuminemia; insomnia with hypercalcemia; hypersomnia with hypoxemia and hypernatremia; anorexia with hypokalemia; dyspnea with old age, hypernatremia and hypokalemia; dysgeusia with hypoxemia; nausea with alkalemia, hypoxemia and low BUN; vomiting with alkalemia. Pruritus, arthralgia, restless legs syndrome, cramp and tremor showed no relationships. Monitoring acid-base balance and plasma electrolytes could help to alleviate symptoms and ameliorate quality of life of hemodialysis patients.


This paper proposes a multi-hider dual-image reversible data-hiding algorithm. Generating dual stego images, the proposed algorithm provides a high embedding capacity, exhibits high image quality, offers reversibility to restore the stego images, and suggests seven levels of secret message extraction. The message embedding in our algorithm contains two phases. In Phase-1, we embed an n-ary secret message vector followed by an m-ary secret message in each pixel using two distinct secret keys when rendering a new image from the source and target images using an optimal weighted color-transfer process. This phase produces a tentative stego image which exhibits a new color appearance, different from the input source image. In Phase-2, we introduce a weighted modulus operation to embed a k-ary secret message vector into a dual-pixel constructed from the tentative stego image. The message concealment is elaborately designed so that the hidden secret messages are intact. This phase produces dual stego images which carry three distinct secret messages. Using legitimate secret keys, an authorized receiver can extract one or parts of secret messages and recover the tentative stego color-transferred image without arousing any suspicion. The experimental results and analysis confirm that our scheme can resist RS and PVD steganalytic attacks. In addition, our algorithm provides both high embedding capacity and better image quality, outperforming its counterparts. To the best of our knowledge, our scheme is the first in the relevant literature that provides multi-hider reversible data hiding, thereby offering various levels of message extraction for secure data communication.


Little is known of the function and clinical significance of the androgen receptor (AR) in human breast cancer. Paradoxically, synthetic progestins, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate, are used for second line hormone therapy of breast cancer following tamoxifen failure. A sensitive and accurate assay for AR expression in breast tumors is thus required. Here we have developed and validated a real-time RT-PCR assay to quantify AR gene expression at the mRNA level in a series of 131 patients with unilateral invasive primary breast tumors. AR expression varied widely in tumor tissues (by at least 3 orders of magnitude), being underexpressed in 24/131 (18.3%) and overexpressed in 45/131 (34.4%) relative to normal breast tissues. We observed links (or trends) between AR status and age, menopausal status, Scarff-Bloom-Richardson histopathological grade, lymph node status and estrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor status. High AR mRNA levels were negatively linked to MYC gene overexpression (P = 8 x 10(-6)), confirming previous in vitro studies. Our results also suggest a role of the ARA70 gene (which encodes a major AR co-activator) in the AR pathway dysregulation observed in breast cancer. This simple, rapid and semi-automated method will be useful for screening cancer patients for altered AR expression and for predicting the response to androgen therapy in AR-related cancer patients.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a novel measure of compliance, follow-up appointment delay, and assess its relationship with clinical and sociodemographic factors in patients undergoing treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
This is a comparative case series of patients treated for DME. The novel measure of compliance - the time in days from the intended day of return and actual day of return, or follow-up appointment delay - was studied and compared to a traditional measure: the percentage of visits missed. These were correlated with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics: best-corrected visual acuity, hemoglobin A1C percent (HbA1c), median household income, smoking status, type of insurance held, marital status, gender, and age. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted.

RESULTS
One hundred fifty-five patients (212 eyes) were included in the study. The median times between recommended and actual appointments was 5.0 days (range: 2.0-14.0 days). The mean percentage of visits missed was 31.7% (± 13.3%). The two measures of compliance were positively associated, but the correlation was moderate (r = 0.44). Non-white race, lack of bilateral injections, and higher baseline HBA1c were significant predictors of a median time greater than 7 days between the intended and actual follow-up dates.

CONCLUSIONS
The current study identified a novel method of measuring compliance of DME patients seen by retina specialists and has identified non-white race, lack for bilateral treatment, and poorer glycemic control as risk factors for noncompliance. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2021;52:200-206.].


Abstract Objective: To assess infectious and thrombotic complications of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in adults. Design: A 5-year prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary-care teaching hospital in Seville, Spain. Patients: Adult patients undergoing PICC insertion. Methods: Catheter-associated bloodstream infection (CABSI) including catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), primary bacteremia (PB), and upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) were recorded. Independent predictors of complications were assessed by multivariate analysis. Results: In total, 1,142 PICCs were inserted, with 153,191 catheter days (median, 79). Complications included 66 cases of CABSI (5.78%; 0.43‰ catheter days), 38 cases of CRBSI (3.33%; 0.25‰ catheter days), 28 cases of PB (2.45%; 0.18‰ catheter days), and 23 cases of UEDVT (2.01%; 0.15‰ catheter days). The median times to infection were 24, 41, and 60 days for CRBSI, PB, and UEDVT, respectively. Parenteral nutrition (odds ratio [OR], 3.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.77–6.52) and admission to the hematology ward (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 2.25–10.71) were independently associated with CRBSI and PB, respectively. Admission to the hematology ward (OR, 12.46; 95% CI, 2.49–62.50) or to the oncology ward (OR, 7.89; 95% CI, 1.77–35.16) was independently associated with UEDVT. The crude mortality rate was 24.8%. Only 2 patients died of complications. Conclusions: PICCs showed a low rate of thrombotic and infectious complications. Compared to PB, CRBSI showed significantly different risk factors, a higher incidence density per catheter days, and a shorter median time to infection. Separate analyses of CRBSI and PB are more specific and clinically useful when analyzing infectious complications.


There is a shortage of professionally trained American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) social workers available to provide services including child welfare services to tribal communities. This study used a mixed-model survey design to examine the perceptions of 47 AI/AN BSW and MSW students enrolled in social work programs across the to determine the challenges associated with recruitment and retention. The findings are supported in the literature. Findings indicate that social work academic programs have not made substantial gains in the recruitment and retention of AI/AN students over several decades. Students identified the following seven major barriers to successful recruitment and retention: (1) a lack of AI/AN professors; (2) a shortage of field placement agencies that serve AI/AN clients; (3) conflicts between students' academic obligations and responsibilities to their families and tribal communities; (4) students' feelings of cultural isolation; (5) the need for AI/AN role models and mentors; (6) a lack of understanding by universities of cultural customs and traditional values; and (7) racism. Implications for policy and practice are offered.


Dicer encodes a riboendonuclease required for microRNA biosynthesis. Dicer was inactivated in Müllerian duct mesenchyme‐derived tissues of the reproductive tract of the mouse, using an Amhr2‐Cre allele. Although Amhr2‐Cre; Dicer conditional mutant males appeared normal and were fertile, mutant females were infertile. In adult mutant females, there was a reduction in the size of the oviducts and uterine horns. The oviducts were less coiled compared to controls and cysts formed at the isthmus near the uterotubal junction. Unfertilized, degenerate oocytes were commonly found within these cysts, indicating a defect in embryo transit. Beads transferred into the mutant oviduct failed to migrate into the uterus. In addition, blastocysts transferred directly into the mutant uterus did not result in pregnancy. Histological analysis demonstrated that the mutant uterus contained less glandular tissue and often the few glands that remained were found within the myometrium, an abnormal condition known as adenomyosis. In adult mutants, there was ectopic expression of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in the luminal epithelium (LE) and glandular epithelium (GE) of the uterus, and Wnt11 was ectopically expressed in GE. These results demonstrate that Dicer is necessary for postnatal differentiation of Müllerian duct mesenchyme‐derived tissues of the female reproductive tract, suggesting that microRNAs are important regulators of female reproductive tract development and fertility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 678–688, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Older adults frequently experience adverse consequences as the result of unmet care needs, including not getting dressed and going without food when hungry. Previous studies have noted that characteristics of the caregiver network may be associated with unmet needs. Using National Health and Aging Trends Study data, I modeled the association between care configurations and unmet needs for men and women. In generalized linear models, formal care was not associated with unmet need among women or men. Compared with recipients of spousal care, men receiving care from one nonspousal caregiver, and men and women receiving care from any other configuration, had higher odds of unmet needs. The level of difficulty with daily tasks was strongly associated with unmet needs. These findings support monitoring older adults not receiving spousal care, increasing access to formal care, and regularly assessing level of difficulty with daily tasks in clinical and research settings.


The symmetry breaking bifurcation (SBB) phenomenon in a deterministic parameter Duffing system (DP-DS) is well known, yet the problem how would SBB phenomenon happen in a Duffing system with random parameter (RP-DS) is still open. For comparison study, the results for DP-DS are summarized at first: in short, SBB in DP-DS is just a transition of response phase trajectories from a single self-symmetric one about the origin into two mutual symmetric once, or vice versa. However, in DP-DS case, the two mutual symmetric phase trajectories are never commutable. In view of every sample of RP-DS is a DP-DS, we think that SBB phenomenon might also happen in a RP-DS as an ensemble mean behavior. Since the orthogonal polynomial approach is a practical method to study the dynamical behavior of nonlinear system with random parameters, so we apply the Chebyshev polynomials approach to reduce the RP-DS to an equivalent deterministic system (EDS) to study its dynamical behavior in ensemble average mean. Numerical simulations on both DP-DS and EDS show that though SBB may happen in similar apparent forms, but for EDS the two coexisting symmetric phase trajectories are occasionally commutable. We cannot but resort to study the different features of attractive basins for these two kind of mutual symmetric phase trajectories. We found that the boundary of attractive basins in EDS case is fractal-like, while that in DP-DS case is smooth.


High resolution of marine seismic reflection seismic were used to detect the layers of seafloor sediment and to interpret the seismic data geologically. The objectives of this study weres to detect and to characterize the seafloor sediment in the Rambat area, West Bangka, Bangka Belitung. Acquisition data was held on 10-24  August  2012 located between 105.1°00'00" - 105.5°00'00 " N and 1.7°00'00"-1.9° 00'00" W. Several methods used to process the data were geometry processing, band pass filter, predictive deconvolution,  and Autocoralation Gain Control (AGC)  in order to reduce the multiple noise and to  ease the data interpretation. Seismic cross section found in Cross Rambat (CRMBT) line 11 exhibited  sedimentation process of the sea floor which rocky substrates. The process was assumed to be occurred due to legal and illegal mining activities for long period of time. Keywords: seismic, acoustic, sediment, band pass filter, deconvolution, noise


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. National screening guidelines have been implemented to identify and remove precancerous polyps before they become cancer. Routine CRC screening is advised for people with average risk starting at age 45 because it is a common and preventable malignancy. Various screening modalities are currently in use, ranging from stool-based tests (fecal occult blood test (FOBT), fecal immunochemical test (FIT), and FIT-DNA test), radiologic tests (computed tomographic colonography (CTC), double contrast barium enema), and visual endoscopic examinations (flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), colonoscopy, and colon capsule endoscopy (CCE)) with their varying sensitivity and specificity. Biomarkers also play a vital role in assessing the recurrence of CRC. This review offers a summary of the current screening options, including biomarkers available to detect CRC, highlighting the benefits and challenges encompassing each screening modality.


Dynamic growth and yield modeling with climate: A model for plantation Douglas-fir in the Pacific Northwest by Kevin Robert Gehringer Chair of Supervisory Committee Assistant Professor Eric C. Turnblom College of Forest Resources A pair of nested, dynamic, stand level growth and yield models with an annual base time step were developed to examine the potential effects of climate, represented by the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), on the growth of untreated plantation Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands in the Pacific Northwest. The nested models consist of a system of three autonomous, nonlinear, ordinary differential equations represented in a canonical mathematical formulation called an S-system. The models project stand density, quadratic mean diameter, and top height. The models assume only that size-density relationships exist coupling stand density and QMD, that size-size relationships exist coupling QMD and top height, and that climate modifies mortality and average growth rates. A two step procedure was used to develop the nested models. First, a base model without climate effects was defined and calibrated. Second, annual average PDSI values were converted into a multiplicative modifier used to adjust stand mortality and average growth rates. Parameters for both models were estimated using a least squares criterion, keeping the base model parameters fixed when calibrating the climate model to isolate the climate effects. Data from 167 untreated Douglas-fir stands containing 270 research plots, and spanning the region from southern Oregon to southern British Columbia, west of the Cascade Mountains were used to calibrate the models. The PDSI based climate modifier was then used to calibrate the extended model. The Douglas-fir measurement data spanned the growing years 1969 through 1997, which included at least one drought, with initial stand ages ranging from 4 to 113 years and measurement histories ranging from 2 to 26 years. The base model performed well and was generally unbiased, producing stand trajectories that were indistinguishable from the data. The extended model and the base model were also indistinguishable, indicating that with these models and this data, a direct climate effect was not detectable. Several factors contributing to this result were identified, the most important being that average climate effects on mortality and growth rates are already incorporated into the model through the measurement data and the least squares parameter estimation process.


The buzz word, "Industrial Revolution 4.0," has acquired immense popularity among research scholars these days. Several papers have been published on the optimistic side of the subject under various headings such as cyber-physical systems, the internet of things, smart technology and the digitalization of industrial manufacturing, etc. However, scarcely have researchers touched the negative or dark side of such a drastic technological paradigm shift, leaving a huge gap in the knowledge body. As a result, very little is understood about the negative effects of the industrial revolution 4.0. Our article highlights the potential disadvantages/negative effects of the industrial revolution 4.0, so that researchers and professionals can proactively prepare and devise measures that recommend the regulatory system or control-mechanism required to prevent significant expected fatalities in the future. Our research presents responsible research and innovation as a solution for the management of IR 4.0 disasters.


more information about the collectors, their travels and possibly their publications useful to assess the general reliability of a collector. Published 83 years after Ankermann's reference work based on the same collection, Wegner's book shows US evidence of the strides that research in African music has taken in those 8 decades. The use of Hornbostel and Sachs's modified classification system [4] may seem to imply an evolutionary line or development from the simple (musical bow) to the complex (harp). Like Schaeffner's approach [5], however, the methodology is entirely in keeping with modern research. Hornbostel and Sachs's classification of simple and composite chordophones is abandoned and so are many categories hitherto taken for granted. The term Harfenlaute (harp lute) is correctly replaced by the two categories Bogenharje (bow harp) and Stegharfe (harp with bridge), the bridge being the main criterion of classification [6]. Wegner correctly points to the West African technique of attaching the corpus membrane to the stick inside the resonator, a widespread feature that seemed to have escaped Hornbostel and Sachs's attention. His grasp of the current literature is impressive, although in some cases important sources are neglected. The discussion of the goge, for example, relies heavily on the work of DjeDje, Harris and Krieger, but the inclusion of some of Surugue's findings on the Songhai gojk would have been useful. Surugue makes important observations on the acoustical side of the goje, the use of a bass bar substitute and the function of the bridge as sound post [7]. Wegner justly gives ample space to a discussion of the modern extensions of traditional African string instruments, and his detailed treatment of the guitar (pp. 153-157) is one of the positive features of the book. This affords important insights into connections and parallels between North African and subSaharan musical instruments, but the extensive discussion of such instruments as qaniirn and C-ud appears artificial. It seems strange to note the dissemination of the Arab C-ud in Europe and Asia and the Arab etymological root in such European terms as alaude, laud, lute etc. (p. 153) but not to mention a term like the Ful hoddu in Mali. Certainly, these are minor points that d o not diminish the value of the impressive amount of information about African stringed instruments. One hopes that this new series of the Berlin Museum will expand and that other volumes will follow. 1.


Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) is a climbing cactus native to South America and naturally distributed from south to northeast of Brazil, where the leaves are very appreciated as a vegetable in traditional cuisine. Leaves of P. aculeata are also used as anti-inflammatory, emollients and in skin wound healing in Brazilian folk medicine. Some other species of Pereskia genus are reported to be used as natural remedies against cancer and other diseases. The aim of this study was to perform a phytochemical characterization by thin-layer chromatography on chromatoplates sprayed by reagents for detection of the major classes of chemical constituents, and evaluate the cytotoxic activity of methanol crude extract of P. aculeata leaves and fractions against MCF-7 and HL60 cell lines by MTT assay. In addition, thin-layer chromatography DPPH bioautography was accomplished to investigate antioxidant compounds. The results showed that some fractions inhibited MCF-7 and HL60 cell proliferation, and that the most of antioxidant compounds found in P. aculeata leaves are phenol compounds. No activity was found against normal cells. These findings are interesting, since the leaves of this plant are commonly used as a food and there are no reports of toxicity for this vegetable.


Focusing on the design of large-scale housing schemes, this doctoral dissertation examines the extent to which the architecture of dwelling was affected by the oil-led geopolitics of the Cold War, and influenced by the modernist logic of architectural design and urban planning in Iran's period of high-modernisation (1945-1979), as Eskandar Mokhtari termed it. This study questions the influence of the country's geopolitical position during the Cold War, and its impact on the architecture of dwelling. It shows how a series of experimental housing solutions, initiated by leading Iranian architects mostly educated in the West (Europe and North America) became a physical expression of both the state's modernisation demands and people's everyday needs. Finally, it illustrates how the design mechanisms employed by these architects enabled for a continual and constant change and transformation in their proposed housing schemes, and empowered the users of space to designate and establish a set of relations with their living environment. While this study could be seen as a contribution to the discourse of urban modernisation in Iran, mainly by focusing on the agency of the dweller in the transformation through time of public housing districts in the country, it also aims to address some current issues related to the design and production of public housing. It seems that in the process of housing development, architects and decision-makers with different backgrounds employ two distinct approaches that mostly cannot be resulted in a convergent solution. While this gap between visions and realities of public housing policies and designs might be seen as a universal as well as a common phenomenon, this issue resulted in many critiques on the development of public housing and built environments, in Iran. Iranian architects criticised the government for its top-down housing policies overemphasising the application of industrialised methods for the production of houses, but neglect the importance of people's socio-cultural practices as well as vernacular patterns of inhabitation for housing design. On the contrary, decision-makers describe housing solutions provided by architects mostly as visionary and inefficient. Accordingly, investigating overlaps between these divergent approaches is of vital importance, as it would foster and promote a dialogue among multiple stakeholders involved in the process of housing development, and illustrate the roles that architects can perform therein. In Iran's period of high-modernisation, the architecture of dwelling was widely seen as a place to fulfil the state's ambitious goals of modernisation projects, and simultaneously to resist universalising tendencies. The Iranian Finance and Planning Organisation prepared five distinct Development Plans, where housing for middle and low-income families held a prominent place. Indeed, these Plans projected the national and international socio-political and economic condition of the time that resulted from rural-urban migrations and the demographic changes being seen in Iran. Accordingly, each Plan led to the construction of a series of large-scale housing projects in urban areas. Among these projects, Kuy-e Chaharsad-Dastgah (1946-50), Kuy-e Narmak (1951-58), Kuy-e Kan (1958-64), Kuy-e Ecbatana (1972-92), and Shushtar-Nou (1975-85) were designed and developed as experimental models by leading Iranian architects, to promote and foster a synthesis of Western living standards and Iran's vernacular patterns of inhabitation. By investigating these models initiated in three different stages of modernisation in Iran, this dissertation, first, unfolds the processes that created/led to collaboration and negotiation among visions and realities of stakeholders (particularly architects and policy/decision-makers) involved in the production of houses and provision of housing solutions. Then, it shows how the mechanisms employed for the design of these housing schemes enabled for a continual and constant change and transformation. Finally, this study argues that each of these housing models is embedded with a form of inhabitable voids that could be seen and read as heterotopia, as Michel Foucault defined. In other words, incorporating some local archetypes into the design process of these projects implies and creates a certain type of place that the 'other' space would flourish. Accordingly, these heterotopic voids might include a creative potential/characteristic to be perceived as an omnipresent tool from the disciplinary toolbox of architecture that would cater for providing certain forms of relationships among people and with their living environment.


We have used the two-hybrid system to identify proteins that interact with the product of RAD7, a gene involved in DNA repair. A screen of a yeast genomic DNA-GAL4 activation domain (GAD) fusion gene library allowed the isolation of plasmids containing sequences corresponding to the 3' end of the SIR3 gene. This gene is known to be involved in the production of transcriptionally silent DNA at the cryptic mating-type cassettes and at telomeres. The cloned sequences coded for amino acids 307-979 of the Sir3 protein. A sir3 deletion allele, constructed in an isogenic rad7-deletion strain, rescued approximately one-quarter of the UV sensitivity associated with the rad7 deletion, indicating that the two genes interact genetically. Radiolabeled fusion proteins, made with the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene in the vector pGEX-2T, were purified from Escherichia coli and shown to interact in vitro. This evidence suggests that the Sir3 protein interacts with the Rad7 protein to allow the nucleotide excision repair complex access to transcriptionally inactive chromatin. The proportions of 5-FOA-resistant cells in cultures from isogenic RAD+ and rad7-delta strains containing a telomeric URA3 gene were similar, suggesting that the RAD7 gene is not involved in the production or structure of transcriptionally silent chromatin at the telomeres. RAD7-dependent DNA repair of transcriptionally silent chromatin was shown not to induce expression of a telomeric copy of the URA3 gene, suggesting that repair of transcriptionally silent chromatin differs from transcriptionally active chromatin. Expression of a telomeric copy of the URA3 gene was stimulated in a rad7-delta mutant, suggesting that repair of lesions in the absence of Rad7 can result in the activation of transcriptionally silenced genes.


In a period of continuous change in global business environment, organizations, large and small, are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with, and adjust to the demands for such change. Simulation is a powerful tool for allowing designers imagines new systems and enabling them to both quantify and observe behavior. Currently the market offers a variety of simulation software packages. Some are less expensive than others. Some are generic and can be used in a wide variety of application areas while others are more specific. Some have powerful features for modeling while others provide only basic features. Modeling approaches and strategies are different for different packages. Companies are seeking advice about the desirable features of software for manufacturing simulation, depending on the purpose of its use. Because of this, the importance of an adequate approach to simulation software evaluation and comparison is apparent. This paper presents a critical evaluation of four widely used manufacturing simulators: NX-IDEAS, Star-CD, Micro Saint Sharp and ProModel. Following a review of research into simulation software evaluation, an evaluation and comparison of the above simulators is performed. This paper illustrates and assesses the role the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) played in simulation software evaluation and selection. The main purpose of this evaluation and comparison is to discover the suitability of certain types of simulators for particular purposes.


The idea of open-plan kitchen/living room has formed in smart home. Activities which took place in the living-room in the past are often moved into the kitchen. The dining table must be modified to be smart enough because many interactive games will be performed on the table. This paper designs and implements a smart dining table which fits the requirements of the open-plan kitchen/living room. The tempered glass with a rear film is utilized as the surface of the proposed table which let the image projector recovers the interactive image on the film. The infrared system consists of IR LED and IR camera is designed in this work as the multi-touch sensing system. Three multi-media games are demonstrated on the proposed smart dining table for the evaluation purposes.


ABSTRACT This article identifies fertile ground to explore the relationship between literature and neoliberalism in recent novels concerned with the analysis of the contemporary art system. Its main objective has to do with acknowledging the impact of artistic systems of valorisation and regulation in processes of self-definition and self-fulfilment taking place in broader spheres of the social. Simultaneously, the article also engages with the conditions of possibility of alternative art worlds. The article recognises the Künstlerroman form as a particularly suitable platform to understand the subsumption of literary production under neoliberalism. At the same time, it also acknowledges the potential of that form to articulate critical positionings against neoliberal reason while envisaging alternative futures.


Ambulance services and paramedics perform critical roles in contemporary healthcare economies. Trained to work in the field and respond rapidly to emergencies, societies have come to increasingly rely on ambulance services to deliver urgent care, never more so than in recent years given intense social inequality, overstretched and underfunded health systems, and deadly pandemics. This monograph is the first book-length study of the paramedic profession in England. Based on in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation The Paramedic at Work provides a detailed account of the complex realities of work in this fascinating occupation. Empirical chapters explore the nature of work 'out on the road', the peculiarities of ambulance organizational culture, the intensity of workplace stress and burnout, and the current and future trajectory of paramedic professionalism. The book documents the unique paradoxes experienced by those employed in this line of work. Ambulance staff are trained to handle life-threatening trauma and disease, but most callouts consist of unplanned primary care. Paramedic work features wide autonomy but is also bound into an array of micromanaging performance indicators. Paramedics are trusted and respected in society but the profession is poorly understood and employers can be unsupportive. But, no matter how intense the personal struggles can be, paramedic work also offers rare opportunities for meaningful and socially valued work. The nature of the paramedic role is rapidly moving from a manual occupation rooted in first aid and transportation, to a clinical profession of increasing scope, versatility, and social respect.


A vegetated filter strip (VFS) is a measure commonly implemented in agricultural landscapes for the purpose of improving water quality. However, much of the evidence to support their effectiveness comes from warm regions dominated by rainfall driven runoff. This study assessed the performance of VFS plots and compared them with annual crop strips to reduce phosphorus (P) levels in runoff in the cold climate of the Canadian Prairies. Analysis of water samples from 22 events during the study indicated no significant difference in the inflow and outflow concentrations of total dissolved P (TDP) or total P (TP) for either the VFS or the annual crop strips. Although the VFS plots had little effect on TDP or TP during the spring, they performed better during the growing season, reducing mean TP concentrations in five out of seven, or 71%, of these events. The VFS plots did not perform as well during the fall events, with the overall mean TP concentration in runoff increasing after flowing through the filters during this time period.


Exergy-based methods provide engineers with the best information with respect to options for improving the overall thermodynamic efficiency of an energy conversion system. This paper presents the results of an advanced exergy analysis of an air-to-water reversible heat pump whose performance was analyzed with respect to different working fluids. Environmentally deleterious refrigerants, i.e., R410A and R134a (baselines), and their eco-friendly replacements (R290, R152a, R1234ze(E), and R1234yf) were selected. The evaluations were conducted under the same operating conditions (i.e., with the same cooling and heating demands and outdoor temperatures). Based on conventional exergy analysis, it was determined that different priorities should be given for the thermodynamic improvement of the components according to which heating and cooling modes of the system are in use. Therefore, integrated parameters, i.e., the annual values of exergy destruction, were applied for further analysis. The results obtained showed that the heat pump using R410A provided the largest degree of annual exergy destruction estimated on the basis of conventional exergy analysis (5913 kWh), whereas the heat pump using R290 offered the lowest one (4522 kWh). The annual exergy destruction of the R410A cycle with only unavoidable irreversibilities could be decreased by 50%. In this case, compared to R410A and R134a, R152a and R290 provided lower values of the total annual unavoidable aspects of exergy destruction. Considering technological limitations, when removing all the avoidable irreversibilities within the air exchanger, the largest decrease in the total exergy destruction within the system could be reached. The results obtained from the analysis of the removable irreversibilities showed that the mutual interactions between the compressor, evaporator, and condenser were weak. Finally, it was concluded that, from a thermodynamic point of view, the adoption of R152a and R290 in reversible air-to-water heat pumps as replacements for R410A and R134a is advisable.


This paper addresses issues related to the agreement between parents and teachers when they assess children's development, and to what extend those assessments are related to children's cognitive abilities. A hundred seventy three preschoolers were independently classified by their parents and teachers regarding different developmental domains. The results on the WPPSI-R test were taken as an external criterion to evaluate the accuracy of the parents' ratings. Children's age and gender were considered in the analysis. Inter-rater agreement is low to moderate. Compared with teachers, parents systematically rate their children as more developed. Some dimensions of development (e.g. learning) are more related to performance on the WPPSIR than others. Results are discussed regarding their implications to the psychological assessment of preschoolers.


Effective hearing conservation programs in the construction industry are rare. Where programs are present, they often rely on workers' use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) rather than on exposure controls to reduce noise exposure levels. Dependence on HPDs for protection from high noise is problematic, as the protection provided by the HPD depends on both the HPD's attenuation level and the time the HPD is used. This article presents an analysis of data on noise exposure and hearing protection among construction workers drawn from several large datasets covering nine construction trades. A unique combination of 1-min dosimetry noise exposure levels and simultaneous self-reported use of HPDs was evaluated, as were occupational and nonoccupational HPD use data collected by questionnaire as part of a longitudinal study of noise exposure and hearing loss among apprentices. Direct measurements of HPD attenuation were also made on workers at their work site. The workers assessed in this study were found to use hearing protection less than one-quarter of the time that they were exposed above 85 dBA. Workers who reported "always" using HPDs in high noise on questionnaires were found to wear them only one-third of the time their exposures exceeded 85 dBA. Workers' self-reported use of HPDs during most noisy nonoccupational activities was also found to be low. Direct attenuation measurements found that workers were able to achieve more than 50% of the rated attenuation of their HPD on average, but that the variability in achieved attenuation was large. When the measured HPD attenuation levels and use time data were combined, the effective protection afforded by HPDs was less than 3 dB, a negligible amount given the high exposure levels associated with construction work. However, there was substantial variation in effective protection among the different trades assessed. These results demonstrate the need for better hearing conservation programs and expanded noise control efforts in the construction industry.


Sleep apnea syndrome has been reported by Guilleminault et al. in 1976 and it is a rare condition. The major symptoms of this syndrome are excessive daytime somnolence, sleep apnea and loud snoring.Recently, we have experienced one case of microgenia with sleep apnea syndrome. Our present case, a 29-year-old Japanese woman complained of retrogression of the mandible and loud snoring. She was operated on horizontal advancement genioplasty and her symptoms then improved.This case suggested that horizontal advancement genioplasty was effective for sleep apnea syndrome, and we considered the result that her upper airway was extended by this operation.


A 23-year-old carpenter presented following an accident in which a nail gun had been fired 1 metre away from him and a nail had penetrated his left chest. Apart from pain, he had no other symptoms and …


This study aims to uncover the principles of grammar called the iriformation structure and focus parameters of meaning in the sentence Biak language. As the Austronesian group, Biak language structure contains iriformation that the proportion of category included: presuppositions, protrusion, openness and activation. In addition, the focus of the sentence containing that aims to explain the role of prominence in the rules and opponents of pragmatic presupposition. This study is based on the theory of RRG with communicative cognitive perspective. In its disclosure, this study uses descriptive qualitative method in order to explore a variety of data through the data Biak language spoken and written include a clause or sentence structure simple or complex. Exploration of this study consists of two parts, namely (a) the information structure, and (2) the meaning of the sentence focus parameters Biak language.


The utilization of active power filters in suppressing harmonics generated by nonlinear loads in AC distribution power systems will considerably be generalized in the near future. With regard to the circuit topology, there are two basic kinds of active filter: voltage source; and current source. This paper presents a comparison of these topologies from different points of view such as power circuit design, semiconductor constraints, filtering quality, robustness, adaptability and load transient behaviour.


Mansuriya Gas field is an elongated anticlinal structure aligned from NW to SE, about 25 km long and 5-6 km wide. Jeribe formation is considered the main reservoir where it contains condensate fluid and has a uniform thickness of about 60 m. The reservoir is significantly over-pressured, (TPOC, 2014).
This research is about well logs analysis, which involves the determination of Archie petrophysical parameters, water saturation, porosity, permeability and lithology. The interpretations and cross plots are done using Interactive Petrophysics (IP) V3.5 software.
The rock parameters (a, m and n) values are important in determining the water saturation where (m) can be calculated by plotting the porosity from core and the formation factor from core on logarithmic scale for both and the slope which represent (m) then Pickett plot method is used to determine the other parameters after calculating Rw from water analysis .
The Matrix Identification (MID), M-N and Density-Neutron crossplots indicates that the lithology of Jeribe Formation consists of dolomite, limestone with some anhydrite also gas-trend is clear in the Jeribe Formation.
The main reservoir, Jeribe Formation carbonate, is subdivided into 8 zones namely  J1 to J8, based mainly on porosity log (RHOB and NPHI) trend, DT trend and saturation trend.
 Jeribe formation was considered to be clean in terms of shale content .The higher gamma ray because of the uranium component which is often associated with dolomitisationl and when it is removed and only comprises the thorium and potassium-40 contributions, showed the gamma response to be low compared to the total gamma ray response that also contains the uranium   contribution.While the Jeribe formation is considered to be clean in terms of shale content so the total porosity is equal to the effective porosity.No porosity cut off is found if cutoff permeability 0.01 md is applied while the porosity cut off approximately equal to 0.1 only for unit J6 & J8 if cutoff permeability 0.1 md is applied .
It can be concluded that no saturation cutoff for the units of Jeribe formation is found after a cross plot between water saturation and log porosity for the reservoir units of Jeribe formation and applied the calculated cut off porosity.
The permeability has been predicted using two methods: FZI and Classical, the two methods yield approximately the same results for all wells.


This article considers the influence of legal education based on the Dutch tradition of legal humanism on a Scottish student of the late seventeenth-century. An annotated textbook retained by Charles Binning contains notes from his studies with the Utrecht professor Cornelis van Eck and provides evidence for Van Eck's teaching practices. Their education abroad equipped Scottish legal students for the professional, intellectual and cultural lives they would lead when they returned home. Exposure to the ideas contained in the books they studied and their relationships with the Continental learned gave Scottish scholars admission into the international Republic of Letters. This had significance for the development of the Scottish Enlightenment.


Abstract: The plant vigour hypothesis proposes that herbivores should favour feeding on more vigorously growing plants or plant modules. Similarly, we would expect herbivores to favour plants that regrow vigorously after herbivory. Larger animals, like elephants, may also select plant species relative to their availability and prefer species with larger growth forms in order to meet their intake requirements. The food preferences of the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia, were investigated along 12 transects in areas where elephants were recently sighted feeding. One hundred and eighty-two plants were eaten and 185 plants were measured for species availability along transects. Species vigour was determined by the monthly regrowth in new shoot length after elephant feeding and the number of new shoots produced on each plant. Measurements were carried out on each plant for 9 mo or until the new shoot was eaten. Plant sizes were determined from their basal diameter. The Bornean elephant did not prefer more vigorous species or species with larger growth forms. New shoots did not grow longer on preferred than avoided species. Additionally, unlike other elephants that live in a forest environment, the Bornean elephant preferred species from the Poaceae (specifically Phragmites karka and Dinochloa scabrida) over other plant types including gingers, palms, lianas and woody trees.


Framing and metaphors play an important role in defining social problems, and as they carry with them implicit natural 'solutions', they can have a significant impact on public policy. This paper analyses how frames and metaphors feature in the academic human enhancement literature, in particular in relation to the therapy/enhancement distinction. A case study analysis of 25 academic papers on the use of psychopharmaceuticals for non-therapeutic purposes highlights the implicit associations and assumptions about human enhancement in the academic debate. Four frames, with different sets of metaphors, can be distinguished: different territory (in which therapy and enhancement are different fields, separated by a thin or fuzzy boundary), the slippery slope (associated with concerns of, for instance, medicalisation), function creep (in which medicine moves beyond its intended purposes to serve other purposes), and individual choice (where the medical necessity of therapy contrasts with 'lifestyle' choices of enhancement). A discussion of these frames demonstrates how the metaphors may influence the direction of policy recommendations for problems raised by human enhancement, and why participants in the academic debate sometimes talk at cross-purposes. The paper concludes that the therapy/enhancement distinction serves as a proxy to articulate various normative positions about what constitutes well-being and who is responsible for people's well-being. Technological developments force us to continuously ask ourselves to what extent medicine is mainly about curing illness or also, more generally, about improving well-being. By uncovering the ways in which the therapy/enhancement argument is being framed in the literature, it becomes easier to see where authors position themselves along the spectrum of possible responses to this fundamental question.


Education is an empowering process that enables those who have been marginalized in the social, economic, political and cultural spheres to claim their status as fully participating members of the society. Nevertheless, about 300,000 street children in
Kenya have had no formal education and are not proficient in the two languages
used – English (official language) and Swahili (national language)- languages in
which vital information leading to improved livelihoods and participation in national
development is available. Drawing evidence from an ongoing study on the literacy
and numeracy needs of street children in Kenya, I argue that street children need to
be equipped with appropriate knowledge through acquisition of numeracy, language
and literacy skills for them to be fully empowered to be able to participate in the
country's development. Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa Vol. 1 (2) 2009: pp. 244-254


In vitro culture of Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc. ex Arcang began more than a decade ago at Bogor Botanic Gardens. This paper is a summary of the last three years activities on the propagation of A. titanum. The initial cultures originated from different sources some of them were from the gardens collections. Different parts of the plant were used as explants; axillary buds of the corm, leaf veins and cataphyll. Murashige and Skoog (MS) formulation was used as the basal media; and different plant growth regulators or organic substances were added to find out the most suitable media for inoculation and for development of callus, root and shoot. Different types of cultures were developed and single shoots or multiple shoots as well as compact and friable callus were obtained from different explant sources. Zeatin added to MS medium gave the best result for shoot and root induction and the addition of banana showed promising results for shoot maturation in culture. The overall trials are described in this paper.


The notes to the long-awaited revision of Robinson's Chaucer have been completely redone by a large team of well-known Middle English scholars, and if they do not provide a precise guide to current views of Chaucer's relationship with Gower, they do offer some idea of what students will be learning about Gower in their Chaucer classes for the next few years. Many will be pleased that the theory of a quarrel between the poets is given short shrift in this edition, both by Martin Crow and Virginia Leland in their biographical introduction (p. xxiii), who refer to "structural reasons" for Gower's removal of his compliment to Chaucer (CA 8.2941 ff.), and by Patricia Eberle in her notes to the Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale (p. 854), who points out the present uncertainty about the dating of Gower's revisions. (Robinson also dismissed the likelihood of a quarrel in his note to LGW G 315). Gower is given extensive coverage, however, either as a source or as an analogue for a great many passages in Chaucer's work, particularly in CT. CA is included in the discussion of contemporary tale collections in the General Editor's introduction (p. 3), but is omitted from the list in the notes on pp. 795-96. In the discussion of the General Prologue Gower is cited only once as a possible source, for GP 435-37 (from MO 8338-43), but illustrative passages are cited from all three of his major works in the notes to the portraits of the Monk, the Clerk, the Sergeant of the Law (as he is called), the Doctor of Physik, the Parson, the Plowman, and the Summoner. Gower is also cited in the notes to a number of the tales; e.g. KnT 2129, MLT 161, 302-8, 1183, WBT 1109, et al.: without a precise count, the number of such references seems much larger than in Robinson's edition. Of the four tales that have close analogues in CA: Both Benson and Patricia Eberle come down in favor of Gower's priority for the tale of Constance (pp. 9, 856-57), and to Block's list of nine passages that Chaucer borrowed from Gower Eberle adds the entire scene of Constance's departure from Northumberland, MLT 834-68. In his comments on the Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale Benson suggests that "perhaps Chaucer is teasingly challenging his friend to a storytelling contest parallel to that in which the pilgrims are engaged" (p. 9); while Eberle (p. 856) provides an excellent note on the complexities involved in inferring a reference to Gower. Christine Ryan Hilary declares, a bit surprisingly, that "Chaucer knew and probably echoes" Gower's tale of Florent in WBT, citing Chaucer's line 1081 and CA 1.1727-31 (pp. 872-73). She also compares WBT 1073 to CA 1.1587. She doesn't cite Fisher, however, the one scholar who would most certainly agree on Chaucer's borrowing. (Benson lists Gower's tale only as an analogue, p. 11.) Larry Benson asserts that Chaucer knew Gower's tale of Virginia before writing his PhysT (p. 14), but David Benson lists Gower's tale only as an analogue and concludes that "there is no convincing evidence that Chaucer drew on any earlier version except RR" (p. 902). Larry Benson includes Gower's "Phebus and Cornide" as one of the possible sources for Chaucer's MancT (p. 20), and V.J. Scattergood cites in a favorable context Hazelton's suggestion that Chaucer's tale is a parody of Gower's (p. 952). Colin Wilcockson cites Gower's "Ceix and Alceone" only once in his notes to BD (p. 968), not as an analogue but as containing the metamorphoses that Chaucer omits. Benson's introduction to The Parliament of Fowls (p. 383) cites Gower's 34th and 35th balades in a list of contempary Valentine's Day poems. John M. Fyler's notes to HF include a reference to Tatlock's belief (1907) that MO 22129-52 might be based on HF 1573-82 (p. 988). The notes to LGW by M.C.E. Shaner and A.S.G. Edwards (pp. 1059-75) reflect some of the complexity of the relationship between this poem and CA. They note that the "Flower and the Leaf" passage in CA 8.2468 "may be an imitation" of LGW F 72, while LGW G 315 "may be a friendly jab at Gower." Among the tales, Gower's Cleopatra "is probably based" on Chaucer's (p. 1066), particularly for the details of her death (LGW 678-80, 696-702); and Chaucer's and Gower's stories of Thisbe "seem related, but it is hard to say which came first" (p. 1067), in both cases echoing Robinson. Gower is cited only as an analogue for Chaucer's tales of Medea, Lucrece, Ariadne, Philomela, and Phyllis. No note is made of Root's suggestion (1909) that Chaucer's Lucrece may have been based on Gower's, and though other parallels are noted in this legend, no reference is made to one of the most interesting similarities between the two poems, Lucrece's swoon before she is violated by Tarquin (LGW 1815-17; CA 7.4986-87). Several other parallel passages from MO, VC, and CA are cited in the notes to LGW, many of them drawn from Fisher. Laila Z. Gross takes note of Fisher's account of the many parallels between Chaucer's "Lak of Stedfastnesse" and Gower's CA Prol. (p. 1086), and Stephen Barney lists Fisher as a general source on Gower's relation with Chaucer in his note to T&C 5.1856-59 (p. 1058). Otherwise Fisher is quite remarkably neglected in this edition: there is no reference, for instance, to his belief in Gower's influence on the conception of GP and the Marriage Group or to his identification of the Eagle in HF, and while he is cited (p. 1059) for his belief that LGW was written at the request of the queen, the rest of his proposal, that LGW and CA were written for the same commission in 1385, passes without notice. Despite the inevitable unevenness and inconsistency in a work involving so many different hands, the editors on the whole have done a commendable job of presenting the most useful scholarship on Chaucer in a clear and compact form. One small but revealing example of their care will cause some pleasure for those of us who decide to cite from this volume: except in the case of "Boece," which has been freshly edited by Ralph Hanna and Traugott Lawler, the editors have arranged the prose texts on the page so that the line numbers are the sa as in the edition that they are replacing. [PN. Copyright The John Gower Society JGN 6.1]


In the 1960s environmental issues became analysed ina global context. 1992 sustainable development wasmade the overall policy. 2010 the biosphere is in a worsestate than in the 1960s, and the world human populationis higher than ever. For sustainability, human behaviourmust be kept within biospherical carrying capacity. Thispresents enormous social and human scientific challenges.However, main social scientific schools generallyoverlook what basically makes democratic systems tick,namely Rule of Law. Most social scientific input hasbeen hampered by pre-environmental sectoral paradigmsmissing the holistic prerequisites. Modernenvironmental law methodology has on the other handanalysed old law and developed theory for sustainablelaw capable of i.a. handling non-linearity, complexityand what makes societies tick – Rule of Law. Thanksto this, some of what other social sciences have broughtforward can be reinterpreted for inclusion in an adequatesustainability theory, while much of the rest canbe explained as ineffective.This paper brings this into broader environmentalscience. It will (1) rely upon the still degrading biosphereand that no country has so far established effectivecontrol for sustainability; (2) explain why such controlcannot be achieved in a democracy without recognisingthe Rule of Law and adapting the law to sustainability;(3) explain why mainstream social and human sciencesyet have not contributed more effectively; (4) presenta fundamental theoretical holistic structure essentialfor social environmental science, and (5) based on thisdemonstrate why it is impossible to solve the globalunsustainability problems without full understandingof the Rule of Law.


Introduction The number of malpractice claims against physicians and health institutes in Israel is increasing continuously, as in the rest of the Western world. This trend became a serious financial burden. Aim In this study we analyzed reports of gastroenterologists on colonoscopy adverse events to the medical malpractice insurer, as well as complaint/demand for compensation from patients represented by lawyers, between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2006. Methods All the reports of physicians associated with colonoscopy adverse events from health institutes covered by Madanes Insurance Group were analyzed and summarized using a specially designed questionnaire. Clinical and epidemiological details about the patients, procedures, and adverse events were coded into an excel sheet, discussed, and evaluated. Results One hundred and two cases of colonoscopy adverse events were reported. There were 48 cases of men (47.1%) and the average age was 69.9±12.90 years. In this period of time 252 064 colonoscopies were performed by the institutes in the sampling frame, and the number of adverse events was on average 4.0 (between 2.8 and 6.2) for 10 000 colonoscopies. The difference between the years was not statistically significant. Perforation occurred in one of 2864 procedures, bleeding in one of 29 007 procedures, and respiratory complications in one of 50 412 procedures. Conclusion This is the first study in Israel based on physicians' reports of colonoscopic adverse events. The picture is optimistic, as the rate of complications is low, and the data encourage early detection and reporting.


The main result of the paper is a description of the maximal ideals in the modular group algebras of the finitary symmetric and alternating groups (provided the characteristic p of the ground field is greater than 2). For the symmetric group there are exactly p 1 such ideals and for the alternating group there are (p 1)/2 of them. The description is obtained in terms of the annihilators of certain systems of the 'completely splittable' irreducible modular representations of the finite symmetric and alternating groups. The main tools used in the proofs are the modular branching rules (obtained earlier by the second author) and the 'Mullineux conjecture' proved recently by FordKleshchev and Bessenrodt-Olsson. The results obtained are relevant to the theory of PI-algebras. They are used in a later paper by the authors and A. E. Zalesskii on almost simple group algebras and asymptotic properties of modular representations of symmetric groups.


A theoretical treatment is described using the concept of non-linear complex permeability. The method calculates the variation in magnitude and phase of the flux components from the centre of the plate to its surface, and provides a loss component due to harmonic eddy current action, in addition to the main hysteresis and eddy current loss given by the fundamental components of flux and magnetizing force in the material. Good agreement was obtained between measured and computed values for both thick and thin mild steel plates at surface magnetizing force values corresponding, approximately, to the knee of the B/H characteristic. At flux levels in the heavily saturated region, calculated results were generally good except for harmonic flux values in thick plates and core loss values in thin plates.


Inactivation of the gene encoding the POU domain transcription factor BRN-3A results in the absence of specific neurons in knockout mice. Here we demonstrate for the first time a direct effect of BRN-3A on the survival of neuronal cells. Specifically, overexpression of BRN-3A in cultured trigeminal ganglion or dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons enhanced their survival following the withdrawal of nerve growth factor. Moreover, reduction of BRN-3A levels impaired the survival of these neurons. The survival of sympathetic neurons was not affected by either approach. Similarly, overexpression of BRN-3A activated the endogenous Bcl-2 gene in trigeminal neurons, but not in sympathetic neurons. The protective effect of BRN-3A on trigeminal neuron survival following nerve growth factor withdrawal significantly increased during embryonic development. In contrast, overexpression of the related factor BRN-3B enhanced survival of trigeminal neurons only at an early stage of embryonic development. Thus, BRN-3A (and in some circumstances, BRN-3B) can promote the survival of nerve growth factor-dependent sensory but not sympathetic neurons, allowing it to play a direct role in the survival of some (but not all) neuronal populations in the developing and adult nervous systems.


Activation of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) is a shared response to engagement of diverse types of transmembrane receptors. Depending on the cell type and stimulus, PI3K activation can promote different fates including proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation. The diverse roles of PI3K signalling are well illustrated by studies of lymphocytes, the cells that mediate adaptive immunity. Genetic and pharmacological experiments have shown that PI3K activation regulates many steps in the development, activation and differentiation of both B- and T-cells. These findings have prompted the development of PI3K inhibitors for the treatment of autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases. PI3K activation, however, has both positive and negative roles in immune system activation. Consequently, although PI3K suppression can attenuate immune responses it can also enhance inflammation, disrupt peripheral tolerance and promote autoimmunity. An exciting discovery is that a selective inhibitor of the p110δ catalytic isoform of PI3K, CAL-101, achieves impressive clinical efficacy in certain B-cell malignancies. A model is emerging in which p110δ inhibition disrupts signals from the lymphoid microenvironment, leading to release of leukaemia and lymphoma cells from their protective niche. These encouraging findings have given further momentum to PI3K drug development efforts in both cancer and immune diseases.


Using a large panel of quarterly firm survey data from 1984 to 2007, which allow changes in firms' prices to be linked to several firm-specific variables, this paper finds that state-dependent pricing is clearly important in a low inflation environment and that variables measuring the current situation of the firm, especially costs for intermediate products, are important determinants of price adjustments. They add a lot to the explanatory power of a price adjustment probability model, compared to purely time-dependent features. Macroeconomic factors are significant but do not add much in terms of the goodness of fit. Furthermore, when taking into account sticky plan models by excluding possibly predetermined price changes, the importance of state-dependent factors becomes even larger. JEL classification: E31, E32, E50.


Closed form expressions for the bit error rate (BER) for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) relay system employing maximum likelihood (ML) based decode and forward (DF) cooperative diversity are obtained. The DF operation at the relay involves maximal ratio combining (MRC) on the source-relay link and space-time coding (STC) on the relay-destination link. Exact expressions of the BER are obtained for the case of a single relay supporting two antennas. For a system employing a large number of relays, each having two antennas, approximate expressions for the BER are obtained using the piecewise linear (PL) approximation for the ML detector. This is done by finding the statistics of conditionally Gaussian random variables, that appear in the decision variable. The validity of the analytical expressions is then verified through simulations. Through numerical results obtained from the BER expressions for large number of relays, it is then shown that the loss in diversity order due to DF can be compensated by using multiple antennas at the relay.


GcvB small RNA is described as post‐transcriptional regulator of 1–2% of all mRNAs in Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. At least 24 GcvB:mRNA interactions have been validated in vivo, establishing the largest characterized sRNA targetome. By performing MS2‐affinity purification coupled with RNA sequencing (MAPS) technology, we identified seven additional mRNAs negatively regulated by GcvB in E. coli. Contrary to the vast majority of previously known targets, which pair to the well‐conserved GcvB R1 region, we validated four mRNAs targeted by GcvB R3 region. This indicates that base‐pairing through R3 seed sequence seems relatively common. We also noticed unusual GcvB pairing sites in the coding sequence of two target mRNAs. One of these target mRNAs has a pairing site displaying a unique ACA motif, suggesting that GcvB could hijack a translational enhancer element. The second target mRNA is likely regulated via an active RNase E‐mediated mRNA degradation mechanism. Remarkably, we confirmed the importance of the sRNA sponge SroC in the fine‐tuning control of GcvB activity in function of growth conditions such as growth phase and nutrient availability.


The aim of this thesis is to investigate how multilingual fifth-grade pupils in Sweden construct their own and each other's identities through verbal and non-verbal discourse acts, in group discussions of diary texts without a teacher present. The group discussions were audio and video recorded by the pupils themselves and transcribed by me as a researcher.The theoretical foundation of this study is the social constructionist view of identities as multiple, negotiable and flexible processes which are constructed in and through interaction. This is investigated through the participants' use of discourse acts in the form of initiatives, responses and follow-ups, drawing on the Exchange Structure Model combined with interactional tools from Conversation Analysis. The use of ESM has been expanded in the study for the investigation of non-verbal discourse acts as well. Zimmerman's framework of the three identity dimensions discourse, situated, and transportable identities has been applied to the analysis of discourse acts, to study the pupils' identity constructions. Their use of code-switching has been studied in connection with the third identity dimension, here the transportable identity as multilinguals.The results show that the pupils as a group cannot be said to make their transportable identities as multilinguals relevant to a high degree in the group discussions. However, some of the pupils make their multilingualism relevant locally, using code-switching as a resource to express feelings, to wield power, and for face-saving effects etc.Furthermore, reciprocal contingency between the three dimensions of identity is shown by the pupils' identity constructions and co-constructions in the group discussions. Discourse identities like initiating diary reporter, confirmation seeker, questioner, responder and endorser are constructed at the micro level of interaction by the participants using verbal and non-verbal discourse acts. These identities build up situated identities together with existing participation frames, such as leader, 'disser', 'group clown' or reluctant. Both these identity dimensions build up transportable identities as multilinguals together with tacit background information of the participants' language proficiency. Moreover, the results show how an expanded ESM can be used for analysing both verbal and non-verbal discourse acts and the construction of all three identity dimensions.


Bone metastasis is a frequent complication in advanced prostate cancer, with the resultant lesions significantly contributing to patient morbidity and mortality. While next generation hormone ablation therapies and bone protecting bisphosphonates alleviate these symptoms, the disease remains incurable, and new therapeutic approaches are of urgent need. In this regard, we have focused on tapping the tumor-seeking potential of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. CAR T cells have shown remarkable anti-tumor responses in hematologic malignancies, but unique physical and biological challenges have hindered their activity in solid tumors. Interestingly, patients treated with bisphosphonates such as zoledronate exhibit enhanced recruitment and activation of the γδ subset of T cells in bone due intracellular accumulation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) phosphoantigen. Whereas conventional CAR T cell therapies utilize αβ T cells, we posit that designing γδ CAR T cells could improve homing to bone metastases when administered with bisphosphonates. First, to test the impact of prostate specific stem cell antigen (PSCA)-specific γδ CAR T cells against bone metastatic prostate cancer in vivo, NSG mice (n=10) were intratibially injected with PSCA/luciferase-expressing C4-2B (2x105) castrate resistant prostate cancer cells. Tumors were allowed to establish for 10 days and then randomized into control or γδ CAR T (1.5x107 via tail vein) groups. Subsequent bioluminescent imaging indicated a rapid and significant (p=0.0006) regression of tumors in the γδ CAR T cell group, leading to increased overall survival (5/5 γδ CAR T vs. 0/5 control after 68 days, p=0.0002). Ex vivo bone morphometry analysis also demonstrated the significant protective effect of γδ CAR T associated bone disease. To determine whether bisphosphonates could further enhance the homing of γδ CAR T to bone, NSG mice (n=30) were intratibially injected with C4-2B (2x105), and randomized into control and zoledronate (30µg/kg) groups. After 10 days, mice received γδ T cells (3x106). Subsets were sacrificed at 1, 3, and 5 days post-T cell administration, and peripheral blood, tibia bone marrow, and spleens isolated. CD3-Vδ2 flow cytometry indicated increased γδ T cells in the tibia bone marrow from zoledronate groups (Day 1=61%, Day 3=32%, and Day 5=57%). Furthermore, decreased tumor growth rates were observed in the zoledronate group, suggesting that increased homing of γδ T cells induced anti-tumor effects. Our data to date demonstrate that γδ CAR T cells significantly mitigate bone metastatic prostate cancer and associated bone disease. Further, bisphosphonates (already used in the clinical setting) enhance the homing of γδ CAR T cells to the tumor-bone microenvironment. We posit that γδ CAR T will be an effective immunotherapy approach for the treatment of men with incurable bone metastatic prostate cancer. Citation Format: Jeremy Steven Frieling, Maria Cecilia Ramello, Ismahene Benzaid, Emiliano Roselli, Chen Hao Lo, Conor C. Lynch, Daniel Abate-Daga. γδ CAR T-cell therapy significantly mitigates bone metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 934.


The strict definition of holobiont is that it is a host organism (plant or animal) in interaction with all associated microorganisms as an entity for selection in evolution. This definition can be generalized when not only microorganisms internal of or endogenous to a host organism are concerned but any regular organisms which strongly interact between each other also externally. Such latter associations may altogether function as co-evolutionary entities at the community level, as can be concluded from their evolutionary history. A thorough inspection of habitats and ecosystems shows that such kinds of mutualistic associations prevail. Therefore, we can scale up examples of endogenous symbioses to ecosystems, biomes and the entire biosphere as holobionts, where the planet holobiont is Gaia. James Lovelock defines Gaia as the biosphere being a self-regulating entity that ensures the planet's capacity for harboring life by controlling the chemical and physical environment in conducive ways. Thus, the question is of whether Gaia manages a global equilibrium which sustains life on Earth. Possibly this holds for life as such but not for any specific forms of life as illustrated by several extinction waves of organisms during geological history. Such events were typically followed by the emergence of innovative new forms as arising from adaptive radiation into abandoned ecological niches. Will man be subject of the next extinction wave? Such a possibility raises ethical imperatives for man to sustain the biosphere sensu Gaia on which he not only depends, but also is part of. Holobiont research must aim at gaining advanced understanding, both in mechanistic and holistic terms, by extending the holobiont concept across the spatio-temporal scales of ecological organization. This implies to delineate the humble position of man in the biosphere and to explore conditions for man's sustained survival on Earth.


Coal mine fire problem occurs globally and endangering miners' life. It leads to environmental pollution as well as economic loss to the local and regional governance. Surface coal mine fire affected areas are generally detected by thermal survey of an area. Temperature observations through thermometer or thermocouple are used in most cases as traditional monitoring of coal fire. Infrared thermograph technique combination with GPS topography has more advantage over traditional monitoring in terms of efficiency, precision and less costly. A large surface area can be seen, captured, and presented in thermal and visual form in very short interval of time. This paper describes basic principle, monitoring procedure and application of thermography in Jharia Coalfields (JCF) to assess coal mine fire affected areas and strategy to control it.


Secrets of the yeast MAPK pathways continue to be revealed. The best-studied signaling pathways still hold secrets. Recent studies have now applied a new wave of technologies encompassing computational approaches and experimental techniques to the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in yeast and have provided new knowledge of pathway connections, components, and dynamics. The computational algorithms build on advances in network science motivated by studies of large-scale social and WWW networks. Experimental techniques permit exploration of the frequency-space response, describing biological signaling networks in the language of control theory. Together, these technologies are revealing the design choices made by evolution, and they provide a framework for building new biological circuits to order.


This paper is based on a keynote presentation given at the Annual Conference of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality in May 2016 which posed the question 'Can spirituality transform the world?'. Including the spiritual is an increasing expectation for those engaged in human service organisations, partly because of their work with those experiencing trauma and change and partly because of greater individual and community interest. Human service professionals currently wrestle with these expectations, often feeling undertrained and underprepared to undertake such practice. Critical spirituality is a framework influenced by research with health and social care professionals who wanted actively to include the spiritual in their professional practice. Critical spirituality means seeing people holistically, seeking to understand where they are 'coming from' and what matters to them at a fundamental level; the level that is part of the everyday but which also transcends it. This framework can be used to argue for the integration of the critical, the reflective and the spiritual into a coherent approach to practice that is holistic, inclusive and addresses issues of social justice. The expectation is to combine post-modern valuing of the diversity of individual and/or community spiritual experiences with a critical perspective that asserts the importance of living harmoniously and respectfully at an individual, family and community level. This framework generates both principles and strategies for transforming practice and, through practice, the world.


MANY factors seem to converge at this time to consider the formation and development of a new Department of Medicine—I have been in New Mexico since August 1962, an interval that seems to lend itself to introspection and assessment without the hazards of being entirely speculative; the national medical scene and some of our own faculty seek for better understanding of the role of a Department of Medicine in medical education; the University of New Mexico School of Medicine is one of several new schools with their own opportunities and problems; and, finally, the American College of Physicians with its deep interest in education affords a most appropriate forum for sharing thoughts, plans, reservations, and hopes. Instead of leaning heavily on several excellent treatises on the general subject, I have elected to make this a highly personalized albeit incomplete presentation. Many of us in academic medicine, as well as some


The eye-in-the-sky alternative to collecting real-time temporal/spatial data using small unmanned helicopters is proposed to: monitor traffic, evaluate and assess traffic patterns and provide accurate vehicle counts. Collected real-time visual data are converted to traffic statistical profiles and used as continuously updated inputs to existing traffic simulation models improving calibration, accuracy (in terms of variable parameter values) and future traffic predictions. Functionality of simulation models is enhanced, and reliability is improved The proposed approach offers significant advantages over conventional methods where historical and outdated data is used to run poorly calibrated traffic simulation models.


After long-term asbestos inhalation, the lung tissue burden is much less for chrysotile (CHRY) than for crocidolite (CRO) exposure. Nonetheless CHRY does not appear to be less fibrogenic. To study mechanisms responsible for the low retention of CHRY and the relationships with fibrogenesis, 15 sheep received a single intratracheal injection of either CHRY or CRO. Exposures in 100 ml saline consisted of 100 mg of 1-micron latex beads for the five control sheep, 100 mg UICC CRO fibres for the five CRO sheep and 100 mg UICC B CHRY fibres for the five CHRY sheep. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out at months 2, 4, 6 and 8 after exposure and necropsy at month 8. BAL and tissue samples were analysed for fibres by transmission electron microscopy. At month 2, mass concentration in BAL was 108 +/- 30 ng/ml for CRO and 0.6 +/- 0.1 ng/ml for CHRY. BAL CRO decreased afterward but BAL CHRY did not. The mass concentration in the lung at month 8 was 40.6 +/- 8.7 ng/mg dry tissue for CRO and 11.5 +/- 7.0 ng/mg for CHRY. BAL fibrogenic activity at month 8 assessed by macrophage fibronectin production was less than 0.2 ng/10(6) cells/24 h in control sheep, 5 +/- 2 in CRO sheep and 11 +/- 2 in CHRY sheep (P less than 0.05 CRO vs CHRY). Histologic score of tissue injury fibrosis was 0 in control sheep, 1.9 +/- 0.3 in CRO sheep and 2.8 +/- 0.1 in CHRY sheep (P less than 0.05). At necropsy, the number size distribution of fibres per microgram of tissue from the (CRO)/(CHRY) sheep was respectively: (127 +/- 54)/(15 +/- 14) for fibres less than 5 microns, (18 +/- 17)/(32 +/- 14) for fibres greater than 5 microns, (1.6 +/- 8)/(7 +/- 13) for fibres greater than 20 microns. This study documented that the low pulmonary retention of CHRY was largely related to the faster alveolar clearance rate of CHRY mass. Fibrogenicity of CHRY remained higher and appeared to be related at least in part to the preferential retention of long and very long CHRY fibres.


Organic pollutants can be sonodegraded by two pathways: pyrolysis, oxidation by free radicals, or the combination of both. The sonolytic degradation mechanisms and byproducts formation of aqueous trihalomethanes (THMs) were investigated at acoustic frequency of 20 kHz. The main sonodegradation mechanism of the chloroform, dichlorobromomethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform was found to be pyrolysis. The sonolysis degradation pathway of iodoform is free radicals oxidation. Hydrogen peroxide, nitrate, chloride, bromide, iodide, and iodate ions were detected and quantified as the inorganic products of the THMs sonication. A total of 48% TOC removal was achieved after a 180-min sonication of the THMs mixture.


The article presents the results of the study of the influence of nanoacquahelats of biogenic and biocidal metals Selenium
and Zinc together with vitamin E, on the mineral metabolism indexes of hens of Loman Brown breed. It is known that the
inflow of mineral elements such as Calcium and inorganic Phosphorus into the body and its proper usage is essential for the
maintenance of egg productivity and egg quality. In this regard, it is promising to study the changes of the above-mentioned
processes with the Selenium, Zinc and vitamin E nanoacqualates supplementation. It has been established that the feeding of
Selenium and Zinc nanocarboxylic acids with vitamin E positively affects the exchange of Calcium and inorganic Phosphorus in the laying hens. In particular, the content of calcium in the serum of tested hens was significantly higher (17.3-26.7%),
on the 60th and 90th days of the experiment, comparing with the control group. The level of inorganic phosphorus, on the
60th and 90th days of the experiment, also increased by 17.7% and 16.9%, respectively, in experimental group of layer hens
compared to control one.
It is known that macroelements Ca and inorganic Phosphorus are important components for the organism of animals and,
especially, birds. These minerals have no nutritional value, are not used by the body as a source of energy, but their role as
structural elements cannot be overestimated. Both Calcium and inorganic Phosphorus are part of almost all organs and tissues. The growth and development of the organism, as well as its productivity depends on the presence of these elements in
the diet. In addition, Calcium and inorganic Phosphorus are actively involved in the regulation of a number of vital functions.
In the birds, it is the synthesis of proteins and the intense formation of egg minerals. They are also necessary for the further
formation of bone tissue of the embryo. Consequently, the presence of these minerals in the diet and in the body of layers
hens, to a large extent determine their weight and quality of eggs.
The obtained results show the use of nanoacquahelats of Selenium and Zinc together with vitamin E stimulate phosphorus-calcium metabolism and alkaline phosphatase activity due to their biophysical properties which are based on activation of
many biochemical processes according to the effect of Borisevich-Kaplunenko-Kosinov.


Hantaviruses are tri-segmented negative sense single stranded RNA viruses that belong to the family Bunyaviridae. In nature, hantaviruses are exclusively maintained in the populations of their specific rodent hosts. In their natural host species, hantaviruses usually develop a persistent infection with prolonged virus shedding in excreta. Humans become infected by inhaling virus contaminated aerosol. Unlike asymptomatic infection in rodents, hantaviruses cause two acute febrile diseases in humans: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The mortality rate varies from 0.1% to 40% depending on the virus involved. Hantaviruses are distributed world wide, with over 150,000 HFRS and HPS cases being registered annually. In this review we summarize current knowledge on hantavirus molecular biology, epidemiology, genetic diversity and co-evolution with rodent hosts. In addition, special attention was given in this review to describing clinical manifestation of HFRS and HPS, and advances in our current understanding of the host immune response, treatment, and prevention.


This paper proposes a proficient digital watermark generation technique from encrypted biometric data which will be unique and can be logically owned to prove ownership of digital media. During the use of biometric data as the watermark exposure of biometric data may not be secure and hence this paper proposes a method to encrypt the biometric data using chaotic maps sensitive to secret key for enhancing the security. This joint encryption and watermarking scheme has the potential of addressing the ownership of digital signals and keep the biometric data secure. Arnold transformation is used to encrypt the biometric data and discrete cosine transformation is used for embedding the watermark in the image. Experimental results indicate that the watermark can survive the signal processing and maintain the perceptual properties of the host signal and hence satisfies the design requirements of digital watermarking. The extracted biometric based watermark after decryption was uniquely identified under signal processing attacks by matching of the feature points.


Health Impacts of a Traditional Illicit Brew (Kaanga) Consumed in ABSTRACT Kaanga brew is a common illicit liquor from Meru county in Kenya. Popularity of this brew has been growing and is religiously passed down from one generation to the next. The substrates, preparation process and additives used in making it are unhygienic and toxic. As a result, numerous social and health effects have stemmed from its consumption. This study aimed at analyzing the health impacts arising from consumption of Kaanga brew in Meru county, Kenya. A cross-sectional design of study was employed. The research tools used included questionnaires, interviews and observations. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze and present the findings. The results indicated that popularity of this brew was mainly because it was cheaper than other alcoholic beverages. Its consumption was projected to continue for a long period, if strict intervention measures are not taken. The additives used, such as battery acid, methanol and dry cells were indeed toxic for human consumption. Several social effects which had public health effects (such as irresponsible sex activities), by extension were experienced from the consumers. Kaanga brew had significantly more chances (P > 0.05) of causing health effects compared to the other brews. Some of the direct health conditions arising from its consumption include loss of vision, memory and appetite, inflammation and regular stomach upsets. 80% of the respondents had witnessed or heard of a death case caused by the brew.