This case study investigates the use of online blogs as a teaching tool. A collaborative blog was implemented in parallel classes on group processes in the United States and Germany. Our goal was to connect American and German graduate students by helping them to talk about group communication and meeting behaviors. Collected data included transcripts of the messages, as well as students' evaluations of the blog (collected at the end of the project). Quantitative analyses assessed students' participation rates and the content of their postings. Qualitative analysis examined the use of the blog as a teaching and learning tool. The results showed that students interacted more on the blog than was required by the instructor. Students valued blogging as a new learning experience. We discuss the pedagogical implications of blog usage for teaching about groups and provide recommendations for instructors interested in using blogs in their own courses.


The Cooley and Ridge deposits at McArthur River are a group of small deposits located immediately to the east of the giant H.Y.C. stratiform Ag-Pb-Zn deposit. Two styles of mineralization occur in the deposits, discordant and concordant.Discordant mineralization resembles closely Mississippi Valley-type mineralization. It occurs in brecciated Cooley and Emmerugga Dolomite in the Cooley I, Cooley II, Cooley III, and Ridge I deposits and in the eastern part of the Ridge II deposit. The sulfide and gangue minerals comprising the discordant deposits are relatively coarse grained, they occur in veins and in disseminated to massive patches in the host breccias, and they were deposited under open-space filling conditions. The sulfide and gangue minerals were deposited sequentially both in time and space. In time, the sequence of mineral deposition was (from early to late) pyrite + marcasite + barite + dolomite --> Cu-bearing sulfide minerals --> galena + sphalerite. In space, the Cu-bearing sulfide minerals occur mostly in the Cooley II deposit next to the Emu fault, with galena and sphalerite becoming progressively more abundant away from the Cooley II deposit. It is not known if mineral deposition overlapped in time and space, or only in space. The characteristics of the discordant deposits provide strong evidence that they formed epigenetically when metal- and sulfate-rich mineralizing solutions, emanating from the Western and/or Emu faults flowed into, and reacted with, the adjacent dolostone breccias.The concordant mineralization comprises fine-grained pyrite, galena, and sphalerite, concentrated in certain horizons of the H.Y.C. Pyritic Shale. It occurs in the western part of the Ridge II deposit and is, in most respects, the same as the mineralization in the nearby H.Y.C. deposit. As in the case of the discordant mineralization, the sulfide minerals in the concordant mineralization were also deposited sequentially. Following deposition of the H.Y.C. Pyritic Shale, laminae and framboids of pyrite grew during early diagenesis. This earlier pyrite (Py 1 ) was subsequently overgrown by later pyrite (Py 2 ) which, in turn, was followed by the deposition of galena and sphalerite. The closeness of the concordant Ridge II mineralization to the discordant mineralization, as well as the similarities between the sulfide-mineral parageneses of the two types of mineralization, suggest that they had a common origin and that the concordant mineralization formed epigenetically when the metal- and sulfate-rich mineralizing solutions that formed the discordant deposits flowed farther westward into the H.Y.C. Pyritic Shale. The model best explaining the concordant mineralization is one in which organic matter in the shale is oxidized and sulfate in solution is concurrently reduced.The resemblance between the H.Y.C. and the concordant Ridge II deposits raises the interesting possibility that the H.Y.C. deposit also formed epigenetically by sulfate-reducing reactions, and such a possibility is not inconsistent with the characteristics of the H.Y.C. deposit.


Many river rehabilitation projects have been implemented in the past 30 years, strengthening the natural dynamics and ecology of river systems, while reconciling the functions of flood protection, navigation, sediment extraction, and cultural identity. Still, the planning and design of floodplain projects is subject to debate on how to best follow the "natural" characteristics of specific river stretches, the "DNA of the river." Unlike many other approaches of integrated river management, this approach entails a design strategy for spatial quality in river floodplain development projects at local and regional level, where the current discharge characteristics of the upstream river basin are taken as given. Starting point is the landscape ecological basis of the river, defining the characteristic (hydro‐morphological) processes and geomorphological/geological structures in each stretch of the river and floodplain area. An in‐depth characterization of these structures and processes helps design floodplains that can accommodate the various river management and development objectives. Often economically strong functions, like flood protection, can be partnered with weaker ones, such as ecosystem restoration. To safeguard spatial quality and sustainability in these integrated projects, the governance aspect is essential. Therefore the Smart Rivers approach addresses both substantial aspects (the "DNA of the River") as well as procedural and governance elements (called the "Quality Relay"). The principles of the approach are applicable to project design along regulated rivers in densely populated areas all over the world.


Lightweight optical mirrors usually play key roles in aerospace and optical structural systems applied to space telescopes, radars, solar collectors, communication antennas, etc. Due to their high flexibility and low damping properties, external excitations such as orbital maneuver may induce unexpected oscillations and thus reduce their working performance. Active vibration control is therefore essential for the lightweight optical mirror systems. In this spirit, a lightweight mirror structronic system with a linear quadratic optimal controller is presented. The mirror is modeled as a membrane plate with pretension and distributed polyvinylidene fluoride sensors and actuators. The sensing sensitivity of the piezoelectric (PVDF) sensors and the modal actuation factor of the PVDF actuators are derived. The state-space equations are established and the feedback control gains between sensing and control signals are obtained. Sensor and actuator of different shape, size, and position are employed to actively control the first four natural modes of the mirror. The influences of mode order, pretension, and the two weighting factors Q and R on the control performance are also investigated. Analytical results in this paper could guide the design and layout of the PZT sensor and actuator on lightweight membrane plate mirrors.


While sarcomas are a rare group of tumors, the poor response to current clinical regimens represents an important unmet need in oncology. A better therapeutic understanding of the biology and metabolism of sarcoma growth is necessary to develop novel therapies to treat patients with this group of tumors. Argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of citrulline to arginine. When ASS1 is not expressed arginine becomes an essential amino acid to a cancer cell that must be delivered from the diet. Immunohistochemical analysis of 701 patient specimens representing 45 subtypes of sarcoma demonstrates that ASS1 is not expressed in over 85% of sarcomas (619 of 701 patient samples). This suggests that sarcomas may be sensitive to the arginine deprivation therapy using pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20). Treatment of a panel of leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and Ewing9s sarcoma cell lines with ADI-PEG20 resulted in cell cycle arrest but not apoptosis when ASS1 expression was low, whereas the ASS1 high osteosarcoma cell line MG63 continued to divide. Response in sarcoma cell lines is dependent on ASS1 expression, as bone sarcomas, soft tissue sarcomas, complex cytogenetic sarcomas and translocation dependent sarcomas all demonstrate cell cycle inhibition upon treatment with ADI-PEG20. The IC50 for treated cell lines treated with ADI-PEG20 ranged from 0.02-0.1ug/mL in ASS1 low sensitive cell lines. Treatment of sarcomas that lack ASS1 with ADI-PEG20 induces autophagy. Depletion of arginine by ADI-PEG20 in ASS1 negative sarcomas when combined with chloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagy, induces cell death as measured by Annexin V. Xenograft of the ASS1 low expressing osteosarcoma cell line MNNG into nude mice followed by treatment with ADI-PEG20 demonstrated a significantly slower tumor growth rate as compared to PBS treated controls. Experiments are now ongoing in mice using the combination of chloroquine and ADI-PEG20. Successful control of tumor burden by using arginine deprivation therapy and autophagy inhibition in our preclinical studies will help to justify and orient future clinical trials for this innovative treatment for patients with sarcoma that lack ASS1 expression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5629. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5629


Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis and P. pyri cause speck rot and Phacidiopycnis rot on apple and pear, respectively. Infection occurs in the orchard and remains latent, and symptoms appear after months of storage. Decay management relies on orchard sanitation and pre- and postharvest fungicides. In a 2017 survey, speck rot accounted for 6.4% of apple decay in central Washington, whereas Phacidiopycnis rot accounted for 3.9 and 6.7% of total pear decay in Washington and Oregon, respectively. Sensitivities of baseline populations of 110 P. washingtonensis and 76 P. pyri isolates collected between 2003 and 2005 to preharvest fungicides pyraclostrobin (PYRA) and boscalid (BOSC) and to postharvest fungicides thiabendazole (TBZ), fludioxonil (FDL), pyrimethanil (PYRI), and difenoconazole (DFC) were evaluated using a mycelial growth inhibition assay. Mean effective concentrations necessary to inhibit 50% growth (EC50) of P. washingtonensis were 0.1, 0.3, 0.8, 1.8, 2.1, and 4.8 µg/ml for FDL, PYRI, TBZ, DFC, PYRA, and BOSC, respectively. Respective mean EC50 values for P. pyri were 0.2, 0.6, 1.6, 1.1, 0.4, and 1.8 µg/ml. The sensitivity of exposed P. washingtonensis and P. pyri populations collected in 2017 revealed potential shifts toward BOSC and PYRA resistance. The efficacy of the six fungicides to control isolates of each pathogen with different in vitro sensitivity levels was evaluated on apple and pear fruit. FDL, DFC, and PYRI controlled both Phacidiopycnis spp. regardless of their EC50 values after 5 months of storage at 0°C in a regular atmosphere. The consistent occurrence of Phacidiopycnis spp. will require continuous monitoring and development of disease management strategies based on fungicide phenotypes and efficacy of existing fungicides assessed herein.


Femoroacetabular impingement is uncommonly associated with a large rim fragment of bone along the superolateral acetabulum. We report an unusual case of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) with chronic acetabular rim fracture. Radiographic, 3D computed tomography, 3D magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy correlation is presented with discussion of relative advantages and disadvantages of various modalities in the context of FAI.


One of the major tasks in the future of aircraft inflight entertainment is to provide wireless connectivity throughout the cabin. In this work an optical OFDM modulation scheme for cellular network architecture is investigated in comparison to other conventional optical modulation techniques (PPM, OOK). An analysis of efficient cabin link layout with respect to seat rows per cell and available data rates, allowing high quality services for specific application (e.g. Video, data transfer), is presented for an implemented minimum of 10Mbit/s per cell. A wireless optical OFDM communication prototype has also been implemented in a laboratory experiment and compared to a conventional diffuse optical 2PPM, achieving 17.2Mbit/s data transmission, thus doubling the previously achieved performance, but being based on line of sight links in the laboratory only. Both implementations prove the usefulness of the investigated modulation schemes.


ABSTRACT Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is recognized as an emerging cause of diarrhea in children and adults worldwide, and recent studies have implicated EAEC in persistent diarrhea in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In this study, we identified aggregative adhesion fimbria type III (AAF-III) in isolate 55989, a typical EAEC strain. Analysis of the sequence of the plasmid-borne agg-3 gene cluster encoding AAF-III showed this cluster to be closely related to the agg and aaf operons and to the afa operons carried by diffusely adherent pathogenic E. coli. We investigated the adhesion properties of a collection of 25 EAEC strains isolated from HIV-infected patients presenting with persistent diarrhea. We found that a minority of strains (36%) carried sequences similar to those of the agg and aaf operons, which encode AAF-I and AAF-II, respectively. We developed PCR assays specific for the agg-3 operon. In our collection, the frequency of AAF-III strains was similar (12%) to that of AAF-I strains (16%) but higher than that of AAF-II isolates (0%). Differences between EAEC strains in terms of the virulence factors present render detection of these strains difficult with the available DNA probes. Based on comparison of the agg, aaf, and agg-3 operons, we defined an AAF probe internal to the adhesion gene clusters and demonstrated that it was efficient for the identification of EAEC strains. We investigated 32 EAEC isolates, of which only 34.4% were detected with the classical CVD432 probe (detecting pAA virulence plasmids) whereas 65.6% were detected with the AAF probe.


During 1977 two freely drifting buoys, originally in the Gulf Stream, looped over and in the lee of the Corner Rise seamounts. The trajectories suggest that by mid-August an anticyclonic eddy was generated over the seamounts, where it remained for six weeks. During the period October-December it left the seamounts and drifted southwestward with a mean speed of 5 em/sec. The eddy was characterized by a clockwise circulation with speeds of 30 em/sec and an overall size of 200 km. An XBT survey showed that the eddy contained a warm core manifested by a depression of the main thermocline; at the center the 15• isotherm was located ·at a depth of 715 m. During the period June-August a third buoy looped in a second anticyclonic eddy which also drifted southwestward in the lee of the Corner Rise. The implication of these measurements is that, every few months, warm core eddies form near the Corner Rise and that they subsequently drift southwestward forming a wake region downstream of the seamounts.


This study investigated the impact of lane width of mountain highways on driving behaviors (lateral positions and speeds) by using a high-fidelity driving simulator, the Driving Behavior and Traffic Safety (DBTS) simulator. It was developed in two steps. First, the validity of using the driving simulator was tested by comparing results from a field study in a mountain region with those from a driving simulator study. The simulated road was a reconstruction of a real road which was a two-lane mountain highway with a lane width of 3.0m. Then, another three scenarios with the identical driving environment but varying lane widths (2.7m, 3.25m and 3.5m, respectively) were simulated. Given that there are many curve sections on mountain roads, this paper focused on the changes of lateral positions and speeds on curve sections. Results showed that the results were statistically significant, indicating that DBTS simulator could be used as an effective tool for mountain road studies. Moreover, the analysis of vehicle trajectories and speeds showed that lane width and curve radius had considerable impacts on driving behaviors, such as vehicle lateral positions and speeds. The wider the lane was, the larger the lateral position deviations and speeds were. Along with an increase in radii of the curves, lateral position deviations saw a decreasing trend while speeds saw an increasing trend. The influence was more significant for lateral position deviations than for speeds by comparing the variations between different lane width and curves.


The problem of 1:4 resonance of a closed orbit of a vector field in R3 leads to the study of the Z4-equivariant planar vector field, in complex notation, z=ei alpha z+Az mod z mod 2+z3 where A in C and alpha in R are parameters. The parameter A-plane is divided into at least 48 different regions with topologically different bifurcation sequences under variation of the parameter alpha . We present an inventory of computer generated pictures of the bifurcation sequences. In contrast to sketches, the pictures show the physical appearance of the system. For example, some limit cycles are square-shaped and some saddle-node bifurcations are cusp-like. The knowledge of these interesting features can stimulate further research. They are discussed along with the problems of the computation.


In Critical History of the Text of the New Testament, 17th century Oratorian Richard Simon (1638-1712), 'father' of modern biblical criticism, surveys the genuineness, accuracy, authority, and reliability of all then known sources of the New Testament. He makes rigorous, objective, and expert use of a staggering quantity of material relating to the text-Greek and Latin manuscripts, early versions, quotations from the Old Testament in the New, from the Church Fathers and other commentators of all periods. Though in his day Simon was contradicted, opposed, persecuted, and silenced, it is precisely because, three centuries ago, he dared to be different, and because of his knowledge and his scrupulously "scientific" approach, that his work deserves to reach a wider audience.


The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai have increased pressure on authorities not only to discover ways to prevent such attacks but also to undermine the appeal of radical groups set on violence. However, in May 2008 a postgraduate student studying Islamic terrorism at Nottingham University was arrested for possessing a copy of the "al-Qaeda handbook."1 Although the student was released without charge after six days, Colin Campbell, the university's vice chancellor, warned researchers that if they accessed terrorist material they "run the risk of being investigated and prosecuted on terrorism charges." This incident marks a change of attitude towards those who undertake research into the psychology behind criminal acts of violence and terrorism. Academics should be mindful of infringing antiterrorism laws and may need to protect themselves when applying for ethical permission by setting out a process to balance research activity, confidentiality, and public safety.

The introduction of wide ranging legislation designed to identify and detain terrorist suspects raises new ethical questions. In the past no medical school academic studying murder or paedophilia would have …


The lack of health infrastructure in developing countries to provide women with modern obstetric care and universal access to maternal and child health services has largely contributed to the existing high maternal and infant deaths. Access to basic obstetric care for pregnant women and their unborn babies is a key to reducing maternal and infants´ deaths, especially at the community-level. This calls for the strengthening of primary health care systems in all developing countries, including Ghana. Financial access and utilization of maternal and child health care services need action at the community-level across rural Ghana to avoid preventable deaths. Financial access and usage of maternal and child health services in rural Ghana is poor. Lack of financial access is a strong barrier to the use of maternal and child health services, particularly in rural Ghana. The sustainability of the national health insurance scheme is vital in ensuring full access to care in remote communities.


Social media is now a part of everyday life for the majority of adults. With such high adoption rates, archives and special collections cannot afford to ignore this important venue for advocacy and awareness building.  In this case study, the author will explore how staff of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) established and built a social media presence that stretches across multiple platforms and audiences to spread the word about our collections and our work. The author will also examine the issue of sustainability planning and growth through assessment.


The current methodology of forest site evaluation has some challenging weaknesses, which may greatly influence the efficiency of both forest planning and forest management practice. This fact keeps us searching for new methods to overcome the difficulties. The present paper gives a short overview of our research on GIS based digital soil mapping techniques and their possible application in forestry, offering a powerful tool for forest site evaluation. The paper focuses on four main issues. First, the main weakness in site evaluation, second, methods of digital soil mapping, third, the description of the study areas and mapping procedures, and finally, the possible outcomes and the major directions of further development.


In emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), escape of catalytic copper ion species from the particle to the aqueous phase represents one of the major challenges which causes uncontrollable polymerization and/or unstable latex. We addressed this issue by employing a functional surfactant–ligand (SL) design as the capture agent (CA), which prevented the copper species from escape in the emulsion ATRP. In this work, emulsion ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) mediated CuCl2/4,4-di(5-nonyl)-2,2′-bipyridine (dNbpy) was carried out with Brij-98 as a surfactant in the presence of a small amount of CA. The CA molecules effectively captured dissociated copper ions inside the particle, thus efficiently decreasing the copper ion concentration in the aqueous phase. Only 3 wt% of surfactant loading (0.6 wt% CA and 2.4 wt% Brij-98 based on MMA) was needed to achieve well-controlled ATRP and to stabilize the emulsion system, which is a significant reduction from a typical 13–18 wt% often used in the studies reported in the literature.


Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has several unique advantages for guiding thermal ablation therapies. It not only provides excellent soft-tissue contrast and multiplanar capabilities, but also is sensitive to thermal effects. To make full use of these advantages for thermal ablation procedures, we present an integrated solution for a thermal therapy workflow that combines dedicated MRI pulse sequences and visualization/analysis tools for trajectory planning, automatic slice positioning for image-guided needle placement, and advanced MR thermal mapping. The paper highlights a novel approach to detect the needle in real-time MR images and to automatically realign the scan planes. In addition, a global approach to correct for B0 field shift during online MR thermometry is introduced. The application has been implemented using the open-source eXtensible Imaging Platform (XIP).


This paper argues that the single most important factor that explains East Asia's development success was its fast structural transformation toward industrialization, manufacturing in particular. Workers moved out of agriculture into manufacturing, and the sector diversified and upgraded its structure. Manufacturing activities are subject to increasing returns to scale, and many manufacturing goods have high income elasticities of demand. As a consequence, the sector is referred to as the "engine of growth." It is in the context of industrialization that openness played an important role in East Asia's success, i.e., the connection between "export-led growth" (the relaxation of the balance-of-payments constraint on foreign exchange) and industrialization. Part 2 of the paper reviews the role of Asia's developmental states in consciously accelerating industrial development and learning, as well as the region's mixed experiences with industrial policies. Second, it provides a discussion of how Asian firms hooked up on to global value chains. <br>


The enormous twenty-seven-nation post-Soviet sphere—including the former Soviet republics and the former "East Bloc" states—is virtually never discussed in the burgeoning discourse of postcolonial studies. Yet Russia and the successor Soviet Union exercised colonial control over the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Baltics, and Central and Eastern Europe for anywhere from fifty to two hundred years. The present essay interrogates the possible postcoloniality of the post-Soviet sphere, including Russia. The investigation is complicated by Russia's seeming Eurasian status and its history of perceived cultural inferiority to the West. A broad range of theoretical, historical, cultural, and geographic positions are examined, and figures such as Curzon, Conrad, Lermontov, and Shohat are addressed. In conclusion the essay argues against the current occidentocentric privileging of Western European colonization as the standard and proposes a fully global postcolonial critique. Overall, it critiques both too narrow post-Soviet studies and too parochial, too Anglo-Franco-focused postcolonial studies.


Objectives: To compare the causes of non-fatal work and non-work injuries and the places or environments where they occur. It has been suggested that many injuries may have similar etiologies on and off the job and thus involve some common prevention strategies. However lack of comparable data on work relatedness has prevented testing this proposition. Methods: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) now collects information on the cause, location, and work relatedness of all medically attended injuries. National US estimates of non-fatal work and non-work injuries were compared by cause and place/location for working age adults (18–64 years). Results: Overall 28.6% of injuries to working age adults were work related (37.5% among employed people). The causes and locations of many work and non-work injuries were similar. Falls, overexertion, and struck/caught by were leading causes for work and non-work injuries. Motor vehicle injuries were less likely to be work related (3.4% at work v 19.5% non-work) and overexertion injuries more likely to be work related (27.1% v 13.8%). Assaults were less than 1% of work injuries and 1.8% of non-work injuries. Both work and non-work injuries occurred in every location examined—including the home where 3.5% of injuries were work related. Conclusions: Work and non-work injuries share many similarities suggesting opportunities to broaden injury prevention programs commonly restricted to one setting or the other. Comprehensive efforts to prevent both non-work and work injuries may result in considerable cost savings not only to society but also directly to employers, who incur much of the associated costs.


A 35-year-old pregnant woman with mild migraine experienced thunderclap headache at 37 weeks of gestation. Her cerebral MRA showed arterial segmental narrowing of right middle cerebral artery and bilateral posterior cerebral artery. When admitted, she had no sign of eclampsia/preeclampsia. After 4 days, she had premature rupture of the membrane and gave birth by caesarean section. Caesarean section immediately resolved the headache. The postpartum course of the patient and her baby was uneventfull. One month after her onset, her cerebral MRA showed improvement in arterial segmental narrowing of cerebral artery. We diagnosed reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) assoiated with pregnancy. Pregnancy-related RCVS develops primarily during the puerperal period, but our case was a rare case that developed just before delivery and was successful with aggressive intervention. When antepartum RCVS develops, early cesarean section with epidural anesthesia in parallel with active treatment for headache may lead to good outcomes for both mother and child.


Dietary casein and soy protein were equally effective in increasing the normal proteinuria of the male rat. Urea fed ad libitum increased proteinuria, but the increase was usually less than that due to an isonitrogenous level of casein. Urea fed 2 hr/day brought on a rapid increase in proteinuria, which over the rest of the day followed neither the blood levels of urea nor the intake of water. An amino acid mixture, prepared to imitate the composition of casein, increased proteinuria to that caused by an isonitrogenous addition of urea but less than that caused by the equivalent high protein diet. Varying the level of vitamin B6 had no effect on the proteinuria of rats on several different diets. A simplified method for the routine estimation of rat urinary protein by centrifugation is presented.


This study examined the effect of gender on perceived stress related to emotional, educational and social adjustment among JNV migrant students. Data were collected from 97 migrant students studying in ninth grade at various JNVs of Punjab state, India. Results of statistical technique MANOVA revealed that gender and perceived stress has significant effect on the three dimensions of adjustment (educational, social and emotional). However combined effect of gender and perceived stress was not found significant. Implications for school administration, teachers, counsellors and wardens are discussed.


This paper provides a numerical approach for solving the linear stochastic Volterra integral equation using Walsh function approximation and the corresponding operational matrix of integration. A convergence analysis and error analysis of the proposed method for stochastic Volterra integral equations with Lipschitz functions are presented. Numerous examples with available analytical solutions demonstrate that the proposed method solves linear stochastic Volterra integral equations more precisely than existing techniques. In addition, the numerical behaviour of the method for a problem with no known analytical solution is demonstrated.


BACKGROUND
Lung volume reduction surgery has been advocated recently as adjunctive surgical therapy to improve lung and chest wall mechanics in selected patients with diffuse emphysema. Although clear-cut guidelines to select candidates have not been fully established, patients decompensated with significant pulmonary artery hypertension and hypercapnic respiratory failure are currently not considered suitable subjects. Accordingly, ventilator-dependent COPD patients are not considered candidates for this procedure. However, because ventilator-dependent COPD patients have an exceptionally poor prognosis, we elected to offer them this promising, but unproved surgical intervention. Herein, we describe the outcome of these three patients.

PATIENTS
The 3 patients had recurrent exacerbations of COPD precipitating respiratory failure, and following aggressive medical therapy remained mechanically ventilated for 11 to 16 weeks (1 patient had a brief period of successful weaning before returning to mechanical ventilation). Prior to surgery, the patients had severe hypercapnia and cor pulmonale. Compared with preoperative values, surgery resulted in improvements in PaO2/FIO2, 304 +/- 80 (SD) vs 229 +/- 48 mm Hg, reductions in PaCO2, 44 +/- 3 vs 60 +/- 9 mm Hg, increases in FVC, 1.63 + 0.52 vs 1.09 +/- 0.05 L, and maximum inspiratory pressure, 57 +/- 22 vs 29 +/- 12 cm H2O. Postoperative complications included persistent air leaks and one tension pneumothorax. Patients weaned from mechanical ventilation after 10 to 21 days all were discharged home and they continue to demonstrate improved gas exchange and functional status.

CONCLUSIONS
Lung volume reduction surgery in select, ventilator-dependent COPD patients can result in improved gas exchange and respiratory mechanics that enable successful weaning and overall improved functional status.


New data on the Lower Cretaceous Falskebugt Member (Palnatokes Bjerg Formation) and Stratumbjerg Formation in easternmost Wollaston Forland, northern East Greenland, are interpreted here. The type locality of the Falskebugt Member on the north-west corner of the Falkebjerg ridge has been revisited, and additional new good exposures were found in a riverbed just north of Falkebjerg and more in river beds on the plain further to the north, where both the Falskebugt Member and the Stratumbjerg Formation are exposed. Previously, only a limited marine fauna was reported providing a restricted middle Valanginian age of the Falskebugt Member. New fossil faunas in other parts of the Falskebugt Member suggest an early Valanginian – Hauterivian age and confirm lateral correlation with the Albrechts Bugt and Rødryggen Members of the Palnatokes Bjerg Formation. However, in places where the Falskebugt Member is exposed in contact with the lower Stratumbjerg Formation, dinoflagellate cysts from these units indicate Barremian and late Barremian ages, respectively. The stratigraphic range of the combined biostratigraphic data from the Falskebugt Member indicates an early Valanginian – late Barremian age. Dinoflagellate cysts from part of the assemblage in the Stratumbjerg Formation suggest a marginal marine/brackish water depositional environment. Comparable depositional environments are also recorded in upper Barremian sediments on Store Koldewey and in the Ladegårdsåen Formation on Peary Land much farther to the north in Greenland. The dark mudstones of the Stratumbjerg Formation show no potential for generation of liquid hydrocarbons, and the immature and poorly sorted sediments of the Falskebugt Member have little potential as a petroleum reservoir.


www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org Original Article Impact of Protocol of Care of Patients Undergoing Urinary Catheterization on Nurses' Knowledge Dr. Mariam Sabry Shehab, PhD Lecturer of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Port Said University, Egypt Correspondence: Mariam Sshehab, Lecturer of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Port Said University, Egypt E-mail: email@example.com Abstract Background: The indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) is a widely utilized device in modern hospital environments, yet they are not always used appropriately in hospital settings and can result in prolonged use and improper management, increasing risk of infections and length of stay. Hence, professional must have knowledge related to the management of urinary catheterization. Aim of the study: to evaluate the impact of protocol of care of patients undergoing urinary catheterization on nurses, knowledge. Materials and Method: A quasiexperimental research design was used to conduct this study. The study was carried out at Intensive Care Unit, Urology Department and Department of Internal Medicine at Al-Azhar University hospital in Damietta City to test the hypotheses that positive changes in nurses' knowledge after implementing the protocol of care for patients undergoing urinary catheterization. The research design was a quasi-experimental design. A convenient sample of 50 nurses was included. One tool was used for data collections, part (1) Structured Interview Questionnaire tool it includes demographic data part (2) Nurse's Knowledge Assessment tool, to assess nurse's Knowledge about urinary catheterization and urinary catheter care Results: The study results demonstrated that there were statistically significant improvements in the total score of nurses' knowledge regarding care of patients undergoing urinary catheterization throughout the protocol intervention. Conclusion & Recommendations: The study recommended that providing ongoing in-service education for nurses to update their knowledge related to care of patients undergoing urinary catheterization and catheter –associated problems.Background: The indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) is a widely utilized device in modern hospital environments, yet they are not always used appropriately in hospital settings and can result in prolonged use and improper management, increasing risk of infections and length of stay. Hence, professional must have knowledge related to the management of urinary catheterization. Aim of the study: to evaluate the impact of protocol of care of patients undergoing urinary catheterization on nurses, knowledge. Materials and Method: A quasiexperimental research design was used to conduct this study. The study was carried out at Intensive Care Unit, Urology Department and Department of Internal Medicine at Al-Azhar University hospital in Damietta City to test the hypotheses that positive changes in nurses' knowledge after implementing the protocol of care for patients undergoing urinary catheterization. The research design was a quasi-experimental design. A convenient sample of 50 nurses was included. One tool was used for data collections, part (1) Structured Interview Questionnaire tool it includes demographic data part (2) Nurse's Knowledge Assessment tool, to assess nurse's Knowledge about urinary catheterization and urinary catheter care Results: The study results demonstrated that there were statistically significant improvements in the total score of nurses' knowledge regarding care of patients undergoing urinary catheterization throughout the protocol intervention. Conclusion & Recommendations: The study recommended that providing ongoing in-service education for nurses to update their knowledge related to care of patients undergoing urinary catheterization and catheter –associated problems.


A turbine jet engine comprises of four main parts, which are a compressor, a combustion chamber, a turbine and an exhaust nozzle. Turbine jet engine operates at an open cycle called a jet propulsion cycle. A small-scale turbine jet engine comprises of the same element as the gas-turbine engine but in a smaller scale. Both engines differ in utilization and purpose of its production. Turbine jet engines were constructed mainly for air transportation while the small-scale turbine jet engines are developed for a wider purpose, ranging for research activity to hobbyist enthusiastic. Hence, this thesis encompasses the design, fabrication, and testing a small-scale turbine jet engine. The engine was derived from an automobile turbocharger, which provided the turbine and compressor component. A combustion chamber was design and fabricated. Engine support system comprised of ignition, lubrication and fuel delivery system were installed at the engine. The engine assembly was mounted in a test setup. Thermocouples were installed at three different stations on the engine flow path to measure the temperature. Fuel regulators were utilized to measure the fuel flow. The engine was started using a specific procedure until it self-sustained. During testing, the engine was only able to self-sustain approximated for 10 seconds at kg/s fuel mass flow rate. Troubleshooting and analysis regarding the failure of the engine was done. Analysis shows that there are four possible factors involves, namely, the uses of LPG fuel, large pressure drop at the exit of combustion chamber, low pressure pump and leaking at the turbocharger. Four recommendations were made for further studies, which are, utilize a brand-new turbocharger for the engine, use a pure propane gas as a source of fuel, avoid uses of pipe flange at the combustion chamber and utilize a higher pressure pump for lubrication system. Further modification was not made due to time and cost limitation.


Field experiments were conducted to test different agronomic practices, such as soil cultivation, fertilization, and pest and weed management, in highly controlled plot cultivation. The inter-annual yields and the interpretation of such experiments is highly affected by the variability of climatic conditions and fertilization level. We examined the effect of different climate indices, such as winterkill, late spring frost, early autumn frost, different drought parameters, precipitation-free periods, and heat-related stress, on winter wheat yield. This experiment was conducted in an agricultural area with highly fertile conditions, characterized by a high available water capacity and considerable C and N contents in lower soil depths. Residuals were calculated from long-term yield trends with a validated method (time series autoregressive integrated moving average ARIMA) and these served as base values for the detection of climate-induced, short-term, and inter-annual variations. In a subsequent step, the real yield values were used for their derivations from climate factors. Residuals and real yields were correlated with climate variables in multiple regression of quantitative analyses of the yield sensitivity. The inter-annual variation of yields varied considerably within the observation period. However, the variation was less an effect of the climatic conditions during the main growing time periods, being more of an effect of the prevailing climate conditions in the winter period as well as of the transition periods from winter to the warmer season and vice versa. The high storage capacity of plant available water exerted a remarkable dampening effect on drought-induced effects during the main vegetation periods. Increasing fertilization led to increased susceptibility to drought stress. The results indicate a changed picture of the yield development in these fertile locations.


Evoked potential audiograms were measured in 13 Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus gilli) to determine the variability in hearing sensitivity and range of hearing. The auditory evoked potential system used a transducer embedded in a suction cup to deliver sinusoidal amplitude modulated tones to each dolphin through the pan region of the lower right jaw. Evoked potentials were recorded noninvasively using surface electrodes, and hearing thresholds were estimated by tracking the amplitude of the envelope following response, an evoked potential that is phase-locked to the stimulus modulation rate. Frequencies tested ranged from 10 to 180 kHz in each animal. Variability in the range of hearing and age-related reductions in hearing sensitivity and range of hearing were consistent with those observed in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Comparison of audiograms to a captive population of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins demonstrated that the Pacific bottlenose dolphins tested in this study had significantly lower thresholds at frequencies of 40 and 60-115 kHz. Differences in thresholds between the groups are unlikely to be due to methodological factors.


To demonstrate the suitability of HTS filters we chose a four pole chebyshev band pass filter with 80 MHz band width, insertion loss of 0.5dB at 4035 MHz center frequency on LaAlO3 single crystal with YBCO HTS thin film. The filter was designed with four-pole quarter wave parallel-coupled line. To check the validity of filter design, two filters were fabricated using gold thin films of 0.5 microns thickness on 0.5mm thick LaAlO3. The filter showed an insertion loss of 8.5 dB at the pass band at room temperature and 3.5 dB at 77degK.


In the present work, graft copolymerization of polyacrylonitrile onto chitosan has been carried
out in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate redox initiator. Chitosan has been used as an
adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution through adsorption
process. The property of chitosan is enhanced by grafting. The prepared copolymer was
characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM. The effect of pH, contact time and amount of adsorbent
dose were also investigated. The adsorption kinetics of chitosan-g-polyacrylonitrile was found to
follow pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir
adsorption isotherms.


The generation of reactive oxygen species by Co(II) from H2O2 in the presence of chelators and related DNA damage was investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR), electrophoretic assays, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Incubation of Co(II) with beta-alanyl-3-methyl-L-histidine (anserine) and H2O2 generated .OH radicals. Omission of any one component sharply reduced the amount of .OH radicals generated, indicating that anserine modulated the oxidation potential of Co(II) to enhance its capability to generate .OH radicals from H2O2. Formate only moderately decreased the .OH radical generation, while ethanol had no observable effect, indicating that the generation of .OH radical is site specific. The metal ion chelator 1,10-phenanthroline reduced the .OH radical generation, and deferoxamine suppressed it with the formation of deferoxamine nitroxide radical. Electrophoretic assays using both lambda Hind III linear DNA and PM2 supercoiled DNA showed that .OH radicals generated from a mixture of Co(II), H2O2, and anserine caused DNA strand breaks. A mixture of Co(II), H2O2, and 1,10-phenanthroline also caused DNA strand breaks, which were inhibited by sodium azide, indicating that 1O2 was involved in DNA damage. HPLC measurements showed that .OH radicals and 1O2 generated by Co(II) reactions caused 2'-deoxyguanosine hydroxylation to form 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. ESR spin trapping measurements provided evidence for 1O2 generation by Co(II) from H2O2 in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline. The results indicate that the oxidation potential of Co(II) can be modulated by chelators to facilitate its generation of reactive oxygen species from H2O2. These species may be involved in Co(II)-induced cellular damage.


Summarization systems face the core challenge of identifying and selecting important information. In this paper, we tackle the problem of content selection in unsupervised extractive summarization of long, structured documents. We introduce a wide range of heuristics that leverage cognitive representations of content units and how these are retained or forgotten in human memory. We find that properties of these representations of human memory can be exploited to capture relevance of content units in scientific articles. Experiments show that our proposed heuristics are effective at leveraging cognitive structures and the organization of the document (i.e.\ sections of an article), and automatic and human evaluations provide strong evidence that these heuristics extract more summary-worthy content units.


Marking up search queries with linguistic annotations such as part-of-speech tags, capitalization, and segmentation, is an important part of query processing and understanding in information retrieval systems. Due to their brevity and idiosyncratic structure, search queries pose a challenge to existing NLP tools. To address this challenge, we propose a probabilistic approach for performing joint query annotation. First, we derive a robust set of unsupervised independent annotations, using queries and pseudo-relevance feedback. Then, we stack additional classifiers on the independent annotations, and exploit the dependencies between them to further improve the accuracy, even with a very limited amount of available training data. We evaluate our method using a range of queries extracted from a web search log. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of our approach for both short keyword queries, and verbose natural language queries.


OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety of a low dose of heparin in consecutive stable patients undergoing elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). DESIGN: Open prospective study in a single centre. PATIENTS: 1375 consecutive patients had elective PTCA (1952 lesions: type A 11%, B1 34%, B2 36%, and C 19%). There were no angiographic exclusion criteria. INTERVENTIONS: A bolus of 5000 IU heparin was used as the standard anticoagulation regimen during PTCA. The sheaths were removed immediately after successful completion of the procedure. Prolongation of heparin treatment was left to the operator's discretion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Procedural success was defined as < 50% residual stenosis without death from any cause, acute myocardial infarction, urgent coronary bypass surgery, or repeat angioplasty within 48 hours for acute recurrent ischaemia; the need for prolonged heparinisation; and the occurrence of puncture site complications. RESULTS: Procedural success without clinical events was achieved in 90% of patients. Mortality was 0.3%; coronary bypass surgery was performed in 1.7% of the procedures. The rate of myocardial infarction was 3.3%; repeat angioplasty within 48 hours was carried out in 0.7% of patients. A total of 89.1% of the patients were treated according to the protocol. Prolonged treatment with heparin was considered necessary in 123 patients (8.9%). Repeat angioplasty for abrupt closure was performed in two patients shortly after sheath removal and in two during prolonged heparinisation. Puncture site complications occurred in 2.1% of patients (low dose heparin 1.9% and prolonged heparinisation 4.9%). CONCLUSION: Elective PTCA can be safely performed using a low dose of heparin, with a negligible risk for subacute closure. Low dose heparin may reduce the incidence of puncture site complications, shorten hospitalisation, and enable out-patient angioplasty.


Laboratory data and the results of modelling are combined to predict the possible size of craters in icy bodies such as a comet nucleus. This is done in particular for the case of a a 370-kg mass impacting a body the size of the nucleus of comet 9P/Temple-1 at 10 km s -1 . This reproduces the Deep Impact comet impact to occur in 2005, when a NASA spacecraft will observe at close range an impact on the comet nucleus of an object deployed from the main spacecraft. The predicted crater size depends not only on uncertainties in extrapolation from laboratory scale and the modelling in general, but also on assumptions made about the nature of the target. In particular, allowance is made for the full range of reasonable target porosities; this can significantly affect the outcome of the Deep Impact event. The range of predicted crater sizes covers some 7-30 m crater depth and some 50-150 m crater diameter. An increasingly porous target (i.e. one with a higher percentage of void space) will increase the depth of the crater but not necessarily the diameter, leading to the possibility of an impact event where much of the crater formation is in the interior of the crater, with work going into compaction of void space and some possible lateral growth of the crater below the surface entrance. Nevertheless, for a wide range of scenarios concerning the nature of the impact, the Deep Impact event should penetrate the surface to depths of a few tens of metres, accessing the immediate subsurface regions. In parallel to this, the same extrapolation methods are used to predict the size of impactors that may have caused the features observed on the surfaces of small bodies, e.g. the Saturnian satellite Phoebe and the nucleus of comet P/Wild-2.


The genetic variability of four species of the genus Zoysia collected from South Korea was analyzed using an inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker system. Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) with eight ISSR primers generated 86 amplicons, 76 (87.1%) of which were polymorphisms. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value of the ISSR marker system was 0.848. The percentage of polymorphic loci ( P p) ranged from 41.2% to 44.7%. Nei's gene diversity ( H ) ranged from 0.149 to 0.186, with an average overall value of 0.170. The mean of Shannon's information index ( I ) value was 0.250. Total genetic diversity values ( H T ) varied between 0.356 (ISSR-1) and 0.418 (ISSR-16), for an average overall polymorphic loci of 0.345. Interlocus variation in within-species genetic diversity ( H S ) was low (0.170). On a per-locus basis, the proportion of total genetic variation due to differences among species ( G ST ) was 0.601. This indicated that about 60.1% of the total variation was among species. Thus, about 39.9 of genetic variation was within species. The estimate of gene flow, based on G ST , was very low among species of the genus Zoysia ( N m = 0.332). The phylogenic tree showed three distinct groups: Z. macrostachya and Z. tenuifolia clades and other species were formed the separated clusters. In conclusion, the ISSR assay was useful for detecting genetic variation in the genus Zoysia, and its discriminatory power was comparable to that of other genotyping tools.


The adsorption of heavy metals in soils affects their behavior in the environment and their bioavailability to plants. The knowledge of the adsorption mechanisms in competitive systems allows a more realistic evaluation of the metals' behavior in the soil than the single metal adsorption. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn adsorption in 14 surface samples (0-0.2 m) of representative soils of the Brazilian humid-tropical region, in competitive and non-competitive systems, and (ii) to establish metal affinity sequences for each soil, based in the maximum adsorption capacity (MAC) estimated by the Langmuir model. The Rhodic Eutrudox, the Kandiudalf Eutrudox, the Arenic Hapludalf, the Arenic Hapludult and the Typic Argiudoll had the highest metals' adsorption capacity, whereas the Typic Quartzipsamment and the sandy-textured Arenic Hapludult had the lowest values. In general, the MAC values for metals were lower in the competitive than in the non-competitive system. In the non-competitive system, the most common affinity sequence was Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd, whereas the most common sequence was Cu > Cd > Zn > Ni in the competitive system. In general, the Langmuir model fitted well the adsorption data of metals on the studied soils.


We investigate whether universities select by, or also shape, their students' personality, as implied by the human capital investment model. Using a nationally representative sample of Australian adolescents followed over eight years, we find that youth conscientiousness, internal locus of control, and low extraversion strongly predict the probability of obtaining a university degree. However, university education does not shape those personality traits associated with a strong work ethic and intellect. Yet, it offsets a general decline in extraversion as individuals age and boosts the development of agreeableness for men from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our findings contribute to the discussion whether universities should teach their students broader skills.


Experiments are described in which a direct comparison was made between a conventional 2 kW water-cooled sealed-tube X-ray source and a 30 W air-cooled microfocus source with focusing multilayer optics, using the same goniometer, detector, radiation (Mo Kα), crystals and software. The beam characteristics of the two sources were analyzed and the quality of the resulting data sets compared. The Incoatec Microfocus Source (IµS) gave a narrow approximately Gaussian-shaped primary beam profile, whereas the Bruker AXS sealed-tube source, equipped with a graphite monochromator and a monocapillary collimator, had a broader beam with an approximate intensity plateau. Both sources were mounted on the same Bruker D8 goniometer with a SMART APEX II CCD detector and Bruker Kryoflex low-temperature device. Switching between sources simply required changing the software zero setting of the 2θ circle and could be performed in a few minutes, so it was possible to use the same crystal for both sources without changing its temperature or orientation. A representative cross section of compounds (organic, organometallic and salt) with and without heavy atoms was investigated. For each compound, two data sets, one from a small and one from a large crystal, were collected using each source. In another experiment, the data quality was compared for crystals of the same compound that had been chosen so that they had dimensions similar to the width of the beam. The data were processed and the structures refined using standard Bruker and SHELX software. The experiments show that the IµS gives superior data for small crystals whereas the diffracted intensities were comparable for the large crystals. Appropriate scaling is particularly important for the IµS data.


Introduction THE PATHOGENESIS AND CLINICAL DESCRIPTION OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY Type 2 Diabetes: Description and Epidemiology, P.H. Bennett and R.G. Nelson Type 1 Diabetes: Immunology, Genetics, and Epidemiology, S. Fourlanos, and T.W.H. Kay Diabetic Nephropathy: Epidemiology and Clinical Description, G. Jerums. S. Panagiotopoulos, and R. MacIsaac Inherited Susceptibility to Diabetic Nephropathy, M.C. Thomas Factors Influencing the Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy, B.F. Schrijvers, A.D. De Vriese, and A. Flyvbjerg THERAPEUTIC MEASURES IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy: The Role of Strict Glucose Control, S. Thomas, M. Krimholtz, and G. Viberti Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy: Anti-hypertensive Treatment, M. Ravid and R. Rachmani Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy: Low-protein Diet, N.R. Waugh and A. Robertson Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy: Control of Serum Lipids, K. Jandeleit-Dahm and F. Bonnet Diabetic Nephropathy: Treatment of Cardiac Complications, R. Candido and P. Srivastava Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy: Acid-base and Electrolyte Disturbances, C.A. Pollack Novel approaches to the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy, R.G. Langham, D.J. Kelly, and R.E. Gilbert Summary of the Management of the Patient with Diabetic Nephropathy: Mild to Moderate Renal Involvement, R. Bilous and S. Jones The Treatment of Patients with Advanced Renal Involvement, D.J. van Dijk and G. Boner Pregnancy and Therapeutic Measures in the Patient with Diabetic Nephropathy, C. Ferrier and E. Gallery The Use of Dialysis in the Treatment of Patients with E-Stage Renal Disease, Y. Woredekal and E.A. Friedman Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy in the Patient with Diabetic Nephropathy, R. Axer-Siegel and G. Dotan Treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease and the Diabetic Foot in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy, P.G. McNally and N. London The Use of Transplantation in the Treatment of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease, E. Kendrick and G. Danovich Summary of the Therapeutic Approach to the Patient with Diabetes Nephropathy, G. Boner and M.E. Cooper Index


The possible association between intragastric bile reflux and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) incompetence was elucidated in an experimental work in dogs. Chronic intragestric bile contamination was produced by cholecystogastrostomy. The effect of this procedure on LES competence was evaluated by manometric, radiologic and endoscopic studies two weeks, one month, and then once a month for 6 months after operation. No significant change occurred in LES pressure, and neither radiological reflux nor endoscopic evidence of esophagitis developed during the follow-up period. According to the present study intragastric bile reflux does not have a significant role in the pathogenesis of LES incompetence in the dog, but esophagitis effected by bile reflux seems to require previously existing LES incompetence.


With the increased realization that many wild medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) Species are being over-exploited, a number of agencies are recommending that wild species be brought into cultivation systems. Others argue sustainable harvest to be the most important conservation strategy for most wild-harvested species, given their contributions to local economies and their greater value to harvesters over the long term. Besides poverty and the breakdown of traditional controls, the major challenges for sustainable wild-collection include lack of knowledge about sustainable harvest rates and practices, undefined land use rights and lack of legislative and policy guidance. Identifying the conservation benefits and costs of the different production system for MAP should help guide policies as whether species conservation should take place in nature or the nursery, or both.


A simple production method with high return soaps are invariably used in every household. The nonedible oil soap has huge market potential. Soap is the traditional washing compound made from oil fats and caustic alkali. One can say a detergent is the one that cleans any surface. Synthetic detergent is quite different from other kinds of detergent. There is large demand of this consumer item. There are renowned organized as well as unorganized private sectors, engaged in this production. From the 1940s on-ward, synthetic detergents have expanded rapidly all over the world. To improve detergency of the detergent cakes & powders, certain other components were added to it known as builders, synergies, fillers and brighteners etc. Detergents, as a constituent of the overall FMCG industry, accounts for a near 12% of the total demand for all FMCG products estimated at over Rs 530 bn. The mixed oils are taken in a pan and heated to approximately 70 degrees centigrade. Caustic soda solution is added for sapomofication reaction. Key ward: Various brand soap need to customer and Responded of the customer buying age wise .


From the 1890s to the 1930s Edith S. Watson, self-supporting, itinerant, artistic and commercial photographer, travelled across Canada documenting the lives of rural people, frequently women, at work. Working Light is her story. From outport Newfoundland to the Queen Charlotte Islands she captured images of labouring people in the precarious, poignant, often gruelling act of building a country. Her subjects and their ways of living are gone, but Watson's pictures are recognizable and compelling talismans of Canada's national psyche and a social history that is very much alive. She photographed women working the fish flakes in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia; making soap, weaving, and spinning in Quebec and across the Prairies and into British Columbia; mending fish nets outside Vancouver; caring for children from Newfoundland to northern Ontario, The Pas, and Brilliant, B.C.; harvesting beets outside Winnipeg and flax in Saskatchewan. Watson explored established communities, newly settled immigrant ones - she spent three summers among the Doukhobours in Alberta and British Columbia - and Native and Inuit life. Watson lived and worked with Bermudian journalist Victoria Hayward, who coined the phrase Canadian mosaic in their book Romantic Canada.


As a reaction to the corporate scandals of the early 2000s, the US Administration dramatically tightened sanctions against managers who disclose misleading financial information. This paper argues that such a reform might come with some unpleasant macroeconomic effects. The model is cast as a game between the manager of a publicly listed company and the supplier of an essential input, under asymmetric information about the type of the firm. The analysis focuses on the Hybrid Bayesian Equilibrium where at least some managers choose to communicate a false information about the true type of the firm. We show that by dissuading "virtuous lies", whereby a manager strives to win time for a financially distressed company, a tougher sanction brings about a higher frequency of default.


The wireless networks of upcoming fifth generation (5G) promises connection speeds and data rates that are one hundred times faster than the existing networks and much improved signal and connection quality. As there is the development of wireless communication systems, the requirement of Power Amplifier's linearity is hard. The Radio Frequency (RF) power amplifiers that are operating with wideband signals such as WCDMA that is used in UMTS leads to the generation of out-of-band emissions which are referred as "Spectral regrowth". To improve PA efficiency and linearity, this paper uses Digital Predistortion technique. This paper of DPD in combination with power amplifier using Memory Polynomial Algorithm is designed in the MATLAB/SIMULINK. The designed algorithm was tested with against various test cases and it was observed with high non-linearity and the good performance is seen for the order of 4 and 5 of the memory polynomial and non-linearity coefficients having linear output. Hence by using Memory Polynomial DPD in this paper the output of the previous input and present input is obtained. The advantage of DPD is having a linear power amplifier with less distortion and high non-linearity.


Abstract This study will explore the Enlightenment conception of the individual of reason, its attempted formulations in actor biographies, and its ultimate denial by the reality of human identity as multiple, fluid, and dialogical. Such fluidity sought to overcome the marginal status of the stage player through the embodiment of rational models of personality. Some stage celebrities, most notably David Garrick, were offering themselves as public models of identity for the new age of reasoned discourse. This involved the presentation before the public of stage performers as fully realized individuals. However, the unavoidable problem was that presenting an individual, even a renowned stage star, as a living paradigm of the enlightened person of reason would prove elusive. Aside from the inherent contradiction of locating any perfected stereotype in an actual person, the qualities making an individual in full conformity to his or her "reason" did not match the particular cultural qualities demanded for a successful eighteenth-century middle-class Englishman or Englishwoman. Nonetheless, by the last quarter of the eighteenth century, significant advances were made both within the particular profession of acting and before the onstage and offstage public. The acting profession was moving quickly and for the first time in England away from its marginalized status to offer respected agents for cultural change. The new genre of actor biographies as well contributed to this more fully realized formulation of the modern individual.


Due to a copy-and-paste error in manuscript preparation, figure 9 of [1] appeared in print with an incorrect figure caption. Specifically, all data shown in this figure correspond to an electron scattering angle of 30° and a photon energy of 80 keV. This implies that our rIPA results can be compared with the data in figure 3 of [2] (as suggested by a footnote in this paper). The conclusions of [1] remain unchanged. We would like to thank E H Haug for bringing this mistake to our attention. References [1] Keller S and Dreizler R M 1997 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 30 3257 [2] Tseng H K 2002 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 35 1129


Civil society organizations (CSOs) in the scientific literature have been studied broadly from various aspects such as cultural, political, social and economic. But as far as the last one is concerned, there is still a research gap because there is a lack of study about their contribution to economies under development, such as Kosovo, and which must be filled because of its importance. This paper tends to analyze the present situation of CSOs in Kosovo and their potential contribution to economic activity. Highlighting the activities, the structure and the place of these organizations in the economy will be the approach, in the beginning, to pave the way for further study of specific areas related to them. The methodology established contains analyses of secondary sources that are done by using data from the Ministry of Public Administration of Kosovo, Kosovar Index of Civil Society which is a regular report of the Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), and other supplementary data. However, this will proceed after the scientific conceptual issues of CSOs and their place within the economy. Finally, the results show that civil society in Kosovo is very diverse with organizations in different sectors, and the economic activity sector consists of mostly agricultural NGOs.   In transition countries, CSOs are seen as an alternative that improves a particular sector. Thus far, there are over 10,000 organizations established in Kosovo, but relative studies suggest only 1000 to be active. Furthermore, their activity and contribution to economic development is little known so far, while the main problem of the economy remains unemployment.


Author(s): Farber-Katz, Suzette Elena | Advisor(s): Field, Seth | Abstract: Golgi morphology and function has fascinated scientists for decades; however, it was unclear how the two were related. Our research delving into the function of GOLPH3 provides evidence for how Golgi morphology relates to Golgi trafficking. We identified GOLPH3 as a novel PtdIns(4)P-binding protein. We found that GOLPH3 requires PtdIns(4)P for its localization at the Golgi. We also showed that GOLPH3 binds to MYO18A, which results in a tensile force that pulls vesicles off the trans-Golgi. We showed that GOLPH3, MYO18A, and F-actin are all required for trafficking from the Golgi. The tensile force also stretches the Golgi and creates the Golgi ribbon that extends around the nucleus. Therefore, we identified a novel mechanism that explains how Golgi trafficking results in the extended Golgi ribbon.While we have an understanding of how GOLPH3 functions, it was unclear how GOLPH3 is regulated. To better understand its regulation, we performed immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry experiments to identify its phosphorylation sites. We found that T143 and T148 were phosphorylated. By analyzing the sequences surrounding these sites, we noticed that T143 and Q144 comprise a "TQ" motif, which are recognized by kinases in the DNA damage pathway. Thus, we examined whether DNA damage has any effect on Golgi morphology, and we found that it causes Golgi dispersal. We showed that DNA damage-induced Golgi dispersal requires phosphorylation of GOLPH3, as well as MYO18A and F-actin. Our extensive data argue that DNA-PK is the kinase that phosphorylates GOLPH3 on the TQ motif. We also demonstrated that DNA damage increases the interaction between GOLPH3 and MYO18A, thereby increasing the tensile force pulling on the Golgi membranes to elicit a dispersed Golgi. Because GOLPH3 was previously identified as an oncogene, we measured survival after DNA damage, and we found that GOLPH3, MYO18A, and DNA-PK are required for survival after DNA damage. Furthermore, knockdown of GOLPH3 or MYO18A increases apoptosis levels after DNA damage. Our data provide new insight into how the DNA-PK/GOLPH3/MYO18A/F-actin pathway causes dramatic Golgi reorganization. These results will have implications for cancer therapy, as inhibition of this pathway in the presence of DNA damage strikingly increases cell death.


ABSTRACT This study was aimed at examining how basketball players view unexpected performance errors in basketball, and under what conditions they perceive them as choking. Fifty-three basketball players were randomly assigned into 2 groups (game half) to evaluate the linkage between performance decline and choking as a function of game-time, score gap and game half. Within each group, players viewed 8 scenario clips, which featured a different player conducting an error, and subsequently rated the extent of performance decline, the instance of choking and the salience of various performance attributions regarding the error. The analysis revealed that choking was most salient in the 2nd half of the game, but an error was perceived as choking more saliently in the beginning of the 2nd half. This trend was also shown for players' perception of performance decline. Players' ratings of the attributions assigned to errors, however, revealed that during the end of the 2nd half, time pressure and lack of concentration were the causes of errors. Overall, the results provide evidence towards a conceptual framework linking performance decline to the perception of choking, and that errors conducted by players are perceived as choking when there is not a salient reason to suggest its occurrence.


Background Although trials suggest that anti‐inflammatory approaches targeting interleukin (IL)‐6 signaling can reduce cardiovascular risk, it remains unknown whether targeting IL‐6 signaling could reduce risk additively to low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) lowering. Here, we assess interactions in associations of genetic downregulation of IL‐6 signaling and LDL‐C lowering with lifetime cardiovascular disease risk. Methods and Results Genetic scores for IL‐6 signaling downregulation and LDL‐C lowering were used to divide 408 225 White British individuals in UK Biobank into groups of lifelong exposure to downregulated IL‐6 signaling, lower LDL‐C, or both. Associations with risk of cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease, aortic aneurysm, vascular death) were explored in factorial Mendelian randomization. Compared with individuals with genetic IL‐6 and LDL‐C scores above the median, individuals with LDL‐C scores lower than the median but IL‐6 scores above the median had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93–0.98) for cardiovascular disease. A similar OR (0.96; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98) was estimated for individuals with genetic IL‐6 scores below the median but LDL‐C scores above the median. Individuals with both genetic scores lower than the median were at lower odds of cardiovascular disease (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90–0.95). There was no interaction between the 2 scores (relative excess risk attributed to interaction index, 0; synergy index, 1; P for multiplicative interaction=0.51). Genetic IL‐6 score below the median was associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk across measured LDL‐C strata (<100 or ≥100 mg/dL). Conclusions Genetically downregulated IL‐6 signaling and genetically lowered LDL‐C are associated with additively lower lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease. Future trials should explore combined IL‐6 inhibition and LDL‐C lowering treatments for cardiovascular prevention.


The Study investigates the strategy implementation challenges faced by local pharmaceutical importer and distributors in Kenya. It is designed with two objectives in mind, which are: To identify the challenges facing strategy implementation in local pharmaceutical importers and distributors. And to establish what actions the local importing companies in the pharmaceutical industries take to successfully implement their strategies. Previous research has been done in the area of strategy implementation and its challenges in various sectors of economy, though none of the studies have examined the challenges of strategy implementation in the healthcare sector, more specifically the pharmaceutical industry. The research uses theoretical framework that have been drawn from the literature to bring into light the strategy implementation and the factors affecting it. In terms of research framework, the researcher investigates how factors of strategy implementation are crucial and how if not well managed impede the process. The study used a cross-sectional survey design, a population of 52 local pharmaceutical companies and a sample size of 31 firms that are registered as importers and distributors. Data was collected using a questionnaire and then analyzed to interpret the findings. The project finds that all the respondent firms had strategies planned for implementation with different timelines for completion. The strategy implementation factors; organizational structure, leadership, skills development, culture, administrative support, resource allocation, budgeting, policies and regulations were considered crucial in the smooth running of the process. Their importance however was varying with existing organization culture as the one with the least effect on the implementation process. Most firms had less than 50 employees which implied that they were small to medium sized companies, which were partnerships. The strategy planning process was mainly done by the top managers with little or no involvement of the implementers of these strategies. Communication of the strategies to the rest of the firm was a problem even though most of the firms had documented strategies.


New technologies and approaches are transforming how we carry out and communicate science. In oceanography, large multidisciplinary teams are developing deep-water ocean observatories of unprecedented scale. These observatories will allow hundreds of scientists from disparate fields to conduct experiments together, provide real-time sensor and data access through the Internet, and create a vast archive of data. My work explores some of the challenges of creating collaborative tools to support this new science. Working together with a team of scientists, I designed and deployed the Collaborative Ocean Visualization Environment (COVE) to bring together the data, processes and people on the team. I then carried out three field evaluations of COVE: a multi-month deployment with the scientists, engineers, and graphics staff of the observatory design team, and two different two-week deployments as the primary planning and collaboration platform for expeditionary cruises to map observatory node sites and geothermal sites. Based on these experiences and insight gained in these deployments, I explore the needs of interactive tools to support the work of large multidisciplinary ocean science teams.


Evolution in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has allowed new applications that led to an increase in the complexity of communication protocols. This in turn has led to the study of additional Quality of Service (QoS) parameters in order to provide an acceptable system performance. As such, hybrid algorithms that allow sensor networks to perform continuous monitoring (CntM) and event driven detection (EDD) duties have proven their value in different environments where emergency alarms are required in addition to a permanent surveillance of the phenomena, specially when considering time-critical applications. Furthermore, priority assignment may help reduce report delay and enhance transmission probability in important packets, specifically when different types of events are considered or certain data from the same event has higher relevance to the end user than the rest of the packets. In this paper, event report delay and energy consumption in a priority-based hybrid WSN protocol is studied using a Markov chain, when considering a two-priority event detection scheme in a hybrid WSN. Results show that, by using different transmission probabilities, assigned to high and low priority data packets, event reporting delay can be reduced, representing better performance for critical-time applications. On the other hand, energy consumption and network lifetime are not affected by the selected priority assignment scheme.


In our paper, we analyze, based on a new rating methodology, 105 enterprises from Saxony with respect to their ability to meet their financial obligations. It is based on classical financial-statement approach, a direct inclusion of risk and a stochastic simulation model of enterprise development. The results show that the method used is superior to presently used approaches and that it extends our knowledge of enterprise development. On and above its Basel-II applicability, it is a tool to analyze individual development strategies of firms.


public opinion and social attitudes. His early papers employed a simple questionnaire and rank-order method. L. L. Thurstone later developed a true attitude scale by a far more elaborate procedure, but the possibilities of the questionnaire and rank-order methods, in the reviewer's opinion, have not been adequately explored. To a considerable extent this is accomplished in the present work, which becomes the standard illustration and embodiment


The author draws on data from the ISSP 2002 to analyse the factors influencing the division of housework in Czech households and personal evaluations of whether the division is equitable. Drawing on economic principles (theory of relative resources, theory of temporal accessibility) and the significance of gender roles the author uses a multi-linear regression analysis to examine whether the absolute or the relative temporal involvement of men and women in household work differs 1) according to the possibilities and limitations on a person's time, 2) according to their income level in comparison with their partner, and 3) according to their level of education, and whether these factors influence the way people evaluate their contribution to household work. The results show that, in addition to gender, the most important factor is temporal accessibility. As the burden of paid work grows, temporal involvement in housework declines. For women, the volume of housework is also increased by the presence of children in the family. Conversely, neither relative income nor education level is a clear predictor of the degree of involvement in housework. Sociologický časopis/Czech Sociological Review, 2005, Vol. 41, No. 1: 57–77


A method for training patterns validation for modelling MR damper is proposed. The method was validated with two models based on black-box and semi-phenomenological approaches. An input pattern that allows a better identification of the MR damper model was found. Including a frequency modulated displacement and increased clock period in the training pattern, the MR damper model fitting is improved. Also, the designed input pattern minimizes of training phase and reduces of the number of experiments. Additionally, incorporation of the electric current in the MR models outperforms the modelling approach.


This paper proposes a very low power consumption (2V operation) one-chip baseband LSIC for personal communication terminals. It is composed of a /spl pi//4 QPSK modem, a TDMA-TDD controller, an ADPCM codec and a LAPDC controller. The developed CMOS LSIC completely meets the PHS (Personal Handy Phone System) standard. By employing a novel coherent demodulator and an ADPCM codec with a click noise suppressor, 6dB higher-quality voice transmission has been realized in fading environments. Moreover, the novel circuit configurations of the modem, the ADPCM codec, the TDMA-TDD controller and the LAPDC controller make it possible to reduce significantly the power consumption of the baseband circuits of personal communication terminals.


Four novel Zn(II) and Cd(II) metal-organic coordination polymers with a versatile building block 5-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (Hpyt) have been prepared under different conditions. [Zn3(pyt)4(OH)2]n (1) and [Cd(pyt)(HCOO)]n (3) were obtained through a solvothermal method, whereas {[Zn(pyt)2(H2O)(2)].(DMF)2}n (2) and {[Cd(pyt)2].CHCl3}n (4) were isolated under general conditions. X-ray single-crystal diffraction indicates that the anionic ligand pyt adopts a thioamide isomer in 1, 2, and 4, but a thiolate form in 3. Four types of binding modes involving monodentate (eta-N(oxa)), bidentate (mu-N(py),N(oxa), or mu-N(py),S,S) and tridentate (mu-N(py),N(oxa),S) are observed. The discrepancy of the synthetic routes and metal-coordination preferences facilitates the production of the final crystalline materials with distinct network structures, including a 1D zigzag array of 1 with dangling arms, a common 2D (4,4) coordination layer of 2, a decorated 3D alpha-Po network of 3, and an unprecedented (3,6)-connected 3D framework of 4 with a (4(2).6)2(4(2).6(2).8(7).10(2)) topology. Notably, the hydrolysis of DMF solvates leads to the formation of formate ions, being a component in the structure of 3. Complexes 2 and 4 show 1D channels in which the solvates are accommodated, and even after the exclusion of these guests, the porous host frameworks are still retained. Thermal stability and gas adsorption properties have also been studied.


Butanol can be produced biologically through fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars by Gram-positive Clostridium species. For cost-effective production, increased butanol fermentation titers are desired. However, the currently available butanol-fermenting microbes do not tolerate sufficiently high butanol concentrations; thus, new butanol-tolerant strains are desired. One promising strategy is to genetically modify Clostridium species by introducing stress tolerance-associated genes. This study was aimed to seek butanol tolerance genes from other Gram-positive species, which might be better suited than those from Gram-negative E. coli or eukaryotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several butanol-tolerant lactobacilli were reported previously, and Lactobacillus mucosae BR0713–33, which showed the most robust anaerobic growth in 4% butanol, was used here for proteomics analyses. Cellular proteins that responded to 2, 3, and 4% butanol were characterized. Twenty-nine proteins that were identified were dysregulated in response to increased concentrations of butanol in L. mucosae. Seventeen genes involved in coding for stress-tolerant proteins GroES, GroEL, and DnaK and genes involved in substrate utilization, fatty acid metabolism, and nucleotide synthesis were induced by increased butanol, and 12 genes involving energy production (F0F1ATP synthases) and redox balance preservation were repressed by increased butanol. These results can help guide targeted engineering strategies to improve tolerance and production of biobutanol.


The occurrence of beta-sheet motifs in a number of neurodegenerative disorders has brought about the need for the de novo design of soluble model beta-sheet complexes. Such model complexes are expected to further the understanding of the interconversion processes that occur from cellular allowed random coil or alpha-helical conformation into insoluble cell-deleterious beta-pleated-sheet motifs. In the present study, polyalanine-based peptides (i.e., derived from Ac-KA14K-NH2) were designed that underwent conformational changes from monomeric random coil conformations into soluble, macromolecular beta-pleated-sheet complexes without any covalent modification. The interconversion was found to be length-, environment-, and concentration-dependent and to be driven by hydrophobic interactions between the methyl groups of the alanine side chains. A series of substitution analogs of Ac-KA14K-NH2 was used to study the amino acid acceptability within the hydrophobic core of the complex, as well as at both termini. The formation of amyloid plaques in a number of amyloidogenic peptides could be related to the presence of amino acids within their sequences that were found to have a high propensity to occur in these model beta-sheet complexes.


Over the past few decades, nanoparticle-based therapeutic and diagnostic systems have gained immense recognition. A relative improvement in the status of the global cancer burden has been successful due to the advent of nanoparticle-based formulations. However, exposure of nanoparticles (NPs) to a real-time biological media alters its native identity due to the formation of the biomolecular corona. Such biological interactions hinder the efficiency of the NPs system. The parameters that govern such intricate interaction are generally overlooked while designing nano drugs and delivery systems (nano-DDS). Fabricating nano-DDS with prolonged circulation time, enhanced drug-loading, and release capacity along with efficient clearance, remain the primary concerns associated with cancer therapeutics. This present review firstly aims to summarize the critical aspects that influence protein coronation on therapeutic nanoparticles designed for anti-cancer therapy. The role of protein corona in modifying the overall pharmacodynamics of the nanoparticle-based DDS has been discussed. Further, the studies and patents that extend the concept of protein corona into diagnostics have been elaborated. An understanding of the pros and cons associated with protein coronation would not only help us gain better insights into the fabrication of effective anti-cancer drug-delivery systems but also improve the shortcomings related to the clinical translation of these nanotherapeutics.


Since community transmission of COVID-19 became established in South Africa, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and who do not require hospitalisation have been permitted to self-isolate in their homes to reduce the burden on the health system. The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province has since announced that self-isolation will no longer be permitted in the province. Instead, mandatory isolation in state-designated isolation sites would apply. This policy change marks a dangerous departure from the country's prevailing position on home-based self-isolation and should not be replicated elsewhere.


Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) was a dynamically new Oort cloud comet whose apparition presented a favorable geometry for observations near close-Earth approach (≃0.93 au) at heliocentric distances ≲2 au when insolation and sublimation of volatiles drive maximum activity. Here we present mid-infrared 6.0 ≲ λ(μm) ≲ 40 spectrophotometric observations at two temporal epochs from NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility that yield an inventory of the refractory materials and their physical characteristics through thermal modeling analysis. The grain composition is dominated by dark dust grains (modeled as amorphous carbon) with a silicate-to-carbon ratio ≲0.9, little crystalline stoichiometry (no distinct 11.2 μm feature attributed to Mg-rich crystalline olivine), and the submicron grain-size distribution peaking at ≃0.6 μm. The 10 μm silicate feature was weak, ≈12.8% ± 0.1% above the local continuum, and the bolometric grain albedo was low (≲14%). Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) is a carbon-rich object. This material, which is well represented by the optical constants of amorphous carbon, is similar to the material that darkens and reddens the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. We argue this material is endemic to the nuclei of comets, synthesizing results from the study of Stardust samples, interplanetary dust particle investigations, and micrometeoritic analyses. The atomic carbon-to-silicate ratio of comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) and other comets joins a growing body of evidence suggesting the existence of a C/Si gradient in the primitive solar system, providing new insight into planetesimal formation and the distribution of isotopic and compositional gradients extant today.


Exploration of advanced lead-free primary explosives is a challenging issue in the field of energetic materials. Herein, we designed and synthesized a novel N-rich copper bromate energetic coordination compound (ECC) [Cu(ATRZ)(BrO3)2]n (BLG-1, ATRZ: 4,4'-azo-1,2,4-triazole) by a simple one-step reaction. BLG-1 is the first reported three-dimensional (3D) N-rich copper bromate ECC. Its interesting 3D reticular architecture contributed to its highest thermal decomposition temperature (Td: 226 °C) and crystal density (ρ: 2.69 g cm-3) among N-rich copper bromate ECCs. More importantly, a primary charge of BLG-1 as little as 3 mg could reliably detonate compressed RDX, and 1 mg could detonate CL-20. These incredible values indicated that BLG-1 had an ultra-powerful initiating ability far superior to that of previously reported primary explosives. BLG-1 had improved mechanical sensitivities (IS: 13 J; FS: 1 N) and electrostatic sensitivity (EDS: 240 mJ) compared with those of the typical lead-based primary explosive, lead azide (IS: 4J; FS: 0.75N; EDS: 5 mJ). In particular, BLG-1 had a low laser-initiation threshold of 13 mJ at 808 nm, suggesting that it could serve as a laser-ignitable primary explosive. This work suggests that BLG-1 is a promising candidate with engreat practical application prospects for lead-free primary explosives.


This dissertation focused on the legal rights in the informed consent form for treatment and its applicationin China. The purpose was to fnd out the way to modify the contents of the informed consent form for treatment in China according to the current written laws. Informed consent for treatment has become a legal requirement in China more recently than in the West, in 1994 when the Regulation of Administering Medical Institution went into effect. China has a long history in using written law instead of common law or case law as the base of the legal system. But to date, no statutory laws or regulations can provide detailed answers to the question of what should be included in the consent form for treatment. Conflicts between patients anddoctors occur inevitably from time to time. In this study, 80 samples of the consent forms were collected from five hospitals in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province in South China. After analyzing the items of the 80 informed consent forms according to the statutes, we found that there were many problems in the consent forms, such as the absence of record of age, mental status, and time. The practice of informed consent needs more attention by scholars and administrative ofcials. The usage status of the consent form in the whole country needs to be investigated in further studies.


The tourism honeymoon following the advent of democracy in South Africa has begun to experience  threatening challenges in the realm of tourism development in some municipalities occupied by indigenous people (DEAT 2000; Magi and Nzama 2002). Tourism policy, planning and management in these indigenous people's municipalities, have progressively eluded some municipal managers who are  predominantly of indigenous origins. These policy shortcomings have also been supported by the opinion that tourism development planning across Africa has lagged behind (Dieke, 2000). This article discusses the apparent collapse of tourism service delivery in some indigenous municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal. The article also assesses the ability of policies to uphold an efficient tourism delivery regime. Some of the salient objectives of this article revolve around: indigenous community awareness of the importance of tourism; tourism policies perceived as contributing adequately to tourism delivery; the effectiveness of existing tourism management practices; and identifying core shortcomings hindering tourism  development, delivery and indigenous community beneficiation. The analysis of tourism breakdown has been carried out in three local municipalities predominantly occupied by indigenous people: Ntambanana (72), uMvoti (128) and Ndwedwe (133). From these three places, 333 respondents were interviewed and the data collected were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences [SPSS]. The findings of the study, inter alia, established that there were evidently negative perceptions  of participation, management effectiveness, service delivery and the comprehension of related policies and strategies in the study areas. Keywords : Tourism, policies, planning, management, indigenous people, cultural tourism, community development, tourism service delivery, perception.


Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) is a continuous quality improvement program that leads to improvements in services and resources for families and, ultimately, a decrease in infant mortality. It is an action-oriented process that combines medical data with the mother's report of experiences during the life and death of her infant. The FIMR has proven to be especially important in addressing community issues associated with infant deaths related to sudden infant death syndrome.