In the wake of reacting to the global pandemic, and with the knowledge of another impending wave, the idea of libraries as a "third place" has finally fully been turned on its head. Perhaps library professionals always knew this was a bit of a stretch ‒ libraries are not just buildings and this has surely been proven true as many scrambled to work from home while the majority of leadership fretted about proving the value of that labor to stakeholders. As many return to their buildings, what do promotion, marketing, and public relations look like? Library professionals are pulled in so many directions, the expectation that they are brand ambassadors and marketers can feel like too much. In some libraries, the staff is restricted from engaging in marketing, and in others, they are expected to do everything on their own. Updated job descriptions should include elements of marketing and public relations and those expanded responsibilities should be compensated accordingly. It is unrealistic to assume that the staff who spend the most time interacting with patrons do not engage in some kind of public relations, so why not make it official? Library professionals need the tools to do this effectively, which is where relationship management theory is especially helpful. By examining relationship management theory and its five major components: trust, openness, involvement, investment, and commitment, within the context of an actual public library setting, there is persuasive evidence that this is a good model for library public relations. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship that libraries have with their publics and how they can utilize relationship management principles to run successful public relations campaigns and truly understand the needs of their community within a mutually beneficial relationship. According to the American Library Association ‒ the largest professional organization for librarians ‒ public libraries are in a period of transition when it comes to how to best address the needs of their publics (American Library Association, 2017). As the Internet and open access to resources grow, public libraries are often undervalued and seen as antiquated and irrelevant to the needs of a modern society (Denning, 2015). Because public libraries receive most of their funding from taxation, their community must understand their value and be actively involved in the library's success. While library use rose slightly between 2011 and 2013 from 58% to 63% for people aged 16 and up (Pew, 2013), voter support for public library funding has declined from 73% to 58% over past 10 years (OCLC, 2018). In a political climate where the President's budget includes elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS, 2019), what can public libraries do to increase their relevance and engage their publics? One of the biggest hurdles to a library's ability to effectively promote itself is the reluctance to adopt business-like practices. They tend to use transactional marketing tactics rather than a long-term strategy that focuses on promoting the value of the library in the community (Parker, Kaufman-Scarborough, & Parker, 2007). Librarians are trained as information professionals, not public relations experts, and are not always well-versed in the concepts, practices, and execution of public relations campaigns or marketing White Paper | The Political Librarian | 9 Relationship Management in Public Libraries approaches (Shontz, Parker, & Parker, 2004). Making the connection between marketing library services through strategic public relations and having a good relationship with the community is a crucial step for libraries hoping to maintain their status as a valuable community resource (Sen, 2006). There is growing evidence to suggest that promotion, marketing, and public relations should be part of the strategic planning process that most libraries carry out each year (Garoufallou, Siatri, Zafeiriou, & Balampanidou, 2013). By incorporating a long-term public relations plan into the strategic plan, they establish credibility within the organization to dedicate resources for this purpose. In recent years, public relations and marketing of library services and resources has been slowly gaining acceptance with some literature tying principles of librarianship, like problem-solving, to the utilization of business principles (Gupta and Jambhekar, 2002). Some librarians have already recognized the need to address library public relations using a business-like model and they can serve as a trusted resource for others (Caplan, 2011). Additionally, evidence of successful public relations and marketing campaigns encourages a wider acceptance of these practices in libraries (Cowart, 2011). Understanding the challenges libraries face both within their communities and within their profession can help determine best practices for their public relations efforts. Librarianship is rooted in service and yet, when thinking about public relations and marketing, most will opt for a transactional approach ‒ promoting their holdings and services ‒ over a relationship-based model that encourages two-way communication with their patrons (Garoufallou et al., 2013). Libraries and librarians who hope to both attract new patrons and keep their current ones engaged will be more successful with a relationship management approach (Besant & Sharp, 2000). This approach encourages dialogue between an organization and its publics that results in a mutually beneficial relationship. Libraries ‒ much like non-profit organizations (which most libraries are) ‒ will benefit greatly from this public relations style (Wiggill, 2011) because publics are much more engaged with organizations that embrace their input (Wise, 2007). This case study examines how effectively The Ferguson Library in Stamford, Conn utilizes principles of the relationship management theory of public relations. This library was selected because of the open nature of the administrative staff and their willingness to participate. In 2010, The Ferguson Library's funding was decreased by more than 10% by then mayor Michael Pavia. This led to shorter hours of operation, fewer library employees, and diminished materials (Kayata, 2018). The administration recognized the need for a shift in their approach to their relationship with the community and began a more intentional, two-way dialogue with their publics. The background and results of this shift will be examined through the lens of the relationship management theory and its five components: trust, openness, involvement, commitment, and investment (Ledingham & Brunig, 1998). The outcome of this study contributes to the growing body of research for public libraries to consult when implementing public relations strategies.


When not all is well Outcomes of Singaporean Chinese Very Low Birth Weight children in mainstream primary schools Author: Chin Ming Shu Advances in perinatal care in the past decade have resulted in the increased survival of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. These are children bom with a birth weight of less than 1500 grams. The mortality and immediate morbidity, that is clear neurodevelopmental deficits such as cerebral palsy, of these infants are well documented. However, less is reported about the VLBW children who may not be obviously neurologically or intellectually deficient but experience various problems in mainstream primary schools nonetheless. Underlying this study is the concern that some of the difficulties faced by local VLBW children were obscured during the period of follow-up and that they were viewed as progressing "well' based primarily on apparently normal outcomes such as average test scores. In her capacity as a psychologist involved in the multi-disciplinary follow-up of VLBW children from two to eight years old, the author has gathered information on a sample of 107 Singaporean VLBW children of ethnic Chinese origin. Using methodological as well as investigator triangulation, quantitative and qualitative results are reported. The survey method was used to obtain the former while the latter were elicited by the case study approach. In addition, the case studies of seven VLBW children with different experiences were included. Whilst the findings are in general agreement with the published literature, the limitations of the study coupled with Singaporean factors at play meant that they may not be entirely representative of the local VLBW population at large. It is anticipated, however, that the findings will provide the reader with a deeper understanding of how Singaporean Chinese VLBW children in mainstream schools are functioning on the whole. It is also hoped that this study will serve as a signpost for future VLBW followup work in Singapore.


This document describes the results of survey research undertaken by the Automobile Club of Southern California. Five technology-specific surveys were conducted with mail-out questionnaires. A total of 40,000 questionnaires were mailed to insurance customers who own vehicles that may have in-vehicle navigation systems, adaptive cruise control, advanced headlamps, electronic backing aids, or rear-view video cameras as standard or optional original equipment. Half of the questionnaires were mailed to vehicle owners who were 25 to 64 years old, and half of the questionnaires were mailed to owners who were 65 or older. The response rate varied for the five technology-specific surveys from 16.6 percent (adaptive cruise control) to 30.7 percent (sensor-based backing aids). Survey items addressed topics such as learning to use the system, behavioral adaptation, system effectiveness, and perceived safety of the system. This report highlights differences in responses between younger and older respondents and compares responses to the five targeted technologies. This report also describes a series of 18 interviews that were conducted with representatives of original equipment manufacturers, regulators, medical practitioners, and professionals in the senior advocacy area. These interviews focused on emerging in-vehicle technologies that may help older drivers.


This lecture introduces basic elements of poster design, and is followed after the session by a special poster tour devoted to design. It strongly links to the concepts discussed in my workshop on data visualization. To design an effective poster, its message and the intended audience must be clear. Effective posters stand out because they convey their main message almost instantly, and then seduce participants to stay longer and learn more. Much more than oral presentations, posters are about selling your work in competition with all those other people presenting in your session. In a good poster, all elements work together like a symphony orchestra: Title, headings, text, tables, graphs, format, colors, layout, handouts, gimmicks, and ... you! For the design process, you need a good plan (including timelines!), good tools (templates, software!) and a ruthless editor. Editing is about throwing out more and more stuff, until finally you reach the point where throwing out more destroys understanding. So the "orchestra" has single instrumentation, and is wonderfully transparent. Posters are not "comprehensive"! All the details you love can go into a specially designed handout (NOT an exact replica of your poster). Your role as presenter is special: you must be visible but unobtrusive, and flexible to accommodate different viewer styles, and have different modes of presentation (eg. walkthrough, answer questions, respond to critique). Also make sure your contact details are visible and correct (if no handout, be sure to have business cards). If you are playful you can use gimmicks to increase your visibility: match your clothes to your color scheme, make something in real 3D on your poster, use sound, etc. But don't overdo it: this is just the icing on the cake: this is a science, not a commercial exhibit. When we go to assess posters in the upcoming poster tour, we will be looking for the following elements: 1. Overall message clear? 2. Text quality: brevity, clarity 3. Table quality: clear vision, clear understanding 4. Graph quality: clear vision, clear understanding 5. Design elements: layout, choice of font, color 6. Handout: not a replica, elements 1–5 repeated 7. Presenter: style, contact details Disclosure of Interest None declared


The large number of medical books published complicates selection by medical librarians. Book reviews are a potentially useful aid to selection. How available medical book reviews are to medical librarians, as well as how timely and accessible they are, were studied. Book reviews appearing in 1981 in a select group of medical journals were studied, and questionnaires sent to book publishers and the book review editors of the journals in the study.


New algorithm in transit-time ultrasonic flow meter has been developed for high-speed and precise requirements in semiconductor industries. Differential correlation method is used for transit-time difference calculation, and linear interpolation is applied to enhance the accuracy and precision. Single transit-times are also detected for sound speed correction. This algorithm which was proved with good stability and precision in this paper was done in a single chip of FPGA, and its performances were verified by simulations and experiments.


The activation of endothelial cells is essential to repair damage caused by atherosclerosis via endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Overexpression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and the downstream gene, B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) could result in apoptosis-resistant endothelial cells, which are responsible for aggravated hyperplasia and instable plaques generation. Previous studies have shown that miRNA126 could regulate the expression of VEGF. Here, we verified the existence of a miRNA126 binding site in VEGF's 3'UTR. Additionally, VEGF regulated BCL-2 expression via AP1 (Activator Protein 1) binding site in BCL-2's promoter. Next, we established an apoptosis-resistant endothelial cell line and constructed a lentiviral vector to express miRNA126 under the control of the BCL-2 promoter to investigate whether conditional expression of miRNA126 could modulate VEGF and BCL-2 expression in apoptosis-resistant endothelial cells. This lentiviral system specifically expressed miRNA126 in cells with high BCL-2 levels, downregulated VEGF expression, inhibited MAPK pathway activation and downregulated BCL-2 expression via suppression of AP1, and as a whole, reduced apoptosis-resistant endothelial cells, while the effects of miRNA126 on normal endothelial cells were relatively small. Our results demonstrate that conditional miRNA126 overexpression under the control of the downstream BCL-2 promoter provides a flexible regulatory strategy for reducing the apoptosis-resistant endothelial cells without having a significant impact on normal endothelial cells.


Infection with the bovine lungworm - Dictyocaulus viviparus - is occasionally a problem in Swedish cattle herds. The infection could act in synergism with other infections such as Corona virus to create a poorer welfare and productivity in cattle. Studies have shown that a diagnosis can be made with both the Baermann method and with an ELISA. In Norway diagnosis of BVDV on a herd level is attained through pooled serum samples. The question was raised whether pooled serum samples could be used in a similar fashion to attain status on a herd level for lungworm. Samples from 118 farms were pooled and tested with an ELISA and then compared with the individual samples. Those pooled samples which showed a strongly positive reaction had at least one test positive animal, and the negative pools contained no test positive animals. This indicates that such a test strategy could be useful to determine the risk of infection in a herd, for example preceding a sale. Thus it could also prove to be useful in large scale epidemiologic studies on lungworm.


Decision diagrams (DDs) are efficient data structures that are frequently used for formal verification, test or synthesis of circuits and systems. The main drawback of the data structure is the potential memory blow-up caused by certain functions. Therefore streaming has been proposed as a technique to efficiently evaluate operations on binary DDs (BDDs). The maximal memory usage can be controlled and therefore calculations can be carried out with a small amount of memory. In this paper we show how streaming can be extended to word-level decision diagrams (WLDDs) and for which type of diagrams streaming is applicable. A detailed description of streaming for multi-terminal BDDs (MTBDDs) is given. Experiments show the efficiency and the small memory needs for operations on MTBDDs.


Title: Cognitive reserve and dementia. Abstract: According to demographic studies, 20-25% of the population of Spain will be elderly in 2020. This ageing of the population entails a notable increase in age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative processes. Cognitive Reserve has been suggested as the mechanism linking low levels of education with greater risk of neurodegenerative diseases. This reserve, the ability of the brain to better tol- erate the effects of a pathology of dementia, may be the result of an innate gift or the effect of life experience, such as education or type of job. Other authors suggest the term brain reserve to refer to more passive ideas of re- serve, based on characteristics of the individual such as brain size, number of neurons or synaptic density which help to compensate for possible degenerative diseases of the Central Nervous System. The aim of this work is to show all the possible variables supporting the theory of this hypothesis.


Single sheet 8.5 x 11 inch carbon copy of original, which was sent to recipient. Typed. Single sheet 5.5 x 8.5 inch. Printed and typed.


Abstract An analysis of the lateral and longitudinal intensifies of turbulence measured on a 62-m meteorological tower over a two-year period at White Sands Missile Range shows that both intensifies decrease with height in all thermal stratifications. This decrease can be expressed in terms of a simple power law in which the value of the exponent on height varies from about −0.1 to −0.3 as the stratification changes from lapse to inversion. Also, the turbulent intensifies at all heights and in all thermal stratification tend to be inversely proportional to the mean wind speed. This relationship is most pronounced during lapse conditions when the product of mean wind speed and turbulent intensity is practically constant. Diurnal variations of the intensifies at five heights are presented for three wind speed regimes, and the results are compared with measurements made previously at other locations.


Abstract The early astogeny of specimens representing the bryozoan genera Dekayia, Parvohallopora, Heterotrypa, and Homotrypella follows the same pattern documented in other Ordovician trepostomes. After larval settlement and metamorphosis, typically three primary, periancestrular, autozooids bud distally from the founder zooid, the ancestrula, with secondary zooids budding from the primaries, tertiary zooids from the secondaries, and so on. Progressive lateral displacement of buds, through backbudding, eventually produces a sub-circular ancestrular disk. Significant intergeneric differences in this basic pattern do not appear to exist. Intrageneric variability in budding pattern occurs during colony development. That variability might have resulted from any or all of the following sources: within-genus plasticity, the development of multiple ancestrulae, or environmental variation. The basic pattern of three primary buds developed from individual ancestrulae has been recognized in other trepostomes, some cyclostomes, and two suborders of cryptostomes. Cladistically, the trait must be considered polyphyletic until more is known about the number of primary buds in the remaining bryozoan suborders. Ancestrular dimensions are statistically similar across genera except between the smaller Dekayia and larger Parvohallopora, but ancestrular sizes in all four Dillsboro genera are consistent with the inference that they possessed a polyembryonic lecithotrophic larval type.


BACKGROUND Acute liver failure (ALF) can be a primary presentation of Wilson disease (WD). Mortality rates are high in WD with ALF (WDALF). Predictions of mortality in WDALF vary by model and are sometimes contradictory, perhaps because few patients are studied or WD diagnoses are questionable. AIM To determine the outcomes among well-documented WDALF patients and assess mortality model performance in this cohort. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of our pediatric WDALF patients (n = 41 over 6-years-old, single-center retrospective study) and compared seven prognostic models (King's College Hospital Criteria, model for end-stage liver disease/pediatric end-stage liver disease scoring systems, Liver Injury Unit [LIU] using prothrombin time [PT] or international normalized ratio [INR], admission LIU using PT or INR, and Devarbhavi model) with one another. RESULTS Among the 41 Han Chinese patients with ALF, WD was established by demonstrating ATP7B variants in 36. In 5 others, Kayser-Fleischer rings and Coombs-negative hemolytic anemia permitted diagnosis. Three died during hospitalization and three underwent liver transplantation (LT) within 1 mo of presentation and survived (7.3% each); 35 (85.4%) survived without LT when given enteral D-penicillamine and zinc-salt therapy with or without urgent plasmapheresis. Parameters significantly correlated with mortality included encephalopathy, coagulopathy, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity, bilirubin, ammonia, and serum sodium levels. Area under the receiver operating curves varied among seven prognostic models from 0.981 to 0.748 with positive predictive values from 0.214 to 0.429. CONCLUSION WDALF children can survive and recover without LT when given D-penicillamine and Zn with or without plasmapheresis, even after enlisting for LT.


The objective of this work was to design and characterize liquid and solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) for poorly soluble atorvastatin. To optimize the composition of liquid atorvastatin-SEDDS, solubility tests, pseudoternary phase diagrams, emulsification studies and other in vitro examinations (thermodynamic stability, droplet size and zeta potential analysis) were performed. Due to the disadvantages of liquid SEDDS (few choices for dosage forms, low stability and portability during the manufacturing process), attempts were also made to obtain solid SEDDS. Solid SEDDS were successfully obtained using the spray drying technique from two optimized liquid formulations, CF3 and OF2. Despite liquid SEDDS formulation, CF3 was characterized by lower turbidity, higher percentage transmittance and better self-emulsifying properties, and based on the in vitro dissolution study it can be concluded that better solubilization properties were exhibited by solid formulation OF2. Overall, the studies demonstrated the possibility of formulating liquid and solid SEEDS as promising carriers of atorvastatin. SEDDS, with their unique solubilization properties, provide the opportunity to deliver lipophilic drugs to the gastrointestinal tract in a solubilized state, avoiding dissolution—a restricting factor in absorption rate of BCS Class 2 drugs, including atorvastatin.


The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence as to how corporate ownership structure in Canada affects earnings informativeness, as measured by the earnings-return relationship. Like those in many countries around the world, Canadian publicly traded companies are characterized by both concentrated ownership and divergence between voting rights and cash-flow rights. Like those in many other countries, their main agency problem resides in the conflict between large controlling blockholders and minority shareholders. These large dominant shareholders, with their imposing block of voting rights, are likely to influence accounting-information reporting. In this paper, we test whether large dominant shareholders are perceived to report low quality earnings. We show that earnings informativeness depends directly on the ownership structure of publicly traded firms. Furthermore, we show that investors perceive reported earnings as least credible when a controlling blockholder has both the power and impetus to expropriate minority shareholders, which suggests a non-monotonic relationship between earnings informativeness and ownership structure.


Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a skin disease that manifests as ulcerated nodules, up to several centimeters in size, that persist for many months in spite of various therapies. The disease is a dermal infection with eukaryotic protozoa of the genus Leishmania, transferred by the bite of a female sand-fly, and therefore usually present on exposed areas of the skin such as limbs and face. The disease is endemic in specific geographical areas of Israel, mainly in the Jordan and Jericho valley, part of the Dead-Sea area, Kfar Edomim area, and parts of the Negev such as Ketziot and the Arava. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) presents a significant health hazard in Israel, mainly to non-residents, such as soldiers or new immigrants, travelling to endemic areas. It is also not unusual to find patients with CL acquired during adventure travelling to South America. Treatment modalities available for treating CL are limited and often unpleasant. Over the past few years several new therapies for visceral leishmaniasis have become available raising hope for the development of more effective treatment options for CL. In this review we discuss the disease and its therapeutic options and also report a novel treatment for CL using ethanolic amphotericin B.


OBJECTIVES
The main objective was to determine the prevalence of recurrent wheezing (RW) among infants and toddlers as well as the prevalence of asthma predictive risk factors among those with RW.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A prospective study of a cohort of babies recruited after their birth during July 2015-June 2017. Mothers were contacted using the WhatsApp messaging system for digital follow-up on their baby's condition at 3-monthly intervals until they were 18 months old. Information on wheezing and its correlates were collected by digital follow-up and corroborated at an in-person interview and examination of their baby at 18 months of age. Recurrent wheezing was defined as more than three episodes of wheezing or its correlates during the follow-up period.

RESULTS
There were 338 males (41.5%) and 476 (58.5%) females. Overall, 31.1% (95% CI = 27.9%, 34.4%) had RW by 18 months and the same number had RW during their first year of life. Of the infants with RW, 121 (47.8%; 95% CI = 41.6, 54.2) had at least one or both of the major criteria and/or at least two minor criteria of the stringent Asthma Predictive Index (API). Of those with RW, 32.0% received antihistamine and 20% had received antibiotics on their last visit to a physician for wheezing or symptoms of cough, cold, and/or breathing difficulty.

CONCLUSIONS
Nearly a third of infants and toddlers had RW and nearly half of the infants with RW had risk factors fulfilling the criteria of the stringent API.


NPN transistors were irradiated by 95 MeV oxygen ions in a fluence ranging from 5 × 1010 to 5 × 1012 ions cm−2. The dc current gain (hFE), excess base current (ΔIB = IBpost − IBpre), excess collector current (ΔIC = ICpost − ICpre) and collector-saturation current (ICS) of the ion-irradiated transistors were studied systematically. We found that both hFE and ICS of the transistors decrease drastically after ion irradiation. Secondly, a significant increase in the collector current (IC) along with the increase in the base current (IB) after ion irradiation was observed. The radiation-induced trap levels in the collector–base depletion region of NPN transistors were studied by employing the deep level transient spectroscopy technique and different types of trap levels were observed. The results obtained on the activation energy, density of trap levels, apparent capture cross section of the defects, introduction rate and space charge layer lifetime of different defects for different total fluence are presented and discussed.


The author attempts to impose a conceptual order on the diverse characteristics of behavioural activity of psychoactive drugs using clinical and laboratory models of drug action. Certain models are posited as useful in elucidating the neurophysiological basis of drug action although the author recognises the difficulties inherent in understanding the clinical response to drug action solely on physiological mechanisms. Perhaps, because the subject area of behavioural pharmacology is a complex interaction of clinical, pharmacological, psychological, bio chemical and methodological data, it is necessary for any textual matter to be equally complex and interactive. Professor Carlton has coped well with the complexity of the area, and the book can be regarded as a true †̃¿ primer' illustrating, with well chosen and up-to-date reference, the current status of various experimental and conceptual models of drug action. The interactive nature of the subject matter requires constant cross referencing and inter dependence between chapters which can intrude on the discussions in later chapters if earlier ones have not been read or adequately remembered. Noviciates to behavioural pharmacology might find the numerous abbreviations difficult to remem ber, and, although excellent definitions are pre sented in the text, when abbreviations are first used, a glossary and listing commonly used expres sions could help those readers who wish to dip into the book and read an isolated chapter or two. Those who read this book from beginning to end will be rewarded with a clear conceptualisation of the multi-faceted approaches to behavioural phar macology and the book is recommended to all those readers searching for a guide to the complexities of psychopharmacology.


Argumentative studies are among the most important studies that investigate the
relationship of discourse with the recipient in terms of influence and persuasion. There
was a need to research the argumentative discourse mechanisms in order to know the
intent of the discourse as a message that includes persuasive and influential dimensions.
The argumentative view of the discourse goes beyond the aesthetic goal to the affective
element through the communicative goal of the discourse, and also devotes rhetorical
and artistic aesthetics to the formulation of influence and persuasion and highlighting it
in the discourse. Argumentation is one of the most important means for the speaker to
convey his perceptions to the recipient, relying on a number of mechanisms that
contribute to achieving his goals.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of argumentation of AlTawhidi in his book enjoyment and sociability, through an applied study for one sample,which is the sixth night; that dealt comparison between Arabs and Persians, relying on contemporary linguistic perceptions of the concept of pilgrims and its various
mechanisms, the research is based on an applied textual study that attempts to reveal the reservoirs of ingenuity in arguing with the Persian other in a language based on
argument and proof in presenting the monotheistic point of view defending the Arabs.
The study discussed the mechanisms of Al-Tawhidi in justifying his argumentation
in the studied sample; And the methods that he followed in forming an argumentative
image are based on evidence and proof. The study adopted the analytical descriptive
approach as a systematic path of applied research on the sixth night of enjoyment and
sociability by examining the argumentative mechanisms adopted by Al-Tawhidi in
defending the Arabs. These mechanisms have emerged in several methods of question
and answer, and discussion of the issues, adopting the method of luring in order to reach the results. In addition to the method of measurement and presentation of evidence, the importance of argumentative mechanisms appeared in diversifying the method of presenting issues for discussion with multiple mechanisms that contributed to providing a communicative environment for discourse so that it was not confined to one side, but was interactive, which gave the results reached by al-Tawhidi a greater influential and persuasive value.
An effective argumentative value also emerged for the linguistic mechanisms on
which the discourse was based in the studied sample, in addition to investing the
Japanese and artistic mechanisms in formulating the influential discourse in the
formation of the argumentative discourse. The applied study of the pilgrims in the
enjoyment and sociability of the sixth night is a model that gives an integrated picture of
the contribution made by the pilgrims studies in studying the mechanisms of influence
and persuasion in the traditional discourse in Arabic literature.
The study concluded several findings, such as; the appearance of the argumentative
structure in the text studied in two forms: the first: in which Al-Tawhidi appeared as a
narrator and transmitter, as he questioned the heritage and conveyed what he heard in his style and method. The second: Al-Tawhidi appeared in it as an interlocutor and an
argument that pushes the opponent's statements through various argumentative tools and methods.
Keywords: Argumentation, Dialogue, Al-Tawhidi, Sixth night, Enjoyment and
sociability.


Sharia banking is developed in response to economic and cultural groups that are used to accommodate those who want the services to be carried out with Islamic sharia principles and morals. The development of Sharia banks in Indonesia and Malaysia needs to be studied more deeply because Malaysia first established Sharia banks in 1983 through Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) while the first sharia bank in Indonesia, which name of Bank Muamalat, was burned in 1991, which determines the direction of the progress of sharia banks in Indonesia with the provisions of Law Number 10 of 1998 concerning Banking. Determine the amount of assets from banks that have a ratio of 1: 10 with Malaysia considering the assets of sharia banks in Indonesia amounted to US $ 35.62 billion while Malaysia reached US $ 423.2 billion. This study focuses on the factors and effects of legal products from the two countries in order to get more comprehensive study and knowing the relation between the legal products with sharia banking development in Indonesia and Malaysia.


To improve the recycling efficiency of the hybrid electric vehicle regeneration brake energy, the control strategy based on the maximum brake force recovering is proposed. The simulation model is made using ADVISOR software, and the results are verified to be reasonable. Comparing to the default model in ADVISOR, the new model has the advantage in improving energy recycling efficiency, emissions and the motor efficiency.


It refers to the sum total of value system, behavioral norms and social relationships accepted by young generations for youth culture which has the characteristic of hierarchy, variability and rebellion. It has also had positive and negative functions. It is the mutual influence and mutual promoting relationship between the youth culture and advanced culture. Comrade Hu Jintao puts forward three wishes to the majority of young people, but also gives the youth culture three new elements, which are diligent in learning, good at creating and making contribution. In the new period, the youth culture will further be boosted when we are developing advanced culture.


A line search method is proposed for nonlinear programming using Fletcher and Leyffer's filter method, which replaces the traditional merit function. A simple modification of the method proposed in a companion paper [SIAM J. Optim., 16 (2005), pp. 1--31] introducing second order correction steps is presented. It is shown that the proposed method does not suffer from the Maratos effect, so that fast local convergence to second order sufficient local solutions is achieved.


The highland villagers are subject to abnormalities in their cardiopulmonary function as they move from 2500m altitude to 4475m altitude areas. Rhodiola kirilowii can efficiently protect the villagers from the above said mountain reaction.


Background Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is one of the most common malignant tumors and has high incidence and mortality rates. The interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family is known as a key transcription factor in the IFN signaling pathway and cellular immunity. This research explored the relationship between the IRF family and COAD through use of bioinformatics technology. Material/Methods Using the UALCAN and GEPIA databases, we analyzed the transcription and prognostic value of IRFs in COAD, and GSCALite was used in cancer genomics analysis. TIMER, LinkedOmics, and Metascape were used to assess the potential function of IRFs in COAD. Results The transcription levels of IRF3 were elevated in COAD tissues, while IRF2/4/6 were downregulated compared with normal patients in subgroup analyses of race, age, weight, sex, nodal metastasis, individual cancer stages, TP53 mutation status, and histological subtypes. IRF3 and IRF7 in COAD were significantly associated with a poor prognosis. Drug sensitivity analysis revealed that the expression level of IRF2/4/8 was negatively associated with drug resistance. A significant correlation was found between the IRF family and immune cell infiltration. Moreover, enrichment analysis revealed that the IRFs were associated with response to tumor necrosis factor, transcription misregulation in cancer, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. We also identified several kinase and miRNA targets of the IRF family in COAD. Conclusions We identified IRF3 and IRF7 as prognostic biomarkers in COAD, and the IRF family was associated with immune cell infiltration and gene regulation networks, providing additional evidence showing the significant role of the IRF family in COAD.


B-Splines, in general, and Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS), in particular, have become indispensable modeling primitives in computer graphics and geometric modeling applications. In this paper, a novel high-performance architecture for the computation of uniform, nonuniform, rational, and nonrational B-Spline curves and surfaces is presented. This architecture has been derived through a sequence of steps. First, a systolic architecture for the computation of the basis function values, the basis function evaluation array (the BFEA), is developed. Using the BFEA as its core, an architecture for the computation of NURBS curves is constructed. This architecture is then extended to compute NURBS surfaces. Finally, this architecture is augmented to compute the surface normals, so that the output from this architecture can be directly used for rendering the NURBS surface.


Objective: To investigate the relationship between duration of sleep and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A total of 17 452 type 2 diabetic patients who were under the National Basic Public Health Service Project, in Changshu county, Qinghe district and Huai'an district in Huai'an city of Jiangsu province, were recruited as participants. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the associations between different levels on the duration of sleep and all-cause mortality. Stratified analysis was performed according to factors as gender, age, and lifestyle. Results: Among the 67 912 person-years of observation, from the fo1low- up program, the median time of follow-up was 4 years, with 1 057 deaths occurred during the follow-up period. Taking patients with duration of sleep as 7 h/d for reference, the multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (95%CI) of all-cause mortality appeared as ≤6, 8, 9 and ≥10 h/d were 1.14 (0.94-1.37), 1.10 (0.91-1.32), 1.33 (1.05-1.70), and 1.52 (1.24-1.87), respectively which were associated with the duration of sleep. Data from the subgroup analysis showed that this was consistent with the whole population. Longer duration of sleep was associated with the all-cause mortality but no significant association was found between shorter duration of sleep and the all-cause mortality. Conclusion: Longer duration of sleep seemed to have increased the risk of all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetic patients.


1. Wolfe F, Michaud K. Effect of body mass index on mortality and clinical status in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2012;64:1471–9. 2. Rothman KR, Greenland S, Lash TL, eds. Modern epidemiology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. 3. Manson JE, Bassuk SS, Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Estimating the number of deaths due to obesity: can the divergent findings be reconciled? J Womens Health 2007; 16:168–76.


Effective and reliable pedestrian detection is among the most safety-critical features of semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles. One of the most complex detection challenges is that of partial occlusion, where a target object is only partially available to the sensor due to obstruction by another foreground object. A number of current pedestrian detection benchmarks provide annotation for partial occlusion to assess algorithm performance in these scenarios, however each benchmark varies greatly in their definition of the occurrence and severity of occlusion. In addition, current occlusion level annotation methods contain a high degree of subjectivity by the human annotator. This can lead to inaccurate or inconsistent reporting of an algorithm's detection performance for partially occluded pedestrians, depending on which benchmark is used. This research presents a novel, objective method for pedestrian occlusion level classification for ground truth annotation. Occlusion level classification is achieved through the identification of visible pedestrian keypoints and through the use of a novel, effective method of 2D body surface area estimation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method reflects the pixel-wise occlusion level of pedestrians in images and is effective for all forms of occlusion, including challenging edge cases such as self-occlusion, truncation and inter-occluding pedestrians.


Prior to version 4.0.0 R had a poor default color palette (using highly saturated red, green, blue, etc.) and provided very few alternative palettes, most of which also had poor perceptual properties (like the infamous rainbow palette). Starting with version 4.0.0 R gained a new and much improved default palette and, in addition, a selection of more than 100 well-established palettes are now available via the functions palette.colors() and hcl.colors(). The former provides a range of popular qualitative palettes for categorical data while the latter closely approximates many popular sequential and diverging palettes by systematically varying the perceptual hue, chroma, luminance (HCL) properties in the palette. This paper provides an overview of these new color functions and the palettes they provide along with advice about which palettes are appropriate for specific tasks, especially with regard to making them accessible to viewers with color vision deficiencies.


The employees' performance is the building block for the organizations to attain competitive edge over the competitors in the contemporary competitive situations. The organizations including the higher institutions, are direly needed to focus on employees' performance if these institutions are serious in reflecting their desired standing. However, there are certain impediments associated with the employees' performance among which the job burnout, absenteeism, commitment and motivation are foremost. This study aimed at probing these impediments towards employees' performance in the context of higher education. The data was collected from teaching faculty from higher institutions of KP, Pakistan. The results have provided enough evidence in deciding relationships between employees' impediments and employees' performance. Some recommendations have been offered to the policymakers to cater these impediments to achieve the desired standards. Some suggestions have also been providing to future researchers to examine these variables in other contexts by using some mediators to obtained better results.


With constraints on State funds, consideration should be given to the private sector and agricultural commodity organisations undertaking their own R&D. Private organisations tend to adopt a goal-orientated research approach. Examples are the SASA Experiment Station and international private sector poultry research. A model is constructed based on data available from the SASA Experiment Station depicting a detailed functional breakdown of activities and costs of such a research programme.


Abstract Synthetic NaNa2Mg5Si8O21(OH)3 is the first triclinic member of the amphibole group, and has a tripling of the unit cell in the b direction. The space group is C1̄ and the triple-b repeat gives Z = 6. The unit-cell parameters are: a = 9.883(2), b = 54.082(9), and c = 5.277(1) Å, α = 90.045(4)°, β = 103.068(3)°, γ = 89.960(4)°, and V = 2748(1) Å3. The crystal structure has been refined to R1 = 7.6 and wR2 = 16.7% for the 1835 reflections with Fo > 4σF and for 4832 supercell reflections in the 2θ range 2-25°, respectively. The structure is pseudo-monoclinic, but both the intensity distribution and refined model indicate space group C1̄. Compared with the common C2/m amphibole structure, the two halves of an I-beam unit are no longer mirror-related, and the overall structure can be rationalized in terms of two different types of I-beam occurring in the unit cell. The first (with multiplicity 2) is centrosymmetric, and the second (with multiplicity 4) is non-centrosymmetric. There are also significant displacements of the cations, especially at the M4 sites, from their corresponding locations in the C2/m structure. The correlated displacements of Na atoms at the M4 sites permit incorporation of excess protons in pseudo-tetrahedral cavities between two adjacent chains of tetrahedra belonging to different I-beams. Bond-valence calculations and crystal-chemical analysis suggest that excess protons are bonded to O atoms at the O4 sites, and are hydrogen bonded to O atoms at adjacent O2 sites. The infrared spectrum of the amphibole in the principal OH-stretching region has a triplet of sharp bands at 3740, 3727, and 3711 cm-1, which are assigned to the three independent "normal" O3-H groups in the triclinic structure. There is an additional intense and very broad absorption at 3430 cm-1 that is resolved only when adsorbed moisture is removed. This band is assigned to the extra H in the structure. All the details provided by structure refinement and the proposed location of the excess H atoms is in accord with previous HRTEM and 29Si- and 1H MAS NMR studies of this amphibole.


Are you in need of a tech device? Do you have questions about how to use D2L? Need to know how to create virtual study groups and research in the databases? Ask the Library! We are here to help you!


Nurses are expected to use research as a form of evidence to support clinical practice. When selecting articles, some nurses may be unable to recognize the articles that report research. Research recognition is essential before study results may be used as evidence and translated into practice. The purpose of this article is to describe a typical research article, outline the major types of research, and identify the unique characteristics of research that may be used to recognize those articles that report research.


This article presents a knowledge-based approach to the design of document-based retrieval systems. We conducted two empirical studies investigating the users' behavior using an online catalog. The studies revcaled a range of knowledge elements which are necessary for performing a successful search. We proposed a semantic nctwork based representation to capture these knowledge elements. The findings we derived from our empirical studies were used to construct a knowledge-based retrieval system. We performed a laboratory experiment LO cvaluate the search performance of our system. The experiment showed that our system out-performed a conventional retrieval system in recall and user satisfaction. The implications of our study to the design of document-based retrieval systems are also discussed in this article.


Thesis describing main arguments: This paper consists of a general history of the concept of periphery and aims to introduce the different definitions of periphery in architectural and other theories. It begins by setting out some of the difficulties encountered when attempting to define the periphery, before continuing with the three main parts to the paper. The first of these provides a general taxonomy and describes the characteristics of the periphery in architecture, based on historical general discourses; the second examines architectural discourse and typologies in more detail, developing a particular focus on the European context and thirdly it focuses in more detail on this difficulty of defining the peripheral condition in architecture theory. The architects Jonathan Woodroff, Dominic Papa and Ian Mac Burnie write: "Today, it seems an almost impossible task to define a contemporary peripheral condition; and yet it is that very quality, its extreme elusiveness, that ensures its attractiveness for debate [...] In Western Europe with the exception of Britain, the notion of periphery has historically been associated with the 'marginal'".


Abstract The pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus causes pine wilt disease and is a serious economic concern for the forest industry of South Korea. To achieve effective control with limited resources, it is necessary to clarify the transmission routes and mechanisms of dispersal of this organism. Highly polymorphic and easy-to-use molecular markers can be used for investigating this aspect. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) for investigating the genetic variations of B. xylophilus and related individuals from China, Japan, and South Korea. The AFLP patterns obtained in our study were similar to the microsatellite patterns reported in a previous study; our AFLP patterns indicated high genetic variability and cryptic genetic structure, but did not indicate any peculiar geographic structure. Moreover, the genetic distances between individuals suggested that the Korean population was affected to a greater extent by the Chinese population than the Japanese population. Further, the gene flow among the related species appeared to be limited; however, there may be also the possibility of genetic introgression among species. These results confirm the usefulness of AFLPs for understanding the epidemiology of pine wilt disease, thereby contributing to the effective control of this disease.


The Covid 19 outbreak has resulted in a reduction in cancer referrals. The Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland reports a reduction of 72% in pigmented lesion referrals since the pandemic began. This is concerning and likely reflects the fact that people are ignoring symptoms and delaying seeking medical advice due to fears related to Covid 19.


The major causes of cancer are: 1) smoking, which accounts for 31% of U.S. cancer deaths and 87% of lung cancer deaths; 2) dietary imbalances which account for about another third, e.g., lack of sufficient amounts of dietary fruits and vegetables. 3) chronic infections, mostly in developing countries; and 4) hormonal factors, which are influenced primarily by lifestyle. There is no cancer epidemic except for cancer of the lung due to smoking. Cancer mortality rates have declined 19% since 1950 (excluding lung cancer). Regulatory policy that focuses on traces of synthetic chemicals is based on misconceptions about animal cancer tests. Recent research indicates that rodent carcinogens are not rare. Half of all chemicals tested in standard high-dose animal cancer tests, whether occurring naturally or produced synthetically, are "carcinogens"; there are high-dose effects in rodent cancer tests that are not relevant to low-dose human exposures and which contribute to the high proportion of chemicals that test positive. The focus of regulatory policy is on synthetic chemicals, although 99.9% of the chemicals humans ingest are natural. More than 1000 chemicals have been described in coffee: 30 have been tested and 21 are rodent carcinogens. Plants in the human diet contain thousands of natural "pesticides" produced by plants to protect themselves from insects and other predators: 71 have been tested and 37 are rodent carcinogens.


Abstract. Single-column models (SCM) have been used as a tool to develop numerical weather prediction and global climate models for several decades. SCMs decouple small-scale processes from large-scale forcing and thus allow to test physical parameterizations in a controlled environment with reduced computational cost. Typically, either the ocean, sea-ice or atmosphere is fully modelled and assumptions have to be made on the boundary conditions from other subsystems, adding a potential source of errors. Here, we present a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean SCM (AOSCM), including sea-ice, which is related to the global climate model EC-Earth, consisting of NEMO3.6, LIM3, OpenIFS cycle 40r1, and OASIS3-MCT. The AOSCM is tested at three locations: the tropical Atlantic, the midlatitude Pacific and the Arctic. At all three locations in-situ observations are available for comparison. Evaluating model performance with buoy data, soundings and ship based observations, we find that the coupled AOSCM can capture the observed atmospheric and oceanic evolution. Model evolution is sensitive to the initial conditions and forcing data imposed on the column. Coupling several model components while alongside using them individually can help disentangle model feedbacks. Although the model can be extended, we demonstrate that already in the current setup it is a valuable tool to advance our understanding in marine and polar boundary layer processes and the interactions of their coupled components.


The primary objective of this thesis was to determine any associations between herbal and dietary supplement (HDS) use and the fast progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Thai outpatients with CKD. The secondary objectives were to determine any associations between HDS use and CKD complications, and the prevalence and reasons for HDS use.

A survey recruited 421 outpatients with stages 3 to 5 CKD from two kidney clinics in Thailand, from January to June 2012. A prospective cohort study followed up these respondents, in particular noting their serum creatinine, as well as serum levels of potassium and phosphate, for 12 months. Such data were extracted from patients' medical notes. Three hundred and fifty-seven respondents were followed up. The exposed group was defined as the current and regular users of HDS, and the primary outcome of the cohort study was defined as either a decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate of at least 5 ml/min/1.73m2/year or the initiation of renal replacement therapy. Sixteen HDS users were recruited from the survey to be interviewed about their reasons for using HDS, using open-ended questions to elicit information in the qualitative study. Exclusion criteria were those with had received renal replacement therapy before recruitment.
Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the associations using Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regressions. Tests were 2-tailed and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The prevalence of HDS use during the previous year in Thai patients with CKD was 45% (95%CI 40%-50%). The most frequently reported influences on HDS use in the survey and the qualitative study were family members, friends and perception of benefits gained from using HDS.
An association between HDS use and CKD progression was not found (adjusted OR 1.16, 95%CI 0.66 – 2.03). Two respondents (0.6%) had acute kidney injury, which may be related to the use of unknown Chinese herbal medicines or river spiderwort combined with diclofenac; issues which were reported by their doctor in their medical note. HDS use was associated with uncontrolled hyperphosphatemia (adjusted OR 3.53, 95%CI 1.20 – 10.43), possibly due to the HDS used in the cohort study which contained phosphate or vitamin D.

Health care providers should closely monitor CKD patients using Chinese herbal medicine, river spiderwort or HDS containing phosphorus or vitamin D. Further studies need to examine renal adverse effects of specific herbal medicines, particularly in relation to acute kidney injury.


Dreams are highly valued in both Freudian psychoanalysis and less conservative clinical traditions. Text mining enables the extraction of meaning from writings in powerful and unexpected ways. In this work, we report methods, uses and results obtained by mining descriptions of dreams. The texts were collected as part of a course in Schizoanalysis (Clinical Psychology) from dozens of participants. They were subsequently mined using various techniques for the achievement of poems and summaries, which were then used in clinical sessions by means of music and declamation. The results were found aesthetically appealing and effective to engage the audience. The expansion of the corpus, mining methods and strategies for using the derivatives for art and therapy are considered for future work.


In recent years, magnesium alloys have emerged as possible biodegradable implant material. A fundamental understanding of the nature of magnesium corrosion and the ability to control this process in vivo is critical to advancing the case for clinical use of magnesium based biomaterials. The biodegradation of magnesium is fundamentally linked to studies of its corrosion, which is dependent on the interfacing dynamics between the material and its environment. Thus, it is required to confirm what variable differentiate the corrosion behavior between in vitro and in vivo before optimizing and standardizing of in vitro test. This study was conducted to understand the biodegradation behavior of commercial AZ31 and Mg-Zn-Ca alloys with plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) under various biological environments using in vivo and in vitro testing methods mimicking in vivo physiological environment. This study is focused on the effect of Zn element concentration and PEO coating for magnesium alloys, and the correlation between the in vivo and in vitro in terms of corrosion rate, types of corrosion and corrosion product formation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


This is a preliminary guide to legal issues that impact groups engaged in mutual aid. It is targeted to groups that have been responding to the COVID-19 crisis in New York, but has information that may be relevant for groups engaged in mutual aid in other contexts and other places. It gives legal information on topics including: risk of liability; questions around governance and incorporation; safety policies, liability waivers, and insurance; banking and mutual aid; funding mutual aid and taxation of mutual aid; crowdfunding regulations; and food storage and safety rules.


The hitherto unknown 5,6-dinitrosalicylic acid has been obtained as a by-product during nitration of salicylic acid. Synthesis of some 3-nitro-, 5-nitro- and 5,6-dinitrosalicylanilides with different substituents on the amine moiety was carried out. Evaluation of the molluscicidal activity of the synthesised salicylanilides is discussed.


Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme deficiency and methemoglobinemia adversely impact on blood transfusion safety by significantly increasing blood storage lesion. Objective: To determine G6PD enzyme deficiency and methemoglobin levels among blood donors in a tertiary hospital-based blood bank in Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: One hundred blood donors who met the criteria for blood donation were prospectively studied. Two milliliters of venous blood was collected from each participant into potassium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid specimen containers and analyzed for G6PD status and methemoglobin levels by spectrophotometry, on the same day of sample collection. Results: Among the donors, 43% had normal G6PD activity (9.32 ± 2.26 U/gHb), 44% had partially enzyme deficiency (4.92 ± 1.33 U/gHb), while 13% had total deficiency (0.47 ± 3.49 U/gHb); these were statistically different (P < 0.001). Methemoglobin concentration was elevated in 25% of study participants (3.05 ± 2.30%), while it was normal in 75% (0.99% ± 0.60%); these differences were statistically different (P < 0.001). Conclusion: A significant proportion of our blood donor set has G6PD enzyme deficiency (partial or total) as well as evidence of oxidation of hemoglobin; these findings have adverse implications on transfusion safety.


Byzantine neume notation is a specific form of note script, used by the Orthodox Christian Church since ancient times until nowadays for writing music and musical forms in sacred documents. Such documents are an object of extensive scientific research and naturally with the development of computer and information technologies the need of a software tool which can assist these efforts is needed. In this paper a set of algorithms for processing and analysis of Byzantine neume notation are presented which include document image segmentation, character feature vector extraction, classifier learning and character recognition. The described algorithms are implemented as an integrated scientific software system.


Low-volume roads are an important part of the world's transportation infrastructure and a direct cause of the socioeconomic development of small city and rural communities. Construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of these roads are major tasks and require a major part of the public works budget. Better design and construction methods can prolong pavement service life and result in lower maintenance and rehabilitation costs. This paper presents a research study done for the city of Arlington in north Texas to stabilize road subsoils with a combined lime and cement stabilizer, which in turn is expected to enhance service life of the roads. Both laboratory tests on stabilized soil mixtures and field performance data are analyzed and presented.


Raman Mapping spectra were collected on the samples of the normal human breast duct epithelia and the infiltrating duct carcinoma with the excitation wavelength of 633 nm and fitted with the morphological model which was presented before by the author. The normalized coefficients were calculated and used to make Raman images. Examining these images, the authors find that they show quite clearly the distribution of the chemicals which the basis spectrum was mainly derived from and that the DNA coefficient image also indicates the positions and scales of the cell nucleus, while the bright DNA area is bigger and brighter for the infiltrating duct carcinoma than for the normal breast dust epithelia, suggesting the cell nucleus in cancer tissue are larger than those in normal tissue. The correlation coefficient images were also made on these mapping spectra and examined in comparison with these model images, and it was showed that the model images have higher resolution and sensitivity although they are very similar. This work is helpful to understanding the morphological basis of the breast tissue Raman spectra and to developing the Raman diagnostic method for breast tumor.


The present paper studies the EU consumer sentiment - heating oil stock prices relationship given the recent changes in the EU economy with the assistance of threshold cointegration. According to our findings, the existence of linearity against threshold cointegration is rejected for all the variables with the exception that of skewness, while the estimation of the threshold vector error correction model does not confirm the short-term dynamics in most cases. Having in mind that oil prices can affect economic activity in real and financial terms and is perceived as news by the consumers, the conclusion reached is in line with the existing literature, according to which consumer confidence is strongly affected by the news dissemination and by the signals of economic growth. The major practical implication of the study is the policy makers' acquisition with tools to create economic condition that improve consumer confidence and promotes economic growth


Uterine sections from 6 patients with incidental nodal lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) were examined for LAM lesions by screening these sections with cathepsin K immunohistochemistry (IHC) stains. The hysterectomy specimens were all concurrent with the lymph node dissections in which the nodal LAM was discovered. In 4 of 6 patients microscopic lesions of pre-LAM were identifi ed and confi rmed by IHC staining for HMB-45 and beta-catenin. All lesions were grossly inapparent and also inapparent by routine hematoxylin and eosin stains. Three variants of pre-LAM lesions were identifi ed. None of the pre-LAM lesions had an associated lymphatic proliferation. It is proposed that these pre-LAM lesions gave rise to the incidental nodal LAM lesions. Furthermore, it is suggested that the absence of an associated lymphatic proliferation associated with these lesions may be a factor in the attenuated potential for spread and the only rare association of these nodal lesions with pulmonary LAM. Research Article


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Our previous study showed that topical alendronate, an inhibitor of bone resorption, reduces root resorption and ankylosis for 21 d after replantation of rat teeth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term inhibitory effects of topical alendronate in the replanted teeth.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The rat maxillary first molars were extracted, placed in saline containing 1 mm alendronate (alendronate group) or saline (saline group) for 5 min and then replanted. The maxillae were dissected at 60 and 120 d. Microcomputed tomography horizontal sections at three root levels were analyzed for root and bone resorption, ankylosis and pulp mineralization.

RESULTS
In the alendronate group at 60 and 120 d, the frequencies of resorption of roots and bone were lower than those in the saline group. The p values show statistical significances of lower frequencies in the alendronate group than in the saline group by chi-square test (see Table 1). Ankylosis and pulp mineralization occurred in the alendronate and saline groups. Bone marrow spaces were narrowed in conjunction with bone tissue expansion around the replanted teeth in the alendronate group.

CONCLUSION
The inhibitory effects of topical alendronate were retained on root and bone resorption, but not on ankylosis and pulp mineralization, in the replanted teeth for 4 mo. Alendronate might also stimulate bone formation around the rat replanted teeth.


Sensitivity studies to the CP-violating parameters of the decay Bs->phi phi with the LHCb experiment are presented. The decay proceeds via a b->s s anti-s gluonic-penguin quark transition, which is sensitive to contributions from beyond the Standard Model particles. A time-dependent angular analysis of simulated data leads to an expected statistical uncertainty of 6 degrees on any new physics induced CP-violating phase for a sample corresponding to 2 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity. The expected precision on sin2beta from the related decay Bd->phi K0S is also discussed.


Sage-grouse (greater sage-grouse [Centrocercus urophasianus] and Gunnison sage-grouse [C. minimus]) were once abundant over a range that approximated that of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in 16 Western States and three Canadian Provinces (Aldrich 1963; Connelly and others 2000; Johnsgard 1973). Although their specific requirements vary seasonally and over their life cycle, sage-grouse are almost completely reliant upon sagebrush habitats (Connelly and others 2000; Crawford and others 2004). Some populations are migratory and require ranges exceeding 1,300 km2 (Wambolt and others 2002).


While the benefits of being market oriented are largely accepted, a group of scholars and managers remain skeptical. Marketing scholars have sought to counter the criticisms leveled against market orientation (MO) by arguing that it has both responsive and proactive dimensions. However, few studies have empirically examined the complexity of the effects of these dimensions on firm performance. Drawing on theories of resource-based advantage and organizational search behavior, this article advances understanding by arguing that responsive and proactive market orientations have curvilinear effects on product development performance, that their interaction may be positively related to product development performance, and that their effects on new product program performance are moderated differentially by the organizational implementation conditions and marketing function power. Survey results of 175 U.S. firms indicate support for most of the hypotheses. Specifically, whereas responsive MO has a U-shaped relationship with new product program performance, proactive MO has an inverted U-shaped relationship with new product program performance. Contrary to the arguments presented here, the interaction of both orientations is negatively related to new product program performance. This study finds that both orientations are needed; however, new product program performance is enhanced when one is at higher level and the other is at lower level. Finally, responsive MO is only positively related to new product program performance under specific conditions such as when strategic consensus among managers is high. On the other hand, the positive effect of proactive MO on new product program performance is further strengthened when learning orientation and marketing power are high. Overall, this study suggests that the effects of responsive and proactive MO on new product program performance are more complex than previously theoretically argued and empirically examined.


SO(2) is widely used in cider fermentation but also in other alcoholic beverages such as wine. Although the authorized limit is 200 ppm total SO(2), the International Organizations recommend its total elimination or at least reduction due to health concerns. Addition of SO(2) to apple juice at levels frequently used in industrial cidermaking (100 mg/L) induced significantly higher acetaldehyde production by yeast than that obtained without SO(2). Although the practical implications of acetaldehyde evolution under cidermaking conditions has been overcome by research and few data are available, this compound reached levels in two 2000 L bioreactors that may have prevented the occurrence of simultaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. It was observed that malolactic fermentation had a positive effect promoting reduction of acetaldehyde levels in cider fermented with juice, SO(2)-treated or not. The addition of SO(2) clearly delayed malolactic fermentation comparing to the control, affecting not the onset of the malolactic fermentation but the rate of malic acid degradation. This compound, however, had a stimulatory effect on alcoholic fermentation.


Work-related asthma is common among adult asthmatics, either asthma initially caused by work (occupational asthma) or pre-existing asthma worsened by work factors (work-exacerbated asthma). Appropriate management depends on both correct diagnosis and on recognition of etiology. Following a systematic literature review, the American College of Chest Physicians enpaneled a group of experts that reviewed this material, extended the literature review, and developed a "Consensus Statement on the Diagnosis, and Management of Work-Related Asthma", published in 2008. This article addresses the main practical aspects of that Consensus Statement, including clinical clues to diagnosis of work-related asthma from the medical history, exposure assessment, targeted diagnostic tests, and directed patient management. The range and importance of preventive measures are also addressed.


Communication is an essential part of human life. In this article, we give an overview of hands-free tactual devices that have been developed and tested for conveying speech or language. We opted for "hands-free" because especially in the case of individuals with impaired vision, in many situations their hands will be occupied with other essential tasks. We start this survey with presenting the various word building blocks that have been tested. These blocks vary from units based on the actual speech signal, via patterns representing phonemes, to letters, or letters coded via Morse or Braille-like patterns. In the second part of this article, studies that use these building blocks to create words are discussed. General findings are that successful devices do not necessarily depend on underlying speech characteriscs, dynamic patterns give better results than static patterns, and more vibrators do not generally give better results. Moreover, some of the most successful devices required only limited training time. Most of the recent devices are still in a quite early state of development and are tested only with a limited number of patterns. However, many of these recent devices give promising results and are worthwhile to further investigate and develop.


Discrete-event simulation (DES) has mainly been used as a production system analysis tool to evaluate new production system concepts, layout and control logic. Recent developments have made DES models feasible for use in the day-to-day operational production and planning of manufacturing facilities. Operative simulation models provide manufacturers with the ability to evaluate the capacity of the system for new orders, unforeseen events such as equipment downtime, and changes in operations. A simulation-based Decision Support System (DSS) can be used to help planners and schedulers organize production more efficiently in the turbulent global manufacturing. This paper presents the challenges for development and the efforts to overcome these challenges for the simulation-based DSS. The major challenges are: 1) data integration 2) automated simulation model creation and updates and 3) the visualization of results for interactive and effective decision making. A recent case study is also presented.


In this paper, gangue backfilling mining in an environment of alluvium soil with different thicknesses was simulated using FLAC3D software and taking into account the actual geological conditions of a coal mine in eastern China. Furthermore, the effects of gangue backfilling mining on the surface subsidence in this environment were analyzed. The results show that with an increase in the thickness of the alluvium soil, the surface subsidence basin range significantly increases, whereas the surface subsidence, surface horizontal movement value and final compression ratio of the backfilling body decrease linearly. Moreover, the effect of the alluvium soil's thickness on the surface subsidence coefficient, surface horizontal movement coefficient and final compression ratio of the backfilling body is larger than that of the bedrock thickness; whereas the effect of the bedrock thickness on the surface subsidence is greater that of the alluvium soil's thickness. Additionally, with an increase in the proportion of the alluvium soil's thickness at a certain mining depth, the surface subsidence coefficient increases exponentially and the surface horizontal movement coefficient decreases in a quadratic polynomial. Meanwhile, backfilling mining can significantly limit the failure caused by overburdening and surface deformation, and lead to the key strata supporting the overlying strata and soil mass effectively. Therefore, the soil mass in a thick alluvium soil environment only causes a small deformation, if any, and reduces the rheological behavior of the thick alluvium soil, which is better for the protection of the surface buildings. These findings have great significance with regard to understanding the surface movement rules of gangue backfilling mining in an environment of alluvium soil with different thicknesses, and could lead to better guidance in this area.


To provide some insight into how deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis occurs in the endometrium of the human uterus during the menstrual cycle, the DNA polymerase activities (alpha and beta) in endometrial samples taken from normal cycling women, and the concentration of estradiol-17 beta (E2) and progesterone in the serum were measured. DNA polymerase alpha activity increased gradually from the beginning of the menstrual cycle, reaching a peak 2-3 days before ovulation, and then showed a decrease. Increase in this activity occurred in parallel with that of the concentration of E2, but not progesterone, in the serum sample in the proliferative phase (correlation coefficient r = 0.924, p less than 0.001). In contrast, DNA polymerase alpha activity stimulated by estrogen in the endometrium of the 2nd grade amenorrheal women decreased abruptly after an injection of 125 mg progesterone. DNA polymerase beta activity showed no significant change during the menstrual cycle or after estrogen and progesterone treatment. These results suggest that estrogen seems to stimulate the induction of DNA polymerase alpha activity during cell proliferation in the endometrium of the human uterus.


ABSTRACT When attempting to synthesize the symmetric aza-heterocyclic-substituted dibenzobarrelene derivatives from the 2-aminobenzimidazole (or 2-aminoimidazoline) with diacid chlorides and diester in the presence of various organic bases, different products were isolated in high yield. NMR spectroscopic analysis proved these products to be dibenzobarrelene-substituted fused benzimidazodiazepine, imidazolinediazepine, and dicarboxamides derivatives. Cyclic or noncyclic dicarboxamides with the dibenzobarrelene skeleton have been synthesized for the first time using these methods. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Abstract : The measurement of eddy current conductivity, in view of its frequency dependent penetration depth, has been suggested as a possible means to allow the nondestructive testing (NDT) of subsurface residual stresses in shot peened specimens. This paper addresses the apparent reduction of the near surface electrical conductivity measured by the eddy current method in the presence of surface roughness. Experimental results are presented on shot peened pure (C11000) copper, in which the effect is particularly strong and readily measurable because of the low penetration depth caused by the very high electric conductivity of the material. Eight shot peened samples between almen intensities 2 and 16 were thermally treated and tested by X-ray diffraction measurements until the residual stress and cold work fully dissipated, leaving only the surface roughness. Eddy current electrical conductivity measurements were carried out on each fully relaxed shot peened copper specimen over a wide frequency range from 1 kHz to 10 MHz. Our results show that surface roughness, acting alone, causes a srong apparent reduction of up to 10 to 20% of the measured electrical conductivity in shot peened copper. These results can be used to estimate the much smaller effect of surface roughness on the testing of shot peened turbine engine materials, which typically have approximately 100 times lower conductivity than pure copper and therefore exhibit 10 times higher penetration depth at the same test frequency. A comparison of the predicted underestimation of the electrical conductivity in the presence of surface roughness to the expected less than 1% conductivity increase due to compressive near surface residual stresses indicates that the described artifact can significantly affect eddy current testing of shot peened turbine engine alloys, such as Ti-6A1-4V or IN100.


Maize is an important food source worldwide and is of considerable industrial importance. Low maize yields are mostly due to low soil fertility, so expensive mineral fertilizers are often used to offset the lack of nutrients. Poultry litter (PL) is one of the most valuable and phosphorous-rich animal wastes. However, PL usually contains veterinary antibiotic residues, particularly fluoroquinolones (FQs), which may alter soil microorganism diversity and resistance patterns. In this study, we aimed to understand the impact of applying mineral (triple superphosphate - STP) or organomineral (STP with PL and reactive Bayovar phosphate with PL) fertilizers (130 or 260 kg/ha of total P2O5) on the structure and composition of the soil bacteriome and on phosphate-mineralizing bacteria associated with the maize rhizosphere. Maize plants were sampled at 60 and 90 days after sowing and a clear rhizosphere effect was observed in all samples. No specific groups of bacterial genera predominated (>3% relative abundance) according to the different fertilizer treatments and most of the genera were shared among samples. Multivariate analyses of 16S rRNA sequences revealed clear clustering based on sampling time and distinct separation from bulk soil samples. Abundances of phosphate-mineralizing bacteria varied depending on the sampling time. We observed a positive effect on phytase activity under the 260 kg STP with PL treatment. Although the FQ enrofloxacin and its main metabolite ciprofloxacin were detected in PL, their concentrations in fertilized soils were below quantification thresholds. Quinolone resistance genes were not detected in the maize rhizosphere or bulk soil. Together, these results suggest that the rhizosphere effect, plant age and applied amounts of fertilizer are more influential on bacterial communities than the type of fertilizer used. Thus, application of PL as an organomineral fertilizer does not appear to have extensive impacts on the bacterial diversity of maize rhizosphere, so it could be an excellent option for enhancing maize production.


Pure iron powders were mechanically milled for 6kmin (100h) to produce nanocrystals with the grain diameter of 13 nm that was measured by X-ray diffraction. The nano-structured iron powders were sintered at temperatures between 556 to 807 °C under an applied pressure of 50 to 79 MPa to form a disc having a diameter of 50 mm. The mean grain size of the compacted discs characterized by transmission electron microscope grows from 90 to 310 nm with increasing sintering temperature. A maximum Vickers hardness and a maximum fracture stress obtained in the present study were 356 Hv and 630 MPa, respectively. The results are discussed in conjunction with the result of warm pressing study performed by Malow and Koch.


Abstract A thin-blade snow hardness gauge was developed that measures penetration resistance over a length scale (on the order of 10–100 grain contacts) relevant to the fracture of slab avalanches. A thin blade was chosen to measure the ruptures of bonds and grain structures and minimize the effects of snow compaction during penetration. The apparatus consists of a 10 cm wide, 0.6 mm thick stainless-steel blade attached to a digital push–pull gauge. Blade penetration measurements are easy to conduct in the field and laboratory and required no post-processing or subjective interpretation. Measurements were conducted in snow pits to test the effects of penetration rate, blade orientation and blade width. The blade hardness index, defined as the maximum force of penetration, is a highly repeatable measure across observers compared to the hand hardness test. The blade hardness index was a better variable than the density for correlating with tensile strength measurements in a cold laboratory and with a cohesive strength measure in the field. As strength is one of the most important parameters in the fracture mechanics of slab avalanches, the strong correlation between thin-blade penetration and strength should benefit future slope stability evaluations using this gauge.


This paper presents an analysis of multi-in-feed HVDC interactions using small signal analysis techniques. The modeling details necessary to adequately represent the dynamics of the HVDC converters and the AC network are investigated and the models are validated against an Electromagnetic Transient Simulation program. The paper shows that AC network dynamics must be modeled in order to obtain meaningful results from the small signal stability study. A small test system with two HVDC in-feeds is then used to demonstrate the presence of interactions in that system. The case studies presented in the paper indicate that it is possible to have interactions between the HVDC terminals in an AC system. The paper recommends that a small signal interaction study similar to what is presented in the paper should be performed to identify these interactions.


This manuscript reports the fabrication of polyethersulfone (PES)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-L) composite membrane for gas separation. ZIF-L is a new type of nanosheet metal-organic frameworks that can selectively separate CO2. Hypothetically, its presence in the selective layer will simultaneously improve CO2 permeance and selectivity. The effect of four parameters (PDMS concentration, withdrawal speed, holding time and ZIF-L:PDMS ratio) involved during the fabrication process on the separation performance were thoroughly looked at. Except for ZIF-L:PDMS ratio, it was found that, all parameters have a significant influence on both, the thickness of selective layer and amount of ZIF-L present. ZIF-L:PDMS ratio has substantial impact on the ZIF-L adhered on the support. The ideal fabrication condition was 3 wt% PDMS concentration, 5 mm/s withdrawal speed, 120s holding time and 1:1 ZIF-L:PDMS ratio. At these conditions, the composite membrane recorded 4.25 GPU, 15.71 GPU and 8.93 GPU of CO2 permeance, CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivity, respectively.


Radiographs of the pelvis of 17 patients who after replacement of the hip joint showed loosening of the acetabular component have been examined as to the degree of osteoporosis by the method of Singh et al. Comparing aseptic and infective loosening showed that in aseptic cases age-related loss of bone-substance was on average more pronounced than in loosening due to infection. Since we have stopped opening the cancellous space in patients with advanced osteoporosis but only fill anchorholes or ridges with cement, we have not seen any more aseptic loosening.


Abstract This article elaborates on Schön's model of design to address the material part of the "design conversation." Bringing in media and mediality studies, our research aims to support a broader understanding of the production of meanings and forms by addressing the difference between materials and mediums. While Schön used both concepts, we show that Dewey's influence on Schön can explain why speaking of mediums as a "system of formation" can better describe the multilayered semiotic working of the material conversation either foregrounding the support and allowing for a bodily experience or foregrounding the message and supporting an interpreting experience.


Abstract Facial nerve function was evaluated in 103 patients, after vestibular schwannoma removal through the translabyrinthine approach. The mean follow-up was 43 months (minimum six months). Grade I facial function was achieved in 100 per cent of stage I schwannomata compared with 36 per cent of stage IV schwannomata. Grade I or II facial function was found in 78 per cent of homogeneous schwannomata, compared with 48 per cent of heterogeneous schwannomata. Facial function was preserved in 89 per cent of cases, if the angle between the internal auditory canal and the schwannoma was >66°, compared with 54 per cent if the angle was <66°. There was 82 per cent of normal facial function when the nerve appeared normal after tumour removal, compared with 18 per cent when the nerve was traumatized. When the ratio (stimulation threshold at the internal auditory canal/stimulation threshold at brainstem) was <2, postoperative facial function was preserved in 87 per cent of cases, compared with 13 per cent when the ratio was >2.


Key points Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is common and its prevalence increases with age. Despite this high prevalence, SDB is frequently unrecognised and undiagnosed in older people. There is accumulating evidence that SDB in older people is associated with worsening cardio- cerebrovascular, cognitive and functional outcomes. There is now good evidence to support the use of continuous positive airway pressure therapy in older patients with symptomatic SDB. Educational aims To highlight the prevalence and presentation of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in older people. To inform readers about the risk factors for SDB in older people. To explore the impact of SDB in older people. To introduce current evidence based treatment options for SDB in older people. Sleep disordered breathing (SBD) increases in prevalence as we age, most likely due to physiological and physical changes that occur with ageing. Additionally, SDB is associated with comorbidity and its subsequent polypharmacy, which may increase with increasing age. Finally, the increased prevalence of SDB is intrinsically linked to the obesity epidemic. SDB is associated with serious outcomes in younger people and, likewise, older people. Thus, identification, diagnosis and treatment of SDB is important irrelevant of age. This article reviews the age-related changes contributing to SDB, the epidemiology and the risk factors for SDB in older people, the association of SDB with adverse outcomes, and diagnostic and treatment options for this population. SDB is common in the elderly and treatment with CPAP therapy should be considered http://ow.ly/YSg5z


The pair interaction between Ge islands on vicinal Si(001) substrates is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy measurements as a function of the miscut angle. By the analysis of the nearest-neighbor island distributions, we assess the dependence of the local strain field on the substrate misorientation. We support our results by modeling elastic relaxation for different shapes and arrangements of islands with finite element calculations.


Abstract Malignant hyperthermia is a potentially lethal condition triggered by succinylcholine exposure or exposure to halogenated anesthetic agents. Early identification of the crisis, as well as the timely administration of the specific treatment, impact the patient's outcomes. Any potential difficulties for dandrolene reconstitution are critical and may cause delays or preventable errors, if the operator is not familiar with the preparation and administration of the drug. The development of a simulation model to learn the process offers the possibility to acquire one of the skills required when facing a crisis of malignant hyperthermia. The high cost of the vials and sometimes the difficult access to the medication due to lack of availability in many institutions makes the option of simulating dantrolene reconstitution attractive, in order to familiarize the surgical team with the management of the drug. In this scenario, we submit a simulation model to learn the process of preparation of dandrolene in a controlled environment.


Introduction:
 A non-cardiac blood based biomarker could enhance treatment monitoring and prognostication for pulmonary hypertension (PH). We investigated the diagnostic and prognostic value of hepatoma derived growth factor (HDGF), a pulmonary angiogenic factor in PH.

 Methods:
 Using a cohort of Johns Hopkins Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic patients (JHPH, n=73; 49% idiopathic PAH, 51% PAH associated with scleroderma), a healthy control group (n=30) and Johns Hopkins Emergency Department (ED) patients with left sided heart failure (N=55) or chronic illnesses (DM, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or smoking, N=66), we investigated the association of HDGF and NT-proBNP and the diagnosis of PH, PH survival, left sided heart failure and chronic disease.

 Results:
 HDGF concentrations were significantly elevated in PH versus healthy controls (p=0.013), left sided heart failure (p=0.0026) or chronic disease (p=0.0002), but were not significantly different between healthy controls versus left sided heart failure (P=0.70) or chronic disease (P=0.29). Among PH subjects, the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) for discriminating survival was 0.71 (p=0.001) for HDGF, with no significant difference between the survival AUC for HDGF and NT-proBNP (p=0.66). The hazard ratio of survival for a HDGF concentration of >0.426 ng/mL was 3.7 (95% CI: 1.5-8.7, P=0.02) and when adjusted for NT-proBNP increased to 4.5 (95% CI: 1.0-20.1, P <0.05) (figure 1). HDGF concentrations were significantly associated with decreased six minute walk distance (6MWD; p=0.04) but not mean PA pressure (p=0.8) or PVR (p=0.4).

 Conclusion:
 HDGF is a novel non-cardiac PH biomarker equivalent to NT-proBNP, not confounded by left sided heart failure and significantly associated with 6MWD, the single most important clinical functional measure in PH. Thus, HDGF may add additional value in PH risk stratification for clinical trials as well as future PH drug development.


The contribution of cerebellum to motor learning is often considered to be limited to adaptation, a short-timescale tuning of reflexes and previous learned skills. Yet, the cerebellum is reciprocally connected to two main players of motor learning, the motor cortex and the basal ganglia, via the ventral and midline thalamus respectively. Here, we evaluated the contribution of cerebellar neurons projecting to these thalamic nuclei in a skilled locomotion task in mice. In the cerebellar nuclei, we found task-specific neuronal activities during the task, and lasting changes after the task suggesting an offline processing of task-related information. Using pathway-specific inhibition, we found that dentate neurons projecting to the midline thalamus contribute to learning and retrieval, while interposed neurons projecting to the ventral thalamus contribute to the offline consolidation of savings. Our results thus show that two parallel cerebello-thalamic pathways perform distinct computations operating on distinct timescales in motor learning.


The classical theory of pattern recognition assumes labeled examples appear according to unknown underlying class conditional probability distributions where the pattern classes are picked randomly in a passive manner according to their a priori probabilities. This paper presents experimental results for an incremental nearest-neighbor learning algorithm which actively selects samples from different pattern classes according to a querying rule as opposed to the a priori probabilities. The amount of improvement of this query-based approach over the passive batch approach depends on the complexity of the Bayes rule.


MRI, done later in life, in two patients with infantile hemiplegia syndrome showed significant volume loss in the cerebellar hemisphere contralateral to the side of the affected cerebrum. The cerebellar volume loss seemed to correlate with the degree of volume loss in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere. These observations provide morphological evidence of the phenomenon of crossed cerebral-cerebellar diaschisis (CCD). Functional neuroimaging studies in support of the concept of CCD has been critically reviewed.


An offset-fed Ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with a slotted ground plane designed for on-body communications is presented in this paper. The antenna consists of a nearly square-shaped radiator, a feed line slightly offset from the middle along the radiator side and a ground plane with several rectangular slots. The offset feed line improves the radiation pattern for on-body communications and the slots on the ground plane improve impedance matching. Simulated and measured results are in good agreement in terms of S11, gain, efficiency and radiation pattern. Measured results show that the antenna can achieve a wide bandwidth from 2.4 to 14.5 GHz, a constant peak gain and high efficiency, and a more omnidirectional radiation pattern in E-plane, making it a good candidate for UWB on-body communications.


As trees seem to be objects of hate as well as of love in the British landscape, this paper attempts to assess the place of forestry in the tangled pattern of British land uses. Both the weaknesses and the strengths of forestry as an important use of land are examined in the light of past events and analyses and as assessed by earlier speakers in the Discussion Meeting. This involves a consideration of existing and future conflict and cooperation between economic, social and amenity aspects of forestry and between private and public interests. The long period of time involved in the production of a mature tree makes it a flow resource of some complexity, particularly in relation to government policy and taxation.