Genetic mapping studies in bacterial, lower eukaryotic, and mammalian systems have demonstrated that the enzyme or enzyme complex involved in the initial incision step of the DNA excision repair pathway is coded for by more than one genetic locus. This paper reports the results of complementation studies that were performed with a number of DNA repair deficient Chinese hamster ovary cell lines. Complementation abilities were measured by comparing the survival of selected mutant X mutant hybrids with that of the tetrapoloid wild type after exposure to a number of physical and chemical agents. In all cases studied, hybrids formed from two different mutant lines showed resistance similar to that of the wild-type line. These results not only demonstrate that the mutant lines were in different complementation groups, but that complementation of a DNA-repair defect associated with one particular agent can complement the defect for another DNA-damaging agent.


To assess the influence of the timing of nephrology referral on the short- and long-term outcome of hemodialysis patients, we retrospectively studied 309 patients who had end-stage renal failure and entered the chronic hemodialysis program in Sainte-Marguerite University Hospital between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1996. We excluded from the analysis five patients without available data on referral pattern and 34 patients with irreversible acute renal failure. Of the remaining 270 patients, 177 patients (58%) had an early referral (ER) 16 or more weeks before the start of dialysis, and 93 patients (31%) had a late referral (LR) of less than 16 weeks before dialysis. Short-time morbidity (initial emergent dialysis, pulmonary edema, severe hypertension, temporary vascular access placement for first dialysis, prolonged initial hospitalization) was significantly more frequent in LR patients. Long-term evolution (mean follow-up, 26.5 +/- 26 months) did not differ between the two groups. The number of days of hospitalization per patient-year at risk beyond the third month was 21.5 +/- 33.7 days for ER and 21.1 +/- 36 days for LR patients. Survival analysis showed no difference between the two groups: 3-month survival rates were 96% in both groups, 1-year survival rates were 90% in the ER and 89% in the LR group, and 5-year survival rates were 52% in the ER and 56% in the LR group. In a Cox hazards regression model, referral pattern was not associated with a greater risk for death. In conclusion, delayed nephrology referral generated strikingly greater initial morbidity, but long-term outcome of hemodialysis patients was not modified by delayed nephrological care.


Soluble fragments of chromatin obtained by Ca, Mg-dependent endonuclease digest of rat liver nuclei, have been separated by gel chromatography on Sepharose 4B into three zones, containing oligomers, tetramers--dimers and monomers, respectively. The content of nonhistone proteins and particularly lysine-rich histones is decreased with a transition from theoligomers to monomers. The average protein/DNA ratio of the monomers is equal to 1.36 and that of histone/DNA ratio--to 0.82. The dependence of the degree of chromatin digest by endonuclease on its protein content and conditions of isolation and incubation of nuclei is discussed. The chromatin monomer formed appears to be made up of a nucleosome and short portions of spacer DNA bound to some part of histone HI and nonhistone proteins.


Women is one of the groups worst affected during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Significant efforts need to be made by the community and government to empower women to survive the hardship. HOD Indonesia itself is a social entrepreneurship that focuses on empowering women at risk and victims of violence in Malang, East Java. This study aimed to analyze the strategy of the House of Diamond (HOD) Indonesia in maintaining its business so that it can support vulnerable women who work in it. Data gathering was carried out through non-participatory observation and in-depth interviews with founders, managers, and empowered women at HOD Indonesia. This study indicated that the strategies of HOD Indonesia in the Pandemic situation are by expanding their product lines (mask and hand-stitched clothes), holding to the core of ethical shopping in determining their market, and encouraging social entrepreneurship among the youngsters to save vulnerable women. To further its impact, HOD Indonesia maintains good relations with its longtime customers from Canada, the US, and some European countries. Their website, www.hod-indonesia.com, and marketing protocols promote ethical shopping and environmental awareness while describing the artisan behind these artworks. The strength of Indonesian HOD is building good communication between working mothers who face the same situation to be a solid team in facing the pandemic.


To evaluate the effectiveness of control strategies during the G20 Summit (August 24–September 6, 2016), five sites were selected for investigating the variation in air pollution in the city of Hangzhou and its surrounding areas. The results showed that the air quality in Hangzhou greatly improved after the implementation of strict emission controls. Compared to the same dates from the five preceding years, the G20 period exhibited low relative humidity during the early stage (August 27–31) and no significant differences in other meteorological conditions. The SO2, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 concentrations averaged across the five sites in Hangzhou decreased by 42.6%, 57.1%, 36%, and 38.5%, respectively, although the average O3 concentration increased by 19%. These changes indicate that the emission reduction measures decreased the concentrations of several pollutants. Compared to the same dates from the previous year (August 24–September 6, 2015), the G20 period exhibited significantly decreased concentrations for most of the chemical components of PM2.5, particularly SO42–, NO3–, and NH4+. Additionally, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the NO2 column densities were found to exhibit similar trends with that of the pollutants in this city.


SUMMARY The susceptibility of Brugia malayi and Onchocerca lienalis microfilariae to H2O2 and NO either in cell-free culture or from IFNγ-activated macrophages was examined. In cell-free culture, O. lienalis microfilariae were highly susceptible to H2O2 induced toxicity, exhibiting rapid reductions in motility and viability. The addition of exogenous catalase abrogated H2O2-induced killing. In contrast, B. malayi microfilariae were relatively resistant to H2O2, with concentrations as high as 50 μM having no effect on motility or viability. On exposure to NO, both species showed reductions in motility within 5–30 min, but longer was required to see effects on the viability of microfilariae. Parasites incubated with IFNγ-activated macrophages also exhibited marked reductions in motility and viability. In cultures with B. malayi and activated macrophages, inhibition of these effects was achieved by the addition of either L-NMMA, to abolish NO production, or neutralizing anti-TNFα antibodies. Attempts to inhibit parasite killing by the addition of catalase to macrophage cultures were ineffective. The results of this study show that B. malayi and O. lienalis microfilariae have different susceptibility to H2O2, but are equally affected by exposure to NO. Moreover both species are killed by IFNγ-activated macrophages and in the case of B. malayi, killing is dependent on the generation of NO via TNFα.


A systematic and explicit instruction using the concrete-representation-abstract sequence is commonly used for diagnostic and remedial approaches. However, this instructional approach might prevent pupils with learning difficulties to think and reason during mathematics learning. In this study, the authors integrated behaviorist and constructivist approach to help indigenous pupils learn addition and subtraction of whole number using manipulative and drawings. The usual practice in mathematics remediation and effect of an alternative instructional approach were investigated. Using a case study design, a teacher and six indigenous pupils were involved. Data was collected using observation, pupils' work, and interview. Analysis process involved transcribing, segmenting, coding, creating themes, and inter-relating themes. Results indicated that explicit instruction and drill-and-practice were commonly used in the mathematics remediation classroom. Pupils were weak in conceptual understanding and also arithmetic skills. However, participation in mathematical processes and extensive use of physical, pictorial, and symbolic representations of mathematical ideas had helped the participating pupils gained firm conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction, and thus improved their arithmetic skills. Some pupils responded positively towards constructivist approach of instruction but others still needed explicit and individual instruction from their teacher. Keywords: Conceptual understanding, concrete materials, drawings, integrated approach, procedural knowledge


This one-day workshop invites designers, researchers and practitioners whose work might involve design, to collectively speculate about designed artefacts and technologies through the creation of drawing conversations: visual dialogues resulting from the merging of drawings created by different people. The workshop aims to use drawing as an activity for collaborative engagement with ambiguity, interpretation and mutual learning. Through drawing activities, we aim to join in Venice's rich creative traditions, and develop speculative visualisations in order to find common grounds between the diverse research interests of our organisers and participants.


Growing interest in classic French music and theatrical entertainment has brought with it awareness of the prominent role of dance in French culture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Primary sources from which social and theatrical dances of the period may be reconstructed have inspired much enthusiasm on the part of performers and students of the French classic period. The sources described in this volume consist of printed matter issued during the reigns of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI, representing the period 1643-1789. The work focuses upon writings that bear directly or indirectly upon French court dance and its music, its practitioners in France, and its imitators abroad.


Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common type of the gastrointestinal tract. Anastomotic leak (AL), is the most important complication of colorectal surgery. In this retrospective study, we evaluated efficacy and tolerability of transanal tube No Coil® in patients with CRC undergoing low anterior resection (LAR) and left hemicolectomy (LC). Methods. Thirty-eight patients operated by the same team for primary colorectal adenocarcinoma were collected, 24 LC and 14 LAR. Neither defuncioning stoma nor neoadjuvant therapy not was administered to anyone patients. No Coil® was placed immediately after the end of surgical treatment.Results. In our experience, LC was performed in 24 individuals (63%), LAR in 14 individuals (37%). AL was evident in 2,63 % of the sample; no statistical difference was found in AL occurrence between LC and LAR with only one patient in LAR group.Conclusion. With our preliminary data, we suggest that No Coil® placement can be considered as a valuable procedure assisting colorectal surgery, but further studies are required to confirm and enlarge actual evidence.


Concurrent computer programs are fast becoming prevalent in many critical applications. Unfortunately, these programs are especially difficult to test and debug. Recently, it has been suggested that injecting random timing noise into many points within a program can assist in eliciting bugs within the program. Upon eliciting the bug, it is necessary to identify a minimal set of points that indicate the source of the bug to the programmer. In this paper, we pose this problem as an active feature selection problem. We propose an algorithm called the iterative group sampling algorithm that iteratively samples a lower dimensional projection of the program space and identifies candidate relevant points. We analyze the convergence properties of this algorithm. We test the proposed algorithm on several real-world programs and show its superior performance. Finally, we show the algorithms' performance on a large concurrent program.


The following article, as a result of our PhD thesis, intends to present the conceptual basis of Vigotsky's culturalhistorical approach for the comprehension of language, proper to the human species. To understand the individual as a social and cultural being in a developmental history, that goes from interpersonal to intrapersonal, and language being the mediator of all his/her relations. Likewise, to highlight the contributions of this approach for the education of people with special needs. To stress that this person is a social individual that develops through social, cultural and historical relations by the mediation of another individual and the existing signs in this mediation, the language being the main sign. We can conclude that, from the cultural-historical approach, a leap is expected in the development of the individual with special needs in the personal relations context, in the teacher's enabling and engaging attitudes and the mediating action of signs.


Triolism is an uncommon sexual variety. Through its examination, the nature of explanation itself in Sexology is clarified and much is learned about sexuality in general. The prevalent explanations based on voyeurism, exhibitionism, latent homosexuality, and the Oedipal complex, are rejected as pseudo-scientific "one factor" theories, nonhumanistic, and anti-therapeutic. Content analysis was performed on letters written by triolists. This analysis supplied information on the couples involved, the nature and development of their sexual practices, and the effects on the couples' relationship. Based on this analysis, an alternative explanatory model is presented. It consists of an interplay of three groups of factors: Sexuality in the framework of marriage, the role of visuality in human sexuality, and coping with inhibitions in sexual functioning. Thus, triolism can be conceived as a result of a problem solving process in which a person finds a creative combined solution to these and other concerns.


The oxidation-reduction potentials of Escherichia coli cytochromes have been studied by a recently described technique for automated electrodic potentiometry (Hendler, R.W., Songco, D., and Clem, T.R. (1977) Anal. Chem. 49, 1908-1913; Hendler, R.W. (1977) Anal. Chem. 49, 1914-1918), where entire spectra are recorded at a series of solution potentials. New techniques for resolution of the spectra versus voltage data have been applied. The results indicate that a 1-electron transport chain conducts electrons from substrate to cytochrome d, which is the cytochrome oxidase. Cytochrome d contains several components which appear to increase electron transfer first to a 2-electron stage and then to a 4-electron stage for the final reduction of a molecule of oxygen to 2 molecules of water.


: The objective of the present paper is to examine the two contrastive yet interconnected processes activated in parody: conservative and revolutionary. The conservative drive is associated with the continuation and reinforcement of the parodied original while the revolutionary drive refers to the transgressive and critical potential of the parodic text, often realised in mockery, satire or deconstruction. Her Aching Heart by Bryony Lavery, a parody of a Gothic romance, displays both of these tendencies, which in their interplay and opposition lead to the point of the cultural disruption in an attempt at lesbian representation. The parody of the Gothic historical romance in Her Aching Heart is performed through exaggeration, replacement and experiment in gender roles distribution. With the Gothic romance's heavy dependence on clear gender oppositions, Lavery's exploration of the same-sex casting, multiple role-playing, and cross-dressing necessarily and subversively redefines the genre's formula, leading to the point of its disintegration. In this respect, the play can be classified as self-parodic and self-referential. Its interest lies in questioning the possibility of representation of alternative forms of love within as well as without the convention of romance, and thus indirectly searching for the possibility of formulating alternative lesbian dramaturgy.


In vitro studies on the antibacterial activity of nitroxoline and sulphamethizole, alone and in combination, were undertaken and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) determined on a range of urinary pathogens. Eighty per cent of the strains tested were sensitive to less than or equal to 16 mg/l of nitroxoline, and all strains, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus faecalis, were sensitive to less than or equal to 64 mg/l of nitroxoline. No synergism could be demonstrated with sulphamethizole, but the combination was antagonistic when tested against strains of Ps. aeruginosa and Strep. faecalis. An in vivo study on 10 volunteers showed excellent urinary levels of nitroxoline and sulphamethizole after an oral dose of 160 mg of each agent, and 6-hour urinary nitroxoline levels were greater than or equal to 64 mg/l in 9 of the 10 subjects, and sulphamethizole levels were greater than or equal to 64 mg/l in all 10 subjects. Laboratory findings suggest that nitroxoline and sulphamethizole are both suitable agents for use in urinary tract infections caused by organisms sensitive to these agents, but there appears to be litte advantage in using them in combination.


The rotational spectrum of aniline-methanol was investigated in the frequency region 3-19 GHz using a pulsed molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Sixty-three measured a- and b-type transitions show a fine structure due to internal rotation of the methyl group. The resulting A and E lines are additionally split into hyperfine components arising from quadrupole coupling of the (14)N nucleus. The torsional motion of the methyl group is hindered by an effective barrier V(3) of nearly 215 cm(-1), which is almost one-half of the methanol barrier height. The structure of the complex was calculated assuming a common symmetry plane for the monomers. These form a linear N vertical ellipsis H-O hydrogen bond. Its distance was found to be 3.03 Å, which is identical with that of aniline-water. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.


Despite its title, this book does not look exclusively at the massacre that occurred at Marikana on 16 August 2012, when South African police officers shot and killed 34 striking mineworkers and wounded 78 others. Rather, it places that event in the context of a longer, larger struggle for dignity and economic freedom by the working class in South Africa. The authors did not do this to trivialise this significant event but to implore the reader to recognise that it was one moment, one particular incident in a long history of struggle and conflict, one that is not necessarily more important than another. As such, it pursues what George Lipsitz has called the 'long fetch', looking into the past and identifying the forces that slowly shaped what may otherwise appear to have been sudden and inexplicable.1 The book does this by attempting to describe the tensions between the various 'ordinary' individuals – the striking employees of Lonmin's platinum mine at Marikana – and their relationships to the labour collectives they started, helped lead, or held to account. It attempts to show how understanding these tensions is crucial to understanding the events that occurred at Marikana, and understanding South Africa as an economic project.


The potential ability of the phosphoryl group to undergo enolisation is demonstrated. The conditions for enolisation of phosphoryl and thiophosphoryl groups are examined. In order to determine the acidifying capacity of groups attached to the α-carbon atom, constants that depend on the number of substituents on this atom have been used. The limiting values of the totals of the constants that are responsible for enolisation of the phosphoryl group have been calculated. It is shown that enolisation of the phosphoryl group obeys the laws comprising the theory of prototropic tautomeric acid–base equilibrium. The bibliography includes 71 references.


Smart structures have attracted significant research attention in the last decade, mainly due to the capabilities of advanced concrete in electrical resistance-enabled self-sensing. In this study, we present a type of environment-friendly, self-sensing concrete enabled by electrical resistance. Environment-friendly, self-sensing concrete was casted with the additions of byproduct wastes (i.e., coal fly ash (FA), blast furnace slag (BOF) and red mud (RM)) at various volume fractions and cured using the conditions of 3, 7 and 28 days. The self-sensing concrete samples were experimentally tested to investigate the effects of the byproduct wastes on the mechanical and electrical properties (i.e., compressive strength and electrical resistance). In the end, parametric studies were experimentally conducted to investigate the influences of the byproduct wastes on the mechanical and electrical properties of the reported environment-friendly, self-sensing concrete.


Adult intussusception is a different disease from that encountered in
children with a higher rate of pathological lead points, the majority
of which in the colon are malignant. This has supported a practice of
mandatory laparotomy and en bloc resection without reduction for
colonic adult intussusception. We report three cases of adult colonic
intussusception, which demonstrate a variety of presenting features and
discuss the investigation and treatment of this uncommon condition.


This paper examined the relationship between corporate social investment and revenue in Woolworths Holdings Limited South Africa. The approach is thus a single case study, and financial data on social investment and revenue was retrieved from the Woolworths Holdings' Good Business Journey report 2008 -2013 and from its annual report of 2002 2007. Using the SPSS statistics software, a correlation was sought between the Woolworths Holdings' social investment expenditure and revenue, earnings per share and return on equity. Findings from the analysis revealed that, within the six years of Woolworths Holdings' Good Business Journey, a significant positive relationship exists between Woolworths Holdings' social investment and its revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and return on equity (ROE). A further analysis of difference in means using the t-test statistics indicates that the revenue streams to Woolworths Holdings' between 2008 – 2013 is significantly greater than the revenue streams in the six years before the Good Business Journey. In conclusion, the paper suggests a new research model, referred to in this research as the share holders' support for corporate social investment model, and it is represented as: SHSSI = f (Rv+Es+Re+Of). The paper thus offers an agenda for further research to apply the above model to evaluate the degree of shareholders' interest and support for corporate social investment in retailing and other companies.


In the last few decades the concepts of structure-preserving discretization, geometric integration and compatible discretizations have emerged as subfields in the numerical approximation of ordinary and partial differential equations. The article discusses certain selected topics within these areas; discretization techniques both in space and time are considered. Lie group integrators are discussed with particular focus on the application to partial differential equations, followed by a discussion of how time integrators can be designed to preserve first integrals in the differential equation using discrete gradients and discrete variational derivatives. Lie group integrators depend crucially on fast and structure-preserving algorithms for computing matrix exponentials. Preservation of domain symmetries is of particular interest in the application of Lie group integrators to PDEs. The equivariance of linear operators and Fourier transforms on non-commutative groups is used to construct fast structure-preserving algorithms for computing exponentials. The theory of Weyl groups is employed in the construction of high-order spectral element discretizations, based on multivariate Chebyshev polynomials on triangles, simplexes and simplicial complexes. The theory of mixed finite elements is developed in terms of special inverse systems of complexes of differential forms, where the inclusion of cells corresponds to pullback of forms. The theory covers, for instance, composite piecewise polynomial finite elements of variable order over polyhedral grids. Under natural algebraic and metric conditions, interpolators and smoothers are constructed, which commute with the exterior derivative and whose product is uniformly stable in Lebesgue spaces. As a consequence we obtain not only eigenpair approximation for the Hodge–Laplacian in mixed form, but also variants of Sobolev injections and translation estimates adapted to variational discretizations.


Objectives of the study: Preparing special exercises using auxiliary means according to the values of some biomechanical variables to teach the performance of the shooting skill from the angle, unlike the preferred side of the junior handball. Knowing the effect of special exercises using auxiliary means on the values of some Biokinetic variables in teaching the skill of shooting from the corner, unlike the preferred side of the junior handball. Conclusions: The results showed the effectiveness of using special exercises according to the mechanical foundations of the angle shooting skill, unlike the preferred side of the hand ball for emerging players through the high level of shooting accuracy as a result of the development in the level of the series of biomechanical variables in the pre and post tests and in favor of the post test.The special exercises contributed directly to the development of the variables and characteristics of the strength characteristic, which showed in the development of values (the lowest strength in the absorption stage, the time of the lowest strength in the absorption stage, the maximum strength in the rise stage, and the area under the curve). Recommendations: The necessity to focus on the biomechanical laws that basically control every stage of performance, the skill of correcting from the angle, through what these values achieved in terms of moral differences that have effectively contributed to the high level of performance and with less effort.


Tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) is a kind of magnetic sensor with the advantages of low cost and high sensitivity. For ultra-weak and low-frequency magnetic field measurement, the TMR sensor is affected by the 1/f noise. This paper proposes an AC modulation method with impedance compensation to improve the performance. The DC and AC characteristics of the sensors were measured and are presented here. It was found that both the equivalent resistance and capacitor of the sensors are affected by the external magnetic field. The TMR sensors are connected as a push–pull bridge circuit to measure the magnetic field. To reduce the common-mode noise, two similar bridge circuits form a magnetic gradiometer. Experimental results show that the sensor's sensitivity in the low-frequency range is obviously improved by the modulation and impedance compensation. The signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor at 1 Hz was increased about 25.3 dB by the AC modulation, impedance compensation, and gradiometer measurement setup. In addition, the sensitivity of the sensor was improved from 165.2 to 222.1 mV/V/mT. Ultra-weak magnetic signals, namely magnetocardiography signals of two human bodies, were measured by the sensor in an unshielded environment. It was seen that the R peak of MCG can be clearly visualized from the recorded signal.


The focus of this essay is on the presence and significance of Leros in the poetry of Dimitris Tsaloumas. Of particular interest is the quality and agency of light; and the inclusion of Greek Orthodox references and imagery in many of his poems. These corporeal and incorporeal aspects of that island are those which Tsaloumas internalised as integral elements of his identity long before he embarked on what was to be a protracted period of voluntary exile. During his years in Australia, which contributed new input to enrich and expand his personal and poetic consciousness, Tsaloumas never lost sight of his original reference points: the natural and cultural context of Leros, and the spiritual precepts with which he was imbued by the Greek Orthodox Church.


Novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a new respiratory disease that has spread widely throughout the world. On February 20, 2020, the first Italian case of COVID-19 was reported. The infection rapidly spread across the country, and by August 11, 2020, a total of 250 566 official cases with 32 205 deaths (12.8%) were reported in Italy, counting a total of 96 884 positive cases and 16 833 deaths (17.3%) in the Lombardy region only. A huge demand to handle the COVID-19 outbreak challenged both the health care providers and the ordinary work in the hospital. From the beginning of the crisis, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, a 1318-bed tertiary care university hospital located in Lombardy, Northern Italy, has played a major role in supporting the national health care system for the treatment of COVID-19 cases, and a significant reorganization of the hospital was immediately required. The reorganization was carried out both structurally and with regard to the distribution of medical and nonmedical staff. This article aims to highlight the management strategies for the health care staff subsequent to the pandemic intense workload in San Raffaele Scientific Institute.


Evaluation of the Influence of Interdepartmental Training on Early Pregnancy Loss Management Practice Change Robin Billings Supplee Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Associate Professor, Daniel A. Enquobahrie Epidemiology and Health Services Background: Treatment of early pregnancy loss (EPL) with expectant, medical or surgical management in the emergency department (ED) or in the outpatient clinic is safe, saves cost and time, and is preferred by some women. Nevertheless, surgical management in the operating room (OR) by an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) remains conventional practice. The purpose of this study was to determine how an interdepartmental education and training intervention for EPL management affects the integration of comprehensive EPL management services within a large academic medical training institution. Methods: The Training Education and Advocacy in Miscarriage Management (TEAMM) project has provided interprofessional EPL management trainings over the past 8 years. In 2016, TEAMM began providing interdepartmental EPL trainings. In order to evaluate this new training approach, qualitative interviews were conducted with training attendees from 5 sites. Questions elicited information about participants' perceptions regarding challenges facing their institution in integrating a full spectrum of EPL management services, ways it was beneficial to have both the OB/GYN and the emergency departments at the training and steps taken at their institution since the training to implement comprehensive EPL management. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and then coded with deductive and inductive coding to generate important themes reflected by the responses. Results: A total of 27 training attendees were interviewed. Perceived challenges to implementing full spectrum EPL management were: 1) lack of leadership buy-in, 2) unfamiliarity with manual uterine aspirations (MUAs), 3) institutional memory of a negative experience, 4) lack of systems and protocols, 5) discomfort associated with providing emotional support, and 6) ambiguity regarding the EPL/elective abortion relationship. The most significant positive outcomes of the training were: 1) increased understanding of MUAs, 2) increased understanding of the systems, roles and responsibilities surrounding EPL management, 3) acquisition of communication skills, and 4) clarification of the EPL/elective AB relationship. The majority of steps taken since the training towards the integration of comprehensive management of EPL were aimed at addressing the significant barrier of not having protocols supporting the provision of MUAs outside of the OR. Conclusions: The study results support the continuation of interdepartmental trainings as a means of helping with the implementation of EPL management outside of the OR. Having ED and the OB/GYN staff together to share perspectives and experiences was important to furthering the process of practice change. This study can be used as a resource for institutions wanting to bring a more patient centered approach to EPL management.


In this thesis, I investigate the Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) technique as a hyperpolarisation method to solve the MRI sensitivity problem and use it to study the interaction of hyperpolarised molecules with biological tissues. The fundamental issue in MRI and NMR is the very low sensitivity produced as a result of small population differences between nuclear spin states in a magnetic field. The main aim of my project is to develop imaging procedures for use in a human 3T MRI scanner with hyperpolarised samples and to investigate the use of spin hyperpolarisation in the study of biological processes in vitro. The objective is to understand, develop and optimise the use of the SABRE method of spin hyperpolarisation with a variety of biologically relevant molecules.
This thesis shows how the fringe field of the 3T magnet can be used for polarisation and how the time dependency of the decay of signals in the scanner can be investigated. In particular I investigated the non-exponential decay of the signals and have attempted to explain the origin of this decay. The observations show strong evidence that the signal from hyperpolarised Pyrazine decays with a non-exponential time course. The major evidence against this being turbulence is that the deviation from an exponential decay is field dependent. This has also been shown with Nicotinamide and with Pyridine. Further investigations show that exposing the sample to heart tissue shows faster decay (shorter T1) than the sample without tissue. It is postulated that this effect is due to binding to specific ion channels that leads to the change in T1. It is postulated that this could be exploited to develop a specific imaging method for tissue bound hyperpolarised molecules. Moreover, with longer imaging times, it was shown that a signal returned in the presence of tissue and that this was evidence of possible long-lived states.
The observations in the final chapter demonstrate progress in developing the exploitation of long-lived states. The SABRE method was used to create magnetisation in Pyridazine. This large signal was then converted into a singlet state and it is shown that this signal can be read out some time later. The long-lived state was used to store the signal for over three minutes. This was repeated with and without heart tissue in the NMR sample. The presence of biological tissue, added after the formation of the singlet state, resulted in an increased signal and it is argued that this is evidence of an interaction between the tissue and the hyperpolarised molecule, It is suggested that the singlet state evolves into observable magnetisation on interaction with the tissue and that this could form the basis of a unique imaging contrast storage and readout method for specific molecular-tissue interactions.


Liver lacerations may be surgically treated by using the omentum as packing. A radiologist can differentiate potential postoperative complications, such as abscess, hematoma, and biloma, from these packs on computed tomographic scans by noting attenuation values.


Fate decisions in the embryo are controlled by a plethora of microenvironmental interactions in a three‐dimensional niche. To investigate whether aspects of this microenvironmental complexity can be engineered to direct myogenic human‐induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) differentiation, we here screened murine cell types present in the developmental or adult stem cell niche in heterotypic suspension embryoids. We identified embryonic endothelial cells and fibroblasts as highly permissive for myogenic specification of hiPSCs. After two weeks of sequential Wnt and FGF pathway induction, these three‐component embryoids are enriched in Pax7‐positive embryonic‐like myogenic progenitors that can be isolated by flow cytometry. Myogenic differentiation of hiPSCs in heterotypic embryoids relies on a specialized structural microenvironment and depends on MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and Notch signaling. After transplantation in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, embryonic‐like myogenic progenitors repopulate the stem cell niche, reactivate after repeated injury, and, compared to adult human myoblasts, display enhanced fusion and lead to increased muscle function. Altogether, we provide a two‐week protocol for efficient and scalable suspension‐based 3D derivation of Pax7‐positive myogenic progenitors from hiPSCs.


Fast and automatic detection of airports from remote sensing images is useful for many military and civilian applications. In this paper, a fast automatic detection method is proposed to detect airports from remote sensing images based on convolutional neural networks using the Faster R-CNN algorithm. This method first applies a convolutional neural network to generate candidate airport regions. Based on the features extracted from these proposals, it then uses another convolutional neural network to perform airport detection. By taking the typical elongated linear geometric shape of airports into consideration, some specific improvements to the method are proposed. These approaches successfully improve the quality of positive samples and achieve a better accuracy in the final detection results. Experimental results on an airport dataset, Landsat 8 images, and a Gaofen-1 satellite scene demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.


Attention has been directed in recent years to a type of dyscrasia of the blood, erythroblastosis foetalis, which occurs in the newly born. We present a case of the condition accompanied by icterus gravis neonatorum, in which what was thought to be recovery occurred after repeated blood transfusions and was followed by symptoms of degeneration of the central nervous system, which we thought were due to kernicterus. Mental retardation, muscular spasticity and convulsions were prominent, and death came when the child was 13 months old. Diamond, Blackfan and Baty 1 presented a summary of erythroblastosis foetalis, with a discussion of the pathologic process. Zimmerman and Yannet 2 showed that this condition, with its concomitant jaundice, can produce kernicterus, or jaundice of the nuclear masses of the brain, which may cause the cerebral malfunctions which subsequently show themselves in patients who have had erythroblastosis foetalis. Their second paper 3 definitely proves


Chinese toys have taken over most of the world; one will hardly find toys from local manufacturers on store shelves these days. The present research has been conducted on secondary data of import of toys from China for the period 2008-2009 to 2012-2013. Chinese manufacturer have the capability to significantly undercut prices offered by foreign competitor over a wide range of products. Today as a, result of the "china price" china has captured over 70% of the world market share for toys. Toys can be categorized by age group like infants,toddlers,and  grownups.Therfore china  dominates to electronic market of India, Because the Chinese electronic  toys are much cheaper  than other  country toys, and India is the country of middle class and they want  less expensive products.The import of china toys is good for Indian economy because its provides employment to Indian people. Therefore import of china toys is successful  for Indian economy. As Indian government had put a partial ban on import of toys from china during 2007,the regulations concerning import of   toys from China has become stringent now. As a blanket ban on imports of all toys from China was put in place by India in previous years, which affected China's export of Toys to India temprorally declined. Results of the study propounded that there will be a constant increase in import value of toys from China during 2014 to 2018.But at the same time it should not be forgotten that present party which has come in center in India, how it will take imports whether it will reassure or discourage it during 2014 to 2018 need more analysis.


A `state of the art' model A surpasses humans in a benchmark B, but fails on similar benchmarks C, D, and E. What does B have that the other benchmarks do not? Recent research provides the answer: spurious bias. However, developing A to solve benchmarks B through E does not guarantee that it will solve future benchmarks. To progress towards a model that `truly learns' an underlying task, we need to quantify the differences between successive benchmarks, as opposed to existing binary and black-box approaches. We propose a novel approach to solve this underexplored task of quantifying benchmark quality by debuting a data quality metric: DQI.


Herein, we report a rare case of metastatic secondary cardiac myxofibrosarcoma in a 33-year-old female patient. The tumor infiltrated the right lung and was extending into the heart via the right superior pulmonary vein. The patient who initially presented with a stroke was found to be at a high risk of recurrent embolic events and therefore was managed successfully surgically with a complex joint thoracic and cardiac tumor resection. This case illustrates that, in the setting of an extensive metastatic myxofibrosarcoma, an aggressive palliative surgical resection can be successfully performed to improve quality of life.


Abstract A biological assessment was done to determine the impact of heavy metal discharge from the Schuykill Metals Recycling Plant (SMCP) on Cannon Creek, Missouri, its receiving stream. The relationship between sediment chemistry and chironomid emergence was examined. Twenty-four heavy metals and nutrients from the SMCP discharge effluent were examined in Cannon Creek from above the effluent, at the effluent, and below the effluent. Five heavy metals (barium, cadmium, lead, manganese, and zinc) and sodium varied significantly between sites. Changes in community composition, mean abundance of emerging chironomids, and Kansas Biotic Index Values were used to detect impairment by heavy metals and nutrients in Cannon Creek. Concentrations of lead and zinc in Cannon Creek were at levels potentially lethal to chironomids, yet mean abundance of emerging chironomids actually increased with the increase of heavy metals and nutrients and showed a strong and positive correlation with barium and sodium, and a weaker correlation with increases in lead and cadmium. Chironomid diversity patterns did not correlate with the concentrations of heavy metals in Cannon Creek. Community similarity between sites was greatest between the reference site and the site at the SMCP discharge effluent. Low similarity between sites was attributed to gross changes in stream morphology rather than to any effects from the SMCP effluent. Finally, the KBI tolerance values to heavy metals for chironomids in Cannon Creek were above those encountered in the reference condition for the Western Cornbelt Plains Ecoregion, indicating minimal impairment.


We propose a new class of descriptors which exhibits the ability to yield meaningful structural descriptions of objects. These descriptors are constructed from two types of image primitives: quadrangles and ellipses. The primitives are extracted from an image based on human cognitive psychology and model local parts of objects. Experiments reveal that these primitives densely cover objects in images. In this regard, structural information of an object can be comprehensively described by these primitives. It is found that a combination of simple spatial relationships between primitives plus a small set of geometrical attributes provide rich and accurate local structural descriptions of objects. Category level object detection of four-legged animals, bicycles, and cars images is demonstrated under scaling, moderate viewpoint variations, and background clutter. Promising results are achieved.


Abstract Using high-frequency Italian administrative data, the author studies the heterogeneous effects of a reform raising the normal retirement age (NRA) from 60 years to 65 years for private-sector male employees. The analysis, based on a difference-in-differences (DD) method, shows that the NRA raise reduces pension benefit claims but does not lead to a one-to-one increase in the employment rate since workers also apply for more disability and unemployment benefits. Moreover, most of them simply retire without any benefit. The extent of the effects varies substantially across socio-economic groups, as individuals with poorer health, with lower occupational grades and lower pay levels are the most constrained by the reform, experiencing the highest delay in pension claims, increase in employment, and inactivity. All in all, this paper shows that raising the NRA could have unintended effects as it affects more negatively the most vulnerable in the labor market.


In Business Cycles (1939) Schumpeter took up empirical data which had been produced by Kondratieff, and made the "clustering" of innovations into the actual cause of long economic cycles. The book was a failure, largely due to negative reviews which stressed the poor quality of its statistical analysis. In fact, an even more serious fault in it is its reflection of a near‐total blind spot in Schumpeter's perspective about the part played by law in economic life. He thought that "It is entirely immaterial whether or not [changes in the institutional framework] are embodied in, or recognized by, legislation." The reality is that the concept of co‐evolution of technology and ways of doing business, on the one hand, and legal changes which affect the conditions for investment in them, on the other, explain long cycles much more persuasively than Schumpeter's approach. It suggests that the first Kondratieff cycle was made possible by the availability of "full" property rights, the second by general limited liability law (which Schumpeter thought was "of comparatively small importance") and the third by new patent legislation which made corporate investment in R&D attractive. Schumpeter only discussed three cycles, but a co‐evolutionary perspective makes it possible to envisage a fourth cycle as dependent upon the trademark laws which sustain advertising and mass markets, and a fifth one, in which the entertainment and information industries have been similarly underwritten by copyright law. The most plausible reason why Schumpeter undervalued laws was his attraction to the economic interpretation of history. According to this, laws, like ideas, are no more than reflections on a psychic level of social and economic realities, and have little or no power to shape these. For Keynes, in contrast, "it is ideas, not vested interests, that are dangerous for good or ill". There was consequently no place for co‐evolution in Schumpeter's thought. But what made him publish a book which he described as "a house which is not finished and furnished", when he did? It could be that the stimulus was evidence of the huge fame which Keynes's General Theory was already winning.


The Niger Delta is one of the world's largest wetlands and includes by far the largest mangrove forest in Africa. Within this extremely valuable ecosystem, oil activities are widespread - Rivers State and Delta State produce 75 percent of Nigeria's petroleum, which represents over 50 percent of national government revenues. However, despite its vast oil reserves, the region remains poor. Gross National product (GNP) per capita is below the national average of US$280. Optimal resource and land use in the region is constrained by a lack of development, stagnant agricultural productivity, very limited opportunities in urban areas, rapid population growth, the generally poor health of the expanding population and tenuous property rights. Conflicts have developed between local communities and private and public developers over resource ownership and use, particularly tied to oil activities. This study, Defining An Environmental Development Strategy for the Niger Delta, attempts to move beyond emotive arguments to provide an analytical basis for substantive stakeholder discussion of the most critical environmental and social issues and possible interventions. It offers a comprehensive assessment of the environmental issues in the Delta and resulting social impacts. The report was developed based on an innovative and highly participatory process which emphasized beneficiary consultation and collaboration to ensure local ownership.


This technology foresight project was motivated by the significant resources recently invested, both nationally and internationally, in the development of increasingly advanced and complex robots. There is a need to examine the perspectives, possibilities and consequences of development and utilisation of advances in robotics. The goal of the foresight project is to formulate a robust and broadly accepted foundation that can be used to identify opportunities for innovation associated with the development of robot technology that seem particular promising for Demark within a time frame of ten years.


Endolymphatic hydrops (EH) associated with otosclerosis has been noted for many years. However, the causal relationship of these two entities remains controversial. Having reviewed the records of patients with otosclerosis describing fluctuant hearing loss and vertiginous symptoms, the authors found the EH may coexist with otosclerosis preoperatively; they may be two separate diseases that exist coincidentally; or EH may be caused by the otosclerotic process. Secondly, EH may occur with a fistula after surgery. Occurring after stapedectomy, EH may be caused by fistulization of the bony labyrinth, which is effectively treated by surgery to seal the fistula, which may cause EH to subside and hearing to improve. Thirdly, delayed EH may occur months or years after stapedectomy, possibly as a result of otosclerotic foci or surgical insult to the labyrinth. Dexamethasone, diuretics, and a room air rebreather can be used in the treatment of delayed EH. Hearing may be maintained or may deteriorate, but there usually is no dizziness. The clinical manifestations of EH associated with otosclerosis include a conductive or mixed type of hearing loss; the presence of fullness, tinnitus, fluctuation of hearing, episodic vertigo, an elevated negative summating potential (SP), and an increased summating potential:action potential (SP:AP) ratio shown by ECoG. This report presents five cases of EH associated with otosclerosis.


Patterns of distribution of a monophyletic branch of Longidorus species in previously established chorological units (CUs) of Euromediterranea, provide a basis for historical biogeography and a phylogenetic hypothesis of the species. The centre of distribution of each Longidorus species within each CU was estimated by statistical methods to correct the apochoric component of the species due to expansion. CUs are compared geographically and faunistically (with respect to Longidorus composition). Distribution graph matrix analysis, applied to define the direction of the connections between CUs, did not establish which endemic species is most ancestral; rather, hypotheses of ancestry and polarity of multistate characters were tested by a morphologically-based cladogram congruent with the distribution graph. Longidorus carpetanensis is supported as an outgroup of all the other species. The results suggest that vicariant biogeography can resolve some aspects of the current pattern of Longidorus distribution and speciation origin, but that a dispersalist model is a primary explanation for large groups of Longidorus species in Euromediteranea.


Objective. The motor hyperdirect pathway (HDP) is a key target in the treatment of Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation (DBS). Biophysical models of HDP DBS have been used to explore the mechanisms of stimulation. Built upon finite element method volume conductor solutions, such models are limited by a resolution mismatch, where the volume conductor is modeled at the macro scale, while the neural elements are at the micro scale. New techniques are needed to better integrate volume conductor models with neuron models. Approach. We simulated subthalamic DBS of the human HDP using finely meshed axon models to calculate surface charge deposition on insulting membranes of nonmyelinated axons. We converted the corresponding double layer extracellular problem to a single layer problem and applied the well-conditioned charge-based boundary element fast multipole method (BEM-FMM) with unconstrained numerical spatial resolution. Commonly used simplified estimations of membrane depolarization were compared with more realistic solutions. Main result. Neither centerline potential nor estimates of axon recruitment were impacted by the estimation method used except at axon bifurcations and hemispherical terminations. Local estimates of axon polarization were often much higher at bifurcations and terminations than at any other place along the axon and terminal arbor. Local average estimates of terminal electric field are higher by 10%–20%. Significance. Biophysical models of action potential initiation in the HDP suggest that axon terminations are often the lowest threshold elements for activation. The results of this study reinforce that hypothesis and suggest that this phenomenon is even more pronounced than previously realized.


Camponotus arminius is a large black carpenter ant that occurs in tropical and sub-tropical Africa and has extensive foraging trails both in trees and on the ground. Analysis of excised mandibular glands has confirmed The presence of pentane-2,4-dione, n-hexanal, 4-methyl-3-heptanone, and mellein. Pentane-2,4-dione has not been reported from insects. The postpharyngeal gland contains n-heneicosane, n-tricosene, n-tricosane, n-pentacosene, n-pentacosane, and a significant amount of 11-methyl- n-tricosane and 11-methyl- n-pentacosane. Dufours glands contain mainly n-undecane, n-tridecane, and two terpenoid compounds that are unknown in the genus Camponotus. These latter two compounds are geranyllinalool and probably geranylfarnesol.


Data from the KEYNOTE-001 trial show that pembrolizumab improves clinical outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and is well tolerated. PD-L1 expression in at least 50% of tumor cells correlated with improved efficacy.


This thesis studies the strategic timing of corporate disclosures in the institutional
context of China. It comprises three independent but linked studies which draw on both financial and psychological theories.
The focus is on the Chinese setting as the unique regulations governing corporate disclosures enables managers to strategically time their disclosures of quarterly reports. The sample comprises 18273 observations from 2006 to 2012 which covers both A and B shares from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.
Firstly, under the Chinese booking system of quarterly report disclosure, I examine whether managers delay the disclosure of bad news relative to good news. The listed
firms in China are required to book disclosure dates of quarterly reports before legal disclosure periods, and they are allowed to change the dates after the bookings
have been made. Through this booking system, the advance and delay of quarterly report disclosures can be observed directly. Supporting prior literature, I find that
managers advance their first booking disclosure dates if quarterly reports reveal good news, but delay them if quarterly reports reveal bad news. I further demonstrate
that managers' preference for modifying of first booking dates as a timing strategy appears to occur when they have strong incentives to withhold their firm news and potentially gamble that the subsequent release of relative market conditions could turn in their favor. In line with the prediction of Acharya et al. (2011), my results suggest that managers tend to advance their first booking dates, when relative market conditions are bad. Conversely, they are likely to postpone them, when relative market conditions are good.
The second study utilizes the Chinese overlapping legal disclosure period between an annual report of one year and the subsequent first quarterly report to test whether the nature of firm's news in uences the release sequence of the two financial information sources. Mental accounting theory suggests that individuals tend to integrate losses and segregate gains. In line with this theory, I find that managers are willing to release their annual report and subsequent first quarterly report simultaneously if both reports reveal bad news, but separately if both reports reveal good news. When two reports reveal conflicting information, managers are likely to make separate dis-closure, if the annual report reveals good news and the subsequent first quarterly report reveals bad news. In particular, I demonstrate that managers indeed achieve simultaneous and separate disclosure through amending the first booking dates of their annual report and subsequent first quarterly report.
Baker and Wurgler (2007) suggest that both high proportions of retail investors and
short sale constraints enable Chinese stock markets to be a natural experiment for
investor sentiment studies. Therefore, utilizing Chinese data, in the final study, I
investigate whether investor sentiment affects managers' decisions of quarterly report
disclosures. Since the stock prices tend to be higher during high sentiment periods than low sentiment periods, managers may choose to accelerate the disclosure dates of their quarterly report during the high sentiment periods, conversely, decelerate them during the periods of low sentiment. The results support this and are especially pronounced for firms releasing bad news, who appear to (1) release their firm news earlier than firms with good news when sentiment is high and (2) delay quarterly report disclosures more than firms with good news when sentiment is low.


To summarise from some preliminary analyses, a high early insulin: obesity (BMI) ratio remains an associate of later development of ECG change in this diabetic population, and there are reasons to suggest that this may be involved particularly through mechanisms of relative insensitivity to the hypoglycaemic effect of insulin.


Summary

Pathogens can increase vulnerability to predation through their harmful effects on hosts. Recently, it was shown that the mere activation of the immune system by pathogens may increase the host's risk of predation. Here, we test whether exposure to non-pathogenic bacteria also activates the immune system and thereby increases vulnerability to predation.

We exposed Enallagma cyathigerum damselfly larvae to a non-pathogenic strain of the bacterium Escherichia coli and measured immune defence, anti-predator behaviour and survival times in the presence of larval dragonfly predators. To evaluate whether non-pathogenic bacteria also generated energy-based trade-offs leading to other fitness costs, we also quantified growth rate and survival in the absence of predators.

Exposure to the non-pathogenic bacterium did not affect survival in the absence of the predator but increased growth rate, possibly a response to reduce exposure time to the bacterium. Larvae exposed to the bacterium activated their immune response as shown by an increase in the activity of phenoloxidase and the number of haemocytes. The bacterium affected anti-predator traits involved in avoiding detection by predators as well as traits involved in escape after detection. Pre-exposed larvae showed higher activity levels and further increased the number of feeding strikes in the presence of predation risk, possibly driven by energetic constraints. Pre-exposed larvae swam less often when attacked, but faster. This impaired anti-predator response came at the ecological cost of increased vulnerability to predation.

Our study demonstrated that exposure to non-pathogenic bacteria increases vulnerability to predation, which is a novel type of antagonistic interaction. This highlights the unexplored possibility that non-pathogens may play a role in maintaining variation in immune defence through insidious effects on predator–prey interactions. Since non-pathogenic bacteria can be very abundant, this unexplored ecological cost of immune system activation in terms of increased predation may have major consequences in natural systems and may provide an unexplored new force underlying variation in immune defence.


A healthy 19-year-old man with no risk factors presented with focal neurological symptoms (dysphasia and right hemiparesis) in the setting of an
acute febrile illness and severe cough. Initial CTs showed pan-sinusitis and pulmonary infiltrates. The cerebrospinal fluid was normal. Human
coronavirus OC43 was identified in nasal swabs. Repeat CTA/MRA revealed multiple infarcts in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery
(MCA) and proximal intra-luminal left internal carotid artery filling defects due to thrombi were demonstrated. No thrombophilia was found and
there are no reports of sinusitis-associated carotid thrombosis in the literature. Recent infection, in particular respiratory infection is a confirmed
risk factor of ischemic stroke (IS) in adults and intriguingly, also in young patients. Myriad mechanisms have been demonstrated or postulated in
the very young and our report suggests adding carotid thrombi. Previously described cough-induced carotid dissection could not be demonstrated,
but similarly, cough-induced intimal injury of the carotid artery remains the most likely culprit, precipitating local thrombus formation and
embolization.


Terahertz (THz) communications are celebrated as key enablers for converged localization and sensing in future sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems and beyond. Instead of being a byproduct of the communication system, localization in 6G is indispensable for location-aware communications. Towards this end, we aim to identify the prospects, challenges, and requirements of THz localization techniques. We first review the history and trends of localization methods and discuss their objectives, constraints, and applications in contemporary communication systems. We then detail the latest advances in THz communications and introduce THz-specific channel and system models. Afterward, we formulate THz-band localization as a 3D position/orientation estimation problem, detailing geometry-based localization techniques and describing potential THz localization and sensing extensions. We further formulate the offline design and online optimization of THz localization systems, provide numerical simulation results, and conclude by providing lessons learned and future research directions. Preliminary results illustrate that under the same transmission power and array footprint, THz-based localization outperforms millimeter wave-based localization. In other words, the same level of localization performance can be achieved at THz-band with less transmission power or a smaller footprint.


2D perovskites have recently been shown to exhibit significantly improved environmental stability. Derived from their 3D analogues, 2D perovskites are formed by inserting bulky alkylammonium cations in‐between the anionic layers. However, these insulating organic spacer cations also hinder charge transport. Herein, such a 2D perovskite, (iso‐BA)2(MA)3Pb4I13, that contains short branched‐chain spacer cations (iso‐BA+) and shows a remarkable increase of optical absorption and crystallinity in comparison to the conventional linear one, n‐BA+, is designed. After applying the hot‐casting (HC) technique, all these properties are further improved. The HC (iso‐BA)2(MA)3Pb4I13 sample exhibits the best ambient stability by maintaining its initial optical absorption after storage of 840 h in an environmental chamber at 20 °C with a relative humidity of 60% without encapsulation. More importantly, the out‐of‐plane crystal orientation of (iso‐BA)2(MA)3Pb4I13 film is notably enhanced, which increases cross‐plane charge mobility. As a result, the highest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) measured from for current density versus voltage curves afford 8.82% and 10.63% for room‐temperature and HC‐processed 2D perovskites based planar solar cells, respectively. However, the corresponding steady‐state PCEs are remarkably lower, which is presumably due to the significant hysteresis phenomena caused by low charge extraction efficiency at interfaces of C60/2D perovskites.


Reimund Kube is an agriculturalist with over 12 years' experience in development cooperation. He has worked for German NGOs in different parts of the world and for over three years was the coordinator of a community-based natural resources management programme in Mozambique for the Dutch Organization for Development (SNV), a programme co-financed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).


Governance means that specifications are enforced dynamically at application run-time. Governance framework is a technique to design and implement an extensible interaction specification for a family of open systems. This specification can be refined for particular applications. We based this proposal on object-oriented framework concepts and adapted them for distributed agents and interactions. A governance framework structures the extensions of open system instances as variations in interactions among agents, defined as templates. Templates are used to gather core implementation and extension points. Extension points are "hooks" that will be customized to implement an instance of the governance framework. During framework instantiation, templates are refined to concrete interaction specification. As a proof of concept experiment, in this paper we propose a framework for instantiating supply chain management applications as open systems.


Background: Improving the mental health of children is one of the main tasks for modern society. The aim of the work is to study the dynamics of mental health in preschool and primary school children under a psychological and pedagogical experiment. Methods: The study was conducted at 12 kindergartens (250 children) and 3 primary schools (200 children) in 2018 – 2019, in Moscow (Russian Federation). Children of each age group were divided into 2 groups according to the time spent on the Internet. The control group spent up to 15 minutes a day. The experimental group had an uncontrolled pastime. In total, there were 4 groups. The performance indicators (average score) and the dynamics of aggression were studied. The parents were provided with a survey. Children and parents had lectures with psychologists and teachers during the second academic year. The child aggression can be associated with an extra time spent on the Internet and the conniving attitude of parents. Results: The conducted research confirmed the importance of complex actions in reducing the aggressiveness and improving the mental health of children. The joint work of psychologists, parents and children themselves gave positive results. The control groups children significantly faster reduced aggressiveness by 1.4 - 1.6 times, on average, comparing to the experimental groups (1.2 times, p ≤ 0.05). The aggressiveness of children is associated with a lack of parents' attention, that leads to uncontrolled surfing on the Internet and playing video games. Children from the experimental group demonstrated aggressive behavior 1.5 - 1.7 times more often than children from the control group (p ≤ 0.01). The survey of parents showed the same pattern. Thus, connivance of aggression and an aggressive reaction to communication with teachers were more significant (0.5 - 0.7 times, p ≤ 0.05) in the experimental group compared with the control. Conclusions: The improvement of the behavior of children was successful already after a 1 year of the experiment. The academic performance improved, while aggressiveness decreased in all groups.


The study examines age differences in selected health attitudes and beliefs. Using one indicator for cohort effects and one indicator of aging effects, an attempt is made to identify the origins of these age differences. The study population is comprised of a random sample of 2603 adults from a large health maintenance organization. The subjects participated in an indepth household interview. Analytic approaches include bivariate to multivariate methods. The findings indicate that there are significant age differences in health attitudes and beliefs and that both aging and cohort contribute to these differences. The findings must be interpreted as only tentative. However, they do highlight the need to examine the degree to which these health attitudes and beliefs are actually predictive of medical care utilization and other health and illness behaviors. The policy and research implications are discussed.


This study aims to present the Kurds and the Kurdish migration waves to Rojava (Northern Syria). The accumulation of huge Kurdish masses on the territory of today's Syria is the result of millennial waves of migration caused by the turbulent events in the Middle East. The article analyzes: The Kurdish settlements in Syria; The French colonial authorities; The French colonial policy in the Middle East; The migration flow to Syria. The authors of the in-depth study of modern Syrian Kurdistan, The Question of Syrian Kurdistan – Reality, History, Mythologisation, argue that in the twentieth century there were two main waves of migration to northern Syria. One is expansionist and the other is restrictive. They form the current profile of the Kurdish community in Syria.


The paper examines in depth the principle of subsidiarity in EU law. The aim of this contribution is to provide an updated legal analysis of the principle of subsidiarity, systematizing its substantive meaning, discussing its philosophical underpinnings and evaluating the institutional mechanisms currently in place to ensure its enforcement in the framework of EU law. As the chapter explains, subsidiarity represents the guiding principle on the exercise of legislative powers by the EU institutions in areas in which both the EU and the member states share legislative competences. As the chapter explains, given its constitutional function, the EU Treaties currently foresee both judicial and political safeguards to ensure that the EU respects the principle of subsidiarity when adopting legislation. Nevertheless, for different reasons, none of these safeguards appears entirely satisfactory: in fact, as the chapter claims, both of them raises challenges that may be worse than the disease they are expected to cure. While respect for the principle of subsidiarity is important for a proper constitutional balance of powers in the EU, and although both the EU courts and the national parliaments have a role to play in policing respect for subsidiarity, the chapter underlines how there are significant risks associated with the practical enforcement of the judicial and political safeguards of subsidiarity.


Electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) is a simple and versatile technique to process materials for three-dimensional nanoscale structure. A variety of precursor molecules can be used to build a localized solid deposition by the exposure of electron beam onto a substrate. This paper reports on the nano carbon deposition by using solid n-tetracosane as a precursor because this paraffin-based EBID can be introduced in the existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) systems without difficulty. The paraffin is prepared on an aluminum film and operated by manipulator in SEM. The effects of accelerating voltage, beam current, magnification, distance from paraffin to exposure point, amount of paraffin, and working distance are measured and discussed. It is found that the electron-beam-induced etching and beam diameter sometimes work dominantly for deposition rate and the thickness of paraffin also affects the deposition distribution. The electron-beam bending, which is a critical issue causing degradation of nanofabrication, is treated carefully in order to understand the declination of carbon pillars. Obtained configurations of carbon pillars suggest that electrically charged paraffin due to the preliminary irradiation of electron beam causes Coulomb force and results in the movement effect of deposition.


Kambanellis' Letter to Orestes constitutes Clytemnestra's apologia for the murder of Agamemnon and is addressed to her estranged son Orestes. Until now, research has concentrated mainly on the content, verbal message and metatheatrical dimension of Clytemnestra's letter, laying emphasis upon Kambanellis' intertextual links with the ancient Greek tragedies revolving around the Atreid myth. This article focuses attention on the dramatic form of the letter, examining it as a physical object with social connotations and as an active agent in the development of the events. It is argued that in emphasizing these aspects of the letter Kambanellis was probably influenced by the function of letters in two of the Greek tragedies which he clearly draws upon in The Supper trilogy: Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis and Iphigenia among the Taurians. However, Kambanellis' intention was not to reproduce his tragic models but rather to exploit the medium of the letter in order to reconsider a staple of his own work: the disconcerting issue of human, and more particularly of familial, communication.


Bimbo – Ricolino candy manufacturing plant in Mexico City was discharging wastewater with high amount of fats oil and grease and dissolved sugars. Local regulatory agency requested that suspended solids, oil and grease and dissolved BOD be almost completely removed prior to discharge to municipal plant. The available real estate in Mexico City was very limited. A multistep treatment system was designed and installed. System includes self cleaning rotary drum screen, grease trap, flocculation – flotation, UASB anaerobic reactor, moving bed biofilm reactor, clarifier and multimedia filters. Most of the time system can remove TSS, FOG and BOD almost completely. Occasionally when chocolate candy is manufactured extremely high BOD's are present in the waste stream. On such occasions, residual BOD's are somewhat higher. Home made modifications to both bioreactors (combination of fixed and suspended media) increased the system performance during such high BOD episodes.


In this paper, we present some results concerning a decomposition of binary self-dual codes having an automorphism of an order which is the product of two odd prime numbers. These results are applied to construct self-dual [72,36,12] codes with an automorphism of order 15. Furthermore, it is proved that the automorphism group of a putative binary extremal self-dual [72,36,16] code contains at most 28 nontrivial types of automorphisms of odd order. A complete list of these possible types of automorphisms is presented.


The pot experiments were conducted in 2 subsequent years in the net house of the Dept. of Soil, Water and Environment, Dhaka University to evaluate the effect of water stress on the growth, plant water relations, fruit quality and osmotic adjustment of seven tomato cultivars. The percentage of field capacity levels were 40, 70 and 100. The tomato plants subjected to water stress during their growth period had decreased relative water content (RWC) of leaves and moisture content in tomatoes compared with the plants supplied with adequate moisture. Water use efficiency (WUE) also decreased with increasing moisture stress. A significant increase in organic solutes, glucose (85%), fructose (62%), sucrose (121%) and proline (103%) at 40% F.C. compared with 100% F.C. showed a tendency of these plants to adjust osmotically. Ascorbic acid, citric acid and malic acid were also significantly enhanced by water stress treatments. The quality of fruits was improved as a result of the synthesis of these acids. Original Research Article Nahar and Ullah; AJAHR, 1(2): 1-14, 2018; Article no.AJAHR.39824 2 Water stress did not affect the height of plants and no physical damage due to stress was observed in fruits and were over 90% red. Ripening and fruit quality showed that none of the stress-treated tomatoes deteriorated in quality. On the other hand, water stress enhanced the sweetness of the tomatoes by increasing their glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents and improved the quality by increasing the amount of important acids such as ascorbic acid, malic acid and citric acid.


Superconductivity in compressed lithium is observed by magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity measurements. A superconducting critical temperature (T c) is found ranging from 9 to 16 kelvin at 23 to 80 gigapascals. The pressure dependence of T csuggests multiple phase transitions, consistent with theoretical predictions and reported x-ray diffraction results. The observed values for T c are much lower than those theoretically predicted, indicating that more sophisticated theoretical treatments similar to those proposed for metallic hydrogen may be required to understand superconductivity in dense phases of lithium.


Metal oxide gas sensors have to be heated during operation. Ideally they should have low power consumption and a uniform temperature distribution over the sensitive area. Thermal isolation is achieved by locating the sensitive element on thin free-standing membranes fabricated by means of micromachining of silicon. Uniformity of the temperature is helpful for discriminating different gases and, thus, increasing the selectivity. This can be achieved by careful design of the heater or by additional structures. Micromachined test structures have been fabricated, their mechanical strength and thermal behaviour have been determined and the results have been correlated with extensive FEM studies.


The Yant Award was established in 1964 to honor the contributions of William P. Yant, the first president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. It is presented annually for outstanding contributions in industrial hygiene or allied fields to an individual residing outside the United States. The 2014 award recipient is Dr. Karen Messing, Professor emeritus, Department of Biological Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal and Researcher, CINBIOSE Research Centre. Gender (socially determined) differences in occupations, employment, and working conditions, task assignments, and work methods that affect exposure to health risks are increasingly documented. Interactions of (biologically influenced) sex differences with workplace parameters may also influence exposure levels. During field studies, ergonomists learn a lot about gender and sex that can be important when generating and testing hypotheses about the mechanisms that link workplace exposures to health outcomes. Prolonged standing is common in North America; almost half (45%) of Québec workers spend more than three-quarters of their working time on their feet and 40% of these cannot sit at will. This posture has been linked to chronic back pain and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the lower limbs, but many health professionals suggest workers should stand rather than sit at work. We ask: (1) Given the fact that roughly the same proportion of men and women stand at work, what does a gender-sensitive analysis add to our ability to detect and thus prevent work-related MSDs?; (2) How does ergonomics research inform gender-sensitive analysis of occupational health data?; and (3) What do researchers need to know to orient interventions to improve general working postures? We have sought answers to these questions through collaborative research with specialists in epidemiology, occupational medicine, biomechanics, and physiology, carried out in partnership with public health organisations, community groups, and unions. We conclude that failure to characterize prolonged static standing and to apply gender-sensitive analysis can confuse assessment of musculoskeletal and circulatory effects of working postures. We suggest that prolonged static sitting and standing postures can and should be avoided by changes to workplace organization and environments. Research is needed to define optimal walking speeds and arrive at optimal ratios of sitting, standing, and walking in the workplace.


Recent and rampant regulatory changes for sustainable development are seeking to transform current energy systems towards cleaner and greener forms of energy sources. In this scenario, alternative energy technologies are considered the building blocks towards this transformed energy system. This chapter will show how the alternative energy market since the 1970s changed, in response to external oil price shocks and to other selective pressures and institutions. It will observe that the configuration of the market has been changing since 1970s, in terms of firm-composition, size and types of technologies considered in the green energy mix. It will further provide three explanations explaining why there are changes between firms, policies and these energy technologies. These three processes are considered important in determining technological innovation among firms in clean and green energy technologies.


The basic Trainer Aircraft of The Korean Air force KT-1/KO-1, which was designed and developed by Korean Technology has been a primary candidate as a replacement for the aging basic trainer or armed version for surface support operation for the nations such as Mexico, Philippine, Turkey, Venezuela and etc. In this study, competitors for the same class aircraft. and the present operational status of the basic trainer of the world were identified and the fade out periods were also predicted. The result of this market analysis showed the required number of aircraft by the year 2025 for 33 countries as 4500. The exportable number of KT-1 aircraft was predicted considering the political/ diploma tical environments, economic environment and also by the ability of producing same class aircraft of the country.


Mellor's argument from Kant fails. The difficulties in his first Antinomy are due to topological confusions, not the tensed nature of time. Nor are McTaggart's difficulties due to the tensed nature of time. The ego-centricity of tensed discourse is an essential feature of communication between selves, each of whom refers himself as 'I', and is required for talking about time as well as experience and agency.

Arguments based on the Special Theory are misconceived. Some rest on a confused notion of 'topological simultaneity'. In the General Theory a cosmic time is defined, as also in quantum mechanics, where a natural present is defined by a unique hyperplane of collapse into eigen-ness.


We have identified radio and/or mid-infrared counterparts to 198 out of 350 sources detected at ⩾5σ over ∼9 deg2 centered on the Chandra Deep Field South by the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) at 250, 350, and 500 μm. We have matched 114 of these counterparts to optical sources with previously derived photometric redshifts and fitted spectral energy distributions to the BLAST fluxes and fluxes at 70 and 160 μm acquired with the Spitzer Space Telescope. In this way, we have constrained dust temperatures, total far-infrared/submillimeter luminosities, and star formation rates for each source. Our findings show that, on average, the BLAST sources lie at significantly lower redshifts and have significantly lower rest-frame dust temperatures compared to submillimeter sources detected in surveys conducted at 850 μm. We demonstrate that an apparent increase in dust temperature with redshift in our sample arises as a result of selection effects. Finally, we provide the full multiwavelength catalog of ⩾5σ BLAST sources contained within the complete ∼9 deg2 survey area.


The diagnostic value of membrane glycolipid biochemistry index, the lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) and total sialic acid (TSA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was evaluated in 30 intracranial and 65 gastrointestinal tumors. The plasma LSA, TSA and red cell membrane sialic acid (R-SA) in were determined according to the method of Sevenmerhulm. Our results showed that the levels of LSA and TSA in CSF of intracranial tumor patients was higher than that of normal group(p<0.01). The concentration of TSA and LSA in patients with malignant glioma was higher than that of benign meningioma patients(P<0.01). No significance was found between intracranial halmatoma patients and normal control group for levels of membrane glycolipids (p>0.05). Results also found that the plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA of gastric carcinoma were significantly higher than those of control group (p<0.05); while no significant difference was found in the plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA levels between chronic gastritis, gastrohelcoma and normal control group (p>0.05). Plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA levels of gastric carcinoma patient were significantly higher than those of chronic gastritis patients and gastrohelcoma patients(p<0.05). It was also found that plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA contents were significantly higher in large intestine carcinoma patients than in benign in stestine tumor patients (p<0.05) while no significant difference was found between intestine benign tumor and normal control group (p>0.05). The levels of LSA, TSA and R-SA were obviously higher in the patients with metastasis than in the ones without (p<0.05.) The membrane glycolipid biochemistry index LSA and TSA in CSF are sensive markers for diagnosing intracranial tumors. For gastrointestinal malignant tumors the plasma LSA TSA and red blood cell membrane SA may be considered as auxiliary indicators for diagnosis. They can be used for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors.


This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the quality parameters and the shelf-life of fresh goji berries. Fruits, placed in trays, were closed in passive modified atmosphere packaging (pMAP) using polypropylene bags or kept in open polyethylene bags (AIR) as control. Samples were analyzed just after harvest and during storage (5, 13 days) at 7°C for visual quality (VQ), color parameters, weight loss, dry weight, total soluble solids (TSS), antioxidant activity (AA) and total phenols (TP), while respiration rate (RR) was evaluated only after 5 days. Changes in gas composition in pMAP samples was measured daily. The use of pMAP allowed to reduce the RR of about 26% compared to fresh sample, to preserve the berries weight loss during storage and their marketability until 13 day at 7°C, while AIR samples were not edible after 5 days due to mold growth on the berries surfaces. No changes of color parameters, dry weight, TSS, AA and TP were observed during storage comparing treatments. In conclusion, the use of pMAP was able to extend the shelf-life of goji berries for 13 days at 7°C, 8 days more than berries stored in AIR.


Traumatic injuries to the permanent dentition have deleterious sequelae if not treated adequately. In luxation injuries, it has been observed that tertiary dentin apposition may occur and can lead to calcification and closure of the pulp space. This is commonly referred to as pulp canal calcification or pulp canal obliteration. This often presents a challenge to clinicians when endodontic treatment is indicated. Static guided endodontic therapy has been advocated in such cases and has been successfully employed as a treatment strategy in recent years. This involves the design and fabrication of a digital stent, which serves as a guide for the clinician and provides a straight path to the targeted tissue site. This article reports a case of pulp canal obliteration secondary to a luxation injury sustained due to a vehicular accident. The case was treated using the static guided endodontic approach to achieve a minimal direct access to the targeted pulp chamber space.


BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. With atherosclerosis as underlying cause for many CVD events, prevention or reduction of subclinical atherosclerotic plaque burden (SAPB) can have substantial public health and economic benefits. OBJECTIVE: To present the protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the (cost)effectiveness of a comprehensive 3-year worksite-based lifestyle intervention program aimed at improving dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours in participants having a high level of SAPB or low level of SAPB compared to standard care. TRIAL DESIGN: Two parallel RCTs nested within the ´Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis´ (PESA) cohort will be conducted. One RCT (n= 350) will focus on a sample of employees drawn from the cohort with high imaging-defined SAPB and a second RCT (n=650) on a sample with low imaging-defined SAPB. In both RCTs, the participants (aged 40-60) will be randomized into either a group receiving a 3year lifestyle intervention or receiving standard care. The lifestyle intervention primarily aims to improve dietary, physical activity, sedentary behaviours. The intervention consists of three elements: (A) 12 personalized lifestyle counseling sessions over a 30-month period, (B) a wrist worn physical activity tracker, and (C) a sit-stand workstation. Data will be collected at baseline and at 1, 2 and 3-year follow up. Primary outcome measure is a compilation score of blood pressure, physical activity, sedentary time, body weight, diet and smoking (BEWAT). Physical activity and sedentary time will be assessed objectively with the activPAL inclinometer. Questionnaires are used to assess: diet, smoking, sleep habits, depression, perceived stress, job strain, social support, vitality, relaxation, quality of life, health care consumption and intervention processes. Physical measurements include anthropometrics, noninvasive imaging to assess SAPB (using 2D ultrasound of carotids, abdominal aorta and iliofemoral arteries, 3D ultrasound of carotid and femoral arteries and coronary artery calcification by computed tomography), and blood biomarkers. A process evaluation and a cost-effectiveness evaluation will be conducted. DISCUSSION: This study will provide insights into the (cost-) effectiveness of a 3-year worksite lifestyle intervention on CVD risk factors, compared to standard care in participants with high-imaging defined SAPB or low-imaging defined SAPB.


In 1347 the Black Death was introduced from the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea and the Sea of Asov towards southern and western Europe, where it then spread dramatically. A report by the Italian chronicler Gabriel de Mussis of the siege of Caffa (1345–47) is often credited as describing an early deployment of a "biological weapon", thus triggering the "Black Death" in western Europe. He reports that Mongol troops threw plague victims into the city with catapults, thus contaminating the inhabitants. However, re-evaluation of historical, biological and epidemiological data indicates that the spread of the disease was probably an inevitable consequence of the intense trade relations along the coasts of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Therefore, the alleged catapulting of infected corpses would rather have been a marginal contribution to the diffusion of the disease (if it took place at all). The infection was subsequently spread by refugee ships via ports at Constantinople and along the Mediterranean trading routes and harbours towards Genoa, Marseille and Venice, thus initiating the Plague in Europe. The further propagation of the disease inland is still a matter of controversial discussions. However, epidemiological data indicate that the most essential animal vector for further distribution of the plague in central and northern Europe was probably the human louse (Pediculus humanis), instead of the oriental (or tropical) rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis).


The conventional test-per-scan built-in self-test (BIST) scheme needs a number of shift cycles followed by one capture cycle. Fault effects received by the scan flip-flops are shifted out while shifting in the next test vector, like scan testing. Unlike deterministic testing, it is unnecessary to apply a complete test vector to the scan chains. A new scan-based BIST scheme is proposed by properly controlling the scan enable signals of the scan chains. Different weighted values are assigned to the scan enable signals of scan flip-flops in separate scan chains. Capture cycles can be inserted at any clock cycle if necessary. A new testability estimation procedure according to the proposed testing scheme is presented. A greedy procedure is proposed to select a weight for each scan chain. Experimental results show that the proposed method can improve test effectiveness of scan-based BIST greatly and most circuits can obtain complete fault coverage or very close to complete fault coverage.


The research is aimed at discovering the ability of STBA-PIA Second Year Students 2017/2018 Academic Year in using the Chinese Adverb "Tongchang通常" and "Changchang 常常". This research uses a descriptive quantitive design method with a total population of 67 students. As the total population is under 100, the whole students are taken as the research sample. Students' ability in using both Chinese Adverbs "Tongchang通常" and "Changchang 常常" is measured by using the test in which is the research instrument. The validity and reliability of the research instrument are examined by using content validity and internal reliability. Internal reliability is examined by using Kuder Richardson 20 formula. The reliability of the instrument shows the coefficient of 0.618 in which may be interpreted as quite a strong value. After passing the reliability score, the instrument is given a test to students. The result of the test is the ability of STBA-PIA second-year students in using the Chinese Adverb "Tongchang通常" and "Changchang常常" can be categorized as quite competent as 61.18% of students reach the average score of 74.72 for "Tongchang通常" and 63.18% of students reach the average score of 72.04 for "Changchang 常常".


The article offers an epistemological discussion of consent in sexual violence cases using the theory of epistemic injustice, developed by Miranda Fricker. It introduces an innovative perspective of consent, which has not been discussed in the legal scholarship to date.

Fricker's theory of epistemic injustice has been used mostly in philosophy. The legal scholarship has scarcely discussed epistemic injustice. The present article attempts to fill this gap in the legal scholarship by shedding a new light on the theoretical and practical discourse of consent.

The legal research on earlier stages of the legal process, such as the decisions made by the prosecution is relatively limited. The discourse of consent by prosecutors, the way consent is analyzed, conceptualized, and interpreted by them, and the way in which it affects their legal decisions remained undocumented and untheorized. This blind spot in the legal literature is the focus of the present article. Using in-depth interviews with twenty-nine sex crimes prosecutors, it sheds light on a phase in the criminal proceeding that is hardly discussed in legal academic writing.

The epistemological discussion shows that sexual consent is not simply a dichotomous legal category but rather a sociological element. Prosecutorial decision making in rape cases is not determined exclusively by legal factors but also by "collective knowledge" regarding consent. The interviews reflect, what I call, "Prosecutorial Realism," that is, the manner in which prosecutors perceive the approach to consent followed by the courts (or juries). Although prosecutors believe the victim and acknowledge the rape offence, they do not proceed with charges because of their consideration of the discourse of consent in the courts.

The article contributes to the scholarship is two ways: first, it employs a philosophical theory in the legal analysis of consent, offering non-legal insights to the discussion. Second, it offers an epistemological analysis of consent in the pre-trial stage, which has been neglected by the academic scholarship.


INTRODUCTION The aim of this scoping review is to explore the concept of 'vulnerability' affecting pregnant women and to identify an appropriate definition of this term. METHODS Five stages were adopted for conducting the scoping review. A literature search was undertaken between 1 October 2017 and 5 January 2018, using three databases. Relevant publications were appraised, and semantic content analysis was performed to identify emergent themes and four determinants of the vulnerability concept. This involved combining items that seem to address the same issue. RESULTS Eleven publications were considered, and eight definitions of vulnerability were identified, and from these four themes emerged: poor health outcome or status; exposure to risk; complex social needs; and lack of resources. Further analysis of evidence found examples of groups of people considered to be vulnerable; they were reported into six matrices, mainly with social and psychological difficulties. From these, eleven themes arose. Following a semantic and content analysis of all themes, thirteen final themes were identified. They represent the characteristics associated with women considered to be vulnerable and are called indices of vulnerability. Semantic and content analysis allowed addressing the thirteen indices of vulnerability into four categories called determinants of the vulnerability concept: deficiency, need, risk exposure, and barriers. CONCLUSIONS The vulnerability could be defined as a lack of health, related to the presence of at least one of the four determinants. Midwives are the key to identify vulnerable women, offering appropriate care.