The department for Planetary Geodesy at Technical University Berlin is developing routines for photogrammetric processing of planetary image data to derive 3D representations of planetary surfaces. The Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) software (Anderson et al., 2004), developed by USGS, Flagstaff, is readily available, open source, and very well documented. Hence, ISIS was chosen as a prime processing platform and tool kit. However, ISIS does not provide a full photogrammetric stereo processing chain. Several components like image matching, bundle block adjustment (until recently) or digital terrain model (DTM) interpolation from 3D object points are missing. Our group aims to complete this photogrammetric stereo processing chain by implementing the missing components, taking advantage of already existing ISIS classes and functionality. We report here on the current status of the development of our stereo processing chain and its first application on the Lunar Apollo landing sites.


ABSTRACT A transgressive systems tract (TST) deposit on the inner continental shelf of the south Tuscany region (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) formed during the last postglacial sea-level rise. Its small-scale stratigraphy has been detailed using high-resolution seismic profiles, gravity cores, and grab samples. The TST deposit overlies a lowstand unconformity, shows a tabular geometry, and comprises three internal architectures of beach facies: (1) Architecture A, present on the outer sector of the study area, is made up of only a reworked sand sheet; (2) Architecture B, on the middle sector, comprises palustrine (bottom), washover, and the above-mentioned reworked sand sheet; and 13) Architecture C, on the inner sector, represents the absence or scarcity of deposits (reworked sand sheet) ov r the unconformity. Because the lateral distribution of these vertical successions is not random, but parallel to the coast, each architecture represents an individual sedimentary stage during sea-level rise. However, all architectures were formed via shoreface retreat in response to the landward migration of a beach complex over the unconformity. During this migration the beach system was characterized by a source diastem located in the surf zone and by two sediment dispersal systems. One moved the eroded sand over the flat back-barrier palustrine area by storm washover, while the other transported part of this sand to the lower shoreface, forming a reworked sand sheet above the older and inactive source diastem (ravinement surface). The TST architectures originated from a transgressive succession of beach facies, differentiated according to the intensity of shoreface retreat. Architecture A represents a low preservation potential of the original beach complex, Architecture B relatively high preservation, and Architecture C no preservation. The intensity of erosion and the consequent preservation potential were totally controlled by antecedent topography.


these cultures were presented by Dr. A. G. Gibson of Oxford, who has been particularly interested in this group of micro-organisms. Recently Miss -Dagny Erikson has made a study of these various strains of ray-fungi maintained in the National Collection, and her findings have now been published in a report' to the Medical Research Council. The material examined by Miss Erikson comprised some fifty strains of ray-fungi. The cultural characters of these organisms were examined on ordinary media and their morphology studied partly by means of impression preparations made from Petri plate cultures, but principally by direct observation of slide micro-cultures according to the technique of Orskov. Those who are interested in this subject will, of course, study Miss Erikson's monograph, but some of her principal findings might be indicated here. Orskov's classification into three main groups, Cohnistreptothrix, Actinomyces, and Micromonospora, was found to be the most suitable of the various classifications proposed. This grouping is based on morphological and cultural characters, the presence or absence of aerial hyphae, and the mode of spore formation. With one or two exceptions Miss Erikson was able to classify these fifty strains, and show that they comprised no fewer than twenty-five species, of which fifteen were entirely new. These cultures were observed over a period of fifteen months, and in no single instance was a complete transformation of morphological or physiological characters noted. From time to time individual characteristics might vary with different conditions of cultivation, but apart from this the species remained quite constant in their characters, and Miss Erikson does not subscribe to the view that these ray-fungi possess a complicated life cycle in which one of the stages is filterable, although she did not actually investigate this question of a filterable phase. Fur.ther, she was unable to obtain any evidence that these micro-organisms possessed a sexual mode of multiplication.


The present publication discloses a method for forming cavities in prefabricated silicon wafers comprising a first silicon layer ( 1 ), a second monocrystalline silicon layer, or a so-called structural layer ( 3 ), oriented substantially parallel with said first silicon layer ( 1 ) and an insulating layer ( 2 ) situated between said first and second layers ( 1, 3 ). According to the method, in at least one of the conducting silicon layers ( 1, 3 ) are fabricated windows ( 4 ) extending through the thickness of the layer, and cavities are etched in the insulating layer ( 2 ) by means of etchants passed to the layer via said fabricated windows ( 4 ). According to the invention, subsequent to the fabrication step of the windows ( 4 ) and prior to the etching step, a thin porous layer ( 5 ) is formed on the surface to be processed such that the etchants can be passed through said porous layer into said cavities ( 6 ) being etched and, after the cavities ( 6 ) are etched ready, at least one supplementary layer ( 7 ) is deposited in order to render to the material of said porous layer impermeable to gases.


This paper describes a comprehensive study of the impact of tCESL (tensile Contact Etch Stop Liner) and cCESL (compressive Contact Etch Stop Liner) on tensile metal gate MuGFET with SOI and globally strained SOI (sSOI) substrates. We have demonstrated that tCESL and cCESL can be effectively used on MuGFETs to provide performance gain. Since tCESL and cCESL affect NMOS and PMOS mobilities in the opposite directions, dual stress liner technology with high-stress cCESL is needed for optimal CMOS MuGFET performance.


To study the relationship between maternal dietary protein patterns in pregnancy and the risk of infant eczema.

 A total of 714 mother-child pairs from a birth cohort in Guangzhou, China were studied. Maternal dietary intake was collected by a face-to-face food frequency questionnaire(FFQ) at 20–28 weeks' gestation, and protein intake of each food group was calculated for subsequent K-means cluster analysis to determine dietary protein patterns. Telephone interviews were used to collect parent-reported infant eczema data at age 6 months. The association between maternal dietary protein patterns and infant eczema was tested by using logistic regression models, after adjustment for potential confounders.

 Cumulative incidence of eczema by 6 months of age was 51.26%. Four dietary protein patterns were identified according to the dietary protein sources, including poultry pattern (characterized by a relatively higher protein intake from poultry), plant pattern (characterized by a relatively higher protein intake from grain, soybean, vegetables, nuts and seeds), dairy and egg pattern (characterized by a relatively higher protein intake from dairy, eggs, and fruits), and red meat and seafood pattern (characterized by a relatively higher protein intake from red meat, fish and seafood). Compared to the poultry dietary pattern, plant pattern and dairy and egg pattern were associated with a reduced risk of developing infant eczema: the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 0.572(0.330–0.992) and 0.288(0.279–0.854) respectively. No such association was observed in red meat and seafood pattern.

 The maternal plant and dairy and egg dietary protein patterns in pregnancy may be preventive against infant eczema.

 This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81,602,862) and the Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (SZSM201803061).


This paper proposes a hybrid gate-level leakage model for the use with the Monte Carlo (MC) analysis approach, which combines a lookup table (LUT) model with a first-order exponential-polynomial model (first-order model, herein). For the process parameters having strong nonlinear relationships with the logarithm of leakage current, the proposed model uses the LUT approach for the sake of modeling accuracy. For the other process parameters, it uses the first-order model for increased efficiency. During the library characterization for each type of logic gates, the proposed approach determines the process parameters for which it will use the LUT model. And, it determines the number of LUT data points, which can maximize analysis efficiency with acceptable accuracy, based on the user-defined threshold. The proposed model was implemented for gate-level MC leakage analysis using three graphic processing units. In experiments, the proposed approach exhibited the average errors of ¡5% in both mean and standard deviation with reference to SPICE-level MC leakage analysis. In comparison, MC analysis with the first-order model exhibited more than 90% errors. In CPU times, the proposed hybrid approach took only two to five times longer runtimes. In comparison with the full LUT model, the proposed hybrid model was up to one hundred times faster while increasing the average errors by only 3%. Finally, the proposed approach completed a leakage analysis of an OpenSparc T2 core of 4.5 million gates with a runtime of .


Pb–Sn–Te bulk nanocrystalline (NC) materials are prepared successfully by quenching melts under high pressure. The mean particle size is about 100 nm and the crystal structure is NaCl type. The mechanism of formation of the bulk NC alloy is explained: there is an increasing of the nucleation rate and a decrease in the growth rate of nuclei with increase of pressure during the solidification processes. The thermoelectric properties of Pb–Sn–Te bulk NC alloy are enhanced. This method is promising for producing thermoelectric materials with improved high-energy conversion efficiency.


The poverty scenario in Gujarat is marked by three features: (1) low incidence of poverty (2) spatial concentration and (3) adoption of targeted policy for poverty reduction. One of the important highlights of the initiatives by the Government of Gujarat is to place the information on BPL-survey in public domain. There is a need to find a balance between individual/household as well as area based approach for alleviation of multi-dimensional poverty across the regions in the state. This paper tries to address three objectives: (i) review the official estimates of poverty and link that with the BPL estimates across regions in Gujarat; (ii) examine the correlates of poverty (using BPL-ratios); and (iii) discuss the policy implications. [GIDR WP no. 176]


We study in this paper the impact of small cells on the capacity and energy consumption of an LTE-Advanced network in a heterogeneous setting where macro cells coexist with outdoor pico and femtocells. We analyze the Erlang-like capacity in such an environment and show the gains obtained from offloading traffic from macro cells to small ones. Energy efficiency is used throughout this study, bringing together network performance and its overall power consumption. Our results show that small cells are a good alternative to network densification as they achieve higher network capacities with good energy efficiency. In order to further improve the efficiency of the resulting heterogeneous network, we propose a sleep mode that switches off some picocells when the traffic is low and quantify the resulting increase in efficiency.


Abstrac: In the past, many people were not interested in distinguishing sex and gender, because the perceptions that developed in society considered gender differences (differencs gender) as a result of sex differences (differencs sex), so that the division of roles and work sexually was seen as something natural. But many people in this new era misinterpret gender related positions in Islam. The nature of women which includes menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding is often connected by some people with traditional stories, believed to be the truth which is commonly called a myth, even considered from the teachings of Islam. But lately it has been realized that not necessarily the sex differences cause gender inequlity. Because in Islam the equality of men and women in the presence of Allah are both servants, caliphs on earth, and accept primordial agreements


In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression of miR-145 before and after hASCs osteogenic differentiation. We also intended to explore the influence of the target relationship between miR-145 and FoxO1 on osteogenic differentiation. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and real-time PCR were used to confirm the target relationship between miR-145 and FoxO1. Furthermore, the modulatory effects of miR-145 and FoxO1 on hASCs osteoinductive differentiation were measured by real-time PCR , Western blot, ALP staining, ARS staining, and cell immunofluorescence assay. After osteogenic differentiation, miR-145 was gradually down-regulated, while FoxO1 was up-regulated in hASCs. MiR-145 could directly target FoxO1 3′UTR. FoxO1 was negatively regulated by miR-145. After osteoinductive differentiation, BSP, Ocn, and OPN expression was lowered with the overexpression of miR-145 or the knockdown of FoxO1. Furthermore, ALP and ARS staining assay results showed weakened ALP activity and extracellular matrix calcification. When overexpressing miR-145 and FoxO1 simultaneously, no obvious change in ALP activity and extracellular matrix calcification was seen. MiR-145 could suppress hASCs osteoinductive differentiation by suppressing FoxO1 directly. Impact statement Researching on ASCs was a promising strategy to study osteogenic differentiation. The regulatory role of miR-145 on hASCs osteogenic differentiation remained partially explored. Our study revealed a novel mechanism of the osteogenic differentiation process and suggested that miR-145 and its target gene FoxO1 may be potential targets for the therapy of human osteogenic-related disorders.


Abhraka Bhasma is called as a wonder drug due to its curative property in various ailments. Hence there is an urgent requirement to prove its non-toxicity and therapeutic value and also to conform genuinity and safety before administration to human beings. In this study, Abhraka Bhasma is authenticated as biotite mica by observing quality assurance methods and testing it through standard ayurvedic and analytical techniques like EDXRF, FEG-SEM and EDS. For this purpose commercially available Abhraka Bhasma was procured and subjected to conventional method of analysis wherein the sample satisfied all the criterias given in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia. Bhasma proved to be brick red in colour, lusterless, fine, had floating character, was excellently prepared (Unama test), tasteless, without alloy, smooth and tangible. The modern analytical method EDXRF revealed the presence of Fe (22%) as a major element and Ca, K and Si in low concentrations, their concentration being 11%, 8% and 13% respectively. Mg (4%), Al (2%) and Ti (1%) were present as minor elements while Sodium, Chlorine, and Phosphorous were present in traces (<1%). FEG-SEM studies showed that the grains in Abhraka Bhasma were heterogenous and in aggregates of particle size between 19 nm and 88 nm. The grains were found to be irregular in shape ranging from spherical to oblong. EDS analysis show that major elements present in the sample) were O (41%), Si (16%), K (13%) and Fe (13%) and the minor elements were Al (6%), Mg (5%), Ca (4%) and Cl (1%). Sodium, Phosphorous and Titanium were found in traces (<1%). The analytical techniques used confirmed the absence of organic compounds and mercury in the sample characterized. This physico-chemical characterization study will help to take stock of Bhasma preparations as novel nano-technological applications giving a new thrust to Ayurvedic pharmaceutics.


Managers and policymakers knowledgeable in the delivery and financing of health care are needed in the health care industry, and health administration programs can meet this need by expanding course offerings which consider the role and operations of insurers. This paper surveys the major topics in the field of health insurance and presents a course overview for an introduction to the field of health insurance for health administration students.


In vitro, IL-6 is the main inducer of the human C-reactive protein (CRP) gene, and IL-1 and steroids can enhance this effect. However, in mice, IL-6 is necessary but not sufficient for induction of the human CRP transgene, and testosterone is required for its constitutive expression by males. To examine the relative contributions of testosterone and IL-6 in the regulation of CRP gene expression, we produced CRP-transgenic (CRPtg), IL-6-deficient (IL-6-/-) mice. Male CRPtg/IL-6-/- mice expressed CRP constitutively, but CRP levels were not increased after injection of LPS. However, acute-phase CRP levels were attained after injection of IL-6. In contrast, female CRPtg/IL-6-/- mice did not express CRP constitutively or after administration of LPS, IL-6, IL-1, or IL-6 plus IL-1. Like males, testosterone-treated CRPtg/IL-6-/- females expressed CRP constitutively, and their transgene responded to injection of IL-6. The endogenous acute-phase protein serum amyloid P (SAP) was expressed constitutively equally by male and female IL-6-/- mice, responded minimally to LPS, and did not respond to either IL-6 or IL-1 alone. Acute-phase levels of SAP were induced in IL-6-/- mice by injection of IL-6 together with IL-1 or LPS. We conclude that in vivo, both constitutive and IL-6-dependent acute-phase expression of the CRP transgene require testosterone. In contrast, testosterone is not required for expression of the SAP gene, which requires IL-1 plus IL-6 for acute-phase induction.


The initial three production reactors and their support facilities were designated as the 100-B, 100-D, and 100-F areas. In subsequent years, six additional plutonium-producing reactors were constructed and operated at the Hanford Site. Among them was one dual-purpose reactor (100-N) designed to supply steam for the production of electricity as a by-product. Figure 1 pinpoints the location of each of the nine Hanford Site reactors along the Columbia River. This report documents a brief description of the 105-B reactor, support facilities, and significant events that are considered to be of historical interest. 21 figs.


Distance learning is becoming an acceptable mode of nursing education. Several schools of nursing offer instruction through telecommunications. This new form of education is different from the traditional lecture format. Many nursing students can complete their nursing education without stepping foot onto the college campus, which has caused many nurse educators to question the role development of this new group of nursing students. Professionalization is an important outcome of nursing education. With the advent of distance learning there is a need for research to document the professionalization of the nurse who completes nursing school in a distance learning setting.


A home-made, conventional glass pneumatic, concentric nebulizer has been used in radially viewed inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry for low sample consumption uptake rates, i.e., 50–200 µl min−1, by applying desolvation of the aerosol before it has entered the plasma. The desolvation system comprised a heated spray chamber and a condenser. The condenser temperature was 5°C and the cooling water was fed by a thermostatted water bath. The operating conditions, such as heating aerosol temperature, nebulizer gas flow rate and viewing height were established to achieve optimum signal-to-background ratios (S/B). Over the range of measured liquid flow rates, the highest S/B values of the low-energy atomic lines were obtained at a heating aerosol temperature of 80°C, while the best temperature was 120°C for the high-energy atomic lines and most of the ionic lines. At a liquid uptake rate of 102 µl min−1 and a heating aerosol temperature of 120°C, detection limits were reached which were similar to, or up to 10 times lower than, those which were obtained using the nebulizer in a common way, i.e., at a liquid flow rate of 1 ml min−1 and without pre-desolvation. Acid interferences of nitric and sulfuric acid, both in concentrations of 1.4 and 4.0 mol l−1, were studied. The interference seemed to be most serious for the low-energy atomic lines. To reduce the acid effect of the two nitric acid concentrations to within 10%, at liquid flow rates ranging from 50 to 100 µl min−1, heating aerosol temperatures of 160 and 200°C were needed for the measured ionic and low-energy atomic lines, respectively. The same interference reduction could even be achieved for the ionic lines of elements in a sulfuric acid solution of 4.0 mol l−1, provided the liquid uptake rate is not higher than 50 µl min−1.


Abstract The new coronavirus has spread around the world at an unprecedented speed. Understanding patterns of disease spread is an important contribution to controlling any epidemic, and today's mathematical methods offer a plethora of proven models to choose from. We provide a brief overview of epidemiological concepts, papers pertaining to mathematical modelling, and present a robust, simple mathematical model to model incidence of COVID-19 cases in Croatia during the first year of the disease. For our models, we chose logistic, Gumbel and Richards functions, with parameters generated using the Levenberg-Marquardt iterative method of nonlinear regression. In conclusion, all three models provided adequate estimation of incidence curve and final number of infected during the chosen time period, with relatively minor differences depending on chosen parameters of significance. The model using the logistic function proved to be the most applicable to available data. While no model can give the answers to ending the pandemic, this approach can provide a simple prognostic tool to evaluate interventions and estimate disease spread.


ABSTRACT Between 1950 and 1990, housing was the driving force behind the spatial growth of the Randstad. Growth poles (1970s) and later VINEX locations (1990–2010) were the main components of growth management. Transport infrastructure has developed greatly since the 1920s. Since 1990, infrastructure development has increasingly become the structuring force for the spatial dynamics of the Randstad. Schiphol was seen as the mainport for airlines, and Rotterdam-Europoort as the mainport for shipping lines and container transport. The landside infrastructural connections for Schiphol and Europoort had a big impact on the growth in the capacity of continental roads and rail lines. ICT- and energy infrastructure are now developing quickly. Recently, Amsterdam Internet Exchange became the largest ICT node in Europe. Finally, the Delta programme was introduced, strengthening the coastal areas and leaving more room for the rivers. For the future, a combination of housing, infrastructure and water for spatial developments will determine the spatial structure of the Randstad further. A compartmentalized plan of the Randstad between the main dikes is presented, which will increase the resilience of functions of the Randstad in the future when the North Sea level is expected to rise substantially. The analysis presented could be relevant for many urban deltas worldwide.


Objectives: We aimed to determine the association of serum vitamin D and estradiol levels with metabolic syndrome (MS) in rural women of northwest China. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study. MS was defined according to the updated China Diabetes Society (CDS) criteria. Fasting serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and estradiol levels were measured using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. Differences between variables were analyzed using the chi-square test and t-test. Logistic regression analysis models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results: In total, 1893 women participated, of whom 641 (33.9%) had MS. The serum levels of 25(OH)D and estradiol were higher in the non-MS group. There was no significant association between 25(OH)D and estradiol levels. After adjusting for potential confounders, we compared first, second, and third quartiles with the highest quartile. Adjusted ORs for MS with respect to 25(OH)D level quartiles were 1.555, 1.281, and 1.568, respectively. Adjusted ORs for MS with respect to estradiol level quartiles were 0.671, 0.785, and 0.996, respectively. In the vitamin D-deficient (VD-deficient) group, adjusted ORs for MS with respect to estradiol level quartiles were 0.635, 0.753, and 0.918, respectively. Conclusions: There is a negative correlation between MS and vitamin D level and a positive correlation between MS and estradiol level. Low estradiol concentrations increased the risk of MS in the VD-deficient group. The results suggest a potential synergism between low 25(OH)D concentration and estradiol in MS in women.


Background: Packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfusion is an essential treatment in case of hemorrhage during cesarean section in pernicious placenta previa (PPP) patients with placenta accrete. However, predictive tools to assess the requirement of intraoperative PRBCs transfusion have not been widely estimated in PPP patients with placenta accrete during delivery.Methods: We first performed a comprehensive analysis of the preoperative and intraoperative clinical data collected from 428 PPP patients with placenta accrete, and constructed a prediction model based on blood routine and coagulation parameters by LASSO regression model. Subsequently, we developed a clinically applicable nomogram that can accurately predict intraoperative PRBCs infusion and performed an internal validation of the performance of this nomogram.Results: Among the 428 PPP patients with placenta accrete undergoing a cesarean delivery during the study period, 92 had received an intraoperative PRBCs infusion and the PRBCs transfusion rate was 21.49%. According to the results of LASSO regression analysis, RDW, WBC count, HCT, PT, aPTT and D-dimer concentration were screened to establish a predictive model. This model had a good predictive performance with AUCs of 0.841 in training cohort, 0.767 in testing cohort and 0.795 in whole cohort, respectively. In addition, the model could be served as an independent predictive factor for intraoperative PRBCs infusion. A nomogram was finally established combining clinical features and above model and revealed good predictive abilities (C-index: 0.753).Discussion: We constructed a risk stratification instrument to identify PPP patients with placenta accrete at increased risk for intraoperative PRBCs transfusion.


As the number of machine type communications increases at an exponential rate, new solutions have to be found in order to deal with the uplink traffic. At the same time, new types of Base Stations (BS) that use a high number of antennas are being designed, and their beamforming capabilities can help to separate signals that have different angles of arrivals. In this paper, we consider a network where a BS serves a high number of nodes that lacks a receive chain, and we analyze the evolution of the outage probability as a function of the number of antennas at the BS. We then study the effect of an angle offset between the main beam and the desired node's direction in order to provide realistic results in a beam-switching scenario.


The concept of Food Security is multi-dimensional. Food security exists when all when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preference for an active and healthy life. Ensuring food and nutrition security is a challenge for India given its huge population and high level of poverty and malnutrition.This paper examines performance, issues, challenges and policies in food security in terms of availability, accessibility and affordability. In particular the paper addresses the following questions: (1) What is the advancement in supply side of food as far as accessibility at national level? (2) What are the policies that India is following as has followed in achieving food security? (3) What ought to be done to acknowledge food security for all citizens of India?This study adopted descriptive methodology to demonstrate the term food security and its scenario in India. It relied on upon auxiliary information from books, references, and in writing in subject to analyzing the data submitted by FCI and Food Security Portal and Food and agriculture Organization. The present paper attempts to analyze some issues related to food security in India and suggest some ways to achieve food and nutritional security in India for overall growth of an individual and sound and sustainable development of Indian economy.Food is considered among basic amenities essential for the sustenance and growth of an individual. It has three dimensions (a) food availability- total food production including imports and buffer stocks maintained in government granaries like FCI. (b) Food accessibility- food should be made available or should be in reach of each and every person (c) food affordability- an individual should have enough amount of money to purchase proper, safe, healthy and nutritious food to meet his dietary needs. In the recently released Global Hunger Index, 2014 India ranked 55th out of 120 countries and this report is quite disturbing since India is one of the largest producers of food grains in the world. Still India lacks in fulfilling the basic amenities of its people. India is home of 25 per cent of hungry population. It has been well established that India has become self-sufficient in food availability. Hence India can take pride in being able to fulfill the present demand with indigenous production. But the fact is that there are millions of people below poverty line who are unable to get square meals per day and according to recent data approximately 320 million people in India go to bed without food and the data is very alarming and situation is going even worse. The crux of India's food problem pertains not so much on increasing food availability but with the distribution of food. There are various challenges which India faces in attaining food security. Natural calamities like excessive rain fall, accessibility of water for irrigation purpose, drought, soil erosion, undulating topography and various soil types such as degraded soil, infertile soil, acidic & alkaline soil, non-improvement in agriculture facilities, growth in population, lack of education and job opportunities have further added to the problems. Another challenge which India faces in attaining food security is dependence on monsoon as well as labor on daily wages basis which tends to be variable on different times thus food procurement and access is fluctuating. The income of the family governs the access to food affordability and inflation acts as fuel in fire. PDS (Public Distribution is not satisfactorily functioning hampering distribution of food at low prices. Thus there is a need to shift from the current inefficient, expensive, perennial and corruption ridden institutional arrangements to those that will guarantee cheap delivery and distribution of requisite qualities of food grains in a transparent manner. To curb existing problems of food security the government has implemented various programs. In the backdrop the government of India enacted new Act i.e. the National Food Security Act, 2013 which aims to provide subsidized food to approximately two thirds of India's 1.2 billion people. The bill is considered as the biggest ever experiment in the world for distributing highly subsidized food for any government through a "right based approach". The proposed bill aims to provide legal right over subsidized food grain to around 67 per cent of the population. Despite its advantages the bill has been severely criticized since it will use extremely "leaky" PDS to distribute food grains. The cost of food grains is rising globally then how would the government be able to provide subsidized food to 70 per cent of Indian population in the situation of inappropriate climate conditions? In nutshell, despite ensuring ample availability of food, existence of food insecurity at the micro-level in the country has remained a formidable challenge for India.


Results: WBI and scanning LDV and OCT shed new light on the function of the TM. DOEH, without scanning, reveals the temporal response of over 100,000 points on the TM surface, and demonstrates the complex modal response of the TM surface in response to frequencies as high as 20 kHz. The TM motions induced by sound of a few kHz and less assess the presence of multiple conductive disorders, including ossicular fixations or interruptions, as well as the presence of several cochlear conductive disorders. Recent clinical and basic research led to a re-evaluation of the 'two-window' model of the inner ear, which occurred in the presence of evidence for pathological 'third windows' that result from abnormalities in the bone around the innerear fluids.


OBJECTIVE To study the process of denervation-reinnervation in multifocal motor neuropathy with persistent conduction blocks in clinically affected and unaffected muscles. METHOD Volitional single fibre electromyography (SFEMG) was performed in the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) of seven patients. The jitter, the fibre density, and the mean interpotential interval were determined. The results before and after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) between the unaffected EDC and affected EDC examined during the same SFEMG session were also compared. In addition the values of jitter, fibre density, and mean interpotential interval were analysed for correlation with the strength score on the MRC scale, the duration of the neuropathy, the number of IVIg treatment periods, and the radial nerve conduction block values. RESULTS Mean jitter, percentage of jitters>60 μs, and impulse blocking percentage, were higher than normal in both the affected EDCs and to a lesser degree in unaffected EDCs. Jitter decreased significantly after IVIg and correlated only with the MRC score. Fibre density and mean interpotential interval were higher than normal equally in the affected EDC and unaffected EDCs, but no correlation was found with strength, duration of the neuropathy, number of treatment periods, and conduction block values. CONCLUSION The major finding is the presence of SFEMG abnormalities in clinically unaffected EDCs. This shows a process of denervation-reinnervation even in the absence of clinical symptoms, probably more frequent than commonly supposed in this neuropathy. The rapid clinical improvement after IVIg infusions could be due to remyelination after demyelination and to an interference of IVIg with the blocking effect of antibodies on the Na+ channels at the motor nerve endings.


Optical network operators face the challenge of upgrading the WDM network capacity to adapt to estimated traffic growths. Network upgrades are commonly carried out in scheduled intervals (i.e. every six months), using traffic forecasts. The uncertainty in the forecasts is a major issue in the capacity upgrading process. If it is not handled appropriately, the network is exposed to service degradation caused by an unexpected traffic progression. Despite of its relevance, the effects of uncertainty in the forecasts is a factor that has not been well studied in the literature. In this paper, we apply the robust optimization paradigm to incorporate this uncertainty into the network upgrade problem. Under this robust network upgrade model, we can dimension the network by tuning the tradeoff between network cost and robustness level. This proposal is applied to a case study where several experiments are conducted comparing different levels of robustness and different WDM technologies, namely pure 10G (single line rate), pure 40G SLR, pure 100G SLR and 10/40/100G MLR (mixed line rate).


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
Until recently, depression and anxiety during pregnancy were a neglected medical problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy and identification of the socio-demographic and psychosocial factors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was prospective and longitudinal, and the research group consisted of 314 adult pregnant women. To assess the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and depression, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied. To assess the psychosocial variables the Rosenberg Self-Assessment Scale, Marital Communication Questionnaire and the Berlin Social Support Scale and authors' Socio-demographical questionnaire were used. To assess the normal distribution the Shapiro-Wilk test was used. For non-parametric tests the Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis ANOVA were used due to the distribution of the variables tested against the intergroup comparisons that deviate from the normal distribution.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Co-existence of anxiety and depression in different trimesters amounted relatively to 12.7% in the first trimester, 10.8% in the second trimester and 12.4% in the third trimester of pregnancy. Symptoms of anxiety were often experienced by unmarried women, non-working women, and those respondents who estimated their housing and financial situation as being worse. Those most susceptible to depressive symptoms were tested women with primary education and those who assessed as worse their financial and housing situation. Higher self-esteem, good communication in a relationship, satisfying social support was associated with a lower incidence of anxiety symptoms during pregnancy. Higher self-esteem, good communication in a relationship, and satisfying social support was associated with a lower incidence of anxiety symptoms during pregnancy.


The biological control of twos potted spider mites by the predator Phytoseiulus persimilis is usually unsuccessful on greenhouse tomato crops in British Columbia. Experiments were conducted to determine the influence of host plant on the longevity and reproduction of the predator, and on the suitability of twospotted spider mites as prey. Lifespan and reproduction of P. persimilis were lower on tomato leaves than on bean leaves but feeding on spider mites that had been reared on tomato or bean leaves had no effect on the reproduction or lifespan of P. persimilis. A strain of twospotted spider mites that came from an outbreak on a greenhouse tomato crop lived for shorter periods and laid fewer eggs when confined on tomato leaves than on bean leaves. A strain of twospotted spider mites that had been maintained on bean leaves was unable to reproduce on tomato leaves. Exudates from glandular hairs were toxic to P. persimilis. Glandular hairs are important in pest management on tomato crops. Their removal through breeding might make plants more susceptible to herbivores. Therefore it would be preferable to develop other methods for biological control of twospotted spider mites on tomato.


This article explores both recent scholarly receptions of Chaucer's Pardoner and his reception amongst the Canterbury pilgrims. Contrary to readings which focus on the Pardoner's "alterity" and outsider status in The Canterbury Tales, the Pardoner is read as occupying a central role in the pilgrims' social arrangement. By reading the Pardoner in the context of both emerging Lollard debates surrounding institutional abuses in the Church and the orthodox notion of "hypocrisy," it is shown that the Pardoner's "con" succeeds precisely because of his institutional safe haven. Finally, the Pardoner's confidence-game is shown to operate much like the elaborate confidence-game that is Chaucer's own fiction, opening up discourses of pleasure that allow both author and reader to explore heterodox notions while remaining within an orthodox framework. However, the Pardoner's hypocrisy also tends toward the erosion of the institutions which allow him to operate his confidence-game.


BACKGROUND
The complex position of a first line manager is characterized by heavy workload and contradictory demands. Little is known about how first line managers experience demand and control in their work.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to explore experiences of demand and control among first line managers within psychiatric and addiction care.

METHOD
In the present study, interviews with ten managers in for-profit psychiatric and addiction care in Sweden were analyzed with a phenomenographic approach.

RESULTS
The managers experiences of demand and control implied varied and extensive responsibilities for a wide range of professions; regulation by organizational, economic, and political frameworks; creating balance in their work; and handling the emergence and consequences of acute crisis. These experiences of demand and control involved high and contradictory demands together with coexisting high and low levels of control. Many of their work characteristics could be described in terms of both demand and control.

CONSLUSION
The first line managers experiences of demand and control are more complex than implied by the job demand control theory. Our results suggest that the organizational position and branch should be considered when identifying health hazards in the work environment of first line managers.


The endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure is usually estimated and assumed to be within the appropriate range. However, the estimation of cuff pressure may be influenced by the various estimation techniques used by anaesthesia providers and their different experience level. The main aim of this study was to observe the correlation between the experience of the anaesthesia providers and their ability to estimate endotracheal cuff pressure in a correct manner. One hundred anaesthesia providers were classified into three different groups based on their months of anaesthetic experience: Group I (< 36 months), Group II (36 to 59 months) and Group III (≥ 60 months). Following intubation, the ETT cuff was inflated by the anaesthetic nurse and ETT placement verified by the anaesthesia provider. Using the pilot balloon palpation technique (PBPT), the cuff pressure was estimated to be within the appropriate pressure range, over or under-inflated. The necessary adjustments were made if needed after measurement with a VBM™ Manometer Pressure Gauge. More number of months of anaesthesia experience was not associated with a greater ability to correctly estimate the ETT cuff pressure. However, this correlation was poor (r = - 0.177). The pilot balloon palpation technique was found to be only moderately sensitive (76.5%) but poorly specific (42.9%) for correct estimation of the ETT cuff pressure, whereby PPV and NPV were 58.2% and 63.6%, respectively. The technique was 50% (95% CI 24.04 - 75.95) sensitive while correctly estimating the under-inflated cuff and 60% (95%CI 13.25-37.81) sensitive to correctly estimating the over-inflated cuff. The results depict that the experience of anaesthesia providers did not correlate with the ability to correctly estimate the ETT cuff pressure.


By using geographic and palaeogeographic sketches established for the present situation (before recent deforestation) and for the glacial maximum (about 15,000-18,000 BP) we can estimate the possible total biomass (phytomass) of the South American continent. According to the biomass density used in this first estimate for ten major ecosystems, the results show a possible increase from 140 Gt of carbon (glacial maximum) to 214 Gt C (preindustrial) for the phytomass, and 120 to 180 Gt C for the soils. These preliminary results are possibly only a 60 or 70 percent approximate estimate and could be modified with computation using other palaeogeographic models or another biomass density. It is therefore to underline the urgent need of more field biomass measurements, ecosystems mappings, and palaeostudies to evaluate the part of South America as a future possible sink for the atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Amazonian forest makes of South America an important continental reservoir of carbon for the planet Earth. This continent represents consequently a key zone for the research and knowledge of changes in the biogeochemical cycle of carbon. In order to evaluate more precisely the role it plays we estimated the approximate quantities of carbon in the total phytomass and the carbon in soils for each of the ecosystems represented in Figure 1, both for Present and Last Glacial Maximum landscapes.


Students with disorders of intellectual development (ID) experience challenges in reading and writing, indicating the need for research-based interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of reading and writing interventions for students aged 4–19 with disorders of ID using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs (QEDs). We conducted electronic searches of relevant databases, backward and forward searches, and contacted experts in the field. Based on predefined criteria, nine studies were included in the systematic review, and seven were included in the meta-analysis. The reading interventions included decoding strategies, often combined with sight-word and supplemental instructions appropriate to the participants' adaptive and cognitive skills. None of the studies aimed to increase writing skills. The overall mean effect size from the reading interventions for trained reading was large (g = 0.95, 95% CI = [0.51, 1.38]), for transfer reading small-to-moderate (g = 0.49, 95% CI = [0.20, 0.78]) and for transfer writing small (g = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.36, 0.44]). Students with disorders of ID can benefit from reading interventions combining decoding strategies and sight word reading. There is a need for RCT and QED studies investigating writing interventions for students with disorders of ID only.


Background Effective, time-critical intervention is crucial to mitigate stroke mortality and morbidity but is often hampered by systemic pre- or in-hospital delays. In the era of rapid reperfusion therapy for ischaemic stroke, there is urgent need to improve multi-disciplinary communication to synchronise and coordinate rapid clinical, imaging assessment, and therapeutic decision making across the entire stroke journey from initial emergency medical service (EMS) assessment to in-hospital assessment and treatment. Purpose To develop an open source multi-platform application that provides a purpose-built, efficient, user-friendly communication system that links pre-hospital emergency services, stroke and neuro-interventional teams, aiming to reduce the time from first medical contact to cerebral reperfusion time. Method/results The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant, open-source platform can be accessed by EMS and hospital staff involved in acute stroke care. When a new stroke alert is lodged by EMS, the application will prompt calculation of relevant clinical scores that aid decision making. Depending on the patient's clinical status, an appropriate hospital is recommended and will be pre-notified of impending stroke patient arrival. Empowered by geotagging, an estimated time of arrival is broadcast to all relevant team members, ensuring effective communication between teams. Conclusion Code Stroke Alert streamlines communication and coordination of stroke care, possibly negating any room for errors. This facilitates and accelerates the logistical processes required to achieve reperfusion, potentially improving patient outcome. The platform will be available free to health networks globally to expedite treatment and improve quality and safety of stroke care. The open-source nature of the software may promote future development of plug-ins and add-ons based on individual institutional needs, e.g. for Hospital Information System (HIS) or Picture Archive Communication System (PACS) integration. In addition, data logs are created, with an auditable trail of all relevant quality improvement metrics with a view to overall system quality improvement. Disclosures H. Seah: None. B. Coulton: None. M. Burney: None. J. Maingard: None. C. Barras: None. H. Kok: None. B. Tahayori: None. R. Chandra: None. V. Thijs: None. M. Brooks: None. H. Asadi: None.


In the academic debate, Brazilian unionism has been characterized both as representative and as non-representative – with defenders of both positions grounding their arguments in the same basic facts. Taking issue with these interpretations, the article questions whether or not union membership is a suitable measure of representation. If, given Brazil's corporative union structure, unions do not need to recruit members, to what extent can membership serve as an adequate measurement of union representation? Precisely what do union membership rates measure, and precisely what does it mean to "represent workers" in Brazil? The article first offers a conceptual discussion of the relationship between union membership and representation. The thesis is that in Brazil the former does not suffice as a measurement of the latter. But if the union membership rate is high, what is it measuring in any case? The second part of the text explores the empirical side of the question, through analysis of a 1994 survey conducted within four occupational categories. It becomes clear that membership rates are indicative of the degree to which the union makes its presence felt in the life of those it represents. But it also becomes clear that in and of itself this rate does not account for the complexity of the relations between the rank-and-file and union leaders. In short, the referent is blurry – but it is there. The text seeks to lend it greater conceptual and empirical clarity.


3. for every r.e. set M such that M—£zis infinite the intersection M n E3_{ is non-void (i — 1,2). Strongly non-separable r.e. sets are separable but not effectively so, and they are not complete. A construction of strongly non-separable sets is indicated and a theorem is stated to the effect that there exists a recursively enumerable sequence of r.e. sets Elt E2, . . . such that each pair £,•, Ek (j =£ k) is strongly non-separable. If E1, E2 are r.e. strongly non-separable sets, then each Ef is called a set belonging to a pair. The author establishes a number of properties of such sets. E.g. he proves that they are neither creative nor simple. More generally if E is any r.e. set such that E—Ej is infinite, then E—£,• does not contain infinite recursive sets. A further property of sets E$ belonging to a pair is that they are not homomorphic to simple sets â set A is homomorphic to a set B if there is a recursive function cp such that <p(A) = B and <p{—A) = —B). Finally the author states a theorem to the effect that the reduction principle (cf. Kuratowski, Fundatnenta mathematicae, vol. 26 (1936), p . 184) does not hold for recursively enumerable sets. Eight unsolved problems are stated. The paper is written in a very lucid style. Although no proofs are given, it is not difficult to 'reconstruct them on the basis of brief indications given in the text.


Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of simple 3.0% saline nasal irrigation and combined treatment of 3.0% saline nasal irrigation and budesonide nasal spray for vasomotor rhinitis (VMR), and explore the long-term effect for VMR. Through examination of levels of substance P (SP) and mucin (MUC)5B in nasal lavage fluid, the mechanisms of nasal irrigation treatment for VMR was discussed. Methods: One hundred and one patients from Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University with VMR were randomly divided into 4 groups. The number of patients was 24 in control group, 25 in budesonide nasal spray treatment group (budesonide group), 25 in nasal irrigation treatment group (nasal irrigation group) and 27 in budesonide nasal spray + nasal irrigation group (combined treatment group). Control patients were left untreated. Budesonide group was under budesonide nasal spray treatment, nasal irrigation group was treated using 3.0% saline with a temperature of 40℃ and combined treatment group was given both treatments. The duration of the intervention period was 3 months (90 days). Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate nasal symptoms, and the health-related quality of life was assessed using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey version 2.0 (SF-12v2). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the contents of SP and MUC5B in nasal lavage fluid before and after 3-month treatments in budesonide and nasal irrigation group in the study. MUC5B in nasal lavage fluid after the SP challenge and anticholinergic drug intervention in control group were also evaluated with ELISA. Results: Nighty out of 101 patients completed the study. In the budesonide and combined treatment group after relevant interventions, the total VAS score of nasal symptoms decreased (5.91±0.21 vs 3.82±0.15, 6.18±0.17 vs 3.92±0.15, t value was 8.193, 10.060, respectively, all P<0.05) and SF-12v2 score increased (146.00±1.23 vs 152.30±0.97, 146.00±1.08 vs 155.40±0.90, t value was 3.982, 6.697, respectively, all P<0.05), with both scores showed no significant differences in the nasal irrigation group (5.96±0.17 vs 5.72±0.15, 146.10±1.17 vs 147.00±0.94, t value was 1.038, 0.607, respectively, all P>0.05) after the first month. In the budesonide and combined treatment group after relevant interventions, the total VAS score of nasal symptoms decreased (5.91±0.21 vs 5.05±0.15, 6.18±0.17 vs 5.10±0.12, t value was 3.374, 5.351, respectively, all P<0.05) and SF-12v2 score increased (146.00±1.23 vs 150.90±0.76, 146.00±1.08 vs 153.60±0.94, t value was 3.373, 5.343, respectively, all P<0.05), with both scores showed no significant differences in the nasal irrigation group (5.96±0.17 vs 5.78±0.17, 146.10±1.17 vs 148.10±0.80, t value was 0.716, 1.438, respectively, all P>0.05) after the second month. By the end of the third month, in nasal irrigation and combined treatment group, the VAS score was diminished (5.96±0.17 vs 4.80±0.12, 6.18±0.17 vs 4.44±0.13, t value was 5.485, 8.264, respectively, all P<0.05) and SF-12v2 score was elevated (146.10±1.17 vs 150.80±0.96, 146.00±1.08 vs 152.90±0.85, t value was 3.163, 5.008, respectively, all P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in budesonide group (5.91±0.21 vs 5.68±0.18, 146.00±1.23 vs 148.40±0.85, t value was 0.819, 1.587, respectively, all P>0.05). Additionally, SP in nasal lavage fluid decreased and MUC5B showed no statistical changes in budesonide group after three months, however, SP showed no any changes and MUC5B reduced significantly in nasal lavage fluid in nasal irrigation group. Furthermore, the anticholinergic drug could not decrease the concentration of MUC5B after the SP challenge in nasal cavity in control group. Conclusions: The therapeutic effect of simple nasal irrigation with 3.0% saline or combined treatment of 3.0% saline nasal irrigation and nasal corticosteroids is superior to simple nasal corticosteroids. Nasal corticosteroids plays a role in the inhibition of sensory nerve endings in nasal mucosa, but neurotransmitter plays a limited role in the pathogenesis of VMR.


Patients undergoing angioplasty (PTCA) for unstable angina, postinfarction angina, or complex coronary lesions represent a high risk group for ischemic complications. High dose heparin and aspirin are used routinely to prevent thrombotic complications. However, new approaches designed to avoid platelet aggregation, including development of specific platelet GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists and specific thrombin inhibitors, demonstrate a significant reduction of thrombotic events following coronary interventions compared to heparin alone. Bleeding complications are not increased if conjunctive heparin administration is weight-adjusted. Pathophysiology of acute coronary closure, mechanisms of action of the new anti-thrombotic drugs, and current and future clinical applications are discussed.


In this paper we justify the need for a common architecture for heterogeneous wireless sensor networks. We briefly review various proposed protocols in sensor networks, aggregate them into different groups, which we classify into different layers of the protocol stack i.e. application, networking, medium access control (MAC) and physical layer hardware. This protocol stack also includes cross-layer entities such as power management and security, because they need to be addressed at all layers of the stack. We introduce the concept of protocol stack tree (PST) that is a subset of protocols in different layers to satisfy a given class of application requirements. For example, a QoS, traffic intensive application and routing protocol would not work well with a MAC layer protocol such as S-MAC, whose primary concern is to save energy. We also propose our own solutions for a set of network layer protocols to be part of the new common sensor network architecture. Our solutions offer a wide and scalable tradeoff space between QoS and energy consumption. Our proposal would lead to flexible protocol stack trees on a compact and robust architecture


The following matters were confirmed through the analysis of casualties due to fires in Korea, Japan, and the U.S. in this paper. 1 Korean statistics are not the most detailed of the three countries about casualties due to fires, so we need to have detailed statistics of them on casualties more. 2. Korean deaths are the lowest by 10-11 people due to fires per one million of population. Those of Japan are 15-17 and about 12 people in the U.S.; decreased about 2/3 only for a quarter of a century. 3. Korean deaths are on the decrease about 1.5 people per 100 cases due to fires,3.5 in Japan and 0.2-0.3 in the U.S. Likewise, Korean injuries are on the decrease per 100 cases due to fires From 14.9 in 1977 to 5.1 in 2001 and 5.3 in 2002. In the U.S., the figure was 1.0-1.6. but after the year 1994, it was 1.2 or so. It tends to some increase to 2.6-2.8 in Japan. Therefore, when fires are happened, the death probability is the highest in Japan and 15 times higher than that of the U.S. The injury probability is the highest in Korea and 5 times higher than that of the U.S. 4. Fire deaths rate is the highest in the U.S. about due to home fires (including apartments) among all deaths. Japan tends to decrease of . Recently, in case of Korea. it is similar level to that of Japan. 5. Korean aged people of 65 years old and over exceeded by in 2000 and entered an aging society, so It Is time to Investigate and take effect policies to reduce the death of the aged . Japan has ahead a super-aged society that exceeds of the people over the age 65, and many of them die of fire. Consequently, Japan has taken effect policies to reduce deaths from 10 years or more than before. Therefore, it is a good proposal to analyze the policies of Japan deeply and study introduction of them.


Since the late twentieth century, modern public education has come under new influences of hegemonic policies with technocratic, marketing and financial biases. Given this scenario, one of its main foundations, pedagogical autonomy, is under pressure and conditioning in the world. Thus, I argue that the study of autonomy in modern education may help critically clarify the conditions and its development in history. From this perspective, one of the recognized pedagogical works is the so-called pedagogy of work or modern school, by Celestin Freinet (1896-1966), which I sought to analyze through literature review. Therefore, in this study I focus on its means and theoretical and methodological foundations such as free speech, free work, free cooperation, work techniques, free inquiry, interschool communication. In the analysis, I have observed the presence of a heterodox Marxist theoretical framework implicit in Freinet's methodology, particularly related to the theory of the material relations of production, the theory of alienation and the internationalist doctrine. Such foundations, coupled with the originality of Freinet, enabled the creation of technical means and international cooperation, which underlie the radical autonomy of his pedagogy. As for findings, I observe and describe foundations which have been little analyzed in Freinet, given their embryonic nature in his time and space: the international cooperativeness and self-management of the modern school. Such foundations reveal not only the relevance and timeliness of the author to the rescue and development of pedagogical autonomy but also the expansion of the size of Freinet's work as an international solidarity pedagogy in the difficult current historical context.


This article suggests that a political censorship regime exists in Bhutan and that appeals to ensure security and sovereignty of the country, rather than power, are used to uphold this regime. Fieldwork uncovers that fear of how authorities may punish anyone in open opposition is widespread among Bhutanese college students. A number of political issues are characterised as 'sensitive' by informants and skilful navigation around them is needed. The perception of free speech as limited inspires self-censorship in public and in private among Bhutanese college students. Free speech is practised in culturally specific ways and online, where anonymous opposition against the established correct 'non-discourse' is known as 'silent protests'.


Social scientists interested in explaining historical processes can, indeed should, refuse the choice between modeling causal relationships and studying history. Identifying temporality as the defining characteristic of processes that can be meaningfully distinguished as "history," I show that modeling such phenomena engenders particular difficulties but is both possible and fruitful. Narratives, as a way of presenting empirical information, have distinctive strengths that make them especially suited for historical scholarship, and structuring the narratives based on the model allows us to treat them as data on which to test the model. At the same time, this use of narratives raises methodological problems not identified in recent debates. I specify these problems, analyze their implications, and suggest ways of solving or minimizing them. There is no inherent incompatibility between—but much potential gain from—modeling history and using historical narratives as data.


The giant magneto-strain effect in Ni-Mn-Ga alloys is particularly attractive for actuator applications. Two different approaches are being pursued to develop MSM microactuators. To observe large deflections of Ni-Mn-Ga microactuators, the material should be exhibiting low twinning stress and large magnetic anisotropy. In addition, design rules and boundary conditions for operating the Ni-Mn-Ga actuator material are having significant importance for evolution of performance characteristics.


Calorimetric measurements of the net heat input to the workpiece have been made to determine the effect of very high travel speeds on laser weld melting efficiency. Very high welding speeds are required in welding applications such as automotive where lasers are now applied extensively. Travel speeds as fast as 530 mm/s for continuous wave CO2 laser welding on 304 stainless steel have been examined in this study. Melting efficiency indicates what fraction of the laser power absorbed is used to produce melting rather than undesirable base metal heating. It was found that melting efficiency initially increased then slowly decreased as fusion zone dimensions changed. Dimensionless parameter correlations for melting efficiency based on heat flow theory have been presented for both 2D and 3D heat flow geometries. The levels of melting efficiency observed are close to the maximum values that are predicted with these correlations. Determinations of the melting point isotherms and analysis of changes to the dimensionless parameters have been shown to predict the observed changes in melting efficiency. The results indicate that an enhanced melting efficiency is obtained in high speed laser welding when either the fusion zone aspect ratio or the joint geometry promote 2D heat flow.


In their recent letter, Dr John K. Kinnell and Dr Richard C. Johnson (Anaesthesia 1980; 35398) on the above subject described the use of the Portex Survival Connexion and the Conventional Aerosol Inhaler. The conventional inhaler made by the manufacturers of bronchodilator aerosols has a leak round the canister. This leak is necessary for self-administration. If this apparatus is connected to a ventilator system and aerosol is administered during the inspiratory phase of the cycle, most of the aerosol puffed in will be blown out into the atmosphere. This IS due to the low resistance of the space around the canister compared with that of the bronchial tree, and the situation will be made worse by increased airway resistance during bronchospasm. Secondly, the aerosol canister should be vertical if a metered dose of aerosol is to be administered. The method describes a horizontal position for the inhaler. In this position only the pressurising gas can be discharged. Furthermore, the system allows the administration of aerosol only when the patient is intubated. Although the authors claim that there will be very little disturbance to the laminar flow of gas, the leak will presumably create considerable turbulence in the system.


General Douglas MacArthur was a towering public figure on an international stage for the first half of the 20th century. He was healthy throughout his life but developed a series of medical problems when he entered his 80s. This article reviews the General's medical care during two separate life-threatening medical crises that required surgical intervention. The first episode occurred in 1960 when MacArthur presented with renal failure due to an obstructed prostate. Four years later after his 84th birthday, MacArthur developed bile duct obstruction from common duct stones. He underwent an uncomplicated cholecystectomy and common duct exploration but developed variceal bleeding requiring an emergent splenorenal shunt. His terminal event was precipitated by strangulated bowel in long-ignored very large inguinal hernias. MacArthur died, despite state-of-the-art surgical intervention, due to renal failure and hepatic coma.


Ichnofabric analysis, as a relatively young ichnological approach, has witnessed rapid growth, showing its usefulness in basin analysis, with special attention to palaeoenvironmental interpretations. The ichnofabric approach has evolved from the description of trace composition and the intensity of bioturbation to integrate detailed information on numerous ichnofabric features, such as primary sedimentary structures, ichnological diversity, ichnological features, cross-cutting relation ships or tiering structures. This development has been associated with its application to the study of deep-sea sediments, especially in research on cores, which is not easy, owing to the particular features of cores. Here a method for improving ichnofabric characterization in modern marine cores is presented, on the basis of digital high-resolution image treatment, with special emphasis on the quantification of ichnofabric attributes. The proposed methodology is based on the modification of three image adjustments ( image adjustment ), the estimation of the percentage of the area occupied by bioturbation ( digital estimation ), the lateral and vertical quantification and comparison of pixel values for the infill of the trace fossils and the host sediment ( pixel counting ), and the integration of the information obtained in the visual representations of ichnofabrics (the ichnofabric representation ). The sequential application of these proposed steps allow, 1) better identification of trace fossils, together with cross-cutting relation ships and the characterization of trace-fossil assemblages, 2) estimation of the percent age of bioturbation associated to each ichnotaxon, the whole ichnocoenosis, or a complete ichnofabric, 3) differentiation between biodeformational structures and trace fossils, discrimination between ichnotaxa, distinction between passively and actively infilled structures, and 4) evaluation of the depth of penetration by particular tracemakers.


The spread of Aids and fears raised by the risk of an epidemic are not only the driving force behind social change but also give pointers to the reasons for these changes, as many studies have shown today on a global scale. In China, as in other non-western countries, one of the significant social changes that we observe is the emergence and greater visibility of groups or activists to defend sexual and social minorities, a phenomenon which has created on a national scale a civil society, social organisations and movements with "Chinese characteristics". For ten years, from the time that we first became aware of the risk of an Aids epidemic and its potential seriousness in Chinese society, some of the most committed anti-Aids activists have also been fierce defenders of the rights of homosexuals. This is reminiscent of the model for action implemented in the 1980s in the developed countries. Over the last few years, for example, these militants have worked to denounce the scandal of the "HIV-contaminated blood sellers" in the central provinces of China. The anti-Aids activism was a pointer to the presence in China of the potential growth of gay/lesbian movements in the large cities, especially Peking and the major towns in North-East China.This article is divided into two parts: the first deals with the local dynamics of Aids prevention, describing (1) committed activists wearing several "hats" (one official, one anti-Aids activist and finally one gay activist), (2) social organisations working alongside or in confrontation with the State, (3) informal groups or networks defending sexual and social minorities. These dynamics have an impact on the stigma associated with HIV and these minorities and could contribute in the long term to a degree of de-stigmatisation. In the second part of the article I look at transnational dynamics, identifying transnational actors and their role as "go-between" (Taiwanese, Hong Kongese who since 1999 have Chinese citizenship, Chinese from South-East and western Asia) as they may have more influence in interactions with militants and the Chinese populations, and thus in influencing local dynamics where collective mobilisation in the face of Aids is concerned. The intervention of "go-betweens" from the North (westerners of non-Chinese origin) can also be seen. The role of NICT (New Information and Communication Technologies), especially forums and networks developed at different levels through Internet -intra-regional and trans-regional in China, transnational in China and Asia, and also international- is described: the use of NICT and the creation of networks are characteristic of the process of economic and cultural globalisation at work today in the world. The formation of transnational solidarity groups is also a form of globalisation, "social" this time, more discreet and not yet very developed compared with the more comprehensive forms of economic globalisation.


A supervisory controller is derived for scheduling (single/multiple-part-type, reentrant) production networks. The supervisory controller is used to tune a set of lower level distributed fuzzy control modules that reduce work-in-process (WIP) and synchronize the production system's operation. The overall production-control system is viewed as a two-level surplus-based system with the overall control objective to keep the WIP and cycle time as low as possible, while maintaining quality of service by keeping backlog to acceptable levels. The production rate in each production stage is controlled to satisfy demand, avoid overloading, and eliminate machine starvation or blocking. The system's improvement is demonstrated using a set of performance measures. Extensive simulation results show that the supervisory controller, when compared with the single-level distributed fuzzy controllers reduces WIP and cycle time while keeping backlog to acceptable levels.


The influence of three typical annealing cycles normally used in IGFET processing on as-fabricated and post-irradiated gate oxide defect levels was studied. These cycles were: (1) post-oxidation for 5 minutes at 1000 C in argon, (2) post-polysilicon for 30 minutes at 500 C in forming gas, and (3) post-metallization for 30 minutes at 400 C in hydrogen. Gate oxide defects were characterized using optically assisted electron injection of n-channel polysilicon-gated IGFET devices. It was found that the presence or absence of any of the three annealing cycles during the processing had no effect on measured interface state and bulk oxide defect levels in the as-fabricated devices. Following exposure to Al K (alpha) X-ray radiation, the increase in the number of bulk oxide defects was found to be independent also of the presence or absence of any of the cycles. The interface state density was found to increase only slightly following irradiation, with the smallest increase occuring for devices which had received either the post-oxidation or the post-metal anneal. These results may indicate that other high temperature steps which are present in IGFET processing, as well as the use of different electrode materials than were employed in the earlier studies overshadowmore » the effects of the three annealing cycles studied, and therefore, the entire processing sequence of IGFET fabrication must be considered in determining the factors which influence gate insulator defect levels and susceptibility to ionizing radiation.« less


The demand for banked human milk has been increasing, in large part due to the benefits associated with its use. Multiple levels of safeguarding built into the current milk banking process have resulted in an unblemished safety record for banked milk in North America. Holder pasteurization destroys many pathogens in human milk while preserving much of the biologically active content. Among the potential benefits of using banked human milk in the neonatal intensive care unit are promotion of breastfeeding, reduced incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis, and possible support of long-term positive neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low- and extremely-low birthweight infants.


In many industries there are possibilities to cooperate with supply chain partners in order to realise greater profits for the value chain as a whole. The responsibility for the allocation of profits realised by the cooperative network can be given to a third party, a network orchestrator. However, the allocation strategy that is applied for the network might determine what partners are attracted to the network and thereby what network profits are. Thus for a cooperative network to be successful in an environment of multiple competing networks it is essential that the right profit allocation strategy is applied for the partners in the network. In this paper we present an agent-based model of cooperative networks that compete for the best network partners. This model resembles different notions from cooperative game theory, but applies them to compare different allocation strategies in a competitive environment.We compare five different types of allocation strategies: allocation based on Gately point, Proportional allocation, Residual allocation, Even allocation, and Random allocation. Results suggest that Residual, Evenly, and Random allocation outperform the other two allocation strategies. The outcomes of this research should be studied into greater detail to increase the insights into the dynamics that lead to these results. Future work could also focus at expanding the model to explore factors other than the allocation strategy, such as transaction costs or penalties for leaving a network prematurely, that could be of relevance for the network profit.


Background: Obesity and hypertension among school children have a huge impact on public health. Hence, we estimated the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of childhood obesity and elevated blood pressure (BP) among adolescent schoolchildren (11-19 years) in urban areas of Gangtok, Sikkim, India. Materials and Methods: A population based cross-sectional study was conducted on 979 school children, during November 1, 2009 - April 30, 2010 in Gangtok, East Sikkim India. Anthropometric measurements and BP were recorded among the study population. Obesity and hypertension prevalent among adolescent school children and their correlates were analyzed. Results and Conclusion: Prevalence of obesity, overweight, and hypertension was 2.04%, 14.5% and 5.62%, respectively. The average fast food intake, screen time and limited outdoor activities were significantly associated with obesity. Increase in abdominal height positively correlated with increase in body mass index and body fat; however waist — hip ratio was not a reliable index. The burden of overweight/obesity as well as hypertension with all its associated risk was found to high among our study population, which necessitates framing of policies and actions at national level to address the risk associated with these noncommunicable diseases.


Background: Increased bone resorption is a well-described consequence of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). In South Africa, little is known about the impact of PHPT on skeletal health. Objective: To determine the prevalence of decreased bone mineral density (BMD), vertebral fractures and osteitis fibrosa cystica in patients with PHPT who underwent parathyroidectomy. Methods: Retrospective study of patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for PHPT at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, from January 2010 to December 2019. Clinical, biochemical and BMD parameters are described. Results: Final analysis included 56 patients (median age 63.5 years; 80.4% female). Initial calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were 2.93 mmol/l, 19.4 pmol/l and 34.0 nmol/l, respectively. Of the total cohort, 71.4% had decreased BMD. The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in postmenopausal women and men ≥ 50 years was 50.0% and 39.1% respectively; low bone mass for age in premenopausal women and men < 50 years was 20.0%. Vertebral fractures were seen in 21.2% of patients on radiography. Osteitis fibrosa cystica was present in five patients (9.6%). PTH levels were significantly elevated in patients with osteoporosis compared with those with normal BMD (36.4 vs. 16.1 pmol/l; p = 0.02). Conclusion: Two-thirds of patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for PHPT had decreased BMD, with osteoporosis present in 50% of postmenopausal women and older men. One in five had vertebral fractures. These findings underscore the importance of skeletal assessment in the management of PHPT.


Background/Aims: The podocyte is an important cell for maintaining the normal structure and function of the glomerulus. In recent years much attention has been given to the number of podocytes in glomeruli. During this time there has been a debate as to whether podocytes can divide after the capillary-loop stage of development. The aim of this study was to use an unbiased counting method to determine if podocyte number increases after the capillary-loop stage of development. Methods:The fractionator/disector method was used to count podocytes in glomeruli from rats aged 1 day, 5, 12, and 24 weeks. Glomerular volume was also measured with the unbiased Cavalieri principle and used to calculate the density of podocytes per glomerulus. Results: The number of podocytes did not increase from the capillary-loop stage of glomerular development to 24 weeks of age. Glomerular volume increased 3.6-fold during this time, which resulted in a decrease of podocyte density as the rats aged. Conclusion:The study documents that the number of podocytes is stable after the capillary-loop stage of glomerular development. The data does not confirm but adds evidence that podocytes do not divide from the capillary-loop stage of glomerular development to 24 weeks of age in the normal rat.


A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with poly 4-methyl-ortho-phenylenediamine (4-MoPD) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was used for selective and sensitive voltammetric determination of levodopa (L-Dopa) in phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.0. The mechanism of electrooxidation at this modified electrode was a purely diffusion-controlled reaction involving one-electron in the rate-determining step with a transfer coefficient (α) of about 0.60. The modified electrode exhibits good catalytic activity for oxidation of L-Dopa with high sensitivity (0.796 μA μmol−1), in a wide concentration range, (4.16 × 10−7–4.00 × 10−4 mol L−1), and a detection limit of 1.01 × 10−7 mol L−1. The anodic oxidation peak potential of L-Dopa (in PBS, pH 7.0) at the surface of the proposed modified electrode occurred at low overpotential (0.22 V vs. Ag/AgCl) and the oxidation current is about 16 times that of a bare GCE. Furthermore, the modified electrode can separate the signals of ascorbic acid (AA) and L-Dopa in a mixed solution with a peak separation of 183 mV. The present biosensor has been applied successfully for determination of low concentrations of L-Dopa in a pharmaceutical drug.


Objective The cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedure is a relatively new modality in treatment that can benefit many abdominal cancer patients. This lengthy procedure has many steps with many anesthesia challenges. One of the challenges that we studied is the effect of this procedure on endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure. Patients and methods After obtaining ethical approval, 25 patients of both sexes, ASA I and II, Mallampati I and II, who had undergone this surgery in our institute from 1 June 2013 to 1 October 2013 were enrolled in this study. In each patient, we measured the ETT cuff pressure five times, at the following time points: (a) immediately after intubation; (b) at the end of cytoreduction before the start of HIPEC; (c) at the end of HIPEC; (d) immediately before transfer to ICU; and (e) in the ICU immediately before extubation. Everytime, we reduced the cuff pressure (if higher) to 35 cmH 2 O using a Portex manometer. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 17. Continuous variables were analyzed as mean ± SD or median (range) as appropriate. Rates and proportions were calculated for categorical data. Differences among the pressure of the ETT cuff over time were analyzed by analysis of variance test using the generalized linear model methodology, whereas a pairwise comparison was performed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test adjusted for multiplicity. P values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered significant. Results Pairwise comparisons between the ETT cuff pressure performed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test showed a significant difference between the ETT cuff pressure at all measured time points (P < 0.005). Conclusion The cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC procedure has a significant effect on the ETT cuff pressure. We recommend close and frequent monitoring of the ETT cuff pressure during the steps of this major procedure.


Objective To explore the effects of seamless operating room nursing combined with multistyle health education on the psychological state, rehabilitation quality, and nursing satisfaction in patients with internal fixation of femoral fracture. Methods Eighty patients who received internal fixation of femoral fracture in our hospital (November 2020–November 2021) were chosen as the research objects, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into experimental group and control group according to the sequence of hospital admission. In perioperative period, the control group received routine nursing measures and the experimental group received seamless operating room nursing combined with multistyle health education. The patients' psychological state, rehabilitation quality, and nursing satisfaction after intervention were compared between the two groups. Results Compared with the control group, the experimental group achieved remarkably lower score of Profile of Mood States (POMS) after nursing (p < 0.001). The experimental group had much higher cognitive level scores, Harris hip score (HHS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score, and nursing satisfaction score in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). In perioperative period, the experimental group had much lower total incidence of complications in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Seamless operating room nursing combined with multistyle health education, as an effective measure to improve the rehabilitation quality of the patients with internal fixation of femoral fracture, has better effects on improving the patients' psychological state and reducing complications in perioperative period in comparison with the routine nursing intervention. Further studies are conducive to providing a better solution for the patients with internal fixation of femoral fracture.


There is a pressing need for new anti-parasitic drugs. Parasitic infection is an enormous, and growing, worldwide problem. Current treatments are generally ineffective and cause side-effects. Organisms resistant to some of the more effective drugs are appearing. A good target for drug intervention is glycolysis on which many parasites rely for their energy supply. Phosphofructokinase (PFK) is a good choice of glycolytic enzyme for targeting since it is believed to catalyse the major regulatory step of glycolysis. However, inhibition of parasite PFK must take place with as little inhibition of the host PFK as possible. The aim of this work was to tackle this problem of species selectivity. In the absence of much information about parasite PFKs, a model system was used which comprised two of the best-studied PFKs. The goal was inhibition of Escherichia coli PFK by compounds little affecting rabbit muscle PFK. Models of the structure for rabbit muscle PFK were built based on the justified assumption of a shared protein fold with Escherichia coli PFK. Several ligand design approaches were used. Some used protein structure information like the program LUDI. Database searches used information from the structures of known ligands. The question of species selectivity was addressed during the design process. Several classes of putative ligands were produced. These ranged from disparate organic compounds suggested by LUDI to substrate analogs modelled using molecular mechanics procedures. Testing of putative ligands was by a variety of techniques such as enzyme assay, fluorescence and protection against protein denaturation. Finally, the results were summarised and future prospects considered.


Abstract We have examined the record of melt-season duration on the Antarctic Peninsula using two techniques for detecting the presence of a melt signal in microwave-emission time series covering the period 1978–2000. We have obtained similar estimates of melt-season length using the cross-polarized gradient ratio (XPGR) technique and calibrations previously applied in Greenland and a technique which detects the jump in emission caused by melt without using a sensor- and frequency-dependent threshold value. The close correspondence between results from the two techniques on peninsula ice shelves suggests that the XPGR analysis can be used over the length of the time series. The results show that the long melt seasons of 1992/93 and several later years were exceptional occurrences on the northern parts of the Larsen Ice Shelf. These melt seasons were followed by disintegration events, supporting a possible cause-and-effect relationship.


Background: Perioperative respiratory adverse events are among the most common critical incidents in pediatric anesthesia. Three risk prediction models have been developed to predict occurrence of such adverse events in children. However, these tools were only internally validated, limiting generalization. The Perioperative Respiratory Adverse Events in Pediatric Ambulatory Anesthesia risk prediction tool developed by Subramanyam et al. consists of five predictors: age ≤ 3 years, ASA physical status II and III, morbid obesity, preexisting pulmonary disorder, and surgery.

Aims and Methods: We aimed to evaluate the suitability of Subramanyam's model in predicting the occurrence of perioperative respiratory adverse events in a more general tertiary care pediatric population, including anesthesia for both outpatient and inpatient procedures. Therefore we validated this scoring system in a tertiary care cohort of 204 children included in the APRICOT study at our hospital through retrospective analysis of this data. Secondarily, we aimed to study the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events in our hospital.

Results: Overall incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events in our sample was 19,6%. Applying Subramanyam's prediction model to our cohort, we found no patients categorized as low risk, 76 patients as intermediate risk and 128 patients as high risk. Discriminatory ability of the risk scoring system was modest, with AUC of the simplified model 0,65 (95% CI 0,57-0,74) and AUC of the original logistic regression model 0,66 (95% CI 0,57-0,75). Calibration of the simplified model was rather poor, with Brier score 0,49. The original logistic regression model calibrated better, with Brier score 0,18. A subgroup analysis considering solely ambulant patients in Ghent-APRICOT yielded comparable results.

Conclusions: We conclude that the overall performance of Subramanyam's risk prediction tool in our cohort was moderate. Modest discrimination and calibration suggest that the risk score may not reliably predict perioperative respiratory adverse events in individual patients in our tertiary care pediatric population. Therefore the clinical relevance of the implementation of this scoring system in our tertiary hospital would be negligible, which leaves us with the lack of good scoring systems to predict perioperative respiratory adverse events in our population. In addition, we found the incidence of these adverse events in our hospital to be markedly higher as compared to the sample of Subramanyam.


The paper examines the different third party approaches used to assess the social sustainability of global multi-tier supply chains. Information asymmetries between supply chain actors and stakeholders can result in uncertainty about how a good has been produced and traded, resulting in sustainability uncertainty. Third party social sustainability assessment is one mechanism used to monitor and communicate the credentials of everyday products to stakeholders. We frame our study using information processing theory to discuss how third party assessors can help to reduce sustainability uncertainty. As social sustainability is of particular importance in labor-intensive industries, empirical data is drawn from agriculture, textiles, handicrafts, footwear and consumer electronics supply chains. The analysis of semi-structured interviews with assessors reveals differering approaches to assessment. We show how these approaches utilize differing numbers of supply chain tiers. Some, for example, focus only on the farmer or raw material supplier when assessing social sustainability, which raises questions about the credentials of actors further downstream. The communities and livelihoods of supply chain actors, often located in the global South, can be dependent on the new, niche and potentially more profitable markets made available to goods that can demonstrate their social sustainability credentials. Robust assessment is therefore integral in accessing these new markets. The study offers a comparison between different assessors that will be of interest to scholars and also to supply chain actors considering engaging in social sustainability assessment.


Planning for multi-product batch plants involves decisions for facility design, product scheduling, inventory control etc. These are usually addressed for recipe based processes with fixed stage processing times. There is significant benefit in incorporating detailed dynamic process models while planning, and addressing the overall problem simultaneously (Bhatia and Biegler [1]). It thus becomes desirable to have sufficiently accurate process models, or develop methods that deal with process model uncertainty. This work addresses dynamic processing and planning decisions simultaneously for multi product batch plants, now with uncertainty in process parameters. Instances of uncertain parameters are used to construct planning scenarios that are addressed through a multiperiod planning formulation. Dynamic processing under uncertainty is addressed via a closed loop state feedback based correction strategy. Control parameters in the closed loop implementation of processing decisions are then determined in an open loop manner, and treated as invariant design variables in the multiperiod problem formulation. •e-mail: email@example.com. Tel: (412)-268-2232. Fax:(412)-268-7139.


The role of dental and orthodontic auxiliaries in Europe and the United States is reviewed, and the advantages of their employment in the United Kingdom are discussed in terms of increasing the cost-effectiveness of orthodontic treatment provision. A three-stage programme for the evaluation of Orthodontic Auxiliaries in the UK is proposed.


Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of diseases prevalent in developing countries. It has been estimated that collectively they may account for a health burden, in terms of years of life lost to disability, close to that of malaria, tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS. Stigma, in part, accounts for this high disease burden. However there is little literature on why NTDs are highly stigmatised, how the infected individual and their family are affected by stigma, and how this may manifest as either an entry into poverty or a deepening of poverty; in terms of both economics and capabilities.
This thesis combines the capabilities approach, as theorised and developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum (1993), and NTDs in order to assess NTDs' impact on poverty in terms of reducing people's ability to choose a life that is valuable to them.
A conceptual framework has been devised, linking health, poverty and capabilities, in which to place NTDs. Using the capabilities approach as a basis for analyzing NTDs is useful, as it is a well-established paradigm, which inspired the creation of the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Therefore combining the high profile paradigm of the capabilities approach with the lower profile NTDs may help to raise NTDs' profile, as well as creating a way in which to assess their impact on poverty that does not concentrate on monetary losses or mortality rates alone. It is hoped that this new direction will reveal major gaps in the current literature and initiate new research directions.


The magnetic domain structures of Ni micro ring (the inner and outer diameters are changed in a micrometer region) and micro dot array with different shapes and with a small separation between dots were observed by the combined method of photoelectron emission microscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. For the micro rings with a large inner diameter, a flux-closure (FC) domain structure tends to appear more easily than for those with a small inner diameter. This means that the FC domain structure of the micro rings with a large inner diameter is energetically more stable than those of the micro rings with a small inner diameter and the disks. After applying an external pulsed magnetic field of about 40 mT in the in-plane direction, each domain structure switched to an almost perfect single-domain structure. Because of the absence of a central vortex core in the ring as compared with the disks, exchange energy decreases substantially. These phenomena are discussed along with the simulation results. For the micro dot array, the interaction between dots was directly observed. Particularly for the circular disks with a small diameter showing FC domains, no interaction is observed due to the lack of stray fields from each disk. On the other hand, dots with multi domain structures interacted. These types of information may provide us fundamental knowledge for designing high-density magnetic recording media.


There has been a growing commitment across the fields of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) and Human-Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D) towards investigating the design and deployment of technologies in the context of complex healthcare ecologies. We present a qualitative inquiry of one such context, as we examine the outreach practices and everyday challenges of workers at a community-based organization in Gujarat (India) that works with People Living with the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus(PLHIV). Drawing on Yosso's framework of community cultural wealth-apt for such intersectional settings-and the lens of articulation work, we describe how the workers at Vikas build and strengthen varied forms of capital to restore "old normals," or what life was like for their PLHIV clients prior to diagnoses. Finally, we propose that attention to this nature of restoration work, and the workers' engagement with diverse forms of community cultural wealth, allows us to reflect on how technologies might (or might not) be designed to impact social and affective aspects of health.


Investigations into the design and calibration of a wideband reflectometer for the purpose of inclusion in a microwave imaging system for breast cancer detection is presented. The reflectometer design is based on the concept of six-port reflectometer with real-time display capabilities. In order to overcome its non-ideal performance, a one-port calibration procedure with three calibration standards is applied. The simulation results performed with Agilent ADS and Matlab show that the calibrated instrument performs reasonably well over a wide frequency band