We assembled data on annual variation in breeding rates of brushtail possums from four long-term studies in the lower North Island of New Zealand, three of which spanned more than 20 years. In each study, more than 80% of adult females bred in most years. The major exception was in 1996, when breeding failed synchronously at sites separated by up to 122 km. The overall breeding rate in 1996 at these sites was 28% (n = 201). Other instances of low breeding rate (<70%) occurred asynchronously at particular sites. We analysed variation in breeding rates to determine the contributions to annual variation of individual condition (body weight), population density, food resources and other environmental predictors. The probability of breeding declined rapidly as body condition fell below average. An index of fruitfall of hinau (Elaeocarpus dentatus), a highly nutritious food used by possums, and population density in the previous year were the most important predictors of possum condition and breeding rate. High density in the previous year coupled with low hinau fruitfall in the current year predicted below-average body condition and reduced breeding rate. Although the magnitude of these effects were only significant in 'extreme' years, they are consistant with delayed density-dependent effects on fecundity in brushtail possums.


In latest years in agricultural sector, physical techniques based on magnetic field are being designed. The present work studied the impact of magnetic field on the germination of fresh and partially-aged Panicum miliaceum L. (PM) seeds. The germinated PM seeds were categorized into 6 groups. Groups 1,2 and 3 were fresh seeds, and Groups 4, 5 and 6 (LV30%) were left for 6 days to lose about 30% of their viabilityLV30% seeds. Groups 1 and 4 were normal unexposed seeds. Groups 2 and 5 were seeds exposed to magnetic field intensity of 100mT, while those of 3 and 6 to 200mT for 60 minutes. Germination was monitored on days 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14 and 16. The effect of magnetic field on the % germination, growth characteristics of radical and shoot, protein concentration and peroxidase activity in fresh and LV30%were studied. Both the exposed and unexposed seeds lost their viability by 16 days of ageing in fresh and 14 days in (LV30%). Exposed seeds to magnetic fields 100 and 200 mT revealed significant increase in the length of root and shoot compared to normal unexposed seeds. The magnetically exposed aged seeds had significantly higher protein than in the unexposed aged seeds. The peroxidase activity decreased with ageing and the magnetically exposed seeds showed higher activity than the corresponding aged unexposed normal seeds. The present study suggests the magnetic field could accelerate the germination of PM seeds, accelerate their growth characteristics and increase soluble protein content. In addition the peroxidase activity significantly improved .


Although industrial market research has generated large data banks on organizational buyers, very little from the existing data seems helpful to management. What is needed before more data is collected is a realistic conceptualization and understanding of the process of industrial buying decisions. This article integrates existing knowledge into a descriptive model to aid in industrial market research.


Resumen en: Chickpea downy mildew is one of the most destructive diseases found sporadically in chickpea fields in the counties of Salvador Alvarado and Guasave, Sin...


The face mask introduction in SARS-CoV-2 pandemic situation, one of the precautionary measure to reduce the rate of transmission of infection from person to person. There are many type of of face masks enter into our global market with various size and designs. Among those, surgical mask belongs to secure an important place and this aimed to evaluate the degrading efficiency disposable face masks (single use face masks). The present study dealt with, biodegradation of face masks which is made of polypropylene with the help of bacterial strainPesudomonasaeruginosaisolated from the plastic waste dumping sites in an around the Tiruchirappalli, India. The bacteriacould degrade PP mask via the formation of biofilm on a solid medium. To degrade the PP, the mask pieces were incubated with the culture of P. aeruginosain three different solid and liquid medium (nutrient agar, Bushnell Haas agar and mineral salt medium) for 30 days at 37ᵒC. The microbial degradation(up to 33% of weight reduction of PP films within 30 days) was proved by surface changes along with the variation in the intensity of functional groups as well as carbonyl index variations using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. These results suggested that P.aeruginosa strain can prove to be a suitable candidate for polypropylene mask biodegradation without causing any impairment to our health or environment.


The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene has been found to be mutated during the development of sporadic colorectal cancers as well as in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). These conditions result from initially somatic and germ line mutations respectively. In both cases, the expressed protein is truncated at its carboxyterminal region. Investigations into the role of wild-type APC have led to a better understanding of the importance of mutations in the genesis and progression of adenomas. APC was shown to regulate cell growth and cell death, to bind beta-catenin, and to colocalize with microtubules. APC truncation was therefore hypothesized to alter cell multiplication and cells are no longer able to undergo apoptosis. Owing to its beta-catenin binding, APC can modify the pool of beta-catenin which is in part utilized in the assembly of adherens junctions and in nuclear signalling. Truncated APC is unable to regulate this pool thereby altering adhesion and cell signalling. Finally, APC involvement in microtubule-dependent locomotion may explain some changes in cell movement which are observed in adenomas. The establishment of murine mutants and of normal and malignant intestinal cell cultures have allowed to assess biochemical and physiological properties of APC and its putative role in the genesis of colorectal carcinogenesis. Moreover, these experimental models have suggested a variety of possible therapeutic approaches.


OBJECTIVE
Lichen planus is in children uncommon and poorly understood. The classical description is comparable to lichen planus in adults. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 12 cases in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Twelve children with lichen planus consulted the Saint-Louis or Robert-Debré hospitals between February 1994 and March 1996. Data collected included: age, sex, ethnic origin, drug use, anti-hepatitis vaccination status, disease history, physical examination, skin histology, liver tests, hepatitis B and C serology, treatment and outcome. Histological proof was obtained in all cases but one (a child with isolated ungueal involvement whose sister had histologically proven ungueal lichen planus).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The clinical features classically described in adults were atypical in all our childhood cases. A rapidly extensive eruption was the main sign in 6 cases. The localizations were unusual with lesions involving all four limbs and the trunk as well as the face in 5 cases and the scalp in 1. Mucosal involvement, observed in 65 p. 100 of adult cases was only found in one of our children. Unguel involvement also appears to be uncommon in children. The etiological pattern was also unusual since we did not observe a single case related to drugs or hepatitis B or C infection. Three children developed a lichen eruption after anti-hepatitis B infection. Four other cases of lichen planus after anti-hepatitis B vaccination have been reported in the literature. Mean delay between the booster vaccination and onset of eruption is reported to be 40 days. The increased incidence of childhood lichen planus in tropical zones suggests ethnic, genetic and climatic factors may be involved. Prognosis is poorly defined in the literature. Certain authors emphasize the long duration of the disease and resistance to treatment in cases of childhood lichen planus. Currently, there is no consensus on treatment. Dermocorticoids in combination with antihistaminics are usually prescribed. General corticosteroid therapy would appear to be warranted in extensive progressive forms with important functional and esthetic impact (scalp involvement with cicatricial alopecia, pigmentation sequellae). The role of other drugs, particularly retinoids, remains to be defined. This retrospective series was not statistically significant. Data in the literature are rather discordant, emphasizing the need for a prospective analysis to acquire a better understanding of the real incidence of childhood lichen planus and better define the therapeutic strategy.


Background The aim of this study was to determine the interrater reliability and correlation between computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic components of the University of Miami (UM) Chronic Rhinosinusitis Staging System (UMCRSS), a comprehensive staging system for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods A prospective analysis of 55 patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for CRS was performed. The population consisted of 28 men and 27 women, with a mean age of 45.9 years. All patients underwent staging, via the CT and endoscopic components of the UMCRSS in the operating room, by three examiners. The reliability of the system and all of its components was determined by K-coefficient analysis, comparing the data from all three examiners. Correlation between the CT and endoscopic arms was analyzed by Pearson's product moment coefficient. Results Interrater reliability for the CT arm (κ = 0.83) and endoscopic arm (κ = 0.74 for the revision population, and κ = 0.72 for the primary surgery population) were found to be significant. Endoscopic staging established significant correlation with CT staging (Pearson's r2 = 0.40; p < 0.0001 overall, 0.57, p < 0.0001 for revision, and 0.42, p < 0.0001 for primary cases). Conclusion The UMCRSS is a comprehensive and reliable staging system with very strong and positive correlation between the CT and endoscopic components.


The potential deleterious roles of "oxidative stress" have been studied in skeletal muscle for over 30 years, but recent studies have identified that reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide generated by skeletal muscle can exert regulatory roles in cell signalling processes. This "redox regulation" appears to depend upon the reversible oxidation of cysteine residues within key proteins with reversible gluathionylation and formation of protein disulphides potentially leading to changes in the activities of proteins such as enzymes, transcription factors or transporters. Control of this process is dependent upon the local redox environment pertaining at a subcellular level. This short review provides examples of redox‐regulated physiological processes in skeletal muscle that include some activation of transcription factors and changes in gene expression that result from contractile activity and the modulation of force generation during sustained contractions. There is also increasing evidence that dysregulation of redox‐sensitive processes plays a role in the loss of muscle mass and function that occurs during normal ageing and in the gross muscle degeneration in disorders such as the muscular dystrophies. © 2008 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 60(8): 497–501, 2008


Background: Until recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical benefits package has expressly excluded in vitro fertilization (IVF) services for Veterans experiencing fertility problems. However, P.L. 114–223 (2016) allows VHA to provide Assisted Reproductive Technology, including IVF, to certain eligible Veterans. Little is known regarding Veterans' experiences accessing IVF through VA Community Care contracts with IVF providers. Objective: To examine Veterans' experiences with IVF services provided under the auspices of P.L. 114–223. Research Design: Telephone or video interviews were conducted with male and female Veterans and opposite-sex spouses of Veterans who had been approved for IVF. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis techniques. Major themes and representative quotes were derived from the analyses. Results: Ninety-six Veterans and 14 spouses participated in our interviews. Six major themes arose from these interviews, including (1) the need for improved communication regarding IVF benefits, (2) the need for expanded IVF benefits, (3) the lack of a comprehensive care coordination program, (4) poor access to IVF providers in some areas of the country, (5) special services needed for Veterans with spinal cord injuries, and (6) the IVF policy may be discriminatory in nature to single and LGBTQ Veterans. Conclusions: Many Veterans with service-connected conditions related to reproductive health have taken advantage of the IVF benefit, though limitations on these benefits have prevented other Veterans from taking advantage of the IVF benefit. Further attention needs to be paid to improving communication and coordination of IVF services with ongoing VA care and ensuring special populations, including those living in rural areas and Veterans with spinal cord injuries, have access to IVF services as needed.


Interest in selenium pollution and remediation technology has escalated during the past two decades. Although not known to be essential for plants, selenium is an essential micronutrient for humans and animals, having important benefits for their nutrition. At high concentrations, however, selenium becomes toxic to animals and humans. A major selenium controversy in the 1980s emerged in California at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge; hence, scientists, environmental regulators, politicians, and the general public in the United States became aware of selenium's potential as an environmental contaminant. Consequently, extensive research has been conducted in the western United States, and a vast amount of financial resources have been allocated to develop management strategies and remediation technologies for reducing the impact of naturally occurring selenium on the biological environment. A plant-based technology, defined as 'phytoremediation', has received increasing recognition as a low-cost, environmentally friendly approach for managing the toxic effects of selenium. Plants have the ability to absorb and sequester selenium and to convert inorganic selenium to volatile forms of organic compounds that are released harmlessly into the atmosphere. The present review summarizes recent research findings and information about strategies on using phytoremediation systems to detoxify selenium-contaminated soils and waters in natural and agricultural ecosystems.


Background: Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in chronic unresponsive dermatophytosis. A study was conducted to quantify the proportion of patients with chronic dermatophytosis and to determine the clinico-mycological predictors of chronicity including antifungal susceptibility. Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional study design was adopted. Four hundred and twenty-five patients were studied. The outcome variable was chronic dermatophytosis and the determinants were clinico-mycological characteristics. Chi-square and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results: Chronic dermatophytosis was seen in 29.4%. Past history of dermatophytosis, OR 0.44 (95% CI 0.28–0.68); family history of dermatophytosis, OR 1.66 (95% CI 1.06–2.56); HIV infection, OR 9.88 (95% CI 1.09–89.33); treatment with topical antifungals, OR 2.4 (95% CI 1.5–3.9); systemic antifungals, OR 3.9 (95% CI 2.5–6.1); topical steroids, OR 2.02 (95% CI 1.25–3.25); multiple-site infection, OR 1.97 (95% CI 1.24–3.13); and tinea unguium, OR 6.52 (95% CI 2.89–14.7) were the significant determinants. Trichophyton mentagrophytes (73.6%) was the most common isolate followed by Trichophyton rubrum and Microsporum gypseum (13.2%) each. A percentage of 77.4 of the isolates were resistant—73.6% isolates to terbinafine and 3.8% isolates to fluconazole. None of the isolates were resistant to itraconazole. Conclusion: Significant determinants were host-related factors. Thorough history taking, patient examination, and education can improve the present scenario. Microbiological resistance was not a significant predictor. High proportion of resistant strains should be an eye opener. Developing and adopting a standard uniform treatment protocol throughout the country should be the need of the hour.


Computing endemic equilibria and basic reproductive numbers for systems of differential equations describing epidemiological systems with multiple connections between subpopulations is often algebraically intractable. We present an alternative method which deconstructs the larger system into smaller subsystems and captures the interactions between the smaller systems as external forces using an approximate model. We bound the basic reproductive numbers of the full system in terms of the basic reproductive numbers of the smaller systems and use the alternate model to provide approximations for the endemic equilibrium. In addition to creating algebraically tractable reproductive numbers and endemic equilibria, we can demonstrate the influence of the interactions between subpopulations on the basic reproductive number of the full system. The focus of this paper is to provide analytical tools to help guide public health decisions with limited intervention resources.


The transition period of the dairy cow generally refers to the last three weeks of gestation and the first three weeks of lactation. During this period, the dairy cow faces numerous physiological challenges, requiring both homeostatic and homeorhetic changes to support the demands of lactation. Management strategies to achieve a successful transition have developed over many decades. Historically, these strategies focussed on achieving high energy intakes pre-calving in an attempt to improve post-calving metabolism; however, more recent research has indicated that this approach may not be appropriate. Physiological and molecular data have indicated that imposing a slight negative energy balance (EBAL) pre-calving can improve post-calving EBAL, metabolic health indices and milk production. It was hypothesised that the challenges of the transition period would be less in a grazing system than in an intensive confinement system, due to the lower milk production and the difference in population density and, therefore, pathogen exposure. However, the molecular and immunological responses to the change of state are similar in magnitude in a moderate-yielding pasture-fed cow and in a high-yielding cow fed a total mixed ration. The collective data point to a peripartum immunosuppression, which is affected by body condition score and feeding level. This review will outline the literature and provide an assessment of the most recent transition cow management for grazing dairy cows.


The debate among legal scholars about individuals' failure to save enough for retirement happens on a "micro" level. It focuses on the causes and consequences of undersaving from the perspective of individuals and analyzes how legal interventions, such as tax subsidies and nudges, can best address individual saving mistakes. This debate depends on certain assumptions about how the macroeconomy operates. When these assumptions do not hold, neither do the implications of the micro analysis, turning the conventional analysis of undersaving on its head. In fact, in a variety of circumstances, saving imposes a negative externality. Consequently, what looks like undersaving at the individual level may result in oversaving in the aggregate, and private vice may become a public virtue. We adopt a macro perspective and argue for reforms of legal interventions designed to increase savings.


The effects of histamine were studied in the maximally vasodilated gracilis muscle. Dog gracilis muscles were isolated in a plethysmograph and perfused at constant inflow pressure (102 +/- 2 mm Hg). Maximal vasodilation was produced with constant infusion of papaverine (0.2 mg/ml). Constant infusion of blood labeled with albumin-131l or red blood cells (RBC)-51Cr was made throughout the duration of the experiment. Tissue radioactivity and tissue volume changes were continuously measured. Papaverine did not increase transcapillary movement of protein, Histamine (5 microgram/kg/min) was added to the blood and 10 to 15 min later the dose level was increased to 60 microgram/kg/min. Since the vasculature was maximally dilated, changes in tissue radioactivity and tissue volume would be due to transcapillary movement rather than to vascular volume effects. The low dose of histamine significantly steepened the slopes of tissue volume and tissue albumin-s131l increase. The highest dose of histamine significantly further increased these rates. The tissue red cells-51Cr slope was not significantly increased with either dose of histamine. The capillary filtration coefficient was significantly increased above the papaverine vasodilation value by the histamine. The data would support increased transcapillary movement of proteins by other than hemodynamic mechanisms.


This paper deals with Slavic micro-languages in situations of absolute language contact with German (Upper Sorbian, Burgenland Croatian) and Italian (Molise Slavic, Resian). The Slavic way of forming aspectual pairs has been preserved throughout, whereas aspect usage has changed. The behaviour of prefixes in borrowings varies according to the individual contact situations: Sorbian and Burgenland Croatian form prefixed partners even from loan verbs in contrast to Resian and Molise Slavic, borrowing telic verbs as perfectives and forming their imperfective partners by means of suffixation.


On the land, Indonesia is bordered by three countries: Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. Whereas, in Indonesia sea area bordered by 10 countries: India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, the Republic of Palau, Australia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea. Most of the border region in Indonesia is still an underdeveloped area with less facilities and infrastructure of social and economic. Formulation of the problem are: 1. How do the condition of the socio-economic and culture in the border of Indonesia - Malaysia? 2. What is the condition of infrastructure in the border and what is the urgent infrastructure to be built? 3. What are policy and strategy of the Indonesian government of the border of society development between Indonesia (Entikong) and Malaysia (Sarawak)? The purpose of writing are: 1. Comparing the condition of the socio-economic and culture of border both Indonesia and Malaysia. 2. Comparing the condition of the infrastructure of border both Indonesia and Malaysia and determining the infrastructure to be built. 3. Describing the Indonesian government policy and strategy in development acceleration of economic society in the border between Indonesia, especially Entikong Sub-District of Sanggau Regency West Kalimantan and Malaysia (Sarawak). Although, the commitment and the governments policy  have given a higher priority in the reorientated development of border, which those of security (security approach) into a welfare orientation (prosperity approach), but overall, the issue of society development in Indonesia border, especially the District Entikong Sanggau Regency West Kalimantan and Malaysia (Sarawak) so far can be said that are still not getting proportional attention. The indication, though a variety of policies, regulations or laws relating to efforts to accelerate economic development of border societies have been made. Various issues and problems are faced by the border, both land and sea borders can be solved by more focused and targeted on six aspects, these are policy, economic and socio-cultural, defense and security, natural resources management, institutional and management authority, as well as cooperation inter nations.


By leveraging MMIC circuits and GaAs processing expertise gleaned from military funded programs such as the MIMIC Program and GBR (Ground Based Radar), Raytheon at its Advanced Device Center (ADC) has initiated a thrust into commercial markets for MMIC products. Adapting microwave technology advances for use in commercial products is the simplest part of the Dual Use equation. Historically, military designs are application-specific MMIC solutions tailored to high-performance military system needs. Efforts are being made to make military designs as "generic" as possible, particularly under the MIMIC program. Market-driven application specific standard products (ASSPs) required a major change in focus that proved difficult but achievable. Maintaining a balance between cost competitive high volume quality manufacturing and the requirements of supplying MMIC components to full military specifications is a challenge which is being met. This paper will discuss how Raytheon has addressed the difficulties inherent in defense conversion.<<ETX>>


In this paper, a neural network approach is applied to a typical electromagnetic diagnostic problem consisting in the prediction of the electromagnetic field absorption inside a dielectric phantom. The approach has been tested by considering, at the input of the neural network, the values of the incident electric field at a fixed number of locations. Also phaseless measures have been taken into account. The outputs are some features describing the electromagnetic absorption, such as the peak amplitude of the induced field, the location of the absorption peak and a measure of the extension of the induced spot inside the phantom. Preliminary results show that the approach shows a satisfactory accuracy in reconstructing the selected absorption features, and that it is able to estimate these characteristics very quickly.


Abstract The development in (Dutch) building practice necessitates developments in other aspects, besides specialized and professional skills, a new integral approach in education and the introduction of such an approach into building design practice. In 2005, the Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning of the University of Technology Eindhoven commenced a multidisciplinary master project on integral design focused on a sustainable climatic design. Students of architecture, building technology, structural engineering, and building services participated in these multidisciplinary master projects. The students began with a 2-day learning-by-practice workshop that was implemented and tested in collaboration with experienced professionals from the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects and the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers. These workshops have become part of the permanent educational and professional program of the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects. This is one of the few projects in which the practical experience is transferred into the educational academic program and vice versa; normally this process functions only in one of the two directions. The theoretical basis of the design method on which the education of students and professionals is based is discussed and results presented.


ABSTRACT The obligately parthenogenetic, all-female marbled crayfish, Procambarus virginalis, is a triploid descendant of the similarly looking, sexually reproducing slough crayfish, Procambarus fallax, native to Florida and southern Georgia. We have earlier hypothesised that marbled crayfish may have originated from P. fallax only some 25 years ago, perhaps in captivity. In order to investigate the young evolutionary age hypothesis in more detail, I searched the P. fallax collection of the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History (USNM, Washington, D.C.) for evidence of marbled crayfish before its detection in the German aquarium trade in 1995. In particular, I analysed the sex ratio of P. fallax and the frequency of pure female samples throughout its entire distribution range to detect potentially misidentified marbled crayfish among the P. fallax. If marbled crayfish had originated from P. fallax long ago, spread throughout Florida and Georgia and erroneously been sampled as P. fallax, then the sex ratio of the P. fallax in the collection should be significantly biased towards females and pure female samples should be much more frequent than in related Procambarus species. Comparison of P. fallax (n = 2299) with its closest relatives P. seminolae (n = 801) and P. leonensis (n = 150) revealed female proportions of 55.33%, 53.93% and 54.67%, respectively, which are not significantly different from each other. The average female proportion of the 14 Procambarus species investigated (8641 specimens) was 52.54 ± 7.54% (mean ± standard deviation). Moreover, pure female samples consisting of more than 3 specimens that could represent hidden marbled crayfish were not conspicuously more common in P. fallax (2.33%) than in all Procambarus species investigated (1.24 ± 1.79%). These data suggest that the P. fallax collection of the USNM consists of real, sexually reproducing P. fallax and does most likely not include hidden marbled crayfish, supporting the young evolutionary age hypothesis for marbled crayfish.


A Howe curve is a curve of genus $4$ obtained as the fiber product over $\mathbf{P}^1$ of two elliptic curves. Any Howe curve is canonical. This paper provides an efficient algorithm to find superspecial Howe curves and that to enumerate their isomorphism classes. We discuss not only an algorithm to test the superspeciality but also an algorithm to test isomorphisms for Howe curves. Our algorithms are much more efficient than conventional ones proposed by the authors so far for general canonical curves. We show the existence of a superspecial Howe curve in characteristic $7<p\le 331$ and enumerate the isomorphism classes of superspecial Howe curves in characteristic $p\le 53$, by executing our algorithms over the computer algebra system Magma.


RFID (Radio frequency identification) is often seen as an enabling technology for mixed-reality experiences where all kinds of objects, even the most mundane and inanimate, can be equipped to provide interaction between the real and virtual worlds. These mixed-reality experiences could occur in all aspects of our lives, but one of the most easily envisaged is that of computer games. As the mobile phone has become the computer carried in the pockets of a third of the population of the planet, it would seem a natural platform for these mixed-reality games. Further, the emergence of mobile phones that incorporate RFID readers gives the opportunity for creating games in which players interact with real physical objects, in real locations, and provides enhanced gameplay and experience. In this article we present details of a novel location- and object-enhanced mixed-reality version of the Namco arcade classic, Pacman. In particular, the article presents a comparison of the game to other mixed-reality versions of Pacman; the rationale behind specific design choices made during game design and its subsequent implementation; and an analysis of the experiences of people who have played the game. Our system highlights the possibilities via use of physical objects and the combination of mobile phones and RFID of yielding new mixed-reality entertainment experiences.


Through the Internet we can make the virtual experiments platform published on the web, sharing resources and avoid duplication of equipment purchased and waste of resources. A lot of data acquisition and wireless communication framework was developed based on the graphic programming platform of Lab VIEW. The system used the big and powerful Lab VIEW handling data and showing function to carry out a real-time processing, analysis and display. Two communication styles were given such as TCP/IP and Data Socket. When two computers run Lab VIEW at the same time, real-time date send and receive between computers by the interface of Virtual instrument, which can realize multi-machine wireless data transmission and reading, in order to complete remote data sharing and controlling.


Gynodian-Depot is well suited for treatment of the characteristic symptoms accompanying the menopause in women. The plasma levels of prasterone and 17 beta-estradiol after intramuscular injection of Gynodian-Depot in women were studied using a radioimmunological method. The maximum active ingredient concentrations were found in the plasma of the subjects only a few days after administration. The depot action lasted on an average 14 days (17 beta-estradiol) and 18 days (prasterone) after administration, respectively. Prasterone enanthate is completely hydrolysed into the free steroid and the fatty acid.


We have developed a setup for low angle energy dispersive X-ray scattering measurement employing two key components: i) a Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) which can provide energy resolution close to Fano limit at fast processing times and ii) an X-ray collimator based on parallel polycapillary technology that allows angular resolution in the milli-radiant range. Combining these features an instrument has been developed for fast acquisition of X-ray scattering intensity profiles with resolution in momentum space of few percent. In order to fully assess the achievable performance of the setup with its novel features, a reference sample with known momentum transfer distribution was measured. One key issue studied in detail is the impact of the well-known energy dependence of the acceptance angle of the parallel polycapillary collimator. To this purpose the measured linear scatter coefficient with the polycapillary collimator has been compared with the one obtained (in the same experimental conditions) with a multi-hole brass collimator.


It is known that the organic units in hybrid halide perovskites are free to rotate, but it is not clear if this freedom is of any relevance to the structure-property relationship of these compounds. We have employed quasi-elastic neutron scattering using two different spectrometers, thus providing a wide dynamic range to investigate the cation dynamics in methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) and formamidinium lead bromide (FAPbBr3) over a large temperature range covering all known crystallographic phases of these two compounds. Our results establish a plastic crystal-like phase forming above 30 K within the orthorhombic phase of MAPbBr3 related to 3-fold rotations of MA units around the C-N axis with an activation energy, Ea, of ∼27 meV, which has no counterpart in the FA compound. MA exhibits an additional 4-fold orientational motion of the whole molecule via rotation of the C-N axis itself with an Ea of ∼68 meV common for the high-temperature tetragonal and cubic phases. In contrast, the FA compound exhibits only an isotropic orientational motion of the whole FA unit with Ea ≈ 106 meV within the orthorhombic phase and a substantially reduced common Ea of ∼62 meV for the high-temperature tetragonal and cubic phases. Our results suggest that the rotational dynamics of the organic units, crystallographic phases, and physical properties of these compounds are intimately connected.


One of the preliminary tasks when analyzing a dataset is to determine whether it or its components contain useful information. The task is essentially a binary hypothesis testing problem in which a null hypothesis of pure noise is often preproposed. To test against the null hypothesis, the characteristics of noise need to be understood first, and often, these characteristics pertain to the analysis method used. In this paper, the characteristics of Gaussian white noise are studied by using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. Statistical testing methods for Gaussian white noise for the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are designed based on the characteristics of Gaussian white noise by using EMD. These methods are applied to well-studied geophysical datasets to demonstrate the method's validity and effectiveness.


It was previously reported that magnolol, isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb Magnolia officinalis, had a potent inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation. Since sperm motility could be suppressed by lipid peroxidation, this study examines the protective effect of magnolol on lipid peroxidation-suppressed sperm motility. FeSO4 was used to induced lipid peroxidation and sperm motility was expressed as tail beat frequency (TBF) measured with a sperm head fixation method. Magnolol at 10(-9) to 10(-7) M significantly reversed the FeSO4-suppressed TBF. Magnolol significantly inhibited the generation of malondialdehyde (MDA), the end product of lipid peroxidation, in sperm. Magnolol protected sperm motility by inhibiting lipid peroxidation in sperm.


The purpose and remit here is to investigate the afterlife of the architect John Soane (1753-1837) in terms of his architectural influence, my hypothesis positing that this had not been fully investigated and that the historical underestimation of Soane's influence is erroneous. This critical appraisal is an opportunity to present further manifestations of Soane's influence not covered in my submitted published work; in that the non-decorative manifestations of Soane's influence were previously beyond the research boundaries of my investigations.
Methodology and presentation: having utilised a 'historical research strategy' methodology as the most appropriate approach, anachronistic underestimation has been thoroughly revised through a coherent, thematic and closely interrelated body of work on one topic, Soane's influence. The evidence used to support my hypothesis is presented in the four publications submitted here.
Findings, context and justification: having presented the known spheres of Soane's influence, this appraisal argues that the highest and most reliable data yield is found in a survey of Soane's decorative influence, resulting in a justification for the submitted publications. Although there are differing readings of his influence, it is arguable that we are in fact dealing with a highly singular decorative lexicon synonymous with just one artist, Soane, which means proving decorative influence is more reliable than trying to prove Soane's influence in different spheres, where there is too little data to begin the iterative process because there are far fewer tropes traceable to a particular originator. The context to my investigations is that before Postmodernism there had been a negative consensus on the degree or nature of Soane's influence, thus resulting in a low yield of literature on the subject per se. Postmodernism engendered an interest in Soane's legacy, resulting in some scholarly investigation. A consequence of these partial endeavours was that there was now considerable chronological lacunae in-between these investigations, with no notion of overarching historical continuum. Such investigations having been confined only to certain eras: Soane's own (late Georgian); late Modernism and Postmodernism.
Originality and worth: this topic had never been investigated as a thematic and wholly chronological entity (1791-1980), despite some forty-four books on Soane's architecture and Soane himself but none on his influence, until my 2015 survey. My work has given Soane a recognisable afterlife and so his influence can now be viewed as an independent topic that is deserved of prolonged investigation for the first time ever.


BACKGROUND
Epigenetic modifications are defined as heritable changes in gene expression that are not encoded in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Despite the importance of epigenetics in tumorigenesis, there is a paucity of information regarding the epigenetic profiles of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to identify epigenetic signatures associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and -negative OPSCC.

METHODS
We collected demographic, pathologic, and survival data from 44 patients with advanced-stage OPSCC treated with surgery and chemoradiation at the University of Alberta between January 2006 and December 2008. Tumour specimen from these patients were retreived and sectioned for immunohistochemical analysis. Double immunofluorescence staining was performed with p16 (HPV surrogate) and a panel of epigenetic markers, namely, histone methyl-lysines 4, 9, and 27 and H4 methyl-lysine 20. Correlation between p16 and epigenetic markers was measured using Metamorph and Image J software.

RESULTS
Forty-one percent of patients were p16 positive. No statistically significant differences were found between p16-positive and -negative patients in terms of age at diagnosis, tumour subsite, or smoking history. We found significant differences in histone methylation between p16-positive and -negative tumours. OPSCC tumours positive for p16 had global elevations of histone H4 monomethylated lysine 20 (H4K20me1) and H3 trimethylated lysine 27 (H3K27me3) with depletions of H4 trimethylated lysine 20 (H4K20me3). In contrast, p16-negative tumours had depleted levels of H4K20me1 and H3K27me3 with high levels of H4K20me3.

CONCLUSIONS
HPV-positive and -negative OPSCCs have distinct epigenetic profiles representing broad gene expression differences between these tumours.


The increased availability of PET facilities worldwide has sparked renewed interest in the use of generator-produced tracers such as gallium-68 (68Ga). Imaging with 68Ga provides exciting opportunities in terms of new ligand-labelling possibilities and the exploration of novel clinical applications. The aim of the study was to summarize and appraise what has been published on the clinical applications of 68Ga outside oncology practice. This systematic review was based on the PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched include PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The following search strategy was used: '68Ga' OR '68Gallium' (all fields) NOT the following (title and abstract): Oncology/NET/neuroendocrine tumour/tumor/DOTATOC, DOTATATE, DOTANOC. These results were further limited to English publications, which resulted in 205 publications on PubMed. After duplicates and irrelevant articles were removed, 72 publications remained for inclusion. Only those studies in which compounds were labelled with 68Ga for applications other than in oncology-related indications were included. Publications in which the focus was on oncology-related applications of 68Ga imaging or in which the emphasis was on aspects relating to generators, radiochemistry or physics were excluded. Although a multitude of tracers have been labelled with 68Ga over several decades, it has not been established in routine clinical practice yet. In addition, neuroendocrine and other oncological applications have dominated the field until relatively recently following reports of applications in infection and inflammation. The majority of publications to date involve small numbers of subjects in mainly preclinical settings. Differences in methodology preclude grouping of studies to reach a clear conclusion. There is wide scope for 68Ga tracer application outside oncological practice, which remains greatly underutilized. Larger clinical trials are needed to validate these applications.


Computational grids are distributed systems composed of heterogeneous computing resources which are distributed geographically and administratively. These highly scalable systems are designed to meet the large computational demands of many users from scientific and business orientations. This dissertation address problems related to the allocation of the computing resources which compose a grid.
First, the design of a pan-Canadian grid is presented. The design exploits the maturing stability of grid deployment toolkits, and introduces novel services for efficiently allocating the grids resources. The challenges faced by this grid deployment motivate further exploration in optimizing grid resource allocations.
The primary contribution of this dissertation is one such technique for allocating grid resources. By applying a utility model to the grid allocation options, it is possible to quantify the relative merits of the various possible scheduling decisions. Indeed, a number of utility heuristics are derived to provide quality-of-service policies on the grid; these implement scheduling policies which favour efficiency and also allow users to intervene with urgent tasks. Using this model, the allocation problem is then formulated as a knapsack problem. Formulation in this manner allows for rapid solution times and results in nearly optimal allocations.
The combined utility/knapsack approach to grid resource allocation is first presented in the allocation of single resource type, processors. By evaluating the approach with novel utility heuristics using both random and real workloads, it is shown to result in efficient schedules which have characteristics that match the intended policies. Additionally, two design and analysis techniques are performed to optimize the design of the utility/knapsack scheduler; these techniques play a significant role in practical adoption of the approach.
Next, the utility/knapsack approach is extended to the allocation of multiple resource types. This extension generalizes the grid allocation solution a wider variety of resources, including processors, disk storage, and network bandwidth. The general technique, when combined with new heuristics for the varied resource types, is shown to result in improved performance against reference strategies.
This dissertation concludes with a novel application of the utility/knapsack approach to fault-tolerant task scheduling. Computational grids typically feature many techniques for providing fault tolerance to the grid tasks, including retrying failed tasks or replicating running tasks. By applying the utility/knapsack approach, the relative merits of these varied techniques can be quantified, and the overall number of failures can be decreased subject to resource cost considerations.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate the effect of aging on the expression of nitric oxide synthase I (NOS I) and the activity of nitric oxide synthase in the rat penis.

METHODS
Thirty male rats from three age groups(adult, old and senescent) were investigated: 1. The expressions of NOS I protein and mRNA in the penis were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR, respectively. 2. NOS activity in the penis was detected with ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

RESULTS
In rats of the old and the senescent groups, the expression of NOS I protein decreased significantly as compared to that of the adult group. NOS I mRNA expression was well related to its protein expression. NOS activity had no statistical difference between the adult group and the old group, but it reduced significantly in the senescent group as compared to that of the adult group(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
It is maybe one of the main mechanisms of erectile dysfunction in the aging male that the aging causes the decreases of NOS I protein and mRNA expression and NOS activity.


Characterizing C+ ions in the Martian ionosphere is important for understanding the history of the Martian atmosphere and surface due to its place in understanding carbon escape. Measuring minor ions, like C+, which are close in mass to major atmospheric ions, in this case O+, is difficult, requiring fitting algorithms and accurate background subtraction. Accurate measurement of these species is essential for understanding chemistry and transport in the ionosphere. In this paper, we use data from the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN SupraThermal And Thermal Ion Composition (MAVEN‐STATIC) sensor to report the first C+ fluxes measured in the Martian magnetotail. We will describe a multistep method of background subtraction as well as fitting routines that are used to extract C+ fluxes from a 40‐orbit subset of STATIC data. Our results show tailward fluxes in both optical shadow and the adjacent sunlit magnetotail at high altitudes ( > $ > $ 3,000 km) and Mars‐ward at low altitudes ( < $< $ 2,000 km) in shadow. These local flux values are similar to estimates of neutral carbon fluxes from photochemical escape. However, total carbon loss comparisons will require a more comprehensive study of integrated C+ loss over a larger data set from the Martian magnetotail.


In a rapidly developing labor market, in which some parts of jobs disappear and new parts appear due to technological developments, companies are struggling with defining future-proof job qualifications and describing job profiles that fit the organization's needs. This is even more applicable to smaller companies with new types of work because they often grow rapidly and cannot hire graduates from existing study programs. In this research project, we undertook in-depth, qualitative research into the five roles of a new profession: social media architect. It has become clear which 21st century skills and motivations are important per role and, above all, how they differ in subcategory and are interpreted by a full-service team in their working methods, in a labor market context, and in the talents of the professional themselves. In a workshop, these "skills" were supplemented through a design-based approach and visualized per team role in flexibly applicable recruitment cards. This research project serves as an example of how to co-create innovative job profiles for the changing labor market.


This study is focused on defining and optimizing the design parameters of inherently safe "battery" type sodium-cooled metallic-fueled nuclear reactor cores that operate on a single stationary fuel loading at full power for 30 years. A total of 29 core designs were developed with varying power and flow conditions, including detailed thermal-hydraulic, structural-mechanical and neutronic analysis. Given set constraints for irradiation damage, primary cycle pressure drop and inherent safety considerations, the attainable power range and performance characteristics of the systems are defined. The optimum power level for a core with a coolant pressure drop limit of 100 kPa and an irradiation damage limit of 200 DPA (displacements per atom) is found to be 100 MWt/40 MWe. Raising the power level of an optimized core gives significantly higher attainable power densities and burnup, but severely decreases safety margins and increases the irradiation damage. A fully optimized inherently safe battery-type fast reactor core with an active height and diameter of 150 cm (2.6 m3), a pressure drop limit of 100 kPa and an irradiation damage limit of 300 DPA can be designed to operate at 150 MWt/60 MWe for 30 years, reaching an average discharge burnup of 100 MWd/kg-actinide.


Background and Objective: The blended electronic learning system, raised as a new approach in educational planning with great enthusiasm, seeks novel ways to properly combine the media; however, the sequence of in-person and distance educational methods is an issue neglected so far. This study aims to compare the effect of the sequence of blended workshop learning and web-based learning on the learning level of biostatistics in students who were members of the Student Research Committee at Arak Medical Sciences University. Methodology: This is a quasi-experimental study with an alternative treatment design. The statistical population consisted of the students who were members of the Student Research Committee of the university, including 38 medical students and 15 health students, who were selected through census sampling due to their limited number. The data were selected with 2 questionnaires: demographic characteristics and biostatistics multiple-choice questions to assess learning of statistical concepts in three levels of literacy, reasoning, and thinking. The validity and reliability of the translated statistics questions were assessed through content validity and bisection, respectively. The data were analyzed in SPSS-16 through independent and paired t-tests and analysis of variance. Findings: The results showed a statistical difference between the groups in both faculties in statistical literacy and reasoning in blended learning (p>0.05). However, regarding statistical thinking, the difference was signi�cant in the health faculty (p=0.044) and insigni�cant in the medical school (p>0.05). Discussion: Given the statistical difference observed in the health group, we suggest holding in-person courses at �rst and online courses then.


Establishing agro-ecological compensation mechanism is the objective requirement for protecting agricultural ecological environment on the prerequisite of stabilizing and benefiting farmers, to realize protection in the process of development and promote development through protection. This study analyzed existing problems in the practice of establishing agro-ecological compensation mechanism in Jiangsu Province, including failure to form systematic compensation system due to limited technological reserve, failure to bring into play expected compensation effect due to scant attention, and failure to set up perfect input mechanism due to insufficient financing channel. In line with these problems, it came up with feasible policy recommendations, including strictly implementing top frame design for agro-ecological compensation and giving impetus to standardized and institutionalized work, building pilot demonstration area for agro-ecological compensation, setting up diversified agro-ecological compensation approaches, establishing long-term security mechanism for agro-ecological compensation, and strengthening propaganda and education of agro-ecological compensation. It is expected to provide reference for establishing agro-ecological compensation mechanism in Jiangsu Province, and also provide system guarantee for promoting ecological progress and agricultural modernization in Jiangsu Province.


Tumors arising from the pineal body (the epiphysis cerebri) are among the rarer types of intracranial new growths. They are interesting from three points of view: first, from a purely neurologic standpoint, since they give rise to symptoms which have been of value in the localization of tumors in the pineal neighborhood; second, from the standpoint of the internal secretions, because of the much mooted question of a possible endocrine function of the organ; third, from a histopathologic standpoint, because of the peculiar and poorly understood structure of the epiphysis and consequently of the tumors which arise from it. Numerous investigators have been inclined on an anatomic basis to believe in the glandular nature of the organ in question; and from their recent phylogenetic studies, Tilney and Warren1have argued for such a belief. Physiologic experiments with pineal extract, however, have given negative results. Extirpation of the pineal body


ABSTRACT The authors present a case of lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei , a rare skin disease of unknown etiology, which may cause unaesthetic scarring due to its difficult treatment. The histopathological examination of epithelioid granulomas with caseating necrosis, together with the clinical features, are important for diagnosis and early treatment with better results. Despite difficult and unsatisfactory treatment, there are ongoing studies on therapy to improve aesthetic and social impairment. This case report describes an initial misdiagnosis delaying appropriate treatment, and highlights the value of physical examination and clinical judgment for another pathological examination, whenever necessary, aiming at better treatment outcomes in daily practice.


As the complexity and size of software increases, project management becomes important to develop reliable software cost-effectively within specified time constraints. In order to manage a software project effectively, it is necessary to establish a control method based on the objective and quantitative evaluation data on the current status of the software project. Furusawa (1994) presented quantitative evaluations of the software development process described by a generalized stochastic Petri net. However, the evaluation in the above paper cannot deal with the development period sufficiently because of restrictions on the GSPN model. This paper defines a new hierarchical model for software projects by extending the previous GSPN model and by introducing the concept of workload, and proposes a method to evaluate the software process from the viewpoints of the quality, cost and delivery date. As a result, the new model can take the influence of human factors into account, and thus can evaluate the dynamic aspects of software projects. Finally, the results of a case study of the proposed method provide us with some implications on software project management.


The way humans perceive sound has become an important factor in building acoustics, thus opening a path to subjective evaluation of sound insulation properties of building elements through listening tests. Different approaches have been taken in order to present the sound stimuli to listeners in the most realistic way possible. The reproduction of sound stimuli during listening tests related to building acoustics is usually carried out over headphones, being a very convenient way for the reproduction of acoustic stimuli in general. Nevertheless, in some cases a realistic reproduction over headphones is impossible. On the other hand, loudspeaker systems allow the subject to perceive the sound in a more natural way, related first and foremost to source localization. However, the use of a loudspeaker system implies the interaction of the system with the listening room; a problem that can be minimized provided that the listening room has been properly treated in the acoustic sense. To examine the influence the sound reproduction system itself has on the results of the listening tests carried out in building acoustics, a listening test was designed and executed with the stimuli reproduced over two different reproduction systems. The same sound stimuli was reproduced once over the headphones, and in the second experiment a stereo listening setup made of two bookshelf-size studio monitor loudspeakers aided by a subwoofer was used. The listening test itself was designed to assess the quality of airborne sound insulation of different building elements through loudness judgements. Namely, the test compared the sound insulation properties of a typical lightweight and massive inner wall, as well as a typical outer wall with and without an ETICS façade (external thermal insulation composite system). Pink noise, music and traffic noise were filtered using the sound reduction index vs. frequency curve, and then used as the stimuli in the experiment.


The pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and management of orthostatic hypotension (OH) are reviewed. OH is a decline in blood pressure that occurs when one moves from a lying to a standing position that results in symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion, most commonly lightheadedness and syncope. The disorder may result from primary autonomic disorders, such as Shy-Drager syndrome; reversible nonautonomic causes, such as reduced blood volume; underlying diseases, such as diabetes mellitus; and drugs. Elderly people are predisposed to OH. The diagnosis of OH is based on the documentation of postural hypotension accompanied by symptoms of cerebral ischemia. The goal of therapy is to relieve symptoms. Nonpharmacologic approaches are preferred and include increasing sodium intake, avoiding rapid postural changes, and wearing elastic garments. OH is difficult to treat pharmacologically because of varying responses and adverse effects. The drug of choice for all types of OH is fludrocortisone acetate, although caution must be used in patients with congestive heart failure. Prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors can also be used for all types of OH but have had more limited success. Sympathomimetics with or without monoamine oxidase inhibitors, beta-adrenergic antagonists, and ergot alkaloids should be administered only to patients with certain types of OH, and patients must be monitored closely. Clonidine, midodrine, yohimbine, octreotide, dopamine antagonists, desmopressin, and epoetin alfa have not been well studied and should be limited to patients with severe, refractory disease. Although no uniformly effective treatment regimen exists, OH can often be adequately managed with a combination of nondrug and drug therapies.


We study the predictions of three mean-field theoretical approaches in the description of the ground state properties of some spherical nuclei far from the stability line. We compare binding energies, single particle spectra, density distributions, charge and neutron radii obtained with nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock calculations carried out with both zero and finite-range interactions, and with a relativistic Hartree approach which uses a finite-range interaction. The agreement between the results obtained with the three different approaches indicates that these results are more related to the basic hypotheses of the mean-field approach rather than to its implementation in actual calculations.


Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a newly-developed automatic identification technology, superior qualities of which would make it possible to substitute the bar code system in the future. Most importantly, it plays a very important role in the area of logistics. Based on an analysis of the current situation of grain logistics, this paper has studied the applications of RFID technology in each link of grain logistics management, and designed a RFID-based automatic identification system for modern grain logistics.


Purpose: To determine the profile of presenting visual status and refractive status of the small scale industry workers at the Ambattur Industrial estate, Chennai.Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in the small scale and tiny sector industries in Ambattur Industrial estate, Chennai. Hundred and eleven (111) workers were conveniently sampled for the study. Information on their demographic data, was collected, all participants underwent ophthalmic examination which include, visual acuity for distance and near, objective and subjective refraction if their visual acuity is less than normal, colour vision and torch light examination.Results: Hundred and eleven small scale industry workers were screened which included 24.3% Entrepreneurs, 14.4% Operators, 14.4% engineers includes both electrical and chemical engineers, 11.7% administrators, 7.2% welders, 10.8 % turners, 9.9% house keepers and 7.2% drivers. Among hundred and eleven workers, 82% were males and 18% were females with a mean age (39.7 ± 8.9 years). 23.4% showed Visual impairment ranging from mild to severe. The most common visual disorders were uncorrected presbyopia (37%), uncorrected refractive error (36.93%), Colour vision defect was found in (10.8%) and cataract in (6.3%). None of them used protective eye wears.Conclusion: Our study recommends that uncorrected presbyopia and uncorrected refractive error was high among workers as they are not aware about eye health and safety measures for the occupation. The use of safety eye devices is low among workers and recommends that process about awareness and implementation of ocular safety in these industries is established.


Power grid optimization is required to minimize the risks of timing error by IR drop, defects by electro migration (EM), and manufacturing cost by the chip size. We propose a new approach by observing the direct objectives of manufacturing cost, and timing error risk. The optimization is executed in early phase of the physical design, and the purpose is to find the rough budget of decoupling capacitors that may cause block size increase. This approach enables selection of a cost sensitive result or a performance sensitive result.


Multiparty Democracy: Elections and Legislative Politics. By Norman Schofield and Itai Sened. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 248p. $70.00 cloth, $24.99 paper. The elegant median voter result of the Downsian model of electoral competition—which suggests that in order to maximize votes, parties move towards the ideological center—does not entirely translate into multiparty systems. To begin with, as Charles Plott ("A Notion of Equilibrium and Its Possibility under Majority Rule," American Economic Review 57 [no. 4, 1967]: 787–806) shows, an equilibrium generally does not exist in multidimensional spaces. Moreover, Gary Cox ("Centripetal and Centrifugal Incentives in Electoral Systems," American Journal of Political Science 34 [no. 4, 1987]: 903–35) demonstrates that if an equilibrium does exist in multicandidate contests, then they must be noncentrist. But multiparty politics are even more complex, as one must consider which coalition will govern following the election and what policy it will implement. These considerations may in turn affect the voters' strategies and the parties' choice of platforms.


A method for designing and recording holographic optical elements that have low aberrations and high efficiencies is presented. It is based on incorporating a holographic element with low aberration into a final element in order also to achieve high diffraction efficiency.


A novel multiband modified planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) with a compact single feed is proposed, which covers GSM900 (880-960 MHz), DCS (1710-1880 MHz), PCS (1850-1990 MHz), UMTS (1920-2170 MHz), Bluetooth/WLAN (2400-2480 MHz), WiMAX (2500-2690 MHz), HiperLAN/2 (5470-5725 MHz), and an additional band (4600-4800 MHz). In conventional PIFA, most of time the shorted pin acts as a capacitor load only for impedance matching purpose, which may yield a large ground plane, narrow bandwidth, and large antenna volume due to a long shorted pin to provide enough capacitance. In our design, the shorted pin just acts a short-circuited load, which is an effective way to control the current resonant paths and is a novel way in design a multiband PIFA. Furthermore, with this design and parasitic folded structures, the proposed multiband antenna can be modeled by parallel short-circuited transmission line impedance transformers (TLIT), which can easily create six mentioned frequency bands (from PCS band to HiperLAN/2 band) by adjusting the lengths of folded branches. Measurement result conforms that our multiband design not only provides size reduction of both the antenna and the ground plane but also enhances the bandwidth of the six bands.


Isolated rabbit heart with independent perfusion of a small left ventricular area was used to study the effect of manganese ions on aconitine-induced ventricular tachycardia. Manganese chloride 4 mM in Locke solution exhibited a constant preventive or suppressive effect versus aconitum-induced rhythm disorders. It is concluded that the interpretation of aconitine cardiotoxic effects on the sole basis of phase 3 modifications require further evidence, and that an increased diastolic depolarization rate may well explain, at least in this experimental model, the genesis of arrhythmias induced by this drug.


Joint consideration of XAES and XPS data is valuable in the study of Cu3d electronic structure of samples with various formal copper chemical states (Cu +, Cu2, Cu3+, HTSC). It was found that Cu2p satellite to main feature ratio alteration is correlated to CuLVV shape and width modification. Several approaches to explain this correlation are analyzed. Cu3d level hole delocalization is mentioned as the most probable reason for this correlation.


An emerging focus on the investigation and analysis of the biomechanics of human bone is to generate a preclinical information which is helpful for the researcher and orthopedicians has been seen. For this, a geometric model that acts like a natural bone have increasingly been considered to better understand the mechanics of the bone. Hip joint is one of the most important joints in the human body. It is formed by the articulation of femur and acetabulum of the pelvis. It allows us to walk, run, and jump. It bears our body's weight and the force of the strong muscles of the hip and leg. So, aim of this study is to reconstruct appropriate three-dimensional (3D) computer aided design (CAD) of femur for prediction of stress transfer after total hip replacement (THR). A 3D finite element model of femur was developed based on computed tomography (CT), DICOM images and finally a developed finite element (FE) model was analyzed under physiological load conditions. The results of the analysis are helpful for the orthopedic surgeon to understand the mechanical behavior of the femur bone and in hip replacement surgeries and implant fixation. KeywordsFemur, Solid modelling, Image Segmentation, CAD.


Air is one of funamental resource for our life. It can be felt directly on the water work of the Air Conditioning (AC), which is currently Air Conditioning (AC) is almost installed in every office building, classroom, even in every home and the water that drains which is condensate AC thrown away. Though water from the condensate can actually be utilized as raw water may even be water unfit for consumption. By utilizing AC performance air condenses into water, where the water will be collected to be known and observed the content contained in the AC condensation process.The basis of this research is that the water from the condensate Air Conditioning can be utilized as the water unfit for consumption because of the great possibility of impurities contained in it only the impurities contained in the air. Early predictions produced water from the air conditioning process will be influenced by the place where the air conditioning was installed.The results of this study indicate that the physical parameters of the AC condensate is colorless, odorless, tasteless, TDS value of 14.27 mg / L, and Turbidity 0.77 NTU. For chemical parameters, pH value of 7.0. Further microbiological parameters indicate that the air conditioning condensate water has a value of <2 for the bacteria E-Coli and Coliform which is the smallest value from Table MPN Series 5. This indicates that the AC condensate is eligible to be used as drinking water.


We present monthly catches for the 22 subfamilies of Ichneumonidae ( n = 16,584) collected in 5 Malaise traps at the Hitchiti Experimental Forest, GA (33° 03′ N, 83° 43′ W) in 1993 and 1994. Although average peaks of trap catches for koinobionts and idiobionts coincided, the phenological peaks of individual taxa within these parasitic groups often differed. The nocturnal parasitoid subfamily Ophioninae peaked in July 1993 and June 1994, whereas the nocturnal genus Netelia (Tryphoninae) peaked in April of both years. The most frequently caught subfamilies with hosts in the Lepidoptera and Symphyta peaked in late April–early May of both years (Campopleginae, Cryptinae, Ichneumoninae, Ctenopelmatinae, and Tryphoninae). In contrast, subfamilies with hosts in the Coleoptera had unsynchronized peaks in April (Tersilochinae) and June (Acaenitinae) 1993 and in September (Tersilochinae) and June (Acaenitinae) 1994. The subfamily Orthocentrinae, which attacks dipteran hosts, peaked in April 1993 and November 1994. The hyperparasitic subfamily Mesochorinae peaked in May 1993 and April and October 1994, corresponding in time to trap catches of their potential host subfamilies that attack Lepidoptera and Symphyta. We hypothesize that host seasonality is more important than other environmental factors and life history parameters in determining peak flight activity.


The ICT for development community has long searched for comprehensive and adequate conceptual frameworks. In 2003, the United Nations Regional Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC) proposed a threedimensional conceptual framework that models the transition toward information societies as the interplay among technology, policy, and social change. It has its theoretical roots in Schumpeterian innovation theory. This so-called "cube framework" has been adopted on several occasions throughout the region at the local, national, and international levels. It has been employed in all stages of the policy cycle to identify areas and priorities for research and hands-on policy making (planning), to coordinate actors and stakeholders (execution), and to monitor progress toward information societies (evaluation). This article presents the framework and its particularities, reviews some of the diverse applications it has found during recent years, provides concrete suggestions on how it could be used in the future, and discusses its strengths and limitations. The cube is not a dynamic model that can make predictions, but it turns out to be useful as a conceptual framework; it can be used to structure the often-confused discussion about what is involved in the ongoing social


The challenges of reducing the world's excessive dependence on fossil fuels and atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases have led to the development of alternative sustainable biodiesel. Recently, non-catalytic biodiesel production using supercritical technology has received a significant interest due to its numerous advantages including short reaction time, high yield of biodiesel, elimination of catalyst preparation and separation costs and its applicability for various feedstock.
This study has introduced an in-depth assessment for the valorisation of both low and high acid values waste cooking oils (WCO) into biodiesel using supercritical methanolysis. The effects of different process variables have been investigated including methanol to oil (M:O) molar ratio, temperature, pressure and time. Both transesterification and esterification reactions have been extensively studied. Different responses have been investigated for this study including overall biodiesel yield, glycerol yield and FFAs conversion. Response surface methodology (RSM) via Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and Central Composite Design (CCD) has been used to investigate the effect of the process variables and their interactions on the reaction responses. In addition, overall reaction kinetics for both transesterification and esterification reactions have been studied where both have been reported as pseudo-first order reactions. Thermodynamics of the reaction has been analysed to report the thermodynamic data of the reaction including Arrhenius constant and activation energy. The kinetic studies have resulted in 50.5 kJ/mol for transesterification reaction and 34.5 kJ/mol for esterification reaction.
Numerical and graphical optimisation have been employed to minimise the process conditions and to maximise the production of biodiesel where the optimal conditions of the low acidity WCO have been developed at M:O molar ratio of 37:1, reaction temperature of 253.5 oC, reaction pressure of 198.5 bar in 14.8 min reaction time for 91% biodiesel yield. However, for high acidity WCO the optimal conditions have been developed at M:O molar ratio of 25:1, reaction temperature of 265 oC and reaction pressure of 110 bar in 20 min for 98% biodiesel yield. Further, this work has developed a heat exchanger network (HEN) that has achieved the optimal process energy requirements based on Pinch method.


Prevalence and the risk of common antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs),
such as lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin (aCL), and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI) antibodies,
in preeclampsia is a matter of debate. Recently, interests have expanded in evaluating the
risks of presenting non-classic aPLs in preeclampsia patients.

The objective of this case-control study was to evaluate some hematological parameters
besides assessing the presence of anti-annexin A5 and anti phosphatidylinositol (aPI) antibodies in
preeclampsia patients compared to non-preeclampsia subjects.

From two hospitals in Malaysia, a total of 84 subjects were recruited in this case-control
study, including 42 preeclampsia and 42 age-matched non-preeclampsia subjects. Some hematological
parameters [i.e., hemoglobin, total white blood cell, platelet, prothrombin time, and activated
partial thromboplastin time (APTT)] were assessed besides screening for anti-annexin A5 and
aPI antibodies.

Among the hematological parameters, APTT was significantly high in mild preeclampsia
when compared to severe preeclampsia subjects (p=0.007). IgG anti-annexin A5 antibody was detected
in a single preeclampsia subject only (2.4%) and none in non-preeclampsia subjects.

Because of the low prevalence, non-classic aPLs should not be considered as a risk
factor in developing preeclampsia and it is not justifiable to consider them as a routine assay in
pregnant women.


This paper examines the roles of economic and political institutions in evolution of income distribution across countries for the period 1950-2014. In this respect, a two-stage strategy is employed. First, countries are grouped into five income categories according to their GDP per capita levels. Then, each country's movement across income groups is observed through time by means of transition matrices to reveal the stylized facts about prominent patterns of global income distribution. Analyses based on Penn World Tables 9.0 dataset show that cross-country income differences are striking and persistent across time. While countries initially belonging to lowest income class are struggling for moving up, nations belonging to top class keeps their seats over time. Moreover, countries that were initially belonging to the middle segment of the income ladder move across income categories more often, suggesting initial conditions are not binding for all countries. The study, secondly, focuses on the role of institutional quality in these empirical regularities. On that note, institutional differences between "climbing", "falling" and "stagnating" countries are evaluated through independent sample t-tests. According to results, institutional quality matters for countries' economic fates. In comparison to falling or stagnating countries, nations that succeed in climbing up have significantly better institutional scores in political and economic areas. In particular, analyses show that the association between economic performance and institutions is more pronounced for initially poor nations. These results provide supportive evidence for the view that developing an inclusive environment is key to promote economic progress in the long run.


In this paper we perform the calculation of the spectral dimension of spacetime in 4d quantum gravity using the Barrett-Crane (BC) spinfoam model. We realize this considering a very simple decomposition of the 4d spacetime already used in the graviton propagator calculation and we introduce a boundary state which selects a classical geometry on the boundary. We obtain that the spectral dimension of the spacetime runs from $\approx 2$ to 4, across a $\approx 1.5$ phase, when the energy of a probe scalar field decreases from high $E \lesssim E_P/25$ to low energy. The spectral dimension at the Planck scale $E \approx E_P$ depends on the areas spectrum used in the calculation. For three different spectra $l_P^2 \sqrt{j(j+1)}$, $l_P^2 (2 j+1)$ and $l_P^2 j$ we find respectively dimension $\approx 2.31$, 2.45 and 2.08.


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, and is highly correlated with cigarette smoking. Nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco smoke, cannot initiate tumors, but can promote proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells in vitro and promote growth and metastasis of tumors in vivo. More recently, nicotine has been implicated in the promoting self-renewal of stem-like side-population cells from lung cancers. This subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells has been implicated in tumor initiation, generation of entire heterogeneous tumor population, metastasis, dormancy, and drug resistance. We have shown that nicotine promotes the expression of genes that promote stemness, such as Stem Cell Factor (SCF/c-kit ligand), in a specific receptor dependent fashion. Here we demonstrate that nicotine can induce the expression of embryonic stem cell factor Sox2, which is indispensable for self-renewal and maintenance of stem cell properties in non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma cells. High level of Sox2 expression also correlates with poor patient survival outcome in lung cancer, and metastatic lung adenocarcinoma shows higher levels of Sox2 expression than primary tumor or normal tissue, implicating Sox2 in this disease. Nicotine was found to induce Sox2 in A549 cells after 18 and 24 hours of stimulation, an effect which was diminished by 48 hours. This was seen at the mRNA and protein level as assessed by transient transfection and luciferase assay, real-time PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence respectively. Experiments were conducted to elucidate the mechanism by which nicotine induces Sox2; it was found that siRNA mediated depletion of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), the Hippo pathway effector Yap1, or the transcriptional repressor ID1 could abrogate nicotine-mediated induction of Sox2. Further, treatment with inhibitors of Src kinase or PI3K additionally abrogated the effect, suggesting these proteins play a role in nicotine-mediate induction of Sox2. Interestingly, nicotine could induce Sox2 expression in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) after 24 hours of stimulation as seen by immunofluorescence and real-time PCR, and this effect was abrogated by treatment with inhibitors to Src kinase, PI3K, Yap1, or α7 nAChR. Additionally, studies are under way to elucidate whether e-cigarettes or flavored tobacco, newer and less studied alternatives to traditional cigarettes, have similar effects on stemness. These studies can be expected to have a direct impact on our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation, growth, and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer, especially in smokers and tobacco users. Citation Format: Courtney Schaal, Srikumar Chellappan. Nicotine-mediated regulation of Sox2 and stemness in non-small cell lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2487.


The District Court opinion in Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent Am., Inc., 778 F. Supp. 2d 445 (S.D.N.Y. 2011), has called into question the protectability of single color trademarks in the fashion industry. The Court's apparent ban on single color marks in fashion, based on finding such marks "per se aesthetically functional," has the potential to erode trademark protection within fashion beyond just single color marks. Moreover, the Court's flawed reasoning — based on theories of color depletion, shade confusion, and broad aesthetic functionality — has the ability to impinge on trademark protection within other industries. This article argues against a per se ban on single color marks in the fashion industry and posits that such marks should be eligible for federal protection with their validity based upon more fact-specific examinations. Extending protection to such marks would comport well with the goals of trademark law and the expansion trajectory of the Lanham Act, and would alleviate the current shortage of intellectual property protections available to the fashion industry.


This article aims to discuss the notion of moral progress in the theory of recognition. It argues that Axel Honneth's program offers sophisticated theoretical guidance to observe and critically interpret emancipatory projects in contemporary politics based on ideas of individuality and social inclusiveness. Using a case study — the investigation, through frame analysis, of transformations in the portrayal of people with impairment as well as in public discourses on the issue of disability in major Brazilian news media from 1960 to 2008 — this article addresses three controversies: the notion of progress as a directional process; the problem of moral disagreement and conflict of interest in struggles for recognition; and the processes of social learning. By articulating empirically based arguments and Honneth's normative discussions, this study concludes that one can talk about moral progress without losing sight of value pluralism and conflict of interest.


In this paper, the design and implementation of a new high performance hardware channel emulator is presented. The purpose of the developed emulator is to efficiently reproduce in a laboratory environment the accurate behaviour of several effects of the radio channel over a multiple antennas wireless communication system, including AWGN (additive white Gaussian noise), multipath, attenuation and Doppler shift. The main application target is the test and the performance evaluation of a new 802.11n transceiver. The prototype has been implemented on a board including both an ARM processor and a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and it supports the simulation of a 40 MHz radio frequency bandwidth.


Glossolalia ("speaking in tongues") is a rhythmic utterance of word-like strings of sounds, regularly occurring in religious mass gatherings or various forms of private religious practices (e.g., prayer and meditation). Although specific verbal learning capacities may characterize glossolalists, empirical evidence is lacking. We administered three statistical learning tasks (artificial grammar, phoneme sequence, and visual-response sequence) to 30 glossolalists and 30 matched control volunteers. In artificial grammar, participants decide whether pseudowords and sentences follow previously acquired implicit rules or not. In sequence learning, they gradually draw out rules from repeating regularities in sequences of speech sounds or motor responses. Results revealed enhanced artificial grammar and phoneme sequence learning performances in glossolalists compared to control volunteers. There were significant positive correlations between daily glossolalia activity and artificial grammar learning. These results indicate that glossolalists exhibit enhanced abilities to extract the statistical regularities of verbal information, which may be related to their unusual language abilities.


In this paper we report the development of an optical system capable of monitoring and characterizing the main features of the leakage current flowing on a polluted insulator string of a high-voltage transmission line. The system comprises a fiber-optic sensor, directly connected to one insulator of the string, that emits a sample of the leakage current waveform to a processing module via an optical link. At the present stage, six different systems have been deployed on CHESF's electrical distribution system in the Northeast of Brazil, and studies are underway to further correlate the degree of environmental pollution with humidity and leakage current activities on high-voltage insulator strings.


A Large variety of reinforcing materials emerged and have been developed for construction purposes, including: metal strips ,bar mats, Geotextile sheets, Geo Grids etc. Reinforced soil technologies has been extensively used during the past few decades in the construction of (railway formation, highway embarkments, earth dams and retaining walls). As a reinforcing material the Geo synthetics are widely used in engineering practice to strengthen the foundation, slope, road, pavement, crushed-stone column etc. Pavement is a hard crust constructed over the natural soil for the purpose of providing and even surface for the vehicles. In pavement construction soil stabilization is also deals with the construction practice(Highways, dams, bridges, railway structures)it shows the various mean by which the stabilization responds of different soils can be identified.
This paper presents soil geostnthetic intraction properties for different types of soils, four types of soils were used with geocomposit reinforced materials for conducting CBR test to finding the density of soil samples and mechanical strength of sub grade soil.These geo synthetic products have helped desigeners and contractors to solve several types of engineering problems where the use of conventional construction materials would be restricted or considerably more expensive.


Although the sun crosses the equator 2 times per year at the equinoxes, at times in the past the equatorial insolation has had only one maximum and one minimum throughout the seasonal cycle because of Milankovitch orbital variations. Here a state-of-the-art coupled atmosphere‐ocean general circulation model is used to study the effect of such insolation forcing on equatorial surface properties, including air and sea temperature, salinity, winds, and currents. It is shown that the equatorial seasonality is altered according to the insolation with, for example, either maximum sea surface temperature (SST) close to the vernal equinox and minimum SST close to the autumnal equinox or vice versa. The results may have important implications for understanding tropical climate as well as for the interpretation of proxy data collected from equatorial regions.


Over the past couple of decades, the kingdom ' s annual per capita electricity consumption has been steadily growing by around 7%. One of the key causes for such a high growth is the intensive use of non-energy-efficient equipment, which was dominating the Saudi market. In 2017, the residential sector consumed around 143 TWh, which represents around 48% of the country ' s total electricity consumption. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of an air conditioning incentive program for citizens from energy and economic sides. This chapter is a detailed study where program gains from energy and economic standpoints were based on substituting participants ' old air conditioning units with new units that are better in performance. The proposed program was designed over an 8-year period with three scenarios where the government will take care of all the capital cost, 75%, and none of the capital cost in these scenarios. The results of this study indicated that an accumulated savings of up to 17.11 TWh by 2025 with NPVs above $13 billion can be achieved in all scenarios. Moreover, it was estimated that the program will add an average of $0.5 billion per year to the kingdom ' s GDP over the duration of the program.


Three isolates of human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus (lymphadenopathy-associated virus, human T cell lymphotropic virus strain III, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated retrovirus) were compared with simian AIDS virus by thin section transmission electron microscopy. Simian AIDS virus was found to form intracytoplasmic A particles and to bud by both ring forms and crescent shapes. The extracellular mature simian AIDS virus exhibited a cylindrical nucleoid within a tubular or conical core shell. The simian AIDS virus was morphologically indistinguishable from Mason-Pfizer monkey virus, the prototype D type retrovirus, although the two were readily distinguished by radioimmunoassay and restriction endonuclease mapping. All three AIDS virus isolates exhibited identical ultrastructure and maturation sequences. The AIDS viruses did not form intracytoplasmic A particles and budded only with crescent-shaped nucleoids. Mature extracellular AIDS viruses contained an eccentric spherical nucleoid within a conical or tubular core shell. AIDS virus was found to show many morphologic features of the retroviral subfamily Lentivirinae. The AIDS virus isolates appear to form a new group of retroviruses.


The late Pleistocene sediments of the northern Lake Superior basin consist of a basal reddish till, deposited during the Valders substage, unconformably overlain by a sequence grading upwards from grayish red, silty clay interbedded with thin sand laminae to grayish red and then gray calcareous varves. Holocene sediments consisting of a clay–silt sequence in the topographic lows, or a thin veneer of sands along the lake-shelf area, unconformably overlie the gray varves. The basal contact of the clay–silts or sands with the gray varves marks the time when glacial ice receded from the Lake Superior basin. Radiocarbon dating indicates that this event occurred more than 11 000 years B.P.The best, though fairly low, positive correlations of pairs of elements in the lake-bottom sediments occur between iron and chromium, zinc and nickel, iron and zinc, and iron and nickel. Different upward migration patterns of elements during syndiagenesis probably is the cause of the low correlation between the elements. Stron...


The improvement of the street thermal environment for walking and cycling is attracting increased attention as a strategy for increasing livability. This approach has also been proposed as a strategy for mitigating the local heat island effect and reducing energy use for buildings and vehicle air conditioning during hot periods. This research explored a potential pavement design and management strategy for improving the street thermal environment and mitigating the heat island effect. Through field measurements on pavement test sections with both conventional and alternative designs, the thermal behavior and cooling effect of permeable asphalt pavements under dry and wet conditions were investigated. The overall 7-day average cooling effect of wetting once on permeable pavements for near-surface air was approximately 0.2°C to 0.45°C; for the surface, the temperature was approximately 1.2°C to 1.6°C, and it was approximately 1.5°C to 3.4°C for the in-depth layers. On the basis of these findings, permeable asphalt pavements might be a type of cool pavement that produces lower temperatures and thus helps improve the thermal environment and mitigate the heat island effect. However, attention should be given to this type of pavement under dry conditions. As a pavement thermal management strategy, water from rain or irrigation systems might need to be applied to the pavements to produce a better cooling effect for improving the thermal environment and mitigating the heat island effect.


This paper describes the design of a scalable biomimetic framework in the management domain of complex ubiquitous service-oriented networks. An autonomous network service management platform - SwarmingNet is proposed. In this SwarmingNet architecture, the required network service processes are implemented by a group of highly diverse and autonomic objects. These objects are called TeleService Solons as elements of TeleService Holons, analogue to individual insects as particles of the whole colony. A group of TSSs have the capabilities of fulfilling the complex tasks relating to service discovery and service activation. We simulate a service configuration process for multimedia messaging service, and a performance comparison is made between the bio-agents scheme and normal multi-agents scheme


Summary form only as given. In both the United States and Europe, large electric utilities are interconnected with each other. In the past, ad hoc methods have been used to coordinate operations on wide scales. However, with increasing trades, there is a pressing need for paradigms that allow commercial activity to be roughly consistent with Kirchhoff's laws and to rationally coordinate the operation of large-scale networks, while allowing for continued decentralized control of the system. The author discusses issues related to large-scale coordination, particularly the need to align commercial paradigms at least roughly with Kirchhoff's laws.


Today's spectrum of playful fitness solutions features systems that are clearly game-first or fitness-first in design; hardly any sufficiently incorporate both areas. Consequently, existing applications and evaluations often lack in focus on attractiveness and effectiveness, which should be addressed on the levels of body, controller, and game scenario following a holistic design approach. To contribute to this topic and as a proof-of-concept, we designed the ExerCube, an adaptive fitness game setup. We evaluated participants' multi-sensory and bodily experiences with a non-adaptive and an adaptive ExerCube version and compared them with personal training to reveal insights to inform the next iteration of the ExerCube. Regarding flow, enjoyment and motivation, the ExerCube is on par with personal training. Results further reveal differences in perception of exertion, types and quality of movement, social factors, feedback, and audio experiences. Finally, we derive considerations for future research and development directions in holistic fitness game setups.


This chapter seeks to assess the robustness of the assumptions made by much of the theoretical literature on leniency programs, giving a glimpse of the uncertainties and complexities that apply in practice. First, sanctions are hard to estimate and the decision to form a cartel is not generally made by the firm as a rational monolith. Second, empirical evidence from the EU suggests an over-reliance on leniency, with only a weak threat of detection through investigations alone. Most leniency reporting may be occurring where a cartel has already ceased to operate or is very likely to be caught. Finally, the decision to come forward is not one that is taken lightly by the firm; it is fraught with uncertainties and dangers, including the challenges of ensuring cooperation from employees. The paper concludes with three recommendations for the strengthening of leniency policies


In the past several years, there have been significant changes in law pertaining to cruelty toward non-human animals. While prosecutors have more options available to them today than in the past, research has failed to examine prosecutors' actions in cases involving animal cruelty. This research relies primarily on interviews with prosecuting attorneys to understand these types of cases. It explores prosecutors' thoughts on and experiences with animal cruelty cases and provides information on the handling of these cases by the criminal justice system.