M-shell x-ray production cross sections have been measured for thin solid targets (~2 ¿g/cm2) of Au, Pb, Bi, and U for 25 and 35 MeV incident 199Fq+ ions (q = 4, 5, 6, 8, 9). The target M-shell x-ray production cross sections by projectiles with one or two K-shell vacancies are found to be enhanced over those by projectiles without K-shell vacancies. The cross sections averaged over target thickness were measured as a function of target thicknesses. Electron capture (EC) to the L-, M-, ...shells and EC to the K-shell of the projectile, have been extracted from the data. These are compared with the predictions of first Born theories, i.e., OBK of Nikolaev for EC. The data are also compared with the theory by Brandt and Lapicki that goes beyond the first Born approximation, i.e., the ECPSSR approach which accounts for the Energy loss, Coulomb deflection and Relativistic effects in the Perturbed Stationary State theory.


The topics of internationalization and cognitive styles have been investigated extensively in an unrelated manner over decades. From the latter psycho-sociological approach, it can be stated that the decision maker cognitive characteristics have an impact on the organization's strategic decisions. Meanwhile, the former perspective has emphasized the issue of internationalization as a process that strongly relies on gaining experiential knowledge. This conceptual paper aims to enlighten the influence and interaction of the manager's cognitive style on international business (IB) decisions of small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs). Two main theoretical approaches explaining the internationalization process of SMEs are compared: the Uppsala gradual model and the International New Ventures-INVs approach. The main research question is whether there is a cognitive style that always outperforms the others when it comes to the internationalization pattern the SME follows, or whether the optimal style is dependent on the task and the context (i.e. the pattern of the internationalization the SME choses). Some propositions and research avenues are suggested as new findings are continuously emerging relative to how the human brain works in this promising intersection labeled as organizational neuroscience in the quest of the micro-foundations of the theory of internationalization.


Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are promising tools for the treatment of different diseases. Their magnetic properties enable therapies involving magnetic drug targeting (MDT), hyperthermia or imaging. Depending on the intended treatment, specific characteristics of SPIONs are required. While particles used for imaging should circulate for extended periods of time in the vascular system, SPIONs intended for MDT or hyperthermia should be accumulated in the target area to come into close proximity of, or to be incorporated into, specific tumor cells. In this study, we determined the impact of several accurately characterized SPION types varying in size, zeta potential and surface coating on various human breast cancer cell lines and endothelial cells to identify the most suitable particle for future breast cancer therapy. We analyzed cellular SPION uptake, magnetic properties, cell proliferation and toxicity using atomic emission spectroscopy, magnetic susceptometry, flow cytometry and microscopy. The results demonstrated that treatment with dextran-coated SPIONs (SPIONDex) and lauric acid-coated SPIONs (SPIONLA) with an additional protein corona formed by human serum albumin (SPIONLA-HSA) resulted in very moderate particle uptake and low cytotoxicity, whereas SPIONLA had in part much stronger effects on cellular uptake and cellular toxicity. In summary, our data show significant dose-dependent and particle type-related response differences between various breast cancer and endothelial cells, indicating the utility of these particle types for distinct medical applications.


Currently, Bangladesh is experiencing an epidemic of acute watery diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae O139. Surface waters were collected and cultured for vibrious following enrichment. Twelve percent (11 of 92) of samples yielded V. cholerae O139, and all of them were positive for cholera toxin. The data suggest that V. cholerae O139 is easily culturable from surface water samples.


Telecooperation is used to support care for trauma patients by facilitating a mutual exchange of treatment and image data in use-cases such as emergency consultation, second-opinion, transfer, rehabilitation and out-patient aftertreatment. To comply with data protection legislation a two-factor authentication using ownership and knowledge has been implemented to assure personalized access rights. End-to-end security is achieved by symmetric encryption in combination with external trusted services which provide the symmetric key solely at runtime. Telecooperation partners may be chosen at departmental level but only individuals of that department, as a result of checking the organizational assignments maintained by LDAP services, are granted access. Data protection officers of a federal state have accepted the data protection means. The telecooperation platform is in routine operation and designed to serve for up to 800 trauma centers in Germany, organized in more than 50 trauma networks.


In recent years, graph kernels have received considerable interest within the machine learning and data mining community. Here, we introduce a novel approach enabling kernel methods to utilize additional information hidden in the structural neighborhood of the graphs under consideration. Our novel structural cluster kernel (SCK) incorporates similarities induced by a structural clustering algorithm to improve state-of-the-art graph kernels. The approach taken is based on the idea that graph similarity can not only be described by the similarity between the graphs themselves, but also by the similarity they possess with respect to their structural neighborhood. We applied our novel kernel in a supervised and a semi-supervised setting to regression and classification problems on a number of real-world datasets of molecular graphs.
 Our results show that the structural cluster similarity information can indeed leverage the prediction performance of the base kernel, particularly when the dataset is structurally sparse and consequently structurally diverse. By additionally taking into account a large number of unlabeled instances the performance of the structural cluster kernel can further be improved.


Root-knot nematodes are among the main agents that negatively affect the pepper and sweet pepper crop (Capsicum annuum L.), especially Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, and M. enterolobii. The objective of this study was to evaluate genotypes of C. annuum L. var. annuum in their response to infection by M. incognita race 3, M. javanica, and M. enterolobii. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design arranged in a 27 × 3 factorial scheme with six replicates and each plot consisted of one plant. The experiment was carried out at the UNESP-FCAV in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil. The genotypes were in plastic pots containing an autoclaved mixture of soil, sand, and bovine manure under greenhouse conditions, and they were evaluated for the reproduction index and reproduction factor at 90 d after inoculation. Thirteen genotypes were classified as resistant, based on the reproductive factor, and highly resistant, based on the reproduction index, to M. javanica, while six were resistant and highly resistant materials to M. incognita race 3. No materials resistant to M. enterolobii were identified. The genotypes CNPH 698, CNPH 701, CNPH 702, CNPH 717, and CNPH 718 were simultaneously classified as resistant to M. incognita race 3 and M. javanica based on the reproduction factor.


A cursory glance at human history makes it very clear that civilizations are born as human beings, reach maturity and growth, and collapse and die due to more internal causes. The death of civilizations is something that history has talked about a lot and it is called forgotten civilizations. In the science of history and more in the philosophy of history, the issue of how the causes and factors of the emergence, flourishing and destruction of civilizations are mentioned and history analysts study these causes and factors. According to them, the mentioned causes and factors are natural and in the field of events related to natural and human laws. But in intra-religious analysis, looking at causes and factors is done from another angle; The Qur'an, with the aim of guiding human beings, looks at events from an educational point of view. On this basis, each of the events is closely related to the issues of punishment and encouragement of human beings and finds meaning and meaning with monotheism and its belongings. Although it is necessary to look at the events and their causes from the perspective of philosophy of history and natural traditions and laws, but these traditions are closely related to human actions and behavior. In a comprehensive analysis, although earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters are related to natural laws, but human actions are effective in its creation and emergence, and these actions can have a positive and negative impact on natural laws and nature. Hence, human behavior and actions can cause the rise and fall of civilizations in a serious way. In intra-religious analysis, God has a permanent presence as the source of all events, and human behavior causes changes in natural causes and factors. Therefore, the issue of the emergence, flourishing and destruction of civilizations from this perspective needs to be analyzed, which will be addressed in this article.


Abstract Objectives To evaluate the relative risk of being responsible for a fatal crash while driving under the influence of cannabis, the prevalence of such drivers within the driving population, and the corresponding share of fatal crashes. Design Population based case-control study. Participants 10 748 drivers, with known drug and alcohol concentrations, who were involved in fatal crashes in France from October 2001 to September 2003. Main outcome measures The cases were the 6766 drivers considered at fault in their crash; the controls were 3006 drivers selected from the 3982 other drivers. Positive detection of cannabis was defined as a blood concentration of Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol of over 1 ng/ml. The prevalence of positive drivers in the driving population was estimated by standardising controls on drivers not at fault who were involved in crashes resulting in slight injuries. Results 681 drivers were positive for cannabis (cases 8.8%, controls 2.8%), including 285 with an illegal blood alcohol concentration (0.5 g/l). Positive cannabis detection was associated with increased risk of responsibility (odds ratio 3.32, 95% confidence interval 2.63 to 4.18). A significant dose effect was identified; the odds ratio increased from 2.18 (1.22 to 3.89) if 0 < Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol < 1 ng/ml to 4.72 (3.04 to 7.33) if Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol 5 ng/ml. The effect of cannabis remains significant after adjustment for different cofactors, including alcohol, with which no statistical interaction was observed. The prevalence of cannabis (2.9%) estimated for the driving population is similar to that for alcohol (2.7%). At least 2.5% (1.5% to 3.5%) of fatal crashes were estimated as being attributable to cannabis, compared with 28.6% for alcohol (26.8% to 30.5%). Conclusions Driving under the influence of cannabis increases the risk of involvement in a crash. However, in France its share in fatal crashes is significantly lower than that associated with positive blood alcohol concentration.


This paper presents a new approach for dimension reduction of data observed on spherical surfaces. Several dimension reduction techniques have been developed in recent years for non-euclidean data analysis. As a pioneer work, (Hauberg 2016) attempted to implement principal curves on Riemannian manifolds. However, this approach uses approximations to process data on Riemannian manifolds, resulting in distorted results. This study proposes a new approach to project data onto a continuous curve to construct principal curves on spherical surfaces. Our approach lies in the same line of (Hastie and Stuetzle et al. 1989) that proposed principal curves for data on euclidean space. We further investigate the stationarity of the proposed principal curves that satisfy the self-consistency on spherical surfaces. The results on the real data analysis and simulation examples show promising empirical characteristics of the proposed approach.


Sorghum can be grown on marginal and waste lands as a versatile feedstock for biofuel production in the vast areas of north-west China. Fifty-six sorghum accessions were grown in 2009 at the experimental station of Xinjiang Agricultural University, located at Urumchi, Xinjiang, China. A total of 31 agronomic, crop descriptors and chemical composition traits were investigated and analyzed. Among these accessions, significant variability was identified in grain yield (0.2-11.4 t/ha), stem weight (2.1-21.8 t/ha) and total biomass (13.8-34.4 t/ha) with an average of 6.5, 8.6 and 22.6 t/ha, respectively. Significant differences in chemical composition (including soluble sugar, starch, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) of grain, leaf blade, leaf sheath and stem were identified. The stems of sweet sorghum contained a significantly higher amount of sugars and lower amounts of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin than in other two sorghum types. Highly significant correlations were detected among the investigated traits. Cluster and principal component analyses classified these 56 accessions into two main groups. Accessions : X041, X125, and X057 were identified as good parental materials for breeding high yield cultivars of grain, sweet and biomass sorghum, respectively. In order to reconfirm and identify useful breeding materials for this arid region, further experimental research needs to be conducted.


Direct integration of a vertical organic field-effect transistor (VOFET) and an optoelectronic device offers a single stacked, low power optoelectronic VOFET with high aperture ratios. However, a functional optoelectronic VOFET could not be realized because of the difficulty in fabricating transparent source and gate electrodes. Here, we report a VOFET with an on/off ratio up to 10(5) as well as output current saturation by fabricating a transparent gate capacitor consisting of a perforated indium tin oxide (ITO) source electrode, HfO2 gate dielectric, and ITO gate electrode. Effects of the pore size and the pore depth within the porous ITO electrodes on the on/off characteristic of a VOFET are systematically explained in this work. By combining a phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode with an optimized VOFET structure, a vertical organic light-emitting transistor with a luminance on/off ratio of 10(4) can be fabricated.


The aim of the research is the reflection of law as a postmodernist cultural phenomenon, the methodological analysis of understanding simulating reality of law, the corporeity of law and its verbal structures in the interaction conceptual field. The nature of law in post-nonclassical cultural space has changed significantly, has gained relativity, dynamism, and has expanded subject's opportunity. The hermeneutic procedure of law performance features democratic character, it is designed for public use, which is free from power dictatorship and able to understand the reality vie the algorithm of access, creativity and participation. The advanced visualized culture actively forms the concept of new personal freedoms – the freedom of consumption, freedom of use, freedom of self-expression and self-realization. Perhaps, it is this feature of individual and public opinion that makes it possible to develop law and the triumph of legal justice on the whole.


In 2001, two potential disinfection by-products (DBPs) were tentatively identified as 1-aminoxy-1-chlorobutan-2-ol (DBP-A) and its bromo analogue (DBP-B) (Taguchi 2001). Subsequently it became clear, by consulting an updated version of the NIST database, that their mass spectra are close to those of the halohydrins 4-chloro-2-methylbutan-2-ol and 3-bromo-2-methylbutan-2-ol. To establish the structures of these DBPs, additional mass spectrometric experiments, including Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR), were performed on treated drinking water samples and authentic halohydrin standards.
It appears that DBP-A is 3-chloro-2-methylbutan-2-ol and that DBP-B is its bromo analogue. DBP-B has been detected in ozonated waters containing bromide. Our study also shows that these DBPs can be laboratory artefacts, generated by the reaction of residual chlorine in the sample with 2-methyl-2-butene, the stabilizer in the CH2Cl2 used for extraction. This was shown by experiments using CH2Cl2 stabilized with deuterium labelled 2-methyl-2-butene. Quenching any residual chlorine in the drinking water sample with sodium thiosulfate minimizes the formation of these artefacts.


Recent advances in material, cell, and module research in the US Department of Energy/Solar Energy Research Institute (DOE/SERI) Amorphous Silicon Research Project (ASRP) are reviewed. Advances in transparent conductive oxides, high-performance back reflectors, cell interconnection/patterning schemes, and encapsulants are surveyed. The program phase that began in 1990 has major research goals of reproducible, cost-effective multijunction modules (900 cm/sup 2/ area) with stabilized efficiencies of 10% for same-bandgap modules and 12% for different-bandgap modules. The issue of stability and reliability of amorphous silicon modules is reviewed. Multijunction cell/module structures have demonstrated improved stability in R&D cells and modules over single-junction structures.<<ETX>>


Representatives of Scottish GPs have called for the BMA to put more resources into its Scottish Office in the form of staff and parliamentary and press advice to give greater strength to their negotiators.

At the General Medical Services Committee last week the chairman of the Scottish GMSC, Dr Brian Keighley, said that the revolutionary white paper on the health service in Scotland, Designed to Care , was "the first concrete example of devolution. We must make sure that it works for us and our patients, and that we are not divided and ruled."

For the first time GPs' terms and conditions of service will differ in England and Scotland, but he hoped that this could be turned to GPs' advantage. As soon as one country negotiated an advantageous arrangement the appropriate GMSC chairman would demand changes to redress the balance. The government would find it difficult to counter such an argument.

Primary care trusts will be established almost immediately in Scotland, but the biggest difference is that Scottish GPs will have no direct say in how hospital …


Spring Security ACL is an access control security framework,it can control all kinds of resource authority.This article introduces the concept and mechanism of Spring Security ACL,at the same time describes the implementation and process of Spring Security ACL security framework by example.


OBJECTIVES
Our objective was to analyze the association between deployment characteristics and diagnostic rates for major depression and substance use disorder among active duty personnel.

METHODS
Using active duty personnel serving between 2001 and 2006 (n = 678,382) and deployment information from the Contingent Tracking System, we identified individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders and major depression from TRICARE health records. We performed logistic regression analysis to assess the effect of deployment location and length on these diagnostic rates.

RESULTS
Increased odds of diagnosis with both conditions were associated with deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan compared with nondeployed personnel and with Army and Marine Corps personnel compared with Navy and Air Force personnel. Increases in the likelihood of either diagnosis with deployment length were only observed among Army personnel.

CONCLUSIONS
There were increased substance use disorders and major depression across services associated with combat conditions. It would be important to assess whether the public health system has adequate resources to handle the increasing need of mental health services in this population.


Phased array spread spectrum signal intensity spread spectrum signal having multipath maximum. RF / IF section (22) for receiving the plurality of spread-spectrum signals in the form of a plurality of phasing. Digital delay means (27, 28) through a plurality of delay, a plurality of phased with respect to a plurality of spread spectrum signals in the form of a delay spread of the received signal. Summer (29, 30) and the spread spectrum signal is delayed by their phase control signals into a plurality of combined signals. Despreader (31) despreads the combined signal into a plurality of despread signals. Measurement means (32) generating a plurality of values on the basis of the despread signal. A shift register (33) storing a plurality of preceding and current generated by the previous value and the magnitude of the current metric means (32). A comparator (34) compares the magnitude of the prior to the current value, and outputs a plurality of comparison signals. Digital delay means (27, 28) in response to the comparison signal to increase or decrease the plurality of delay.


Background Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease associated with deregulated interplays between immune cells and keratinocytes. Neutrophil accumulation in the skin is a histological feature that characterizes psoriasis. However, the role of neutrophils in psoriasis onset and development remains poorly understood. Methods In this study, we utilized the model of psoriasiform dermatitis, caused by the repeated topical application of an imiquimod containing cream, in neutrophil-depleted mice or in mice carrying impairment in neutrophil functions, including p47phox -/- mice (lacking a cytosolic subunit of the phagocyte nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate - NADPH - oxidase) and Sykfl/fl MRP8-cre+ mice (carrying the specific deletion of the Syk kinase in neutrophils only), to elucidate the specific contribution of neutrophils to psoriasis development. Results By analyzing disease development/progression in neutrophil-depleted mice, we now report that neutrophils act as negative modulators of disease propagation and exacerbation by inhibiting gammadelta T cell effector functions via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We also report that Syk functions as a crucial molecule in determining the outcome of neutrophil and γδ T cell interactions. Accordingly, we uncover that a selective impairment of Syk-dependent signaling in neutrophils is sufficient to reproduce the enhancement of skin inflammation and γδ T cell infiltration observed in neutrophil-depleted mice. Conclusions Overall, our findings add new insights into the specific contribution of neutrophils to disease progression in the IMQ-induced mouse model of psoriasis, namely as negative regulatory cells.


Event-related potentials (ERPs) and oscillations (EROs) provide powerful tools for studying the brain's synaptic function underlying information processing. The P300 component of ERPs indexing attention and working memory shows abnormal amplitude and latency in neurological and psychiatric diseases that are sensitive to pharmacological agents. In the active auditory oddball discriminant paradigm, behavior and auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) were simultaneously recorded in awake rats to investigate whether P300-like potentials generated in rats responding to rare target oddball tones are sensitive to subcutaneous modulation of the cholinergic tone by donepezil (1 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.64 mg/kg). After operant training, rats consistently discriminate rare target auditory stimuli from frequent irrelevant nontarget auditory stimuli by a higher level of correct lever presses (i.e., accuracy) in target trials associated with a food reward. Donepezil attenuated the disruptive effect of scopolamine on the level of accuracy and premature responses in target trials. Larger P300-like peaks with early and late components were revealed in correct rare target stimuli trials as compared to frequent tones. Donepezil enhanced the peak amplitude of the P300-like component to target stimuli and evoked slow theta and gamma oscillations, whereas scopolamine altered the amplitude of the P300-like component and EROs to target stimuli. Pretreatment with donepezil attenuated effects of scopolamine on the peak amplitude of the P300-like component and on EROs. This study provides evidence that AEP P300-like responses can be elicited by rats engaged in attentive and memory processing of target stimuli and outline the relevance of the cholinergic system in stimulus discrimination processing. The findings highlight the sensitivity of this translational index for investigating brain circuits and/or novel pharmacological agents, which modulate cholinergic transmission associated with increased allocation of attentional resources.


At the beginning of the 23rd Session, the Council have again the pleasing duty before them of reviewing the work of the bygone year, and accordingly they now beg to lay before the members the following Report, which will be found, they believe, on the whole satisfactory. The Society having last year attained its full majority, a proposal to celebrate the occasion in some suitable way was made; and a supper party having been fixed upon by the Council, a Committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. The gathering took place on the evening of 23rd February, 1880, at the Alexandra Hotel, Bath Street, under the chairmanship of Mr. D. C. Glen, F.G.S., Vice-President; and a large party having assembled, a pleasant evening was spent, a hope being expressed that similar gatherings might become annual. During the evening the Chairman gave some interesting details regarding the progress of the Society; and Mr. Thomas M. Barr, C.E., one of the original members, read a series of notes on its formation and early history. At the following Council meeting it was agreed that Mr. Barr should be asked to extend his notes with the view of drawing up an exhaustive paper on the subject, which might be read at a meeting of the Society and afterwards printed in the Transactions. This request Mr. Barr kindly acceded to, and for the purpose received all the early minute books of the Society on loan, but from want of time he has not yet This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract


Bradford M orrow's 1995 novel, Trinity Fields, concerns two men w hose adolescence in Los A lam os was tainted by their anger about their fathers' roles in the Manhattan Project. Like the shock w aves from A lam ogordo, their anger m oves outward into the world: the narrator's m oves to the Colum bia U niversity student protests, and his c losest friend's extends to sorties over Vietnam and Cambodia. Morrow m oves the American West outside itself, connecting it with contemporary history. The characters, in fact, barely exist except as representa tions o f conflicts. M orrow's new novel, Giovanni's Gift, begins and ends in Rom e, and is sim  ilarly interested in avoiding the tag o f regionalism — its first-person narrator advertises his erudition, and his aunt and uncle are professional-class sophisti cates returned to A sh Creek, som ewhere in the R ockies, after successfu l careers and world travels. It com es as som ething o f a surprise early on that such people fire rifles at a night visitor who harasses them by blaring Strauss's Tod und Verklärung through loudspeakers, but those who recognize the conventions o f the m ulti-plot television program w ill soon locate the interweaving o f a love story, a murder-mystery, and a land-grab conspiracy attended by environmental them es. Marketing is frequently a v isib le issue. M orrow's purposes surpass te lev ision 's, however, as the plots merge to make an initiation story for the thirty-three-year-old quester who must, ironically, return to the place o f his childhood in order to have a chance at growing up. It is never clear how reliable the narrator is— he takes very large liberties in con structing scenes he did not w itness and internal lives for other characters— or how coy the relationship is between the man who narrates and the man who acts. But the theme o f the latter's growing understanding holds the disparate parts o f the story together, and just before a clim actic m oonlit pursuit through the forest, he perceives the West as metonymy: "for all its isolation and insignificance, this val ley was host to the depravity o f human history." He must demonstrate for h im self whether, as Sir Thomas More proposed, the times are never so bad but that a good man can live in them.


Any businessman worth his salt will tell you that even the best idea or product can fail in the marketplace if it's not backed by B an effective ad campaign. Taking this truism to heart, two leading business groups are strongly backing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)--an education reform they argue is vital for the United States to compete in the global economy. In October, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, both based in Washington, DC, announced their intention to launch nationwide advertising to promote CCSS. Both groups have long backed the standards, which are currently being phased in by 45 states and the District of Columbia. The new academic goals are replacing state-crafted standards that many experts say have varied widely in rigor and quality. "We know what is not working: to have standards so low, [and] to be graduating kids that can't read," said Cheryl Oldham, the vice president for education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents thousands of businesses across the country. In some states, students who excelled on state tests have had dismal results on the more rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). "Everybody in this mobile world should have same set of high standards--whether you're in Mississippi or Massachusetts," Oldham added. She said that another sign of the need for more rigor in high school is that, according to a 2012 study by the nonprofit Complete College America, half of all undergraduates at four-year colleges and 70 percent of community college students must take remedial courses. In addition, many college students who take remedial courses fail to graduate. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Meanwhile, the Common Core has been endorsed by the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, many editorial boards across the country and the U.S. Department of Education. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said recently that in the eight states with Common Core standards in place in time for this year's NAEP, reading and math scores were higher than they had been in 2009. Common Core in the Crossfire The initiative's more rigorous academic goals have an obvious appeal to the business community, Oldham said, because they contribute to economic and workforce development. The Chamber's support for the Common Core was low-key until 2013, however, when business members at the state level saw an upswing in local resistance to the standards and urged the national umbrella organization to ramp up its policy statements and lobbying on the issue. The struggle has continued in recent months, as the Common Core has been under attack from both the left and the right of American politics. That resistance worries Marc Tucker, the president and CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy, in Washington, DC. Tucker, who has studied education standards in the U.S. and abroad since the 1980s, had no role in the development of the Common Core but says he is a "cheerleader" for the initiative. "I don't think it's a tempest in the teapot," said Tucker. "I do think the Tea Party has decided this is a horse they can ride." He said that a significant portion of Americans is afraid that their way of life is threatened, and they are very angry about that. "Folks on the far conservative right and many libertarians have managed to use the Common Core and everything that comes with it to persuade those Americans, in particular, that there is a vital threat to their liberties, coming from a quarter they didn't expect." "We're in a crossfire," said John Engler, the president of the Business Roundtable, a business group whose members include many of the nation's largest corporations. Speaking before a roomful of education journalists in Washington last fall, Engler, a Republican and former Michigan governor, noted that the Tea Party movement portrays the Common Core as a pet project of President Obama's, which he said is "way off base. …


Birds possess a preen (or uropygial) gland on their rump that secretes substances which are preened into the plumage, and which are probably essential for plumage maintenance. Secretions of the uropygial gland consist predominantly of wax-esters: fatty acids esterified to alcohols. These wax components vary in chain length and in degree and location of branching of the carbon skeletons, resulting in complex mixtures of many different wax esters in preen gland secretions. We have found that shorebirds show pronounced seasonal changes in the composition of their preen waxes. Between arrival on and departure from breeding grounds, their usual monoester wax at winter quarters changes dramatically to a more complex diester- based wax, which is maintained throughout the breeding season. The diesters have higher molecular weights and probably different physical properties than monoesters, and the secretion and use of diesters rather than monoesters may entail specific costs and benefits. We discuss how natural and sexual selection could explain the evolution of compositional shifts in preen waxes and outline possible approaches for future research.


The first in this series of articles left Scotland on the verge of agrarian transformation. Although the nation geographically nearest to England, it remained in 1745 considerably more distant in social structure. England was the first state unambiguously to complete the transition from feudal to capitalist agriculture. Unlike England, however, those that followed did not have a period of several centuries in which to undertake the process. Lenin identified the alternatives that they faced as the Prussian 'reformist' and American 'revolutionary' paths. Scotland was to prefigure the Prussian path, where the feudal landowners themselves instigated the transition to capitalism in the countryside. After the final defeat of Jacobitism at Culloden in 1746, the Scottish feudal landowners were juridically stripped of the powers (military tenures, local jurisdictions) with which a section of them had threatened the British state. They were, however, allowed to retain most of their power over their tenants. With no remaining alternative but to adapt to the capitalist mode of production, they systematically used these powers to reorganize their estates along existing English lines. The speed and extent of the transformation that followed remains unprecedented in Western European history.


Paper Presentation Purpose for the Program Early skin‐to‐skin contact between a mother and her infant has been studied and shown to improve outcomes for both mother and infant. As a hospital that received the Baby Friendly designation in April 2010, we are well aware of the benefits of skin‐to‐skin contact. During our journey to become Baby Friendly, the topic of skin‐to‐skin contact was researched and discussed as we worked to develop a plan to implement skin‐to‐skin contact at birth. At the time of our site visit, we had successfully implemented skin‐to‐skin contact immediately after birth for vaginal deliveries and in the recovery room for cesarean deliveries. Proposed Change As professionals, we are constantly evaluating our practices and looking for ways to improve. During our Baby Friendly journey, there was resistance to the idea of implementing skin‐to‐skin contact in the operating room (OR) from all disciplines. As time went on, we realized that implementing skin‐to‐skin contact in the OR was the next step in providing the optimal care for our mothers and infants. To do that, we would need support from all members of the interdisciplinary team. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The first step began with a journal club article and discussion on implementing skin‐to‐skin contact in the OR. Barriers were identified and a plan to overcome them began. The following week, two staff nurses took it upon themselves to try skin‐to‐skin contact in the OR to see how it could be done. From there, the topic became an agenda item for further discussion for both the OB service line meeting and the Perinatal Safety and Satisfaction Interdisciplinary Committee. Following that, a presentation was made at the anesthesia service line meeting to provide education and gain their support. We incorporated the topic of skin‐to‐skin contact into our prenatal breastfeeding classes and the nurses introduced it to the families on admission to the labor and delivery unit. Additionally, changes were made to our electronic medical record to provide documentation of skin‐to‐skin contact in the OR and allow us to track the data. Implications for Nursing Practice Change is difficult for any intervention you are looking to implement. By getting support from all stakeholders throughout the process, keeping everyone engaged, and taking it one step at a time, change is possible. As a result, we have implemented skin‐to‐skin contact in the OR.


"Words are but symbols for the relations of things to one another and to us; nowhere do they touch upon absolute truth," writes Friedrich Nietzsche, "through words and concepts we shall never reach beyond the wall off relations, to some sort of fabulous primal ground of things." As he suggests in his characteristically aphoristic style, language cannot articulate truths. In his essay Daniel Bergman brings the proto-deconstruction Nietzsche puts forth in "Truth and Falsity of the Ultramoral Sense" to bear on Shakespeare's Othello . A play that is, as Bergman writes, rife with "tragically mistaken meanings," Othello enacts the degrees to which language shapes and creates our realities. Reading Othello through the linguistic theories of Nietzsche, Ferdinand de Saussure, and Jacques Derrida, Bergman deftly argues that the play is ultimately a microcosm in which we encounter the limits of signification.  Dr. Erin Wunker


Contextual stimuli may influence conditioned behavior in at least two ways (e.g. Bouton & Bolles, 1985). By becoming associated with the unconditioned stimulus (US), context cues can acquire excitatory strength that facilitates responding to a phasic conditioned stimulus (CS). The context also can function to clarify the meaning of an ambiguous CS. Data obtained with an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning paradigm suggest that the processes mediating these two influences of context are dissociated during development. Evidence of context-US associations was observed in rats that began training on Postnatal Day 17, but no evidence for a disambiguation function was found until pups were 20- to 23-days-old. Evidence for a context-US association was obtained by demonstrating that US alone presentations in the training context restored conditioned responding to an extinguished CS. Evidence for a disambiguation function was obtained by demonstrating that a context shift, concurrent with extinction of responding to a phasic CS, preserved responding to the CS when the subjects were subsequently tested in the training context. These findings were discussed in relation to (a) the development of the rat's ability to use relational representations, and (b) Nadel and Zola-Morgan's (1984) hypothesis linking hippocampal maturation to the role of context during development.


According to Patanjali, one can attain this (the individual self with the Supreme One) union by controlling and eliminating the ever- arising 'vrittis' or modifications of the mind. He also suggests that the mind, in turn, can be controlled through the right kind of discipline and training. Patanjali says that there are basic obstacles pervading the mind that are not conducive to yoga practice. The purpose of the study was to investigate effect of yogic practices on selected risk factors among men low back pain sufferer. The subjects were equally assigned to random sampling procedure into two equal groups, i.e., the experimental group and control group. The experimental group under gone the practices in yogic practices. The control group not underwent the any kind of yogic practices for the duration of the training programme of twelve weeks. The training was given in alternate days in a week. Each session scheduled for 60 minutes. The pain was measured before and after the experimentation using the standardized test. The data were analyzed by Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and it was concluded that the selected yogic practices group than the control group had significant (P < 0.05) effect on the pain level.


Cannulization of the radial artery with the object of continuous measurement of the blood pressure or repeated analyses of the arterial blood gases is an easy and relatively safe procedure. Thrombosis is observed in 25-40% of the cases. The frequency depends upon the condition of the patient, the cannula and technique of cannulization and duration of this. Permanent ischaemic damage resulting from thrombosis is, however, rare. Other complications of clinical significance are infections and vascular lesions which are, similarly, rare. Allen's test for assessing the collateral circulation of the hand has a high negative predictive value while the positive predictive value is so low that a positive test result does not exclude cannulization. In these cases, better assessment of the perfusion of the hand may be obtained by combining the test with pletysmography. After cannulization, it should be possible to monitor perfusion distal to the site of cannulization employing more recent pulse oximeters with the aid of the pletysmographic curve.


Purpose. This study explored a novel technique to improve the MV imaging based fiducial visibility for a cohort of prostate radiotherapy patients, without compromising the original treatment plan. The study also compared these results to visibility using single MLC control points, as well as short arcs. Methods. Geometric data from 68 prostate radiotherapy treatments, each with implanted gold fiducials, was retrospectively analysed. Fiducials were contoured for each patient, and conventional and SBRT treatment plans were generated using a VMAT technique. Using an in-house script, fiducial contours were projected onto the VMAT MLC control points. Resulting data was assessed to determine whether the fiducial contours were theoretically visible for single MLC control points and groups of MLC control points (short arcs), both being surrogates for intra-fraction MV imaging. Using this data, a theoretical quadrant technique was investigated that assessed the region surrounding each fiducial to determine if visualisation would theoretically improve. Results. Using a conventional treatment type, mean fiducial visibility for single MLC control points across the patient cohort ranged from 2.5% up to 17.8%. For SBRT, fiducial visibility ranged from 1.8% up to 19.7%. For short arcs, fiducial visibility for conventional treatment types ranged from 5.9% up to 20.7%. For SBRT, fiducial visibility ranged from 4.6% up to 23.1%. When the novel fiducial quadrant technique was used, theoretical visibility improved two-fold, from 22.7% up to 52.5% and from 24.7% up to 55.3% for conventional and SBRT treatment types respectively. Conclusions. Fiducial visibility was assessed for a cohort of VMAT prostate patients. Using the novel quadrant technique, it was demonstrated that theoretical visualisation and localisation of the implanted fiducials could be improved two-fold, without sacrificing treatment plan quality.


The characteristics of flow over plain and labyrinth stepped falls is investigated experimentally and simulated numerically using commercial package ANSYS CFX. The aim is to verify the numerical model by assessing its accuracy and dependence in modeling the flow over this kind of hydraulic structures. Eight physical models of rectangular labyrinth stepped fall cycles with general slope (1V:1H and 1V:2H), different step numbers (5 and 10) and two different cycle widths (0.06 and 0.1 m) were tested and simulated in laboratory flume. For the purpose of comparison four models of plain stepped falls are constructed with the same number of steps and slopes as the labyrinth ones, they were tested and simulated. The simulation is based on the RNG k-ε turbulence model, three dimensional volume of fluid method (VOF) and incompressible flows. To verify the numerical models, all experimental data including water surface profile, hydraulic head and total calculated energy dissipation were compared with the corresponding results predicted by the numerical model. The comparison showed good agreement between experimental and numerical results via applying statistical tests. The new labyrinth stepped fall model was more effective for dissipating the relative energy as compared with plain stepped falls. The results showed that with decreasing number of steps, downstream slope and increasing the length magnification ratio, the relative energy dissipation is increased. The numerical results illustrated that the local direction of flow depends on the depth of water on the steps and the width of the labyrinth cycle. Also it was observed that the local flow directions, which are occurred on streamlines and contours, are dependent on impingement angle of water velocity vectors which varies between 74 and 62.5 degree.


Equations derived from kinetic theory often express a desired quantity in terms of a probability density. For example, the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is a well-known powerful technique for computational rarefied gas dynamics. It uses an algorithm that begins with an initial distribution and, through random sampling, converges to a stationary distribution. Random sampling is achieved using random numbers obtained with pseudo-random number generators. Quasi-Monte Carlo methods (QMCMs) replace calls to a pseudo-random number generator by calls to a quasi-random number generator. QMCMs are known to have a better convergence rates than Monte Carlo methods for multidimensional integration, but it is not trivial to make QMCM work well in contexts outside of Monte Carlo integration, such as DSMC. In fact, näıve replacement of calls to a pseudo-random number generator by calls to a quasi-random generator have been known to fail utterly. We illustrate these difficulties and discuss how to overcome them. In the context of DSMC, we conclude that little can be gained through the use of quasi-random sequences, however in the context of "direct methods" we find promising results.


: The goal of the present research was to figure out the prevalence and risk factors of coccidiosis in goats and sheep in Dera Ghazi Khan. For this 752 (goats=376; sheep=376) fecal specimens were obtained, and were analyzed by coprological examination. The prevalence of coccidiosis in sheep (52.92 %) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the goats (44.41 %). In females, infection with Eimeria was significantly higher (P<0.05) as compared to male animals. Coccidiosis was significantly more common (P<0.05) in sheep and goats aged ≤ 6 months compared to sheep and goats older than 6 months but less than a year, and older than a year. There was a clear distinction (P<0.05) in prevalence of coccidiosis in animals that are stall fed and housed in comparison with the animals that graze in open grasslands. Prevalence of coccidiosis in animals with low BCS was considerably higher (P<0.05) as compared to the animals in good health. The prevalence of Eimeria infection and fecal score had a significant correlation (P<0.05). Prevalence of coccidiosis was higher in August while in October it was lowest. The highest prevalence (56.78%) was of E. ovinoidal is followed in order by 47.23 % E. ahsata, 35.67 % E. parva, 30.15 % E. intricate, 26.63 % E. faurei and 19.09 % E. pallid in sheep. In case of goats, highest prevalence (68.86%) was of E. ninakohlyakimovae, followed by 59.88% E. alijevi, 53.29% E. arloingi, 46.70 % E. caprinaand 22.15 % E. hirci were among the most common Eimeria spp. It was concluded that different Eimeria spp. Prevailing in study area with variable risk factors and the incidence of coccidiosis in research area was affected by various risk variables.


A Land use/land cover (LULC) change plays a pivotal role in regional socio-economic development and global environment changes. In environment, where fragile ecosystems are dominant, the land cover change often reflects the most significant impact on the environment due to excessive human activities. So, LULC change analysis is essential to know the natural characteristics, extent and location, its quality, productivity, suitability and limitations of various land uses/covers. Present study was conducted to assess the LULC change in two distinct areas, the Bogra district of Bangladesh and Danjiangkou County of China, over the last 16 years (1988-2004) and 14 years (1991-2005), respectively. Landsat TM and IRS P6 LISS III images were used to analyze the overall changes of different LULC types in the two selected areas. To classify the satellite images for LULC, a fuzzy ARTMAP neural network supervised classification method was performed. post classification comparison technique with GIS overlay was followed to derive the LULC changes. In this A study we focused the LULC dynamics, including statistics of spatio-temporal changes, trajectories/transformations of LULC and their relations to the selected physical environmental variables such as soil, slopes and altitude. The analysis revealed that the LULC of the two study areas were changed dramatically during the study periods, and considering the LULC dynamics, the results showed that LULC changes were related particularly to the pattern of the physical attributes; soil, slope and elevation. The relations between LULC change and physical properties of the environment, and the trajectories of the LULC depicted that the changes which took places during the study periods were mainly human induced, which might be the cause of soil and environmental degradation in the areas. Thus, more attention should be paid in these areas to protect environmental degradation, particularly for the eco-environmental sustainability.


In this work, we consider a system of differential equations modeling the dynamics of some populations of preys and predators, moving in space according to rapidly oscillating time-dependent transport terms, and interacting with each other through a Lotka-Volterra term. These two contributions naturally induce two separated time-scales in the problem. A generalized center manifold theorem is derived to handle the situation where the linear terms are depending on the fast time in a periodic way. The resulting equations are then amenable to averaging methods. As a product of these combined techniques, one obtains an autonomous differential system in reduced dimension whose dynamics can be analyzed in a much simpler way as compared to original equations. Strikingly enough, this system is of Lotka-Volterra form with modified coefficients. Besides, a higher order perturbation analysis allows to show that the oscillations on the original model destabilize the cycles of the averaged Volterra system in a way that can be explicitely computed.


Introduction. Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) remains one of the major causes of acute diarrhoea episodes in developing countries. The percentage of acute diarrhoea cases caused by DEC is 30–40 % in these countries. Approximately 10% of E. coli isolates obtained from stool specimens have been reported to be non-lactose-fermenting (NLF). The available literature is sparse regarding the pathogenicity of NLF E. coli causing infectious diarrhoea. Aim. We aimed to elucidate the importance of NLF E. coli in causing diarrhoea in both adults and children by detecting various DEC pathotypes among NLF E. coli in stool samples taken from gastroenteritis cases. Material and Methods. A total of 376 NLF E. coli isolates from 3110 stool samples from diarrhoea/gastroenteritis patients were included in the study. Up to three NLF colonies that were not confirmed as Vibrio cholerae , Aeromonas spp., Salmonella spp. or Shigella spp., but were identified as E. coli using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF), were carefully picked up from each MacConkey agar plate and then meticulously streaked onto freshly prepared, sterilized nutrient agar plates, and biochemical reactions were conducted. Multiplex PCR was conducted for the EAEC, EPEC, ETEC and EHEC pathotypes and PCR for the ipaH gene was conducted for EIEC. The disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic sensitivity testing. Results. Using multiplex PCR and ipaH PCR, a total of 63 pathotypes of DEC were obtained, with EAEC being the most predominant (n=31) followed by EIEC (n=22), EPEC (n=8) and ETEC (n=2). To further differentiate EIEC from Shigella , additional biochemical tests were performed, including acetate utilization, mucate and salicin fermentation, and aesculin hydrolysis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) showed that maximum resistance was seen against ciprofloxacin (82.5 %) followed by ampicillin (77.8 %) and cotrimoxazole (68.2 %), and minimum resistance was seen against ertapenem (4.8 %). Conclusion. In our study two pathotypes (EAEC, EIEC) were predominant among NLF E. coli and these were not only important aetiological agents in children, but also in adults. Our study also sheds light on the epidemiology of EIEC, which is one of the most neglected DEC pathotypes, as hardly any microbiological laboratories process NLF E. coli for EIEC.


BACKGROUND
Vortioxetine is a multimodal antidepressant that has been developed for the treatment of major depressive and anxiety disorders. The aim of this review is to quantitatively synthesize all data of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Vortioxetine in treating anxiety disorder.

METHOD
Terms of "Vortioxetine" OR "LuAA21004" AND "anxiety" OR "fear" OR "panic" OR "phobia" were searched. A total of two phase II and five phase III clinical trials were found.

RESULTS
Vortioxetine was overall superior to placebo in terms of the mean change from baseline in HAM-A total score at week 8 with the pool effect size of -2.95, 95% CIs, -4.37 to -1.53, p<0.01. The patients who received 5 mg of Vortioxetine had higher response rate when compared to placebo (pooled odds ratio=1.4, 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.82, p=0.01). However, the pooled odds ratio of the HAMA remission rate was not statistically significant for both Vortioxetine and placebo (pooled odds ratio= 1.06, 95% CI = 0.86 to 1.30, p=0.62). Although the discontinuation due to adverse effects was higher in Vortioxetine than placebo group (pooled OR= 1.55, 95% CI = 1.04 to 2.31, P= 0.037), the lack of efficacy (pooled OR= 0.39, 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.57, P<0.01) was higher in placebo than Vortioxetine group. Most of the adverse effects were mild and moderate. Overall, Vortioxetine displayed a good safety and tolerability profile.

CONCLUSION
This review supports the use of Vortioxetine for anxiety disorder. However, further longterm placebo-control observational study or a post market survey would help in strengthening the evidence for this treatment modality.


The sodium-calcium exchange (NCX) plays a pivotal role in regulating contractility and electrical activity in the heart. However, the effects of NCX blockers on ventricular arrhythmias are still controversial. We examined the effects of KB-R7943 (KBR) and SEA0400 (SEA), two NCX blockers, on aconitine-induced arrhythmias in guinea pigs using the ECG recordings and the current-clamp method. Using Luo's and Rudy's computer model (1991 Circ Res 68:1501–1526) for ventricular myocytes, we simulated abnormal membrane activity produced by NCX inhibition. In the whole-animal model, KBR in a dose range of 1 to 30 mg/kg (intravenous) suppressed aconitine-induced arrhythmias dose-dependently, but 10 mg/kg of SEA did not suppress these arrhythmias. There was a difference in isolated ventricular myocytes also. KBR (10 μM) suppressed abnormal electrical activity induced by aconitine, but SEA (100 μM) did not show such effects. KBR (10 μM) significantly changed the shape of the action potential configurations (action potential duration at 50% repolarization), but SEA (1–100 μM) did not change these configurations. In the computer simulation study, the aconitine-induced abnormal electrical activity was mimicked by a negative shift of the kinetics of Na+ channels, and this was followed by additional suppression of NCX activity by 90% (mimicking the effect of NCX inhibitors), which enhanced abnormal membrane activity. Our results indicate that the inhibition of aconitine-induced arrhythmias by KBR, not by SEA, might result from a mechanism other than the inhibition of NCX, and thus the involvement of the NCX system plays an insignificant role in the aconitine-induced arrhythmias.


This article analyzes the factors behind the cooperation between secularism and religious expansion in the public domain, through the medical faculty of Universite l'Aurore, which may help better understand the relationship between the medical practice and colonization. From the perspective of social history of medicine and health, we intend to study 1) the different motivations behind the French government and the Catholic Church on Western medicine in China; 2) the orientation of the French medical knowledge system; 3) the work and effectiveness of the "medical evangelism" of Catholic Jesuits. Numerous young Chinese doctors grew up in this cultural encounter, forming an emerging social stratum spontaneously. In fact, they became active disseminators of western culture, and further promoted the western medicine in China. The medical faculty of Universite l'Aurore vividly reflects the close relationship between medicine and religious behaviors, imperialism expansion and China's pursuit of modernization. We also demonstrate the impact of modern medical education, an efficient instrument of civilization, on health care, political control and cultural discipline. Moreover, the entanglement and historical interaction of the underlying knowledge and power are exposed in detail. The primary objective of medicine rests with saving people's lives while the ultimate goal of colonization lies in conquering other nations. Therefore, the phrase "colonial medicine" contains the conflict and contradiction inevitably. Western medicine undergoes great developments in China via the fast modernization of public health and the medical education. These achievements are regarded to justify the legitimacy and validity of colonization. Western medicine directly enters into Chinese daily life by taking care of the sick, thus strengthening colonization. This process, known as the construction of modernization in China, vividly demonstrates the connotative invasion, as well as the Foucault's biopower.


Based on the nonlinear dispersive relation for fundamental frequency, retiection mad transmission from a multilayer nonlinear slab is discussed when a plane wave is obliquely incident on it. The higher order iterative approximations of reflectivity and transmittivity are derived. Some calculations are made on a Single-layer slab and a two-periodic multilayer slab, which is composed of two different nonlinear dielectric plates. It was concluded by some diacmmiolm about the influences of nonlinearity to EM wave propagation.


The purpose of this study is to examine the current situation of crime and service in South Africa and the various factors influencing it. Strategies and measures taken to address these problems are discussed. Data gathered shows crime rates as compared to the United States ofAmerica and major capitals throughout the world. This study shows the impact crime and bad service has had on the tourism industry in South Africa and the necessity to find and implement a holistic plan for the future. Most developing countries in the world are faced with similar issues that are impacting the success of the tourism industry as successful income provider. Current studies and crime prevention models are based on First World countries with economies and societies strong enough to combat crime successfully. The reality is that these strategies are not completely transferable to countries without the resources and infrastructure of their FirstWorld counterparts. Given the multitude of restraints and obstacles that South Africa is facing, some of the strategies currently employed that show some degree of success might be implemented and beneficial for other developing countries, as an alternative to current strategies in place.


Becoming a victim of crime "forces" individuals to come to terms with the event and its consequences. Victimisations or stressors result in coping processes. Two dimensions are discernable, namely problem and emotion focused coping. The first concept refers to, either cognitive or behavioral, activities aimed at "eliminating" the stressor as such. A central question here is how to prevent a re-occurrence of the event. One could think of taking all sorts of preventive measures reducing the future likelihood of becoming a victim again of this event or something similar. Emotion focused coping relates to activities aimed at controlling the emotional impact of the event, like feelings of fear and concern about crime or anger. Psychological distress is generally considered to be a central and dominant response to victimisations (Cook, Smith, & Harrell, 1987). Emotion focused coping is aimed at countering this. A central issue here thus is how to manage these emotions or how to reduce them to a psychologically tolerable level.


We studied 158 children with culture-proven shigellosis, 37 (23.4%) of whom had convulsions. Historical, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between patients with and without convulsions to define risk factors for the development of seizures. Age was the most important predisposing factor. The highest incidence of shigellosis associated with convulsions was found in children between 6 months and 4 years of age. Peak body temperature and a family history of convulsions also independently affected the development of seizures. Sex and Shigella strain showed differences between the groups but failed to reach statistical significance.


This report presents an evaluation of the Aboriginal Girls' Circle, an intervention targeted to increase social connection, participation and self-confidence amongst Aboriginal girls attending secondary schools. Overview The Aboriginal Girls' Circle (AGC) is an intervention targeted to increase social connection, participation and self- confidence amongst Aboriginal girls attending secondary schools. Researchers from the University of Western Sydney (UWS)'s School of Education sought to evaluate the AGC pilot undertaken at Dubbo College and to provide recommendations for the program's further development. The following specific aims were outlined for this pilot research. 1. To determine the effects of the AGC for participants' resilience, connectedness, self-concept and cultural identity, 2. To investigate and track the development of culturally appropriate tools and methods for measuring these constructs, and 3. To evaluate the relative effectiveness of various components of the program and implementation processes. Ethical protocols for working with Aboriginal communities were an important aspect of the research design, which was approved by the UWS Human Research Ethics Committee and by the by the NSW Department of Education and Communities. The research was undertaken in two stages, beginning with a consultation process that sought the views of community Elders, the AGC program developers and key school-based personnel. The first stage of the research involved field observations of the AGC in action, together with a series of interviews and focus groups involving participants, group leaders, community Elders and school staff. The second stage used quantitative methods to measure the effects of the program on key variables relating to student connectedness, resilience, cultural identity and self-concept.


This article describes a behavioral intervention program for adults with autism, suggests that preparation for adulthood should begin in early childhood, asserts that the curriculum should be just as comprehensive and evaluation criteria just as rigorous in programs for adults as in programs for children, and proposes that close examination of adults' repertoires may lead to key modifications of services delivered to children. Along theway, the authors provide some data on the progress of 15 people who are now adults and whom they have known for 15 to 25 years. Finally, the authors argue that, because of the diversity of skills and skill deficits displayed by adults with autism, a program model that prevents "falling through the cracks" must provide an array of options—from training center to supported employment.


The DataManager presented in this paper allows the multimodal visualisation of heterogeneous data originating from the biomedical field and, more particularly, biomechanics. In the latter, the aim is to increase our understanding of the musculo-skeletal system, and to achieve this, numerous disparate data must be collected and combined. Previously, no software tool fully allowed such integration, but the DataManager and its development environment (the MAF) now provide an answer to that problem. This paper presents the current visualisation and data processing tools available from the DataManager. Its usefulness for research, educational and clinical activities will be demonstrated. The system developers hope that the data management mechanisms available within the software will stimulate data sharing between scientists and will encourage them to participate in enhancing the system by integrating their own software tools.


Vegetable oils are edible oils which are extracted from the plants usually from their seeds like sunflower, mustard, palm, coconut etc. which majorly contribute to the daily diet,vegetable oils can be easily adulterated and purity of the edible oil is a big concern. In this research article different optical spectroscopy methods includes Raman and Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have been used to compute the purity and investigate the adulteration in edible oils which are commonly used and it also aims to achieve an easy and conventional way to analyse the purity of the vegetable oils.


Electromagnetic equations have been appropriately transformed and solved in order to investigate the propagation of magnetostatic waves in curved geometries. The results have been utilized to study magnetostatic propagation along the surface of a cylindrically curved slab of ferrite in the azimuthal direction. In the case of an unbacked- or a metal-backed slab, it is found that the effect of curvature is to slightly reduce the phase as well as the group velocity by a constant factor throughout the frequency range of allowed modes. However, under favorable conditions, the presence of a dielectric layer between ferrite and metal leads to a strong enhancement in the propagation constant. It is also found that an axially magnetized homogeneous ferrite cylinder cannot support magnetostatic surface waves propagating along its curved surface in the azimuthal direction.


Colonoscopic video retrieval, which is a critical part of polyp treatment, has great clinical significance for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer. However, retrieval models trained on action recognition datasets usually produce unsatisfactory retrieval results on colonoscopic datasets due to the large domain gap between them. To seek a solution to this problem, we construct a large-scale colonoscopic dataset named Colo-Pair for medical practice. Based on this dataset, a simple yet effective training method called Colo-SCRL is proposed for more robust representation learning. It aims to refine general knowledge from colonoscopies through masked autoencoder-based reconstruction and momentum contrast to improve retrieval performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to employ the contrastive learning paradigm for medical video retrieval. Empirical results show that our method significantly outperforms current state-of-the-art methods in the colonoscopic video retrieval task.


This article explores issues associated with giving non-human actors a voice of their own in actor-network theory based research. What issues arise in doing so? Does doing so increase understanding of the issue to hand, bring to life and make more accessible and interesting the stories of these actors? Or does this anthropomorphism detract from the issues at hand? The authors discuss these broader issues and then pres-ent findings from an ANT field study which investigated the implementation of institutional repositories and their relations with the spread of open access to scholarly publishing. This paper experiments with allowing some of the non-human actors to speak for themselves. The authors conclude with a discussion which opens the debate: does giving voice to non-human actors bring them to life and make them better understood as intimately entangled with each other and human actors in the socio-material practices of the everyday? And what are the challenges in doing so?


Business Driven Technology discusses various business initiatives first and how technology supports those initiatives second. The premise for this unique approach is that business initiatives should drive technology choices. Every discussion first addresses the business needs and then addresses the technology that supports those needs
Table of contents
Chapter 1 Business Driven TechnologyChapter 2 Identifying Competitive AdvantagesChapter 3 Strategic Initiatives for Implementing Competitive AdvantagesChapter 3 Measuring the Success of Strategic InitiativesChapter 4 Organizational Structures that Support Strategic InitiativesChapter 5 Valuing Organizational InformationChapter 6 Storing Organizational Information – DatabasesChapter 7 Accessing Organizational Information – Data WarehouseChapter 8 Enabling the Organization – Decision MakingChapter 9 Extending the Organization – Supply Chain ManagementChapter 10 Building a Customer-Centric Organization – Customer Relationship ManagementChapter 11 Integrating the Organization from End-to-End – Enterprise Resource PlanningChapter 12 Creating Innovative OrganizationsChapter 13 E-BusinessChapter 14 Creating Collaborative PartnershipsChapter 15 Integrating Wireless Technology in BusinessChapter 16 Building Software to Support an Agile OrganizationChapter 17 Outsourcing in the 21st CenturyChapter 18 Developing a 21st Century Organization Business Plug-InsB1 Business BasicsB2 Business ProcessB3 Hardware and SoftwareB4 Enterprise ArchitecturesB5 Networks, Telecommunications, and Wireless ComputingB6 Information SecurityB7 EthicsB8 Supply Chain ManagementB9 Customer Relationship ManagementB10 Enterprise Resource PlanningB11 E-Business ModelsB12 Emerging Trends and TechnologyB13 Strategic OutsourcingB14 Systems DevelopmentB15 Project ManagementTechnical Plug-InsT1 Personal Productivity Using IT (OLC only)T2 Basic Skills Using Excel (OLC only)T3 Problem Solving Using Excel (OLC only)T4 Decision Making Using Excel (OLC only)T5 Designing Database Applications (OLC only)T6 Basic Skills Using Access (OLC only)T7 Problem Solving Using Access (OLC only)T8 Decision Making Using Access (OLC only)T9 Designing Web Pages (OLC only)T10 Creating Web Pages Using HTML (OLC only)T11 Creating Web Pages Using Dreamweaver (OLC only)T12 Creating Gantt Charts with Excel and Microsoft Project (OLC only)


Oral health and dental treatment needs were investigated in 50 randomly selected long-term medicine patients admitted to The Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark. All the patients were clinically and radiologically examined. Oral health generally was poor. Two-thirds (66%) of the patients were totally edentulous, 24% partially edentulous. Only 10% were dentate with no dentures. The number of remaining teeth per patient averaged 4.7, that of caries destructed teeth 1.4. All 17 patients with remaining teeth had periodontal disease, and 13 of them suffered from caries. Alveolar ridge atrophy, periapical inflammation, root remnants, impacted teeth and oral mucosal lesions were demonstrated in, respectively, 80, 22, 24, 8, and 26% of the group. In total 82% of the patients needed some kind of treatment, mainly prosthetic and oral surgery. The estimated total treatment time per patient averaged 165 min.


In the paper we propose a method to determine parameters that appear in algebraic surface blending. By minimizing the surface energy and adding some point restrictions, we can select the free parameters such that a blending surface with reasonable shape is constructed. The method seems to be extensible for other surface blending problems, although we concentrate on algebraic surface blending.


The fixed nucleus of Viciafaba has been investigated in squash preparations and in sections and it has been shown to consist of separate regions: the peripheral zone, in which lie the chromosomes; the middle zone, which is a protein region, the size of which varies with the mitotic activity of the root and in which lie the nucleoli; the nucleoli, each of which contains an inner core of protein material surrounded by an outer zone of material which probably contains nucleoprotein. The nucleolus also bears the nucleolar organizer, which is connected to the peripheral zone by a fine chromosomal strand. It is suggested that the apparent expansion of the middle zone during the period of maximum mitotic activity of the root is due to hydration of the protein. Similar zonation of the nucleus and nucleolus has been found in fixed root tips of Allium Cepa and Zea mays. Nuclei of living staminal hair cells of Tradescantia bracteata have been studied with ultraviolet microscopy and have been shown to possess the same structure as was found in the fixed nuclei of Vicia faba. This suggests that, at least in these cells, the middle zone and nucleolar core are not artifacts.


The paper presents a new approach to the reliability evaluation of redundant systems. The exact logic design of the switches is analysed in order to distinguish between fatal and nonfatal faults in the switching logic. System unreliability is then calculated by summing the probabilities that unrecoverable faults occur. In addition to the more accurate reliability evaluation achieved by the new approach, it is also useful for comparing various designs of the switching logic or different switching strategies.


This paper reports our latest results using colloidal CuInSe₂ nanocrystal inks to prepare photovoltaic (PV) devices. Thus far, devices with nanocrystal layers processed under ambient conditions with no post-deposition treatment have achieved power conversion efficiencies of up to 3.1%. Device efficiency is largely limited by charge carrier trapping in the nanocrystal layer, and the highest device efficiencies are obtained with very thin layers-less than 150 nm-absorbing only a fraction of the incident light. Devices with thicker nanocrystal layers had lower power conversion efficiency, despite the increased photon absorption, because the internal quantum efficiency of the devices decreased significantly. The thin, most efficient devices exhibited internal quantum efficiencies as high as 40%, across a wide spectrum. Mott-Schottky measurements revealed that the active region thickness in the devices is approximately 50 nm.


U.S. ElectionsMany researchers fear the worst after a Republican resurgence at the polls produced a 25-plus-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and loosened the Democrats' grip on the Senate. The 2 November vote ended a 4-year streak of district, state, and national successes by Democrats that paved the way for unprecedented increases in federal research funding. The 112th Congress that will convene in January could be headed down another path. Budget hawks are preparing to reduce overall federal spending, newly elected members are questioning the need to take action against rising levels of greenhouse gases, and advocates for smaller government are eying pieces of the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, and even the National Science Foundation. Still, science lobbyists point to some bright spots amid those dark clouds.


With the emergence of intensified competitive market and commoditization of the airport offering, Air passengers' perception towards the different quality of airport service and amenity provided by a certain airport are one of the significant determinants of airport choice. Many airport authorities have been concentrating on delivering the best customer experience to their passengers. One of those strategies is to add value to the airport through the enhancement of airport service and amenities. Such strategies are found to enlarge customer experience, satisfaction, and attract more passengers. This paper, consequently, has tried to scrutinize the effects of airport value-added on passenger traffic at the aggregate level by using the OLS estimator of a multiple linear regression with employing the differences in airport rating stars as a proxy of the different level of airport value-added, and passenger traffic as a proxy of the airport which is selected by passenger from their airport choice. The results suggest that adding value to the airports significantly increases passenger traffic. Besides, this study found that terminal comfort and cleanliness significantly influence passenger's airport choice the most by showing through the highest incremental of passenger traffic.


Nearly 40% of doctors in the U.S. are aged 50 or older, and one in four are 65 or older, according to the American Medical Association. For these baby boomers, retirement is a fast-approaching reality. As they ponder their next life phase, doctors who own private practices face several challenges unique to the profession.


Firewalls are a critical part in any security frame-work. Most firewalls consist of a large amount of sequential rules that are unstructured and confusing. Unfortunately, because a lot of rules configuration work is done manually by the network administrators, misconfigurations are very common and can affect the reliability of the firewall. Identifying such anomalies is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a tree based simulation and verification model to verify if the implemented firewall of a system is in compliance with the belonging firewall requirements. The proposed methodology was developed in relation with the H2020 FORTIKA project and was evaluated in the scope of case studies with industrial partners. The case studies in question related to large scale telecom infrastructures involving critical scenarios in the scope of Smart Cities in general and SME cyber-security protection. Thereby, the executed case studies demonstrate how our approach can lead to improved structuring of firewalls and belonging rules, to the comfortable visualization of firewall structures and decision patterns, and finally to the verification of system and context requirements imposed by the firewall operation environment.


Abstract Background Amphotericin B (AmB) can cause electrolyte abnormalities, including hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypernatremia, and metabolic acidosis; and most important, acute renal failure. Methods We conducted a randomized prospective cohort study from March 2012 to February 2018 at Hacettepe University Ihsan Doğramacı Children Hospital to children receiving AmB. Results A total of 87 patients including 37 patients with NAC and 50 patients without NAC received liposomal amphotericin B during the study period.Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, phosphorus were not different statistically in both groups during the study period. Serum sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium values taken on third day of AmB treatment were not statistically different in both groups. Mean serum magnesium value was higher in NAC received group on the seventh day of AmB treatment; 1.97 ± 0.33 and 1.69 ± 0.46, respectively, it was statistically significant (P = 0.025). Mean serum magnesium value was also statistically significantly higher in NAC received group on the 14th day of treatment; 1.93 ± 0.20 and 1.72 ± 0.247, respectively, in both groups (P = 0.01). Mean serum sodium values on the 14th day of AmB treatment were also statistically different between 2 groups; 136.7 ± 3.7 and 140.04 ± 5.1, respectively (P = 0.005). Serum sodium values on the 14th day of AmB treatment was in more normal limits in NAC received group. Serum alanine aminotransferase level was significantly lower in NAC received group (P = 0.02). Serum aspartate aminotransferase level was significantly lower in NAC received group (P = 0.007). Nineteen of 37 (51.4%) patients who received NAC concomitantly with AmB and 44 of 50 patients (88%) who received AmB without NAC supplemented with potassium due to hypokalemia (P < 0.001). Two of NAC received 37 patients (5.4%) and 10 of NAC not received 50 patients (20%) died. Mortality was found 2.3 times more in NAC not-received group. Conclusion Co-treatment with oral NAC once daily in children during AmB treatment course was significantly effective in preventing or ameliorating different features of its nephrotoxicity including hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and renal potassium as well as magnesium wasting Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Abstract The British Geological Survey is recognizing the consumer's need for customized 'built-for-purpose' geoscientific data sets. It is witnessing a move away from being merely producers of standard scale cartographic products. This research proposes an automated tool for the generalization of geological maps, which may assist the organization in meeting these demands. The research shows that in order to derive a coarse scale geological map from a fine scale geological database there is a requirement for contextual sensitivity. To achieve an appropriate result the interaction between the themes represented on the map must be considered and should reflect the interaction of geological objects in the real world. A case study is presented which illustrates how standard cartographic generalization operations can be combined, using a rule base, into a partially automated process to generalize a geological data set from 1:50 000 to 1:250 000 scale. Independent geoscientific professionals evaluated the results from the case study. The tool provides consistency and tracabilty in the generation of multiscale geoscientific data. The evaluation suggests that, with further research, higher levels of autonomous generalization are achievable. In its current form it is a highly useful tool as a testbed for defining generalization requirements in geological mapping, an aid to the production of standard scale maps and a basis for creating customer specific data sets.


We developed the durability estimation and design systems to minimize the volume, considering the durability, efficiency, and design requirements of worm gears. That is, we consider each kind of factors affecting on durability on the basis of AGMA Standard for the cylindrical and double-enveloping worm gears. We also estimate input power on the basis of wear and durability, bending strength and deflection of worm shaft, and we developed the durability estimation and design systems of power transmission worm gears introducing the optimal design method on the personal computer to be easily used in field. Also, we developed a method which converts the design variables obtained from the optimal design method to integer values(number of worm threads, number of worm threads, number of worm wheel teeth, etc.,) to be used in real design and production. The developed durability estimation and design method can be easily applied to the design of worm gears used as power transmission devices in machineries and is expected to be used for weight minimization of worm gear unit.


1. Extracellular single-unit activity was recorded from 250 trigeminal (V) spinal tract nucleus neurons that were excited by electrical stimulation of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) and/or sagittal sinus (SS) in anesthetized cats. One hundred and thirty of these neurons were located in the V subnucleus caudalis (Vc), and the remaining 120 neurons were located in the V subnucleus oralis (Vo) or rostral part of the V subnucleus interpolaris (Vi). In many cases these neurons were also examined for the existence of orofacial receptive fields (RFs) by applying mechanical stimuli to the orofacial region. 2. The mean minimum latencies to suprathreshold electrical stimulation of the MMA and the SS were similar for Vc and Vo/Vi neurons. Excitation of Vc neurons occurred at latencies of 14.3 +/- 1.0 (n = 102) and 17.4 +/- 1.6 ms (n = 36) to MMA and SS stimulation, respectively. Excitation of Vo/Vi neurons occurred at latencies of 12.4 +/- 0.9 (n = 86) and 16.4 +/- 1.1 ms (n = 58) to MMA and SS stimulation, respectively. These latencies correspond to mean conduction velocities of approximately 5.2 and 4.0 m/s to MMA and SS stimulation, respectively. 3. Mechanical stimulation of the vessels evoked neuronal responses in five of eight MMA-activated neurons tested and three of five SS-activated neurons tested. 4. Almost all of the neurons tested (127 of 131) had peripheral RFs, and all were in the orofacial region. Nearly all (95%) Vc neurons had RFs within or including the ophthalmic facial region. The RFs of most (67%) Vo/Vi neurons also had RFs within or including ophthalmic regions, but in some cases were only within maxillary and/or mandibular regions. 5. Most of the Vc neurons (87%) were classified on the basis of their cutaneous inputs as nociceptive. The incidence of nociceptive neurons in Vo/Vi was also high (61%), although less than in Vc. In both the Vc and Vo/Vi neuronal populations, MMA-activated neurons were more likely to have nociceptive peripheral inputs than SS-activated neurons. 6. Histological reconstruction of recording sites indicated that the MMA- and/or SS-activated Vc neurons were concentrated in the lateral half of laminae III-V. The responsive neurons at the level of Vo/rostral Vi were not confined to any particular portion of these subnuclei. 7. These findings indicate that sensory afferents that innervate the dural arteries and venous sinuses are capable of activating neurons throughout the V spinal tract nucleus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


OBJECTIVES
In the present study, cellular or exosomal expression of H19, an oncofetal lncRNA gene, was evaluated during androgen stimulation via dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or AR blockage via enzalutamide in cultured hormone-sensitive Pca cells which overexpres AR (LNCaP-AR+).

BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer (PCa) is an androgen-dependent disease. Androgen receptor (AR) antagonists (i.e. enzalutamide) have been used for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Exosomes and their contents (non-coding RNA) play an important role in tumor development and progression.

METHODS
Cells were treated with DHT (10 nM) and/or enzalutamide (10 uM) for 24 h. Cellular and exosomal expression of H19 was investigated using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

RESULTS
Our findings reveal that cellular H19 expression decreased approximately 2.3fold in mean upon androgen stimulation of Pca cells. AR blockage using enzalutamide restored DHT effect and we found increased H19 expression (≤ 2.5-fold, p < 0.05) upon the combined use of DHT and enzalutamide compared to control cells. Similar to its cellular effect, DHT treatment also led to declined exosomal expression of H19 (≤ 3-fold, p < 0.0001). Restorative effect of enzalutamide on decreased H19 expression induced by androgen stimulation was not observed in exosomes.

CONCLUSION
This experimental study provides evidence that H19 might be involved in androgen receptor pathway. Further research is needed to explore the role of H19 in Pca and intercellular communication via exosomes (Fig. 2, Ref. 32).


Urbanization, as a global phenomenon, has radically transformed modern societies. It has been accelerated by the growth of industrialism and capitalism with attendant consequences for governance and human survival. This paper examines the impact of urbanization all the dynamics of Nigerian politics and the consequences for governance. The assertion is that ill the Nigerian context, urban growth has outstripped economic growth with grave implications for politics and politicking. II is suggested that the development of a good governance compact and the institutionalization of democracy remain the surest means of resolving the crisis of urban governance in Nigeria.


Abstract. Changes of barometric pressure in the area of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece were studied by analyzing a sample of 31 years of hourly measurements. The results of this analysis on the periodicities of tidal components are expressed in terms of amplitude and phases variability. An earlier investigation revealed a detectable correlation between the exalting of the amplitude parameters of the tidal waves with strong seismic events. A problem of this work was that we had compared the tidal parameters resulting from the analysis of data covering the period of one year with instantaneous seismic events, although the earthquake is the final result of a tectonic process of the upper lithosphere. Consequently, in order to increase the resolution of our method we had analyzed our data in groups of 3-months extent and the resulted amplitudes were compared with seismicity index for corresponding time periods. A stronger correlation was found in the last case. However, the estimation of tidal parameters in this case was restricted to short period (from one day down to eight hours) constituents. Therefore, a new analysis was performed, retaining the one-year length of each data block but shifting the one year window by steps of three months from the beginning to the end of the 31 years period. This way, we are able to estimate again tidal parameters ranging from periods of one year (Sa) down to eight hours (M3). The resulting correlation between these tidal parameters with a cumulative seismicity index for corresponding time intervals was remarkably increased.


OBJECTIVES
Renal tubular injury plays an important role in the progression of diabetic kidney disease. Previous studies demonstrated that artemether, an antimalarial agent, exerts renal tubular protection in diabetes. However, the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. Several studies have indicated that disorders of iron metabolism have a great impact on renal tubular injury. Therefore, this study was performed to explore whether the therapeutic effects of artemether on diabetic renal tubular injury are related to iron metabolism.

METHODS
Male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into three groups. Mice in the type 1 diabetic (T1D) control and streptozotocin (STZ) groups were fed a regular diet; mice in the STZ plus artemether (STZ+Art) group were treated with artemether.

RESULTS
Artemether significantly reduced the urinary albumin:creatinine ratio and tubular injury in mice with T1D. Artemether also restored the energy imbalance and restored the changes of mitochondrial cristae in mice with T1D. Increased protein and mRNA levels of ferritin heavy chain (FTH) and ferritin light chain (FTL) were observed in renal tubules of diabetic mice. In response to iron overload, levels of iron transport-related proteins and the antioxidant system related to iron metabolism were abnormal in diabetic mice. Artemether significantly restored the protein and mRNA expression levels of both FTH and FTL. Both the iron transport and antioxidant systems were also restored by artemether to varying degrees.

CONCLUSIONS
Artemether attenuates renal tubular injury in diabetic mice; this effect might be related to its regulation of iron metabolism.


Summary form only given. Recent advances in semiconductor process technology especially interconnects using Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs) enable heterogeneous system integration where dies are implemented in dedicated, optimized process technologies and then stacked together to form a system. Compared to conventional wire-bond chip interconnections, TSVs offer several advantages such as high density, low latency, low power, and possibly lower cost. TSVs provide vertical interconnects and hence naturally used for 3D vertical stacking of multiple dies, However, TSVs also have attractive benefits in interconnecting dies, which are placed next to each other on top of a passive silicon interposer. TSMC has proposed CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) process as the standard design paradigm to assemble interposer-based 3D ICs. Figure 1 shows an example of a CoWoS design with three heterogeneous (RF, logic and memory) dies. In order to reach quality requirements for volume production, several challenges need to be resolved for 3D ICs. Many of these challenges open up new horizon for the EDA industry and academia as they require innovative and compute efficient approaches. One of the critical challenges is effective and efficient testing of 3D ICs. Just like traditional 2D chips, 3D chips need to be tested for possible manufacturing defects. To minimize any yield loss and reduce overall cost, each die should not only be fully tested before stacking, but also post-stacking re-testing of individual dies is required to confirm that the stacking process did not damage the individual die. In addition, a new kind of test must be performed to check that inter-die interconnects are defects free. Furthermore, the passive silicon interposer needs to be tested in order to not become the bottleneck and the major yield killer in the overall design process. In this paper, we describe some of the innovative solutions developed by TSMC in this direction. The paper highlights complexities and issues related to test architecture development and automation, test flow optimization as well as testing of passive interposer that requires special focus from the EDA industry.


The adsorption of individual [11]anthrahelicene molecules and their self-assembly into monolayer islands on an InSb(001) c(8×2) reconstructed surface is studied with low-temperature scanning probe microscopy. A racemic mixture is deposited on atomically flat terraces of InSb at room temperature. At lower coverage, the molecules tend to decorate atomic step edges of the substrate. At higher coverage, [11]anthrahelicene molecules form 2D islands. A quasi-hexagonal ordering of molecules within the layer is identified. Furthermore, it is shown that molecules adsorb with the helical axis almost perpendicular to the substrate. Interference between tunneling through the molecular layer and directly through space is reported. Finally, experimental results are compared to those of theoretical calculations.


Cells of the early chick blastoderms are either preparing for or undergoing regulated morphogenetic movements which culminate in the formation of a three-layered embryo. Information on the changes in the physical-chemical properties of cell surfaces may help in the understanding of this process. The binding of magnesium, manganese, strontium, barium and lanthanum to surfaces of early embryonic cells was estimated by the changes induced by these cations in the cells' electrophoretic mobilities (EPM). Cells show a positive EPM at concentrations of MgCl2 and MnCl2 at 3 X 10(-2) M while SrCl2 and BaCl2 were not able to reverse the cells' charge at concentrations up to 6 X 10(-2) M. CaCl3 reversed the cells' EPM at concentrations as low as 5 X 10(-3) M. Our results suggest that the surfaces of early embryonic cells have a high affinity for Mg and Mn. This is indicated by a reversal of polarity which cannot be detected in cells of differentiating or adult tissues at the cation concentrations used in these experiments.


Spectral distributions of photoionisation cross sections are presented for three samples of ZnS with different concentrations of manganese and a reference sample not deliberately doped with manganese. It is shown that the concentration of the self-activated centre decreases as a result of manganese doping and that no specific centre for manganese was observed.


All living children suffering from myelomeningoceles and being 1 to 12 years old were registered by means of a questionnaire. The death certificates of all those children who came to death from myelomeningoceles between 1973 and 1977 were also evaluated. Ratio of morbidity: 6 to 10000 live born children. In the first year of life the mortality rate amounted to 34%.


1. Pressure on the skin of the tail base and perineum of female rats in the range of 40--440 millibars, following bilateral contact with the flanks, was adequate to elicit the lordosis reflex. Hair deflection alone or noxious stimulation was neither sufficient nor necessary for lordosis behavior to occur. 2. For a given pressure, increasing the area of stimulation increased the effectiveness for evoking lordosis; inputs from mechanoreceptors at different skin locations can be summated to trigger the behavioral response. 3. During mating behavior, increased pressure from the male rat on the skin of the female, in the range of 50--450 millibars, was associated with increased probability and strength of lordosis. 4. Increasing the dose of estrogen increased the probability of lordosis to a given pressure stimulus. The hormone effect can be characterized as a facilitation of the throughput from low-threshold pressure receptors on tail base and perineum to motoneurons for the lumbar vertebral dorsiflexion of lordosis.