We have studied the ability of the wt1 tumor suppressor gene product to repress different classes of activation domains previously shown to stimulate the initiation and elongation steps of RNA polymerase II transcription in vivo. Repression assays revealed that WT1 represses all three classes of activation domains: Sp1 and CTF, which stimulate initiation (type I), human immunodeficiency virus type I Tat fused to a DNA-binding domain, which stimulates predominantly elongation (type IIA), and VP16, p53 and E2F1, which stimulate both initiation and elongation (type IIB). WT1 is capable of exerting its repression effect over a significant distance when positioned approximately 1700 bp from the core promoter. Deletion analysis of WT1 indicates that the responsible domain resides within the first 180 N-terminal amino acids of the protein. Nuclear run-ons analyzing the effects of WT1 on initiation of transcription demonstrate inhibition of this process. Our observations imply that WT1 can repress activators that stimulate initiation and/or elongation.


With architecture designed by I. M. Pei, an interior by J.-M. Wilmotte, and one of the world's finest collections, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, showcases the artistic achievements of the Muslim world in a dazzling way. Interviews with I.M. Pei and Jean-Michel Wilmotte reveal how the architects sought to express the museum's ties with tradition while allowing the building to become an integral part of the region's modern architectural environment. In addition, Dr. Sabiha Al Khemir, the director of the museum, discusses her vision for the display of the objects and the challenges of presenting Islamic art to the public. A selection of thirty of the museum's most important treasures, including metalwork, miniatures, carpets, calligraphy and ceramics, are featured with texts outlining their origins and significance.


The intestinal mucosa of the Malaysian village chicken (MVC) and commercial broiler breed (CBC) from day 1 to 20 post-hatch was examined by means of light and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the intestinal mucosa was highly developed on day 1 in CBC as compared to MVC in regard to villus height, crypt depth and thickness of tunica muscularis. At day 1 post-hatch, it was observed that the mid cecum of the CBC showed plicae with short villi, while very short villi without plicae were observed in MVC. The intestinal villi in both breeds had a finger-like shape at day-old chick and changed to plate-like and tongue-like shapes toward the end of the experiment for CBC and MVC, respectively. Unlike MVC, the surface epithelia of the intestinal villi in CBC exhibited cell activities represented by surface recesses, clear cell outline and dome-shaped cells with protuberances, while a marked corrugated surface and areas of discontinuities were dominantly seen on the intestinal villi of the MVC particularly on the ileal villi. This study revealed that the intestinal mucosa of MVC of newly hatched chick was less evolutionary as compared to CBC which showed earlier development and maturation with more active villi to provide the highest rate of absorption as the breed selected for high body weight and rapid growth rate.


Accurate prediction of the adverse effects of test compounds on living systems, detection of toxic thresholds, and expansion of experimental data sets to include multiple toxicity end-point analysis are required for any robust screening regime. Alamar Blue is an important redox indicator that is used to evaluate metabolic function and cellular health. The Alamar Blue bioassay has been utilized over the past 50 years to assess cell viability and cytotoxicity in a range of biological and environmental systems and in a number of cell types including bacteria, yeast, fungi, protozoa and cultured mammalian and piscine cells. It offers several advantages over other metabolic indicators and other cytotoxicity assays. However, as with any bioassay, suitability must be determined for each application and cell model. This review seeks to highlight many of the important considerations involved in assay use and design in addition to the potential pitfalls.


Heart failure is a common disease with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Current treatment comprises β-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists and diuretics. Variation in clinical response seen in patients begs the question of whether there is a pharmacogenetic component yet to be identified. To date, the genes most studied involve the β-1, β-2, α-2 adrenergic receptors and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway, mainly focusing on SNPs. However results have been inconsistent. Genome-wide association studies and next-generation sequencing are seen as alternative approaches to discovering genetic variations influencing drug response. Hopefully future research will lay the foundations for genotype-led drug management in these patients with the ultimate aim of improving their clinical outcome.


Abstract Background Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death, and over 200,000 women die each year of diseases caused by tobacco. Women with substance use disorders (SUDs) are disproportionately affected. Smoking prevalence among individuals enrolled in SUD treatment is 2–4 times higher than that of the general population, yet less than half of all treatment facilities offer tobacco treatment services. However, when individuals combine treatment, they have a greater likelihood of long-term abstinence from alcohol and other substances of use. Methods A quality improvement project was undertaken to implement the U.S. Public Health Service guideline for tobacco cessation in a women's residential substance use treatment facility. Tobacco users were advised on their health risk and recommended to cut down or quit. They were advised that help was available using nicotine replacement therapy, behavioral counseling, or both. Results Upon admission, 67% of clients received brief advice to quit, and 30% participated in an intensive treatment aimed at reducing or eliminating cigarette use. At discharge, counseling participants (n = 21) smoked an average of nine cigarettes per day, reduced from 23, which was statistically significant. Implications for Practice Interventions reduced cigarette smoking in a population at a high risk for adverse outcomes related to use. Results suggest that more clients are interested in tobacco treatment than previously estimated. Increased administrative, clinical, and pharmacy support can sustain and further assist clients with cessation efforts.


Many diverse taxa have evolved independently the habit of living in plant galls. For all but some viral galls, it is unknown whether plants produce galls as a specialized plant reaction to certain types of herbivory, or whether herbivores direct gall development. Here I present a phylogenetic analysis of gall-forming cerataphidine aphids which demonstrates that gall morphology is extremely conservative with respect to aphid phylogeny, but variable with respect to plant taxonomy. In addition, the phylogeny reveals at least three host plant switches where the aphids produce galls most similar to the galls of their closest relatives, rather than galls similar to the galls of aphids already present on the host plant. These results suggest that aphids determine the details of gall morphology essentially extending their phenotype to include plant material. Based on this and other evidence, I suggest that the aphids and other galling insects manipulate latent plant developmental programmes to produce modified atavistic plant morphologies rather than create new forms de novo.


Objective To compare life satisfaction between women with successful or unsuccessful outcome after assisted reproductive treatment (ART) by taking into account the time since the last ART. Design Cohort study. Setting Tertiary hospital. Patients A total of 987 consecutive women who had undergone ART during 1996–2007 were invited and altogether 505 women participated in the study. Interventions A postal enquiry with a life satisfaction scale. Main Outcome Measure Self-reported life satisfaction in respect to the time since the last ART. Results In general, women who achieved a live birth after ART had a significantly higher life satisfaction than those who had unsuccessful ART, especially when compared in the first three years. The difference disappeared in the time period of 6–9 years after ART. The unsuccessfully treated women who had a child by some other means before or after the unsuccessful ART had comparable life satisfaction with successfully treated women even earlier. Conclusions Even if unsuccessful ART outcome is associated with subsequent lower level of life satisfaction, it does not seem to threaten the long-term wellbeing.


This population-based study included all the late maternal deaths from the case series of the Maternal Mortality Committees in the city of São Paulo and the state of Paraná, Brazil. The study compared 134 deaths identified by the São Paulo committee and 124 from the Paraná committee in 2004-2013, aimed at demonstrating the magnitude and causes of late maternal mortality. Late maternal deaths accounted for 13.4% of all maternal deaths in the case series of the São Paulo committee and 12.1% in the cases series of the Paraná committee. Direct obstetric causes accounted for 32.1% of the late maternal deaths in São Paulo and 42.1% in Paraná, with postpartum cardiomyopathy as the principal cause in both case series. Death occurred between 43 and 69 days postpartum in 44% of the cases in São Paulo and 39.5% in Paraná. The correction factor for late maternal death was 3.3 in São Paulo and 4.3 in Paraná. Late maternal death had a relevant impact on overall maternal mortality, and postpartum cardiomyopathy was the principal cause of late direct obstetric death.


The number of smartphone users in modern times have skyrocketed enabling a multitude of technologies to house themselves over these devices. With the introduction of Wi-Fi Direct (WiFi P2P) into the Android platform, devices are offered the capability to connect to and exchange content over a fast and reliable wireless connection. Some scenarios may require the ability to set up a temporary communications network on portable devices over the fly, regardless of their locality. To the end, the objective of this paper is to bring about a custom Wi-Fi Direct adaptation to support the creation of a multi-hop like network that enables users to communicate information across multiple Android devices.


Driving a liquid droplet with control of directional motion on a solid surface, by introducing a surface wettability gradient or external stimuli, has attracted considerable research attention. There still remain challenges, however, due to the slow response rate and slow speed of continuous liquid droplet motion on the structured surface. Here, an approach to continuously drive the underwater oil droplet with control of directional motion by the cooperative effects of an electric field and the gradient of a porous polystyrene microstructure is demonstrated. The gradient microstructure induces the liquid droplet to take on an asymmetrical shape, causing unbalanced pressure on both ends to orient the droplet for motion in a particular direction. Meanwhile, the electric field decreases the contact area and the corresponding viscous drag between the droplet and the gradient‐structured surface. Then, the unbalanced pressure pushes the underwater oil droplet to move directionally and continuously at a certain voltage. This work provides a new strategy to control underwater oil droplets and realize unidirectional motion. It is also promising for the design of new smart interface materials for applications such as electrofluidic displays, biological cell and particle manipulation, and other types of microfluidic devices.


Mechanical tissue optical clearing permits light delivery deeper into turbid tissue, which may improve current optical diagnostics and laser‐based therapeutic techniques. We investigated the effects of localized compression on brightfield imaging through ex vivo porcine skin by evaluating resolution and contrast of a target positioned beneath native, mechanically compressed, or chemically cleared specimens. We also evaluated the effects of indentation on dynamic tissue thickness and light transmission.


Despite all the security measures to build a safely networked world there are innumerable loopholes for malicious activity. One of the countermeasures to fight such malicious activities is to issue security alerts. The purpose of this paper is to see if there is significant impact by these security alerts; to best of our knowledge, this is the first statistical study to understand such impact of Internet security alerts. For the analysis, this paper looks at two of the most malicious security alerts, the Phishing and Spam, issued by two well-known sources. The statistical analysis concludes that for Phishing, the security alerts indeed has a significant positive impact at ccTLD2 level. For Spam, the security alert data issued by reputed organizations is less frequent. As such, the available data is limited; and, our statistical analysis concludes that Spam is still out of control at ccTDL level. However, considering the significant positive impact on Phishing due to security alerts, it seems reasonable to suggest that the agencies issuing security alerts must be more serious and regular in publishing the rankings than at present.


The article states that social intelligence in psychology is seen as the ability of a person to understand correctly his / her own behavior and the behavior of other people in the society. This ability is very necessary for a person to have an effective interpersonal interaction and successful social adaptation. Social intelligence implements the functioning of cognitive processes associated with the reflection of a person as a partner in the processes of communication and activities. The main function of social intelligence is to predict the behavior of others. The authors of the article consider the concept of «intelligence» in the broad and narrow senses. In a broad meaning of «intelligence» it is only one intelligence, the intellectual sphere of the person in general. In this sense, the intelligence of a person can be described as a hierarchical system that has several levels. The first level is the level of functioning of cognitions. The second level of intelligence is the level of metacognitions. The third level of intelligence amplifies the characteristics of both the first and the second levels, while intellectual activity is carried out mainly at an unconscious level, the level that approximates a person to use of automated skills and abilities. The next, the fourth level, is the level of meta-intellectual activity, which explodes the creative achievements of the person. It was proved that each type of intelligence contained some abilities of the person to perform a certain type of the activity. Guided by the narrow sense of understanding the word «intelligence», it was determined: social intelligence; technical intelligence; artistic intelligence; information intelligence. It was described the empirical research which was organized in diffe rent regions of Ukraine (the participants of this research were teachers and directors from preschool educational establishments). The results having been received in this research proved that the respondents of all groups had the results which showed the advantage of average indicators of their ability to understand the meanings of non-verbal expressions and the meaning of the expression, depending on a social context. This may be due to the fact that these abilities are formed in the immediate process of communication and to a large extent depend on the conditions of the life of the subjects, at the first place – on the conditions of their professional activity, means and methods of professional activity of teachers of preschool educational establishments. © Eduard Ivashkevych, Liana Onufriieva Збірник наукових праць К-ПНУ імені Івана Огієнка, Інституту психології імені Г.С. Костюка НАПН України 52


The CACCC box is duplicated in the β globin gene promoter of humans and other mammals. While the function of the proximal element as a binding site for EKLF has already been well established, the role of the distal element remains unclear The distal CACCC box has been previously reported not to bind EKLF in vitro. A minor role of the distal CACCC element in β globin gene promoter function is suggested by the observation that naturally occurring β thalassemia mutations affecting the proximal CACCC box are far more severe than those affecting the distal element. Nevertheless recent evidences demonstrate:

1. that EKLF does indeed bind to the distal CACCC motif, although with low affinity.

2. that the CCTCACCC is required for maximal stimulation of the β-globin gene by EKLF

3. and that silent β-thalassemia due to mutations of the distal CACCC box affects the binding and responsiveness to EKLF of the β-globin gene promoter.

Our interest in the function of the distal CACCC element springs from the observation that β thalassemia mutation affecting the distal box show an age related pattern of expression being more severe in the childhood than in the adulthood. In order to get light inside the role of this element in the function of the β globin gene and in the γ to β hemoglobin switching we have analyzed the effect of mutations at the proximal and distal element " in vivo ". We have engineered, by site specific mutagenesis, the β-101 (distal CACCC element) and β-87 (proximal CACCC element) mutations inside the "minilocus " γ-β construct. The minilocus construct has been widely used to study hemoglobin switching in vivo . This construct contains the full β-globin Locus Control Region (LCR), the Aγ globin gene, the β-globin gene and the 3′ hypersensitive site (HS) of the β-globin cluster. Three mice transgenic lines have been produced. The pattern of g versus β-globin switching has been analyzed during the development by S1 analysis and real time PCR. We have dissected the yolk sac at 10 days post conception (pc) to asses the embryonic stage of erythopoiesis; the fetal liver at 12, 14 and 16 days pc to asses the fetal stage or erythropoiesis when the g to b competitive switching take place; and the adult blood. Our results indicated that neither the β-101 nor the β-87 thalassemia mutations affect the competitive silencing of the b-globin gene in the yolk sac. During the fetal liver stage of erythropoiesis, were both human g and b human transgenes are expressed, the pattern of γ-β hemoglobin switching is striking different for the two different constructs. The b-87 minilocus γ-β construct shows a delayed switching patter mainly due to the low activation of the mutated β globin gene. The impairment of the expression of the β-87 globin gene became more severe during the fetal development compared to the control line. On the other hand the β-101 minilocus γ-β construct shows a γ-β hemoglobin switching pattern which is anticipated respect to the control line. In addition the effect of the β-101 mutation became less severe during the fetal development. These results highlight a possible role of the distal CACCC element in hemoglobin switching and in particular in the early stage of β-globin activation.


To make a comprehensive assessment on monosodium glutamate wastewater pollution, a pollution exposure experiment was carried out on the seed germination and root elongation of wheat, Chinese cabbage and tomato by using the wastewater discharged from different processing phases of monosodium glutamate production. The results showed that there were significantly positive linear relationships between the inhibition rates of wheat seed germination and root elongation and the COD(Cr) of mother liquor scraps. The toxicity of monosodium glutamate wastewater to the test crops was in the order of tomato > Chinese cabbage > wheat, indicating that tomato was most sensitive to the wastewater, and could be considered as an ideal toxic bioindicator. The half-effect concentration (IC50) based on the seed germination and root elongation of test crops exposed to the wastewater discharged from various processing phases of monosodium glutamate production was 22.0 to approximately 32432 mg x L(-1) and 17.3 to approximately 3320 mg x L(-1), respectively.


We consider an infinite-horizon, periodic-review, single-item production/inventory system with random demand and backordering, where multiple setups are allowed in any period and a separate fixed cost is associated for each setup. Contrary to the majority of the literature on this topic, we do not restrict the order quantities to be integer multiples of the exogenously given batch size and instead allow the possibility of partial batches, in which case the fixed cost for ordering the batch is still fully charged. We build a model that particularly takes the batch-ordering cost structure into account. We introduce an alternative cost-accounting scheme to analyze the problem, which we use to develop a computationally efficient optimal solution method and several properties of the optimal solution. In addition, we propose two heuristic policies, both of which perform extremely well computationally.


Abstract Vascular remodeling within the uterus immediately before and during early pregnancy increases blood flow in the fetus and prevents the development of gestational hypertension. Tissue-resident natural killer (trNK) cells secrete pro-angiogenic growth factors but are insufficient for uterine artery (UtA) remodeling in the absence of conventional natural killer (cNK) cells. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) is activated in acidic environments to promote UtA remodeling. We have previously shown that ATPase a2V plays a role in regulating the function of cNK cells during pregnancy. We studied the effect of a2V deletion on uterine cNK cell populations and pregnancy outcomes in VavCrea2Vfl/fl mice, where a2V is conditionally deleted in hematopoietic stem cells. Conventional NKcells were reduced but trNK cells were retained in implantation sites at gestational day 9.5, and UtA remodeling was inhibited despite no differences in concentrations of pro-angiogenic growth factors. The ratio of pro-MMP9 to total was significantly elevated in VavCrea2Vfl/fl mice, and MMP9 activity was significantly reduced. The pH of implantation sites was significantly elevated in VavCrea2Vfl/fl mice. We concluded that the role of cNK cells in the uterus is to acidify the extracellular matrix (ECM) using a2V, which activates MMP9 to degrade the ECM, release bound pro-angiogenic growth factors, and contribute to UtA remodeling. Our results are significant for the understanding of the development of gestational hypertension. Summary Sentence Conventional natural killer cells use the vacuolar ATP-ase a2V to acidify the ECM during pregnancy, which activates MMP9 to release proangiogenic growth factors and stimulates uterine artery remodeling. Graphical Abstract


Emory University was founded in 1836 by the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. (1) It is therefore perhaps not the most likely location for a world-class collection of primary sources from the sixteenth-century German Reformation. During the past few decades, however, several factors have contributed to the development of the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection. In 1975, Pitts Theology Library purchased the holdings of the Hartford Theological Seminary--approximately 220,000 volumes, including the Beck Lutherana Collection--and instantly became the second-largest theology library in North America. (2) A dozen years later, in 1987, the Kessler Collection was established when Richard and Martha Kessler donated their private collection of Reformation imprints and manuscripts to Emory. Since then, the collection has continued to grow. Thirty years after the Hartford acquisition, it now contains more than 3,200 items. (3) The centerpiece of the Kessler Collection is its extensive list of early printed works by Martin Luther, unmatched by any other library in North America. Among the over 900 publications by Luther is a large number of sermons, as well as a copy of the September Testament (Wittenberg, 1522), Luther's translation of the Greek New Testament into German. The remainder of the collection includes books, pamphlets, and manuscripts by Luther's colleagues and opponents; Roman Catholic responses to Luther; and documents such as the first Latin and German editions of the Augsburg Confession. There are substantial numbers of works by Philipp Melanchthon, Desiderius Erasmus, Johann Eck, and Andreas Rudolff-Bodenstein von Karlstadt. In all cases, the focus is on the pivotal years of the German Reformation, 1500-1570. Among the holdings of the Kessler Collection are several early Lutheran hymnals and a number of other items containing or pertaining to music. Some of these publications appear not to be held by any other library in North America, and several may not even be held in major European collections. This article provides an overview of the musical materials in the Kessler Collection, with the hope of stimulating more intensive investigations in the future. PAMPHLETS CONTAINING ONE OR MORE SONGS Lutheran hymns were printed individually before they were gathered together in hymnals. As Joseph Herl points out, "The first Lutheran hymn publications were broadsheets (also called broadsides), single sheets of paper printed on one side, and pamphlets, single gatherings of leaves usually containing only one, two, or three hymns." (4) The Kessler Collection currently includes no broadsheets. It does, however, hold four pamphlets, each containing seven or eight printed pages. (5) (1) Drey geystliche lieder vom wort | gottes, durch Georg kern | Landtgraff Philips | zu Hessen Ge= | sangmay= | ster. | Der Juppiter verendert geystlich, | durch Hans Sachssen Schuster. | Anno.M.D.XXv-- n.p., 1525--4 unnumbered leaves--shelf mark 1525 Kern (6) The earliest of the pamphlets (1525) includes four hymns. (7) The first, "O Gott Vater, du hast Gewalt," is by a well-known Reformation figure, Hans Sachs (1494-1576), the famous cobbler and Meistersinger of Nuremberg. (8) The wording on the title page ("Der Juppiter verendert geystlich") indicates that this twelve-stanza dialogue between the sinner and Christ is a contrafactum of an earlier secular song. (9) It dates from early in Sachs's career, just two years after his famous didactic poem, "The Wittenberg Nightingale." This probably is the hymn's first appearance in print. (10) It later was incorporated into many hymnals, however, including four in the Kessler Collection: numbers (6)-(8), (10) herein. The other three songs, in contrast, appear nowhere else and were penned by an individual about whom very little is known. (11) The title page indicates that Georg Kern served as "singing master" (Gesang-mayster) at the court of Philipp, landgrave of Hesse (1504-1567). …


Many multiplayer games feature teams, and whether they are pitted against each other or against the game itself it seems likely that the way these teams bond will affect the players' experience. What are the factors that influence the experience of being a team member in a game? To what extent can the game designer manipulate the cohesion of the teams by changing the game design? How does the satisfaction of the player with their team relate to their feeling of cohesion? How does cohesion differ between tabletop and online games? These issues become particularly important where the group dynamic is central to the desired outcome of the game e.g. educational games aiming to place the players in specific social situations.
Four studies were conducted on four similar simulation games (two tabletop, two online) used for teaching in International Development Studies. These games explore farming in sub-Saharan Africa and require 12-30 players to play in small groups. The group dynamics are important for the learning outcomes. Similar groups of participants (all students of International Development Studies) played one game each. Each group played for 3 hours before completing a questionnaire about their experience and wrapping up with a full-group reflective discussion.
Results from the two tabletop games suggested that, as expected, altering the rules of the game manipulated levels of team cohesion. However, the lack of significant result from the two online games suggests that careful design is required to achieve the same outcomes in the online environment. This suggests that seemingly small changes between tabletop and online implementations may impact the game play experience in unanticipated ways. The team cohesion reported by the players was found to correlate strongly with the team member satisfaction levels of the players. The gender composition of the teams was shown to have a large impact on both team cohesion and team member satisfaction: having one or more females in the group significantly increased both measures.


Controlling oxidation in natural and processed foods is a difficult aspect of food preservation, even in low-fat foods. Lipid oxidation not only produces undesirable characteristic such as odors and flavor, but also decreases the nutritional quality and safety of foods by formation of secondary reaction products during cooking and processing. Protection of foods against lipid oxidation usually involves exclusion of oxygen by packing in vacuum or inert gases and/or the addition of antioxidants. The Maillard reaction is a complex reaction. A variety of by products, intermediates and brown pigmens (melanoidins) are produced, which may contribute to the flavor, antioxidative activity and color of food. The oxidative browning of soy sauce is considered to have a different mechanism from those of ascorbic acid, polyphenols and furfural, because the amount of these compounds in soy sauce is very small. Maillard reaction products of soy sauce were fractionated into high and low molecular weight compounds by ultrafiltration. Oxidative stability was evaluated in refined soybean oil containing compounds in soy sauce and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Oils were oxidized at 110 0 C and analyzed by the rancimat method and TBA determination. The high molecular compounds (MW ?100 kDa) of soy sauce was found to be more inhibitory on the oxidation of soybean oil with protective index being 2.43. Characteristic of the UV-Vis absorption was 360 A¢â'¬â€œ 406 nm and the IR spectra indicated the presence of A¢â'¬â€œOH...O groups of ?-diketon or combinated C=R=R groups. Key words : Antioxidative activity, fractionation, melanoidin, Maillard reactions


A theoretical model is developed for predicting equilibrium alluvial channel form. The concept of greatest relative stability, achieved by maximizing resistance to flow in the fluvial system, is presented as the basis for an optimization condition for alluvial systems. Discharge, sediment supply (quantity and calibre) and valley gradient are accepted as independent governing variates. The model is used to define a dimensionless alluvial state space characterized by aspect ratio (W/d), relative roughness (D/d), and dimensionless shear stress (τ*) or, equivalently, channel slope (S). Each alluvial state exhibits unique values of Froude number and sediment concentration. The range of alluvial states for constant values of relative bank strength (parameterized by an apparent friction angle, ϕ′) forms a single plane in the state space (W/d, D/d, τ* or S). The scaling relations produced by the model are consistent with laboratory channels exhibiting a range of bank strengths, and with the behaviour of natural channels. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The notions of Smarandache BCC-algebras and Smarandache BCC-ideals are introduced. Conditions for a (special) subset to be a Smarandache BCC-ideal are given.


Background. Detection of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the preclinical stage could help prevent long term morbidity in this patients' population. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of active sacroiliitis in first-degree relatives of AS patients using MRI with clinical and laboratory correlations as these patients may benefit from MRI screening and early treatment.Methods. Seventeen first-degree relatives of AS patients were recruited prospectively. AS screening questionnaires (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index & Visual Analogue Scale), blood tests (C-Reactive Protein, HLA-B27), and an MRI of the SIJs were taken. Two musculoskeletal radiologists interpreted the MRI scans, and two physiotherapists applied four symptom provocation tests (Gaenslen's test, posterior pelvic pain provocation test, Patrick's Faber (PF) test and palpation of the long dorsal SIJ ligament test), and two functional movement tests (active straight leg raise and Stork test). Results. Seven (41%) of the 17 participants demonstrated MRI evidence of active sacroiliitis. Of the 7 participants with active sacroiliitis, two (29%) had no history of recent low back pain (LBP), two (29%) had negative HLA-B27, and one (14%) participant had neither back pain nor positive HLA-B27. The Cohen's Kappa score for the interobserver agreement between the radiologists was 1.00 (p-value <0.0001). Despite fair to strong between therapist agreement for the physical test outcomes (Kappa 0.26 to 1.00), the physical test results per se did not have any predictive association with a positive MRI.Conclusions. MRI detected active sacroiliitis in 41% of first-degree relatives of AS patients. The lack of a history of prior LBP or positive HLA-B27 in active sacroiliitis participants might suggest that MRI screening for this high-risk population is warranted; however, further larger studies are needed to help elucidate its cost-effectiveness and long-term benefits.


Gauge transformations of the potentials for a prescribed electromagnetic field acting on a non-relativistic charged particle are shown to induce canonical transformations in the extended phase space, in which the time and its conjugate momentum are treated as dynamical variables. The extended Hamiltonian is invariant and the extended canonical equations are covariant under a gauge transformation. The usual time-dependent wave equations in different gauges are obtained from the formalism by using Schrodinger representations.


. Abstract — We present the results of a biopsychosocial therapeutic intervention with a group of women victims of gender violence and long-term unemployed in Spain. Our research is a usability and pre-feasibility study of a remote psychosocial therapy system using mobile phones and text messages. For this we send automatic text messages to mobile phones with content based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in order to improve the physical, mental and social health of these women. The women participants were selected at random by the public social services of the Autonomous Government of Galicia, giving their informed consent to participate. Before starting the experience, we collect data through official social reports and conduct a face-to-face interview with each selected woman. The objective of the intervention has been to promote the biopsychosocial health of a pilot group of women victims of gender violence and diverse social pathologies such as drug addiction, mental disorders, prostitution or poverty.


Theoretical and experimental aspects of an extrinsic optical-fiber ultrasound sensor are described. The sensor is based on a thin transparent polymer film acting as a low-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity that is mounted at the end of a multimode optical fiber. Performance was found to be comparable with that of a piezoelectric polyvinylidene dinuoride-membrane (PVDP) hydrophone with a sensitivity of 61 mV/MPa, an acoustic noise floor of 2.3 KPa over a 25-MHz bandwidth, and a frequency response to 25 MHz. The wideband-sensitive response and design flexibility of the concept suggests that it may find application as an alternative to piezoelectric devices for the detection and measurement of ultrasound.


Low soil fertility is a major problem of growth and establishment of cacao seedlings, as well as the yield on the field. However, cacao (Theobroma cacao L) is characterized by high nutrient demand particularly N, P, K, Ca and Mg, during establishment. In this study, the manurial potentials of some organic wastes and their effects on growth, development and yield of cacao in Ibadan and Owena soils of Southwestern Nigeria were investigated. The experiments in Ibadan and Owena were Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replicates. Fertilizers were: Goat Dung (GD), Sunshine Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilizers (OF and OMF) and NPK 15:15:15 at 0, 200, 400 and 600 kg/ha. The fertilizers were applied to treatment plots one month after cacao seedlings were transplanted using ring method (July, 2011). Four hundred and thirty two (432) plantain suckers were planted at 3 x 3 m spacing as shade crop while 432 cacao seedlings (F3 Amazon) were also transplanted at 3 x 3 m respectively at each experimental site. Top soil samples were analysed with standard methodologies. Data were collected monthly on cacao growth parameters such as plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and number of branches, commencing at 3 months after transplanting (MAT). The experiments were monitored for 36 months (144 weeks after planting of cacao). Survival count was carried out 12 MAT. Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significant means were separated by Tukey's HSD (P < 0.05) test. Cacao seedlings grown under 600 kg/ha OF application had 100 and 95 percent survival count at Ibadan and Owena respectively. All fertilizer types and rates at Ibadan and Owena significantly increased cacao seedlings height, number of leaves, stem diameter and number of branches, relative to the control plots at 3, 4, 5, 15, 16 and 17 MAT. Goat dung applied at 600 kg/ha gave the highest number of flowers, cherelles and pods at 24 and 36 MAT at Owena. However, there were no yield parameters recorded for Ibadan experiment at 24 and 36 MAT.


Active euthanasia, a question of individual existence, fundamentally concerns the concept of human society. Although legalizing voluntary euthanasia seems to be consequent in liberal democracy, delegation of the act of homicide leads to a paradox in liberalism: Generalization in the assessment of individual life--as it is necessary in such a context--undermines the fundamental right of the individual for social existence irrespective of any assessment whatsoever. This is reflected by the humanistic principle of human dignity as it has been described by Kant. Conventional jurisdiction, which permits passive and indirect euthanasia but prosecutes active homicide, avoids this fundamental problem. Nevertheless it facilitates a humane demise within the framework of adequate hospice care.


The reachability problem is one of the most important issues in the verification of hybrid systems. But unfortunately the reachable sets for most of hybrid systems are not computable except for some special families. In our previous work, we identified a family of vector fields, whose state parts are linear with real eigenvalues, while input parts are exponential functions, and proved its reachability problem is decidable. In this paper, we investigate another family of vector fields, whose state parts are linear, but with pure imagine eigenvalues, while input parts are trigonometric functions, and prove its reachability problem is decidable also. To the best of our knowledge, the two families are the largest families of linear vector fields with a decidable reachability problem. In addition, we present an approach on how to abstract general linear dynamical systems to the first family. Comparing with existing abstractions for linear dynamical systems, experimental results indicate that our abstraction is more precise.


Basal cell adenocarcinoma (BCAC) is a rare tumour of the salivary glands and often associated with a good prognosis. The present case had BCAC of the parotid gland as the second primary tumour in addition to breast cancer. The patient was a 66-year-old woman who underwent mastectomy due to breast cancer. She then underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant hormone therapy. After 4 years of disease-free follow-up, the patient presented with a swelling on the left cheek. The examination of the biopsy specimen revealed BCAC of the parotid gland. The patient then underwent left parathyroidectomy plus left neck dissection. Adjuvant radiotherapy was performed. Despite the therapy, the patient developed four local recurrences within 1 year, and then developed metastasis to the pleura. A swelling in the parotid gland in a patient with breast cancer should be carefully screened for the presence of a second primary tumour.


In period of time generation of enormous quantity data and also rise of cloud computing have introduced new aspects for data management. Many applications got to move with many heterogeneous data stores betting on the sort of data they need to manage: ancient data types, documents, simple key-value data, graph data, etc. Interacting with heterogeneous data models via different APIs, multiple data store applications imposes difficult tasks to their developers. Indeed, programmers got to be conversant in completely different APIs. Additionally, developers got to master and handle the advanced processes of cloud discovery, and deployment of application and execution. Projected system represents a declarative approach using ODBAPI sanctioning to lighten the burden of the complex and non-standard tasks of discovering relevant cloud surroundings and deploying applications on them whereas letting developers to easily concentrate on specifying their storage and computing needs.


Reflections on contemporary class formation in MozambiqueAt the time of Mozambique's independence, Frelimo, the former liberation movement that was turned into a political party, aimed to address the country's "underdevelopment" through socialist policies and rapid modernisation. The peasantry was to be transformed into agriculture workers to form a working class with the industrial proletariat working in the state run industries. The socialist dream was interrupted by a destabilisation war raging until 1992. By the time of the peace accords the country was a market economy and has since become an economic growth success story. However, poverty levels have stagnated with over half of the population living in absolute poverty.This presentation explores how political consciousness is created and expressed in contemporary Mozambique, departing from two cases: First, the rise in large-scale agriculture investments currently taking place, generating struggles over land. Peasants increasingly organise to protest against not only the investors but also, more overall, the current development model. The second case is the expressions of urban discontent through food riots in Maputo 2008 and 2010. The riots were sparked by rise in the price of basic goods such as bread and water, but the rioters, alike the peasants, expressed a more profound critique against current neoliberal developments. Both the peasants' movement and the food rioters refer to the fact that the still ruling Frelimo has turned against the values for which they all fought. The presentation will discuss how these two processes could be understood jointly in terms of possible conditions for formation of one class in and for itself.


Digital screens, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), are vulnerable to attacks (e.g., "shoulder surfing") that can bypass security protection services (e.g., firewall) to steal confidential information from intended victims. The conventional practice to mitigate these threats is isolation. An isolated zone, without accessibility, proximity, and line-of-sight, seems to bring personal devices to a truly secure place.In this paper, we revisit this historical topic and re-examine the security risk of screen attacks in an isolation scenario mentioned above. Specifically, we identify and validate a new and practical side-channel attack for screen content via liquid crystal nematic state estimation using a low-cost radio-frequency sensor. By leveraging the relationship between the screen content and the states of liquid crystal arrays in displays, we develop WaveSpy, an end-to-end portable through-wall screen attack system. WaveSpy comprises a low-cost, energy-efficient and light-weight millimeter-wave (mmWave) probe which can remotely collect the liquid crystal state response to a set of mmWave stimuli and facilitate screen content inference, even when the victim's screen is placed in an isolated zone. We intensively evaluate the performance and practicality of WaveSpy in screen attacks, including over 100 different types of content on 30 digital screens of modern electronic devices. WaveSpy achieves an accuracy of 99% in screen content type recognition and a success rate of 87.77% in Top-3 sensitive information retrieval under real-world scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, we discuss several potential defense mechanisms to mitigate screen eavesdropping similar to WaveSpy.


Protein S is a critical regulator of coagulation that functions as a cofactor for the activated protein C (APC) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) pathways. It also has direct anticoagulant functions, inhibiting the intrinsic tenase and prothrombinase complexes. Through these functions, protein S regulates coagulation during both its initiation and its propagation phases. The importance of protein S in hemostatic regulation is apparent from the strong association between protein S deficiencies and increased risk for venous thrombosis. This is most likely because both APC and TFPIα are inefficient anticoagulants in the absence of any cofactors. The detailed molecular mechanisms involved in protein S cofactor functions remain to be fully clarified. However, recent advances in the field have greatly improved our understanding of these functions. Evidence suggests that protein S anticoagulant properties often depend on the presence of synergistic cofactors and the formation of multicomponent complexes on negatively charged phospholipid surfaces. Their high affinity binding to negatively charged phospholipids helps bring the anticoagulant proteins to the membranes, resulting in efficient and targeted regulation of coagulation. In this review, we provide an update on protein S and how it functions as a critical hemostatic regulator.


TPS5619 Background: Oregovomab, a murine IgGκ1 monoclonal antibody, has high affinity binding to tumor associated antigen CA125, thus, rendering the target antigen CA125 more immunogenic or "neoantigen-like" through altered and enhanced antigen processing and presentation to specific T cells. This phenomenon is hypothesized to bypass tumor-associated immune suppression when oregovomab is combined with chemotherapy. In a randomized phase II study, oregovomab in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin (PC) induced tumor immunity and demonstrated significant improvement in median PFS (41.8 months(m) PCO vs 12.2 m PC, HR 0.46, p=0.0027) and median OS (N.E. PCO vs 43.2 m PC, HR O.35, p=0.043) in patients with previously untreated EOC. Oregovomab combined with PC had a favorable toxicity profile. FLORA-5/GOG3035, the definitive confirmatory global registration trial, is currently recruiting patients in the front-line setting. Methods: The study is a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Optimally debulked patients with FIGO III/IV EOC and serum CA125 ≥ 50 U/ml receiving adjuvant (Cohort 1) or patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy post-interval cytoreductive surgery (Cohort 2) will be randomized to PC + oregovomab or placebo (PCO vs. PCP). Patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations are excluded. Chemotherapy will be administered every 3 weeks in both cohorts. Oregovomab/placebo is administered simultaneously at cycles 1, 3, and 5 of chemotherapy with an additional dose at 12 weeks following cycle 5 in Cohort 1. Neoadjuvant patients will be administered oregovomab/placebo after debulking surgery at cycles 4 and 6 with two additional doses at 6- and 18-weeks following cycle 6 in Cohort 2. No other front-line maintenance therapy is permitted. The primary objective is PFS determined by RECIST 1.1. Cohort 1 will recruit 372 patients with a 90% power to detect a difference with an alpha of 0.025 and a hazard ratio of 0.65 when 252 PFS events have been observed. Cohort 2 will be analyzed separately recruiting 232 patients with a 90% power to detect a difference with an alpha of 0.025 and a hazard ratio of 0.60 when 165 PFS events have been observed. An interim futility analysis will be performed. Secondary objectives include OS, frequency and severity of AEs, and QoL. Exploratory objectives include iRECIST, TFST, TSST, PFS2, and evaluation of correlative biomarkers. The study is actively enrolling in the US, Canada, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. 179 patients were enrolled at time of submission. Clinical trial information: NCT04498117.


Assemblage of lagoon organisms vary in time and space, largely because widely varying of environmental characteristics prevails on lagoon. This study is aimed to assess the impact of water quality of Batticaloa lagoon in relation to changes in fish and plankton abundance. In situ measurements of chemical and physical parameters of the lagoons were recorded fortnightly by calibrated portable water quality Hanna instruments over wet and dry seasons for 15 months from July 2008 to December 2010. Standard methods were used to collect the fish and plankton samples from Batticaloa lagoon. Dissolved oxygen (4.15 ± 0.40 to 15.66 ± 0.24 mg/L), salinity (8.10 ± 1.35 to 30.16 ± 0.23 ppt), nitrate (2.07 ± 0.22 to 3.71 ± 0.72 mg/L) and pH (8.01 ± 0.02 to 8.16 ± 0.05) showed significant seasonal variation. Analysis elucidated that the existing conditions were found to have strong impact on fish community. Comparatively, a higher number of species was recorded in the dry season than in the wet season. However, there was little variation in species composition with respect to seasons. Out of 28 families of 42 species sampled, 4 species were restricted to wet season, while 5 species occurred in both seasons such as families Mugilidae, Clupeidae and Cichilidae. Seasonal differentiation of all species sampled revealed higher values for the dry season than in the wet season. The 2 holoplankton groups of species increased in abundance during the wet season, while about 4 species lacking seasonality. The majority of zooplankton species of Batticaloa lagoon are typical of strongly brackish water although the northern part of the lagoon shows a mixture of marine species and brackish water. Most of the dominant species of phytoplankton were not considered as harmful and dangerous for human health. However, certain species of Anabaena, Microcystis, Oscillatoriya are known to produce certain neurotoxin, hepatotoxin and skin damages. In addition Amphidinium sp also observed in the lagoon produce biologically active haemolytic compounds and may be implicated in ciguatera (phytotoxin). These have to be viewed as a threat to lagoon food safety. This information enables natural resource managers to determine where our lagoons are under stress and where to invest in environmental management activities. It also helps State Government agencies address for monitoring, evaluation and reporting.


In this paper we consider various methods for nonmetric multidimensional scaling. We focus on the nonmetric phase, for which we consider various alternatives: Kruskal's nonmetric phase, Guttman's nonmetric phase, monotone regression by monotone splines, and monotone regression by a monotone neural network. All methods are briefly described. We use sequential quadratic programming to estimate the weights of the neural network. An experimental comparison of the methods is given for various synthetic and real-life datasets. The monotone neural network performs comparable to the traditional methods.


A method for the test of VLSI chips and high-density PC boards is proposed. A built-in, microprogrammable test controller, called a testprocessor, applied tests to all separately testable blocks within either a VLSI chip or PC board, hence increasing controllability and observability. Facilities for test-pattern storage and test-result evaluation as well as means for test-pattern generation and response compaction are provided; consequently, most tasks commonly associated with an external test equipment can be covered by the testprocessor. In contrast to most concepts of built-in test known to date, the testprocessor support tests of all kinds (structural, functional, pseudorandom), applied serially or in parallel; furthermore, adaptation to standardized test interfaces can easily be achieved. The concept is intended to simplify wafer test, production test, and testing burn-in, and it supports field maintenance and system self-test. >


: A multilayer perceptron neural network cloud mask for Meteosat Second Generation SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) images is introduced and evaluated. The model is trained for cloud detection on MSG SEVIRI daytime data. It consists of a multi-layer perceptron with one hidden sigmoid layer, trained with the error back-propagation algorithm. The model is fed by six bands of MSG data (0.6, 0.8, 1.6, 3.9, 6.2 and 10.8 μm) with 10 hidden nodes. The multiple-layer perceptrons lead to a cloud detection accuracy of 88.96%, when trained to map two predefined values that classify cloud and clear sky. The network was further evaluated using sixty MSG images taken at different dates. The network detected not only bright thick clouds but also thin or less bright clouds. The analysis demonstrated the feasibility of using machine learning models of cloud detection in MSG SEVIRI imagery.


The mean dynamics of a "thick" sand bed in a closed cell filled with liquid and subjected to vertical vibration is reported at different amplitudes b and frequencies Ω/2π of vibration for different grain sizes. The generation of a quasi-steady relief made of a 2D regular system of heaps of relatively small size is found. The gradual transition from rest to relief formation and after it to liquefaction and parametrical oscillations of the sand surface with increasing vibration intensity is studied. The dimensionless vibrational parameters governing these transitions are determined.


Dynamic Skills Theory (DST) posits that skills within domains may promote or suppress other skills as they first develop, resulting in spurts of growth in one skill concurrently with regression in another. I test this premise by examining development of two preverbal representational skills: manual pointing and symbolic gestures. Pointing is a robust early communicative gesture, indicating infants' awareness of others' attention, but limited in ability to represent infants' conceptual repertoires as they grow beyond the immediate environment. Symbolic gestures are more specific but less flexible representational tools. Both skills predict language, yet no study has addressed the effects of these skills on each other. I observed the gesturing behavior of 10 infants over 8 months in a gesture-rich environment to test the effects of each skill on the other. Supporting DST, results show early pointing predicted earlier, but not more, symbolic gesturing, while symbolic gesturing did suppress pointing frequency.


The use of ultrasonic imaging in patients undergoing cardiac surgery continues to grow. Recent data have substantiated the utility of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in the patient with mitral valve disease. This technique has become the procedure of choice for the on-line assessment of the degree of mitral regurgitation before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Transesophageal echocardiography is being more widely used for the detection of regional wall motion abnormalities intraoperatively because recent data suggest that hemodynamic parameters may be insensitive for the detection of ischemic events. In the evaluation of patients with congenital heart disease and suspected aortic dissection, transesophageal echocardiography is becoming increasingly important. Newer applications of ultrasonic techniques include contrast echocardiography for evaluating myocardial perfusion and intraoperative evaluation of the ascending aorta for detecting atherosclerosis, which may be a source of atheroembolism. Ultrasonic imaging has become invaluable in the treatment of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.


Disruptive Devices is a triptych of digital kinetic artworks that mediate viewer interactions with virtual wildlife. Our current economic system is set up to treat nature as an infinite resource, disturbing ecosystems in unsustainable ways, often using technology as a tool to amplify these disturbances. This piece invites viewers to contemplate this relationship through a surreal lens. Each of the three machines combines a physical hand mechanism controlled by the viewer via a crank wheel that interacts with a virtual natural environment.


This article presents a novel approach of utilizing the Internet of things (IoT) to create situational awareness to the blind user. Our previous work uses wearable sensors in the physical world to estimate the user location based on metric and landmark localization. Currently, we augment our system with streaming data from the cyber world to provide situational awareness by summarizing the events around the user based on the proposed crowdsourced localization. Our localization algorithm quickly gauge the relevant aspects of an event and renders a positional-audio feedback in a virtual 3D space around the user. This enhances the user to actively participate in an interesting social event by navigating towards them or avoid any mishaps on their path. Our results shown that it is feasible to make a blind user to travel independently by integrating our real-time localization technologies with the fusion of wearable sensors and social sensors.


The sandpaper disk method for removing fluorosis stains from teeth was clinically evaluated in 93 teeth in 22 patients. A bleaching solution was first applied to the teeth, and then a sandpaper disk in a straight handpiece was rotated on the stained enamel surface. None of the patients complained of discomfort during or after the bleaching procedure.


It has been 6 years since the publication of the first edition of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease was edited by Wyllie/ Hyams. There have been several changes made by the editors for the second edition. The second edition is several hundred pages shorter because of the deletion of separate sections on the Biologic Aspects of Gastrointestinal Function, as well as the deletion of a section on Gastrointestinal Procedures. What has been added is a section on Liver and Bile Ducts. Biology is now included within the clinical chapters themselves. These changes are for the better. The textbook is well organized and generally well written. The chapters, whenever possible, tend to follow a format that makes it easy for the reader to find specific information. The diagrams and the tables are quite informative. However, the x-rays and histology frequently are left without labels to depict specific relevant features. As a result, these features are often indistinct. Finally, here is a suggestion for perhaps the next edition of this comprehensive text. Eliminate the chapter on Eating Disorders and Obesity which are not diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In summary, this is a well-thought out, well-organized, and easily readable textbook, which should be attractive to practitioners caring for children and adolescents with gastrointestinal disorders, residents, and students. The editors should be congratulated, as should the contributing authors.


This paper presents feature level image fusion using Haar lifting wavelet transform. Feature fused is edge and boundary information, which is obtained using wavelet transform modulus maxima criteria. Simulation results show the superiority of the result as entropy, gradient, standard deviation are increased for fused image as compared to input images. The proposed methods have the advantages of simplicity of implementation, fast algorithm, perfect reconstruction, and reduced computational complexity. (Computational cost of Haar wavelet is very small as compared to other lifting wavelets.) Keywords—Lifting wavelet transform, wavelet transform modulus maxima.


This article aims at analyzing the perspectives and actions of two Latin American intellectuals, in the years 1910 and 1920, concerning issues of nation and "popular culture". On one hand, it refers to the Brazilian writer Monteiro Lobato, who idealized the "Saci" Enquiry developed by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, in 1917, among its readers. On the other hand, to the Argentinean Juan P. Ramos, member of the National Council for Education during Hipolito Yrigoyen´s first government (1916-1922), and responsible for the so called "Encuesta Lainez" in 1921.


This paper examines the experience of four major public sector unions in Wisconsin since the passage of Wisconsin Act 10 in 2011. The four unions are the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT-Wisconsin), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), an affiliate of the National Education Association. Wisconsin's prior legal framework for public sector collective bargaining is explained and compared to the new highly restrictive framework established by Act 10. That new framework, established by state legislation, is analyzed, as are its impacts on the membership, revenues, structures, and practices of the four unions. In general, we find the impacts to have been very dramatic, with a loss of active union membership averaging approximately 70 percent overall, and concomitant dramatic losses in union revenues and power. These shocks have engendered the restructuring of two of the unions examined, the downsizing of the third, and the de facto exiting from the state's public sector in another. There have also been significant changes in representation practices in one union, but less so in the others. We conclude by discussing best union practices based on this experience, as well as considering what the recent public sector union history in Wisconsin may portend for public worker union membership nationwide, since the issuing of the Janus Decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.


Modernist Literature and European Identity examines how European and non-European authors debated the idea of Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. It shifts the focus from European modernism to modernist Europe, and shows how the notion of Europe was constructed in a variety of modernist texts. Authors such as Ford Madox Ford, T. S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, Aime Cesaire, and Nancy Cunard each developed their own notion of Europe. They engaged in transnational networks and experimented with new forms of writing, supporting or challenging a European ideal. Building on insights gained from global modernism and network theory, this book suggests that rather than defining Europe through a set of core principles, we may also regard it as an open or weak construct, a crossroads where different authors and views converged and collided.


Introduction:Â Regarding the importance of having healthy child, there are several tests for fetal status assessment. Non stress testing is the most widely used primary testing method for assessment of fetal well-being in many researches but the predictability of the test is variable in different studies. Present study was designed to determine diagnostic values of the non-stress test for predicting fetal outcomes in high risk pregnancies 37-41 weeks. Methods:Â This study was performed retrospectively and reviewed two hundred and fifty high-risk cases include (pregnancy- induced hypertension, diabetes mellitus, oligohydramnios, premature rupture of membranes, decreased fetal movement, intrauterine growth restriction) in Dezyani hospital that performed non-stress testing before delivery and after reanalysis of test. We followed this parameters: decrease fetal heart rate during delivery, one and five minute apgar scores, need to resuscitation, NICU admission, meconium passage and fetal death. With respect of reactive and non-reactive response divided into two groups and based on occurrence of fetal complications after delivery compared between them. In this way sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Yuden index and accuracy of the test were estimated. Results:Â We found that sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Yuden index and accuracy of the non-stress test for predicting fetal outcomes in high-risk cases were 43.2, 74.7, 48.1, 71, 17.9 and 63.6. The frequency of low apgar, need to resuscitation and NICU admission were more common in the group of pregnancies with a non reactive NST than in the group with reactive NST. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion:Â Reactive non-stress test is a good predictor of the healthy fetus, but non-reactive non-stress test is not valid.


Bolted connections have been widely applied in engineering structures, loosening will happen when bolted connections are subjected to continuous cyclic load, and a significant rotation between the nut and the bolt can be observed. Combining deep learning with machine vision, a bolt loosening detection method based on the fifth version of You Only Look Once (YOLOv5) is proposed, and the rotation of the nut is identified to detect the bolt loosening. Two different circular markers are added to the bolt and the nut separately, and then YOLOv5 is used to identify the circular markers, and the rotation angle of the nut against the bolt is calculated according to the center coordinate of each predicted box. A bolted connection structure is adopted to illustrate the effectiveness of the method. First, 200 images containing bolts and circular markers are collected to make the dataset, which is divided into a training set, verification set and test set. Second, YOLOv5 is used to train the model; the precision rate and recall rate are respectively 99.8% and 100%. Finally, the robustness of the proposed method in different shooting environments is verified by changing the shooting distance, shooting angle and light condition. When using this method to detect the bolt loosening angle, the minimum identifiable angle is 1°, and the maximum detection error is 5.91% when the camera is tilted 45°. The experimental results show that the proposed method can detect the loosening angle of the bolted connection with high accuracy; especially, the tiny angle of bolt loosening can be identified. Even under some difficult shooting conditions, the method still works. The early stage of bolt loosening can be detected by measuring the rotation angle of the nut against the bolt.


The aim of this study was to investigate the medical and dental variables related to the presence of denture stomatitis. The study population was comprised of 106 elderly people (82 women, 24 men; mean age, 81.3 years) using a maxillary complete denture and living in a geriatric nursing home in Oulu, Finland. The following variables were used in the analysis: medical diagnoses, which could have a possible biological association with stomatitis; daily use of drugs; ability to cope with everyday life; oral hygiene; and the condition of the denture. The prevalence of stomatitis was 52% among residents wearing complete dentures. Patients receiving gastroenterological drugs had less stomatitis (p = 0.01, chi-square). The results suggest a preliminary finding that older adults using gastroenterological drugs had less stomatitis.


Research on influence strategies has typically been conducted in interorganizational settings. In a departure from this tradition, the authors focus on influence strategies used by managers in buying centers. They develop a three-dimensional framework for classifying six prominent influence strategies—threats, promises, recommendations, requests, legalistic pleas, and information exchange. Drawing on this framework, the authors argue that the use of a particular influence strategy by a manager is likely to be related to two classes of antecedents: source and target characteristics. Additionally, they draw on the framework to argue that the effectiveness of alternative influence strategies is likely to vary in predictable ways. The authors investigate the pervasiveness of each of the six influence strategies in a study of 187 purchasing decisions and compare the findings to those previously obtained in interorganizational settings. Findings pertaining to the study's hypotheses provide insights into the relative effectiveness of the six influence strategies and the conditions under which certain influence strategies are more likely to be used.


Purpose: Student debt is of growing concern in physical therapy and other health professions in the United States. This study explored the extent to which finances and other factors influenced student decision making when applying to and selecting terminal clinical education experiences. Methods: An online survey was developed and distributed to 250 recent graduates of a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (2016-19). A logistic regression model was used to determine the relationship between respondents' reported student debt and other factors when choosing a nontraditional model (the yearlong internship model (YLI)/residency model) or the traditional 4-month model. A 5-point Likert scale was used to rate the level of importance for each factor. Results: Seventy-six participants, across four cohorts completed the survey, representing a 30.4% response rate. The logistic regression model found that student debt did not significantly predict whether a student was likely to choose the nontraditional model over the traditional shorter terminal clinical experience; however, age and relationship status were found to be significant predictors of preference for length of experience. Based on aggregate mean data, the most important decision-making criterion in deciding the terminal clinical experience was patient population, followed by the culture of the clinic, then geographic location, and type of clinical setting. The criterion with the lowest aggregate mean was peer (within cohort) competition followed by student debt. A comparison of means found two decision-making criteria significantly reduced from the point of application to the commitment decision: saving money and interprofessional opportunities. Both decision-making criteria became less important for students when deciding on their terminal clinical experience as compared to when they were applying for the terminal clinical experience approximately 3 months earlier. Conclusions / Recommendations: Student debt was not an important factor in selecting the terminal clinical education experience and did not predict whether a student would apply to or select the YLI model rather than the shorter, traditional option. Instead, students considered multiple factors when selecting their terminal experience. Healthcare education programs may want to consider these factors in recruitment of clinical sites, student advising, and/or student placements related to the terminal clinical education experience.


Manual measurement of rock discontinuities is time-consuming and subjective according to the experience of the surveyor. This work proposes a three-dimensional laser scanning-based method for the semi-automatic identification of rock discontinuities. Multisite cloud scanning is performed with real-time kinematic (RTK)-assisted orientation to estimate the rock fracturing degree; then, discontinuity orientations are extracted with the man–machine interactive method or automatic method. The proposed method was applied to actual examples to illustrate its accuracy at identifying rock discontinuities. The sensitivity of the identification accuracy to different parameters was investigated.


We study an experimental setup in which a quantum probe, provided by a quasimonomode guided atom laser, interacts with a static localized attractive potential whose characteristic parameters are tunable. In this system, classical mechanics predicts a transition from regular to chaotic behavior as a result of the coupling between the different degrees of freedom. Our experimental results display a clear signature of this transition. On the basis of extensive numerical simulations, we discuss the quantum versus classical physics predictions in this context. This system opens new possibilities for investigating quantum scattering, provides a new testing ground for classical and quantum chaos, and enables us to revisit the quantum-classical correspondence.


Regorafenib improved prognosis for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) after sorafenib treatment failure. We aimed to investigate prognostic value of combining systemic inflammatory markers with liver function evaluation in patients receiving sorafenib-regorafenib sequential therapy. A total of 122 uHCC patients who received sorafenib-regorafenib sequential therapy were retrospectively enrolled for analysis. The pre-treatment preserving liver function and six inflammatory indexes were collected. The Cox regression model was used to identify independent predictors of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Baseline ALBI grade I (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.725, P = 0.040 for PFS; HR = 0.382, P = 0.012 for OS) and systemic inflammatory index (SII) ≤ 330 (HR = 0.341, P = 0.017 for OS; HR = 0.485, P = 0.037 for OS) were identified as independent prognostic factors in multivariable analysis and were used to develop the scoring system. Patients who fulfilled both criteria (2 points; score-high) had the longest median PFS (not-reached) and OS (not-reached), followed by fulfilling 1 criterion (1 point; score-intermediate; PFS: 3.7 months and OS: 17.9 months), and patients fulfilled no criterion (0 point; score-low; PFS: 2.9 months, overall log-rank P = 0.001 and OS: 7.5 months, overall log-rank P = 0.003). Additionally, best radiological response was significantly higher in patients with score-high (complete response/partial response/stable disease/progressive disease: score-high: 5.9%/5.9%/58.8%/29.4% vs. score-intermediate: 0%/14.0%/44.2%/41.9% vs. score-low: 0%/0%/25.0%/75.0%; P = 0.011). In conclusion, a combination of baseline ALBI grade and SII index can be used as a simple and powerful parameter to predict prognosis of uHCC patients receiving regorafenib after sorafenib-refractory treatment. The score may help with patient counseling but requires prospective validation.


One fundamental question in cell biology is how mechanical stresses are distributed inside the cytoplasm. Recently we have developed a synchronous detection approach to map cytoplasmic displacements and stresses using yellow fluorescent protein tagged mitochondria as fiducial markers of the cytoskeleton (CSK) in response to a localized load applied via an RGD-coated magnetic bead (7). We have shown that stresses are propagated to remote sites in the cytoplasm, a finding that contradicts continuum model predictions. Here we show that long distance force propagation in the cytoplasm was abolished when the contractile prestress in the CSK was lowered by relaxing agents and enhanced when the prestress was increased by contractile agonists. Surprisingly, when the loading frequency was varied from 0.03 Hz to 30 Hz, the total area of induced displacements (an index of the extent of stress propagation) first increased with loading frequency and then decreased with loading frequency. These results demonstrate that the long distance force propagation in living adherent cells might be controlled by the level of contractile prestress in the CSK and by the loading frequency.


Treatment of horizontally and deeply impacted mandibular molars is challenging for both orthodontists and oral surgeons because of the limited access and anchorage control. We report on two patients who had horizontally and mesially impacted mandibular second molars (MM2s). Both patients were treated by a surgical orthodontic approach, and the crowns of the impacted teeth were brought into the arches by closed forced eruption. Mesially impacted MM2s were uprighted with orthodontic microimplants, inserted in the retromolar area, and then moved into their ideal position. The first patient was in an active growing stage, while the second patient was beyond the active growing stage. Therefore posterior available space (PAS) should be analyzed before treatment of impacted MM2s to prevent periodontal problems after uprighting of impacted teeth. If PAS is not enough for uprighting impacted MM2s, alternative treatment should be considered based on the stage of growth.


1493 Objectives: FDOPA PET / CT is commonly used for the investigation of dopaminergic denervation, the diagnosis being based on striatal uptake. But other brain structures, including monoaminergic neurons of the brainstem and diencephalon, metabolize FDOPA and are likely to be affected. Using the values automatically generated by a homemade PET / MRI atlas, we looked for alterations in the FDOPA uptake in parkinsonian syndromes. We retrospectively selected 35 patients who underwent FDOPA PET / MRI examination, 15 with Parkinson9s syndrome according to clinical and scintigraphic data, 20 others considered very unlikely to have this condition (the control group).
 Methods: The T1 images of each patient were registered on the T1 images of a model where 28 anatomical regions had been previously identified. The adjustment parameters were then applied to FDOPA images acquired 90 min after injection. In each region VOIs of different sizes were then generated: 1 voxel (1mm3), 27 voxels or a volume adapted to the size of the region to be studied. The mean SUV, alone or compared to that of the other regions, was used to distinguish the 2 groups, by the way of a Student9s test.
 Results: The results were similar, using different sizes of VOIS. In the parkinsonian group, a significant reduction in SUV was observed in the substantia nigra (p = 0.008) and hypothalamus (p = 0.03). Furthermore subtracting the mean SUV of those regions from that of the pulvinar mildly increased their signification (resp. 0.0002 and 0,02). We did not observe any significant difference in the midbrain, the A8 zone, the reticular or the raphe nuclei. In the supratentorial area, the occipital region was unaffected too, in contrast to the striatum. The best discriminations between parkinsonian and control groups, obtained by combining the activities of the whole regions, were provided by the difference between the SUV of, on the one hand, the putamen and, on the other hand, the pulvinar and the A8 area (both with p less than 10-8).
 Conclusions: For the first time in nuclear medicine, we think we have been able to automatically demonstrate the involvement of nuclei of the brainstem and diencephalon in Parkinson9s syndrome. This opens perspectives in terms of early detection, staging and differential diagnosis of this disease.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG) in diagnosing the stenosis degree of difficult lesions to accurately assess the degree of luminal stenosis using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

METHODS
A total of 130 patients consecutively received CCTA and coronary angiography (CAG). The average transluminal Hounsfield units (HU) of the regions of interest were consecutively measured at an interval of 5 mm from the ostium to the distal level, followed by the calculation of TAG. The diagnostic performance of CCTA, TAG and CCTA+TAG for the stenosis degree of coronary calcified lesions and their reclassification for stenosis degree were analyzed, especially for calcified lesions.

RESULTS
Compared with CAG, the TAG in CCTA was consistent with the largest stenosis degree of each blood vessel. TAG improved the accuracy of CCTA in the diagnosis of calcified lesions (P<0.0001). When threshold was ≤-6.9 HU/10 mm, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of CCTA+TAG in the diagnosis of coronary calcified lesions were 90.26%, 95.45%, 98.58% and 73.68%. TAG for calcified lesions had moderate sensitivity (86.61%; 95% CI: 81.8-90.5%) and high specificity (91.20%; 95% CI: 84.8-95.5%). In addition, TAG can help to improve the reclassification of CCTA for coronary stenosis degree, especially for calcified lesions (NRI=0.127, P=0.045).

CONCLUSIONS
TAG can help to improve the diagnostic performance of CCTA for the stenosis degree of lesions, and it may also help to improve the reclassification of the stenosis degree of calcified lesions.


A power estimation tool is required to be faster and more accurate when the power consumption is the chief concern during chip design. A logic-level simulator is a good choice for estimating the power consumption of a chip design. In this paper we attempt to improve the accuracy of a logic-level simulator using glitch filtering and estimation techniques. We use the logic-level simulator to filter some glitches and estimate the glitch power. We use slope of transition and the time interval of two consecutive transitions to decide whether these transitions are partial glitches or full transitions. We estimate the transition power of each transition event and summed them. The power simulation error is reduced from 35.8% to 7.9% referring to the Spice simulation.


Grid Computing refers to the combination of computer resources from multiple administrative domains to reach a common goal. Grids which are a form of distributed computing contains collection of resources that are available for an application to perform tasks. The resources in the grid are generally heterogeneous, geometrically dispersed and belong to different administrative domains. The important criterion in the grid computing is that resource sharing should be transparent, secure and better coordinated. In a typical heterogeneous user system such as in online trading, security is a major concern in terms of authentication, integrity of message and confidentiality. In the present work, secure group communication is ensured to the authenticated users by effective key distributions that are serviced by the resource. Trigon based algorithm has been used for multiple key distributions and has been demonstrated for online trading applications.


Objective: To investigate longitudinal and spatial relations between air pollution and age specific mortality for United States counties (except Alaska) from 1960 to the end of 1997. Methods: Cross sectional regressions for five specific periods using published data on mortality, air quality, demography, climate, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and diet. Outcome measures are statistical relations between air quality and county mortalities by age group for all causes of death, other than AIDS and trauma. Results: A specific regression model was developed for each period and age group, using variables that were significant (p<0.05), not substantially collinear (variance inflation factor <2), and had the expected algebraic sign. Models were initially developed without the air pollution variables, which varied in spatial coverage. Residuals were then regressed in turn against current and previous air quality, and dose-response plots were constructed. The validity of this two stage procedure was shown by comparing a subset of results with those obtained with single stage models that included air quality (correlation=0.88). On the basis of attributable risks computed for overall mean concentrations, the strongest associations were found in the earlier periods, with attributable risks usually less than 5%. Stronger relations were found when mortality and air quality were measured in the same period and when the locations considered were limited to those of previous cohort studies (for PM2.5 and SO42-). Thresholds were suggested at 100–130 μg/m3 for mean total suspended particulate (TSP), 7–10 μg/m3 for mean sulfate, 10–15 ppm for peak (95th percentile) CO, 20–40 ppb for mean SO2. Contrary to expectations, associations were often stronger for the younger age groups (<65 y). Responses to PM, CO, and SO2 declined over time; responses in elderly people to peak O3 increased over time as did responses to NO2 for the younger age groups. These results generally agreed with previous prospective cohort and ecological studies for comparable periods, age groups, and pollutants, but they also suggest that the results of those previous studies may no longer be applicable. Conclusions: Spatially derived relations between air quality and mortality vary significantly by age group and period and may be sensitive to the locations included in the analysis.


Polymers can be used for EOR operations to improve the mobility, however a major problem is its sensitivity to shear stress. An alternative method could be wormlike micelles, which are self assembled surfactant molecules, that show a similar behaviour than polymers in term of viscosity increase and have the advantage of breaking and reforming in the porous medium when shear stress is modified. We started this study by a complete characterization of a wormlike micelles solution prepared with betaine molecules. Micellar characterization, for different surfactant concentration, salinities and temperatures showed that that the kraff point decreases when the salt and surfactant concentration increase. This means that this system stability increases with temperature. Rheological experiments showed a classical shear thinning behavior. Experiments in porous media consist in one phase and two phase flow in sandstone cores. One phase flow has been performed to determine surfactant adsorption and permeability reduction. Two phase flow displacements were conducted to show the ability of wormlike micelles to improve oil recovery. Experimental data obtained with wormlike micelles displacement are compared with standard reference experiments using polymer and Alkaline Surfactant Polymer. Results show that, despite adsorption, wormlike micelles have a positive effect on mobility control.


Abstract Biomolecular condensates are cellular structures composed of membraneless assemblies comprising proteins or nucleic acids. The formation of these condensates requires components to change from a state of solubility separation from the surrounding environment by undergoing phase transition and condensation. Over the past decade, it has become widely appreciated that biomolecular condensates are ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells and play a vital role in physiological and pathological processes. These condensates may provide promising targets for the clinic research. Recently, a series of pathological and physiological processes have been found associated with the dysfunction of condensates, and a range of targets and methods have been demonstrated to modulate the formation of these condensates. A more extensive description of biomolecular condensates is urgently needed for the development of novel therapies. In this review, we summarized the current understanding of biomolecular condensates and the molecular mechanisms of their formation. Moreover, we reviewed the functions of condensates and therapeutic targets for diseases. We further highlighted the available regulatory targets and methods, discussed the significance and challenges of targeting these condensates. Reviewing the latest developments in biomolecular condensate research could be essential in translating our current knowledge on the use of condensates for clinical therapeutic strategies.


Ruthenium- and rhodium-catalyzed direct oxidative cross-coupling reactions of acrylamides with alkenes were developed. These methods provide an efficient route for the synthesis of (Z,E)-dienamides in excellent yields with good stereoselectivity. The catalytic systems allowed oxidative olefination of a wide range of alkenes bearing different functional groups, such as CO(2)R, COMe, SO(2)Ph, aryl, CONHBn, CN, PO(OEt)(2), as well as Weinreb amide.


We propose a programming language, called PCML5, for building distributed applications with distributed access control. Target applications include web-based systems in which programs must compute with stipulated resources at different sites. In such a setting, access control policies are decentralized (each site may impose restrictions on access to its resources without the knowledge of or cooperation with other sites) and spatially distributed each site may store its policies locally). To enforce such policies PCML5 employs a distributed proof-carrying authorization framework in which sensitive resources are governed by reference monitors that authenticate principals and demand logical proofs of compliance with site-specific access control policies. The language provides primitive operations for authentication, and acquisition of proofs from local policies. The type system of PCML5 enforces locality restrictions on resources, ensuring that they can only be accessed from the site at which they reside, and enforces the authentication and authorization obligations required to comply with local access control policies. This ensures that a well-typed PCML5 program cannot incur a runtime access control violation at a reference monitor for a controlled resource.


OBJECTIVE
Fluoroscopic guiding is commonly utilized for interventional pain management procedures. However, ultrasonography has started to be used more widely in interventional pain procedures. It has become even more popular with its advantages. The clinician who performs the pain procedure and the patient are not exposed to radiation. Vascular structures can be directly visualized. Ultrasonography is more accessible and portable than fluoroscopy. For all these reasons, its use will increase. So, in this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of the genicular nerve radiofrequency thermocoagulation application under ultrasound guidance and fluoroscopy guidance.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with stage 2 and 3 osteoarthritis, according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification, were included in our study (n=180). Seventy percent of patients were women. Sixty patients received medical treatment only. Genicular nerve radiofrequency thermocoagulation was performed with fluoroscopy in sixty patients and with ultrasonography guidance in sixty other patients. Visual Analogue Scale at 1 month (VAS1) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis (WOMAC1) were recorded before the procedure, while VAS2 and WOMAC2 were recorded at 3 months.

RESULTS
In the ultrasound and fluoroscopy group, a statistically significant difference was found between VAS1 and VAS2, WOMAC1 and WOMAC2 (p<0.05). VAS1 of the patients in the fluoroscopy group was 6.65±0.93, and it was 5.88±0.92 in the ultrasonography group, which was similar (p<0.0001). VAS2 was 2.26±1.16 in the ultrasonography group and 3.83±1.66 in the fluoroscopy group (p<0.0001). The reduction rate in pain severity in patients undergoing the procedure under ultrasonography guidance was more marked than that in the fluoroscopy group (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
For the radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the genicular nerve, both imaging approaches are available. Ultrasonography guidance appears to be better than fluoroscopy guidance in this technique because of the lower radiation dose and the ability to detect the target location and neighboring tissues more precisely under ultrasonography guidance.


In this paper, I survey archaeological evidence for deliberate deposits mostly containing ceramic vessels but also stones and animal bones. They were discovered at a Late Bronze Age settlement, dated to the 9th-8th centuries, situated in the northern part of the contemporary city of Wrocław in southwestern Poland. Their stratigraphical contexts indicate that their deposition took place at the very end of the use of the site, i.e. after the accumulation of the thick occupational layers. Based on the fine preservation of the vessels and their distribution, I argue that they are remains of practices performed in a common settlement area, resulting in the deposition of used ceramics. I also refer to a broad concept of the notion of 'pottery deposits' and compare the presented evidence with similar finds from other sites with a similar chronology.


Airline Industry has seen constant growth in the passenger aviation sector over the years. The profits though, have not risen much because the competition has stiffened and fluctuating oil prices have been a cause of concern as well. Price wars have been a short-term strategy for the airlines to gain a bigger market share and retain customers. For any airline organisation to be competitive it needs to have a long-term strategy with a firm focus on its customers. Airline ground services have been an area where airlines lose revenues and customers. However, now airlines have shifted their focus from price wars to customer centric service to maintain. This research is focused on understanding customer preferences for airline ground services mainly for passengers from China, USA, countries of European Union, Indonesia and India. To understand the customers preference for airline ground services, this research takes place in 3 steps. First step consists of literature review and theoretical background. The theoretical background looks into the types of service quality measurement models. The literature discusses specially between Gronroos model and SERVQUAL model, as these are most widely used models. The theoretical background looks into the baggage handling process and security aspects so that the attributes to the research model can be built. Second, step consists of semi-structured interviews with passengers who fly frequently. The interviews with the passengers helped verify and validate the research model. Finally, through a survey the data was gathered and using Best Worst Method (BWM) the preferred main criteria and sub-criteria were calculated in the excel solver. It was found that reliability and responsiveness were the two most important criteria while assurance was the least important criteria. To understand preferences as per nationality one-way ANOVA test was done. the One-Way ANOVA results for comparison between various nationalities showed that the output was significant for responsiveness criteria, and Word of Mouth. Cluster analysis was done to group respondents on their similarities. The results of the study are important for airline managers, airport managers and academians. This model will help the managers find a model on which they can build on in the future. A study can be done by managers to understand the service delivery of their organisation based on which with help of these results airlines should be able to successfully guide strategic initiatives for airline ground services. Furthermore, this research model can be used for markets other than airline markets. On the other hand for academians, BWM is used for the first time with SERVQUAL model for airline ground services. This combination of BWM with SERVQUAL can be used by academians for future study for any other market. Furthermore, this research model with attributes can be used for future studies of airline ground services.


The conflict whether certain districts of indigenous forest should be assigned to agriculture or forestry, had been more heated in Bantam than in all the outlying provinces of the Netherlands East Indies. At the beginning of this century an abortive attempt was made to eliminate shifting (ladang or hoema) cultivation. To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the hoema system with special reference to forest reservation, the author studied the hoema cultivation as an agricultural system, its consequences for local people and for other land use, crop yields, the traditional (adat) law and the legal hoema regulations in Bantam. Kools arrived at the conclusion that the aims in the hoema region should be: 1. Establishment of field crops between young forest tree seedlings (Taungya system) to provide immediate relief; 2. research into intensification of the hoema cultivation; 3. rigorous checks against illegal reclamation. Hoema cultivation must be considered as a primitive extensive agricultural system, which did not need to exhaust the soil, but usually did. It was recommended that shifting cultivation be restricted to particular forest blocks, also in the rest of Java and in Madoera.


The U.S. regulatory environment is changing rapidly, at the same time that visible and profound impacts of climate change are already being felt throughout the world, and enormous, potentially existential threats loom in the not-so-distant future. What does it mean to think about and practice environmental law in this setting? In this latest in a biannual series of postings and essays, the authors, members of the Environmental Law Collaborative (ELC), have taken on the question of whether environmental law as we currently know it is up to the job of addressing these threats; and, if not, what the path forward should be.


A prospective study was carried out on the occurrence of infections in 28 hospitalised systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In 38 episodes of infections, 23 were bacterial (60.5%), 4 were viral (10.6%) and culture negative infections were present in 10 (26.3%). The most common isolated organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (30.4%), Salmonella species (21.7%), Pseudomonas species (13.0%), and Klebsiella species (13.0%). The care rate was 94.7%. Death occurred in 2 patients. Lupus activity, impaired renal function, and cytotoxic therapy did not predispose to infection.