Increased tumbling time and intermittent tumbling (10 min per hour for 18 h of tumbling) when compared (on a tumbling time basis) to continuous tumbling (3 h), both increase migration of individual cure components (sodium chloride, dextrose, sodium nitrite) as well as average brine (average migration of these components) in tumbled porcine muscle. In most instances the difference between intermittent and continuous tumbling became apparent at 1-1/2 to 2 h of tumbling time and remained significantly higher for the intermittent tumbling technique for the remainder of the 3-h tumbling treatment. Tumbling time for both continuous and intermittent tumbling increased cure migration but these results indicate that continuous tumbling did not have the same influence on cure ingredient migration as equivalent tumbling time delivered intermittently.


Guribu catfish (Sciades herzbergii) is a resident species in estuaries of Maranhão, Brazil. The aim of this work was to determine the feasibility of integrated analysis of the branchial lesions and gonadosomatic index of Sciades herzbergii in order to evaluate the effects of pollutants in São Marcos' Bay. The first site (S1) is located near the Ilha dos Caranguejos and was used as a reference area for being an environmental protection area. The second site (S2) is located near the ALUMAR/ALCOA port, and was used as a potentially polluted area. Fish were collected at each site, forty-eight in S1 and forty in S2. Gills were fixed in 10% formalin, and usual histological techniques were used in the first right gill arch, with inclusion in paraffin and sections of 5 μm thickness. There were no histopathological changes in animals captured at the reference site. However, in those catfish collected in the potentially contaminated area it was observed several branchial lesions, such as lifting of the lamellar epithelium, fusion of some secondary lamellae, hypertrophy of epithelial cells and lamellar aneurysm. The analysis using the gonadosomatic index (GSI) showed significant differences, being higher in fish analyzed from the reference area (P < 0.05). The branchial lesions and GSI were sensitive for monitoring environmental impacts of different locations at São Marcos' Bay, Maranhão, Brazil.


BACKGROUND
Determining cervical precancer risk among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women who despite a normal Pap test are positive for oncogenic human papillomavirus (oncHPV) types is important for setting screening practices.

METHODS
A total of 2791 HIV-infected and 975 HIV-uninfected women in the Women's Interagency HIV Study were followed semiannually with Pap tests and colposcopy. Cumulative risks of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or greater (CIN-2+; threshold used for CIN treatment) and grade 3 or greater (CIN-3+; threshold to set screening practices) were measured in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women with normal Pap tests, stratified by baseline HPV results, and also in HIV-infected women with a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL; benchmark indication for colposcopy).

RESULTS
At baseline, 1021 HIV-infected and 518 HIV-uninfected women had normal Pap tests, of whom 154 (15%) and 27 (5%), respectively, tested oncHPV positive. The 5-year CIN-2+ cumulative risk in the HIV-infected oncHPV-positive women was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9%-34%), 12% (95% CI, 0%-22%), and 14% (95% CI, 2%-25%) among those with CD4 counts <350, 350-499, and ≥500 cells/µL, respectively, whereas it was 10% (95% CI, 0%-21%) in those without HIV. For CIN-3+, the cumulative risk averaged 4% (95% CI, 1%-8%) in HIV-infected oncHPV-positive women, and 10% (95% CI, 0%-23%) among those positive for HPV type 16. In HIV-infected women with LSIL, CIN-3+ risk was 7% (95% CI, 3%-11%). In multivariate analysis, HIV-infected HPV16-positive women had 13-fold (P = .001) greater CIN-3+ risk than oncHPV-negative women (referent), and HIV-infected women with LSIL had 9-fold (P < .0001) greater risk.

CONCLUSIONS
HIV-infected women with a normal Pap result who test HPV16 positive have high precancer risk (similar to those with LSIL), possibly warranting immediate colposcopy. Repeat screening in 1 year may be appropriate if non-16 oncHPV is detected.


The identification of unknown human remains represents an important task in forensic casework. If there are no clues as to the identity of the remains, then the age, sex, and origin are the most important factors to limit the search for a matching person. Here, we present the outcome of application of so-called bomb pulse radiocarbon (14C derived from above-ground nuclear bomb tests during 1955–1963) analysis to birthdate human remains. In nine identified cases, 14C analysis of tooth crowns provided an estimate of the true date of birth with an average absolute error of 1.2 ± 0.8 years. Analysis of 14C in tooth roots also showed a good precision with an average absolute error of 2.3 ± 2.5 years. Levels of 14C in bones can determine whether a subject has lived after 1955 or not, but more precise carbon turnover data for bones would be needed to calculate date of birth and date of death. Aspartic acid racemization analysis was performed on samples from four cases; in one of these, the year of birth could be predicted with good precision, whereas the other three cases are still unidentified. The stable isotope 13C was analyzed in tooth crowns to estimate provenance. Levels of 13C indicative of Scandinavian provenance were found in known Scandinavian subjects. Teeth from four Polish subjects all showed higher 13C levels than the average for Scandinavian subjects.


The factors responsible for control of glucose transport during exercise are not fully understood. We investigated the role of mechanical load in contraction‐mediated glucose transport in an isolated muscle preparation. Mouse extensor digitorum longus muscles were stimulated with repeated contractions for 10 min with or without N‐benzyl‐p‐toluene sulphonamide (BTS, an inhibitor of myosin II ATPase) to block crossbridge activity. BTS inhibited force production during repeated contraction to ∼5% of control. In contrast, BTS had little effect on glucose transport in the basal state (control = 0.55 ± 0.04; BTS = 0.47 ± 0.09 μmol (20 min)−1 ml−1) or after contraction (control = 2.27 ± 0.15; BTS = 2.10 ± 0.16 μmol (20 min)−1 ml−1). BTS did not significantly alter the contraction‐mediated changes in high‐energy phosphates, glutathione status (a measure of oxidant status) or AMP‐activated protein kinase activity. In conclusion, these data show that mechanical load plays little role in contraction‐mediated glucose transport. Instead, it is likely that the increased glucose transport during contraction is a consequence of the increase in myoplasmic Ca2+ and the subsequent alterations in metabolism, e.g. increased energy turnover and production of reactive oxygen species.


Abstract  Archaeopteris macilenta is one of the most widespread plants in the Late Devonian. Based on fossils from the Frasnian Huangjiadeng Formation, Yichang District of Hubei Province, for the first time we study in detail the anatomy of this progymnosperm plant in South China. Ultimate axes are protostelic with three xylem sympodia and lack secondary tissue. Penultimate axes are eustelic, bearing eight sympodia and a thin band of secondary xylem. Radially symmetrical sympodia of mesarch primary xylem produce traces of appendages in a spiral arrangement. Archaeopteris macilenta and A. halliana (A. roemeriana) are dominant in the Frasnian and Famennian, respectively. Comparisons with these two species from other tectonic plates indicate consistent stelar architectures. Global spread, continuous occurrence, and identical anatomy during the Late Devonian indicate that Archaeopteris survived the Frasnian–Famennian extinction event. In this time, endemic genera and cosmopolitan taxa, including Archaeopteris, suggest the palaeogeographic isolation of South China and certain associations with other plates.


It has been reported previously that fluid leaks through the intercellular junctions of arterial endothelium and bronchiolar epithelium in fluid-overload pulmonary oedema in mice. In this study, freeze fracture technique was used to see morphological changes in the intercellular junctions at these sites. In arterial endothelium, the intercellular junction consists of a combination of gap junctions and tight junctions. In this experiment, only the tight junctions were disrupted. In bronchiolar epithelium, the tight junction was disrupted. The other sites in the vascular system and respiratory surface did not show any changes in the morphology of intercellular junctions. Thus, this study confirms the previous study and provides some structural correlation for the changes of permeability in fluid-overload pulmonary oedema.


Introduction: Maintenance of a electrostatic precipitator cooler machine involving welding activities in confined spaces, so the company of cement production need to understand the existing hazard by conducting hazard identification. Welding are related with physical, chemical, mechanical, and electrical hazards that can cause accidents and occupational illnesses. When the welding is carried out in confined spaces, it can increasing the hazards  include chemical hazards in the air, configuration of the building structure, poor airflow, or any combination of existing hazards. Methods: This research aimed to conduct hazard identification on welding activities in confined spaces. The research design used a descriptive observational with cross sectional approach. The research population was the workers who repair the electrostatic precipitator cooler machines. Sample of this research were selected using the Purposive sampling method, 2 welders in the rapping bar and 1 safetyman. Primary data was collected by conducting observation and interviews using checklist sheet, secondary data was obtained by collecting company profile and daily safety reports. Result: The results of the analysis showed that the identified hazards of welding activities in confined space are 5 of mechanical hazards, 4 of atmospheric hazards, 5 of ergonomics hazards, 5 of falling hazards, 6 of physical hazards, 5 chemical hazards, and 4 electrical hazards. Conclusion: The conclusion of this research was the dominant potential hazard come from physical hazards consisting of inadequate light, welding sparks, optical radiation, noise, high pressure gas and hoses. Some hazards inflict accidents and illness due to work on welding in confined space are welding sparks, fume, oxygen and asitelyn gases, as well as toxic and carcinogenic substance i.e. cement and coal dust. Keywords: confined space, hazard identification, welding


In 2004, a new 2-year Master's programme on "Knowledge Management, Learning and e-learning" in the Language Sciences department of the University of Montpellier 3 was devised. The first year of the programme is both on and off-campus, and the second year is entirely off-campus. Some students enter the second year directly from the first-year course while other students enter from other Universities (either based in France or abroad). Two years down the track, after a full cycle completed by students, we were keen to check how well we know our learners and to what extent their true needs are met. A questionnaire was designed and issued to students, tutors and teachers involved in the programme. At an initial stage of the research, questionnaire results were examined and provided knowledge about the "typical" learner and indicated if and how their needs have been met so far in relation to the Master's programme as it is currently structured. At a second stage, current models for online teaching/learning (Salmon's five stage model, Salmon, 2000) are discussed and compared with the Master's programme. Suggestions are made on how the programme can be improved based on both learner profile/needs and current online teaching/learning trends.


The temporal and spatial distribution of SqH in China was analyzed based on geomagnetic digitized data from the geomagnetic observation network. It was found that; 1) there was obvious prenoon-postnoon asymmetry of SqH in summer and equinox; 2) in summer, equinox, and winter, the averaged foci of Sq were located at 27° N, 29° N, and 35° N, respectively. However, in a single quiet day, the Sq foci might reach a latitude north of 50° N and south of 19° N; 3). There were some inconsistencies in the behavior of the SqH distributions in two longitudinal chains, such as the reverse of SqH variations in the same latitudinal chain and the increase (decrease) of the daily ranges from east to west. All these demonstrated that there might be latitudinal migration of the Sq focus or changes in current intensity during the longitudinal migration of the Sq focus from east to west.


This essay considers the phenomenon of almanacs, encyclopedias, glossaries, lexicons, word books, vocabularies, companions, and (theoretical) toolboxes, which appears to be an outstanding feature of humanities today. By limiting her discussion to six specific examples of this genre, the author asks the following questions: Why is it that this method became so prolific? What are the objectives of almanacs, glossaries, and vocabularies? What do they do to thinking, writing, researching? What can they say about the moment we are in? And how do they contribute to defining this moment? Those questions orient discussions around humanities today toward the ethico-political practice of thinking otherwise.


Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive lymphoma with 40% of the patients relapse to chemoresistant disease. Our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with relapse is poor. Mainly, how clonal heterogeneity in primary tumors contributes to relapse is unclear. Therefore, we performed high-throughput sequencing of rearranged VDJ junctions in 20 pairs of matched diagnosis-relapse tumors. In DLBCL, VDJ junctions effectively tag clonal tumor populations. Moreover, somatic hypermutations (SHM) within rearranged VDJ provide additional information to study heterogeneity and track evolution. To achieve high coverage, we sequenced (2X150bp) across the 300-350bp VDJ sequences, generating 0.25-0.5 million VDJ junctions per tumor. We developed a custom bioinformatics pipeline to identify the VDJ and SHM patterns of each sequence. In most pairs (n=19), diagnosis and relapse are clonally related, harboring the same major VDJ rearrangement. Phylogenetic analysis on the SHM profiles of the major VDJ arrangement uncovered two distinct scenarios of DLBCL relapse. In scenario I (n=17), the major diagnosis and relapse clones clustered together, indicating a linear progression. We performed exome sequencing on 6 such pairs. As expected, diagnosis and relapse tumors harbored many common mutations, including mutations in CARD11, NOTCH1, and TP53. Furthermore, we observed that relapse tumors had acquired additional 70±22 mutations, among which 14±5 are in genes previously found mutated in DLBCLs, including EP300, EZH2, and MYC. Taken together, we hypothesize that in this scenario, a portion of the diagnosis tumor cells survived chemotherapy, acquired additional "facilitator" mutations, and developed into relapse tumors. In scenario II (n=2), the major relapse clone clustered together with a highly divergent minor diagnosis clone forming a separate branch from the rest of the diagnosis clones on the phylogenetic tree. This particular pattern indicates that in this scenario although the relapse and diagnosis tumors came from the same B cell, they diverged early, acquired different mutations, and rose at different times. Indeed, exome sequencing on these pairs revealed that both diagnosis and relapse tumors had their distinctive DLBCL related mutations. Furthermore, there were several mutations common between diagnosis and relapse tumors, indicating that these mutations were acquired very early in the history of the tumors. Interestingly, MLL2 mutations were found in the common set of mutations in both pairs, strongly suggesting that MLL2 mutation could act as a "driver" or "facilitator" mutation in the earliest steps of DLBCL lymphomagenesis. Taken together, we discovered two modes of DLBCL relapse by coupling deep-sequencing of the VDJ rearrangements and exomes, providing new knowledge about molecular pathogenesis of DLBCL relapse. Citation Format: Yanwen Jiang, David Redmond, Kui Nie, Peter Martin, Ari Melnick, Wayne Tam, Olivier Elemento. Deep-sequencing reveals distinct clonal evolution patterns of DLBCL relapse and identifies mutant MLL2 as potential early driver. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3183. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3183


Three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) sonography have been proposed as adjunctive diagnostic imaging modalities for prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease1–24. Here we report 3D and 4D rendering of the aortic and ductal arches using a novel approach to 3D reconstruction of hollow structures (Inversion 3D mode using a Voluson 730 Expert (General Electric Medical Systems Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria) ultrasound machine and 4DView 2000 version 2.1, General Electric Medical Systems Kretztechnik). This rendering algorithm transforms echolucent structures into solid voxels. Thus, anechoic structures such as the heart chambers, lumen of the great vessels, stomach and bladder appear echogenic on the rendered image, whereas structures that are normally echogenic prior to gray-scale inversion (e.g. bones) become anechoic. Figure 1 shows volume-rendered images of the aortic and ductal arches of a fetus with normal cardiac anatomy examined at 22 + 2 weeks. The volume dataset was acquired with sagittal sweeps through the fetal chest and abdomen using the spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC) technique. 3D reconstruction was performed with a combination of 'gradient light' and inversion rendering algorithms. Low threshold and transparency levels were adjusted until the structures of interest were visualized. In this particular case, the transparency level was set to 57, and the low threshold level to 91 (both scales range from 0 to 250). Although we chose to use the gradient light algorithm for better visualization, similar images could be visualized using a combination of 'X-ray' and 'surface smooth' algorithms, or the surface smooth algorithm alone. This volume dataset was rendered with the direction of view set from the right to the left side of the body. As the inversion mode cannot distinguish between blood vessels and other hollow structures (e.g. stomach and gallbladder), the rendered image depicts all anechoic structures contained within the region of interest. This characteristic of the method allowed for simultaneous visualization of the esophagus, ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending aorta, pulmonary artery, ductus arteriosus and superior vena cava in the 3D rendered image. Since the diaphragm is normally visualized as a hypoechoic structure by two-dimensional ultrasound, it appeared as a thin echogenic rim separating the thorax from the abdomen after applying the inversion mode. Abdominal structures depicted in Figure 1 include the portal vein, stomach and a portion of the gallbladder. Four-dimensional rendering of this image can be downloaded from the Journal's website (Videoclip S1). A case of transposition of the great arteries at 28 weeks is presented in Figure 2. In this image, the anterior vessel represents the aorta. The pulmonary artery courses parallel to the ascending aorta. Left and right branches of the pulmonary artery and the ductus arteriosus are clearly visualized. As this fetus was not swallowing at the time of acquisition, the esophagus was not visualized. The rendering technique used to obtain this image was identical to the one used for Figure 1, except that the transparency and low threshold levels were set to 49 and 106, respectively. Four-dimensional rendering of this image can be downloaded from the Journal's website (Videoclip S2). In conclusion, we have described the application of 3D and 4D rendering of the outflow tracts and other hollow structures of the thorax and abdomen using the novel inversion mode. Since this technique does not use color or power Doppler sonography as a 'digital contrast' to highlight the blood vessels, it does not have the inherent limitations to image reconstruction related to the angle of insonation, temporal resolution, or intensity of the Doppler signal. In addition, the technique does not differentiate blood vessels from other hollow structures. Therefore, the relationships between the fetal heart and great vessels and other fluid-filled non-vascular structures such as the esophagus and stomach can be visualized in


We present LS-ELAS, a line segment extension to the ELAS algorithm, which increases the performance and robustness. LS-ELAS is a binocular dense stereo matching algorithm, which computes the disparities in constant time for most of the pixels in the image and in linear time for a small subset of the pixels (support points). Our approach is based on line segments to determine the support points instead of uniformly selecting them over the image range. This way we find very informative support points which preserve the depth discontinuity. The prior of our Bayesian stereo matching method is based on a set of line segments and a set of support points. Both sets are given to a constrained Delaunay triangulation to generate a triangulation mesh which is aware of possible depth discontinuities. We further increased the accuracy by using an adaptive method to sample candidate points along edge segments. We evaluated our algorithm on the Middlebury benchmark.


As cities and urban areas increasingly become the locus for contemporary society, there is a growing necessity for environmental education to adapt to meet the challenges and needs of an urbanized world. A key part of this adaptation means acknowledging the nuanced legacy of environmental and social injustices involved in the growth and development of urban spaces. While there have been advances toward these ends, I argue mainstream environmental education is lacking critical engagement with urban areas. The growing food justice movement has salient theoretical and practical spheres that have the potential to contribute to these urban margins in environmental education. This article explores these spheres and applies them to environmental education in an effort to push the boundaries of the field towards concepts and pedagogies that occupy complex socio-ecological relationships and issues of justice in ways mainstream environmental education has struggled to access, particularly in the urban context. First, I discuss philosophical and structural reasons for why mainstream environmental education theory and practice have overlooked urban contexts and experiences. I then explore the development of the food justice movement, bringing to bear key characteristics that can contribute to environmental education. Finally, I discuss how food justice can help environmental education challenge and reposition itself to better meet the needs of an urban society.


Sewage sludge is considered as a main product obtained from urban liquid effluents that are discharged into sanitation systems of wastewater treatment plants. The aim of this work was to reuse it as compost, after the dehydration process, to replace the amendment applied in agriculture and also to reduce the environmental pollution caused by solid wastes. To justify our biotechnological approach, nutrient characterization of the composted dewatered sewage sludge was carried out and compared to cattle manure. The contents of N, P, K, and the organic matter are 3.67, 5.64, 6.60 g·kg dry matter (DM), and 70%, respectively, in compost and 3.1, 1.6, 3.0 g·kg 1 DM, and 55%, respectively, in manure. Fertilization tests with composted dewatered sewage sludge and cattle manure were performed on Pelargonium inquinans. Monitoring the length of the first internodes showed an improvement of 4.2 mm in the length in compost plants with a development of 22.8 buds and 8.2 flower buds (19.4 buds and 4.4 flower buds developed in manure plants). It appears that the intake of composted dewatered sewage sludge ensures better growth for the studied plant due to its richness in nutrients, which confirms the beneficial effect of composting sewage sludge on plant cultivation.


Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been accepted as a safe and effective treatment for unresectable hepatic tumors because of the advantages of a minimally invasive procedure and the local treatment effect. Although RFA can be performed safely in most patients, early and late complications related to mechanical or thermal damage may be observed at follow-up examination. Hemobilia is a very rare complication of RFA and most hemobilia is an immediate complication. However, delayed hemobilia is an even more rare complication after RFA and is known to be a fatal complication. We present a case of delayed fatal hemobilia after RFA for hepatocellular carcinoma.


Computer users spend time every day interacting with digital files and folders, including downloading, moving, naming, navigating to, searching for, sharing, and deleting them. Such file management has been the focus of many studies across various fields, but has not been explicitly acknowledged nor made the focus of dedicated review. In this article we present the first dedicated review of this topic and its research, synthesizing more than 230 publications from various research domains to establish what is known and what remains to be investigated, particularly by examining the common motivations, methods, and findings evinced by the previously furcate body of work. We find three typical research motivations in the literature reviewed: understanding how and why users store, organize, retrieve, and share files and folders, understanding factors that determine their behavior, and attempting to improve the user experience through novel interfaces and information services. Relevant conceptual frameworks and approaches to designing and testing systems are described, and open research challenges and the significance for other research areas are discussed. We conclude that file management is a ubiquitous, challenging, and relatively unsupported activity that invites and has received attention from several disciplines and has broad importance for topics across information science.


ABSTRACT Fear of positive evaluation (FPE) is experiencing dread during real or potential praise. FPE is associated with social anxiety, but its relation to depressive symptoms is unclear. Anhedonia is a core symptom of depression related to symptoms of anxiety in cross-sectional research. The current study investigated the indirect effect of FPE on depressive symptoms via anhedonia over time. One-hundred ninety-six participants completed three waves of questionnaires over a total timespan of approximately four months via Amazon's Mechanical Turk, including measures of FPE, depressive symptoms, and anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia. Findings indicated that anticipatory anhedonia at Time 2 mediated the relationship between FPE at Time 1 and depressive symptoms at Time 3. Consummatory anhedonia, however, did not. Each model was contextualised by accounting for prospective covarying relationships, such as depressive symptoms predicting the same symptoms at later waves. The constellation of findings is considered within a reward devaluation framework.


Unicellular algae are excellent organisms in which to study the formation of cell shape. The desmid, Micrasterias, is particularly suited for experimental studies of cytomorphogenesis because of its large size, its mode of cell division, and especially, its characteristic highly lobed shape (FIGURE I). Most investigations to date have focused on the external cell architecture, specifically on problems concerning the growth of the cell wall, leading to the formation of these characteristic lobes. By different treatments, e.g., centrifugation 30 irradiation.v13. H. 27. 35 and osmotic changes.t"10. 2~ cytomorphogenesis can be modified, and from the resulting growth aberrations, conclusions can be drawn about the factors operating during normal cell development. In Micrasterias and other desmids not only is the formation of the external shape of special interest, but also the establishment of the intracellular organisation. Internal architecture of many desmids is manifested by an elaborate shape of the chloroplast.t~ by patterned distribution of vacuoles.!" and by the fixing of the nucleus in a central position. Unfortunately, very little is known about factors controlling intracellular patterning. The aim of this article is to give a short review on recent morphogenetic experiments and electron microscopic investigations on Micrasterias. Cytoplasmatic factors, in particular the role of the cortical protoplasm, the distribution of various subcellular components, and the turgor pressure for the establishment of form are discussed; but no attempt has been madc to discuss questions on the relationship of morphogenesis and nuclear (genetic) factors. These problems have been reviewed in detail in papers by Waris and Kallio 30 and Green," to which the reader is referred.


The purpose of auditing is to improve clinical practice, but there is little point in auditing the management of a single patient or a series of patients unless the correct management has been established. Auditing should involve comparing case management with a standard and should not be based on individual opinion. This review considers how standards for auditing of coronary artery surgery and angiography can be defined, and it describes recent publications of different types that potential auditors should consider before beginning their task. These publications include series of patients, registers, committee statements, and ratings of "appropriateness.


The original Linda model of coordination has always been attractive due primarily to its simplicity, but also due to the model's other strong features of orthogonality, and the spatialand temporaldecoupling of concurrent processes. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in the Linda coordination model, particularly in the Java community. We believe that the simplicity of this model still has much to offer, but that there are still challenges in overcoming the performance issues inherent in the Linda approach, and extending the range of applications to which it is suited. Our prior work has focused on mechanisms for generalising the input mechanisms in the Linda model, over a range of different implementation strategies. We believe that similar optimisations may be applicable to other aspects of the model, especially in the context of middleware support for components utilising web-services. The outcome of such improvements would be to provide a simple, but highly effective coordination language, that is applicable to a wide range of different application areas.


Drilling systems that use downhole rotation must react torque either through the drill-string or near the motor to achieve effective drilling performance. Problems with drill-string loading such as buckling, friction, and twist become more severe as hole diameter decreases. Therefore, for small holes, reacting torque downhole without interfering with the application of weight-on-bit, is preferred. In this paper, we present a novel mechanism that enables effective and controllable downhole weight on bit transmission and torque reaction. This scalable design achieves its unique performance through four key features: (1) mechanical advantage based on geometry, (2) direction dependent behavior using rolling and sliding contact, (3) modular scalability by combining modules in series, and (4) torque reaction and weight on bit that are proportional to applied axial force. As a result, simple mechanical devices can be used to react large torques while allowing controlled force to be transmitted to the drill bit. We outline our design, provide theoretical predictions of performance, and validate the results using full-scale testing. The experimental results include laboratory studies as well as limited field testing using a percussive hammer. These results demonstrate effective torque reaction, axial force transmission, favorable scaling with multiple modules, and predictable performance that is proportional to applied force.


The effect of bradykinin on glucose transporter translocation in isolated rat heart was compared with the effect of insulin. Hearts from male obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were perfused under normoxic conditions and constant pressure in a classic Langendorff preparation with 12 mmol/l glucose as substrate, and a set of functional parameters was measured simultaneously. Bradykinin was administered at a concentration (10−11 mmol/l) that did not increase coronary flow. Insulin was used at a concentration (8 × 10−8 mmol/1) known to maximally stimulate glucose transport in this model. After 15 min of perfusion with insulin or bradykinin, subcellular membrane fractions of the heart were prepared, and distribution of glucose transporter protein (GLUT1 and GLUT4) in fractions enriched with surface membranes (transverse tubules [TTs] and sarcolemmal membranes [PMs]) and with low-density microsomal membranes (LDMs) were determined by immunoblotting with the respective antibodies. Both glucose transporter isoforms were translocated after stimulation with insulin (increased transporter protein content in the PM+TT-enriched fraction with a concomitant decrease in the LDM-enriched fraction) and, to a smaller extent, also with bradykinin. These data suggest that in hearts of insulin-resistant obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, bradykinin interacts with or facilitates the translocation process of both GLUT1 and GLUT4.


Introduction: COVID-19 spreads quickly, especially in densely populated countries like Indonesia. Understanding transmission factors can support in reducing transmission rates. The purpose of this study is to analyze the various factors that may contribute to the transmission of COVID-19 in Indonesia, especially in the first wave of pandemic.
Methods: This was a cross sectional study design. The sample was selected from the new all record data or the database for recording COVID-19 cases at the health office at the research location by online system. The research was conducted in seven districts and cities across three provinces to obtain an overview of transmission in each regional characteristic. The number of samples was as high as 2,010, with confirmed cases and close contacts in Banda Aceh City, Aceh Besar District, Semarang City, Magelang District, Ternate City, South Halmahera District, and Tidore Islands City. Data analysis was done descriptively and were analyzed using Chi-square and logistic regression with SPSS software.
Results: The multivariate analysis shows that five dominant factors the risk of COVID-19 transmission, there are, age, employment status, activities outside the home, medical history, and vaccination status. Age group of 20-39 years (odds ratio [OR]=1.6-1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-2.71), working of employment status (OR=1.51; 95% CI 1.10-2.07), have a comorbid in medical history (OR=2.39; 95% CI 1.67-3.4), have activities outside home (OR=1.82, 95% CI 1.39-2.39), and have not been vaccinated of COVID-19 (OR=3.03; 95% CI 3.37-3.87) were significantly related with an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Conclusions: productive age, work and activities outside the home, having comorbidities, and not having received COVID-19 vaccination are all risk factors for COVID-19 exposure. Eliminating all of these factors at the same time will undoubtedly be difficult. As a result, cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to control the spread of COVID-19 at the community and individual levels, as well as to support policy interventions to accelerate the elimination of COVID-19 cases.


PURPOSE
To evaluate possible differences in the prevalence of clinically detectable foveal lesions between patients with type 1 and type 2 Usher's syndrome.

METHODS
Records of 48 patients with type 1 and 98 patients with type 2 Usher's syndrome were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of a foveal lesion. The age, gender, and racial distribution of patients were similar in the two subtypes. Two investigators reviewed fundus photographs from all patients and, when available, fluorescein angiograms.

RESULTS
In the 48 patients with type 1 Usher's syndrome, 30 (62%) showed a clinically apparent atrophic- or cystic-appearing foveal lesion, whereas in the 98 patients with type 2 Usher's syndrome, 33 (34%) had either an atrophic- or a cystic-appearing foveal lesion. Logistic regression analysis showed that the probability of exhibiting a foveal lesion in both type 1 and type 2 Usher's syndrome increases with age and that patients with type 1 Usher's syndrome are more likely to have a foveal lesion than are patients with type 2 Usher's syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with type 1 Usher's syndrome show a greater probability of having either an atrophic- or cystic-appearing foveal lesion than do patients with type 2 Usher's syndrome. This higher prevalence of foveal lesions is consistent with a previous observation that the severity of visual acuity impairment with age is greater for patients with type 1 than type 2 Usher's syndrome. These data are useful in counseling such patients as to their prognosis for central visual function.


The existence of giant planets on wide orbits ($\stackrel{>}{_\sim }100\rm ~AU$) challenge planet formation theories; the core accretion scenario has difficulty in forming them, whereas the disc instability model forms an overabundance of them that is not seen observations. We perform N-body simulations investigating the effect of close stellar encounters (≤1200 AU) on systems hosting wide-orbit giant planets and the extent at which such interactions may disrupt the initial wide-orbit planet population. We find that the effect of an interaction on the orbit of a planet is stronger for high-mass, low-velocity perturbers, as expected. We find that due to just a single encounter there is a $\sim 17~{{\%}}$ chance that the wide-orbit giant planet is liberated in the field, a $\sim 10~{{\%}}$ chance it is scattered significantly outwards, and a $\sim 6~{{\%}}$ chance it is significantly scattered inwards. Moreover, there is a $\sim 21~{{\%}}$ chance that its eccentricity is excited to e>0.1, making it more prone to disruption in subsequent encounters. The results strongly suggest that the effect of even a single stellar encounter is significant in disrupting the primordial wide-orbit giant planet population; in reality the effect will be even more prominent, as in a young star-forming region more such interactions are expected to occur. We conclude that the low occurrence rate of wide-orbit planets revealed by observational surveys does not exclude the possibility that such planetary systems are initially abundant, and therefore the disc-instability model may be a plausible scenario for their formation.


The decision to amputate or reconstruct after high-energy foot injuries is controversial. A 25-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic with a complex injury to his left foot sustained during a mine explosion, and the second to fifth digits and metatarsals of the left foot had been traumatically amputated before admission to our facility. The complex left foot defect was reconstructed with an osteocutaneous fibula flap during a single session. An osteotomy was performed on the bone segment of the flap, and both lateral longitudinal and transverse arches were repaired. Both aesthetic and functional outcomes were very satisfactory, including independent ambulation, light jogging, and full performance of activities of daily living without limitation. Many factors, including comorbidities, should be considered during the decision-making process of amputating or reconstructing complex foot injuries.


The present work provides hydrochemical and stable isotope data and their interpretations for 54 springs and 20 wells, monitored from 2002 to 2006, in the Southern Latium region of Central Italy to identify flow paths, recharge areas and hydrochemical processes governing the evolution of groundwater in this region. The hydrogeological conceptual model of the carbonate aquifers of southern Latium was based on environmental isotopic and hydrochemical investigation techniques to characterize and model these aquifer systems with the aim of achieving proper management and protection of these important resources. Most of the spring samples, issuing from Lepini, Ausoni and Aurunci Mts., are characterized as Ca-Mg-HCO3 water type, however, some samples show a composition of Na-Cl and mixed Ca-Na-HCO3-Cl waters. Groundwater samples from Pontina Plain are mostly characterized by Na-Cl and Ca-Cl type waters. Geochemical modeling and saturation index computation of the Lepini, Ausoni Aurunci springs and Pontina Plain wells shows an interaction with carbonate rocks. Most of the spring and well water samples were saturated with respect to calcite and dolomite, however all sampled waters were undersaturated with respect to gypsum and halite. The relationship between δ18O and δ2H, for spring and well water samples, shows shifts of both the slope and the deuterium excess when compared to the world meteoric (WMWL) and central Italy meteoric (CIMWL) water lines. The deviation of data points from the meteoric lines can be attributed to evaporation both during the falling of the rain and by run-off on the ground surface before infiltration. Most springs and wells have a deuterium excess above 10 ‰ suggesting the precipitation in the groundwater comes from the Mediterranean sector. On the basis of local isotopic gradients, in combination with topographic and geologic criteria, four recharge areas were identified in the Aurunci Mountains. In Pontina Plain, the elevations of the recharging areas suggest that the Lepini carbonate aquifers are feeding them.


Indian medical associations say their doctors desperately need continuing medical education (CME) to keep them up to date with the latest drugs, equipment and medical practices but legislation to make this a requirement has made little progress. The Medical Council of India is campaigning for CME to be made compulsory, as it is in the UK and some US states, for the country's 615 000 registered doctors and has proposed a draft amendment to a law that would standardize medical practice across the country while making sure it is up to date with the latest developments. If passed into law, mandatory CME for registered doctors in India could set a precedent for other developing countries but some Indian doctors say their medical associations have failed to lobby hard enough for this and lawmakers have been slow to respond. "There is resistance to change by [health] professionals who lack the opportunity for undergoing good quality CME, and lack incentives as well as motivation for attending CME programmes," said Dr P.T. Jayawickramarajah, Coordinator at the WHO's Regional Office for South-East Asia in New Delhi. Other doctors in India fear that without CME courses, lack of up-to-date knowledge can endanger lives and perpetuate out-moded practices. Umesh Kakrania of SPARSH, a support group for people with HIV/AIDS, said that many Indian doctors were still recommending single or double anti-retrovirals rather than triple combinations which are standard. "Several premature deaths have occurred due to this sad situation," Kakrania said. Kakrania said that many doctors, paramedical and nursing staff in India still suffered from the "anti-AIDS phobia" of the past and urgently needed to improve their basic medical education. He said many medical staff still refuse to touch HIV positive patients. Dr Shekhar Saxena, an Indian physician who works at WHO in Geneva, said that enacting a legislation to make CME mandatory is a necessary but not sufficient requirement for delivering quality knowledge and skills to practicing doctors in India. "Allocation of substantial funds and professional resources will be needed to really make the system work and it is important that pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to dictate this agenda based on their financial power," said Saxena. Despite the lack of legal incentive for doctors to attend regular refresher courses, CME has been catching on in India over the last three years partly due to the efforts of regional medical associations. Dr Puneet Bedi, a gynaecologist in Delhi, however, believes that doctors' attitudes will change as more doctors in India realize they must keep up to date with the latest medical practice, but progress is slow. "We are moving extremely slowly in promoting CME," said Dr B.V. Adkoli of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. The Delhi Medical Council, which represents 24 000 doctors in the capital, made it mandatory two years ago for members to complete 100 hours of CME every five years before they can re-register as doctors. CME programmes have also been held in Belgaum, Mangalore, Madurai, Manipal and Tirunelveli in the south, Dharamshala, Aligarh and Muzaffarnagar in the north, Bhopal, Nagpur and Jaipur in the west and Cuttack, Patna and Guwahati in the east but doctors in many rural areas are still missing out as they have little or no access to such courses. …


We analyze data from 580 continuous global positioning system (GPS) stations in California to quantify differences in published velocity estimates from five analysis centers. Horizontal and vertical rates for individual stations can differ up to 5 mm/yr, with systematic differences in some areas comparable to deformation rates. Published velocity uncertainties vary between analysis centers and are systematically underreported in the horizontal relative to empirical uncertainties calculated from the scatter of analysis center velocities. In the vertical, published velocity uncertainties are both over and underreported and vary more widely between centers. An interpolated ensemble vertical velocity field shows high‐subsidence regions in the Central Valley and Salton Trough have the largest empirical uncertainties, while station density has a modest impact on uncertainties. Applications that rely on subcentimeter GPS accuracy should consider the possibility that formal errors published with velocity rate estimates understate true velocity uncertainties in both the horizontal and vertical.


The resonant Raman scattering cross section from Yb and Ta was measured at incident photon energies close to the LIII absorption edge using synchrotron radiation. Assuming a constant density of final electron states the cross section has a simple dependence on the inner-shell hole width Gamma , which yielded values of 5.3 eV and 5.7 eV for Yb and Ta LIII-shell hole widths, respectively. The error analysis gives an estimated accuracy of +or- 0.2 eV. The present values together with a previous Ho result are slightly but systematically larger than the theoretical ones for the LIII-shell hole widths.


Nucleosomes, the basic building block of chromatin, regulate the accessibility of the transcription machinery to DNA. Recent studies have revealed that the nucleosome's spontaneous, thermally driven positional dynamics are modulated by different factors, and exploited by the cell as a regulatory mechanism. In particular, enrichment of mobile nucleosomes at the promoters of genes suggests that the mobility of nucleosomes may affect the ability of transcription factors to bind DNA. However, a quantitative model describing the effect nucleosome mobility on the effective affinity of transcription factors is lacking. We present here a simple equilibrium model that captures the essence of the effect, and show that modulation of the nucleosome's mobility can be a potent and versatile regulator of transcription factor binding.


The investigation dealt with in the present paper forms part of a more extended inquiry into the various spectra of silicon which has been in progress during several years. The work was undertaken in the first instance in the hope pf reaching a more complete physical explanation of instance in the hope of reaching a more complete physical explanation of the stellar spectra in which the different classes of silicon lines make their appearance. Lockyer and his assistants had already shown that certain lines, which successively appeared in laboratory experiments as the energy of excitation was increased, were corresponding represented in the spectra of stars following each other in order of increasing temperature. Four groups of silicon lines were thus recognised, namely :- Group I. λλ 3905.8, 4103.2 (Arc lines). Group II. λλ3853.9, 3856.1, 3862.7, 4128.1, 4131.1, 5042, 5057 (Spark lines). Group III. λλ4552.8, 4568.0, 4574.9 Group IV. λλ4089.1, 4116.4} (vacuum tubes). Lines of Group I occur in the solar spectrum, and in stars of types G and k; those of Group II are especially marked in stars of types F and A; while those of Groups III and IV occur in successively hotter stars of types B. It seemed that the significance of the changes in the silicon spectrum might probably be better understood if the characteristics of the series including the different groups of lines could be ascertained. Bohr's theory had already given a completely satisfactory explanation. Bohr's theory had already given a completely satisfactory explanation of the change from subsequent work by the enhanced spectrum in the case of helium, and held for the enhanced (spark) spectra of the alkaline earth elements. These investigations had shown that, in passing from arc to spark lines, the series constant was changed from Rydberg's N to 4N, and the theory indicated the possibility of other types of series in which the series constant might take the still higher values, 9N, 16N, and so on. The stellar observations thus suggested silicon as a promising element in the search for these higher types of series. Stellar spectra, however, cannot be observed over a wide enough range for the investigation of series relationships, and more extended laboratory observations were therefore necessary.


In this study, an item response theory-based differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) framework (N. S. Raju, W. J. van der Linden, & P. F. Fleer, 1995) was applied to a Likert-type scale. Several differential item functioning (DIF) analyses compared the item characteristics of a 10-item satisfaction scale for Black and White examinees and for female and male examinees. F. M. Lord's (1980) chi-square and the extended signed area (SA) measures were also used. The results showed that the DFIT indices consistently performed in the expected manner. The results from Lord's chi-square and the SA procedures were somewhat varied across comparisons. A discussion of these results along with an illustration of an item with significant DIF and suggestions for future DIF research are presented.


Introduction: As a party to the World Health Organization Framework of Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), Malaysia has introduced steps in the control of tobacco use in public places through its smokefree legislation (SFL). Objective: The purpose of this review is to briefly summarise the implementation of SFL in Malaysia, the efforts from every angle of the community and to address the gaps and new challenges faced in ensuring the effectiveness of this well-constructed legislation. Results: Well-structured and positive commitments in protecting the public from the health hazards of smoking and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure have been shown by the Malaysian government. However, the level of compliance is an area of concern. Since e-cigarettes have been introduced to the market, it brings along new challenges in the implementation of the current SFL. Thus, treating e-cigarettes in the same manner with conventional cigarettes will help to maintain the strength of the current SFL and allowing the authority to focus on the enforcement for the successfulness of the implementation. Conclusions: Malaysia has taken a proactive action in protecting its people from the adverse effects from tobacco. The compliance level to SFL implementation thus far was unable to show its positive effects in protecting the health of the public. Empowering the local authority in its ability to perform enforcement is suggested to help improve the effectiveness of the existing SFL.


ESR and laser flash photolysis studies have determined a reasonable order of reactivity of nucleotides with triplet riboflavin (^3Rb^*) for the first time. ESR detection of triplet state reactivity of Rb with nucleoside, polynucleotide and DNA has been obtained simultaneously. In addition, ESR spin elimination measurement of the reactivity of ^3Rb^* with nucleotides in good accord with laser flash photolysis determination of the corresponding rate constants offers a simple and reliable method to detect the reactivities of nucleic acids and its components with photoexcited flavins. Kinetic, ESR and thermodynamic studies have demonstrated that Rb should be a strong endogenous photosensitizer capable of oxidizing all nucleic acid bases, and preferentially two purine nucleotides with high rate constants.


Toxic and nutritional optic neuropathies both present clinically with symmetric progressive bilateral vision loss, decreased color vision, central or cecocentral scotomas on formal visual field testing, and no relative afferent pupillary defect because of the symmetric nature of optic nerve involvement. In most cases, vision loss progresses over months rather than days to weeks, and vision decreases slowly. A thorough history is crucial to make a diagnosis. Specifically, exposure to drugs, alcohol and tobacco use, dietary intake, and occupational background should be investigated in any patient presenting with the bilateral symmetric slow visual loss.Early in the disease, optic nerves usually appear normal or, on occasion, slightly hyperemic. Continued exposure to a toxic substance or nutrient deficiency would cause the slow appearance of bilateral temporal optic disc pallor due to the injury of ganglion cell axons specifically in the papillomacular nerve fiber bundle. This would eventually lead to the diffuse pallor of the optic disc. If an obvious visual field defect is not shown on routine 30-2 perimetry, central 10-2 perimetry will demonstrate central or cecocentral scotomas.


Since tumor growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and its receptor are ubiquitously expressed and because latent TGF-beta cannot bind to the cell surface receptor, the ability of a cell to activate latent TGF-beta upon secretion represents an important regulatory mechanism of TGF-beta action. In vivo, the protease plasmin is considered to be one of the main enzymes operative in the proteolytic cleavage of the latency-associated peptide moiety from TGF-beta, which converts it into the biologically active form. The TGF-beta response was characterized in alveolar macrophages during pulmonary inflammation (d 3) and fibrosis (d 120) induced by a single intratracheal instillation of silica particles (5 mg/mouse). To appreciate the role of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) in the activation of TGF-beta, the production of total, active and latent TGF-beta by explanted alveolar macrophages was compared in uPA-deficient (uPA-/-) mice and their normal counterparts (uPA+/+). At d 3 and 120 after silica treatment, a significant increase in cell-associated PA activity was found in uPA+/+ mice compared to that of saline controls. As expected, this response was almost totally absent in uPA-/- mice. Alveolar macrophages from uPA+/+ controls were found to release TGF-beta mainly expressed in a biologically active form. In response to silica treatment, inflammatory cells were found to upregulate, especially at the fibrotic stage, their secretion of total and bioactive TGF-beta. No significant difference was found between uPA-/- and uPA+/+ silica-treated animals for the expression of total, active, or latent TGF-beta. Although it has previously been reported that macrophage surface activation of TGF-beta is dependent on both plasmin generation and uPA cell surface receptor, no evidence was found to support this hypothesis in the present study.


Since the effective control of environmental crime requires more than the detection, prosecution and punishment of polluters, this volume calls for a more expansive conception of environmental crime control which would harness a wide variety of institutions and influences in improving environmental performance. It introduces four basic strategies for the prevention of environmental harm, providing illustrations for each. This includes: information, self regulation, commercial influences, and rewards. Each chapter contains brief summaries of specific products, programs or initiatives which illustrate the strategies in question.


Using a national sample of Mexican Americans, the authors developed structural equation models of the effects of four eighth-grade latent variables on educational expectations assessed 6 years later. Models for Mexican American women and men did not differ from one another. The latent variable, parents' influences, had a strong positive effect on educational expectations at late adolescence. Parents' influences dominated the effects of the other latent independent variables, socioeconomic status, eighth-grade achievement test scores, and self-perceptions. The four eighth-grade latent variables explained 41% of the variability in educational expectations at late adolescence. The findings reveal consistencies and inconsistencies with previous research findings and models.


This study aims to analyze whether there is a relationship between the level of love of money, ethical reasoning, Machiavellian on questionable actions in accounting students to ethical decision making in accounting violations by gender moderation. The samples were taken by using the method of data collection is called purposive sampling. The samples used as many as 30 respondents. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis techniques PLS (Partial Least Square) via software SmartPLS. The results of this study indicated that there is a relationship between the level of  love of money on accounting students to ethical reasoning and Machiavellian level as well as the relationship between ethical reasoning and Machiavellian against questionable action. The results also showed that the action of questionable actions also affect how accounting students make ethical decisions accounting violations. However, gender differences between male and female accounting students do not moderate the relationship between the love of money, ethical reasoning, Machiavellian, and questionable actions.


The objective of the studies included a complex of three reservoirs (upper, middle and lower Arturówek) which play an important recreational role for the residents of the Łódź city and the surrounding areas. The reservoirs were constructed on the Bzura River and are located in the area of the Łódź Hills Landscape Park. The river, the ecological status of which was defined as moderate, has a great influence on the quality of water in the Arturówek reservoirs. A total of 36 planktonic samples were collected in 2011-2013 during spring, summer and autumn seasons. During the studies, the selected physical and chemical parameters were measured. In addition to taxonomic analysis of Cyanobacteria and algae, the analyses of abundance and biomass of phytoplankton and the concentration of microcystins in water were conducted. In 2013, ecohydrological rehabilitation of the Arturówek reservoirs was carried out. Investment works included: removal of the bottom sediments to reduce internal loads, construction of buffer vegetation zones (ecotones) and sedimentation-biofiltration systems to reduce the amounts of pollutants flowing into reservoirs with rainwater. Significant changes in the structure of phytoplankton were observed in 2013. Every year, the disappearance of Cyanobacterial blooms was observed in favor of an increasing contribution of algae.


The typical management systems used to address the issue of operating risk centre around technologies that identify, analyse and evaluate the risk factors. Logical systems such as HAZOPs, Fault Tree Analyses, etc rely too heavily on technical considerations and process flow analysis. However, several research projects, across industries and countries have clearly shown that up to 80% 'operating risk' is determined by the actions of workers, supervisors and managers. Yet, most of the focus of risk management is on the technical and procedural issues. This suggests that a significant imbalance exists in our management systems and that industries are unlikely to show significant improvement on current levels of safety performance. Effective risk management must include the intangible elements of the organisation psychology towards risk. A practical and theoretically sound approach has been researched and developed in and for the mining industry. This paper the approach and methodologies applied in the Cosmos Howley Gold Mine in the northern Territory, where an inclusive approach to managing financial and operating risk was followed. The Cosmos Howley Mine showed a dramatic reduction in its lost time injuries and improvement in financial indices providing conclusive evidence of the link between management effectiveness, safety, and productivity. This 'triangle' has often been the subject of speculation theory. It is demonstrated in this paper how the management team of Cosmo Howley focused their practices and systems on the improvement of organizational dynamics, ensured tangible and clear focus on parameters of costs and safety and how the improvement process was managed. It is concluded that the improvement process did not require a 'major re-engineering' of the organisation. The organisations culture changes that occurred were incremental, planned an effective. It entailed the implementation of sound risk management methodologies, and ensured that a significant emphasis was placed on an aspect that is defined as 'organisational dynamics.


A new model of Genetic Programming with variable size population is presented in this paper and applied to the reconstruction of target functions in dynamic environments (i.e. problems where target functions change with time). The suitability of this model is tested on a set of benchmarks based on some well known symbolic regression problems. Experimental results confirm that our variable size population model finds solutions of the same quality as the ones found by standard Genetic Programming, but with a smaller amount of computational effort.


Abstract In the last few decades many formal systems of fuzzy logics have been developed. Since the main differences between fuzzy and classical logics lie at the propositional level, the fuzzy predicate logics have developed more slowly (compared to the propositional ones). In this text we aim to promote interest in fuzzy predicate logics by contributing to the model theory of fuzzy predicate logics. First, we generalize the completeness theorem, then we use it to get results on conservative extensions of theories and on witnessed models.


The importance of online learning in higher education settings is growing, not only in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, metrics to evaluate and increase the quality of online instruction are crucial for improving student learning. Whereas instructional quality is traditionally evaluated with course observations or student evaluations, course syllabi offer a novel approach to predict course quality even prior to the first day of classes. This study develops an online course design characteristics rubric for science course syllabi. Utilizing content analysis, inductive coding, and deductive coding, we established four broad high-quality course design categories: course organization, course objectives and alignment, interpersonal interactions, and technology. Additionally, this study exploratively applied the rubric on 11 online course syllabi (N = 635 students) and found that these design categories explained variation in student performance.


The Dutch mathematician and engineer Simon Stevin (1548–1620) wrote a political handbook, Vita Politica (1590), in which he provided essential guidance for civic life amid the religious and political turbulence of the Eighty Years War. Descartes was certainly influenced by Stevin in mathematics, and this paper examines the possibility that some aspects of Stevin's political thought influenced Descartes in his formulation of the provisional morality in the Discourse on Method. The evidence is circumstantial, but the intellectual affinity between Stevin and Descartes is striking nonetheless. In any case, given Stevin's importance in the emergence of the mathematical science of nature, his political thought deserves more consideration than it customarily receives from those interested in early modern philosophy. Some apology seems appropriate for drawing attention to a nearly forgotten political handbook written by a mostly unheard-of Dutch mathematician and engineer. Simon Stevin (1548–1620)—adviser and tutor of Prince Maurice of Nassau, quartermaster of the Dutch Republic's army, and founder of a school of engineering affiliated with Leiden University—is today most influential though hardly well known for developing and popularizing rules for calculating fractions with Arabic numerals in positional, decimal form. Stevin's interest in practical mathematics led him to encourage artisans (surveyors, tapestry merchants, wine gaugers, and so on) to use decimal divisions of their various units in order to ease calculations and commerce.1 1 See D. J. Struik's introduction to De Thiende in vol. II-A of The Principal Works of Simon Stevin, 5 vols., ed. E. Crone, E. Dijksterhuis, R. J. Forbes, M. G. J. Minnaert, and A. Pannekoek (Amsterdam: Swets & Zeitlinger, 1955–1966); available online. Subsequent references to The Principal Works will be identified by PW together with a volume and page number. 2 1 6 I n t e r p r e t a t i o n Volume 43 / Issue 2 His related works on arithmetic reveal a conception of numbers and of their relation to material nature that earned him a place in Jacob Klein's narrative recounting the origin of modern symbolic mathematics.2 Accordingly, Stevin's thought mainly interests those who study science and mathematics in early modernity. And yet Stevin did not write in naive innocence of the political and human meaning of his intellectual labors. The vast majority of Stevin's writings were not thematically political, even though they often served Prince Maurice's interests directly or indirectly. Obviously, Stevin's works dealing with commerce, hydrostatics, navigation, fortifications, and so on yielded advantages to the emerging Dutch republic, but Stevin thought of his mathematical work also in practical terms. In fact, he operated with an explicit understanding of theoretical science as integrated with practice. His views in this area may lack the complexity of their Baconian and Cartesian counterparts, but Stevin nonetheless embraced a characteristically modern humanitarian view of science: "The property and the end of theory is that it furnishes a sure foundation for the method of practical operation, in which, by closer and more painstaking care one may get as near to the perfection of the theory as the purpose of the matter requires for the benefit of man."3 In another passage, he compares theoreticians to people who cut down trees: "But if he were to cut down those trees to let them rot, without expecting any benefit of them, that would be acting foolishly."4 Thus, his mathematical and engineering writings serve political goals rather directly,5 but this does not necessarily mean he envisions a comprehensive scientific-political project comparable to that of modernity's philosophical founders. Still, Stevin's work shows remarkable affinity with that of Bacon and Descartes, and given Stevin's importance in the emergence of the 2 Jacob Klein, Greek Mathematical Thought and the Origin of Algebra, trans. Eva Brann (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1968). 3 Stevin, "Vant Menghen der Spiegheling en Daet" [On theory mixed with practice], in Wisconstighe Ghedachtenissen [Mathematical memoirs]; see PW III, 619. For the humanitarian character of modernity, see Richard Kennington, "Descartes and Mastery of Nature," in Organism, Medicine, and Metaphysics, ed. Stuart F. Spicker (Dordrecht: Reidel, 1978), 201–23.


Lumbar disk herniations occur frequently and are often associated with leg pain, weakness, and paresthesias. Fortunately, the natural outcomes of radiculopathy due to a disk herniation are generally favorable, and the vast majority of patients improve with nonoperative care. Surgical intervention is reserved for patients who have significant pain that is refractory to at least 6 weeks of conservative care, patients who have a severe or progressive motor deficit, or patients who have any symptoms of bowel or bladder dysfunction. This paper reviews the preoperative and postoperative considerations, as well as the surgical technique, for a microdiscectomy for a lumbar intervertebral disk herniation.


This paper has presented a quantitative/stochastic research approach to aspects of a psychotherapy with an HIV-positive patient. The Box-Jenkins (ARIMA) method for time-series analysis was applied to the duration of speaker roles for a single male patient in his first three sessions with a male therapist. The results indicate a definitive underlying stochastic structure of order (1, 1, 1). This indicates that the sequence of speaker durations was nonstationary (chaotic), while the rate at which the sequence changed (velocity) showed a clear structure reflecting the influence on the system of the prior state, and of the prior and present shocks. The histograms of the frequency of utterances of varying time lengths revealed a second deep structure through the emergence of an exponential characteristic of a Poisson model. The Poisson rate constants--a measure of interruption and holding tendencies--were stable across interviews. Intervention analysis identified epochs in each interview that significantly altered the progression of the time series. A qualitative investigation of these periods of destabilization suggested that sudden allusions to highly charged topics, including the likelihood of a fatal outcome of the patient's illness, and especially unconscious criticisms of the therapist by the patient, created a large share of these interludes. Finally, there is a discussion of the limitations and implications of these findings, including a comparison with similar analyses for 6 psychotherapy consultation sessions.


ABSTRACT Retreating glaciers are a consequence of a warming climate. Thus, numerous monitoring campaigns are being carried out to increase understanding of this on-going process. One phenomenon related to dynamic glacial changes is glacier-induced seismicity; however, weak seismic events are difficult to record due to the sparse seismological network in arctic areas. We have developed an automatic procedure capable of detecting glacier-induced seismic events using records from a single permanent seismological station. To distinguish between glacial and non-glacial signals, we developed a fuzzy logic algorithm based on the signal frequency and energy flow analysis. We studied the long-term changes in glacier-induced seismicity in Hornsund (southern Spitsbergen) and in Kongsfjorden (western Spitsbergen). We found that the number of detected glacial-origin events in the Hornsund dataset over the years 2013-14 has doubled. In the Kongsfjorden dataset, we observed a steady increase in the number of glacier-induced events with each year. We also observed that the seasonal event distribution correlates best with 1 month lagged temperatures, and that extreme rain events can intensify seismic emissions. Our study demonstrates the possibility of using long-term seismological observations from a single permanent station to automatically monitor the dynamic activity of nearby glaciers and retrieve its characteristic features.


Background:
South Africa has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world and high
contraceptive use among women aged 15–49 (65.3%). Family planning (FP) services
remain a missed opportunity to integrate services for HIV. Recent reviews highlighted the
lack of rigorously conducted studies of the effectiveness of integrated services. A cluster
randomised trial (CRT) was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a model of
integrating HIV into FP services compared with standard practice. The study sought to
measure the effect of integrated services (Balanced Counselling Strategy Plus) on HIV
testing in the previous year; use of dual protection and quality of HIV and FP care.
Methods:
A CRT was conducted in 12 clinics in North West province, South Africa. Structured clientprovider
observations (CPOs) and client exit interviews (EIs) were conducted preintervention
and one year later with FP clients aged >=18 years. Primary outcomes were
condom use at last sex and testing for HIV in last year. The quality of care scores were
constructed to assess HIV and FP quality of care. Analysis of effectiveness used statistical
methods for CRTs.
Findings:
A total of 1,111 CPOs and 1,111 EIs were completed at baseline and 1,223 CPOs and
1,264 EIs at follow-up. At follow-up 33.2% of women in the intervention arm had tested for
HIV in the last year compared with 21.4% in the control arm; RR=1.56 (95%CI: 1.13– 2.15;
p=0.01). Condom use at last sex was 43.7% in the intervention arm and 39.4% in the
control arm; RR=1.10 (95%CI: 0.85–1.43; p=0.14).
Interpretation
There was strong evidence of higher frequency of HIV testing among FP clients at
intervention clinics. However, condom use at last sex was similar across intervention and
control arms. All QOC scores were higher in intervention clinics, but there was substantial
variation across clinics and these differences were not significant.


Abstract This paper is a conceptual exploration of the dimensions of the contemporary politics of informal economies, from the vantage point of collective organising by 'informal workers'. It inquires into the formation of the political subjectivities and collective identities of informal actors. The importance of the relations between their organisations and other organised actors is illustrated with a discussion of emerging alliances with trade unions. The transnational scales of collective organising by 'informal workers' are addressed. The paper suggests an analytical approach that takes account of the diversity of organised actors, of a variety of governing powers and of the various spatial scales of social struggle involved in the politics of informal livelihoods today. The reflections are informed by the considerable social and economic differentiation contained in informal economies and emphasise the importance of the great diversity of actors, positions, agendas and identities for understanding the complex and contingent politics of informality. Empirical illustrations are drawn from the African continent, but the discussions in the paper address wider trends and theoretical debates of relevance for other developing regions.


In the two decades since the term "social neuroscience" was first used (Cacioppo & Berntson, 1992), social and personality psychologists have increasingly and enthusiastically adopted neuroscience methods including neuroimaging, endocrinology, and peripheral physiological measurement to address social psychological questions. The number of Google hits for the phrase "social neuroscience" rose from 393 in 2001 to 290,000 in 2011, and from 6 to 946,000 for the phrase "social cognitive neuroscience" across the same period. There are now two societies for social neuroscience, each with its own journal. As of 2012, more than 60 labs around the world identify themselves with social neuroscience, social cognitive neuroscience, or social-affective neuroscience, using neuroimaging to inform social psychological theories on such topics as self-knowledge, theory of mind, mentalizing, emotion regulation, empathy, and implicit attitudes (Lieberman, 2012). Despite its increasing popularity, there remains a gap in the level of methodological knowledge between those who practice social neuroscience and those who comprise a large part of the intended audience but are not active researchers in the field, namely socialpersonality psychologists. This may be in part because the rapid and recent development of the field has outpaced changes in doctoral curricula and faculty hiring in psychology departments. In our experience, doctoral students, postdocs, and faculty alike in social and personality psychology are interested in social neuroscience and optimistic about its use to further psychological theory. They just may not have had the chance to learn about its methods in sufficient detail to be informed consumers or to integrate neuroscience into their own research. Our aim here is to provide a concise and up-to-date description of neuroimaging methods used by social neuroscientists – particularly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) – for an audience of social and personality psychologists. This chapter is not meant to be a comprehensive "how to" guide for practitioners, but rather a "what, how, and why" guide for consumers of social neuroscience research, particularly graduate students and faculty in psychology and related fields who are curious about but unfamiliar with the methods. For more comprehensive guides, we recommend Methods in Social Neuroscience (Harmon-Jones & Beer, 2009) for an overview of various methods, as well as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Huettel, Song, & McCarthy, 2009) and Handbook of Functional MRI Data Analysis (Poldrack, Mumford, & Nichols, 2011) for the details of fMRI acquisition and analysis, respectively. For an in depth discussion of EEG methods, we recommend An Introduction to the Event-Related Potential Technique (Luck, 2005). We focus on fMRI and EEG because they are the main neuroimaging modalities for social and affective neuroscience. Although we do not explicitly cover other modalities that are also commonly used, such as structural MRI (sMRI; Mechelli, Price, Friston, & Ashburner, 2005) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS; Hallett, 2007), we note that many of the conceptual issues that we discuss with respect to fMRI and EEG are also applicable to these and other imaging modalities (e.g., positron emission tomography). This chapter reviews two methods in the context of eight conceptual questions in social neuroscience.


Introduction Are you thinking about conducting a cluster randomised trial (CRT) but feel unsure about what design issues you must consider? Do you read published CRTs and wonder if they were properly conducted? If so, this workshop is for you. Background CRTs involve the random allocation of existing groups of individuals to intervention and control groups. They are particularly suited to group-level interventions commonly used for injury prevention, such as mass media campaigns or clinic- or school-based education. However, CRTs are more complex to design, implement and analyse than are individually randomised trials. Investigators must understand these complexities to successfully design and conduct CRTs. Objectives After this 90-min interactive workshop, participants will be able to: Justify use of a CRT design. Decide who should consent to participation, when additional input from cluster members is required, and how to address refusals and withdrawals. Address risks for selection, attention, dilution and information bias unique to CRTs. Identify an appropriate intracluster correlation coefficient and apply it to sample size estimation. Recognise the need to take clustering into account in data analysis. Approach Workshop coordinators will provide brief overviews of key methodological concepts. Participants will work in small groups, facilitated by workshop coordinators, to apply these concepts to trials proposed by participants and facilitators, or already published. An easy-to-use spreadsheet for estimating required sample size will be provided. Several laptops will be available; each participant is encouraged to bring a laptop and an idea for a CRT.


PURPOSE: To obtain the subject compsn. containing tetrafluoroethane and a specific random polyalkylene glycol and showing compatibility within a wide use temp. range. CONSTITUTION: The objective compsn. contains tetrafluoroethane and/or pentafluoroethane (A) and a random polyalkylene glycol (B) being difunctional with respect to a hydroxyl group and constituted of 25-75% of ethylene oxide and 75-25% of propylene oxide and having SUS viscosity of 100-1200 at 100°F having compatibility with respect to the component A at -40 to 20°C and used in an amt. sufficient to provide lubricity. As a suitable example of the component A, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane are designated. COPYRIGHT: (C)1991,JPO


Author(s): Biddle-Snead, Charles | Advisor(s): El-Samad, Hana | Abstract: Complex systems of numerous interacting biomolecules dictate cellular behavior. To better understand how these systems operate in aggregate, computational models of these systems may be constructed, aligned with experimental data and analyzed to reveal high-order system functionality and produce hypotheses for further experimentation. Different model frameworks offer trade-offs in terms of scale and detail; here, to capture quantitative details of single-cell gene expression data, and to gain insight into the systems generating that data, we use dynamic biochemical reaction networks (BRN) represented by systems ordinary differential equations (ODE). At this scale, challenges arise from both the ODE model framework and the detailed properties of the modeled systems. On the model side, difficulty stems from lack of knowledge of model parameters, their relative certainty when estimated, and from disentangling the often complex relationship between model structure and function. On the system side, behavior is impacted from the small scale details of biomolecular physics as well as the larger scale cellular context in which a system of interest operates.Here, we develop a computational framework to infer data and function constrained parameter posterior distributions and show that these distributions can be used to address challenges in both model analysis and complex system behavior. We apply these methods to models of three biochemical systems: chiefly, we studied the regulatory network controlling flexible GAL1 gene expression in yeast. Our computational approach, together with detailed experimentation, reveals the systems level basis for heterogenous, context-specifc decision making in this circuit.The proposed framework has implications for understanding and quantifying context dependence in natural biochemical networks as it arrises in cell type differentiation, tumorogenesis and elsewhere, and rational control of natural systems through multi-component therapies. Additionally, our approach is a potentially powerful one in the rational design and control of synthetic systems.


Personal-centric marketing is determined by, and therefore an indicator of, the repatronage behavioural intention. The main objective of this study was to examine the factors related to repatronage behavioural intention among apparel adult shoppers. The Theory of Planned Behaviour and 3M Model of Motivation and Personality functioned as the basis for the theoretical framework of the study. A conceptual framework was developed from the theoretical settings to identify the personal factor influences of i) elemental traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and material needs); ii) compound traits (need for activity and impulsiveness) and iii) situational traits (shopping confidence and interpersonal influence susceptibility) on repatronage behavioural intention. The study also investigated the mediating effects of shopping orientations (utilitarian shopping orientation and hedonic shopping orientation) in the relationships between Npersonal factors and repatronage behavioural intention. The moderating effect of gender was examined in the study so as to ascertain the gender differences with regard to the influences of personal factors on repatronage behavioural intention. The conceptualized model in the study was then developed into shopper typologies. A quota sampling was used to gather the data of 600 adult apparel shoppers from five shopping malls, namely, Berjaya Time Square, The Mines, Sunway Pyramid, Mid Valley Megamall and 1 Utama located in the Klang Valley in Malaysia. The selfadministered questionnaire was distributed using the store-intercept technique. There were 569 useable responses maintained for the analysis of the study. The data were statistically analyzed using descriptive analysis, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Structural Equation Modeling and hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis. It was observed that a moderate to high level of repatronage behavioural intention was identified among the Malaysian apparel adult shoppers. A relatively good fit of the model to the data was obtained in the study. There were significant linear relationships found between the traits of agreeableness, material needs, need for activity and interpersonal influence susceptibility and repatronage behavioural intention. The hedonic shopping orientation was distinguished as a mediator in the relationships between neuroticism, material needs, impulsiveness and repatronage behavioural intention. The hedonic mediating structural model showed the advancement of 59% to the direct model (46%) to explain the variance in repatronage behavioural intention. However, the utilitarian shopping orientation was not a mediator in the relationships between personal factors and repatronage behavioural intention. Moderation effect of gender showed that although male and female shoppers did not share the same regression weights in the hypothesized model, the predictors of repatronage behavioural intention functioned similarly for the two shopper groups. Based on the confirmed hypothesized model, shopper typologies of Self-confined, Apathetic Shoppers; Moderate, Pragmatic Shoppers and Confident, Enthusiastic Shoppers were constructed. This study appeared to supportthe importance of personal-centric elements, with the empirically substantiated findings alongside the theoretical rationalizations, in understanding the repatronage behavioural intention of apparel adult shoppers. This study has highlighted some implications and made recommendations to facilitate the repatronage behavioural ntention of the shoppers. The necessity for future research on the repatronage behavioural intention is also highlighted.


Dr. Omond Solandt is remembered for his significant contribution to northern scientific research. A fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America, he served as the first chairman of Defence Research Board. In 1948 he was one of the charter associates of the Arctic Institute of North America. Dr. Solandt was also selected the first chairman of the Science Council of Canada, established in 1966. In February 1963, he became president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He was also the founding chairman of the Northwest Territories Science Advisory Board and directed its affairs from 1976 to 1982. For his many years of active service to Canada and especially the north, he has received numerous honorary degrees, awards and medals.


Objectives—(a) To investigate the effects of reduced training on physical condition and performance in well trained cyclists; (b) to study whether an intermittent exercise programme would maintain physiological training adaptations more effectively than a continuous exercise programme during a period of reduced training. Methods—Twelve male cyclists participated in a 21 day training programme and were divided into two training groups. One group (age 25.3 (7) years; weight 73.3 (5.7) kg; Vo2max 58.6 (4.5) ml/kg/min; means (SD)) underwent a continuous endurance exercise training programme (CT) whereas the second group (age 22.8 (3.5) years; weight 74.1 (7.0) kg; Vo2max 59.7 (6.7) ml/kg/min) followed an intermittent endurance exercise training programme (IT). During this reduced training period, both groups trained for two hours a day, three days a week. Results—Neither group showed changes in maximal workload (Wmax) (4.6 (0.5) v 4.8 (0.5) W/kg and 4.6 (0.5) v 4.7 (0.6) W/kg for the CT and IT group respectively) and Vo2max (58.6 (4.5) v 60.1 (5.8) ml/kg/min and 59.7 (6.7) v 58.8 (7.5) ml/kg/min for the CT and IT group respectively). During the submaximal steady state exercise test, substrate use and heart rate remained unchanged after reduced training. Conclusions—These results indicate that well trained cyclists who reduce training intensity and volume for 21 days can maintain physiological adaptations, as measured during submaximal and maximal exercise. An intermittent training regimen has no advantage over a continuous training regimen during a detraining period.


Abstract Circumscriptions of Arethuseae have varied since the tribe was first described by John Lindley in 1840, containing over ninety genera among the different authors. The latest system of Arethuseae defined by Dressler, including around thirty genera, is the most commonly accepted today. The goals of this study are to assess whether Arethuseae sensu Dressler and component subtribes are monophyletic and evaluate the position(s) of Arethuseae within Orchidaceae. Sequences of two plastid genes, matK and rbcL, have been obtained for 24 representative genera of Arethuseae in Dressler's latest two taxonomic systems for the tribe, plus 46 other genera throughout Orchidaceae. Both separate and combined analyses of the matK and rbcL data indicate that the tribe may not be monophyletic, which is also true for most subtribes within Arethuseae. Furthermore, matK data suggest that this gene may be non-functional within Orchidaceae. Communicating Editor: Kathleen A. Kron


Ethanol (ETH) delays myelination in the sciatic nerve of rat following fetal exposure. It has been suggested that melatonin (MLT), a naturally occurring indole, may be a potential protective agent for ETH toxicity, possibly due to its protective effects against free radical damage in experimental models. However, the precise mechanism of MLT protection in the development of the rat sciatic nerves and their myelination is unclear. In this study, the effect of ETH, MLT and ETH+MLT on the myelin thickness, axon number and axonal area of rat sciatic nerve were investigated. Pregnant rats were injected with either 25% ETH (dosage 2g/kg body weight), 25% ETH plus MLT (dosage 2g/kg and 10 mg/kg, respectively), MLT (dosage 10 mg/kg) or physiological saline (dosage 1 ml/kg) at 7, 15 and 20 days post-conception (first, second and third trimesters, respectively). At postnatal day 14, sciatic nerves of offspring were dissected out and processed for stereological analyses. Our results demonstrated that the myelin thickness was increased by exogenous MLT, and decreased by acute ETH, during first and second trimesters. It was found that MLT was protective to developing myelin thickness following fetal exposure during the first trimester, whereas it was toxic to myelin thickness during the third trimester. The presented study is the first stereological study indicating that exogenous MLT has a toxic effect on the myelin thickness of rat sciatic nerves during the third trimester. Based on our findings, we suggested that exogenous MLT, given during the third trimester as an antioxidant agent, as well as acute ETH, given in the first and second trimesters, may alter the normal development of sciatic nerve myelination.


Formal studies about interdisciplinarity in the socio-historic context of their evolution, involve, in addition to intellectuals, investments from the economic sector. This paper uses theoretical research to identify the historic moment at which interdisciplinarity and the world of labor came together, indicating possible implications of this encounter. From this perspective, this article focuses on the interface of interdisciplinarity with the world of labor and the importance that this category acquires in this space. To do so, it initially presents a brief theoretical and historical overview of the construction and diffusion of the concept of interdisciplinarity. It then analyzes the mechanisms of this construction and the diffusion of this concept in the world of production.


These resources will help you get started with finding sources for your speaking assignments, in particular the Problem and Policy speeches.


The use of lasers in surface engineering has recently made significant progress. The hydrophobic surface is commonly studied because of the application in various fields, including vehicles, aerospace, biomedicine, etc. Since these laser methods require many combination parameters, such as laser power (P), frequency (ƒ), scan speed (ʋ) and laser beam diameter (D), the effect of the parameters must therefore be investigated to produce the hydrophobic condition. This research tries to relate the laser power with the morphological properties and contact angle of the SS316L surfaces. Samples are subjected to laser texturing with different laser power settings. The surface is then characterised by surface roughness, and the contact angle is measured according to a specific time interval. The laser power output and energy density function on the surface and contact angle were investigated in these contexts experimentally. Surface roughness was defined and validated to show that the laser parameters' effect is effective and controllable. This study shows that the laser output intensity significantly contributes to regulating surface roughness and the substrate's wetting activity. The 18W and 24W laser outputs produce a spiked surface with various peaks that cause the surface to become hydrophobic over time because of the air-trap that happens in the valley.


Urban heat island (UHI) is the phenomenon that temperatures in urban area reach a relatively higher value than its surroundings areas due to urbanisation. Pavement is one of the urban fabrics that contribute to UHI, due to its ability to absorb high amount of heat from solar radiation. In the tile production process, cracked or broken tile bodies are not accepted as commercial products and they are too impure to be reused and is usually discarded as unsold waste. This scenario could possibly lead to environmental problems. This study focuses on three types of wasted tiles (Full Body Porcelain, Monoporosa, Glazed Porcelain) from a chosen tile industrial factory, as coating materials for pavement surface. The main purpose of this study is to obtain specific information regarding the significance characterization of three types of wasted tiles as coating materials on pavement surface. The title characterization showed that Full Body Porcelain contains the highest bulk density value of 1366.699 kg/m3 and highest particle density of 2580 kg/m3 , whereas Monoporosa has the highest porosity value of (56.8%) and Monoporosa posses the highest amount of void content (56.85%) between the aggregate particles. The X-Ray Fluorescence study shows that Full Body Porcelain contains the highest amount of SiO₂ (66.50 wt%), when compared to other two wasted tiles used during this study. As a conclusion these three types of wasted tiles have the potential and promising UHI mitigation benefits to be considered as coating materials for the pavement surface.


The book assessed the effect of fertilizer use on rice production and its efficiency using Edo State in Nigeria, as case study. The book document a research study that involved the collection and analysis of useful data from representative rice farmers. The relevant collected data were analyzed using translog stochastic frontier model ,the logistic regression model and Kwakwani Index of Progressivity. The findings from this study will be of interest to policy makers, academics and development economics. Acquisition of this book is also important for the researchers who are interested in carrying out their research in developing country such as Nigeria.