: The Indonesian government is encouraging the MSME sector to go digital following recent technological advancements to optimize its potential and productivity. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the impact of social media marketing (SMM) and digital content marketing activities (DCMAs) on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and business performance (BP) of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the food and beverage industry. Entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industries who are located in the JABODETABEK area have used social media and prepared digital content as a marketing tool to make up the study's demographic. This study used a quantitative method with 272 MSME respondents who had responded to statements in the online questionnaire, which were collected over two months. SEM (Structural Equation Modeling), a data analysis technique, was employed with Lisrel 12. The findings demonstrated that Entrepreneurial Orientation and Business Performance are stronger directly influenced by digital marketing content activities than the influence of social media marketing. In addition, Entrepreneurial Orientation also affects Business Performance. This research found that MSMEs in the food and beverage industry may focus on developing DCMAs and building an entrepreneurial mindset in recognizing the desires of modern customers in shifting marketing to be more digital-based to improve its business performance


This manual may be used as a resource for the Expressive Arts projects. It can help you: think of new ways to do things, understand basic art principles, understand cultural values, develop a career in arts and crafts, develop a lifetime hobby, enjoy beauty in your surroundings, develop your own ideas without the help of anyone else, and recognize quality in arts and crafts. URI http://hdl.handle.net/2376/6431 Collections Publications Expressive arts. Texture: 4-H member manual LIBRARIES  R E S E A R C H E X C H A N G E


IMPORTANCE
The evaluation of therapeutic choices is needed after 24 doses of natalizumab in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of therapeutic choices on the mean annualized relapse rate and on magnetic resonance imaging MS activity after 24 doses of natalizumab in patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
The TY-STOP study, which recruited participants between October 22, 2010, and October 22, 2012, at 8 Italian MS centers (secondary care outpatient clinics) among 124 adult patients who demonstrated no clinical or magnetic resonance imaging MS activity after 24 doses of natalizumab.

INTERVENTIONS
Natalizumab, no treatment, interferon beta, glatiramer acetate, or fingolimod.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary end point was the mean annualized relapse rate. Statistical analyses were performed in 124 patients with complete follow-up data among 130 patients who were recruited and stratified into study groups. In the intent-to-treat group, the decision was made to continue or interrupt natalizumab after 24 doses. In the as-treated group, natalizumab continuers received natalizumab, natalizumab switchers changed to different therapies, and natalizumab quitters discontinued natalizumab during the study year.

RESULTS
No significant differences in demographic or baseline clinical characteristics were found among the study participants. In the intent-to-treat group (n = 124), clinical (P = .004) and radiologic (P = .02) MS activity was significantly lower in patients continuing natalizumab (n = 43) than in patients interrupting natalizumab (n = 81), with a protective effect of natalizumab continuation on both outcomes (odds ratio [OR], 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15-0.70 for clinical activity and OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15-0.79 for radiologic activity). In the as-treated group (n = 124), clinical (P = .003) and radiologic (P = .03) MS activity was significantly lower in natalizumab continuers than in natalizumab switchers or quitters, confirming a protective effect of natalizumab on the risk of relapse in natalizumab continuers compared with natalizumab quitters (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 1.72-11.23) and natalizumab switchers (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 0.99-10.79). No disease rebound was observed in natalizumab quitters. After natalizumab discontinuation, 1 patient developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy during the observation period, with complete recovery.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This study provides class III evidence of an increased risk of MS activity resumption after natalizumab discontinuation. Therapy discontinuation after 24 doses in natalizumab-responding patients should be considered only if the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is high and outweighs the benefits of continuing the drug.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Osservatorio Nazionale Sulla Sperimentazione Clinica dei Medicinali No. 131/2010.


Literacy support in an EMI university in Central Asia (CA) helps students with the challenging linguistic demands of tertiary study in a second (foreign) language (L2). As Kazakhstan's post-Soviet education system (Yassukova, 2020) lacks significant first-language (L1) reading-to-write education (Keck, 2014; Friedman, 2019), English L2-literacy development has become even more difficult when compared to other regions of the world. Students' literacy capabilities need to be investigated by L2-literacy tutors in order to scaffold learning better. Questions emerge as to whether it would help that the tutor had developed her L1 literacy through the same (but chronologically-earlier) system. To unpack this question, research can draw on perspectives in language socialisation (LS) (Duff, 2012), which sees learning environments as dynamic socially/culturally situated processes. To this end, this study looks at one L2-English literacy tutor's (author 2) experiences in a tertiary Foundation writing course. The goal was to see how the tutor's interpretations of classroom literacy problems could inform the teaching of low L1-literacy students' writing and metalanguage. For this purpose, we studied the reflective journaling (Burton, 2005) of the tutor who wrote reflective journals during a semester-long course in early 2020. The findings indicate that reflexivity can help a tutor find solutions, and that a similarity of background seems to help a local literacy tutor understand, and respond to, many of their students' needs.


Over the past 500 years, African people have experienced and interpreted their relationships with Europeans in particular ways. From the late fifteenth century, contacts between the first Portuguese merchants and indigenous peoples of the West and Central African coasts marked the beginning of Europe's economic engagement with sub-Saharan Africa. With increased trade came missionaries who paved the way for the subsequent European colonization of Africans from the late nineteenth through the first half of the twentieth century. Under colonialism, a previous relationship of autonomy and parity changed to one of subjugation. The postcolonial era has seen yet another shift in the image of the European, as Africans have increasingly participated in a global environment unmediated by colonizing powers. Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500 to Present focuses on these historical changes as they are articulated in African visual arts. Presented as a series of case studies, Through African Eyes addresses the arts and experiences of a representative group of African cultures. More than 90 of Africa's finest three-dimensional art and utilitarian objects of wood, ivory, metal, and textiles illustrate changes in African perceptions of the European. Essays by leading scholars in the field provide a sense of chronological progression while providing a rich overview of artistic genres and themes issuing from this cross-cultural exchange. Through African Eyes combines diverse representational forms-from sixteenth-century Benin bronzes to contemporary satiric masks and figures along with related material culture-to demonstrate the multiple relationships that developed between Africans and Europeans and their profound impact on African visual culture.


We have carried out a comprehensive study of dispersion and absorption effects on Anderson localization in one-dimensional metamaterial stacks and have shown that the field is delocalized in μ or ∊-near-zero media at normal incidence.


Forward first pointed out that a gravitational dipole, consisting of ordinary and negative matter, would be self-accelerating thus creating the ultimate propellant-less propulsion system. It would closely resemble the features of a hypothetical space drive which has yet to be designed. Up to now, the key ingredient, negative matter, has not been found to exist in natural form. However, since E=m.c2, negative matter may be created in a laboratory using negative energies. Previous studies showed that effective negative inertia exists for neutrons and also for electrons in short transient time intervals. We present two possibilities to create stationary, charged negative effective masses that could be used to test Forward's selfpropulsion effect. One is based on the assumption that Weber's electrodynamics is correct predicting a negative mass regime for electrons inside a highly charged dielectric sphere. The other possibility is using asymmetric charge distributions that could be realized using electrets. With proper geometry and charge densities, negative mass regimes are derived which could lead to negative energies many orders of magnitude larger than those obtained from the Casimir effect. Based on these concepts, a negative matter space-drive could be realized in a laboratory environment.


This article focusses on the American reception of a British–Romanian documentary about the black market for VHS Hollywood films in 1980s Romania. The film uses two different registers of nostalgia. On the one hand, it functions as an ostalgic media product that engages Eastern European viewers by building upon a sense of continuity with the socialist past. On the other hand, its surprising success in the American conservative blogosphere reveals the endurance of Cold War exceptionalist tropes. My analysis expands current discussions of post-socialist nostalgia, arguing for the relevance of the concept of ostalgia for the field of American studies.


Two new steroidal glycosides characterized with 2,6-dideoxypyranoses as component sugars have been isolated from roots of Cynanchum wallichii Wight. Their structure elucidation and cytotoxic activities against HL-60 and PC-3 cells are reported.


This work presents a study on the uses of tannin-formadehyde derivative into phenolic resins. Eucalyptus tannins (T) were reacted with formaldehyde to form tannin-formaldehyde resin (TF). Then this derivative was used to prepare tannin-formaldehyde/phenol-formaldehyde resins (TFPF) at 20 and 40 %w/w. The kinetic values of thermal curing of Phenol-formaldehyde (PF), tannin-formaldehyde and tannin-formaldehyde/phenol-formaldehyde resins (TFPF) at 20 and 40 wt% from TF were studied by monitoring the weight changes which occurred in the samples weight during thermosetting process at four temperature (160°C, 180°C, 200°C and 220°C). The total evolved condensation products from curing reactions were about 32% - 36% per sample weight, and the rate of curing reaction constants was ranged between 0.163 %wt·min-1 at 160°C and 0.50 %wt·min-1 at 220°C. The path of TFPF curing and kinetic values indicated that these resins could be cured with the behavior and velocity comparable to that of PF. The activation energy of TFPF cross-linking was higher than that of PF. Increasing TF level to 20% and 40% into PF can reduce the amount of PF curing reactions density and weight loss percentage. The global kinetic properties showed that the TF participated in the thermoset network formation with acceptable activity and performance. The general results of this paper show that the TF is a suitable alternative material for partially replacement into PF resin.


ABSTRACT
 Psychological difficulties among young people are common. Various initiatives are being proposed in schools, yet no evidence-based data is available on how to address family difficulties (the most prevalent issues in school-based counselling). The current study examined the use of a two-component intervention based on the principles of Perceptual Control Theory (PCT). One is Method of Levels therapy (MOL) and the other is a parent–child activity (Shared Goals). Young people were invited to choose how often to engage in both MOL and the Shared Goals activity as well as the topics discussed during sessions for four months. Seven dyads were recruited and six were retained. At the end of the intervention, five young people were considered recovered.


Pterygium is a common external eye disease in general population which progresses slow but has a little effect on vision.

Purpose: To know the tear film and ocular surface changes with pterygium.

Study Design:A descriptive cross sectional study

Place and duration of study: Federal Government Services Hospital Islamabad during Jun.2013 to Dec.

Material and methods:Dry eye questionnaire (DEQ-6) was administered by a trained researcher and DE tests were performed in all 256 willing subjects (136 with pterygium+120control) age 30-76years,by a single surgeon under same physical conditions after taking the consent and approval from Hospital Ethical committee.
 Diagnosis was made on presence of both symptoms and tear film parameters. Statistical analysis was by simple percentages.

Results:DE was found in 73(53.7%) of the pterygium cases and 28(23.5%) of the normal patients. In this study, 55(40.5%) were symptomatic, defined as reporting 1 or more DE symptoms often or all of the time. 53(39%) showed corneal fluorescein staining CFS and 69(51%) showed lid plugging/mucous threads in both groups
Of 136 eyes with pterygium, [male 91 (67%) female 45(33%)], 50(37.5%) showed normal tear film and 86(62.5%) showed deranged functions whereas among 120 control eyes,[Male 73(61%)
female 47(39%)],86(72.3%) were normal and 34(27.7%)had abnormal functions.These values were reduced indicating changed tear film in these patients.
Conclusion:Pterygium disturbs tear functions causing dry eye like symptoms.
Key-words: Dry eye, pterygium, tear film instability, ocular surface


Conventional computational modeling of sleep and arousal are primarily brain-centric in restricting attention to data from the nervous system. While such a view is warranted, the importance of considering the coupling of peripheral systems in the causes and effects of sleep are being increasingly recognized. An analysis is presented that has the capability to incorporate neural recordings of different modalities as well as data from the metabolic and immune systems. We formulate a matrix-based approach for inference of the arousal state based on the activity level of cell types that will comprise the matrix components. While the presented computations are intended to predict sleep/arousal, it is anticipated that a scrutiny of the structure of the matrices will provide insight into the dynamics of the constituent systems. A model is also proposed to consider the interaction of the signals recorded across the neural, metabolic, and immune systems in leading to the arousal state.


Many standard brands sell products under the volume discount scheme (VDS) as more and more consumers are fond of purchasing products under this scheme. Despite volume discount being commonly practiced, there is a dearth of research, both conceptual and empirical, focusing on purchase characteristics factors and consumer internal evaluation concerning the purchase of products under VDS. To attempt to fill this void, this article develops a conceptual model on VDS with the intention of delineating the influence of the purchase characteristics factors on the consumer intention to purchase products under VDS and provides an explanation of their effects through consumer internal evaluation. Finally, the authors discuss the managerial implications of their research and offer guidelines for future empirical research.


Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common medical problem among kidney transplant recipients, which may cause a significant impact on patient and allograft survival. Currently, an allograft biopsy remains the 'gold standard' for assessing the cause of impaired kidney function. Limitations of the allograft biopsy include the risk of bleeding, injury to the adjacent viscera, and the possibility of sampling error leading to an inadequate diagnosis. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature and main published data that discussed the most relevant biomarkers in acute allograft dysfunction, along with their clinical significance. Results: There have been significant discoveries of several important biomarkers that correlated with biopsy findings, clinical outcomes and possibly graft survival. Conclusion: The discovery of surrogate biomarkers in kidney transplantation is an evolving field of crucial importance that mandates further collaborative efforts.


Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an established risk factor for intermittent claudication (IC) and other manifestations of atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease. Indications for surgery in infrainguinal IC are debated, and there are conflicting reports regarding its outcomes in patients with DM. Aims of this study were to compare both short- and long-term effects on total- and cardiovascular (CV) mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, and major amputation following infrainguinal endovascular surgery for IC in patients with and without DM. We also evaluated potential relationships between diabetic control and outcomes in patients with DM. Methods: Nationwide observational cohort study of patients registered in the Swedish Vascular Registry and the Swedish National Diabetes Registry. Propensity score adjusted comparison of total and CV mortality, MACE, AMI, stroke, and major amputation after elective infrainguinal endovascular surgery for IC in 626 patients with and 1112 without DM at 30 postoperative days and after median 5.2 [interquartile range (IQR) 4.2–6.3] years of follow-up for patients with DM, and 5.4 (IQR 4.3–6.5) years for those without. Results: In propensity score adjusted Cox regression after 30 postoperative days, there were no differences between groups in morbidity or mortality. At last follow-up, patients with DM showed higher rates of MACE [hazard ratio (HR) 1.26, confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.48; p < 0.01], AMI (HR 1.48, CI 1.09–2.00; p = 0.01), and major amputation (HR 2.31, CI 1.24–4.32; p < 0.01). Among patients with DM, higher HbA1c was associated with higher total mortality during follow-up (HR 1.01, CI 1.00–1.03; p = 0.045). Conclusion: Patients with DM have higher rates of MACE, AMI, and major amputation in propensity score adjusted analysis during 5 years of follow-up after infrainguinal endovascular surgery for IC. Furthermore, HbA1c is associated with total mortality in patients with DM. Prevention and treatment of DM is important to improve cardiovascular and limb outcomes.


This dissertation contains two essays in industrial organization and one related to the corporate finance literature. In Chapter 1, I investigate how consumers' feedback might affect investments in innovation and quality assurance (QA). I also focus on how innovation impacts intertemporal price discrimination. In the model, a monopolist releases a new technology embedded in a durable good. Then, I investigate the determinants of the introduction of a new generation in the second period. In the proposed framework consumers' feedback can reduce the firm's QA/R&D expenses. However, consumers usually provide feedback through complaints, causing reputation damage. I derive conditions under which the lower quality version of the good (first generation) will have a higher price than the improved version (second generation). Planned obsolescence causes the price schedule to be steeper than predicted by the previous literature on durable goods. The model predicts and explains Apple's experience with several products, in particular the iPhone family. In Chapter 2, Aren Megerdichian and I examine a firm's decision to raise price overtly (by increasing the dollar amount of a good) versus the adoption of hidden price change (by decreasing the contents in a good's package). We provide an oligopoly model explaining the hidden price change phenomenon, as well as a comprehensive set of empirical analyses, including demand estimation to assess the impact of hidden price increases on expenditure share and profitability. We focus on the ready-to-eat cereal industry. During July 2007, General Mills decreased the cereal content for 20 out of 23 of their products in our sample of scanner data. We find that some General Mills products gained expenditure share after the hidden price change relative to what the demand system predicts, indicating that a sufficient proportion of consumers did not notice the hidden price change. We also find that some products lost share relative to what the demand system predicts. A key finding is that consumers tend to notice hidden price changes on smaller-sized boxes of cereal, leading them to substitute to larger-sized boxes of cereal. The final chapter is a joint work with Regio Martins. Our conjecture is that regulated firms may be subject to some regulatory practices that can potentially affect the symmetry of the distribution of their future profits. If these practices are anticipated by investors in the stock market, the pattern of asymmetry in the empirical distribution of stock returns may differ among regulated and non-regulated companies. We review recently proposed asymmetry measures that are robust to the empirical features of return data and investigate whether there are any meaningful differences in the distribution of asymmetry between these two groups of companies


I n the era of industrial revolution 4.0 expanded digital transformation, such as inverters. The principle of the inverter is to change the DC source to the AC source. The device using an AC source needs a voltage source that is controlled. Hence, the voltage source that is controlled is usually generated from a stand-alone power supply. The stand-alone power supply usually used a conventional inverter. The conventional inverter uses high frequency switching to obtain lower distortion harmonic in output voltage. Another solution is using a five-level inverter that has fewer power switches. The purpose in these research is to make a stand-alone power supply using a single-phase five-level inverter asymmetric topology, which has five power switches to control voltage output based on the standard of IEEE 519. The inverter does sinusoidal pulse width modulation on two the signal reference that was shifting 180 degrees toward the carrier signal. That research has been simulated using Power Simulator software and has been implemented in the laboratory. According to the result of simulation and implementation are generated voltage THD value amount of 4.39%.


We present evidence from nonlinear refractive index measurements, two-photon absorption measurements, and four- wave mixing measurements on semiconductors showing that the bound electronic nonlinearity can be calculated from two-photon absorption dispersion via a simple Kramers-Kronig analysis. This analysis shows n2 changing from positive to negative as the photon energy approaches the band-gap energy, consistent with observations. Additionally, this simple calculation, which assumes two parabolic bands, gives good agreement with measured values of n2 in wide- gap dielectrics that are 2 to 3 orders of magnitude smaller than in semiconductors.


To investigate the elimination kinetics of caffeine and its metabolites, as well as the interaction between them, an automated HPLC method is described. This method involves a single extraction procedure, followed by a gradient elution. Fourteen methylated xanthines and uric acids are well separated with an assay sensitivity of 1 microgram/ml when one-half ml of urine is used. The assay is highly selective, from endogenous compounds, and reproducible. This method is recommended for accurate pharmacokinetic studies.


Optical networks with Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) has been the solution for the need of increasing bandwidth demand. In this kind of networks the fiber link is divided into a number of channels. In each channel a light wave of a particular wavelength can be transmitted. So, in a single fiber more than one light waves of different wavelengths can be transmitted simultaneously with the use of multiplexers and demultiplexers. In WDM optical networks there are two problems. First one is providing a path for a source to destination pair, and second one providing a wavelength to the path selected. The former is called routing problem and the latter is called wavelength assignment problem. Combining both the problems, it is called Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA) Problem. The RWA problem belongs to NP class, i.e. it can not be solved in polynomial time. So, different heuristic approaches are used to find a (sub)optimal solution for the problem. An ILP model may be used to solve the RWA problem considering various parameters of the optical network like congestion, total route length, number of amplifiers used etc. In this project an ILP is designed for the RWA problem and is solved using genetic algorithm to find an optimal solution. The simulation is carried out on Advanced Research Project Agency NETwork (ARPANET) and National Science Foundation Network(NSFNET).


In previous work I urged that the perceptual experience we rational animals enjoy is informed by capacities that belong to our rationality, and-in passing-that something similar holds for our intentional action. In his Presidential Address, Hubert Dreyfus argued that I thereby embraced a myth, "the Myth of the Mental". According to Dreyfus, I cannot accommodate the phenomenology of unreflective bodily coping, and its importance as a background for the conceptual capacities exercised in reflective intellectual activity. My paper responds to this accusation. Dreyfus misreads my invocation of Aristotle, and is thereby led to suppose, wrongly, that I conceive rationality as detached, brought to bear on practical predicaments from a standpoint other than one of immersion in them. I urge that even unreflective bodily coping, on the part of rational animals, is informed by their rationality. Dreyfus mentions Heidegger's distinction, which is picked up by Gadamer, between being oriented towards the world and merely inhabiting an environment. But he sets it aside, whereas it is crucial for the issue between us. Engaged bodily coping involves responsiveness to affordances, and responsiveness to affordances on the part of rational animals belongs to their relation to the world. I explain how the idea that conceptual capacities are actualized in our perceptual experience is connected with the thought that our perceptual experience opens us to the world. Finally, I suggest that the real myth in this area is the conception of rationality underlying Dreyfus's resistance to my picture.


The ethnic and sex composition of the two compared groups were nearly identical. Specimens were tested for blood groups A, B, 0, AB, M, N, MN, and Rh phenotypes C, D, E, c, e, qualitative glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and haemoglobin type. Plasmas will be tested for haptoglobin and transferrin type and Gm and Gc proteins. Analy-sis of the plasmas and Rh system is not complete at the time of writing. No difference was noted in the frequency of G-6-PD deficiency or haemoglobin type between the two groups. There were slight maldistributions in A, B, MN and blood group anti-gens in haemorrhagic fever patients (A = 19.2 %, B = 38.5%, MN = 60.8%, M = 29.0%) as compared with controls (A - 26.2 %, B = 31.7 %, MN = 66.9 %, M = 18.5 %). These differences were not significant by the X2 test. Studies are continuing.


Flavonoids are important dietary constituents owing to their health-promoting properties. As a result, simplified analytic techniques are required for the population of databases with food values so that associations between dietary intake and disease risk/incidence can be established. The current research provides a simplified sample preparation procedure for the accurate estimation of food anthocyanidins, flavones, and flavonols as aglycons. Traditionally, flavonoid aglycons have been formed by acidic hydrolysis. However, some flavonoid aglycons are slowly degraded by acid. A procedure has been developed whereby anthocyanidins and flavonols are deglycosylated with HCl in 50% aqueous methanol and the resulting aglycons subsequently quantified by application of pseudo-first-order kinetics to their degradation. Flavones are also deglycosolated under similar conditions but, at appropriate temperatures, their aglycons are stable in acid, so kinetics were not required for the quantitation of this subclass of flavonoids. Catechins and flavanones were rapidly degraded under the hydrolytic conditions used in these studies.


The rapid development of technology through the introduction of computer networks in the 1960s has brought with it numerous benefits for business communities. These benefits range from the speed and cost-effectiveness ofonline communication, to the speed of transacting and effecting payments using electronic devices. While this technological development has given rise to beneficial penetration of electronic payment systems into the world of commerce, these benefits are not shared by the regulating communities. Technological developments raise various regulatory questions for lawmakers. One such question is whether or not it is possible to regulate these fast-developing systems. The same question is also raised in relation to the regulation of electronic payment systems, including electronic money. In acknowledging the challenges of regulating the technological development of electronic money devices, the European Union has adopted a technology neutral approach to overcome the challenges of strict regulation of this evolving technology, while attempting to provide them with the much needed legal status and certainty. In South Africa, there are on-going discussions as to whether or not (and how) to regulate electronic money devices. A cautious position has been adopted in order to avoid hindering these rapidly developing innovations through a restrictive regulatory framework. This paper highlights some promises and challenges by drawing on some lessons from a similar approach adopted by the European Union in its Second Electronic Money Institution Directives. The paper suggests some middle ground that may be applied to overcome the challenges posed by the adoption of a technology-neutral approach. The aim of the paper is to establish a clear path for the regulation of electronic money institutions in South Africa, by evaluating the effectiveness of a technology-neutral approach, as adopted by the EU.


Swaziland gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 September 1968, under a written, Westminster-type Constitution (the Independence Constitution). This Constitution was unlawfully repealed by His Majesty King Sobhuza II on 12 April 1973, promising that all the people of Swaziland would craft their Constitution in complete liberty and freedom, without outside pressure. In pursuit of this goal, a number of commissions were established to solicit the citizens' views on the type of constitution they wanted to govern them. Because the Independence Constitution was abrogated on the ground that it was imposed by departing colonial masters, it was expected that the Constitution to be drawn after independence would truly reflect the aspirations of all the people. This article, therefore, interrogates the question whether, in light of the wave of constitution making in Africa in the 1990s, the Swaziland constitution-making process fulfilled the requirements of an all-inclusive, participatory, transparent and accountable process. The article examines the independence of the King's appointed constitutional review bodies, given that, in order to produce a credible, legitimate and durable constitution, the review bodies must be as independent from the government as possible. Further, the article looks at the role of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights as well as the Swaziland courts in enhancing a people-driven process. The article concludes that the Swaziland constitution-making process did not herald a departure from the constitutional order that existed prior to the adoption of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act 1 of 2005. Despite the adoption of this Constitution, the Kingdom does not qualify as a constitutional and democratic state with a justiciable bill of rights capable of enforcement by an independent judiciary.


ABSTRACT Purpose: The objectives of this study were to examine the antecedents and consequence of consumer attitudes toward local food and to segment these consumers using their food-related lifestyle (FRL) attributes. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, we proposed three factors to impact attitude toward local food (health consciousness, concern for the environment, and concern for local economies) along with subjective norm and perceived behavioral control to influence intentions to purchase local food. Methodology: Data were collected from 502 local food consumers measuring the following: antecedents and consequence of attitude toward local food; FRL; demographic information. Findings: Health consciousness, concern for the environment, and concern for local economies were found to be significant predictors of attitude toward local food. Attitude toward local food and subjective norm, but not perceived behavioral control, were found to have a significant effect on intention to purchase local food. Further, segmenting based on their FRL yielded four types of consumers (Impromptu Novelty Explorer, Uninvolved Connoisseur, Involved Information Seeker, and Apathetic Local Food Consumer). An ANOVA provided a snapshot of several demographic and psychographic differences between segments.


Background: Disposition of implementers to changes in hospitals payment system policies has become an important issue in the implementation of the Indonesia National Health Insurance (NHI) program. The change from fee for services to a prospective payment system in the form of the Indonesia Case Based Group (INA-CBG) have caused low acceptance from clinicians. On the other side there was potential for fraud in the hospitals claim collection scheme published by the corruption eradication commission. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of disposition of implementers on financial pressure and fraud intention. Methods: The study used an observational analytic approach with a survey method, where researchers conducted observations, interviews and questionnaires. The research variables consist of disposition of implementers, financial pressure, and fraud intention. The research respondents were 110 physicians in charge of patients in 12 hospitals in East Java Indonesia. Data were analyzed by path analysis. Result: The direct causal effect of the disposition of implementers regarding the INA-CBG payment system in hospitals to financial pressure had a value of p = 0.001 and B = -0.332. Conclussion: Disposition of implementers to changes in hospitals payment systems had a significant effect on financial pressure and fraud intention. A negative beta indicated that the disposition of implementers will have an effect on increasing financial pressure.


An early and accurate diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) remains challenging. The present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of platelet-derived microparticles in PTE based on a population study. A total of 102 patients with PTE, 102 healthy controls and 40 patients suspected with PTE were enrolled in this study. The platelet count, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width were assessed using an automated hematology analyzer, P-selectin was assessed using an ELISA kit and PMPs were explored using flow cytometry using Megamix beads. Receiver operating characteristic curves were established to evaluate the diagnostic values of PMPs, D-dimer, PMPs combined with D-dimer, and multiple parameters (including PMPs, platelet distribution width, P-selectin and D-dimer in PTE). The PMP levels were significantly higher in the patients with PTE (609.10/µl) compared with those in the healthy controls (230.60/µl) and patients with suspicious PTE (166.70/µl; P<0.01). The accuracy (72.06%) of PMPs in the diagnosis of PTE was similar to those of D-dimer (P>0.05). The combination of D-dimer and PMPs significantly increased the sensitivity (86.27%) of D-dimer and the specificity of PMP for the diagnosis of PTE (P<0.01). The combination of PMPs, platelet distribution width, P-selectin and D-dimer exhibited high sensitivity (88.24%), specificity (91.18%) and accuracy (89.71%) in the diagnosis of PTE. These findings suggest that elevated PMP levels are an effective predictor of PTE. The combination of PMPs, platelet distribution width, P-selectin and D-dimer may be used in the diagnosis of PTE with high sensitivity and specificity.


Using synthetic Lyman-α forests from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey, we present a study of the impact of errors in the estimation of quasar redshift on the Lyman-α correlation functions. Estimates of quasar redshift have large uncertainties of a few hundred  km s−1 due to the broadness of the emission lines and the intrinsic shifts from other emission lines. We inject Gaussian random redshift errors into the mock quasar catalogues, and measure the auto-correlation and the Lyman-α-quasar cross-correlation functions. We find a smearing of the BAO feature in the radial direction, but changes in the peak position are negligible. However, we see a significant unphysical correlation for small separations transverse to the line of sight which increases with the amplitude of the redshift errors. We interpret this contamination as a result of the broadening of emission lines in the measured mean continuum, caused by quasar redshift errors, combined with the unrealistically strong clustering of the simulated quasars on small scales.


Although the oil pit at onshore receiving facility placed in the open air and has good natural ventilation as the pit is atmospheric, it also has a possibility for fire, while in many chemical processes combustible gases and vapors at high pressures and high temperatures are present. The liquid material at the pit not only content heavy hydrocarbon but also condensate that received as the rejection material from upstream gas separation. The study is conducted to identify the possibility of spontaneous ignition based on the liquid material as the fuel sources. Ignition is the result of self reaction from any initial condition (P,V,T) at which the rate of heat gain exceeds the rate of heat loss from the system. In order to evaluate the auto-ignition hazard involved and to ensure the safe and optimal operation of these processes, it is important to define the lowest possible temperature at which spontaneous ignition of the mixtures may take place. The values of the auto ignition temperature (AIT) found in literature are usually determined according to standard test methods in small vessels and at atmospheric pressure (e.g. DIN 51795, ASTM-E 659-75, or BS 4056). However, since the AIT is not constant but decreases with increasing pressures and increasing volumes, these AIT values are often not applicable to industrial environments. The Lab experiment and analysis is created to identify the content of liquid at oil pit, the methane and other vapors -that come from offshore wellsthat can produce an auto ignition; arise when the temperature at pit increase. The DSC Thermal Reactivity test is used to determine the exotherms and endotherms of an explosive, because we would like to identify the critical temperatures where a phase change or run-away reaction may occur. The laboratory result show that the content of pit mainly heavy hydrocarbon and water but methane reached 85% and no auto ignition in ambient temperature. And by the analyses of IR Scan; the auto ignition material was less and not enough energy to cause the ignition. The review of material sources also made to identify the inlet of oil pit. Resume that the possibility is low, meanwhile to mitigate the risk fire, the study recommended to install the cover on the top of oil pit and grounded to prevent an electrical static.


Metabolic pathways exert a significant influence on the onset and progression of cancer. Public data on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. Analysis was performed in R software using different R packages. Here, we integrated the data from multiple independent HCC cohorts, including TCGA-LIHC, ICGC-FR and ICGC-JP. Then, the enrichment score of 21 metabolism-related pathways was quantified using the ssGSEA algorithm. Next, univariate Cox regression analysis was applied to identify the metabolic terms with significant correlation to patient survival. Finally, a prognosis model based on linoleic acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes was established, which showed good performance in predicting patients' survival. Furthermore, we conducted a biological enrichment analysis to delineate the biological disparities between high- and low-risk patients. Notably, we discerned differences in the microenvironments between these two patient groups. We also found that low-risk patients could potentially respond better to immunotherapy. Drug sensitivity analysis suggested that low-risk patients are more susceptible to bexarotene and erlotinib, yet exhibit resistance to ATRA and bleomycin. Furthermore, through the use of LASSO logistic regression analysis, we identified 19 characteristic genes, which could robustly indicate the risk groups. Our research underscores the role of linoleic acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and the regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes in HCC, pointing towards potential avenues for future research.


The Brazilian Modern Art Week of 1922, a milestone in the Brazilian artistic avant-garde, completed its centenary last year. The intention of this text is to reflect on larp using the concept of anthropophagy: a cultural metaphor created by Oswald de Andrade, one of the members of the Art Week. Anthropophagy is characterized by the de-hierarchization of the hegemonic places of culture and by the critical digestion of the Other. Andrade's reflections crossed time: they influenced literature, theater, painting, cinema and music, to name a few. Applied to larps, the concept of anthropophagy is discussed from the point of view of the communicology of Vilém Flusser, who was also influenced by Andrade's thought. Finally, this essay seeks to reveal larp's resonance with the Theatre of the Oppressed, proposed by Augusto Boal – also one of those influenced by anthropophagic thinking. With this resonance, I seek to highlight the transformative potential of anthropophagy, here considered inherent to larps, interpreting one Brazilian larp as a case study. Although this essay does not commit the naivety of treating larp as a panacea, its ultimate intention is to highlight the dialogical and social character of larps, as well as their potential to challenge power structures.


The chapter looks into the socio-material production and regulation of the ethnopolitical figure of the "Roma beggar" through the prism of a regime-of-(im)mobility approach. Based on an ethnographic study, core aspects of this regime for "Roma beggars" are analysed on a micro-scale: criminalizing transport, invisibilising borders, educating beggars, victimization, stillness and deportability. The study investigates the everyday social and physical infrastructures and logistics for (im) mobility, imaginaries of (im)mobility and discursive technologies. It shows how a differentiated, rationalized knowledge on "them" is produced. "Roma beggars" are constituted as an epistemic object and policy target, legitimizing the unequal treatment of people in the name of security. The related regime-of-(im)mobility derives its effectiveness precisely from its in-built arbitrariness and inconsistency. The key insight is that the "stilled, able beggar" is the only legitimate form of begging in the light of a community of good and able citizens. As this figure is practically unrealizable and deceptive, it flips into the "Roma beggar". The chapter concludes that this "stilled-Other of the citizen" is a discursively activatable and materially stabilized aspect of the Otherness operating within the concept of citizenship itself. Hence, the regime-of-(im)mobility for "Roma beggars" turns out to be an integral part of regimes that enable differential movements and forms of (im)mobile existences among all kinds of people.


Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety between Quetiapine and Risperidone in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.Methods:Seventy patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly divided into two groups receiving Quetiapine or Risperidone treatment respectively.The period of treatment were 8 weeks.The positive and negative symptom scale(PANSS) and treatment emergent symptom scale(TESS) were used to evaluate the efficacy and side effects.Results:Both groups had similar efficacy and severity of side effects.Conclusion:Both Quetiapine and Risperidone have definite effect and rather high safety in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.


Reactor type and voltage properties affected the reforming behavior of 1% methanol in N/sub 2/ with nonthermal plasma. Methanol conversion increased with voltage frequency for both a ferroelectric packed-bed reactor (FPR) and a silent discharge reactor (SDR), but they showed different sensitivities to frequency change at fixed applied voltages. In the frequency range of 5 Hz-5 kHz, methanol conversion was expressed as a function of reactor energy density irrespective of the reactor type. Regarding the effect of voltage waveform with 50-Hz ac at the same applied voltage levels for FPR and SDR, methanol conversion decreased in the order: triangle>sine>square. H/sub 2/, CO, and CO/sub 2/ were obtained as the major products, and similar product distributions were observed in comparable methanol conversions irrespective of reactor type and the differences in frequency and waveform. Energy conversion efficiency increased to 40%/spl sim/60% at /spl sim/80% of MeOH conversions for FPR and SDR.


Elevated nutrient concentrations in agricultural runoff contribute to seasonal eutrophication and hypoxia in the lower portion of the San Joaquin River, California. Interception and filtration of agricultural runoff by constructed wetlands may improve water quality of return flows ultimately destined for major water bodies. This study evaluated the efficacy of two small flow-through wetlands (2.3 and 7.3 ha; hydraulic residence time = 11 and 31 h) for attenuating various forms of P from irrigation tailwaters during the 2005 irrigation season (May to September). Our goal was to examine transformations and removal efficiencies for bioavailable P in constructed wetlands. Inflow and outflow water volumes were monitored continuously and weekly water samples were collected to measure total P (TP), dissolved-reactive P (DRP), and bioavailable P (BAP). Suspended sediment was characterized and fractionated into five operationally-defined P fractions (i.e., NH4Cl, bicarbonate-dithionite, NaOH, HCl, residual) to evaluate particulate P (PP) transformations. DRP was the major source of BAP with the particulate fraction contributing from 11 to 26%. On a seasonal basis, wetlands removed 55 to 65% of PP, 61 to 63% of DRP, 57 to 62% of BAP, and 88 to 91% of TSS. Sequential fractionation indicated that the bioavailable fraction of PP was largely associated with clay-sized particles that remain in suspension, while less labile P forms preferentially settle with coarser sediment. Thus, removal of potentially bioavailable PP is dependent on factors that promote particle settling and allow for the removal of colloids. This study suggests that treatment of tailwaters in small, flow-through wetlands can effectively remove BAP. Wetland design and management strategies that enhance sedimentation of colloids can improve BAP retention efficiency.


PURPOSE
Children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) often struggle with forming early representations for phonemes and words, which could impact their speech production as well as their lexical access. This difficulty may limit their ability to accurately identify nonexemplar productions of words, such as developmental misarticulations produced by peers. The purpose of this study was to examine word interpretation of misarticulated words by children with SSD.

METHOD
Seventeen monolingual English-speaking preschoolers were assessed for language, phonological processing, and articulation skills. Participants heard three types of words: accurate productions (e.g., "leaf"), common misarticulated productions (e.g., "weaf"), uncommon misarticulated productions (e.g., "yeaf"), and unrelated nonwords (e.g., "gim"). Children were presented with these words aurally and asked to select the picture that matched what they heard-either a real object or a blank square.

RESULTS
The proportion of real object picture selections was calculated for each word type and compared within subjects. The findings indicate that children with SSD reliably associated common misarticulated words with pictured objects more frequently than they did in the uncommon misarticulation condition. These results were compared between subjects to typically developing (TD) peers' responses using a one-way analysis of variance. The results indicate that children with SSD identified common substitutions as real object pictures more often than TD peers.

CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest that children with SSD are sensitive to the commonness of misarticulations; however, they accept common substitutions as real object pictures significantly more often than TD peers.


Novel biosensors already provide a fast way to detect the adhesion of whole bacteria (or parts of them), biofilm formation, and the effect of antibiotics. Moreover, the detection sensitivities of recent sensor technologies are large enough to investigate molecular-scale biological processes. Usually, these measurements can be performed in real time without using labeling. Despite these excellent capabilities summarized in the present work, the application of novel, label-free sensor technologies in basic biological research is still rare; the literature is dominated by heuristic work, mostly monitoring the presence and amount of a given analyte. The aims of this review are (i) to give an overview of the present status of label-free biosensors in bacteria monitoring, and (ii) to summarize potential novel directions with biological relevancies to initiate future development. Optical, mechanical, and electrical sensing technologies are all discussed with their detailed capabilities in bacteria monitoring. In order to review potential future applications of the outlined techniques in bacteria research, we summarize the most important kinetic processes relevant to the adhesion and survival of bacterial cells. These processes are potential targets of kinetic investigations employing modern label-free technologies in order to reveal new fundamental aspects. Resistance to antibacterials and to other antimicrobial agents, the most important biological mechanisms in bacterial adhesion and strategies to control adhesion, as well as bacteria-mammalian host cell interactions are all discussed with key relevancies to the future development and applications of biosensors.


The paper presents the research which examines and endeavors to account for variation in the economic attainments of immigrants to the United States from Latin America, through the use of Hierarchical Linear Modeling. When analyzing this variation, researchers typically choose between two competing explanations. Human capital theory contends that variation in economic attainment is a product of different characteristics of individuals. Social capital theory contends that variation in economic attainment is a product of differences in characteristics of the societies from which the workers come. The author's central thesis is that we need not choose between human and social capital theories, that we can rely on both theoretical approaches, that it is an empirical and not a theoretical question how much variation can be explained by one set of factors versus the other. The real problem then is to build an appropriate methodology that allows us to partition the variation in economic attainments, identifying how much is explained by individual and how much by group characteristics. Using a multi-level modeling technique, this research presents such a methodology.


Optical fiber communication technology enabled high-speed, long-distance capacity in today's networks. The packet switching functions such as address recognition and routing are performed in the electrical domain after optical-to-electrical conversion. As more real-time applications come online, demand for bandwidth increases, and electronic processing may potentially become a bottleneck at the intermediate nodes along the network. We introduce some optical address recognition schemes for optically-assisted routing that may decrease the processing delay at these nodes.


10-Hydroperoxy-8,12-octadecadienoic acid (1) is reduced by ferric bleomycin in aqueous and methanol solutions to yield 10-oxo-8-decenoic acid (2) as the major product (80-90%). Trace amounts of 10-oxo-8,12-octadecadienoic acid (3) (5-10%) and 10-hydroxy-8,12-octadecadienoic acid (4) (5-10%) were also detected. The reduction product ratios remained relatively constant in the presence or absence of the reducing substrate phenol, over the pH range 6.5-8.5, in incubations from 30 s to 1 h, and over a series of ferric drug concentrations. In the presence of phenol, incubations of ferric bleomycin and 1 yielded 2,2'-biphenol and 4,4'-biphenol as oxidation products. In reactions where phenol was replaced with the drug's biological substrate DNA, 1 was found to support ferric bleomycin mediated DNA degradation. Extracts from these assays also found 2 to be the major reduction product derived from the oxidant, with trace quantities of 3 and 4 present. Control experiments demonstrated the reactions to be dependent on both 1 and ferric bleomycin. The reduction products 2 and 3 have previously been shown to originate from transient alkoxyl radicals formed by homolysis of the peroxy O-O bond. Product 4 results from heterolysis of the peroxy O-O bond [Labeque, R., & Marnett, L. J. (1987) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 109, 2828-2829]. The results of this investigation indicate that ferric bleomycin catalyzes the homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond of 1 almost exclusively while supporting various oxidative reactions.


The notion or concept of need has different meanings according to the individual groups or ages to which it is applied. A need is something which man subjectively feels an urge to satisfy. Basic or primary needs are the minimum vital requirements which must be met to ensure dignified human existence. Basic needs relate both to individuals and communities. Although the needs of individuals and communities are contingent they are not necessarily in harmony. One of the principal goals of socioeconomic development in general and health care development in particular is the satisfaction of the basic needs of the greatest number of people. Growth-oriented strategies have so far failed to reduce inequalities and physical mental and social destitution. Development strategies focusing on basic needs must: 1) eliminate social inequalities; 2) include coherent programs of activities relating to basic needs; and 3) undergo radical structural changes (a social revolution in community health). Promotion of health care for the most underprivileged segments of society necessitate: 1) production of goods necessary for the satisfaction of basic needs such as building materials or essential medicines; 2) construction of country roads; and 3) development of programs of rural health water supply literacy and housing. Primary health care is essential care which is fundamental to basic needs. Policies strategies and plans of action should be formulated in order to develop primary health care. An excellent means of implementing primary health care is the choice of appropriate technology for health care. Choosing the appropriate technology for development entails finding the right balance between labor-intensive and capital-intensive technology; it should be the result of combining knowledge and practices which help improve the physical mental and social well-being of individuals families and communities. In most rural populations of the world infections and epidemic and endemic diseases are still very much a part of everyday living. Also 80% of the rural populations are still far removed from health care technology. Now is the time for action because of widespread suffering of so many people.


The utilization of liquid fuels such as biodiesel produced from used frying oil by transesterification process is represents one of the most promising optional sources for the use of conventional fossil fuels. This study describes the characterization and optimization parameters of used frying oil to biodiesel. The process variables were employed i.e., methanol to oil molar ratio (3:19:1), catalyst (KOH, NaOH, CH3OK, and CH3ONa), catalyst (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt %), temperature (50, 60, and 70°C), time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) and alcohols (CH3OH, C2H5OH, and C3H7OH) used this experiments. The optimized biodiesel parameters were: KOH Catalyst, 6:1 molar ratio, 1.0 wt % of catalyst concentration, 60°C temperature, and 120 min reaction time. The GC Techniques were used to identify the fatty acid profile of the used frying oil and biodiesel and FTIR Technique is used to identify the peaks formed in final biodiesel product.


Ultrasound (US) imaging of the airway may be useful in predicting difficulty of airway management (DAM); but its use is limited by lack of proof of its validity and reliability. We sought to validate US imaging of the airway by comparison to CT‐scan, and to assess its inter‐ and intra‐observer reliability. We used submandibular sonographic imaging of the mouth and oropharynx to examine how well the ratio of tongue thickness to oral cavity height correlates with the ratio of tongue volume to oral cavity volume, an established tomographic measure of DAM.


Many countries are pursuing innovation-led industry policies engaging in long-run strategic investments to create and shape industry trajectories rather than just responding to problems of industry decline. This has required public agencies to lead and direct the creation of new technological opportunities and innovations. The predictable response from bureaucrats and politicians steeped in economic liberalism (that industry policy is not an appropriate instrument of public policy) must face rebuttal as both economically ill-informed and unjustified by evidence. This paper provides an overview of the key issues exemplifying the development of industry policy in many of the advanced economies and draws an outline map of how they might be applied to the Queensland economy.


There are an ever-increasing number of genomes being sequenced, many of which have associated RNA sequencing and other genomics data. The availability of user-friendly web-accessible mining tools ensures that these data repositories provide maximum benefit to the community. However, there are relatively few options available for setting up such standalone frameworks. We developed the Genome Integrative Explorer System (GenIE-Sys) to set up web resources to enable search, visualization and exploration of genomics data typically generated by a genome project. GenIE-Sys is implemented in PHP, JavaScript and Python and is freely available under the GNU GPL 3 public license. All source code is freely available at the GenIE-Sys website (https://geniesys.org) or GitHub (http://github.com/plantgenie/geniesys.git). Documentation is available at http://geniesys.readthedocs.io.


The University of Wollongong (UOW) has developed the design for a 20 kJ high transition temperature Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) device, and constructed a nominally 2.5 kJ prototype. The coil for the prototype was wound using High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) BSCCO-2223 tape. It was refrigerated to 20 K using a gaseous helium cold head cryocooler. The SMES device has been constructed as a prototype for a larger commercially realizable system, and hence is capable of supplying a 3-phase load during voltage sags or short (<1 s) power interruptions. This paper discusses the modeling and design of the electromagnetic and thermal aspects of the coil, the Power Control Circuit (PCC), current leads and cryogenic system. Also presented are preliminary results of the SMES coil, cryogenics, and system energy storage and delivery capabilities.


This article discusses the reception of the motif of violence in the New Testament Book of Revelation in the sixth century commentary of Oecumenius which was written in a Byzantine context. After a short introduction about the recent discovery and significance of the commentary, this essay discusses how Oecumenius depicts the historical situation in which Revelation was written as oppressive and violent. It analyses especially how he viewed the Imperial Rome's violent oppression of Christianity as he thought it was depicted in Revelation. It will then sketch how he interprets the response of God to Rome's oppression and finally how he offers from his Byzantine context a perspective of God which is complementary to, but in a striking sense different from that of Revelation.


With the development of multimedia technology and Internet, the amount of videos in the Internet is increasing quickly. Among the large amount of videos in the Internet, a considerable number of them are copies of original videos, which are simply revised versions of the original ones. The purpose of video copy detection technology is to detect copy videos, which has important applications in video tracking, video content retrieval, video copyright protection and other aspects. The current problem is that real-time video copy detection is often difficult to achieve due to the large amount of video data. Hadoop is a distributed computing platform which is designed for deployment in inexpensive hardware and suitable for those applications with a large data set. All of these characteristics could just meet the requirements of real-time video copy detection technology. In this paper, an attempt is done to develop a real-time video copy detection system based on Hadoop platform, and two video copy detection algorithms are implemented on Hadoop platform, which are the method based on brightness sequence and the method based on TIRI-DCT respectively, and their performances are compared. Experiments show that the use of Hadoop platform can significantly improve the efficiency of video copy detection, which has important practical significance for video tracking and real-time video content retrieval application.


Any admissible portfolio performance measure should satisfy four minimal conditions: it assigns zero performance to each reference portfolio and it is linear, continuous and nontribial. Such an admissible measure exists if and only if the securities market obeys the law of one price. A positive admissible measure exists if and only if there is not arbitrage. This paper characterizes the (infinite) set of admissible performance measures. It is shown that performance evaluation is generally quite arbitrary. A mutual fund data set is also used to demonstrate how the measurement method developed here can be applied.


Percolation theory is a branch of probability theory describing connectedness in a stochastic network. The connectedness of a percolation process is governed by a few, typically one or two, parameters. A central theme in this thesis is to draw inference about the parameters of a percolation process based on information whether particular points are connected or not. Special attention is paid to issues of consistency as the number of points whose connectedness is revealed tends to infinity. A positive result concerns Bayesian consistency for a bond percolation process on the square lattice $\mathbb{L}^2$ - a process obtained by independently removing each edge of $\mathbb{L}^2$ with probability $1-p$. Another result on Bayesian consistency relates to a continuum percolation model which is obtained by placing discs of fixed radii at each point of a Poisson process in the plane, $\mathbb{R}^2$. Another type of results concerns the computation of relevant quantities for the inference related to percolation processes. Convergence of MCMC algorithms for the computation of the posterior, for bond percolation on a subset of $\mathbb{L}^2$, and the continuum percolation, on a subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$, is proved. The issue of convergence of a stochastic version of the EM algorithm for the computation of the maximum likelihood estimate for a bond percolation problem is also considered. Finally, the theory is applied to hydrology. A model of a heterogeneous fracture amenable for a percolation theory analysis is suggested and the fracture's ability to transmit water is related to the fractures median aperture.


With the increasing use of Field Programmable gate arrays (FPAGs) platforms in the academic and industrial fields, circuit's vendors and design tools developers have to find innovative methodologies and design techniques to facilitate their exploitation. High Level Synthesis (HLS) technique has gain enough maturity to be considered by hardware engineers and to be kept as a practical solution to accelerate the design flow. In this work, we explore the application of this technique in the design of embedded control applications. Our approach consists of the conception and implementation of a Real Time embedded emulating system for a DC Motor (DCM) controller where the hardware design stage is realized by a HLS tool and the motor model is automatically generated from a high description. Performance analysis and hardware synthesis results are presented and discussed through this case study.


We have briefly covered important issues and considerations in four topic areas likely to be of use to the ERP researcher who is also interested in biological psychiatry. We cannot ignore diagnosis because of its basic role in the field of psychiatry. Although there are reliability problems, especially in the field of psychiatric diagnosis, ERPs may help in the painstaking task of validating diagnosis based on behavioral observation. In addition, the ERP researcher can use diagnosis to obtain potentially more homogeneous samples of patients so as to reduce between-subject error variance in studies. We have considered research areas like PET scan and CT scan which provide data of more anatomical precision than ERPs for deep neurological sites. While the potential may be there, it is essentially unrealized as yet. Finally, neurochemistry and psychopharmacology seem to be the areas most likely to bear fruit in the immediate future. If this potential is to be realized, it is necessary to formulate new questions and a new methodology to handle these questions. An important question, for example, is whether a biological profile is a more useful criterion than a behavioral profile for predicting response to pharmacological intervention. In biological psychiatry, this question is a human suffering issue of considerable importance.


performed in 21 cases (80.8%), and hybrid technique with snare was used in 5 cases (19.2%). R0 resection was achieved in 22 cases (84.6%). Median surface size of the lesions was 9.0 cm2 [IQR: 8.3 – 18.3 cm2]. R0 resection was achieved in 22 (84.6%) cases. Median length of hospital stay was 2 days. Conclusion: The results of our cohort study show that sedation-only gastric ESD is safe and efficacious.


Resonant Converters have wide applications as they can produce a high voltage. Also these converters can reduce the switching losses by operating at Zero Current Switching and Zero voltage switching states. Series Resonant Converter can be used for low output current and Parallel Resonant converter can be used for high output current applications. Series Parallel Hybrid Resonant converters combines the advantages of both. This paper presents a Design of LLC Resonant Converter.


Background Oncology drugs feature multiple adverse effects, however, physicians often consider toxicity acceptable and focus on the outcome, providing tools to deal with unavoidable side effects. The threshold of evaluation of adverse drug reactions (ADR) is different from other areas and many adverse effects are so predictable that are not even considered. Purpose To record the toxicity reported in our hospital for patients receiving cancer treatment, to perform a quantitative evaluation, and to estimate the culture of pharmacovigilance in this field. Material and methods We analysed ADR reports included in the National Network of Pharmacovigilance in 2014, and then sorted the ADR reports by category: antineoplastic agents and immunomodulators. We identified: the type of drug, active ingredients most reported, seriousness of the symptoms experienced and their resolution. Results During the reporting period, there were 67 ADRs. 74% involved injectable drugs and more than half (61%) related to generics/biosimilars. Major toxicity was reported for: oxaliplatin (10), paclitaxel (9), filgrastim (7, 5 non-response to treatment), carboplatin (6), Afinitor and docetaxel (5). 81% were non-serious reactions. All were known and reported in drug leaflets. Most adverse reactions occurred during drug administration or the following days. Regarding outcome, 48% completely resolved (reversible toxicity in a short period), 27% improved and only 3% had a resolution with sequelae. There were no drug related deaths. 1 ADR was caused by a medication error and 1 involved an off-label use. Conclusion Data collected showed ADR reporting related to injectable drugs and generics/biosimilars. ADRs were mostly not serious, did not become chronic and were known; we can therefore suspect an important phenomenon of under reporting. In onco-haematology there have been many new drugs launched on the market (many oral), and for many of them the safety profile needs to be further evaluated: pharmacovigilance is an important resource. The pharmacist has a key role in raising awareness of the problem, but also in encouraging appropriate reporting. No conflict of interest.


Deep-sea environment characterized by its low temperature, high hydrostatic pressure, limited nutrient
contents, and constant darkness has been a hostile environment for most marine microorganisms.
Therefore it is a home for low temperature and high pressure-loving bacteria believed to functionally
over shallow water intruders.
Deep-sea has been regarded as rainforests in terms of their microbial diversity. Thus, the
deep-sea should commend itself to microbiologists and biotechnologists alike as source of novel
microorganisms and exploitable properties.
Near Indonesia several deep-sea trenches exist with diverse environmental conditions.
However, up to now there has been no effort to study the microbial communities of those deep-sea
environments by Indonesian scientists. This is mainly because of the lack of knowledge in the field of
deep-sea microbiology in Indonesia.


The effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on serum lipid profile in hemodialysis remains controversial and its effect on bone metabolism has not been studied. A crossover study was conducted in 40 patients on stable hemodialysis using unfractionated heparin (UFH) for more than 24 months. These patients were then treated with a LMWH (nadroparin-Ca) for 8 months during hemodialysis and subsequently switched back to UFH for 12 months. Serum lipid profile, biochemical markers for bone metabolism, and bone densitometry (BMD) were monitored at four-month intervals while all medications remained unchanged. Cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), apolipoprotein B (Apo B) were raised in 35%, 29%, 12%, 24% and 24% of patients respectively. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A-1) were reduced in 47% and 9% of patients. Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and intact osteocalcin (OSC), both reflecting osteoblastic activity, were raised in 65% and 94% of patients. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) reflecting osteoclastic activity and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were elevated in 35% and 88% of patients. Following LMWH treatment, TC, Tg, Lp(a) and Apo B were reduced by 7%, 30%, 21% and 10% respectively (p<0.05 or <0.01) while Apo A-1 were raised by 7% (p<0.01). Simultaneously, TRACP was reduced by 13% (p<0.05). These biochemical changes were detected soon after 4 months of LMWH administration. Although BMD values in our patients were lower than those of age-matched normal subjects, significant changes were not observed with LMWH treatment. After switching back to UFH for hemodialysis, these biochemical indices reverted to previous values during UFH treatment with a significant higher level in TC and Apo B while serum Apo A-1 remained elevated. Our study suggests LMWH may partially alleviate hyperlipidemia and, perhaps, osteoporosis associated with UFH administration in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.


AbstractThe East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is important for bringing rainfall to large areas of China. Historically, variations in the EASM have had major impacts including flooding and drought. The authors present an analysis of the impact of anthropogenic climate change on EASM rainfall in eastern China using a newly updated attribution system. The results suggest that anthropogenic climate change has led to an overall decrease in total monsoon rainfall over the past 65 years and an increased number of dry days. However, the model also predicts that anthropogenic forcings have caused the most extreme heavy rainfall events to become shorter in duration and more intense. With the potential for future changes in aerosol and greenhouse gas emissions, historical trends in monsoon rainfall may not be indicative of future changes, although extreme rainfall is projected to increase over East Asia with continued warming in the region.


The controlled growth of bent and horizontally aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is demonstrated in this study. The bent SWNTs growth is attributed to the interaction between van der Waals force with substrate and aerodynamic force from gas flow. The curvature of bent SWNTs can be tailored by adjusting the angle between gas flow and step-edge direction. Electrical characterization shows that the one-dimensional resistivity of bent SWNTs is correlated with the curvature, which is due to strain induced energy bandgap variation. Additionally, a downshift of 10 cm(-1) in G-band is found at curved part by Raman analysis, which may be resulted from the bending induced carbon-carbon bond variation. In addition, horizontally aligned SWNTs and crossbar SWNTs were demonstrated. To prove the possibility of integrating the SWNTs having controllable morphology in carbon nanotube based electronics, an inverter with a gain of 2 was built on an individual horizontally aligned carbon nanotube.


The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family of transcription factors play a critical role in regulating gene expression required for immune development and function. In a patient diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency characterized by chronic lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, immune thrombocyotopenia and necrotizing granulomas, we discovered a heterozygous missense mutation in STAT5B (c.617A>G, p.Q206R). Cotransfection of Q206R and wild-type STAT5B in HEK293 cells reduced STAT5B-mediated transcriptional activity compared to wild-type STAT5B alone, suggesting that Q206R STATB dominantly-interfered with wild-type STAT5B function. Patient T cell blasts exhibited reduced phosphorylation of STAT5B in response to IL-2, IL-7 and IL-15 compared to healthy controls. Further, IL-2/STAT5-dependent gene transcription was impaired in patient T cell blasts. The patient exhibited increased lymphocytes (as well as monocytes and neutrophils) in the peripheral blood associated with a higher frequency and number of CD4+ T effector memory cells (TEMs). Further, CD4+ TEMs isolated from the patient were resistant to restimulation-induced cell death compared to healthy control TEMs in vitro. Collectively, these data suggest that the Q206R STAT5B variant reduced IL-2/STAT5B-mediated gene expression in human T cells, and defects in this signaling pathway are associated with increased survival of TEMs, disrupted immune homeostasis and disease.


Stress and blunted reward processing are risk factors for mood disorders, including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The experience of acute stress reduces fMRI correlates of reward-related neural activity; however, few studies have examined how acute stress impacts measures of reward derived from event-related potentials (ERPs). The current study examined the impact of an acute stressor on the Reward Positivity (RewP), an ERP that indexes reward sensitivity, in twenty-seven college students. Participants completed a monetary reward task while they placed their left hand in cold water set at 13 degrees Celsius (i.e., acute stress condition) and again while their hand was placed in room temperature water (i.e., control condition). These conditions were separated by one week and performed in a counter-balanced order across participants. The results revealed that the RewP amplitude was blunted in the acute stress condition compared to the control condition. Moreover, there was a trend toward this effect interacting with self-reported depressive symptoms: the RewP was only reduced among individuals who reported low depressive symptoms. The current study suggests that an acute stressor reduces the RewP, and that this effect might be moderated by current depressive symptoms. Future studies might examine the temporal association between reward processing and stress —and how they interact to predict depressive symptoms.


The study was an open, prospective, randomized cross-over design to determine if dehydration during fasting increases lipid concentrations. Fifteen healthy subjects participated, 1 of whom did not complete the study. The subjects fasted once with no fluid replacement and once with salt and water supplementation. Following both fasts, blood was drawn for lipid assessments. Compared to fasting with fluid and salt replacement, fasting with no fluids was associated with higher (mean, 95% confidence interval) total serum cholesterol (8.1%, 4.3-11.9%), HDL cholesterol (7.5%, 1.8-13.1%), LDL cholesterol (10.5%, 2.2-18.8%), apolipoprotein A-1 (8.9%, 5.0-12.8%), and apolipoprotein B (10.5%, 5.2-15.8%). The change in serum triglycerides was not statistically significant (12.4%,-0.5-25.3%). There was a greater reduction in body weight during fasting with fluid restriction compared to fasting with salt and water supplementation (1.8%, 1.3-2.2%). Fasting with fluid restriction results in significantly higher lipid levels and, therefore, variation in hydration of patients could contribute to fluctuation in lipid levels of patients. Care should be taken to ensure that patients are in a standard state of hydration during assessment of lipid levels. We recommend: 1) that patients fast no longer than 12 h, and 2) that, during fasting, patients avoid unnecessary physical activity, avoid hot dry environments, ensure a liberal intake of water, and avoid diuretic substances such as caffeine.


This article describes how to develop, conduct, and write a structured literature review (SLR) and cites examples of published SLR to illustrate different perspectives on the process and contributions to the literature. We first discuss how the SLR differs from other types of reviews (i.e., integrative literature review, meta-analysis, and scoping review). Second, the process of writing an SLR is discussed across common manuscript components: (1) the research problem, (2) conceptual or theoretical framework, (3) method, (4) findings and discussion, and (5) implications. Finally, we offer implications for how the SLR can be effectively leveraged in human resource development.


The invention relates to molded elements comprising a hard compact polyurethane or a rigid polyurethane foam having a compact skin and a cellular core. The inventive molded elements are characterized in that they contain at least one vacuum insulation panel.


The ejection of photoelectrons from a metal surface exposed to soft X-rays has been commonly used as the method for measuring the intensity of these rays. However, the relation between the intensity of soft X-rays and the photoelectric current as a function of the nature of the surface of the photoelectric detector seems to have received comparatively little attention. In the present work, the effect of adsorbed gas molecules on the photoelectric plate has been given special consideration. The investigation is an extension of the work of Richardson and Robertson who measured the relative soft X-ray emissivities of 14 elements. The special conditions of the experiment like the polishing of the surface, the state of degassing of the photoelectric plate and the conditions of oxidation of the target faces, have been investigated more thoroughly. Having ascertained the conditions necessary for reliable values, the emission of soft X-rays has been compared for 11 elements, Si, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pd, W, Pt, and Au. 2. Apparatus and Connections . The apparatus used consisted of a quartz containing vessel, the details of which are shown in fig. 1. The part of the tube where soft X-rays are excited is similar to the one used by Richardson and Robertson, and the part containing the photoelectric detectors resembles the one used by Bandopadhyaya.


Cavitation is the occurrence of vapour pockets in liquids due to the phenomenon that liquid may turn into vapour when the pressure in the flow is lowered below the vaporization pressure. It often brings negative effects such as performance degradation, noise and vibration, and material damage, therefore becoming one of the limiting factors when designing the propulsion systems. Experiments can offer direct visualization of this complex process however analysis is quite limited. Together with accurate numerical predictions, a more complete picture of the cavitation process may appear, allowing detailed investigations to help improving both the understanding of the mechanisms as well as the design.
In this thesis, numerical simulations of cavitating flow on hydrofoils are carried out using Large Eddy Simulation in combination with homogeneous mixture assumption based on a volume of fluid implementation to capture the liquid-vapour interface and Transport Equation-based Methods for the mass transfer between the phases.
The overall results are encouraging, with a globally satisfactory agreement with the experiments in terms of the main cavitation and flow mechanisms, indicating the current methodology has a great potential to become a useful and reliable tool in contributing to preventing or reducing cavitation effects and improving the general performance of the propulsion system.

Keywords: Cavitation, modeling, hydrodynamics, numerical simulation, LES


Vocal individuality is widely suggested as a method for identifying individuals within a population. But few studies have explored its performance in real or simulated conservation situations. Here we simulated the use of vocal individuality to monitor the calling corncrake (Crex crex), a secretive and endangered land rail. Our data set contained 600 calls from 30 individuals and was used to simulate a population of corncrakes being counted and monitored. We tested three different neural network models for their ability to discriminate between and to identify individuals. Neural networks are non‐linear classification tools widely applied to both biological and non‐biological identification tasks. Backpropagation and probabilistic neural networks were used to simulate the reidentification of members of a known population (monitoring) and a Kohonen network was used to simulate the counting of a population of unknown size (census). We found that both backpropagation and probabilistic networks identified all individuals correctly all the time, irrespective of sample size. Kohonen networks were more variable in performance but estimated population size to within one individual of the actual size. Our results indicate that neural networks can be used effectively together with recordings of vocalizations in census and monitoring tasks.


Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique of DNA amplification which its success depends on the wider range of several factors, e.g., the annealing temperatures and MgCl2 concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of annealing temperatures and MgCl2 concentrations on the amplicon specificity of CSSM018 primer. Annealing temperatures of 50oC to 60oC were used in this study while MgCl2 concentrations were in the range of 1.0mM to 2.5 mM. DNA genome of Garut sheep was used as DNA template. PCR products were visualized by a method of 8% ND PAGE. The findings showed that the annealing temperature of 60oC presented the most specific band of the CSSM018 primer at the right size of 116-134bp. Annealing temperatures that were less than 60oC showed the weaker and non-specific bands. A concentration of 1.25 mM MgCl2 showed the best band of the CSSM018 primer with size of 116-134bp. While concentrations of 1.5; 1.75; 2.0 and 2.5 mM MgCl2 showed sharper with some bands seemed noisy, those indicated non-specific products. This study suggests that annealing temperature of 60oC and MgCl2 concentration of 1.25 mM resulted specific amplicon for CSSM018 primer.


Objective  To investigate the correlation of the expression level of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) gene in peripheral blood lymphocyte with the degree of stenosis of the coronary artery. Methods  One hundred and seventy consecutive patients (male 86, female 84, aged from 18 to 82) who received coronary angiography (CAG) in the General Hospital of Chengdu Command were divided into coronary stenosis group and coronary normal group according to the result of CAG, and the Gensini scores were calculated based on the result of selective CAG. For the two groups, the age, gender, ethnic group, height and weight were collected, and the fasting glucose, lipids, liver and renal function parameters were measured, the total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes, and the mTOR expression level was measured, the correlation between mTOR expression level and other cardiovascular risk factors with Gensini score was then analyzed. Results  Among the 170 patients, the age, body mass index, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the expression level of mTOR gene in peripheral blood lymphocyte were significantly higher in coronary stenosis group than in normal group (P<0.05). Positive correlation was found between the Gensini score with the age, the levels of plasma TG and TC, and the expressions level of mTOR gene, and the correlation coefficients (r) were 0.207, 0.254, 0.236 and 0.343, respectively (P<0.01). Conclusions  The mTOR expression level in peripheral blood lymphocytosis is positively correlated with the degree of coronary artery stenosis, implying that the monocyte mTOR may play an important role in the generation and development of coronary atherosclerosis.

 DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.03.13


Abstract Energy spectra of high–altitude atmospheric turbulence data were analyzed. Kolmogorov's similarity theory for the inertial subrange was applied to infer energy dissipation rates from the spectra. The dissipation rates increase as the third power of the truncated root-mean-square values of turbulence: thus, the former can be inferred directly from the later with relative case. In the stratosphere the dissipation rates can occasionally he of the same order as those in the surface layer; a single curve can hardly represent the dissipation state in the atmosphere.


While individual-level AI-assisted analysis has been fairly examined in prior work, AI-assisted collaborative qualitative analysis (CQA) remains an under-explored area of research. After identifying CQA behaviors and design opportunities through interviews, we propose our collaborative qualitative coding tool, CoAIcoder , and present the results of our studies that examine how AI-assisted CQA can work. We then designed a between-subject design with 32 pairs of novice users to perform CQA across three commonly practiced phases under four collaboration methods. Our results show that CoAIcoder (with AI & Shared Model) could potentially improve the coding efficiency of CQA, however, with a potential risk of decreasing the code diversity. We also highlight the relationship between independence level and coding outcome, as well as the trade-off between, on the one hand, Coding Time & IRR, and on the other hand Code Diversity. We lastly identified design implications to inspire the future design of CQA systems.


The Philippines has an abundance of polysaccharide resources such as different forms of cellulose (nata de coco, kapok, ramie, banana fiber, etc.). This paper presents some polysaccharides hydrogels, which have numerous higher value applications. Hydrogel properties are related to water retention property, which in turn can be associated with thermo- or pH-sensitivity. These properties can be modified through derivatization. Acetylation significantly decreases the solubility of the polysaccharide in water and its ability to form hydrogels. The carboxymethyl group decreases water retention without losing its hydrophilicity altogether. Semi-interpenetrating networks, on the other hand, can have controlled properties depending on the amount of crosslinking. These are observed with the help of thermal analysis and equilibration experiments.


The space-ground integrated network appears to be a promising solution for providing global coverage and broadband communications. Over the past several years, many pioneering research works toward space-ground integrated networks have emerged. However, it has been noticed that most existing research works have neglected the impact of satellite gateway placement on network reliability, in particular, not considering the practical capacity constraint on satellite links. In light of this, we study in this article the gateway placement problem with capacity constraint in the space-ground integrated network, and propose an enumeration scheme and a heuristic greedy scheme as our solutions. Extensive numerical results validate the efficacy of our proposed strategies.


RATIONALE
Eosinophils are key effector cells in allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis, eczema, and asthma. Their tissue presence is regulated by both recruitment and increased longevity at inflamed sites.

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the ability of the flavone wogonin to induce eosinophil apoptosis in vitro and attenuate eosinophil-dominant allergic inflammation in vivo in mice.

METHODS
Human and mouse eosinophil apoptosis in response to wogonin was investigated by cellular morphology, flow cytometry, mitochondrial membrane permeability, and pharmacological caspase inhibition. Allergic lung inflammation was modeled in mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung tissue were examined for inflammation, mucus production, and inflammatory mediator production. Airway hyperresponsiveness to aerosolized methacholine was measured.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Wogonin induced time- and concentration-dependent human and mouse eosinophil apoptosis in vitro. Wogonin-induced eosinophil apoptosis occurred with activation of caspase-3 and was inhibited by pharmacological caspase inhibition. Wogonin administration attenuated allergic airway inflammation in vivo with reductions in BAL and interstitial eosinophil numbers, increased eosinophil apoptosis, reduced airway mucus production, and attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness. This wogonin-induced reduction in allergic airway inflammation was prevented by concurrent caspase inhibition in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS
Wogonin induces eosinophil apoptosis and attenuates allergic airway inflammation, suggesting that it has therapeutic potential for the treatment of allergic inflammation in humans.


This essay considers the past, present, and future of tax privacy. Regarding the past, it took until 1976 for the concept of tax privacy to be explicitly established in statutory law. Congress established this concept in Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, but has also made it subject to numerous exceptions. In the present, much personal financial information is now accessible out of the tax context and is regulated by other statutes and regulations. This result has made the area of tax privacy somewhat less exceptional today as a regulatory area than in the past. Finally, in the future, tax information in the electronic age will be subject to the same critical issues, such as those involving data security, as other personal information. In conclusion, tax information remains important, but is increasingly subject to the same forces—legal and technical—as other personal information.


Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2 affecting global warming. Various sources (e.g. fossil fuel production, agriculture and waste, biomass burning and natural wetlands) and sinks (the reaction with the OH-radical as the main sink contributes to tropospheric ozone production) determine the methane budget. Due to its long lifetime in the atmosphere methane can be transported over long distances.

Disused and active offshore platforms can emit methane, the amount being difficult to quantify. In addition, explorations of the sea floor in the North Sea showed a release of methane near the boreholes of both, oil and gas producing platforms. The basis of this study is the established emission data base EDGAR (Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research), an inventory that includes methane emission fluxes in the North Sea region. While methane emission fluxes in the EDGAR inventory and platform locations are matching for most of the oil platforms almost all of the gas platform sources are missing in the database. We develop a method for estimating the missing emission sources based on the EDGAR inventory and the known locations of gas platforms as additional point sources will be inserted in the model.

In this study the global model ICON-ART (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic model - Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) is used. ART is an online-coupled model extension for ICON that includes chemical gases and aerosols. One aim of the model is the simulation of interactions between the trace substances and the state of the atmosphere by coupling the spatiotemporal evolution of tracers with atmospheric processes. ICON-ART sensitivity simulations are performed with inserted and adjusted sources to access their influence on the methane and OH-radical distribution on regional (North Sea) and global scales.


This article draws on the research project Post-abortion narratives shared by Perth women via face-to-face interviews. The project was subsequently disrupted by the arrival of COVID-19 in Perth, Australia, making it necessary to conduct interviews via video call. The experience of using an online platform to conduct interviews became an opportunity to consider more carefully the practice of 'deep listening'. This kind of listening involves creating an emotional connection with the participant so that the interviewer is able to hear multiple layers of meaning and context. It includes listening mixed with perception in which one can hear the emotions of the other. In a paradigm where the interview is seen as an interaction between two embodied individuals and the interviewer herself is the instrument of research, this article examines the communication that occurs in the space between two co-present, embodied individuals and explicates the practice of deep listening. While interviewing via video call is an excellent tool, I argue that a layer of meaning is removed by the technological medium, which impacts the researcher relationship and thus the ability to listen deeply.


The performance of resonant sensors based on nanoelectromechanical systems depends critically on the maximum amplitude of oscillation reached in the linear regime. The maximum linear amplitude is determined by nonlinear mechanisms that can originate from the material, geometric and transduction mechanism related factors. Here we compare the two competing effects, the geometric and drive-induced nonlinearities, for a commonly used device family, the thermoelastically driven, doubly clamped beams. We find that the geometric nonlinearity dominates for most of the device designs used in the literature, however the drive-induced nonlinearity becomes the determining factor for thicker beams with small electrode lengths.