Subject. This article discusses the issues related to the practice of financial reporting in the face of uncertainties caused by the coronavirus contagion, as well as the specifics of the audit strategy and formation of an audit opinion on this reporting.
Objectives. The article aims to identify the quality characteristics of financial reporting prepared in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and justify the key aspects of assurance engagement completion in an extremely uncertain epidemiological and economic situation.
Methods. For the study, we used an abstract-logical method, content analysis techniques, systematization, and classification.
Results. Analyzing the impact of the extremely uncertain epidemiological and economic situation on financial statements, the article clarifies aspects of disclosure of events after the reporting date and threats to business continuity in the annual reporting of economic entities. The article identifies possible alternative procedures and algorithms to obtain proper evidence when it is insufficient in the face of the inability to meet certain audit standards requirements in a remote audit environment. The article defines the impact of COVID-19 risk disclosure on the structure of the audit report and opinion.
Relevance. The results of the study can be used in the practical activities of economic entities that prepare financial statements in the face of significant uncertainty, as well as auditors and audit organizations.


BACKGROUND
We analyzed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroresponses from 3 phase I HIV-1 vaccine trials to assess the frequency of vaccine-induced seroconversion.

METHODS
HIV-1 and HIV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed during trials of adenovirus type 5 (Ad5)-vectored clade B HIV-1 monovalent gag and trivalent gag/pol/nef vaccines given to HIV-seronegative adults. Doses were administered at day 1, week 4, and week 26. Results were analyzed by vaccine formulation and dose and were stratified by baseline Ad5 titer. ELISA-positive samples were reflexively tested by Western blotting.

RESULTS
Overall, 165 (41%) of 406 evaluable vaccine recipients had positive ELISA results but negative PCR results by week 78. Seroconversion rates were directly related to vaccine dose, were inversely related to baseline Ad5 titer, and were unaffected by vaccine valency. One hundred (89%) of 113 evaluable patients with low baseline Ad5 antibody titers (<or=200) who were given >or=1 dose of vaccine with >or=1 x 10(10) gag-containing Ad5 particles per dose experienced seroconversion. Of 163 vaccine recipients who had positive ELISA results and available Western blot results, 150 (92%) had indeterminate results of Western blot, typically involving bands at p24, p40, and/or p55. Thirteen uninfected patients (8%) had equivocally positive Western blot results, usually because of an additional weak glycoprotein 41 band. Env-specific enzyme immunoassay results were falsely positive for 2 uninfected vaccine recipients.

CONCLUSIONS
Positive ELISA results were similarly common for monovalent and trivalent vaccine recipients. Vaccine dose and baseline Ad5 immunity were major determinants of vaccine-induced seroconversion rates. Corresponding Western blots characteristically showed bands directed only at Gag proteins, which helped to distinguish HIV-uninfected vaccine recipients who experienced seroconversion from true HIV-infected patients. If available, an enzyme immunoassay exclusively targeting proteins not expressed by the vaccine should be the screening test of first choice for vaccine recipients.


Sedimentary rocks beneath the Columbia River Basalt Group are recognized as having potential for oil and gas production, but the overlying layered basalts effectively mask seismic reflections from the underlying sediments. Four electromagnetic (EM) methods have been applied on profiles crossing Boylston Ridge, a typical east-west trending anticline of the Yakima Fold Belt, in an attempt to map the resistivity interface between the basalts and the sediments and to map variations in structure and resistivity within the sediments. The EM surveys detected strong variations in resistivity within the basalts, and in particular the continuous magnetotelluric array profiling (EMAP) revealed resistivity lows beneath the surface anticlines. These low resistivity zones probably coincide with fracturing in the core of the anticlines and they appear to correlate well with similar zones of low seismic velocity observed on a nearby seismic profile. The controlled-source EM surveys (in-loop transient, long-offset transient, and variable-offset frequency-domain) were designed in anticipation of relatively uniform high resistivity basalts, and were found to have been seriously distorted by the intrabasalt conductors discovered in the field. In particular, the resistivity sections derived from 1D inversions were found to be inconsistent and misleading. The EMAP survey provided the most information about themore » subsurface resistivity distribution, and was certainly the most cost-effective. However, both controlled-source and EMAP surveys call for accurate 2D or 3D inversion to accommodate the geological objectives of this project. [References: 18]« less


Several electrochemical behaviors at UO2 and SIMFUEL electrodes were investigated and compared in NaCl and carbonate solutions at several pH values of from acidic to alkaline conditions with measuring cyclic voltammograms in a wide potential window with a positive limit of up to 4 V to understand the more general anodic dissolution characteristics of UO2 oxide. The voltammogram behaviors were much changed according to the solution condition and the electrode. The voltammogram change, dissolution mechanism of electrodes, formation of corrosion products at the electrode surface, and equilibrium corrosion potentials were explained and evaluated. The corrosion product generated at the electrode surface distorted the cyclic voltammogram over the potential region of oxygen evolution and increased the overpotential of oxygen evolution at the electrode, and affected greatly the repeatability of the consecutive cyclic voltammograms. The corrosion product to hinder and block the electrode surfaces changed from UO2CO3 to UO2HCO3, as the carbonate solution pH changed from higher region to lower region. There was no effect of the corrosion product on the voltammograms in NaCl solutions with acidic and alkaline pHs at both electrodes.


In the mid-90s the European community initiated the Standards, Measurements, and Testing (SMT) program to harmonize testing and measurement procedures in several industries. Within the program, a project was carried out called the European Wind Turbine Testing Procedure Development. The second part of that project, called Blade Test Methods and Techniques, included the United States and was devised to help blade-testing laboratories harmonize their testing methods. This report provides the results of those tests conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.


AIM
To estimate the global prevalence of early childhood caries using the WHO criteria.

DESIGN
Systematic review of studies published from 1960 to 2019.

DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO and LILACS. Eligibility criteria were articles using: dmft-WHO diagnostic criteria with calibrated examiners, probability sampling, and sample sizes.

STUDY SELECTION
Two reviewers searched, screened and extracted information from the selected articles. All pooled analyses were based on random-effects models. Registration: Prospero-CRD42014009578.

RESULTS
From 472 reports, 214 used WHO-criteria and 125 fitted the inclusion criteria. Sixty-four reports of 67 countries (published 1992-2019) had adequate data to be summarised in the meta-analysis. They covered 29 countries/59018 children. Global random-effects pooled-prevalence was (percentage[95% CI]) 48[43, 53]. Prevalence by continent was Africa 30[19; 45], Americas 48 [42; 54], Asia 52[43; 61], Europe 43[24; 66], and Oceania 82[73; 89]. Differences across countries explain 21.2% of the observed variance.

CONCLUSIONS
Early childhood caries is a global health problem, affecting almost half of preschool children.

LIMITATIONS
Results are reported from 29/195 countries. Implications of key findings: ECC prevalence varied widely, and there was more variance attributable to between-country differences rather than continent or change over time.


Background. The article is dedicated to the study of native and international robotic surgery develop¬ment as a revolutionary treatment technology. The article reveals the essence and advantages of surgical treatment using robots. The data provided indicate insufficient growth of the world market for robotic surgery, segmentation by country (in favor of highly developed countries) and monopolization. Materials and methods. The article is structured in theses with infographics, giving a complete picture of the main aspects. Results and discussion. The data analysis helped to identify the main trends and problems of ro¬botic technologies market in surgery. The key issue is the difference between the number of operations that can be possibly performed in robotic surgical technologies and their actual number. Based on the results of the analysis, there were formed promising directions and tasks for the development of robotic surgery and possible approaches to their implementation. In this study there were discussed the possibilities of training doctors and the prospects of the Russian robotic-assisting complex, as well as the paradoxical situation in the world of robotic surgery. The paradox is that despite the low level of market development, growing number of research works in the field of robotic-assisted surgery, its proven therapeutic efficacy and the high demand from behalf of the population and the surgical community, still there are problems that cannot be solved for the next 5 - 10 years. With a focus on the abdominal area, these problems are: high expenses; limited functionality of the robot; the lack of qualified doctors, training problems; unprofitable implementation of robotic surgery for clinics (in the business aspect). The development and implementa¬tion of robotic surgical techniques and technologies in Russia can significantly increase the availability and quality of medical care, and greatly advance the implementation of some projects in healthcare. At the same time, Moscow can initiate the development of robotic surgery in the country and in the world. Conclusion. It is important to fit the new surgical robots into the healthcare system, especially in terms of costs, and perform a large number of surgeries to increase payback. This requires the development and launch of the federal program "Robot surgery".


This study is concerned with deciphering the evidence for recent variability in external coastal climate and estuary process forcing preserved within the machair/salt marsh deposits of the Loughros More estuary, Donegal, northwest Ireland. Late-Holocene coastal dynamics have contributed to the development of a complex suite of inter-estuary dune, strand, machair, saline and freshwater marsh sedimentary environments. These sedimentary environments occupy a vulnerable position within the tidal frame (MHW ±2m), and exhibit significant morphological change over more recent (10 to 1000 year) timescales as a result of sediment reworking and recycling within the context of the wider estuarine environment. A greater understanding of the functioning of these relatively naturally behaving systems (unmodified by human impacts) is important not only to increase the knowledge of this relatively unstudied region but also to provide supporting evidence for future studies of the currently unclear relative sea-level record of this region. From a coastal conservation perspective, it is important to understand how aeolian, estuarine-marine and fluvial processes drive habitat transitions and shifts in the associated species assemblages, and the sensitivity of these marginal coastal and estuarine sedimentary environments to future climate variability and change. The Loughros More system provides an excellent case study within which to establish the main internal system controls and external driving factors influencing the formation and morphological evolution of low-lying marginal coastal/estuarine habitats in this region. To this end, contemporary morphological and ecological environments are examined with respect to their geomorphology; sedimentary make-up; historical landform changes and ecological characteristics. A stratigraphic approach is taken to examine the temporal (downcore) and spatial (intra-/ inter-site) variations and trends in the sedimentary sequences of estuarine margin deposits. Stratigraphies are presented for 5 cores and downcore sedimentological, geochemical, and ecological variations analysed. Chronological support is provided via 210Pb, 137Cs and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Scanning XRF is used to provide exceptionally high-resolution sampling of down-core geochemistry. Results describe depositional transitions from tidal flat to high intertidal vegetated environments, where saltmarsh, maritime grassland and machair characteristics are evident. Complexity is also present throughout the stratigraphies, and here the study demonstrates the potential of high resolution scanning XRF (including time-series and multivariate analyses) in determining correlations and trends in these sedimentary sequences and associated forcing. Variations in regional storminess are determined to be the main external driving factor controlling the deposition of distinctive light and dark sediment layers within the stratigraphy across the study area.


Utilizing fibre-reinforced concrete is still a difficulty for present engineers. Generally, it is acknowledged that the mechanical, cracking and fracture qualities of fibre-reinforced concrete are much better than those of conventional concrete. The addition of fibres to the concrete matrix mitigates its fragility. Typically, short fibres are utilised in concrete to prevent cracks caused by drying and autogenous shrinkage. Currently, there is a substantial increase in the use of short alkali-resistant glass fibres. This experiment was conducted to examine the influence of glass fibre reinforcement on the compressive and flexural behaviour of concrete. This research investigates the characteristics of glass fibres reinforced concrete (GFRC) after 7 and 28 days of curing, such that GFRC may be employed in construction. Concrete containing short alkali-resistant glass fibres of 36 mm in length and 1% volume fraction (VF) was developed for this purpose. The testing findings revealed that the average compressive strength of GFRC after 28 days of curing was 72.06 MPa. The flexural properties of GFRC are determined, and the 7-day and 28-day average bending strengths of GFRC concrete samples are 6.46 MPa and 7.94 MPa, respectively, indicating that GFRC responds well under loading conditions.


The P91A antigen was identified following mutation of P1 mastocytoma cells. The peptide epitope is encoded by a mutant form of the S3 subunit of the PA 700 proteasome regulatory complex. P91A stimulates a strong CD8+ T cell response when expressed on tumor cells or normal tissue and P91A‐specific T cells express a restricted range of T cell receptors. Although it is a strong Ld‐binding peptide, P91A does not conform to the established motif for this major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule and this has hampered elucidation of the precise epitope. Ld predominantly associates with nonamer peptides; however, using a variety of complementary approaches, the P91A epitope is identified as the octamer QNHRALDL. In the absence of the Ld motif residue proline at position 2, residues 5–7 are primarily involved in MHC interaction. P91A is thus atypical in its interaction with Ld. Residues 1, 3, and 4 are found to influence T cell recognition of P91A. Definition of the P91A peptide will allow studies on P91A processing and interactions of the P91A peptide/MHC complex with T cell receptors of differing avidity to establish the basis for restricted T cell receptor usage. The basis for the failure of the P91A tum+ peptide (QNRRALDL) to bind to Ld is addressed by molecular modeling.


Abstract Humane education programs often target at-risk children and seek to teach empathy and gentleness with animals, but few of these have been assessed. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the effects of "Teaching Love and Compassion" (TLC), a humane education program employing educational group discussions and dog training for seventh-grade, inner city youth in Los Angeles, California. The TLC program is offered to groups of 10 to 12 students during their three-week vacation at the year-round school. Students for the experimental and control groups were selected from the pool of those scoring below the 25th percentile in reading and mathematics. The study, conducted over a two-year period, assessed four successive sessions, comprising an experimental group of 41 children and a control group of 42 children. In morning sessions, the experimental group had discussions focusing on interpersonal issues and conflict management. In the afternoons they were taught the proper care and obedience training of shelter dogs. Pre-, post-, and follow-up tests, specially developed to accommodate the children's reading ability and scheduling constraints, were given to both the experimental and control groups to assess their knowledge of animal care, conflict management skills, attitudes toward self and others, and fear of dogs. Members of the experimental group increased their understanding of pet care and the needs of animals and retained this information more than did the control group for all four TLC sessions, both at post-testing (F=58.4, p=0.0001) and follow-up testing (F=18.9, p=0.0001). At post-testing, the experimental group showed a trend toward a decreased fear of dogs (F=3.6, p=0.062), that was significant at follow-up testing (F=4.2, p=0.019). For these children who are exposed to daily violence and aggression to people and animals, these modest changes were associated with the three-week intervention.


This internationally best-selling book has been revised and updated, focusing on helping academics overcome some of the most common obstacles to successful publication, such as lack of time, a fear of rejection and conflicting priorities? The book explains how to overcome these obstacles and create publishable papers for journals most likely to publish them. It shows how to identify a suitable journal and how to plan, prepare and compile a paper that will satisfy its requirements. Dr Day pays particular attention to the creative aspects of the process. As an experienced journal editor and publisher, Dr Day is well placed to reveal the inside workings of the reviewing procedure - and the more fully you understand this, the greater the chance that what you submit will be accepted and published. Recommended for academic and research staff, in whatever discipline.


This brief monograph is an excellent review of the extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis from the standpoint of diagnosis, therapy and relationship to the overall features of the disease. Most of the material comes from published reports and reviews in individual areas, embellished by Dr. Hollingsworth's personal experience while he was Chief of Rheumatology at the Yale University School of Medicine. The volume is divided into three sections of which the first includes a brief description of the general nature of rheumatoid arthritis, complications of drug therapy, and tests for rheumatoid and antinuclear factors. The second section deals with local complications, including subcutaneous nodules, tenosynovitis, popliteal (Baker's) cysts, cricoarytenoid arthritis and laryngeal symptoms, atlanto-axial subluxation and other cervical complications, hip symptoms, leg ulcers, ankle edema and neuropathy. The largest part of the monograph deals with systemic complications of rheumatoid arthritis. Chapters are devoted to rheumatoid involvement of each of the organ systems of the body, as well as to the various syndromes associated with rheumatoid disease (such as those of Sjogren, Felty, Caplan, the carpal-tunnel, and serum hyperviscosity). Photographs and diagrams complement the text and are of good quality. This book is for the medical student, house officer, roundsman, and practicing physician alike. The harried medical reader of today will appreciate the lucid narrative style, brief and to the point. When the author has said what he wants to say he stops, even if it means a chapter of only a page or two. Chapters are followed by useful, selected references, and the index is well made. An occasional ultraspecialist may pick at one area or another that he thinks has been slighted, but in general the author has been eminently successful in providing a clear view of the diverse, multisystem ramifications of rheumatoid disease. STEPHEN E. MALAWISTA


This paper aims to explain how Ha Long Bay's tourism potential is one of UNESCO's world heritage and its implications for economic development in Vietnam. The author uses the national branding concept to analyzing the related phenomena. The results show that Ha Long Bay tourism increased the Vietnam's economic development due to an increase in economic growth through tourism sector revenues in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 9.3 percent. This sector is also able to provide employment to 3.7 percent of the total workers in Vietnam. Vietnam has also been named as one of the 10 countries in the world with the fastest growth rate of recovery in the tourism sector after the global monetary crisis in 2008-2009. The existence of a positive assessment from the international community certainly has implications for increasing visits from tourists and makes Ha Long Bay has its own charm and competitiveness in the global tourism industry.


Numerous neurochemical changes occur with aging and stroke mainly affects the elderly. Our previous study has found interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) and 4 (IRF4) regulate neuroinflammation in young stroke mice. However, whether the IRF5-IRF4 regulatory axis has the same effect in aged brains is not known. In this study, aged (18-20-month-old), microglial IRF5 or IRF4 conditional knockout (CKO) mice were subjected to a 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Stroke outcomes were quantified at 3d after MCAO. Flow cytometry and ELISA were performed to evaluate microglial activation and immune responses. We found aged microglia express higher levels of IRF5 and lower levels of IRF4 than young microglia after stroke. IRF5 CKO aged mice had improved stroke outcomes; whereas worse outcomes were seen in IRF4 CKO vs. their flox controls. IRF5 CKO aged microglia had significantly lower levels of IL-1β and CD68 than controls; whereas significantly higher levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were seen in IRF4 CKO vs. control microglia. Plasma levels of TNF-α and MIP-1α were decreased in IRF5 CKO vs. flox aged mice, and IL-1β/IL-6 levels were increased in IRF4 CKO vs. controls. The anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4/IL-10) levels were higher in IRF5 CKO, and lower in IRF4 CKO aged mice vs. their flox controls. IRF5 and IRF4 signaling drives microglial pro- and anti-inflammatory response respectively; microglial IRF5 is detrimental and IRF4 beneficial for aged mice in stroke. IRF5-IRF4 axis is a promising target for developing new, effective therapeutic strategies for the cerebral ischemia.


Classical orthogonal and oblique cutting are the fundamental material removal or machining processes to which other practical machining processes can be related in the study and modelling of the machining processes. In the last century, a large amount of research and development work has been done to study and understand the various machining processes with a view to improving the processes for further economic (cost and productivity) gains. However, many aspects of the cutting processes and cutting performance remains to be fully understood in order to increase the cutting capability and optimize the cutting processes; in particular, there is little study to understand the effects of the inevitable tool wear on the machining processes. This thesis includes an extensive literature review on the mechanics of cutting analysis. Considerable work has been carried out in past decades on the fundamental analysis of 'sharp' tool cutting. Although some work has been reported on the effects of tool flank wear on the cutting performance, there is a general lack of the fundamental study of the effects of the flank wear on the basic cutting or chip formation process. It has been well documented that tool flank wear results in an increase in the cutting forces. However, it was not known if this force increase is a result of the change in the chip formation process, and/or the rubbing or ploughing forces between the tool flank and the workpiece. In work carried out since the early 1980s, the effects of the so-called edge forces have been considered when the tool is not absolutely sharp. Little has been reported to further develop fundamental cutting theories to understand applications to more relevant the practical situation, i.e. to consider the tool wear effects. Based on the findings of the literature review, an experimental investigation is presented in the first part of the thesis to study the effects of tool flank wear on the basic cutting or chip formation process by examining the basic cutting variables and performance in the orthogonal cutting process with tool flank wear. The effects of tool flank wear on the basic cutting variables are discussed by a comprehensive analysis of the experimental data. It has been found that tool flank wear does not affect the basic cutting variables (i.e. shear angle, friction angle and shear stress). It is therefore deduced that the flank wear does not affect the basic chip formation process in the shear zone and in the tool-chip interface. The study also finds that tool flank wear causes an increase in the total cutting forces, as can be expected and such an increase is entirely a result of the rubbing or ploughing forces on the tool wearland. The significance of this finding is that the well-developed machining theories for 'sharp' tools can be used in modelling the machining processes when tool flank wear is present, rather than study the machining process and develop machining theories from scratch. The ploughing forces can be modelled for incorporation into the overall cutting force prediction. The experimental study also allows for the forces on the wearland (or wearland force) and edge forces to be separated from the total measured forces. The wearland force and edge force models are developed in empirical form for force prediction purpose. In addition, a database for the basic cutting variables or quantities is established for use in modelling the cutting forces. The orthogonal cutting force model allowing for the effects of flank wear is developed and verified by the experimental data. A comprehensive analysis of the mechanics of cutting in the oblique cutting process is then carried out. Based on this analysis, predictive cutting force models for oblique cutting allowing for the effects of flank wear are proposed. The wearland force and edge force are re-considered by analysing the oblique cutting process and the geometrical relation. The predictive force models are qualitatively and quantitatively assessed by oblique cutting tests. It shows that the model predictions are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. The modelling approach is then used to develop the cutting force models for a more general machining process, turning operation. By using the concept of an equivalent cutting edge, the tool nose radius is allowed for under both orthogonal and oblique cutting conditions. The wearland forces and edge forces are taken into consideration by the integration of elemental forces on the tool flank and the cutting edge, respectively. The cutting forces in turning operations are successfully predicted by using the basic cutting quantity database established in the orthogonal cutting analysis. The models are verified by turning operation tests. It shows that the model predictions are in excellent agreement with the experimental results both qualitatively and quantitatively. The major findings, research impacts and practical implications of the research are finally highlighted in the conclusion. The modelling approach considering the flank wear effects in the classical orthogonal and oblique cutting and turning operations can be readily extended to other machining operations, such as drilling and milling.


In periodically driven nonlinear stochastic systems, noise may play a role of enhancing the output periodic signal (termed as stochastic resonance or SR). While in autonomous excitable systems, noise may play a role of increasing coherent motion (termed as coherence resonance or CR). So far the topics of SR and CR have been investigated separately as two major fields of studying the active roles of noise in nonlinear systems. We find that these two topics are closely related to each other. Specifically, SR occurs in such periodically driven systems that the corresponding autonomous systems show CR. The SR with sensitive frequency dependence can be observed when the corresponding autonomous system shows CR with finite characteristic frequency. Moreover, `resonant noise' and `resonant frequency' of SR coincide with those of CR.


This paper proposes an attention module augmented relational network called SARN(Sequential Attention Relational Network) that can carry out relational reasoning by extracting reference objects and making efficient pairing between objects. SARN greatly reduces the computational and memory requirements of the relational network, which computes all object pairs. It also shows high accuracy on the Sort-of-CLEVR dataset compared to other models, especially on relational questions.


Prior research, from the psychodynamically oriented literature, characterizes homicidal offenders as impulsive, vulnerable to stress, with difficulties in emotional control, particularly anger. In 1995 Coram reported Rorschach data from a sample of murderers which tentatively support earlier findings. This paper argues that confirmatory data from measures which objectively assess emotional states and behaviors could elucidate this issue.


Like many other callitrichids, golden lion tamarins, Leontopithecus rosalia, emit Long Calls. Recordings of four free‐ranging groups were made to explore different types of Long Calls. Three Long Call types were identified acoustically, and analyzed sonographically. The calls usually started with an Introductory Syllable (a chirp, a trill, or a whine) which was followed by either one, two, or three different phrases in a fixed sequential order. Each of the three phrases was unique and contained a typical number of syllables of characteristic shape, frequencies, and durations. Possible functions of these calls are discussed. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Planned cryogenic gravitational-wave detectors will require improved coatings with a strain thermal noise reduced by a factor of 25 compared to Advanced LIGO. We present investigations of HfO_{2} doped with SiO_{2} as a new coating material for future detectors. Our measurements show an extinction coefficient of k=6×10^{-6} and a mechanical loss of ϕ=3.8×10^{-4} at 10 K, which is a factor of 2 below that of SiO_{2}, the currently used low refractive-index coating material. These properties make HfO_{2} doped with SiO_{2} ideally suited as a low-index partner material for use with a-Si in the lower part of a multimaterial coating. Based on these results, we present a multimaterial coating design which, for the first time, can simultaneously meet the strict requirements on optical absorption and thermal noise of the cryogenic Einstein Telescope.


Congenitally athymic nude (nu/nu) mice are more susceptible to disseminated cryptococcosis and histoplasmosis than their heterozygous (nu/ + ) thymus-bearing litter-mates. The therapeutic efficacy of ketoconazole, an orally absorbable antifungal agent, was evaluated in nu/nu and nu/ + mice infected intraperitoneally with Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum. Two- to five-week courses of ketoconazole significantly prolonged the survival of nu/nu mice infected with either fungus in dose-dependent fashion, but death eventually followed discontinuance of therapy. More significant protection was seen in nu/ + mice infected with C. neoformans, and markedly lower fungal counts in organs, with some negative cultures, were seen in ketoconazole-treated nu/ + mice infected with H. capsulatum. These studies indicate that ketoconazole is effective against both fungi, although results of treatment are much better in the immunologically intact nu/ + host.


Twenty-five swine, infested with lungworms infected with masked swine influenza virus, were exposed to adverse weather conditions on one or more occasions. Of these, 4 came down with apparent swine influenza, while 6 others developed serological evidence of infection with swine influenza virus. The remaining 15 prepared swine, as well as 8 lungworm-free control swine, failed to show evidence of swine influenza virus infection, despite repeated exposures to adverse weather. The data presented indicate that, in the 10 swine in which swine influenza virus infections were elicited, some feature of the weather to which the animals were exposed was responsible for provoking masked influenza virus to infectivity. The exact constituent of the meteorological complex comprising "weather", responsible for the provocation, cannot be determined from the data obtained.


The Långban mines and the investigated sulphide deposits are situated in the westernmost part of the Bergslagen ore province, where it borders the voluminous, younger intrusives of the Transscandinavian igneous belt (TIB) in south-central Sweden. We report thermal ionisation mass spectrometer (TIMS) lead isotope data from the Långban Mn–Fe–(As–Ba–Pb–Sb) deposit and from Pb–Zn–(Cu–Fe–As–Ag) sulphide mineralisations in the region. Based on a systematic study of lead isotopic compositions of minerals from different assemblages and paragenetic stages (galena, native lead, arsenates, arsenites, oxychlorides, silicates, carbonates) from Långban, we propose that c.1.89–1.88 Ga (Svecofennian) volcanic-hydrothermal processes supplied the predominating lead component to this complex deposit. Regional amphibolite facies metamorphism, the intrusion of younger granitoids, as well as a succession of ductile to brittle deformation episodes, led to multiple stages of remobilisation of the pre-existing, syngenetic components. During these stages, variable mixing with a minor component of presumed sedimentary origin, comparatively rich in 207Pb and 208Pb, resulted in a temporally unsystematic variability in lead isotopic compositions in the Långban deposit. Contrary to previous suggestions, our lead isotope data suggest that a significant input from, or overprinting by, fluids derived from post-Svecofennian granitic magmatism is unlikely to have affected the Långban mineralisation. By contrast, such processes were probably locally significant in sulphide ± oxide deposits situated in the immediate vicinity of 1.78 Ga intrusives (e.g. at Lahäll and northern Myssberget). Here, the lead isotopic compositions of galena are more radiogenic, which is interpreted to be the result of mixing between Svecofennian ore ± evolved host-rock lead and a later overprinting lead component related to the intrusion of c.1.78 Ga granitoids (Filipstad-type TIB, Hyttsjö intrusive suites). Presently, we cannot unambiguously distinguish whether the source of the major overprinting lead component in some of the sulphide mineralisations was derived from the 1.78 Ga magmas themselves, or from evolved Svecofennian metasupracrustal whole-rock lead remobilised at that time, although our data lean towards the latter.


Much research shows that people are loss averse, meaning that they weigh losses more heavily than gains. Drawing on an evolutionary perspective, we propose that although loss aversion might have been adaptive for solving challenges in the domain of self-protection, this may not be true for men in the domain of mating. Three experiments examine how loss aversion is influenced by mating and self-protection motives. Findings reveal that mating motives selectively erased loss aversion in men. In contrast, self-protective motives led both men and women to become more loss averse. Overall, loss aversion appears to be sensitive to evolutionarily important motives, suggesting that it may be a domain-specific bias operating according to an adaptive logic of recurring threats and opportunities in different evolutionary domains.


As in previous editions, this highly practical book is written with beginning MPA students and practitioners in mind. It focuses on the interpretation and use of research findings, not just number crunching. It covers the entire research process, from initial questions to final report, in clear, jargon-free language, and includes numerous easy-to-understand examples and exercises that provide opportunities for concrete applications of the concepts. It is solidly grounded in public administration and recognizes both the promise and limitations of research within a political environment.


The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global economic recession but little is known about its impact on the informal economy including peer-to-peer rental market. Against this backdrop, this study assessed the financial loss of Airbnb listings and its hosts in Sydney from January to March 2020. Findings show that the pandemic resulted in 70% income loss for Airbnb hosts with hosts suffering eight times higher than the Airbnb platform itself. However, like other gig workers and freelancers, many Airbnb hosts are not qualified to claim the financial aids from the government in Australia. Our study shows the vulnerability of the sharing economy during a time of crisis. It contributes empirical evidence to the widening public debate on the sustainability and the sharing economy but most importantly, raises concerns over the sharing economy's contribution to a resilient society and economy.


Objective. Flow-controlled expiration (FLEX) has been shown to attenuate ventilator-induced lung injury in animal models. It has also shown to homogenize compartmental pressure distribution in a physical model of the inhomogeneous respiratory system having independent compartments. We hypothesized that the homogenizing effects of FLEX are also effective in this regard when the independence of compartments is suspended by simulated chest wall compliance. Approach. A four compartment physical model of the respiratory system having chest wall compliance (137 ml/cmH2O) was developed. Two of the four compartments had high compliance (18 ml/cmH2O) and two had low compliance (10 ml/cmH2O). These compartments were each combined with either high (6.8 cmH2O·s/l) or low resistance (3.5 cmH2O·s/l). The model was ventilated in the volume-controlled ventilation mode with either passive expiration or with FLEX. The maximal pressure differences (ΔP max) and the maximal differences of mean pressure (ΔP mean) between the compartments during expiration were determined. Main results. With passive expiration ΔP max reached up to 3.4 ± 0.03 cmH2O but only 0.9 ± 0.01 cmH2O with FLEX (p < 0.001). Maximal differences of ΔP mean were significantly lower with FLEX as compared to passive expiration (extending up to 0.4 ± 0.04 cmH2O versus 2.0 ± 0.15 cmH2O, p < 0.001). Significance. The homogenizing effects of FLEX on compartmental pressure distribution could be reproduced in a more complex physical model of the inhomogeneous respiratory system having chest wall compliance and might be a mechanism underlying the lung protective effects of ventilation with FLEX.


A preponderance of evidence conclusively demonstrates the severe health risk posed by secondhand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). While this evidence has led to the passage of indoor smoking bans in office buildings and many other indoor public places, in many states, workers in the hospitality industry still face toxic second-hand smoke every time they go to work. This article argues that policymakers must develop comprehensive smoke-free legislation for all indoor public spaces, including all indoor workplaces. Contrary to the arguments put forth by restaurant and tobacco industry interest groups, indoor smoking bans significantly diminish public health risks, provide equitable protection for all workers, increase healthcare and productivity savings, and have minimal, if any, negative economic impact on businesses and overall tax revenues. Washington D.C.'s experience illustrates how policymakers can pass this vital public health legislation despite procedural roadblocks and interest group politics.


Sum frequency (SF) spectroscopy is a non-linear optical technique that provides vibrational
spectra of molecules adsorbed at an interface. The spectra may be analysed to provide the
polar orientation, molecular conformation and average tilt angle of the adsorbates to the
surface normal. In this work a novel technique is developed to obtain resonantly enhanced SF
spectra of molecules adsorbed on a hydrophilic mica surface backed with gold. The
enhancement phenomenon is based on coherent interference between the resonant SF signal
from adsorbates at the mica surface and the non-resonant SF signal generated from the
displaced gold surface.
The first stage of this work considers the experimental aspects of the technique. Methods for
freshly cleaving, gold coating and mounting micron thick mica samples are presented. Whilst,
the technique is shown to result in substantial resonant signal enhancement and superior
signal to noise ratios in comparison to spectra from non-gold backed samples, the resonant
lineshapes are found to be dependent on the thickness of the mica sheet. To investigate this
thickness dependent phenomenon a model monolayer at the mica/air interface was required
and a protocol for reproducibly forming well-ordered octadecylsiloxane monolayers is
therefore presented. The essential pre-requisites for reproducibility were found to be the
accurate control of the reaction temperature and surface hydration level, a clean reaction
environment, fresh octadecyltrichlorosilane and strict control of the degree of bulk hydration.
A detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of the effect of mica thickness on the
form of the SF spectra is presented. A periodic variation in the resonant lineshapes as a
function of mica thickness was determined empirically and concurred with the modelling
predictions. These combined studies provide a calibration curve that for a given mica
thickness predicts spectral lineshapes for given molecular orientations. This thesis presents a
complete and characterised technique which may be used to obtain orientational and conformation information of species adsorbed at hydrophilic surfaces using nanosecond SF
spectroscopy.


Black phosphorus (BP), a fast emerging 2D material, has shown great potential in future electronics and optoelectronics owing to its outstanding properties including sizable band gap and ambipolar transport characteristics. However, its hole conduction dominance, featured by a much larger hole mobility and the corresponding on-current than that of the electrons, renders the reliable modulation of its carrier type and density a key challenge, thereby hindering its application to complementary electronics. Here, we demonstrate an efficient and reliable n-type doping for BP transistors via surface functionalization by atomic layer deposited magnesium oxide (MgO) with favorable controllability. By optimizing the MgO thickness, an electron mobility of up to 95.5 cm2 V-1 s-1 is reached with a simultaneous significant suppression of hole conduction. Subsequently, a high-performance complementary logic inverter is demonstrated within a single BP flake, which operates well with a supply voltage as low as <0.5 V, outperforming reported BP inverters in terms of logic level match, power consumption and process feasibility. Our findings suggest that surface charge transfer doping via MgO can be used as a promising technique towards high performance BP-based functional nanoelectronics.


A viscous mucoid fluid occasionally accumulates after intratesticular inoculation of rabbits with Treponema pallidum. Experiments were performed to assess the effects of this testicular fluid on the development of syphilitic lesions. Intramuscular injections of this fluid altered host defences as indicated by shorter incubation periods, by reactivation of healing lesions, and by the presence of lesions at a time when solid immunity should have developed.


Glasshouse experiments were conducted to study the response of non-host Brassica rapa and host Sorghum bicolor to inoculation with the arbuscular my- corrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus etunicatum when given different levels of N (0.9 mmol kg -1 sand, 2.7 mmol kg -1 sand, 8.1 mmol kg-1 sand) and P (3.6 µmol kg-1 sand, 10.7 µmol kg -1 sand, 32.0 µmol kg -1 sand) fertiliser. On both plant species, the presence of G. etunicatum inocu- lum (+AMF) was associated with significant changes of shoot δ 15 N values, with +AMF plants having larger aver- age δ 15 N values than uninoculated plants (-AMF). These values are the largest average differences in shoot δ15N yet recorded for AMF and nutrient effects. B. rapa shoot δ 15 N average differences ranged from 1.67‰ to 2.70‰, while for S. bicolor they range between 2.07‰ and 4.40‰. For shoot δ 13 C only the non-host B. rapa re- sponded to ±AMF and added N. Although the harvested dry weight biomass (-35.2% B. rapa; +39.8% S. bicolor) of both plant species responded to AMF inoculation, no direct relationship was observed between isotopic dis- crimination and growth inhibition for the non-host B. rapa. In this paper we discuss some implications regard- ing AMF inocula on the basis of our findings and current literature.


This article discusses Stirewalt's new publication (2003) on Paul as a letter writer
in the light of research on letters in New Testament Studies. After an introductory
discussion of pioneering work by Deissmann, trends in twentieth century research
on letter writing are analysed as framework for a discussion of the work of
Stirewalt. This is followed by reflection on some seminal issues raised by this work,
like practicalities of letter writing, comparative methods, missiological issues, and
spirituality.


Film Bulk Acoustic Resonators are useful for many signal processing applications. Detailed knowledge of their properties is needed to optimize their design for specific applications. The finite size of these resonators precludes their use in single acoustic modes; rather, multiple wave modes, such as, lateral wave modes are always excited concurrently. In order to determine the contributions of these modes, we have been using a newly developed full-field laser acoustic imaging approach to directly measure their amplitude and phase throughout the resonator. This paper describes new results comparing modeling including both elastic and piezoelectric effects in the active material with imaging measurement of all excited modes. Fourier transformation of the acoustic amplitude and phase displacement images provides a quantitative determination of excited mode amplitude and wavenumber at any frequency. Images combined at several frequencies form a direct visualization of lateral mode excitation and dispersion for the device under test allowing mode identification and comparison with predicted operational properties. Discussion and analysis are presented for modes near the first longitudinal thickness resonance (~900 MHz) in an AlN thin film resonator. Plate wave modeling, taking account of material crystalline orientation, elastic and piezoelectric properties and overlayer metallic films, is discussed in relation to direct image measurements.


This study was carried out to examine the effects that the social media is exerting on the participation of Nigerian youths in socio-political issues. This is against the backdrop of long standing exclusion of youths from issues affecting the polity and governance. The study was conducted using the survey method with questionnaires administered to selected respondents. The results showed that large numbers of youths are spending time online, and by participating in social media discussions on socio-political matters affecting the country. They are thus getting informed and raising awareness about different issues through e-publicity and demonstrations, thereby promoting good governance in different ways, like accountability. The study recommends that there should be improved media literacy on the part of avid social media users and activists, in order to make the best use of the innovation for socio-political participation and reduce incidences of false or, malicious information going viral and affecting the society negatively. Keywords: social media, political participation, governance, youths


Global weight is one of the knowledge representation parameters which is assigned to a set of fuzzy production rules for improving the representation accuracy and reducing the occurrence of incorrect inferences of a fuzzy production rule. Due to the inherent interaction among the rules, the fuzzy inferencing mechanism involving global weights performs unsatisfactorily. To handle this interaction, the paper proposes the use of a fuzzy measure (or in general a nonnegative and nonadditive set function) to replace global weights. Such replacement can effectively improve the reasoning results. An initial experimental result shows that, by learning the fuzzy measure, the reasoning accuracy can be improved significantly.


There are theoretical grounds for believing that scopolamine‐induced cognitive deficit may be predictive of future cognitive decline. In the present study, 22 healthy elderly volunteers were reassessed 3 years after a scopolamine challenge. Although there was little overall change in mean cognitive test scores over time, in two out of 10 tests scopolamine‐induced decrement was related to subsequent decline.


In December 2006, the European Commission has published a proposal on the inclusion of aviation in the already existing EU emissions trading scheme. The European Commission intends to cap carbon dioxide emissions generated by aviation from 2011 onwards. From this year, aircraft operators will be obliged to surrender allowances for intra-EU flights and from 2012, allowances will be required for all international flights landing at and departing from any airport in the European Union. Initially, this paper gives an overview on recent political developments on EU as well as on ICAO level on the subject of emissions trading and aviation. It continues with a brief economic and legal analysis of the European Commissions proposal, with special respect to the proposed method of initial allocation of allowances. Subsequently, the paper concentrates on a qualitative discussion of the impacts on competition between network carriers based in European and non-European countries. The findings of the qualitative discussion are then quantitatively substantiated using flight performance and emissions calculations based on EUROCONTROLs Base of Aircraft Data (BADA). After a brief discussion of our modelling approach, the main impacts on operating costs, ticket prices and cargo rates for European and non-European aircraft operators are presented and discussed. The economic consequences derived from the model-based empirical estimations presented in our paper indicate a diverse set of effects influencing European and non-European aircraft operators. This is likely to affect not only airlines, but is also likely to have repercussions on the situation of European airports. Finally, it is analysed to what extent the proposed scheme could act as a market entry barrier on the European air transport market. For the covering abstract see ITRD E137145.


Thus far, responsible management and related areas, such as corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and business ethics, have largely ignored that past beliefs about what is considered (ir)responsible are reconstructed over time. In this chapter, we address this oversight and develop a collective memory perspective that acknowledges the reconstruction of responsibility, sustainability and ethics over time, as a result of ongoing mnemonic struggles between a variety of actors including business firms and their managers, as well as other stakeholders, like civil society groups and the media. We show how the contemporary understanding of (ir)responsibility is contingent upon mnemonic struggles over what the past should encompass, as well as mnemonic work, different remembering and forgetting practices, the (re-)interpretation of mnemonic traces and the cultural context in which these processes take place. We outline key issues and concepts that should be taken into consideration in the practice of responsible management, where issues related to the past are concerned. We contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of responsible management that attends to a responsible management of the past, as well.


In the study of complex networks, it is commonly believed that the eigenratio λ2/λN of the Laplacian matrix of a network represents the network synchronizability, especially for symmetric networks. This paper gives two counterexamples to show that this is not true for the case where the network has a disconnected synchronized region. Consequently, a simple answer is presented to the question of when the eigenratio λ2/λN does represent the network synchronizability.


The recently revived superconducting magnet program at Fermilab is currently focused on the development of high gradient quadrupoles for possible use in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) interaction regions at CERN. In order to provide input for the new quadrupole design which will operate in superfluid helium, we have tested a Fermilab Tevatron low-/spl beta/ quadrupole cold mass and compared its low temperature performance to a newly assembled heavily instrumented version which was mechanically modified to take advantage of the gain in critical current.


It could be concluded that all multi-objective evolutionary algorithms draw their strength from two aspects: convergence and diversity. In order to achieve these goals, This paper proposes a hybrid methods that combines GA with simplex search method for multi-objective optimization using preference order ranking. Preference order ranking is used as fitness assignment methodology to accelerate the performance of convergence, especially when the number of objectives is very large. The proposed algorithm also uses three subsets to evolve simultaneous and each subset is divided on the basis of different criterion. In every generation, We carry out simplex-based local search in the first two subsets to achieve faster convergence and better diversity, and the individuals in third subset execute ordinary genetic operator to avoid premature convergence. The proposed algorithm has been compared with other MOEAs in high dimensional problems. The experimental results indicate that our algorithm produces better convergence and diversity performance.


Super-resolution imaging reveals close association between mGluR4, CaV2.1, and Munc-18-1 at cerebellar active zones. G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a fundamental role in the modulation of synaptic transmission. A pivotal example is provided by the metabotropic glutamate receptor type 4 (mGluR4), which inhibits glutamate release at presynaptic active zones (AZs). However, how GPCRs are organized within AZs to regulate neurotransmission remains largely unknown. Here, we applied two-color super-resolution imaging by direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) to investigate the nanoscale organization of mGluR4 at parallel fiber AZs in the mouse cerebellum. We find an inhomogeneous distribution, with multiple nanodomains inside AZs, each containing, on average, one to two mGluR4 subunits. Within these nanodomains, mGluR4s are often localized in close proximity to voltage-dependent CaV2.1 channels and Munc-18-1, which are both essential for neurotransmitter release. These findings provide previously unknown insights into the molecular organization of GPCRs at AZs, suggesting a likely implication of a close association between mGluR4 and the secretory machinery in modulating synaptic transmission.


Spreading depolarization (SD) is an electrochemical wave of neuronal depolarization mediated by extracellular K+ and glutamate, interacting with voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels. SD is increasingly recognized as a major cause of injury progression in stroke and brain trauma, where the mechanisms of SD-induced neuronal injury are intimately linked to energetic status and metabolic impairment. Here, I review the established working model of SD initiation and propagation. Then, I summarize the historical and recent evidence for the metabolic impact of SD, transitioning from a descriptive to a mechanistic working model of metabolic signaling and its potential to promote neuronal survival and resilience. I quantify the energetic cost of restoring ionic gradients eroded during SD, and the extent to which ion pumping impacts high-energy phosphate pools and the energy charge of affected tissue. I link energy deficits to adaptive increases in the utilization of glucose and O2 , and the resulting accumulation of lactic acid and CO2 downstream of catabolic metabolic activity. Finally, I discuss the neuromodulatory and vasoactive paracrine signaling mediated by adenosine and acidosis, highlighting these metabolites' potential to protect vulnerable tissue in the context of high-frequency SD clusters.


An optical film with a disperse phase of polymeric particles disposed within a continuous birefringent matrix. The film is oriented, typically by stretching, in one or more directions. The size and shape of the disperse phase particles, the volume fraction of the disperse phase, the film thickness, and the amount of orientation are chosen to attain a desired degree of diffuse reflection and total transmission of electromagnetic radiation of a desired wavelength in the resulting film.


Background Most adolescents do not achieve the recommended level of physical activity (PA) in the UK. Cultural norms – captured by ethnic identity – and social cohesion are aspects of the social environment that have the potential to influence health (behaviours). This study examines the relationships between social cohesion, ethnicity and three common types of PA in adolescents. The objectives are to test whether different types of PA have similar patterns of associations with social cohesion and ethnicity and to investigate confounding and interaction effects. Methods We used longitudinal data from the Olympic Regeneration in East London (ORiEL) study. In 2012, 3088 adolescents aged 11–12 were recruited from 25 schools in four deprived and ethnically diverse boroughs of East London. Adolescents were followed-up in 2013 and 2014. Social cohesion was operationalised as trust in people living in the neighbourhood, measured on a four-point scale at wave 2. We grouped ethnic identities into eight categories. The outcomes were self-reported binary variables: walking to school, walking for leisure, and outdoor PA in the neighbourhood. We identified potential confounders. We fitted Generalised Estimated Equation models for each outcome, with a time trend and investigated potential interactions between the exposures and time. Final available case sample size was 4811 observations from 2157 adolescents. Results We found evidence of associations between ethnicity and the PA outcomes. Adjustment for potential confounders (socioeconomic status, health and gender) did not attenuate the relationships. In the fully adjusted models, compared to White British, Black Africans had 1.49 higher odds of outdoor PA (95% CI 1.06–2.07), Bangladeshis had 1.42 higher odds of walking to school (95% CI 1.02–1.97) and all ethnic groups had lower odds of walking for leisure (estimated ORs varied between 0.37 and 0.71). While social cohesion was not associated with walking, there was evidence of a dose-response relationship with outdoor PA. A one-category increase in cohesion increasedthe odds of outdoor PA by 1.18 (95% CI 1.07–1.30). We found no evidence of time*exposure interaction; exposures did not predict change in PA. Conclusion This study contributes new findings to the evidence base on the social environment and PA. The ethnic diversity of the ORiEL study and its large sample size provided sufficient power to reveal how PA behaviours are patterned by ethnic groups. Further analyses will jointly model the three PA outcomes to better capture the dependency and associations between the exposures and the outcomes.


• Almost 50 percent of all poultryproducing households in Ghana are located in three regions (Northern, Upper Eastern, and Ashanti)—key regions to target for HPAI prevention and surveillance among small-scale poultry production systems. • Because they have diversified income sources and derive small proportions of their total household income from poultry, poultry-producing households are likely to be resilient against HPAI shocks. • The impact of HPAI on incomes is small; however, larger smallscale poultry producers stand to lose significant proportions of their wealth (assets) as a result of HPAI shocks. Households in the areas with medium HPAI risk (Central, Western, Eastern, Ashanti, and Brong Ahafo regions) are most vulnerable to HPAI and should be encouraged to adopt HPAI control and mitigation measures. Controlling Avian Flu and Protecting People's Livelihoods in Africa and Indonesia


Purpose: To determine if nurses are able to identify medication errors that have the potential to bypass computer physician order entry (CPOE) and smart ordering systems. Background: Medical care systems employ computer "smart" systems to reduce medication errors by using artificial intelligence (preprogrammed methods of decision support and error reduction). However, these systems are not perfect and they can be bypassed. Nurses who carry out the order represent the last check point in error prevention prior to the administration of medication orders. Methods: A paper exercise was created with 513 physician orders. Nurses were asked to indicate whether they would carry out the order, refuse to carry out the order, consult a pharmacist for clarification, or carry out the order with special precautions. Nurses were given the option of using any nursing or medical reference. Results: The rate of correctly identifying 23 of the contraindicated orders was low. Both experienced and inexperienced nurses had high rates of not identifying the errors despite similar use of references and requests for assistance from pharmacists. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that if an error escapes a smart system, nurses were able to identify most of these errors, but not all of these. The current system features high stress, self-esteem issues, time pressure, high volume, and high risk. The system must change radically to meet the public's expectations of being nearly error free which can only be achieved with smarter systems that are more resistant to human errors.


Lyme disease risk areas have increased across Canada in recent decades with the ongoing range expansion of Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi. Different methodologies are used by federal and provincial governments to determine local Lyme disease risk, which can make comparisons between regions challenging. In this study, seven Canadian Lyme disease risk classification methodologies were compared with each other to highlight the strengths and limitations of how each definition measured I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi risk. Each methodology was applied to active surveillance data from Ontario, and per cent agreement and kappa statistics were calculated. The methodologies varied in their measurements of the risk of exposure to I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi based on their use of active surveillance techniques, multiple types of collected surveillance data and laboratory confirmation of B. burgdorferi. Most initial Lyme disease risk site classifications were maintained over time. Kappa and per cent agreement statistics highlighted large differences between 8 of the 15 methodology pairings, indicating the presence of inconsistencies between most methodologies. Accurate, consistent surveillance and assessment of the spread of I. scapularis and its pathogens will aid with communicating Lyme disease risk to the public and preventing tick‐borne pathogen transmission.


Two active hydrogen masers constructed at the CSIRO Division of Applied Physics have been contributing to the laboratory's frequency and time scales since 1982. Design and performance details are discussed. Vacuum-pump lifetimes necessitate servicing of the masers every few years and these operations can cause frequency drifts of 2 × 10-15 per day due to contamination of the maser bulb surface. However, recovery, to 2 × 10-14 per year occurs over a year or two. By staggering service operations, continuous frequency and time scales are achieved which compare favourably with such scales in other countries.


Purpose: To investigate the activity of niraparib in patients with germline-mutated BRCA1/2 (gBRCAm) advanced breast cancer. Patients and Methods: BRAVO was a randomized, open-label phase III trial. Eligible patients had gBRCAm and HER2-negative advanced breast cancer previously treated with ≤2 prior lines of chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer or had relapsed within 12 months of adjuvant chemotherapy, and were randomized 2:1 between niraparib and physician's choice chemotherapy (PC; monotherapy with eribulin, capecitabine, vinorelbine, or gemcitabine). Patients with hormone receptor–positive tumors had to have received ≥1 line of endocrine therapy and progressed during this treatment in the metastatic setting or relapsed within 1 year of (neo)adjuvant treatment. The primary endpoint was centrally assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), PFS by local assessment (local-PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. Results: After the pre-planned interim analysis, recruitment was halted on the basis of futility, noting a high degree of discordance between local and central PFS assessment in the PC arm that resulted in informative censoring. At the final analysis (median follow-up, 19.9 months), median centrally assessed PFS was 4.1 months in the niraparib arm (n = 141) versus 3.1 months in the PC arm [n = 74; hazard ratio (HR), 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.65–1.44; P = 0.86]. HRs for OS and local-PFS were 0.95 (95% CI, 0.63–1.42) and 0.65 (95% CI, 0.46–0.93), respectively. ORR was 35% (95% CI, 26–45) with niraparib and 31% (95% CI, 19–46) in the PC arm. Conclusions: Informative censoring in the control arm prevented accurate assessment of the trial hypothesis, although there was clear evidence of niraparib's activity in this patient population.


Organisations can benefit from contact centres because they reduce the cost of functions and extend and improve service to customers; but do contact centres benefit an employee? A contact centre can be a stressful and demanding environment for an employee. The objective of this study was to establish the level of employee wellness in a contact centre within an open and distance learning (ODL) institution, from a sample of 102 of 138 employees working in the contact centre of an ODL university. The assessment was voluntary and the completed assessments provided for expert information with regard to the experiences of employees. The results indicate that there is an imbalance between job demands and job resources. There is also a concern with regard to the psychological conditions which negatively impact on the employees' work and life outcomes. There is also severe pressure at this institution's contact centre especially with regard to the availability of job resources which makes it difficult for employees to function optimally.


It is shown that, as the temperature of an Yb, Er:YAG crystal is increased from room temperature to 400–600°C, the efficiency of energy accumulation on the 4I13/2 level of the Er3+ ion increases by several times upon optical pumping through Yb3+ ions. Under these conditions, up to 60% of erbium ions can be excited, which gives promise that lasing at a wavelength of 1.54 μm can be achieved in the Yb, Er:YAG crystal in the three-level scheme.


The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Principal Strengthening Education and Training on the dimensions of planning, management and supervision on managerial competence of Islamic Kindergarten principals in Wonocolo sub-district, Surabaya. This analysis uses quantitative methods. The sample of this study was the principal of an Islamic kindergarten in the Wonocolo sub-district of Surabaya city who had attended the training for strengthening the principal of the city of Surabaya in 2019. The data was collected through a questionnaire. The statistical test method is nonparametric analysis using the boots rapping method. The results of the research on the effect of training and education on the strengthening of school principals on managerial competence of principals in planning dimensions are 0.034. In the management dimension, the significance value is 0.025 and the supervision dimension produces a significance value of 0.037. The overall dimension of managerial competence, the resulting significance value is smaller than a significant alpha of 5% or 0.05. This means that there is a significant effect of training and education on the strengthening of principals on the managerial competence of principals in the dimensions of planning, management and supervision.


A combination of photoelectron spectroscopy and synchrotron based photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectra has been applied to investigate the electronic structure and the dissociative ionization of the CH(2)ClSCN molecule in the valence region. The PES is assigned with the electronic structure calculations at the outer-valence Green's function and symmetry adapted cluster/configuration interaction (SAC-CI) levels offer an explanation of our experimental results. Upon vacuum ultraviolet irradiation the low-lying radical cation, located at 10.39 eV is formed. The molecular ion is observed in the time-of-flight mass spectra, together with the CH(2)SCN(+) and CH(2)Cl(+) daughter ions. The total ion yield spectra have been measured in the S 2p and Cl 2p regions and several channels have been determined in dissociative photoionization events for the core-excited species. Thus, by using time-of-flight mass spectrometry and synchrotron radiation the relative abundances of the ionic fragments and their kinetic energy release values were obtained from both PEPICO and photoelectron photoion photoion coincidence spectra. Possible fragmentation processes are discussed and compared with that found for the related CH(3)SCN species.


It may not always be possible to conduct a digital (forensic) investigation post‐event if there is no process in place to preserve potential digital evidence. This study posits the importance of digital forensic readiness, or forensic‐by‐design, and presents an approach that can be used to construct a Digital Forensic Readiness Intelligence Repository (DFRIR). Based on the concept of knowledge sharing, the authors leverage this premise to suggest an intelligence repository. Such a repository can be used to cross‐reference potential digital evidence (PDE) sources that may help digital investigators during the process. This approach employs a technique of capturing PDE from different sources and creating a DFR repository that can be able to be shared across diverse jurisdictions among digital forensic experts and law enforcement agencies (LEAs), in the form of intelligence. To validate the approach, the study has employed a qualitative approach based on a number of metrics and an analysis of experts' opinion has been incorporated. The DFRIR seeks to maximize the collection of PDE, and reducing the time needed to conduct forensic investigation (e.g., by reducing the time for learning). This study then explains how such an approach can be employed in conjunction with ISO/IEC 27043: 2015.


A widely held concern is that the pace of infectious disease emergence has been increasing. We have analyzed the rate of discovery of pathogenic viruses, the preeminent source of newly discovered causes of human disease, from 1897 through 2010. The rate was highest during 1950–1969, after which it moderated. This general picture masks two distinct trends: for arthropod-borne viruses, which comprised 39% of pathogenic viruses, the discovery rate peaked at three per year during 1960–1969, but subsequently fell nearly to zero by 1980; however, the rate of discovery of nonarboviruses remained stable at about two per year from 1950 through 2010. The period of highest arbovirus discovery coincided with a comprehensive program supported by The Rockefeller Foundation of isolating viruses from humans, animals, and arthropod vectors at field stations in Latin America, Africa, and India. The productivity of this strategy illustrates the importance of location, approach, long-term commitment, and sponsorship in the discovery of emerging pathogens.


Background: NCT is increasingly used for operable breast cancer to allow breast conservation. Our objective was to evaluate clinical and pathological response after sequential NCT of 3 cycles of FEC 100- 3 cycles of T. This chemotherapy is currently the reference in the adjuvant setting in France.In PACS 01 trial (Roche et al. J Clin Oncol, 2006) FEC followed by T significantly improved 5 years overall survival rates (90.7%) compared to 6 FEC 100 in node-positive breast cancer. However this active combination has not yet been evaluated in NCT.Methods: 101 patients (pts) from February 2005 to September 2008 with pathologically confirmed stage II-III untreated operable breast cancer received 3 cycles (c) of FEC 100 (epirubicin 100 mg/m² + 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide 500mg/m²) followed by 3 c of T (100mg/m²) every 3 weeks. pCR was defined according to Chevallier9s (Am J Clin Oncol, 1993) as level 1 and 2 and to Sataloff9s classification (J Am Coll Surg, 1995) as grade A. A clinical, mammography and ultrasound breast evaluation was performed at baseline, after 3 c and before surgery.Results: Median age was 52.3 years [28-72]. Median diameter of the tumor was 42 mm [14-100]. 83 pts had a ductal, 14 a lobular, 3 ductal and lobular, 1 another carcinoma. 8.9% were grade I SBR, 58.4% grade II SBR, 28.7% grade III SBR and 4% unspecified. 74 (73.3%) tumors were HR+, 9(8.9%) Her-2 + and 18(17.8%) triple negative. 55 pts (54.4%) were premenopausal.After 3 cycles of FEC 100, ultrasound objective response rate (ORR) was 15%: 13 pts had a partial response and 2 pts had a complete response.After 6 cycles of NCT, ultrasound ORR was 62.5%: 53 pts had a partial response and 7 pts had a complete response.Most frequent grade (G) 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia which occured in 16 pts (15.8%) with G 3 febrile neutropenia in 11 pts (10.9%) (G-CSF optional). Most frequent G 1-2 averse events were nausea which occured in 43 pts(42.6%), myalgia in 27 pts(26.7%) and stomatitis in 23 pts(22.8%).After the completion of NCT, 76 pts (75.2%) underwent breast-conserving surgery. 12(11.9%) achieved pCR using Chevallier9s classification and 15(14.8%) using Sataloff9s classification.Conclusion: Sequential NCT with FEC followed by T was active and relatively well tolerated. Breast-conserving rate appeared satisfactory. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 1105.


A case of systemic brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis biovar 3 was identified in a chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in the southern French Alps. Clinical signs included bilateral orchiepididymitis and keratoconjunctivitis, polyarthritis, and neurological signs; pathological findings confirmed an ulcerative keratitis, orchiepididymitis with calcified or necrotic foci and serofibrinous and hemorrhagic polyarthritis. The kidney cortex showed calcified nodules and infarctions. A small focus of chronic pleuritis was also observed. Brain and pia mater showed degeneration, necrosis and calcification with perivascular lymphoplasmacytic and granulomatous inflammation. B. melitensis was evidenced in all these organs. This systemic brucellosis is unusual in our developed countries, in human an early medical action restricts the illness to localised lesions; domestic ruminants are slaughtered at the first clinical suspicion like abortion and/or after seroconversion.


The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) holds the archival collection of The Engineering Institute of Canada. The Series list and Finding Aids


The coherence property of the laser light is an important aspect for the understanding of the optical physics. A modified geometry of the Mach-Zender interferometer has been proposed for measurement of the coherence of the laser. The geometry of the mirrors has been arranged in such a way that the reversible shear interferometer and the Michelson interferometer, both the types of the interferometers are set-up in a single geometry. Using this interferometer, the spatial and the temporal coherence of the laser beam can be measured .The interferometer is simple in design and is useful in the computer assisted visual learning of the coherence at the college and university level education and teaching in optics.


No real-world reward function is perfect. Sensory errors and software bugs may result in RL agents observing higher (or lower) rewards than they should. For example, a reinforcement learning agent may prefer states where a sensory error gives it the maximum reward, but where the true reward is actually small. We formalise this problem as a generalised Markov Decision Problem called Corrupt Reward MDP. Traditional RL methods fare poorly in CRMDPs, even under strong simplifying assumptions and when trying to compensate for the possibly corrupt rewards. Two ways around the problem are investigated. First, by giving the agent richer data, such as in inverse reinforcement learning and semi-supervised reinforcement learning, reward corruption stemming from systematic sensory errors may sometimes be completely managed. Second, by using randomisation to blunt the agent's optimisation, reward corruption can be partially managed under some assumptions.


The 54he(d,t)53Fe reaction has been used to study the levels populated in 53Fe in an attempt to establish the neutron configuration in 54Fe. The states observed show clear evidence for a 2p-4h admixture in 54Fe. In particular, the strength of the first 3/2- level relative to the 7/2- ground-state transition is 3-4 times that in neighbouring N=28 nuclei.


Selecting the most interesting tourist attractions and planning optimal sightseeing tours can be a difficult task for individuals visiting unfamiliar tourist destinations. On the other hand, the massive amounts of tourists in big cities can collapse certain areas causing transport inefficiency, unbalanced economic growth and nuisance among tourists and citizens. Therefore, the tourist trip planning problem should take into account the possibility for the city government to manage the urban environment and achieve a balanced and sustainable growth. In this paper we introduce the tourist trip planning problem which covers both individual (tourist) and global (city) needs. The planning problem is modelled as an extension of the mixed orienteering problem and can be controlled by deployment of mobility policies which put restrictions on points of interest and routes between them. We propose an algorithmic approach and a software tool to solve this hard combinatorial optimisation problem using variable neighbourhood search. The performance of the proposed algorithm and the tool is assessed over a real-life dataset related to the city of Barcelona. Computational results confirm the efficiency of the algorithm and ability to help both individuals in planning their trips and city governments in achieving sustainable mobility objectives.


Handover authentication is a critical issue in wireless networks, which is being used to ensure mobile nodes wander over multiple access points securely and seamlessly. A variety of handover authentication schemes for wireless networks have been proposed in the literature. Unfortunately, existing handover authentication schemes are vulnerable to a few security attacks, or incur high communication and computation costs. Recently, He et al. proposed a handover authentication scheme PairHand and claimed it can resist various attacks without rigorous security proofs. In this paper, we show that PairHand does not meet forward secrecy and strong anonymity. More seriously, it is vulnerable to key compromise attack, where an adversary can recover the private key of any mobile node. Then, we propose a new efficient and provably secure handover authentication scheme for wireless networks based on elliptic curve cryptography. Compared with existing schemes, our proposed scheme can resist key compromise attack, and achieves forward secrecy and strong anonymity. Moreover, it is more efficient in terms of computation and communication.


Semlike forest virus capsid protein cosedimented with the large ribosomal subunit at 60S in sucrose gradients after treatment of cytoplasm from infected cells with Triton X-100 and EDTA. In CsCl gradients the capsid protein banded with the subunit at a density of 1.56 to 1.57 g/cm3. Most of the capsid protein could be detached from the 60S structure by treatment with 0.8 M KCl. The ribonucleoprotein of the 26S RNA had a sedimentation value of 53S and a density of 1.50 g/cm3 and could thus be separated from the 60S structure. The data suggest that the capsid protein binds to the large ribosomal subunit, but not to the viral 26S RNA.


Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is associated with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) and has high metastatic potential. Discoidin domain receptors (DDR1, DDR2) are receptor‐type tyrosine kinases activated by collagen. Their ability to induce expression of matrix metalloproteinase is related with tumor invasion. Therefore, we aim to investigate DDRs gene expression and its regulation in NPC.


Theories of sovereignty in the twentieth century are generally based on a teleological "out-of-Europe" narrative where the modern, centralized nation-state form gradually spread across the world to be the foundation of the international order. In this article, the author reflects on how the conceptualization of sovereignty may change if one begins a global account of modern sovereignty not from the heart of Western Europe but from the complex arrangements of "distributed sovereignty" that emerged in the Indian Ocean and other colonized territories from the eighteenth century onward. These arrangements were organized as multiple layers of dependency and provisional domination, captured well by Eric Beverley's term minor sovereignty. Thinking through sovereignty in a minor key allows us to see sovereignty less as a foundation of states and societies and more as a performative category, emerging in a dialectic between promises of order, prosperity, and law, and the realities of violent domination and occupation.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate clinical, demographic, and histopathological characteristics of pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted over a 64-year period. Information was collected from medical charts, and all archived histopathological specimens with diagnoses of any pigmented lesion were retrieved. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

RESULTS
A total of 34,127 archived specimens were reviewed, revealing 458 (1.34%) pigmented lesions, of which 230 were melanocytic and 228 nonmelanocytic. Most patients were females (74.2%), white-skinned (49.1%), in the third and seventh decades of life (mean of 45 years). Most lesions were macular (59.8%), followed by plaques and nodules (4.8%), measuring 0-5 mm (41.9%). Cheek mucosa (21.0%), alveolar mucosa (16.6%), and gingiva (11.8%) were the most commonly affected sites. Amalgam tattoo was applied in 212 cases (46.3%), followed by melanotic macule (22.9%) and nevus (20.5%). Other diagnoses included racial pigmentation, exogenous pigmentation, melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy, melanoma, melanoacanthoma, smoker's melanosis, and heavy metal pigmentation.

CONCLUSIONS
Pigmented lesions represent an uncommon diagnosis in oral pathology routines. The most frequent entities are amalgam tattoo, melanotic macule, and nevus. Patients are usually middle-aged women presenting a small, long-lasting, macular lesion on the cheek mucosa.


During the last decade several constraint acquisition systems have been proposed for assisting non-expert users in building constraint programming models. GENACQ is an algorithm based on generalization queries that can be plugged into many constraint acquisition systems. However, generalization queries require the aggregation of variables into types which is not always a simple task for non-expert users. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm that is able to learn types during the constraint acquisition process. The idea is to infer potential types by analyzing the structure of the current constraint network and to use the extracted types to ask generalization queries. Our approach gives good results although no knowledge on the types is provided.


Acute idiopathic pericarditis is complicated by recurrence in 15 to 30% of cases. The preventive treatment of recurrences is not well codified. Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticoids are the commonest prescribed treatments. The objective of this study was to assess the value of colchicine in the prevention of recurrences of acute idiopathic pericarditis. Twenty-eight cases of recurrent acute pericarditis (2 episodes, 1 month between each episode) admitted to a department of internal medicine between 1989 and 1999 were reviewed. Analysis was concentrated on the 13 idiopathic forms. The subjects were 7 women and 6 men with an average age of 41 years (10-62) at the time of the first episode of acute pericarditis. These 13 patients were treated with colchicine (1 to 2 mg/day) after failure of conventional treatment (aspirin 13/13, NSAID 13/13, steroids 9/13 and pericardiocentesis 3/13). Ten patients were followed up regularly (6 months after starting colchicine) and were improved with respect to number, duration and intensity of their recurrences. The average duration of colchicine therapy was 17 +/- 14 months (6-48). Progressive withdrawal of NSAID and steroids was obtained in 8/10 cases. The authors conclude that colchicine is useful in the prevention of recurrence of acute pericarditis. It may be proposed as treatment of choice, especially in the idiopathic forms.


We herein report a case of coagulation necrosis with granulation and eosinophilic infiltration of the liver. A 37-year-old woman was diagnosed with a new mass lesion in the liver 1 month after breast cancer surgery and admitted for a further examination. Because the tumor occurred immediately after surgery, it was considered essential to determine whether or not it was a metastatic liver tumor from breast cancer. A percutaneous liver tumor biopsy revealed eosinophilic granuloma of the liver, which is considered to have a high possibility of visceral larva migrans with suspected gnathostomiasis infection. A detailed medical history and histological diagnosis are important for making a differential diagnosis.


The ability to estimate the available bandwidth of an end-to-end network communication path is of paramount importance as it measures the performance of the underlying network infrastructure. Over the years, many available bandwidth estimation tools have been developed. Numerous studies have also been carried out to evaluate and compare the performance of these tools. However, most of these evaluations were done by using simplified testbed built with ordinary general purpose computers or low-end routers. The results obtained may not truly reflect the actual performance of these tools in real production environment especially in today's advanced internetworking technologies. This paper addresses this common weakness in the past studies by evaluating several prominent available bandwidth estimation tools using a realistic testbed built with commercial network equipment that resembles a typical Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) High Speed Broadband (HSBB) network. The results obtained provide a better manifestation of these tools' performance and validate their applicability in the advanced networks of today.


Abstract Despite major advances in the development of interventions for youth anxiety and depression, approximately 30% of youths with anxiety do not respond to cognitive behavioral treatment, and youth depression treatments yield modest symptom decreases overall. Identifying networks of modifiable risk and maintenance factors that contribute to both youth anxiety and depression (i.e., internalizing problems) may enhance and broaden treatment benefits by informing the development of mechanism-targeted interventions. A particularly powerful network is the rich array of family processes linked to internalizing problems (e.g., parenting styles, parental mental health problems, and sibling relationships). Here, we propose a new theoretical model, the triadic model of family process, to organize theory and evidence around modifiable, transdiagnostic family factors that may contribute to youth internalizing problems. We describe the model's implications for intervention, and we propose strategies for testing the model in future research. The model provides a framework for studying associations among family processes, their relation to youth internalizing problems, and family-based strategies for strengthening prevention and treatment.


Two university campuses have been linked together by an optical fiber cable so that a lecture delivered on one campus can be simultaneously transmitted to the second using four TV channels, thereby making two separated classrooms the equivalent of one. The system is explained and the results of student evaluations are shown. The quality of the image evaluations by students initially experiencing this method has been shown to be higher than evaluations of the students who have used it for six months. Evaluations of the lectures, however, were almost the same. This TV lecture system, therefore, has been found to be quite satisfactory as a long-distance education tool. >


Using physics-based circuit models, the performances of carbon nanotube (CNT) interconnects, both single- and multiwall (SWNT and MWNT), are benchmarked against their copper counterparts at a realistic operating temperature (100degC). The models used capture various electron phonon scattering mechanisms and the dependence of quantum conductance on temperature and diameter. It is demonstrated that any performance comparison between CNT and copper wires needs to be done at realistic temperatures because changes in temperature affect copper and CNT interconnects quite differently. The results of this paper demonstrate that a hybrid system of copper/SWNT/MWNT offers the highest performance enhancement for interconnects.


Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that undergo complex conformational changes during their gating transitions. Both functional and structural data from K+ channels suggest that extracellular and intracellular parts of the pore communicate with each other via a trajectory of interacting amino acids. No crystal structures are available for voltage-gated Na+ channels, but functional data suggest a similar intramolecular communication involving the inner and outer vestibules. However, the mechanism of such communication is unknown. Here, we report that amino acid Ile-1575 in the middle of transmembrane segment 6 of domain IV (DIV-S6) in the adult rat skeletal muscle isoform of the voltage-gated sodium channel (rNaV1.4) may act as molecular switch allowing for interaction between outer and inner vestibules. Cysteine scanning mutagenesis of the internal part of DIV-S6 revealed that only mutations at site 1575 rescued the channel from a unique kinetic state ("ultra-slow inactivation," IUS) produced by the mutation K1237E in the selectivity filter. A similar effect was seen with I1575A. Previously, we reported that conformational changes of both the internal and the external vestibule are involved in the generation of IUS. The fact that mutations at site 1575 modulate IUS produced by K1237E strongly suggests an interaction between these sites. Our data confirm a previously published molecular model in which Ile-1575 of DIV-S6 is in close proximity to Lys-1237 of the selectivity filter. Furthermore, these functional data define the position of the selectivity filter relative to the adjacent DIV-S6 segment within the ionic permeation pathway.


In 2008 the European Commission released a call for proposals under the workprogramme topic: novel approaches for reducing nitrogen losses. The objective of the programme was to improve uptake of the Nitrates Directive at the farm level. The consortium (Newcastle University, Louis Bolk Institute, Technical University of Madrid, and Aarhus University) responded to the call by developing a project that combined a review of the state of the art in technologies to reduce losses of N to water, with the upgrading of a user-friendly software package for simulating field-scale N dynamics, and the testing of strategies with farmers. N-Toolbox will lay the foundations for improved implementation of water protection policy at the farm level throughout the EU. This document is a short summary of key findings and experiences from the on-farm case study component of the project in Spain, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Denmark.


V.W. is a day-shift phlebotomist at Sunny View Cancer Hospital, located in a mid-sized southern city. She is a high-school graduate from an underprivileged background who has had no exposure to the hospital environment and has been recently trained "on the job" for her current position. She has been extremely troubled recently and has been unable to report to work because of stress-related symptoms. All of this began when, on a routine phlebotomy sweep one day, an extremely cachectic cancer patient looked her in the eyes and asked her why his blood had to be drawn again, saying that he did not expect to live through the night. What should V.W. do? What should V.W.'s manager do?


During the transition from central planning to market economies now under way in Eastern Europe, output levels first collapsed by 40 to 50 percent in most countries, then staged a modest recovery in the last two years. Longer-term revival of growth requires a resumption of investment and thus, realistically, of domestic savings. To explore the determinants of household savings rates in transition economies, the authors studies matching household surveys for three Central European economies: Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland. They find that savings rates strongly increase with relative income, suggesting that increasing income inequality may play a role in determining savings rates. Savings rates are significantly higher for households that do not own their homes or that own few of the standard consumer durables-possibly because, with no retail credit or mortgage markets, households must save to purchase houses and durables. The influence of demographic factors broadly matches earlier findings for developing countries. Perhaps surprisingly, variables associated with the household's position in the transition process-including either sector of employment (public or private) or form of employment-do not play a significant role in determining savings rates.


Modern BigData data-intensive and scientific workload execution is challenging. The major issues are reliable processing, performance efficiency and energy efficacy perquisite of BigData processing framework. This work assume self-aware MC architectures that autonomously adjust or optimize their performance to accommodate users quality of service (QoS) performance requirement, job execution performance, energy efficiency, and resource accessibility. Extensive workload scheduling has been presented to minimize energy consumption in cloud computing (CC) environment. However, the existing workload scheduling model induces higher amount of interaction cost between inter-processors communications. Further, due to poor resource utilization, routing inefficiency these existing model induces higher energy cost and fails to meet workload QoS prerequisite. For overcoming research challenges, this paper presented quality and energy optimized scheduling (QEOS) technique for executing data-intensive workload by employing dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) technique. Experiment outcome shows QEOS model attains good trade-off between system performance and energy consumption in multi-core cloud computing (CC) architectures when compared with existing model.


After the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, marine radioactivity monitoring has received more and more international attention. According to China's needs for marine radioactivity monitoring in the North Pacific Region, this paper introduces the design of a special system for deep-sea environmental radioactivity (DSER) online monitoring in the γ-ray energy spectrum. The system uses an improved φ3" × 3" NaI (TI) crystal probe that is adaptive to the deep-sea environment. The problem of quantitative analysis of γ nuclide is solved by using two different efficiency calibration methods, they are the passive efficiency calibration method based on Monte Carlo(MC) software modeling and the liquid source environment method. The system is used in North Pacific public waters to study the impact of Fukushima nuclear accident on marine environment, and has realized long-time online monitoring of marine radioactivity in these waters.