The accompanying geologic map (scale 1 :24,000) displays the structural and stratigraphic relationships of faulted homoclines of largely undated mid-Tertiary strata exposed over an area of ~250 km2 in the drainages of Camp Grant, Putnam, Dodson, and James Washes in uplands between the Santa Catalina and Tortilla Mountains west of the San Pedro trough. The dominantly homoclinal mid-Tertiary strata dip generally east-northeast, and are cut by normal faults dipping generally west-southwest. Previous maps of various parts of the study area at comparable scale (Krieger, 1968, 1974a, 1974b, 1974c; Hansen, 1983) were prepared without information now available about regional stratigraphic relationships (Dickinson, 1991). Most key geologic features were plotted correctly during previous mapping at smaller scale (Dickinson, 1987, sheets 3, 4, 6; 1988; 1991, figs. 1, 46; 1992), but the detailed placement of contacts and structures on the accompanying geologic map supersedes past mapping. In particular, an exposure of the Cloudburst Formation is delineated between James and Polecat Washes near the northern end of the map area, the position of the base of the Quiburis Formation along the western flank of the San Pedro trough is revised (from Dickinson, 1998, sheet 2) in the vicinity of Dodson and James Washes to the north of Elgin Wash, and transverse east-west faults (Cactus Hill and Putnam Wash faults) are mapped more completely and accurately than before.


During the last decades, efforts have been made to increase local support provided to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Sweden. As with other social problems, responsibility to address IPV falls on the municipal personal social services. The present article draws upon data obtained via structured telephone interviews with designated personal social services staff members from a sample of 99 municipalities, focusing on aspects of potential progress in social work with IPV. The results show that successful incorporation of IPV into personal social services largely seems to depend upon the commitment and dedication of individual actors within the organisations. Furthermore, the data indicate that competence in this field depends on personal inclination, with attention to IPV appearing as 'a matter of choice'. The results are analysed using neo-institutional theory as well as concepts related to social movement studies, with focus on individual agency in organisational change and the potential relevance of IPV as an issue related to gender inequality to gender inequality. The analysis suggests that while IPV social work may challenge institutionalised practises within social services, change may go both ways with IPV being reframed to fit within the established framework of social services.


Problem statement: The objective of this study is to compare the methods for approximating the positions of twist fiber in yarn structures. Computer Aided Design (CAD) is applied using parametric equation, spline curve and NURBS curve. The ideal twist fiber and fiber migration are studied in 3 dimensions. Approach: The fiber positions in yarn structures were measured by trace fiber technique. The twist fiber in rayon yarn with 2.1, 3.0 and 6.0 twist factors was used as examples. The geometrical properties of twist fiber including curvature and torsion were applied in the analysis of all twist fiber examples. Each position was approximated along the length of yarn and then graphical representations of fiber are shown. Results: For ideal twist yarn, using parametric equation gives a smoother or better curve than when using the spline and NURBS curves. However, in the case of fiber migration, continuity of spline and NURBS curves are smoother than that of parametric equation. Conclusion/Recommendations: According to the comparison of the approximation method, parametric equation is most suitable for geometric modeling of ideal twist fiber, whereas the spline and NURBS curves were recommended for approximating the position of migrating fiber.


We investigate the no-cloning theorem that relies on the properties of a statistical model. Usually, the no-cloning theorem implies that two quantum states are identical or orthogonal if we allow a cloning to be on the two quantum states. Here, we rely on a statistical model. We may result in the fact that the two quantum states under consideration could not be orthogonal if we accept the statistical model. The no-cloning theorem may imply that the two quantum states under consideration may be identical if we accept the statistical model. The no-cloning theorem itself has this character.


OVERVIEW This is the first brief in a series, Building a Post-Care Service System in Child Welfare: Lessons Learned from the Frontlines of Implementation Science in Catawba County. This brief sets the stage for a threepart series on the Catawba County Child Wellbeing Project by describing the Project's origins and historical context. Topics include: 1) the purpose of building a post-care service system; 2) the needs of post-care children and families; and 3) the guiding theory of change for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Project. Additionally, the brief discusses the roles of various organizations involved with the Project – The Duke Endowment, the Catawba County (North Carolina) Department of Social Services (usually called Catawba County Social Services), the National Implementation Research Network and Independent Living Resources, Inc.


In the 14-year period from 1976 to 1989, 183 homicide offenders have been recorded in Auckland, New Zealand. Data accessed from police files show that Maori and Polynesians made up the majority of the offenders. Almost all offenders were male, and the largest proportion was between 20 and 24 years of age. Racial differences were noted in the methods used to commit the homicide, in the offender-victim relationship, and in whether the offender acted alone. The majority of offenders were not convicted of murder, but were convicted on lesser charges.


Homoisoflavonoids are rare compounds distributed within a few families of plants includ‐ ing species from Fabaceae. The genus Caesalpinia, the main focus of this chapter, is a prolific source of these unique natural products. Homoisoflavonoids from Caesalpinia spp. are associ‐ ated to ethnopharmacological uses for diverse purposes. In this sense, the following chapter sheds light on the occurrence, biosynthesis, isolation, synthesis, and structural analysis of these compounds from species of the genus Caesalpinia and their biological potential.


Background and Objectives : The contamination of blood components by bacteria is an adverse event, which, although very uncommon, has an exceptionally high mortality rate. Case Report: A patient suffering from terminal adenocarcinoma of the ovary received a red blood cell unit. During the transfusion, the patient developed fever. Cultures of both the patient's blood and the blood unit were done, and she was treated with antibiotics. Forty‐eight and seventy‐two hours after the transfusion, Candida parapsilosis grew in the blood cultures of the red blood cell bag and of the patient. The infection was controlled with amphotericin. The patient died from cancer progression. Conclusion: We describe the first case of transfusion‐associated sepsis caused by C. parapsilosis.


We analyze the electrorheological effect in immiscible fluid mixtures with dielectric mismatch. By taking the electric field effect into account, which couples to the dynamics of domain morphology under flow, we propose a set of electrorheological constitutive equations valid under the condition where the relative magnitude of the flow field is stronger than that of the electric field. Through comparison with recent experiments, we point out a unique dynamical stress response inherent in situations where the cross-coupling between different fields is essential.


Studies in Nigeria have identified several individual and contextual determinants of institutional delivery among childbearing women. However, it is not clear in literature whether these determinants are peculiar to women who enrolled or do not enrolled in health insurance schemes. This study compares the determinants of institutional delivery among childbearing women who either enrolled or do not enrolled in health insurance schemes in Nigeria. The study was based on women's data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. A weighted sample size of 17,465 women was analysed. Stata 14 was used to perform data analysis. Three binary logistic regression models were estimated. Results show higher prevalence of institutional delivery among women who enrolled in health insurance (39.3% vs. 70.5%). Result further reveal differences in the determinants of institutional delivery among the women with sex of head of household (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.340, p < 0.05; 95% CI: 1.121-1.602), type of marriage (AOR = 0.817, p < 0.05; 95% CI: 0.727-0.918) and status of most recent delivery (AOR = 0.703, p < 0.001; 95% 95% CI: 0.631-0.781) showing significance among women not enrolled in health insurance but insignificant among women enrolled in health insurance. Differences in determinants of institutional delivery among the women may be attributed to differences in their socio-demographic condition.


The trend of transforming substations into smart automated facilities has led to their swift digitalization and automation. To facilitate data exchange among equipment within these substations, the IEC 61850 standard has become the predominant standard. However, this standardization has inadvertently made these substations more susceptible to cyberattacks, which is a significant concern given the confidential information that is transmitted. As a result, cybersecurity in substations is becoming an increasingly critical topic. IEC 62351 standard provides guidelines and considerations for securing the IEC 61850 messages to mitigate their vulnerabilities. While securing Generic Object-Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages has received considerable attention in literature, the same level of scrutiny has not been applied to Sampled Value (SV) messages despite their susceptibility to cyberattacks and similar frame format. This paper presents the impact of replay and masquerade attacks on SV messages. It also develops a scheme for securing SV messages against these attacks. Due to high sampling rate and time critical nature of SV messages, the time complexity of security scheme is critical for its applicability to SV messages. Hence, in this work, SV emulators have been developed in order to send these modified secure SV messages and investigate their timing performance. The results show that the proposed scheme can mitigate replay and masquerade attacks on SV messages while providing the necessary high sampling rate and stringent timing requirements.


In the modern age of technology, people always want to get better in terms of efficiency and comfort. Inducing the progress in Information Technology with the progress simultaneously happening in Medical Science, it can be then merged to form a technology which will strive for the betterment of Human Healthcare. Earlier technologies by researchers and computer scientists proposed a system where excel sheets were a medium to maintain various details of a patient referring to their Electronic Health Record (EHR). As the population kept on increasing at an escalating rate, the worldwide Health-Care data increased at such a rate that it became difficult to manage. Thus, this paper proposes a system which can be used to manage such data very efficiently using Hadoop framework which allows access as well as analytics of this healthcare data. Analytics on various grounds can give very deep insight and discover patterns which can then be used for improving the quality of human health. This paper brings together different platforms and algorithms for big data analytics. Last but not the least, various challenges and future scope of this technology have been mentioned and discussed.


The simultaneous occurrence of various types of defects in bearings makes their diagnosis more challenging owing to the resultant complexity of the constituent parts of the acoustic emission (AE) signals. To address this issue, a new approach is proposed in this paper for the detection of multiple combined faults in bearings. The proposed methodology uses a deep neural network (DNN) architecture to effectively diagnose the combined defects. The DNN structure is based on the stacked denoising autoencoder non-mutually exclusive classifier (NMEC) method for combined modes. The NMEC-DNN is trained using data for a single fault and it classifies both single faults and multiple combined faults. The results of experiments conducted on AE data collected through an experimental test-bed demonstrate that the DNN achieves good classification performance with a maximum accuracy of 95%. The proposed method is compared with a multi-class classifier based on support vector machines (SVMs). The NMEC-DNN yields better diagnostic performance in comparison to the multi-class classifier based on SVM. The NMEC-DNN reduces the number of necessary data collections and improves the bearing fault diagnosis performance.


Perceived changes in predator—prey dynamics along with documented declines of northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus have created a renewed interest from biologists and managers about the role meso-mammals play in shaping bobwhite population trajectories. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of meso-mammal trap and removal (MMTR) at reducing meso-mammal activity and increasing bobwhite reproductive success; thus testing the predation limitation hypothesis. During 1999–2006, we monitored bobwhite reproduction on 11 sites in three states across the southeastern United States. Combined, there were 37 site—year combinations when MMTR occurred and 20 combinations when it did not occur. We conducted 57 predator surveys and calculated an index of meso-mammal activity (i.e. predator index), for each site, as the average number of station visits per night by raccoons Procyon lotor, nine-banded armadillos Dasypus novemcinctus, Virginia opossums Didelphis virginiana, bobcats Lynx rufus and foxes Vulpes vulpes, Urocyon cinereoargenteus. The average predator index (predator visits per trap night) across sites was 0.13. We collected bobwhite reproductive information from a total of 3935 radio-tagged bobwhites resulting in 2499 nests. We used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate the relationships between MMTR, predator activity, and bobwhite reproduction. The mean predator index for non-trapped sites was 0.21 (95% CLs: 0.18, 0.24) compared to 0.10 (95% CL: 0.07, 0.13) for trapped sites. Bobwhite nests were 1.33 times (Odds ratio, 95% CL: 1.09, 1.62) more likely to be successful on trapped sites than non-trapped sites. Meso-mammal trap and removal had a positive effect on nests per hen (βtrapped= 0.25 ± 0.06; 95% CL: 0.13, 0.37), broods per hen (βtrapped = 0.37 ± 0.08; 95% CL: 0.21, 0.53), and chicks per hen (βtrapped = 1.09 ± 0.52; 95% CL: 0.07, 2.11). Our results show that MMTR reduces meso-mammal activity and positively affects bobwhite reproduction.


Downy mildew is a fungal disease caused by Plasmopara halstedii and leads to loss of yield up to 100% in sunflower. Disease control is performed mostly through chemical seed treatment and breeding. Due to the time consuming nature of conventional breeding, it is supported by biotechnological approaches. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a strategic approach in molecular breeding using molecular markers. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) such as insertions, deletions, and base-pair substitutions are more advantageous than other molecular markers. The abundance and biallelic nature of SNPs in a genome provide flexibility in the choosing of SNPs at the desired loci. Competitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) is a genotyping technology for screening of trait-specific SNP markers. In this study, SNP markers (NSA002867, NSA006138; NSA000052, NSA000354; NSA002220, NSA002251) linked with the downy mildew resistance genes Plarg, Pl13, and Pl8, respectively, were analyzed via KASP in three parental crosses (RHA-419 x Colombi, RHA-419 x P64LC53, RHA-419 x Oliva) for Plarg, one parental cross (HA-R5 x P64LC53) for Pl13, one parental cross (P64LC53 x HA-89) for Pl8, and 140 F2 individuals. According to the allelic discrimination results, NSA002867 and NSA006138 markers were discriminative in all crosses for Plarg, NSA000354 marker was discriminative for Pl13, and NSA002220 and NSA002251 markers were discriminative for Pl8. This study has revealed the potential use of SNP markers in combination with KASP assay for MAS studies, particularly downy mildew resistance in sunflower.


This research presents the improved performance of mobile wireless communication channel is based on non-line of sight because the mobile propagation channel is very hard to work with direct path between the transmitter and mobile receiver because of city-based area has objects such as rise building, trees, surround structures, and other objects. The mobile wireless spread radio channels have radio propagation mechanisms as a reflection, diffraction, and scattering effect on radio signal as lessening,  and distortion or spread time. The most important thing to make real is that the wireless channel is a multipath radio channel. Multipath copies of the same signal with distinct amplitudes, stages and delay times for all multipaths between the transmitter and the receiver. The multipath fading is defined by its impulse response, which includes the facts about the relative time of the recipient's arrival of various indices of multipath additives. The impulse response expresses great characteristics in the time domain such the large bandwidth frequencies and the amplitude output only the value impulse response δ(t) equal to one when the value of time t=0, otherwise,  the value impulse response δ(t) equal to zero in all values of the time. Over a time period reaction, the cellular radio channel could be designed as a linear filter with various impulses.


Background: The role of host response in periodontitis pathogenesis is confirmed, and it is well established that immune response plays a major role in the alveolar bone destruction. In the investigation of these responses, the role of receptor activator of the nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL)-osteoprotegerin (OPG) system is the most promising. Smoking can affect the RANKL-OPG system in a manner that will further enhance bone loss in periodontitis. The aim of this study is to assess the serum, saliva, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) concentration of RANKL and OPG in smoker versus nonsmoker untreated chronic periodontitis (CP) patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine subjects were included in the present cross-sectional study: 29 systemically healthy CP male patients (15 smokers, 14 nonsmokers) and 10 systemically and periodontally healthy nonsmoker male subjects. Serum, GCF, and whole saliva samples were obtained from the subjects. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used for assaying the concentrations of RANKL and OPG in the samples. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and the least significant difference (LSD) post hoc test were utilized to compare differences between the groups. Results: RANKL and OPG concentrations in saliva, serum, and GCF did not show any significant difference among all groups (P > 0.05). Salivary RANKL/OPG ratios were significantly higher in the nonsmoker CP group than in the healthy control group (P > 0.05) but they were not statistically significant among smoker periodontitis patients. Conclusions: The salivary RANKL/OPG ratio was higher in nonsmokers with periodontitis in comparison with smoker periodontitis patients.


Health information systems are becoming ubiquitous throughout healthcare delivery processes. Governments, enticed by the potential for improved patient care and cost reduction, are pushing for more integrated IT systems in healthcare. However, the successful adoption of these systems depends on the value they create as a service for healthcare professionals and how they support their activities. Following a call for more multidisciplinary research in health information systems and increased end-user participation in HIS development, this study presents a service perspective that considers users of health information systems (HIS) as active partners and co-creators of value, instead of passive recipients of the functionalities brought by these IT systems. From a service perspective we frame healthcare professionals as customers of HIS, and analyze how they can better support healthcare provision. We present an in-depth study of primary care professionals experience with the HIS of the Portuguese National Health Service. Experience was systematized using Customer Experience Modeling, a method that takes into account the holistic nature of experience. Results portray and evaluate HIS according to professionals' experience requirements. They also show a fragmented reality where HIS usefulness is being hampered by integration and performance issues. HIS design guidelines are also posited.


The paper presents results of theoretical and experimental research into controlling polyvinylchloride composition properties with application of lead-free stabilizers for cable products insulation. The basic regularities of thermal-physical, physical-mechanical, electrophysical, and rheological characteristics are revealed under utilization of complex Ca-Zn stabilizers of insulating elastrons.


Aiming at the parameters of fuzzy controller and CMAC neural network are difficult to tune,GA is introduced to the control system to optimize the parameters of fuzzy CMAC neural network. The strong points of fuzzy control, CMAC, genetic algorithms and improved structure are together. A FCMAC control system is designed based on modified GA. Both the overall architecture of the system and the design of every part are proposed here. The results of simulation show that the proposed control system has better performance in the learning ability and approximation accuracy.


AbstractIn light of growing interest in data-driven methods for oceanic, atmospheric, and climate sciences, this work focuses on the field of data assimilation and presents the analog data assimilation (AnDA). The proposed framework produces a reconstruction of the system dynamics in a fully data-driven manner where no explicit knowledge of the dynamical model is required. Instead, a representative catalog of trajectories of the system is assumed to be available. Based on this catalog, the analog data assimilation combines the nonparametric sampling of the dynamics using analog forecasting methods with ensemble-based assimilation techniques. This study explores different analog forecasting strategies and derives both ensemble Kalman and particle filtering versions of the proposed analog data assimilation approach. Numerical experiments are examined for two chaotic dynamical systems: the Lorenz-63 and Lorenz-96 systems. The performance of the analog data assimilation is discussed with respect to classical ...


Egypt and Hijaz (Makkah and Medina) became part of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Saleem 1, (1512-20 AD), 9th Ottoman Sultan. Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent (r. 1520-66) ruled over an intercontinental empire spread Europe, Asia, and Africa. Historical records show that the Mughal Emperors (1526-1857) had relations with Ottomans on multifarious grounds, Humayun (d.1556), 2nd Mughal Emperor, had handed over an imperial letter, addressed to Sulayman, to the shipwrecked Ottoman Admiral Sidi Ali Reis, which acknowledging the sultan as the 'Khalifa of highest qualities' and 'adorner of the throne of the khalifa'. Diplomatic Indian-Ottoman relations (1526-1923) provided breeding grounds for fresh ideas, free flow of information, and production of great works in Usul al-Fiqh by Indian Muslim scholars. A significant number of Indian scholars visited and lived in the Ottoman Central Lands, gained knowledge, came back, and shared this knowledge of Usul al-fiqh with local Shari'a scholars and students. Shaykh Ahmed, known as Mulla Jeevan, a Hanafi Indian scholar (d.1717), went to Hijaz and wrote a remarkable book (Nurul Anwar Sharh ul-Manar), which is still included as an essential part of the syllabus in almost all religious schools (madrasa) of sub-continent. This work is based on qualitative, historical, archival, and descriptive research that discusses the Indian-Ottoman shared legacy of Usul al-fiqh and contains the authors' brief treaties in chronological order.


Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) is a nuclear receptor that controls lipid and glucose metabolism and exerts antiinflammatory activities. PPARalpha is also reported to influence bile acid formation and bile composition. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a bile acid-activated nuclear receptor that mediates the effects of bile acids on gene expression and plays a major role in bile acid and possibly also in lipid metabolism. Thus, both PPARalpha and FXR appear to act on common metabolic pathways. To determine the existence of a molecular cross-talk between these two nuclear receptors, the regulation of PPARalpha expression by bile acids was investigated. Incubation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells with the natural FXR ligand chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) as well as with the nonsteroidal FXR agonist GW4064 resulted in a significant induction of PPARalpha mRNA levels. In addition, hPPARalpha gene expression was up-regulated by taurocholic acid in human primary hepatocytes. Cotransfection of FXR/retinoid X receptor in the presence of CDCA led to up to a 3-fold induction of human PPARalpha promoter activity in HepG2 cells. Mutation analysis identified a FXR response element in the human PPARalpha promoter (alpha-FXR response element (alphaFXRE)] that mediates bile acid regulation of this promoter. FXR bound the alphaFXRE site as demonstrated by gel shift analysis, and CDCA specifically increased the activity of a heterologous promoter driven by four copies of the alphaFXRE. In contrast, neither the murine PPARalpha promoter, in which the alphaFXRE is not conserved, nor a mouse alphaFXRE-driven heterologous reporter, were responsive to CDCA treatment. Moreover, PPARalpha expression was not regulated in taurocholic acid-fed mice. Finally, induction of hPPARalpha mRNA levels by CDCA resulted in an enhanced induction of the expression of the PPARalpha target gene carnitine palmitoyltransferase I by PPARalpha ligands. In concert, these results demonstrate that bile acids stimulate PPARalpha expression in a species-specific manner via a FXRE located within the human PPARalpha promoter. These results provide molecular evidence for a cross-talk between the FXR and PPARalpha pathways in humans.


From the few reports of similar large and small outbreaks of a mild acute gastrointestinal disturbance observed in the United States,1Germany,2Canada,3England,4Denmark,5Australia6and elsewhere, one would gain the impression that it is an uncommon "new" disease entity. It is almost certain, however, that it is a widespread, communicable, endemic, sporadic and at times epidemic disease or group of diseases, apart from the known forms of dysentery and acute food poisoning, which because of its mildness usually passes unnoted in the press of other problems. In our experience, cases or groups of cases similar to those described have been casually observed for years. Most of the reported epidemics among adults occurred in schools, barracks, hospitals and hotels where the number, not the severity, of cases attracted attention and provoked inquiry. The majority of patients are not sick severely enough or long


Neural transducers have achieved human level performance on standard speech recognition benchmarks. However, their performance significantly degrades in the presence of cross-talk, especially when the primary speaker has a low signal-to-noise ratio. Anchored speech recognition refers to a class of methods that use information from an anchor segment (e.g., wake-words) to recognize device-directed speech while ignoring interfering background speech. In this paper, we investigate anchored speech recognition to make neural transducers robust to background speech. We extract context information from the anchor segment with a tiny auxiliary network, and use encoder biasing and joiner gating to guide the transducer towards the target speech. Moreover, to improve the robustness of context embedding extraction, we propose auxiliary training objectives to disentangle lexical content from speaking style. We evaluate our methods on synthetic LibriSpeech-based mixtures comprising several SNR and overlap conditions; they improve relative word error rates by 19.6% over a strong baseline, when averaged over all conditions.


These regional anaesthesias included brachial plexus block, spinal anaesthesia and epidural anaesthesia. In this work, few complications were noted and the failure rate is low. Authors emphasize that regional anaesthesia should, as far as possible, be used as a substitute for general anaesthesia in emergency cases.


One of the processes that can generate surface runoff is rainfall excess, which is a process controlled at the surface of the soil. This occurs when rainfall reaches the soil at a rate in excess of the soil's ability to absorb, which is called infiltrability. This dynamic property can in uniform soil be described by a rather well-developed infiltration theory. Surface water flow toward a receiving channel may in geometrically simple conditions be described by the kinematic or diffusive wave equations. The surface water is in continuous interaction with the soil's changing infiltrability. Both infiltration theory and surface flow equations are introduced here, and the interactions and complexities arising from spatial variations are discussed. These processes are incorporated in modern hydrologic response models, using numerical solutions as well as analytic solutions. The application of this theory in hydrology, however, must be informed by scale considerations and the appropriate treatment of natural complexities. Some scale limitations and some approximate methods for treating spatial soil variations are illustrated in this article, with reference to relevant literature.


As parks' fiscal resources dwindle, park management and frontline personnel are asked to do more with less. Park ranger efficiency and effectiveness must increase, and strategies to reduce resource impacts and overcome obstacles preventing successful resource preservation must be found. This study focused on the human resources of Tennessee State Parks: those personnel charged with preserving natural and cultural resources in the parks. In order to identify key trends that may help address personnel adaptations needed, this exploratory study gathered data on currently held beliefs and enacted behaviors, and issues in human resource management. An investigation into the cognitions, knowledge, perceptions, and professional norms affecting management strategies employed by the Division of Tennessee State Parks' rangers and managers was conducted using a voluntary, self-administered survey. Results indicate employee recruitment and selection, their compensation strategies and practices, and the successful fulfillment of the Division's mission is directly influenced by understaffing, time constraints, and politics. In addition, human resource diversity is lacking, resulting in professional acculturation and a reduction in optimum efficiency and effectiveness. Findings depict inconsistencies within management strategy use, and a need for professional development for the Division's human resources.


Gene therapy is a hope for curing many diseases and pathological conditions which are relatively difficult to treat. However lack of proper gene delivery vehicle is the main limiting step in this direction. Though viral vectors still lead as the major vehicle used in gene therapy clinical trials, their immunogenicity and low capacity restrict their wide use. Hence there is a need for developing non-viral vectors which can really be used for clinical applications. Polymers are a versatile group of molecules which can be modified and designed or engineered according to the end needs of the applications. The objective of this review is to summarize the recent advances in the development of polymeric vectors for gene delivery applications reported in patents and scientific journals.


A new method for developing optical code division multi- plexed access (CDMA) address code sequences is presented. The method is based on the genetic algorithm, which has already shown success in developing two-dimensional correlation functions for pattern recognition. The algorithm is very flexible in its optimization criteria and is thus adequate for various optical CDMA applications, including coherent and noncoherent systems. Preliminary computer experimental results are presented that indicate very good discrimination ratios and very fast convergence of the search process. Important implications include synchronization-independent CDMA system design, reduction in optical beat noise, optical power budget improvement, and enhanced security. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(99)01901-7) Subject terms: optical CDMA; genetic algorithm; optical communication; optical coding.


This study presents two adult patients who experienced pleural effusion during hospitalization for stroke rehabilitation therapy after ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for normal pressure hydrocephalus associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. The pleural effusion appeared without migration of the catheter into the thoracic cavity. Because of respiratory insufficiency, which prevented progress in their rehabilitation programme, thoracentesis was repeated for recurrent pleural effusions, the composition of which differed significantly from that of cerebrospinal fluid. Both cases had past histories of laparostomies; therefore, the distal end of the catheter was placed in the right anterior subphrenic recess. One was able to resolve the pleural effusion and rehabilitate the patients by replacing the ventriculoperitoneal shunt with a vetriculoatrial shunt. In the literature, there have been only 23 reports of pleural effusion associated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Among those reports, four involved pleural effusion without migration of the distal catheter; however, all of those cases were in children. Thus, this study reports the first adult cases of pleural effusion without migration of the catheter into the pleural cavity and discusses a putative mechanism.


When considering land disputes, a court examines a large amount of evidence. In this forensic land survey expertise has taken a special place since its findings often form the basis of the court decision. The correct and prompt consideration of the dispute depends on the quality work of an expert.The paper reviews a range of problems emerging when appointing a land survey expertise, preparing materials for the forensic examination, assessing forensic expert opinions and other evidence by the court. Inter alia, it is essential to correctly determine the type of examination, the list of necessary documents to conduct it, to estimate the duration of the study. The author reveals the possibilities of expansion of a specialist's advisory activities at the expertise appointment stage to reduce the time of its conduct.


A numerical simulation study on chemical kinetics of engine combustion fueled with biodiesel was performed by using zero dimension single-zone model coupled with a detailed kinetic model. The main pathway of biodiesel combustion was obtained by analyzing key elementary reactions, production rates of key intermediate species and radicals of oxidation process under engine boundary condition. The results showed that, the combustion of biodiesel consisted of a low temperature heat release period and a high temperature heat release period. The dehydrogenation reaction was main pathway of biodiesel consumption in low temperature stage, and the decomposition of the fuel and dehydrogenation reaction were main pathways in high temperature stage. OH radical played a leading role in the dehydrogenation of fuel both in low and high temperature stage.


In this position paper the author reviews a decade of professional development for engineering educators at Chalmers University and argues the case for Problem based learning (PBL) as an effective means of building collaborative knowledge in the area of pedagogy. The author defines PBL and explains why the intended outcomes, teaching and learning methods and assessment used in Chalmers pedagogical course fit the PBL model. In doing so he focuses on three key courses. A basic module on teaching, learning and evaluation; a course in which teachers carry out a pedagogical project over one academic year; and a module on research supervision. These current modules are contrasted with earlier ones that were inspired by phenomenographical research. The author uses course evaluations to argue for the greater efficacy of the PBL approach. The paper raises a number of important questions. For example it argues that considerable damage can be done in academic development when those who design and take pedagogical courses become dogmatic about their educational research approach. In discussing this question the paper refers to the concept of academic tribes, how they are formed and how they are sustained. It also raises the question of how best to connect research and teaching. The paper concludes by advocating a pragmatic approach to educational development, especially for engineers. Instead of beginning with theory and the assumption that tricks and tips are anathema in educational development the paper argues that courses for university lecturers should begin with their issues and problems and via carefully planned teaching and learning methods allow teachers to build collaborative knowledge about the subject. In this way teachers can begin to build their own theories, theories that are all the more potent because they are developed within the teachers own context.


Using anisotropic magnetoresistance in a multi-probe configuration and local heating with a scanning laser, we investigate the magnetization reversal of individual permalloy (Py) and CoFeB nanotubes with spatial resolution. Nanocrystalline Py and amorphous CoFeB nanotubes are found to reverse via domain wall movement and chirality switching, respectively. Our experiments provide an understanding of the role of microstructure and magnetic anisotropy in the switching of ferromagnetic nanotubes at room temperature.


Different responses for the front (entrance) and the rear (exit) surfaces of fused silica processed with femtosecond laser pulses at 807 nm were observed under tight focusing conditions (NA = 0.4). The morphology of the surface in the beam path is highly sensitive to the focus position. By adjusting the focus position, we can produce not only a submicrometer cavity but also a submicrometer bubble. We achieved higher-quality micromachining and a better spatial resolution (400 nm) by focusing the laser beam at the rear surface rather than at the front surface.


Component-Based Development, CBD for short, is becoming a main stream software development paradigm which reuses the off-the-shelf components and assembles them together to form a component-based application. CBD paradigm obviously has aroused a great attention among the engineering and academic domain and many new concepts, tools, and development methodologies have been coming out. However, CBD paradigms are usually questioned by its feasibility and performance. The inherent reason of this dilemma is lacking a methodology to guide researchers or engineers to clarify the behavior relativity among components. In this paper we proposed a new formalism, named component network, which is an extension of Petri net and its powerful capability to modeling distributed system is the guarantee of successful modeling component-based system. Further more, a series operation and theorems are presented, which are concerned to be the footstone of component behavior relativity analysis and software evolution research.


Virtually reality lends itself well to a wide range of technological applications. Many applications for VR, particularly military applications, require a high level of computational power. Now that this is available at an ever increasing abundance along with VR hardware (HMDs, datagloves, trackers, etc.) many very desirable application directions can be effectively researched and developed. The work described in this paper relates to mobile communication systems. The project discusses the development of virtual communication components, the implementation of realistic functional operation of each component, the estimation of RF fields strength with multipath propagation and allows strategic scenarios to be implemented and assessed effectively.


We elaborate an imminent critique of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), critically exploring its claim to serve the public interest by reference to its character and position, its official principles and its work vis-a-vis campaigns to disaggregate accounting focused on extractive industries and operating segments. We raise issues about the institution and its rhetoric and indicate that it does not straightforwardly apply its principles. Unable to abstract from its socio-political context, its accounting prescriptions intertwine with concerns to inform democracy and a related politics of accounting disaggregation. We attempt a rescuing critique, indicating IASB's potential to better serve the public interest.


It is important to investigate a cause of formaldehyde contamination exceeding a regulation limit value in a textile product. If formaldehyde was released from a textile product itself by treatment or processing with formaldehyde, an administrative guidance is given to a manufacture. On the other hand, when the formaldehyde migrated from other textile products or a furniture stand during displaying, an improvement instruction is performed to the store. Iwama et al. [Ann. Rep. Nagoya City Public Res. Inst., 42, 11-16 (1996)] developed a method for distinguishing fabric processing and migration by additional hydrolytic extraction using hydrochloric acid solution. This study was to confirm the reliability and stability of the method for knowing formaldehyde processing on textiles. Five laboratories evaluated three samples: unprocessed textile, processed textile and unprocessed but formaldehyde-migrated textile. For a processed textile sample, amounts of formaldehyde increased by additional extractions with acidic solution, so all laboratories judged that the sample had been treated with formaldehyde. In the cases of the other two samples, such increases were not observed in the extracts using acidic solution. All laboratories reported that these samples were not processed using formaldehyde but had absorbed a different level of formaldehyde by migration. In a series of experiments, the judgement about the existence of formaldehyde processing or migration is comparatively consistent among all laboratories. This validation study concluded that the distinguishing method adopting additional extractions with acidic solution is useful to find formaldehyde processing of textile, and to deal with processing and migration separately as a cause of formaldehyde contamination.


The preventive effect of calcitonin (10 microgram/kg subcutaneously) on stress ulcer was examined in 135 rats. Three stress models were used: (1) immobilization, (2) immobilization and ketamine, (3) hypovolemia. Significantly lowered lesion rates under calcitonin were found in immobilization stress and hypovolemia models (14%, resp. 16%), compared with controls (78%, resp. 56%). Reduction of the severe lesions of the mucous membrane was the only significantly different result in the combination of immobilization and ketamine.


As population grows, more land areas are used up for accommodation, industrial needs as well as infrastructure. This results in diminishing availability of soil with good characteristics that can be used. This limitation forced future construction to be built on soils with poor characteristics. These types of soil require soil improvement in order to make them viable for construction. A relatively new and sustainable improvement method is bio-grouting techniques. The effectiveness of bio-grouting to improve organic sandy silt is studied in this paper. Cylindrical samples with 3.5 cm diameter and 7 cm height are improved by spraying bacteria solution at different solution-to-sample mass ratio and varying proliferation period. The solution-to-sample mass ratio varied from 0.2% - 1%, while the proliferation period is varied to three durations, i.e., 5 days, 13 days, and 21 days. The results showed that the method applied to soil samples could form calcite and obtain an increase in strength. For 5 days and 13 days proliferation period, the optimum solution-to-sample mass ratio is 0.6%, while for 21 days proliferation period, the optimum solution-to-sample ratio is 0,8%. However, for 21 days proliferation period, samples improved with 0.4% and 0.6% shows comparable degree of improvement as 0.8%.


Abstract The discovery of a novel drug for ischemic stroke is plagued by expensive and unsuccessful outcomes. FDA-approved drugs could be a viable repurposing strategy for stroke therapy. Emerging evidence suggests the regulating role of Glutathione peroxidase (GPX4) in stroke and attracts as a potential target. To overcome limited therapeutic interventions, a drug repurposing in silico investigation of FDA-approved drugs is proposed for the GPX4 receptor in distinctive species (Homo sapiens and Mus musculus). The GPX4 UniProt wild type ids, that is, P36969 (Homo sapiens), P36970 (Rattus norvegicus) and O70325 (Mus musculus) are Swiss modelled, and resultant templates are 2OBI and 6HN3 for Homo sapiens, and 5L71 for Mus musculus with a sequence identity of ∼88%. Enrichment analysis reveals high sensitivity and ranked actives with ROC and AUC values of 0.59 and 0.61, respectively. Virtual screening at extra precision resulted hit Acarbosum, is similar between 2OBI and 6HN3, demonstrating a multiple-target specificity and Iopromide, targeting 2OBI. MD simulation at 100 ns following trajectory analysis provides RMSD (∼1.2–1.8Å), RMSF (∼1.6–2.7Å), Rgyr (∼15–15.6Å) depicting stabilisation of receptor–ligand complexes. Furthermore, average B-factor value of 2OBI, 6HN3 and 5L71 is 25Å, 24Å and 60Å with a defined resolution of 1.55Å, 1.01Å and 1.80Å, respectively, depicting the thermodynamic stability of the protein structures. The dynamic cross-correlation and principal component analysis of residual fluctuations reveal more positive correlation, high atomic displacements and greater residual clustering of residues from atomic coordinates. Therefore, Acarbosum, an FDA-approved drug, could act as a potential repurposing drug with a multi-target approach translating from preclinical to clinical stages. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma


Introduction: Medicare beneficiaries, especially those from racial/ethnic minority populations, underutilize benefits for cancer screening. There is growing evidence that patient navigation helps overcome barriers to screening; however there is limited data on which subgroups benefit most from navigation. The Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration (CPTD) was a randomized controlled trial that assessed the effect of patient navigation on cancer screening among Black Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore, Maryland. We investigated whether patient navigation's effect on female participants' breast cancer screening adherence varied by distance between residence and mammography facilities.

Methods: Utilizing two sampling methods, 2,593 participants were enrolled into the CPTD trial with recruitment beginning in October 2006 and follow-up ending in December 2010. This analysis focuses on 1,856 Black female participants and utilizes baseline data as well as three follow-up surveys and exit data. The geographic software ArcGIS 10.0 spatially analyzed each participant's address relative to her three nearest mammography facilities in Baltimore City. With Stata 12.1, bivariate analyses assessed the independent effects of baseline demographics and other health variables on mammography screening adherence. While controlling for these factors, multivariable logistic regression models provided adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the association between adherence and patient navigation. Adherence was having a mammogram within a year of the questionnaire being conducted. To assess the outcome's sensitivity, two definitions were used: 1) non-adherent at baseline and initiated adherence during follow-up; and 2) adherent at any point during follow-up regardless of baseline status. These models were stratified to assess heterogeneity based on whether or not participants were on average within two miles from their three closest facilities.

Results: There were no significant differences in adherence at baseline between the intervention and control arms. Among women who lived on average less than two miles from the three closest facilities, those in the patient navigation arm were more likely to be non-adherent at baseline and become adherent during follow-up than those in the control arm (aOR 2.12; 95% CI 1.08 - 4.18). Among those who lived two or more miles away, women in the patient navigation arm had a stronger effect on adherence initiation than did women in the control arm (aOR 2.67; 95% CI 1.21 - 5.90). For adherence at any point during the study, patient navigation was effective among those who lived less than an average of two miles but was not significantly different than controls (aOR 1.47; 95% CI 0.95 - 2.27). In comparison, those randomized to patient navigation were more likely to adhere at any point in the study than control participants if they lived further from facilities (aOR 1.89; 95% CI 1.15 - 3.10).

Conclusions: Our results suggest that among Black female Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore City, the effect of patient navigation on mammography screening adherence was stronger for those further from facilities. These findings indicate that patient navigation might be helpful among those with more pronounced logistical barriers, including physical distance from health services. Additionally, the analyses suggest potential uses for geographic software in assessing the effectiveness of patient navigation and other community-based interventions.

Citation Format: Aracelis Z. Torres, Darcy F. Phelan, Craig E. Pollack, Lee Bone, Jennifer Wenzel, Mollie Howerton, Gary R. Shapiro, Mary A. Garza, Lawrence Johnson, Carlos Castillo-Salgado, Jean G. Ford. Distance to mammography facilities modifies the effect of patient navigation on breast cancer screening adherence among female black Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore City. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A85.


textabstractThis study tests and extends current knowledge on the causes of social entrepreneurship: a type of entrepreneurship that concerns the process of discovering, evaluating, and pursuing opportunities aimed at the creation of social value. In contrast to what is common in this research domain, this study applies a research design based on unique, large-scale and internationally comparable survey data. Various research themes are addressed such as the occurrence and drivers of social entrepreneurship at the macro-level, factors that influence the survival of social ventures at the firm level, and the differences and commonalities between social and commercial entrepreneurs at the individual level.

At the macro-level it is concluded that social entrepreneurship clearly is a global phenomenon with a prevailing role for the level of income in a country as one of the drivers of its occurrence. At the micro-level results indicate a deviating entrepreneurial profile for social entrepreneurs that tends to be, in some respects, less favorable compared to commercial entrepreneurs in terms of effort put into the organisation, self-confidence, ambition, funding and progression to more mature stages of the entrepreneurial process.

The results of this thesis are of particular interest for public policy-makers, private foundations, and support organizations who want to promote social entrepreneurship and improve the sector infrastructure. This study advocates taking account for this deviating entrepreneurial profile.


In a recent article, Kramer et al. (1) addressed the "gestational age paradox," in which an exposure that exerts a harmful influence overall appears protective among babies born preterm. The authors illustrated this phenomenon by comparing the perinatal mortality of singletons with that of twins. They proposed that the observed reversal of comparative risk across the gestational age range is due to a type of selection bias (1). However, their proposed selection bias requires more evidence to be convincing. We previously suggested a different possible mechanism for this paradox (2, 3). Using simple scenarios, we posited unmeasured factors that could cause both early birth and neonatal death. Such factors would make gestational age at birth a "collider" in the analysis of factors (such as twinning) that also cause early birth. The unmeasured factors would produce a form of selection bias (4), in that babies born early are not a random sample of the population of fetuses. This bias distorts analyses that condition on gestational age at birth. We show explicitly in our scenarios how unmeasured factors can make a harmful exposure appear protective at early gestational ages (2, 3). Kramer et al. regard our assumption of unmeasured factors as unnecessarily speculative. They prefer their explanation as more parsimonious and thus more plausible. Perhaps they are right—but their own explanation lacks an explicit demonstration. The authors argue indirectly by analogy and by broad resolution of the paradox through fetuses-at-risk analysis. Can they show directly, as we did—in a simple numerical example with realistic parameters—the precise mechanism of the selection bias they propose, and how that mechanism could produce the empirical paradox? ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate a possible association between stress and bruxism in humans. This study was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines under the code CRD42020188862, and the searches were performed on the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, OpenGrey, and Google Scholar. This systematic review evaluated observational studies in adult humans with and without stress to verify the association between bruxism and the presence of stress. The risk of bias was evaluated through the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. In quantitative analysis, the Odds Ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated through a fixed-effect model. Furthermore, a summary of the overall strength of evidence was presented using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). A total of 1,458 studies were identified, and six were included in this systematic review. Two studies included were classified with a low risk of bias, and the others were classified with a moderate risk of bias. In three articles, a meta-analysis was performed and showed an association between these two factors (OR 2.07 [1.51, 2.83], p < 0.00001, I2 = 45%). Besides that, a low certainty of the evidence was detected among this association. Stressed individuals show a higher chance of presenting bruxism when compared to healthy individuals. Despite the low heterogeneity found in the quantitative analysis among the articles reporting an association between stress and bruxism, further studies with similar methods are necessary to understand this relationship better.


Neonatal immune responses to vaccine antigens are usually short lived and Th-2 biased. This has been attributed, in part, to the immaturity of neonatal dendritic cells (DC) which lack full capacity for antigen presentation and T cell stimulation. Effective priming of the neonatal immune system can be achieved when antigens are delivered in the presence of adequate immunostimulatory signals. We investigated the capacity of a novel L. lactis-derived delivery system, designated Gram-positive Enhancer Matrix (GEM) particles, to stimulate neonatal immune cell populations. This system had been shown to enhance immunity to protein antigens when given mucosally in adult mice. To assess their capacity to activate the neonatal immune system, DC and macrophages derived from newborn mice were cultured in the presence of GEM particles. Adult-derived DC were included as controls. We showed that GEM particles induced upregulation of activation and maturation markers (CD80, CD86, CD40, MHCII) in neonatal DC and macrophages. Similar experiments were performed with human DC; GEM particle treatment also increased expression of activation and maturation markers of human cord blood- as well as adult-derived DC and increased allogeneic human T cell stimulation. These results indicate that GEM particles are proficient stimulators of neonatal immune cell populations, and likely to enhance in vivo immune responses in neonates.


Targeting of cholecystokinin-2 receptor (CCK2R) expressing tumors using radiolabeled minigastrin (MG) analogs is hampered by rapid digestion of the linear peptide in vivo. In this study, a new MG analog stabilized against enzymatic degradation was investigated in preclinical studies to characterize the metabolites formed in vivo. The new MG analog DOTA-DGlu-Pro-Tyr-Gly-Trp-(N-Me)Nle-Asp-1Nal-NH2 comprising site-specific amino acid substitutions in position 2, 6 and 8 and different possible metabolites thereof were synthesized. The receptor interaction of the peptide and selected metabolites was evaluated in a CCK2R-expressing cell line. The enzymatic stability of the 177Lu-labeled peptide analog was evaluated in vitro in different media as well as in BALB/c mice up to 1 h after injection and the metabolites were identified based on radio-HPLC analysis. The new radiopeptide showed a highly increased stability in vivo with >56% intact radiopeptide in the blood of BALB/c mice 1 h after injection. High CCK2R affinity and cell uptake was confirmed only for the intact peptide, whereas enzymatic cleavage within the receptor specific C-terminal amino acid sequence resulted in complete loss of affinity and cell uptake. A favorable biodistribution profile was observed in BALB/c mice with low background activity, preferential renal excretion and prolonged uptake in CCK2R-expressing tissues. The novel stabilized MG analog shows high potential for diagnostic and therapeutic use. The radiometabolites characterized give new insights into the enzymatic degradation in vivo.


Important cultural landscapes in the United States like Chinatowns are undergoing transformations as a result of the increasing threat of indiscriminate residential and commercial development. To suburban-strip Chinatowns, this threat is compounded by the lack of knowledge and understanding of the public's perception of the cultural, social, and economic role they play for nearby Chinese residents as well as the families and individuals living hundreds of miles away. A survey questionnaire was developed to elicit respondents' perceptions of two suburban-strip Chinatowns and sought to identify ways in which suburban-strip Chinatowns can become more viable in terms of cultural authenticity with a result of increased tourism, economic impact, and sense of place. The results suggest that built landscapes that include cultural motifs, artifacts, and landscaping provide spaces and facilities for social interaction and education, enhance the identity and sense of place in suburban-strip Chinatowns, and make such strip centers analogous to older Chinatowns in their cultural value to the community. The Florida horticulture industry can benefit from developing suburban-strip Chinatowns that take into account basic landscape elements such as traditional plant materials and themed landscape hardware.


The article considers a cybernetic model for the price-dependent demand response (DR) consumed by an underground mining enterprise (UGME), in particular, the main fan unit (MFU). A scheme of the model for managing the energy consumption of a MFU in the DR mode and the implementation of the cybernetic approach to the DR based on the IoT platform are proposed. The main functional requirements and the algorithm of the platform operation are described, the interaction of the platform with the UGME digital model simulator, on which the processes associated with the implementation of the technological process of ventilation and electricity demand response will be simulated in advance, is shown. The results of modeling the reduction in the load on the MFU of a mining enterprise for the day ahead are given. The presented solution makes it possible to determine in advance the necessary power consumption for the operation of the main power supply unit, manage its operation in an energy-saving mode and take into account the predicted changes in the planned one (e.g., when men hoisting along an air shaft) and unscheduled (e.g., when changing outdoor air parameters) modes. The results of the study can be used to reduce the cost of UGME without compromising the safety of technological processes, both through the implementation of energy-saving technical, technological or other measures, and with the participation of enterprises in the DR market. The proposed model ensures a guaranteed receipt of financial compensation for the UGME due to a reasonable change in the power consumption profile of the MFU during the hours of high demand for electricity, set by the system operator of the Unified Energy System.


Although phylogenetic distance between native and exotic species has a close link with their interactions, it is still unclear how environmental stresses and species interactions influence the relationship between phylogenetic distance and biological invasions. Here we assessed the effect of invader-native phylogenetic distance on the growth of the invader (Symphyotrichum subulatum) under three levels of drought (no, moderate, or intense drought). Under no drought, interspecific competition between close relatives was the dominant process and native communities more closely related to the invader showed higher resistance to invasion, supporting Darwin's naturalization hypothesis. In contrast, under intense drought, facilitation between close relatives by mutualism with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) became more important, and the invader became more successful in their more closely related native communities, supporting the preadaptation hypothesis. The colonization rate of AMF of the invader was higher in more closely related native communities regardless of the drought treatment, but it was only positively related to invader biomass under intense drought. Therefore, the shift of species interactions from competition to facilitation may be ascribed to the promotion of AMF to invasion occurring under intense drought, which leads to the effect of closely related natives on the invader shifting from negative to positive. Our results provide a new angle to resolve Darwin's naturalization conundrum from the change of species interactions along a stress gradient, and provide important clues for invasion management when species interactions change in response to global climatic change.


Energy Management systems have become an essential part of the new Smart Grid concept. In this context, wireless sensor network are established as one of the more flexible solutions for monitoring and control in home environments. Along with these systems, energy models for demand prediction have also achieved a remarkable place where daily load profiles could be used to determine the switching instants for each appliance. This paper describes the development of an application that integrates both the management of energy by means of a wireless personal network based on ZigBee standard and the demand prediction using stochastic models hosted on a Web Server which could be remotely executed, giving the application higher flexibility, usability and interoperability.


John W. Hoganson and Edward C. Murphy, 2003, Mountain Press, Missoula, USA, 247 p. (Softcover, US $18.00) ISBN: 0-87842-476-8.

Two-hundred years ago, on May 14, 1804, the Corps of Discovery, led by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, 29 and 33 years-old respectively, pushed off from the bank of the Missouri River at St. Charles, Missouri, on a two-year and four-month exploration of the largely uncharted lands of the newly purchased Louisiana Territory and the unclaimed wilderness beyond the continental divide to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark followed in the wake of the explorations of the length and breadth of the Pacific Ocean by Captain James Cook, which ended 35 years earlier with Cook's death on the shore of Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii.

John Hoganson and Ed Murphy's book, Geology of the Lewis and Clark Trail in North Dakota, is an insightful account of the expedition's route through North Dakota, and the landscape, surficial deposits, and bedrock that the captains described. Hoganson and Murphy are eminently qualified to write this account of the geology of the Lewis and Clark Trail in North Dakota. As geologists with the North Dakota Geological Survey, they have over 40 collective years of mapping the bedrock and surficial geology of the state. Their research for the book has been of the highest quality, and the persons with whom they consulted, and the bibliography that they assembled, are excellent.

The book is divided into five parts: (1) Jefferson's vision for the expedition and his choice of Meriwether Lewis to lead the enterprise; (2) a concise yet thorough, well-illustrated discussion of the general geology of North Dakota through time, written for the layperson; (3) a section on the Missouri River that includes a discussion of the pre-glacial drainage system and the changes that glacial advances and retreats …


Accurately forecasting the foreign exchange rate is important for export-oriented enterprises. For this purpose, a fuzzy and neural approach is applied in this study. In the fuzzy and neural approach, multiple experts construct fuzzy linear regression FLR equations from various viewpoints to forecast the foreign exchange rate. Each FLR equation can be converted into two equivalent nonlinear programming problems to be solved. To aggregate these fuzzy foreign exchange rate forecasts, a two-step aggregation mechanism is applied. At the first step, fuzzy intersection is applied to aggregate the fuzzy forecasts into a polygon-shaped fuzzy number to improve the precision. A back propagation network is then constructed to defuzzify the polygon-shaped fuzzy number and generate a representative/crisp value to enhance accuracy. To evaluate the effectiveness of the fuzzy and neural approach, a practical case of forecasting the foreign exchange rate in Taiwan is used. According to the experimental results, the fuzzy and neural approach improved both the precision and accuracy of the foreign exchange rate forecasting by 79% and 81%, respectively.


The Interviewee put forward the idea of to take educating tip-top innovation personnel as the principal live,and paying equal attention to both theory teaching system and experiment teaching system,and introduced the content,measure,and results obtained of "323 Laboratory Construction project".At last,he pointed out that practice education is the foundation,hence the university should set up the overall education base.


To date, no longitudinal studies have evaluated the predictive value of the two factors of the dual control model—sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI)—for future sexual function. The aims of the present study were to investigate the associations between SE/SI and sexual function and estimate their predictive value for future sexual function in a sample of women. Overall, 2,214 women participated in a web-based survey that assessed SE, SI, and sexual function as well as symptoms of depression. The one- and two-year follow-up surveys included 396 and 382 participants, respectively. Correlational analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to analyze the relationships between predictor and outcome variables. Four factors of SE (Arousability, Partner Characteristics, Sexual Power Dynamics, and Setting) and two factors of SI (Concerns about Sexual Function and Arousal Contingency), as well as symptoms of depression and partnership status, were significant predictors of concurrent and future sexual function. Several subscales of SE and SI contributed to the prediction of future sexual function above and beyond prior sexual function levels. Our study provides the first supportive evidence for the assumptions of the dual control model that propensities for low SE and high SI influence future sexual function.


The alloy Ti 6 Al 4 V has evolved as a good biomedical material, by virtue of its bio-compatibility. In order to make implants out of this material, it has to be shaped and processed. Shaping this material by conventional manufacturing methods like machining, welding and brazing presents a huge challenge. This challenge has been met by various approaches like additive manufacturing, surface alloying and heat treatment. Additive manufacturing processes are used for shaping; coatings and surface alloying are used for property improvement; heat treatment is used for improving the machinability. The processing method has an impact on the final properties of the product. This review attempts to trace the development of methods and practices for converting Ti 6 Al 4 V into a useful material for biomedical applications.


ZrO2-SnO2 composite nanoparticles were prepared by heating the hydrate precursors synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation reaction of ZrOCl2 and SnCl4. The precursors were examined by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The composite powder was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and desorption isotherm (Barrett-Joyner-Halenda method). The average crystal size of the nanoparticle ranges from 15 to 30 nm for the sample containing 5%-25% ZrO2 (mass fraction). Most of the pores in the ZrO2-SnO2 nanoparficles are about 10-20 nm in diameter. The composite powder is promising for chemical sensors.


Angiosarcoma of the thyroid is a rare and aggressive primary malignant tumor of the thyroid originally reported in patients from the Swiss Alpine region. Diagnosis of this tumor rests mainly on characteristic histopathological features of a malignant vascular tumor supported by immunopositivity for vascular markers e.g., CD31, Factor VIII, and CD34. Its cytological features, however, are not well‐defined. We describe a case of primary angiosarcoma of the thyroid in a 48‐year‐old female, who presented with a rapidly enlarging neck mass associated with compressive symptoms. She had a history of hypothyroidism. The initial fine needle aspiration cytology of the neck mass was negative. She then underwent left hemithyroidectomy. Histologically, the tumor showed poorly differentiated malignant cells with eccentrically‐placed nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and intracytoplasmic vacuoles admixed with mixed inflammatory cells. These showed immunopositivity for CD31 but were negative for CD34, Factor VIII, CK5/6, EMA, TTF‐1, Thyroglobulin, Calcitonin, Melan A, and Calretinin. A diagnosis of poorly differentiated malignant tumor consistent with angiosarcoma was made. The patient was treated with radiation therapy but developed recurrence of the tumor. Second aspiration cytology of the recurrent tumor yielded hypocellular smears containing singularly dispersed atypical cells having eccentrically‐placed nuclei with prominent macronucleoli and intracytoplasmic vacuoles within a background of inflammatory cells, consistent with recurrent angiosarcoma. Chemotherapy was started but she succumbed to the disease 7 months after diagnosis. The cytological, histopathological, immunohistochemical findings, and the clinical course are discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Myxoma is a common benign tumour found in the heart. On reviewing literature, we found some left atrial myxomas receive blood supply from the right coronary artery. Performing a coronary angiogram in a cardiac tumour has the following uses: (1) it shows the vascularity that can be ligated by the surgeon at operation; (2) if there is a blood supply visible, it may not be an intracardiac thrombus; (3) the coronary angiogram may detect a myxoma even before an echocardiogram does so; (4) some myxomas may bleed into the right atrium or left atrium and this may be seen on coronary angiography. We show here the neovascularity of a left atrial myxoma and its blood supply from the right coronary artery. We recommend that all routine coronary angiograms be reviewed carefully for any signs of tumour vascularity or tumour blush as this would prevent missing early myxomas. Echocardiography is the gold standard for detection of myxomas but literature has a number of intracardiac tumours that were detected only by the tumour blush. Some left atrial tumours have been treated by occluding their blood supply.The absence of a blood supply on coronary angiography could rule out a benign cardiac tumour that usually has a blood supply.


A study of comparison between warfarin dose with achieving target INR in patients with CHF and atrial fibrillation at RSUP. DR. M. Djamil Padang has been investigated. This study analyzed using one-way ANOVA and if the result is significant then followed by post hoc test. Of the total 27 patients, all the patients suffering from CHF and 11 patients suffering from hypertension. There were 15 patients aged <60 years, 11 patients aged between 60-74 years, and 1 patient aged ≥75 years. The number male and female patients are 11 and 16 people. The mean duration of achieving the target INR at dose 2 mg, dose (2 mg and 4 mg) and dose 5 mg are 38.22, 29.33, and 6.56 days. There is a significant difference in the mean duration of achieving the target INR in the dose group. 5 mg dose had a mean duration of achieving the target INR which significantly different compared to the other doses. A study of comparison betweenwarfarin dose with achieving target INR in patients with CHF and atrial fibrillation at RSUP. DR. M. Djamil Padang has been investigated. This study analyzed using one-way ANOVA and if the result is significant then followed by post hoc test. Of the total 27 patients,all the patients suffering fromCHF and11 patients suffering from hypertension. There were 15 patients aged <60 years, 11 patients aged between 60-74 years, and 1 patient aged ≥75 years. The number male and female patients are11 and 16 people. The mean duration of achieving the target INR at dose 2 mg, dose (2 mg and 4 mg) and dose 5 mg are 38.22, 29.33, and 6.56 days. There is a significant difference in the mean duration of achieving the target INR in the dose group. 5 mg dose had a mean duration of achieving the target INRwhich significantly different compared to the other doses.


Risk management can either protect or endanger higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. A crucial determining factor is how the core risks for these institutions are identified and mitigated. This article contributes to the continuing discourse on both risk management and managerialism in higher education. The thesis for this article is that the presence of a caring human spirit within HEIs is a necessary condition for them to fulfil their reason for existence. The purpose of this article is thus to reflect on the risk of HEIs not being able to fulfil their fundamental reason for existence due to the smothering or absence of a caring human spirit in these institutions. A reading of official and scholarly texts has shown that HEIs' primary reason for existence is embedded risk, namely a concern with the new or the unknown and by implication a critical curiosity about an uncertain future. The presence of a caring human spirit is not only a necessary condition for fulfilling the reason for the existence of an HEI, but also a crucial risk category currently absent from the standard list of institutional risk categories. Risk assessment reveals that the absence or smothering of a caring human spirit in HEIs poses a high to very high risk for their survival.


In this singular monograph, Greg Hainge provides the first book-length study of Philippe Grandrieux, and addresses the breadth of the filmmaker's entire career. Hainge argues that Grandrieux's cinema is usefully approached through a consideration of the sonic, which, he suggests, 'provides the means and vocabulary to talk about the operations found in the work of a filmmaker like Grandrieux' (p. 265). The chapters are structured somewhat chronologically and by media. The book moves from Grandrieux's video installations of the 1970s and his subsequent television work, right through to later film essays, with individual chapters devoted to developing careful new readings of Grandrieux's major feature-length films. Alongside this, Hainge elaborates the fascinating proposition of what might constitute a 'sonic cinema' in an expanded sense, beyond the realm of sound itself. For Hainge, this shift in focus to the sonic is intended as a corrective to the concept of the haptic, or what the book also describes as the 'subject-centred pitfalls of the common phenomenological position' (p. 253). The work is ambitious and bold in its critique of affect studies, particularly as it situates much of its discussion in a Deleuzian key, discussing Grandrieux's work in terms of the figure and the figural derived from Deleuze's text, Francis Bacon: logique de la sensation (Paris: Éditions de la Différence, 1981). As such, Hainge delivers a steadfast promise to remain a close reader of Grandrieux's texts themselves, and his meticulous description and analysis of them gives a generous account of Grandrieux's lesser-known and less available works. Hainge also gives attention to source texts that inform Grandrieux's cinema, such as Dante's La vita nuova in Chapter 6 on La Vie nouvelle (2002), or Jean Paulhan's text La Peinture cubiste (1953), which influenced Grandrieux's television work of the same name. At times, discussion between the book's twin aims, Grandrieux and the sonic, seems a little bifurcated, although this does allow the book to be navigated by a reader with specific interest in either Grandrieux or the sonic. The chapters in which there is synthesis between the two are the most forceful: for example, the discussion of the installation L'Arrière-saison (2005) in Chapter 7, where Hainge compellingly argues for a reconsideration of Maurice MerleauPonty's chiasmic relation in terms of reverberation and resonance; or the discussion of Un lac (2008) in Chapter 8, where the sonic illuminates the film by showing how it reconfigures subjectivity, reflecting a different way of being in the world through sound. Throughout the book, Hainge engages with issues of spectatorship, representation, relation, and alterity, arguing that Grandrieux's cinema cannot be approached from preexisting reality, or preconceived hermeneutic and moral frameworks. The discussion pauses to consider fascinating statements from Grandrieux in interview, and allows itself to become distracted in dynamic ways. Hainge articulates Grandrieux within a rich lineage of twentieth-century thought, weaving in figures such as Artaud, Bergson, Levinas, and Heidegger. The book is a substantial contribution on Grandrieux and an exciting new sonotropic turn for film theory.


Polypharmacy among older patients has been associated with a decline in their quality of life. We aimed to assess the medication-related quality of life (MRQOL) among older patients with polypharmacy at Gondar University Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out among 150 elder patients who had visited the internal medicine ward and ambulatory ward of Gondar referral hospital from March 25 to May 15, 2017, using a validated scale, Medication-Related Quality of Life Scale version 1.0 (MRQoLS-v1.0). A total of 150 older patients with polypharmacy participated in the study with a mean age of 70.06±5.12, andtwo-thirds of the participants (67.3%) were female. The overall prevalence of poor quality of life due to polypharmacy in the current study was found to be three fourth (75.3%) of the participants. Regarding the severity of impairment in MRQoL, Univariate analysis revealed that frequency of hospital visits (COR = 1.34, 95% CI, 1.02–1.77) and medication number (COR = 1.94, 95% CI, 1.33, 2.8) had a statistically significant positive association with the likelihood of having a severe impairment.The multivariate analysis also showed that one unit increase in the number of hospital visits (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI, 1.040–2.024) and medications greater than 5 (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI, 1.29, 2.84) increases 1.45 and 1.91 times the likely hood of posing severe impairment of MRQoL, respectively. As far as poor MRQoL quality of life is concerned, multivariate analysis did not show any significant association between the poor MRQoL;and Sociodemographic and clinical data of patients. The poor QoL associated with medication was very high in this study. Deprescribing should be sought by the health care providers to optimize drug therapy and minimize the polypharmacy related poor quality of life.


ZigBee is a standard for low-power, low-rate wireless communication. It is modeled on the physical layer and medium access control defined in IEEE 802.15.4. In this paper, we study an attack on modern radios called the "Packet in Packet" (PIP) attack. We replicate the attack in ZigBee devices and discuss possible defenses against the attack. We implement a solution to thwart the PIP attack in TinyOS and show through extensive experiments that the solution defends against the attack, while imposing little additional overhead.


In the United Kingdom (U.K), 2.19 million people are affected by visual loss. Monogenic causes of visual loss include retinal dystrophies, optic neuropathies, and congenital glaucoma. A variety of reproductive options are available to adults with genetic visual loss to permit them to have an unaffected child. Prenatal diagnostic testing (PND) via amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is possible, provided the causal genetic variants are known in the family. We report a qualitative interview study of people with genetic causes of visual loss to explore their attitudes toward reproductive options. Participants reported a range of challenges associated with living with genetic conditions associated with visual loss. These had the potential to shape attitudes to reproductive options. Participants expressed enthusiasm for genetic testing, as it enabled them to understand if relatives might be affected by the visual loss. Decisions around reproductive options were recognized as challenging and highly personal. Positive opinions of PGT were reported, as it permitted conception of a child without the genetic cause of visual loss while avoiding the need for the termination of pregnancy. The provision of accessible information resources on genetics and reproductive options was reported to be important.


The idea of 'smart' structures, which are designed to react to the conditions of their internal or external environment, has attracted considerable attention from scientists and engineers alike. In such structures of the future, integrated sensors will be utilised to monitor the 'health' of the structure, thus warning of the onset of abnormal conditions which might, for instance, compromise its safety. The paper considers one category of sensors suitable for structural integration, namely fibre-optic sensors, and examines their role in the domain of future smart structures. >


The effect of insitu O2 exposure on TiO2(110)-supported Ag nanoclusters was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). An oxygen-induced cluster ripening was observed by STM after Ag/TiO2(110) was exposed to 10.00 Torr O2 for 2 h in an elevated-pressure reactor. The Ag clusters exhibit a clear bimodal size distribution after O2 exposure due to Ostwald ripening: some clusters increase in size while other clusters decrease in size. The cluster density also increased 5–15% after O2 exposure, indicating redispersion simultaneously occurs with ripening. It is shown that intercluster transport is likely accomplished through the formation of Ag2O.


The adaptation of territorial systems to the ongoing climate change is an issue which implies to test past populations abilities to cope, to "bounce back" or to adapt during similar past environmental changes. The chronostratigraphical and archaeological results, obtained in the frame of the LITAQ project, make it possible to better understand changes encountered by a coastal system (now on the shore front) whose intense occupation since the Neolithic period was linked to the exploitation of specific resources (salt, grazing), then inherent to a fluvial mouth and estuarine system, at present fossilized under the modern dune. One of the issues raised by these results is linked to the decline of salt-related activities during the whole Bronze period, whereas it is bracketed by a period of growing during the Neolithic (for which we were far from measuring the real amplitude) and by the first Iron Age during which salt production appears to be the main motivation for the settlement and the use of coastal marshes. However, the chronological gap, of about thirteen centuries, recorded between the Early Bronze Age (~2200 BC) and the Late Bronze Age (~900 BC), prevents us from using climate changes as a deterministic and unique factor of land-use changes of the Medoc Peninsula around the first millennium. The complex rhythms, that accompany those changes during this period and the subsequent Iron Age, invite us to consider the territorial vulnerability in a context of hydrogeomorphological modifications of the coast synchronously to those of natural components involved in the salt production process. Modalities of the spatial development of this activity (as deduced from the analysis of inventoried remains) in a context of restricted tidal exchanges (i.e. barred estuary), testify to the adaptability of protohistoric Medocan communities, which faced a slow and progressive disturbance of the coastal system; they attest also to the past resilience, in its systemic sense, of a territory nowadays far from major influences.


Development of an effective logistics infrastructure for companies contributes to ensuring their effective work, directly affects financial performance and requires the establishment of a management and accounting system for logistics costs. Classifying and registering logistics costs becomes more important in this regard. At this stage of Ukrainian accounting practice, there are challenges for logistics costs accounting such as their identification and registration. Methodological basis of study among different logistics concepts (concept of general logistics costs, concept of reengineering business processes in logistics, concept of an integrated logistics strategy, concept of supply chain management) was total logistics costs concept or the concept of full value as well as process-oriented approach. In the work, the generalization and formalization of existing approaches to the logistics costs accounting was made. Feasibility of using a process-oriented approach among other approaches (absorption costing, direct costing target costing, kaizen costing, etc.) were substantiated. The algorithm of identification and registration of logistics costs for Ukrainian enterprises was proposed. It is based on such inclusion in the relevant economic process (supply, production, sales and administration of logistics processes) and the use of a new consolidated account 29 "Logistics costs". This authors' approach to solving the problem of identification and registration of logistics costs for accounting purposes allows to optimize and increase the informativeness of accounting logistics costs reflection in Ukrainian accounting practice.


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The prognosis of patients with lung cancer remains poor, because of its occult metastasis even at earlier stage of the disease and its resistance to conventional multimodal treatments. Therefore, this study aims to identify novel serum and tissue biomarkers for personalized therapy and/or therapeutic targets for lung cancers through screening and functional analyses of cancer-specific oncoproteins. We used cDNA microarrays for screening genes encoding transmembrane/secretory proteins that are up-regulated in lung cancers, and identified a secreted protein, LASEP3 (lung cancer-associated serum protein 3) as a candidate. Immunohistochemical staining of LASEP3 showed that LASEP3 expression was observed in 198 (54.8%) of 361 NSCLCs (non-small cell lung cancer) that had undergone curative surgery. High level of LASEP3 expression was associated with poor prognosis for NSCLC patients. (P = 0.0183 by log-rank test). Serum LASEP3 levels were higher in NSCLC patients than in healthy volunteers. The proportion of serum LASEP3-positive cases was 160 (61.8%) of 259 NSCLCs (49.4% for stage I-II, 67.4% for stage III-IV), while 6 (5.5%) of 109 healthy volunteers were falsely diagnosed. Moreover, reduction of LASEP3 expression by siRNAs suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation, probably through apoptosis as suggested by flow cytometric analysis and caspase-3 and 7 assays. Furthermore, subsequent microarray analysis of these cancer cells identified several candidate downstream genes of LASEP3 that relate to cell growth and invasion signals. LASEP3 is a possible diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for lung cancer. Citation Format: Atsushi Takano, Yusuke Nakamura, Yataro Daigo. Identification of LASEP3 as a serological and tissue biomarker and a therapeutic target for lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1875.


Shell-model nuclear densities have been obtained for 17 medium and heavy nuclei (A>34). By folding pairs of them with the effective nucleon-nucleon interaction M3Y an analytical approximation of the folding optical potential has been created for 14 systems with strong Coulomb repulsion (1000<Z1Z2<3000) and the fusion barrier has been computed. The predicted fusion cross sections agree well with some experimental data (for Z1Z2 approximately=1000) but tend to overestimate others, especially those related to the heaviest systems.


Site and situation specific assessments of ecosystem services are crucial to sustainably conserve and manage the Chilmo forest. In this specific study, an attempt has been made to identify how local communities depend on Ecosystem services and on other stakeholders involved in sustainable forest management. The study triangulated primary data collection methods such as field observations, household surveys and key informant interviews. Secondary data was also used to support and verify the primary data. SPSS version 20 software and Microsoft excel were then applied to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the study population's households. Data collected through discussions and observations was analyzed qualitatively. Four forest ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, habitat and cultural services) were identified in the study area. Even though agriculture is the main economic activities, sample respondents earn money from diverse sources such as from homestead, wood lots, honey production, petty trade and from the selling of timber and non -timber forest products, from forest dividends and other forest related employment. Chilmo forest, on average, contributes more than a third of total annual income of the sample households. Surprisingly, almost all sample respondents participate in fuel wood collection, both for household consumption and market. Similarly, fuel wood collection generates the highest income, compared to other activities, because fuel wood is the sole source of energy in the study area. Therefore, provisioning services are the main source of livelihood and subsistence incomes for local communities. The findings greatly contribute towards the management of the Chilmo forest and will be used as input for further valuation work.


Phosphorus-doped p-type ZnS NWs were synthesized by chemical deposition method. The as-synthesized NWs shows obvious p-type conduction with a hole concentration of 8.35 × 1017 cm-3. ZnS-Si core-shell nanoheterojunction was fabricated by depositing Si thin film on the surface of ZnS NWs through a sputtering method. The core-shell nanostructure exhibited excellent photoresponse to white light and UV light. Under UV light illumination, a high performance with a responsibility of ~ 0.14 × 103 AW-1, a gain of ~ 0.69 × 103 and a detectivity of ~ 1.2 × 1010 cmHz1/2W-1 were obtained based on the ZnS-Si core-shell nanoheterojunction. This new nanostructure is expected to play an important role in the next-generation optoelectronic devices.


More and more firms are adopting Web 2.0 technologies for different purposes.
 Despite some studies about the impact on different aspects of the
 organization of these technologies, few studies have empirically tested their
 effects. This study confirms that the there is a positive relationship
 between Web 2.0 adoption and Innovativeness and between Innovativeness and
 Business Performance. We can conclude that Innovativeness is a mediating
 variable between Web 2.0 and Firm Performance. The relationships were tested
 in a sample of 244 hospitality firms, using a structural modeling approach.
 The results are presented and discussed. In the last section of the article,
 the conclusions are discussed and finally, some future lines of research are
 suggested.


Variations in disease patterns are influenced by inborn factors such as genetic background, sex, and ethnicity. It is also clear that acquired life experiences, some of which are common to all (e.g., aging) and some that are unique to individuals (e.g., illnesses, habits, diet, and toxin and environmental exposures), may combine in a stochastic manner to alter tissue and influence vulnerability to injury. Disease vulnerabilities and characteristics are determined not only by who you are at birth, but also by whom you have become. When applied to vascular inflammatory diseases, these variables may be most relevant with regard to regional differences in endothelial cells, subendothelial matrix, vascular smooth muscle, and the response of each to a variety of experiences or injuries. Recovery from injury will, in turn, be dependent on an effective immune response. The response should eliminate the cause of injury and also effectively down-regulate the immune response, so that further injury does not result from the immune response itself. Although it is likely that acquired changes in the vessel wall play a role in determining disease patterns, it is also likely that acquired changes in immune function may be required for disease expression. Certain vasculitides are clearly age- and sex-biased. Age and sex influences may be related to a variety of factors, including changes in hormonal function. To solve the mysteries of disease patterns in vasculitis will require more complete studies of the differences that exist in structure, chemistry, and response to injury of targeted vessels and tissues, compared with sites that are spared. Conducting studies to elucidate gene and protein expression profiles of targeted versus spared sites will be a complex but necessary task. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This book sets out to give enough background optics for a rational approach to all the common microscopic techniques as well as thl basic principles of less common ones and on the whole it succeeds admirably. The author does not claim to have written a comprehensive treatise but has given a good guide for further reading at the end of each chapter. There are excellent line drawings which render the basic optics intelligible with minimal mathematical expertise. Surprisingly, one or two of the photomicrographs are disappointing. This is also a very practical work and even includes a section on posture which will be welcomed by sufferers of cervical spondylosis. On the whole the English is clear and very readable though occasionally it has a slightly stilted Germanic flavour. There are a few typographical errors of minor importance though the one on p. 195, fourth line from the bottom where 'anisotropic' should read 'isotropic' is more serious. These small criticisms do not, however, detract from the value of this well-printed and well-presented book. I fear, however, that few will be able to afford to add it to their personal collection. Nevertheless it would be a valuable addition to the laboratory library for the profit of technician and pathologist, both of whom are regrettably often woefully ignorant of the workings of this basic laboratory tool.