Although macrophages (M (cid:1) ) and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) come from a common precursor, they are distinct cell types. This report compares the two cell types with respect to the metabolism of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a biologically active lipid mediator. These experiments were prompted by our studies of localized juvenile periodontitis, a disease associated with high IgG2 production and a propensity of monocytes to differentiate into MDDC. As the IgG2 Ab response is dependent on PAF, and MDDC selectively induce IgG2 production, we predicted that PAF levels would be higher in MDDC than in M (cid:1) . To test this hypothesis, human MDDC were prepared by treating adherent monocytes with IL-4 and GM-CSF, and M (cid:1) were produced by culture in M-CSF. Both M (cid:1) and MDDC synthesized PAF; however, MDDC accumulated significantly more of this lipid. We considered the possibility that PAF accumulation in MDDC might result from reduced turnover due to lower levels of PAF acetylhydrolase (PAFAH), the enzyme that catabolizes PAF. Although PAFAH increased when monocytes differentiated into either cell type, MDDC contained significantly less PAFAH than did M (cid:1) and secreted almost no PAFAH activity. The reduced levels of PAFAH in MDDC could be attributed to lower levels of expression of the enzyme in MDDC and allowed these cells to produce PGE 2 in response to exogenous PAF. In contrast, M (cid:1) did not respond in this manner. Together, these data indicate that PAF metabolism may impinge on regulation of the immune response by regulating the accessory activity of MDDC. The Journal of Immunology, 2003, 170: 167–173.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of SF injection on coagulation function, p-selectin and D-dimer concentrations in plasma of elderly patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR).

METHODS
Twenty-four ASA II/III patients aged 65 to 85 were divided equally into two groups (n = 12). In Group S, SF injection was administered by peripheral intravenous infusion at initially 0.2 ml/kg and then 0.8 ml (kg/h) until the end of operations. In Group N, normal saline was administered similarly. All the patients were given patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) after operations. Blood samples were taken before operations (T(0)), immediately post-operation (T(1)) and 24 h post-operation to detect the levels of p-selectin, D-dimer, blood platelet count and clotting time at all time points.

RESULTS
The concentrations of p-selectin and D-dimer in Group N increased at T(1) and T(2) while those in Group S decreased at T(1) (P < 0.05). Compared with Group N, they were significantly lower in Group S (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference at T(2) between two groups.

CONCLUSION
The plasma concentrations of p-selectin and D-dimer increase obviously in elderly THR patients. SF injection can decrease the plasma concentrations of p-selectin and D-dimer in patients during surgery. Thus it may protect the vascular endothelial cells and attenuate the activation of platelet and fibrinolysis.


An enzymatically modified form of bovine neurophysin II has been crystallized in three unique crystal forms. The orthorhombic form crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2 with a = 15.33 nm, b = 6.92 nm, c = 3.63 nm, with four molecules in the asymmetric unit. The monoclinic form crystallizes in space group P2(1) with a = 6.22 nm, b = 9.55 nm, c = 5.45 nm and beta = 110.2 degrees, with eight molecules in the asymmetric unit. The tetragonal form crystallizes in space group P4(1)2(1)2 or P4(3)2(1)2 with a = 14.1 nm and c = 14.2 nm, with twelve molecules in the asymmetric unit. We report here the crystallization conditions, as well as the crystal data.


The forthcoming Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) all require adaptive optics systems for their successful operation. The real-time control for these systems becomes computationally challenging, in part limited by the memory bandwidths required for wavefront reconstruction. We investigate new POWER8 processor technologies applied to the problem of real-time control for adaptive optics. These processors have a large memory bandwidth, and we show that they are suitable for operation of first-light ELT instrumentation, and propose some potential real-time control system designs. A central processing unit (CPU)-based real-time control system significantly reduces complexity, improves maintainability, and leads to increased longevity for the real-time control system.


The study's aim was to identify the degree to which dog distraction, as reported by users, has impacted on the working behaviour of guide dogs, and their user's mobility. The data used were drawn from the self-reporting of problem behaviours as experienced by users of guide dogs that had been provided by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT over a nine year period (2000 to 2008). The study is in three parts. Part 1 identifies the frequency of dog distraction aftercare referrals associated with guide dogs in their initial year of placement. Part 2 identifies the frequency of dog distraction as an aftercare issue compared with other aftercare behavioural issues during the initial year of placement. Part 3 examines a range of factors, including dog, user, and training variables associated with guide dog mobility that may identify areas of possible intervention in addressing dog distraction.


The present work describes a selective, rapid and sensitive method for the determination of cobalt using the adsorptive differential pulse voltammetry technique. The method is based on the accumulation of Co(II) complex with 2aminocyclopentene-1-dithiocarboxylic acid on a hanging mercury drop electrode, followed by measurement of the current of the adsorbed complex. The effects of experimental parameters on the peak current were investigated. The current was linear from 0.010 to 0.150 µg/ml of Co(II), with detection limit of 1.5 ng/ml. The relative standard deviation for ten replicate analyses of 0.02 and 0.06 µg/ml Co(II) was 2.3% and 1.2%, respectively. The method was used for the determination of Cobalt in steel sample.


This study analyzes the effects of transaction costs on the size of hazelnut farms in Turkey. The study finds that higher land slope and higher variance of rain, as transaction-cost-increasing natural effects, lead to smaller hazelnut land holdings. High slope and weather variation can increase the costs of monitoring the laborers, make moving inputs or output up and down harder, limit the use of machinery, and reduce contractual performance of labor contracts. For farm production functions, land is a complex input with measurable interactions with nature. Contrary to common production theory approaches that take natural properties of land as given, the study develops a production function that incorporates natural properties, such as, slope and rain variance. The study utilizes two separate data sets for the estimations. The first data set explores the characteristics of hazelnut farmers, while the second one analyzes the regional characteristics of hazelnut farms.


The main purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the population structure in Danish Jersey (DJ) known from the history of the breed also is reflected in its genomic structure. This is done by comparing the linkage disequilibrium and persistence of phase for subgroups of Jersey animals with high proportions of Danish (DNK) or United States (USJ) origin. Furthermore, it is investigated whether a model explicitly incorporating breed origin of animals, inferred either through the known pedigree or from SNP marker data, leads to improved genomic predictions compared with a model ignoring breed origin. The study of the population structure incorporated 1,730 genotyped Jersey animals. In total 39,542 SNP markers were included in the analysis. The 1,079 genotyped bulls with de-regressed proof for udder health were used in the analysis for the predictions of the genomic breeding values. A range of random regressions models that included the breed origin were analyzed and compared with a basic genomic model that assumes a homogeneous breed structure. The main finding in this study is that the importation of germplasm from the USJ population is readily reflected in the genomes of modern DJ animals. First, linkage disequilibrium in the group of admixed DJ animals is lower compared with the groups of the original DNK and USJ animals. Second, persistence of linkage disequilibrium phase is not conserved for longer marker distances between animals with mainly Danish or United States origin. Third, the STRUCTURE analysis could retrieve genomic-based breed proportions in alignment to the pedigree-based breed proportions. However, including this population structure in a random regression prediction model did not clearly improve the reliabilities of the genomic predictions compared with a basic genomic model.


With the shift from a hazard-centered disaster paradigm to one that places emphasis on vulnerability and resilience, disasters triggered by natural hazards have begun to be perceived as unnatural occurrences. To date, the theoretical conceptualization and empirical measures of vulnerability and resilience remain subjects of contentions. This survey of the empirical economic literature aims to describe the progress made in the conceptualization and measurement of the economic dimensions of vulnerability and resilience in the context of natural hazards, and to provide useful insights for policy-making. Economic vulnerability and economic resilience, interacting with the hazard itself, and the exposure of populations and physical assets, are considered to be critical determinants of the resulting impacts of disasters. The empirical evidence provides systematic support for the hypothesis that apart from the characteristics of the hazards, the potential for people and economies to avoid adverse impacts and their capacity to withstand and rebound from a disaster are influenced by a confluence of socio-economic factors.


The study finds the analytical basis for the lending program weak, and notes that the Bank did not insist forcefully enough upon the policies and conditions needed to make the sector profitable. The sector's development is still hampered by the same basic problems as 20 years ago. Its claims on fiscal resources and its external debt are now so large that these problems need urgent resolution. In particular, decisions are needed on how the sector is to be financed in future. The report makes recommendations on sector regulation, management, resource mobilization, investment strategy, and financing.


Based on the dynamic motivational activation (DMA) theoretical framework, a dynamic and stochastic semi-Markov choice model of channel changing behavior, called the ChaCha model, is developed and submitted to empirical testing. The ChaCha model integrates the motivated media processing and selective exposure behavior, and formalizes their reciprocal, recursive dynamic influences. It incorporates a logistic type of ratio of strength choice model, a reinforcement learning model, and the diffusion model of choice time to simultaneously predict sequential media channel choices and channel viewing durations. Real-time channel choice data from a selective exposure TV viewing experiment are used to test the model and to illustrate how this model can be used to understand dynamic cognitive mechanisms underlying the observed media choice behavior.


Although much study has been dedicated to heat and water vapor transport through fabrics, there remains a great lack of understanding on water vapor transport through fabrics under subzero climate, particularly in terms of the effect of condensation on water vapor transport. In this paper, we report on a novel apparatus, which was used to measure the moisture transport through fabrics under a conventional (20°C) and subzero (—20°C) climatic condition. Experimental results showed that, under both conventional (20°C) and subzero (—20°C) climate, the accumulation of condensates on fabric surfaces increased linearly with time and the rate of moisture transfer through fabrics was little affected by the accumulation of condensates on fabric surfaces. Nevertheless, the water evaporation from the water bath, condensation on fabric surface and vapor transmission through the fabric was greater and the moisture vapor resistance smaller under the subzero (—20°C) climate than those under the conventional (20°C) climate.


The basic objectives of future Internet are to increase the network capacity, to offer practically differentiated services for traffic with different requirements such as real-time and non-real-time services. These objectives introduce very strict requirements for traffic control systems and lead to the establishment of Differentiated Services (DS) concept. However, the new features of DS networks, where several classes of precedence are allowed, lead the inefficiency of the congestion control approaches for the existed best-effort Internet. In this paper, a new congestion control approach using fuzzy logic in the DS domain is presented. Simulation shows that the approach is efficient and promising.


This study examined the inter-rater reliability of expert observations of ergonomic risk factors by four analysts. Ten jobs were observed at a hospital using a newly expanded version of the PATH method (Buchholz et al. 1996), to which selected upper extremity exposures had been added. Two of the four raters simultaneously observed each worker onsite for a total of 443 observation pairs containing 18 categorical exposure items each. For most exposure items, kappa coefficients were 0.4 or higher. For some items, agreement was higher both for the jobs with less rapid hand activity and for the analysts with a higher level of ergonomic job analysis experience. These upper extremity exposures could be characterised reliably with real-time observation, given adequate experience and training of the observers. The revised version of PATH is applicable to the analysis of jobs where upper extremity musculoskeletal strain is of concern.


The high throughputs promised by emerging network technologies are often difficult to achieve application-to-application because of host transport protocol bottlenecks. The authors describe an experimental prototype implementation of an outboard protocol processor which eliminates these bottlenecks by performing transport layer functions in dedicated hardware. The architecture consists of separate transmit and receive CPUs, each with checksum and direct memory access circuits. Measurements made using an implementation of the TCP protocol indicate that this architecture can support end-to-end throughputs in excess of 11000 packets/s between UNIX hosts. One of the aims is to use this processor to determine the most appropriate techniques for transport of data on high speed metropolitan area networks.<<ETX>>


Background: There is the shortage in the number of family doctors in this region and across the world. The perception of medicine graduates toward family medicine as a career may provide information on the future supply of family doctors in Kurdistan region of Iraq. The perception and specialty preferences of graduates of Duhok College of Medicine toward family medicine were examined in the current study. Subject and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 131 medical graduates aged 24-29 years old of last three years from University of Duhok, College of Medicine working in Duhok governorate hospitals and its primary health centers was applied. Data were collected by the use of an anonymous self-administered questionnaire in English. Descriptive and analytic statistical methods were performed to find out the various aspects of the medical graduates' preferences toward family medicine. Results: The number of participants was 131 medical graduates included 59.5% males and 40.5% females. The study revealed that the mean age of the sample population was 26.31±1.36 years. The preferred medical specialties were radiology (40.5%), pediatrics (40.5%), internal medicine (33.6%), and general surgery (32.8%) by both genders. The lowest interest was shown toward the family medicine (10.0%) compared with other medical specialties. Working time (72.5%), prestige (66.9%), and patient interaction (65.6%) have been the most important aspects of their specialty selection in both genders. The majority of them stated that family medicine is poorly valued by our society (79.4%), family doctors have limited career possibilities (43.5%). The family medicine was poorly valued in our society because it does not able to increase the private job opportunities (p=0.003), is not very attractive (p=0.015), have limited career possibilities (p=0.006). Moreover, the graduates did not show their interest towards family medicine because it does not provide the salary as high as other medical fields in our society (p=0.018). Conclusions: The medical graduates have currently a positive perception of family medicine as an essential clinical specialty in the region; however, they showed low interest in its selection as a future career. Numerous essential steps recommended to be done to reach the sufficient number of family doctor that would fulfill the need of our community. Duhok Med J 2017; 11 (1): 83-96.


To honor the one hundredth anniversary of Louis Armstrong's birth, Columbia's Legacy division is launching a number of projects. The first of these is a delightful collection of Armstrong's love songs. Six of the fifteen tracks cover the period from 1929 and 1930 when he worked with his Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra. The remaining nine cuts are from between 1955 and 1961. (Sony and its subsidiaries do not own the music Armstrong recorded between 1930 and 1955, hence the twenty-five year gap.) As a bonus, the  contains a previously unreleased live version of "Ko Ko Mo, I Love You So" recorded at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, as well as a duet with Carmen McRae backed by the Dave Brubeck Trio. The selections, while certainly not encompassing the full range of Armstrong's talent, nevertheless provide a delightful complement to any romantic evening or weekend morning. ........................................................................................................................


The former RILEM TC 182 PEB organized 1997 an international inter-laboratory test on pavement performance, prediction and evaluation. The aim was to predict the expected damages after 10 years on the basis of traffic and climatic data. Two sections in Austria and Portugal were constructed and test samples were cut from the pavement and send to the different laboratories. 13 laboratories of 12 countries participated in the study and gave performance predictions according their own methods and standards. The report which summarizes the results in detail is available on the RILEM web site. RILEM TC 206 ATB TG 4 continued the long term observation. Unfortunately, only the Austrian section in Villach could be monitored as planned, since the Portuguese section had problems in the data supply. In 2007 the Austrian road administration stopped the observation of the test section in Villach. The paper summarises the actual road condition and compares it to the predicted performance.


In this issue, two books are reviewed which offer differing views regarding adding value in financial markets or institutions: Robert Haugen, The Inefficient Stock Market (2nd edition, Pearson Education [2002]) and Emmanuel Acar, ed., Added Value in Financial Institutions (Pearson Education [2001]).


Instead of a traditional book-review section focusing on particular academic works on comics, Cinema Journal asked Greg M. Smith to moderate a more informal conversation among scholars about the current state of comics scholarship, its successes, its challenges, and promising directions for future work. Smith invited Thomas Andrae, Scott Bukatman, and Thomas LaMarre to participate and started the conversation with general questions: What works of comics scholarship do you find useful? Why these works? Andrae responded with an annotated list of his favorites, which provided a springboard for the rest of the discussion.


: This work aims to clarify some legal and political aftermaths of contractualism (virtuality, voluntarism, anarchy, positivism, statism, etc.), appealing to an examen of the state of nature and the meaning of the social contract. It has been prepared based on sources and consulting the special literature.


Abstract There is a symmetrical debate in two Euro area core countries: in France about the restrictive fiscal policy of Germany, leading to a huge external surplus, in Germany about the insufficient compliance with fiscal rules and the lack of structural reforms in France. What are the real causes of the divergence between the two economies? We show that different indicators of competitiveness yield very different results depending on the base period used, e.g. 1995 (peak of reunification boom), 1999 or 1990. A comparison with the pre-unification period shows little gain in competitiveness. We also find, somewhat surprisingly, that Germany's industry is not more integrated in international value chains than that of France or Italy. We then look at the link between export growth and export prices and argue that in the long run exports are not driven by competitiveness but by the increased supply of labor resulting from unification. In addition, we ask what drove 'wage moderation' in Germany: policy or the labor market. We finally analyse the longer-term trend in fiscal policy and the resulting distributional consequences in both countries. Our more general policy implication is that any analysis which compares today to the trough of German performance after unification risks over-estimating the potential of the country. Given that the 'internal unification' process is complete now, one should not expect the Germans to continue to outperform France as it has done over the last two decades.


Verificator is an educational tool for teaching introductory programming at the university level. This study integrates programming anxiety and computer self-efficacy into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with an aim to examine the factors that affect the acceptance of Verificator by information science students. Data were collected using an online survey questionnaire while the hypothesized relationships in the research model were tested employing the variance-based Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. Theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions are presented and discussed.


1336 Crosstalk between EGFR and c-Met has been implicated in a number of biological systems. In tumors, interactions between these two pathways may affect tumor cell growth, survival, and response to treatment. Accordingly, MET gene amplification has been shown to be a mechanism of resistance to EGFR inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our data indicate that combining c-Met and EGFR antagonists may be an effective treatment for NSCLC beyond instances of acquired resistance. First, EGFR and c-Met show a significant overlap of expression in primary NSCLC specimens and cell lines. Second, EGFR and c-Met can co-associate and their activation in several tumor cell lines appears to be linked. In NSCLC lines lacking EGFR mutation or constitutive activity, HGF stimulation can induce activation of EGFR. Inhibition of c-Met in cell lines with elevated levels of c-Met protein decreases basal phosphorylation of EGFR. Conversely, in lines overexpressing or harboring mutations in EGFR, high EGFR activity can drive c-Met phosphorylation and pathway activation. Inhibition of EGFR in these lines results in rapid de-phosphorylation of c-Met and other downstream mediators, including trans-activation of ErbB3 resulting in PI-3K and Akt activity. Third, modulation of c-Met activity can inversely affect response to erlotinib in HGF-responsive cells. More specifically, c-Met activation protects cells from erlotinib-induced apoptosis, and c-Met inhibition can restore erlotinib responsiveness. Fourth, combinations of c-Met and EGFR inhibitors in xenograft tumor models show enhanced tumor growth inhibition beyond that observed with either agent alone. An example of this is the NCI-H596 NSCLC xenograft tumor model that shows robust enhancement of growth in human HGF-Tg-SCID mice, indicating that this tumor model is strongly HGF-driven. Despite robust inhibition of other HGF-driven tumor models in HGF-Tg-SCID mice by the monovalent anti-c-Met antibody, MetMAb, treatment of HGF-Tg-SCID mice harboring established NCI-H596 tumors with MetMAb resulted in ~65% tumor inhibition, indicating that blockade of HGF by MetMAb is not sufficient for full tumor inhibition in established tumors. Treatment of NCI-H596 xenograft tumors with erlotinib alone had minimal effects. However, combination of MetMAb plus erlotinib very potently inhibited tumor growth ~90%, indicating that EGFR plays a major role in tumor survival and growth in the face of potent c-Met inhibition in this model. Taken together these data indicate that simultaneous targeting c-Met and EGFR may have a great impact on NSCLC tumors, where co-activation of these receptor pathways is frequently observed.


Formal, systematic training has always been cited as a major need for the future success of hospitality operations. However, one other aspect of the job might be the development of a train-the-trainer curriculum for hospitality management students. The author studies the relationship between training preparation and training methods utilized by restaurant managers and explores this need.


Some effectiveness of free radical scavengers for the prevention of reperfusion injury are reported, however those scavengers do not perfectly repel the reperfusion injury and do not widely used to avoid that insult. This study was undertaken to assess why free radical scavengers do not be so effective to prevent the reperfusion injury. The heart-lung transplantation was performed according to the method of Schäfers. Explanted heart-lung block was immersed and preserved in the University of Wisconsin solution excluding allopurinol for just 4 hours at 4 degrees C. The recipients were divided into three groups: group I (n = 8), mimetic group with lactated Ringer's solution, group II (n = 7), animals treated with allopurinol, and group III (n = 7), animals treated with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). All scavengers were administered during preservation and reperfusion process. Graft function was evaluated by max dp/dt and partial pressure of oxygen in pulmonary venous blood. Free radicals generated in the plasma obtained from the pulmonary vein and coronary sinus were measured, using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry and the production of free radicals from the neutrophils obtained from the pulmonary vein was measured by chemiluminescence. In group II and III, the grafts got significantly better restore than in group I in cardiac and respiratory function until 30 min after reperfusion, but the graft's function in group I gradually detenorated at 60 min after reperfusion. ESR spectra were deteriorated and indicated a hyperfine splitting constant of aN = 1.55 mT, aH beta = 0.28 mT suggesting the presence of PBN-OH, ESR signals were significantly higher and showed a marked increase in group I than in group II after reperfusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Abstract. Sea surface temperature observations have shown that western boundary currents, such as the East Australian Current (EAC), are warming faster than the global average. However, we know little about coastal temperature trends inshore of these rapidly warming regions, particularly below the surface. In addition to this, warming rates are typically estimated linearly, making it difficult to know how these rates have changed over time. Here we use long-term in situ temperature observations through the water column at five coastal sites between approximately 27.3–42.6∘ S to estimate warming trends between the ocean surface and the bottom. Using an advanced trend detection method, we find accelerating warming trends at multiple depths in the EAC extension region at 34.1 and 42.6∘ S. We see accelerating trends at the surface and bottom at 34.1∘ S but similar trends in the top 20 m at 42.6∘ S. We compare several methods, estimate uncertainty, and place our results in the context of previously reported trends, highlighting that magnitudes are depth-dependent, vary across latitude, and are sensitive to the data time period chosen. The spatial and temporal variability in the long-term temperature trends highlight the important role of regional dynamics against a background of broad-scale ocean warming. Moreover, considering that recent studies of ocean warming typically focus on surface data only, our results show the necessity of subsurface data for the improved understanding of regional climate change impacts.


An error registration method of netted radar is presented. A coordinate conversion technique of netted radar, which can obtain earth-centered earth fixed (ECEF) coordinates of the target according to the known conditions, is first introduced. Computation processes of error registration on range, azimuth and elevation of netted radar using generalized least squares (GLS) algorithm are then demonstrated. Simulations, in which the effect of measurement noise on registration error is analyzed, indicate effectiveness and robustness of the proposed error registration method using GLS algorithm.


Heart failure is a common presentation to the emergency department, accounting for 5% of all medical admissions. Evidence from the national audit data base and our own local data confirms reduced mortality with specialist heart failure management. In our institution we recognized a group of patients that were seen in the emergency department and discharge without an admission and given a diagnosis of heart failure, these patients were not identified to our heart failure service. It is unclear if these patients have a formal diagnosis and what follow up is given. It is proposed that patients attending the emergency department and are considered fit for immediate discharge have sub optimal care. This study aims to evaluate the quality of care given to patients discharged from the emergency department where the primary diagnosis is heart failure by assessing three key performance indicators, NTproBNP, echocardiogram and follow up care. Methods Attendances at the emergency department that were coded as having heart failure as a primary diagnosis during a six month period (01.10.18 - 31.03.19) were reviewed. The coded diagnosis included heart failure, left ventricular failure, acute pulmonary oedema or cardiomyopathy. This retrospective review of these attendances looked for three key performance indicators, NTproBNP assessment, echocardiogram and referral to heart failure/cardiology service as good quality care. Results There were 227 attendances to the emergency department during the six months of the study period. 186 patients were admitted and 41 patients were discharged home. One patient visited the emergency department on 3 occasions therefore 39 patients attended the emergency department. The average age was 72.7 years with 59% male. A new diagnosis was established in 56% (22) with a pre existing diagnosis in the others. After the emergency department attendance 49% (19) had no follow up arranged. In 64% (25) no NTproBNP was undertaken. an echocardiogram was ordered for 28% (11). Patients not requiring an echocardiogram due to low NTproBNP or previous echo in last 6 months 30% (12). In 23% (9) none of the key indicators were undertaken; no NTproBNP, echocardiogram or follow up. Conclusion Nearly a quarter of patients 23% (9) were discharge from the emergency department with a diagnosis of heart failure and did not receive any of the performance indicators of NTproBNP, echocardiogram or follow up. It is unsure if these patients do actually have heart failure and potentially may have been started on inappropriate medication or if they indeed do have heart failure and are not treated appropriately with the impact of increased mortality and further readmissions. This is a gap that has been identified in our local heart failure service provision and suspect that such a provision gap may be widespread in other areas. A redesign of our service is intended to address this gap. Conflict of Interest None


The fast development of WSN (Wireless Sensor Network) provide the solution to indoor localization application. To which, the position accuracy become the essential problem need to solve. This paper introduces in detail the composition of the whole system and the design of localization algorithm based on RSSI. Through computing the relevance of adjacent nodes of target tag, the enhanced localization method is introduced and reasonable system design prove the possibility to build a high accuracy indoor localization system based on WSN.


To significantly increase the sampling rate of an A/D converter (ADC), a time interleaved ADC system is a good idea. Due to errors in the manufacturing process, all ADCs in a time interleaved ADC system are not exactly identical. It means that gain and offset mismatch errors are introduced in the digital signal processing. These errors cause distortion in the sampled signal. In this paper we present a method based on Affine Projection algorithm for compensation of the mismatch errors. The compensation can be working while the ADCs are still running. The method is also adaptive to slow changes of the errors parameters Using effective AP algorithm, we can reach obvious improvement and save a large amount of calculating time through simulation.


AIMS
Though ergonomic supports are widely used for many groups of instruments, they are rare for brass instruments, despite the instruments' considerable weight. Musculoskeletal injury and postural problems are common among this group, and so, both adult and young players are likely to benefit from supports that reduce the load placed on the body. This study assessed the effects on postural muscle activity of a recently developed range of supports (Ergobrass) that use a rod to transfer the weight of the instrument to a harness or to the chair or floor.

METHODS
Twenty conservatoire students (mean age [SD], 20.9 ± 0.5 yrs) of the trumpet, french horn, or trombone used the supports while playing short brass studies, either sitting or standing. Surface electromyography recordings were made from key postural muscles, and their activity levels were compared with and without the support.

RESULTS
Statistically significant reductions (typically 15-30%) were present in many of the muscles when using the supports, though in some players they were much larger. The number of muscles affected was least with the lightest instruments (the trumpet), with the effects mainly in the left deltoid and trapezius muscles. Reductions for the horn were bilateral, principally in biceps, pectoralis major, and deltoid; while in the trombone, they were confined to the left side (pectoralis major, posterior deltoid, and trapezius), as the right arm is in constant use to move the slide.

CONCLUSIONS
The supports are effective in reducing postural muscle activity and may be of particular benefit to injured or young players.


Nanostructured composites of the aluminum 7075 alloy and carbon-coated silver
 nanoparticles were synthetized by the mechanical milling technique using a
 high-energy mill SPEX 8000M; the powders generated were compacted, sintered
 and hot-extruded to produce 1 cm-diameter bars. The composites were then
 subjected to a wear test using a pin-on-disc device to validate the
 hypothesis that second phase-ductile nanometric particles homogenously
 distributed throughout the metalmatrix improve the wear resistance of the
 material. It was found that silver nanoparticles prevent the wear of the
 material by acting as an obstacle to dislocations movement during the plastic
 deformation of the contact surface, as well as a solid lubricant when these
 are separated from the metal-matrix.


OBJECTIVES
Understand the process of including Emergency Contraception (EC) in the Mexican Family Planning Norm (NOM) and identify factors that influenced this achievement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We conducted in-depth interviews with eight prominent decision-makers of state and federal government institutions.

RESULTS
The determining factor for the inclusion of EC in the Norm was the external review of scientific evidence, done by experts from the National Centre for Equity of Gender and Reproductive Health, proving that EC pills are not abortifacients. Other important factors that contributed to the inclusion were the ample support of civil organizations, the population's demand and the Minister of Health's support of EC. The inclusion of EC in the essential drug list was perceived as a logical next step after its inclusion in the NOM.

CONCLUSIONS
The introduction of EC in Mexico highlights the importance of scientific evidence for decision-making. The process took about a decade, which reflects the complexity of converting research results into public policies. Measures should be taken to speed the processes that benefit women and society as a whole.


Abstract Since 1993, oyster reef replenishment efforts in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay have relied heavily on construction of oyster shell reefs with enhanced vertical relief. We evaluated the performance of six reefs constructed in proximity to natural subtidal oyster bars by comparing recruit densities (spat m-2, where spat are young-of-the-year oysters with shell heights less than 50 mm) between habitats. Recruitment was higher on the reefs than bars during the first 1–3 yr post-construction, usually by at least an order of magnitude. Within 7 yr, recruitment was similar between reef-bar pairs although both reefs and bars received additions of shell, live oysters, or both during the study period. At decadal time scales, constructed oyster reefs did not show enhanced recruitment relative to adjacent natural oyster bars. The rapid decline in reef recruitment post-construction is likely related to three processes: (i) shell degradation by taphonomic processes, (ii) biofouling that occludes the shell surface to recruitment, and (iii) inability of extant oysters on the reef to produce new shell at a rate commensurate with losses to (i) and (ii). There appears to be a requirement for continued replenishment activity to maintain the shell base on these reefs, contrary to the dynamics of a healthy natural oyster population. The similarity in recruitment between constructed reefs and natural bars at decadal time scales suggests that subtidal shell plants or shell additions to natural bars may be a more cost-effective repletion strategy because they provide equal population enhancement per unit area.


ABSTRACT Phillips, R., Vincent, C.E., Bell, P.S., Dolphin, T., and Bacon, J., 2013. Use of GPS and X-Band Radar to track tidal currents around the shore parallel breakwaters at Sea Palling, Norfolk, UK Sea Palling on the East coast of the UK has a series of 9 shore parallel rock breakwaters. The numerical model TELEMAC2D has been used to simulate tidal currents around the system to assess the tidal contribution to sediment budgets and transport pathways. Numerical simulations are particularly useful for identifying the important processes involved in a complex system such as these breakwaters and understanding how the breakwaters might effect the local coastal region. Models are classically evaluated using a number of measurement stations to calibrate and then check it is giving realistic results. It is important to assess both the spatial and temporal performance of a model, but this is difficult with a model having tens of thousands of nodes, based on only a few discrete locations. This paper presents a method using Lagrangian data to assess confidence that can be applied to model performance. Measurements were made by deploying drogues tracked by X-band radar or GPS receivers throughout the breakwater system during calm "no wave" and "no wind" conditions to ensure that only tidal effects were measured. Modelled deployments were made at coincident times and locations for comparison and model performance statistics were calculated. Evidence of a number of features predicted by the model were found, giving confidence to its performance. Radar drogues are cheap to make and data capture onshore reduces the risk of data loss. GPS drogues can be used in a wider spatial area, however their onboard data storage requires drogue retrieval for data download.


Since the introduction of "Fordism" in the early 1910s, which emphasized technological improvements and maximizing productive efficiency, US autoworkers have struggled with repetitive, exhausting, often dangerous jobs. Yet beginning with Ford's Five Dollar Day, introduced in 1914, auto jobs have also provided higher pay than most other wage work, attracting hundreds of thousands of people, especially to Detroit, Michigan, through the 1920s, and again from World War II until the mid-1950s. Successful unionization campaigns by the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the 1930s and early 1940s resulted in contracts that guaranteed particular wage increases, reduced the power of foremen, and created a process for resolving workplace conflicts. In the late 1940s and early 1950s UAW president Walter Reuther negotiated generous medical benefits and pensions for autoworkers. The volatility of the auto industry, however, often brought layoffs that undermined economic security. By the 1950s overproduction and automation contributed heavily to instability for autoworkers. The UAW officially supported racial and gender equality, but realities in auto plants and the makeup of union leadership often belied those principles. Beginning in the 1970s US autoworkers faced disruptions caused by high oil prices, foreign competition, and outsourcing to Mexico. Contract concessions at unionized plants began in the late 1970s and continued into the 2000s. By the end of the 20th century, many American autoworkers did not belong to the UAW because they were employed by foreign automakers, who built factories in the United States and successfully opposed unionization. For good reason, autoworkers who survived the industry's turbulence and were able to retire with guaranteed pensions and medical care look back fondly on all that they gained from working in the industry under UAW contracts. Countless others left auto work permanently and often reluctantly in periodic massive layoffs and the continuous loss of jobs from automation.


TiNx/SiO2/VOx noval absorption structure for long-wave infrared wavelengths is proposed and simulated. This new structure shows as average high absorptance as more than 81% between 8μm and 14μm wavelengths. VOx thin film infrared detector with this high absorption structure has been fabricated and tested successfully. The results show that it's feasible to be applied to imaging and related optoelectronics devices.


The present work has the objective to produce briquettes by using fine charcoal from coconut wastes as raw material and evaluate the briquette quality. Coconut piths were collected at the city of Touros, in Rio Grande do Norte state. After a 2- month air drying, coconut pith was carbonized and hereafter ground in a hammer mill. The resulting charcoal powder was sieved and the fraction less than 40 mesh was used to produce briquettes according to an entirely randomized designed experiment involving 12 treatments and 3 replications. Starch and clay were employed as binders. The treatments were divided into 3 groups, each group corresponding to a proportion of clay, respectively 12, 15 and 18%, based on the total dry weight of the briquette. Within each group, the proportions of starch were 6, 8, 10 and 12%. The carbon powder was mixed with finely ground clay was added and then the pre-gelatinized starch in water at 80°C. The mass for each treatment was mixed until homogeneous, separating quantities of 17grams of mass for each repetition. The briquettes were produced in a laboratory press (pressure of1500psi and pressing time of 4 minutes). The briquettes were dried in an oven at 60°C until constant weight. After drying, the properties of briquettes


Objective: To investigate that exogenous prostacyclin would counterbalance an endotoxemia-induced intrarenal vasoconstriction and would therefore have beneficial effects on kidney function. Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. Setting: University medical center research laboratory. Subjects: Eighteen male Wistar rats. Interventions: In anesthetized and ventilated animals, arterial blood pressure (mean arterial blood pressure [MAP]) and renal blood flow (RBF) were recorded. Renal microvascular Po2 (&mgr;Po2) and renal venous Po2 were continuously measured by phosphorescence lifetime technique. All animals received a 30-minute infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (2.5 mg/kg) to induce endotoxemia. One group of rats was not resuscitated. A second group received fluid resuscitation 90 minutes after stop of LPS infusion. In a third group of rats, the prostacyclin analogue iloprost (100 ng/kg/min) was continuously infused in addition to fluid resuscitation. Furthermore, in all the animals, plasma NOx levels, renal inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, and creatinine clearance were determined. Measurements and Main Results: During LPS infusion, MAP and RBF progressively dropped to 50% of baseline at 120 minutes. After an initial increase in MAP and RBF, start of fluid resuscitation with iloprost resulted in the stabilization of both parameters. All animals became anuric during endotoxemia. Only in animals receiving iloprost was creatinine clearance totally restored at the end of the experiment. Iloprost had no significant effects on average &mgr;Po2, but prevented the occurrence of cortical microcirculatory hypoxic areas. NOx levels and iNOS mRNA expression were significantly increased in all animals receiving LPS after 5 hours. There was no difference in NOx concentration between the different groups. In animals receiving iloprost, iNOS mRNA expression was significantly suppressed in the inner medulla. Conclusions: Iloprost significantly restored kidney function of endotoxemic rats to baseline values. This beneficial effect of iloprost on renal function might be addressed to an improvement in intrarenal oxygenation.


Most of the information about the near-Earth's environment up to the height of the F region maximum is obtained by ionosondes. The height range in question is below the altitude of long-lasting satellites. In addition, satellite measurements cannot provide the temporal and spatial resolution for an unambiguous sampling of the dynamic phenomena of the ionosphere, unless a large number of satellites with identical equipment are placed in proper orbits. Similar remarks apply to balloon and rocket observations. The advance of digital ionosondes permits the measurement of new quantities (for example, echo phase) and of classical parameters (for example, delay time and signal strength of an echo) with much improved precision. The analysis of such data in turn provides more details and higher accuracy of properties of the ionosphere. This will be demonstrated here for electron density profile parameters, Doppler frequencies, angle of arrival measurements, and other quantities.


Bile salt stimulated lipase (BSSL), a lipolytic enzyme secreted with pancreatic juice and with human milk, is in concert with colipase-dependent pancreatic lipase, important for the intestinal digestion of dietary lipids. BSSL may also facilitate uptake of free cholesterol from the intestinal lumen, while colipase-dependent lipase has a similar role for fatty acids. According to this theory, the two lipases bind to the intestinal mucosa via a common heparin-involving receptor. In the present study, binding of the two lipases to heparin was explored in vitro using purified human lipases and heparin molecules varying in both chain length and charge density. Native, but not denatured, BSSL bound avidly to heparin and several of the heparin variants. In contrast, at physiologic salt concentration, colipase-dependent lipase did not bind to heparin. Thus, our data do not support the view that the two lipases share a common intestinal heparin-like receptor. Hence, it seems unlikely that such binding could be of physiologic relevance for colipase-dependent lipase, although for BSSL the data are supportive.


Governments aim to improve service delivery towards citizens and businesses. One of the main trends in this area is that organisations are increasingly trying to integrate service delivery by using information and communication technology (ICT). Service integration is necessary as individual service offerings are often just a part of a bigger process. This overall process does not stop at the boundaries of individual organisations, or at the boundary between the public and the private sector. Therefore, in order to improve service delivery, the service providers have to collaborate and integrate their services across organisational boundaries. The challenges that these collaborations face are varied, including heterogeneous organisations, a variety of processes, and fragmented information systems. How can we deal with these challenges to realise integrated service delivery? It is this question that is the background of this dissertation. It is addressed by exploring the interdependence in integrated service delivery, provided by networks of public and private organisations. Ultimately, the dissertation improves the understanding of the coordination of such public-private service networks.


Objective: To evaluate feasibility and potential effectiveness of work-directed rehabilitation in people with common mental disorders. Design: Pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting: Primary healthcare, Sweden. Subjects: Working adults (n = 42) of mean age 46.2 ± 11.1 years with depression or anxiety disorder. Interventions: Eight weeks of work-directed rehabilitation (n = 21) or physical activity (n = 21). Work-directed rehabilitation included sessions with a physiotherapist and/or an occupational therapist, to develop strategies to cope better at work. Physical activity included a planning session and access to a local gym. Main measures: Feasibility: attendance, discontinuation and adverse events. Measurements were the Work Ability Index, the Global Assessment of Functioning, the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the World Health Organization—Five Well-Being Index. Results: Attendance to rehabilitation sessions was 88% (n = 147/167) and discontinuation rate was 14% (n = 3/21). No serious adverse events were reported. Within both groups, there was a significant improvement in Work Ability Index score (mean change: 3.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45, 6.7) in work-directed rehabilitation and 3.9 (95% CI: 0.9, 7.0) in physical activity) with no significant difference between groups. For the other outcomes, significant improvements were found within but not between groups. Per-protocol analysis showed a trend toward the antidepressant effect of work-directed rehabilitation compared to physical activity (mean difference in depression score −3.1 (95% CI: −6.8, 0.4), P = 0.075). Conclusion: Work-directed rehabilitation was feasible to persons with common mental disorders and improved their work ability and mental health. Comparable improvements were seen in the physical activity group. Suggested modifications for a larger trial include adding a treatment-as-usual control.


A case of unilateral evisceration is described. Each individual copes in a unique way to the loss of eye. Orbital defects with total or partial loss of eyeball cannot be satisfactorily repaired by reconstructive surgery. While prosthetic replacement is the treatment of choice owing to its acceptable and life like appearance, retention of the ocular prosthesis is an important factor for the success of the prosthesis. This paper describes a modified technique for fabrication and retention of an ocular prosthesis.


This report describes the programming and interface specification language of the Java Interactive Verification Environment JIVE. The JIVE system is a prototype implementation of a logic-based programming-environment for an object-oriented programming language. Logic-based programming-environments are language-dependent software development tools that support formal specification and verification.
We summarize the properties of an ideal programming language for the prototype and argue that Java is a good candidate. The design of the supported Java subset is discussed and a formal definition of the abstract syntax is presented.
Program specifications are denoted in an interface specification language. This report discusses the design of the JIVE interface specification language and presents its abstract syntax. An example program illustrates the application of the programming and the interface specification language.


Platelet integrin αIIbβ3 responds to intracellular signals by binding fibrinogen and triggering cytoskeletal reorganization, but the mechanisms of αIIbβ3 signaling remain poorly understood. To better understand this process, we established conditions to study αIIbβ3 signaling in primary murine megakaryocytes. Unlike platelets, these platelet precursors are amenable to genetic manipulation. Cytokine-stimulated bone marrow cultures produced three arbitrary populations of αIIbβ3-expressing cells with increasing size and DNA ploidy: small progenitors, intermediate-size young megakaryocytes, and large mature megakaryocytes. A majority of the large megakaryocytes bound fibrinogen in response to agonists, while almost none of the smaller cells did. Fibrinogen binding to large megakaryocytes was inhibited by Sindbis virus-mediated expression of isolated β3 integrin cytoplasmic tails. Strikingly, large megakaryocytes from mice deficient in the transcription factor NF-E2 failed to bind fibrinogen in response to agonists, despite normal surface expression of αIIbβ3. Furthermore, while megakaryocytes from wild-type mice spread on immobilized fibrinogen and exhibited filopodia, lamellipodia and Rho-dependent focal adhesions and stress fibers, NF-E2–deficient megakaryocytes adhered poorly. These studies establish that agonist-induced activation of αIIbβ3 is controlled by NF-E2–regulated signaling pathways that mature late in megakaryocyte development and converge at the β3 cytoplasmic tail. Megakaryocytes provide a physiologically relevant and tractable system for analysis of bidirectional αIIbβ3 signaling.


This paper undertakes a comprehensive analysis of temporal trends in multidimensional deprivation in the United States. It provides, for the first time, estimates of multidimensional deprivation in the United States for an entire decade, from 2008 to 2017, which covers the Great Recession and the recovery following the recession when major policy changes such as the Affordable Care Act were implemented. We measure annual changes in deprivation levels, across states and among demographic groups by age, gender, income, and race. Multidimensional deprivation is estimated using individual data from the American Community Survey, the largest household survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. We find that about 13.5 percent of the U.S. population was deprived in at least two dimensions. Deprivation was high among individuals having income just above the poverty line, among young adults (aged 18 to 24 years), and among Hispanics and foreign-born individuals. In the midst of the Great Recession, more than 15 percent of population was multidimensionally deprived, but deprivation consistently declined during the recovery period.


This chapter examines the dynamics of public opinion about the economy before, during, and after the Great Recession of 2008 across 11 European countries. Specifically, using monthly public opinion data, the chapter describes the nature of opinion change resulting from turmoil in the global economy and investigates whether the nature of the change and opinion were shaped by macro-level political and economic factors, including the size of welfare states.


With continuous growth in mobile technology and ubiquitous computing, the demand for more storage in mobile devices is also on the rise. Internet Advanced Technology Attachment (iATA), a virtual storage system that positioned itself as one of the feasible solutions to solve the mobile device's storage limitation problem. In existing iATA implementation, the storage space depends on the unused partition space on server and it is predefined in server, and does not provide any varying storage control, causing an inelastic storage management. In this paper, we proposed an improved solution to iATA mounting on disk image based loop device, alongside with designing a storage management mechanism for iATA system that allow us to increase the flexibility and variability on this virtual storage system.


The article summarizes the practical experience of training future teachers of biology in the process of studying the fundamental discipline "Biotechnology" taking into account regional needs in the professionally-oriented environment of Izmail State Humanitarian University. A number of theoretical research methods were used: the study, analysis, systematization of psychological, pedagogical and methodical sources on the problem of practice-oriented training of future teachers of natural sciences. The practical significance of the described experience is to bring positive ideas into the practice of pedagogical institutions of higher education on the professionally-oriented training of future Biology teachers based on regional identity, the formation of students' practice-oriented experience in the context of mastering research competence in modern biotechnology, and their professional readiness introducing the theoretical foundations and practical use of biotechnological knowledge in the content of school Biology education. Besides, the theoretical positions can be used in the pedagogical activities of teachers of school Biology courses, as well as in the system of postgraduate education of teachers of natural sciences.


Background
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80-85% of lung cancers. Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) such as gefitinib are considered the best choice for first-line treatment for the patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR-activating alterations. Nonetheless, 10-30% of patients may not obtain an objective response and may also experience rapid progression. The aim of our research, based on the integrative bioinformatics review, was to identify the possible miRNAs involved in gefitinib resistance.

Method
A gefitinib-resistant network composed of 15 miRNAs and 34 targets were constructed by using the bioinformatics analyses of three microarray datasets. Of these miRNAs, effects of miR-342-3p on gefitinib resistance were investigated on a gefitinib-resistant cell model (A549/GR and PC/GR cells).

Results
We reported that over-expression of miR-342-3p could significantly increase the resistance to gefitinib of A549/GR and PC9/GR cells and vice versa. Then, we recognized CPA4 as a target of hsa-miR-342-3p by a luciferase reporter assay. The increase in hsa-miR-342-3p levels led to a significant reduction in CPA4 protein expression. However, the opposite results were observed upon miR-342-3p knockdown. Finally, we found that enforced CPA4 expression partially reversed miR-342-3p effects in A549/GR cells.

Conclusions
Collectively, these findings suggest that the upregulation of miR-342-3p contributes to gefitinib resistance by targeting CPA4, which may serve as a potential treatment option to overcome gefitinib resistance in patients with NSCLC.


Several Indonesian Arabica types are recognised as good quality coffees and fetch high prices on the international market. The Indonesian authorities are keen on expanding this good reputation and on strengthening protection of the corresponding appellations through geographical identification. Geographical Indications (GI) are used to identify a product through its country or region of origin, on the understanding that this indication confers specific characteristics to the product. The Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement linked to the World Trade Organisation recognises and regulates the use of geographical indications. All WTO member states are expected to adapt their national legislation to the TRIPS agreement before 2006 at the latest. The protection of geographical indications is a relevant topic for several rural and economic development issues, such as community rights, traditional knowledge, biodiversity protection, sustainable rural livelihoods and the development of specific niche markets. The proposal for Franco-Indonesian cooperation on the identification and implementation of geographical indications for Arabica coffees dates back to the seminar on "Strengthening Intellectual Property rights" organised on September 19-20, 2001 in Jakarta. The project idea gained support from the French Embassy. Tasks planned for 2002 include several field missions. An initial mission in June-July 2002 focused on cup-testing and helped in selecting three producing areas, which could be granted a geographical identification for their Arabica coffee: Toraja district in Sulawesi, highland Bali, and central Irian Jaya. The second mission is covered by this report: it deals with post-harvest systems and socioeconomic organisation of the Arabica supply chain in two regional settings. A third mission, scheduled in October 2002, will focus on agronomic practices and geographical delimitation in just one region. Two Arabica producing areas were visited: highland Bali province and Toraja district (in Sulawesi province). A diagnosis was made of the Arabica coffee sector in each area. For both regions, the following points were considered: - Management of production and farming systems, - Farmer organisations, - Extension and other rural services, - Appraisal of the Arabica coffee processing and marketing chain, up to export, - Opportunities and constraints, which could be identified in each producing area. (Resume d'auteur)


The paper analyses the impact of venture capital finance on growth and innovation activities of young German firms. Among other variables, our panel of firm data includes data on venture capital funding and patent applications. With a statistical matching procedure we draw an adequate control group of non venture funded firms. The analysis gives evidence that innovative firms will be able to close a venture capital deal with higher probability. Once the firms are venture funded, they display higher growth rates but do not differ in their innovative output from otherwise comparable firms. We derive strategic implications.


This study endeavors to determine whether Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are new industrial spaces in Kenya by analyzing their evolutionary, structural and survival strategies. The regulation approach, enclave approach, factor analysis and the product cycle model are employed in understanding the evolutionary and operational characteristics of EPZs in Kenya. The analysis is based on information gathered from a sample of 25 EPZ firms and 250 employees. The findings indicate that although EPZ firms in Kenya exhibit evolutionary, structural and survival strategies similar to new industrial spaces in North America and Western Europe, their contribution to the host economy has not been very significant. Their contribution towards employment creation, backward and forward linkages with the host economy has been hampered by EPZ enclave nature. This study recommends that in order for countries like Kenya to achieve integrated national development through strategies such as EPZs, there is need to: select industries with strong backward and forward linkages; encourage local manufacturers to produce quality goods; and continuously evaluate success of the EPZ program.


The main objective of these guidelines is to advise on how to approach the complex issue of competitiveness in trade, and on how to achieve cost savings in logistics by reducing the time of immobilization of freight in transit. The interaction between transport infrastructure and transport and trade logistics is such that investments in infrastructure facilities and equipment will not reduce costs unless the institutional and operational logistics moving the freight and documenting are free from institutional or physical interference. In short, regional infrastructure investments may add to a country's debt burden without contributing to cost-effectiveness. Chapter I of this report examines the historic and economic context of trade and transport logistics in Africa. This report is arranged as follows: Chapter II looks at the background of competitiveness in Africa by reviewing issues encountered in the transport of freight. The examination of issues leads to the consideration of the diseconomies in transport and trade logistics, and to the price which African economies are paying for the distortions introduced by inefficiency. Cost consideration leads to reform in policies, institutional efficiency, and logistic performance. Chapter III considers the work on facilitation carried out by the Bank and other institutions and its impact. Chapter IV offers suggestions on how to deal with issues in the logistic chain when preparing a program of reform. It also reviews the critical stages of a facilitation program, in particular identification, preparation, and execution, and the instruments available to strengthen the program's implementation. Finally, Chapter V proposes an agenda for Bank staff intervention in facilitation by reviewing experience in project work and by discussing lending implications when introducing policy reform. The report also contains various annexes, including a checklist for identification of facilitation components, customs software programs, terms-of-reference for a Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee, a summary of recommendations in corridor studies evaluation, and an evaluation of customs software programs.


ABSTRACT Persons with disabilities are a historically marginalised minority, who have the capacity to make a valuable contribution in the workplace. Recent case law suggests that the duty to reasonably accommodate disabled employees remains a conundrum for employers in South Africa. In Jansen v Legal Aid South Africa (C678/14) [2018] ZALCCT 17 (16 May 2018) the Labour Appeal Court had an opportunity to make a definitive pronouncement on the meaning and reach of the employer's duty to reasonably accommodate a disabled employee. Even though the duty to reasonably accommodate disabled employees is set out in our legislative and policy frameworks, there is a need to have a more detailed framework. The Constitutional Court is yet to hear a case on the duty of employers to provide reasonable accommodation to employees with disabilities, and until we have such a precedent, more and more employees with disabilities will continue to suffer at the hands of their employers. Both the Code of Good Practice, as well as the Technical Assistance Guidelines , published by the Department of Labour, have gone "relatively unnoticed and unread" in the workplace. This article argues that employers should follow a broad interpretation of the guidelines contained in the Code, as well as in the Technical Assistance Guidelines. Employers need to undertake proper investigations, with the assistance of experts if needs be, to investigate an employee's incapacity. Keywords: Disability, Reasonable accommodation, Persons with disabilities.


The results of work carried out at the Priory of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria in Xunqueira de Ambia are presented, following its recent restoration. The studies carried out were based on analysing historical and bibliographic documentation, archaeological control of earthmoving work, and the stratigraphic reading of elevations. Based on this information, it has been possible to define the constructional evolution of the building, reinterpret its function and open new inroads into explaining its spatial and functional evolution, as well as to describe a series of features relating to the inscriptions documented in the building.


Private standards have emerged and proliferated in various fields, such as food, forestry, minerals, and services. The proliferation of private standards has been positively perceived as a new governance mode by private actors, addressing social, environmental, and ethical issues with which state governments have not fully dealt. However, the increase and fragmentation of private standards raise several problems. For instance, consumers may be confused with multiple private standard systems and do not understand their differences. Producers may not understand which standard is more suitable for their own production and business. What is worse, producers may choose to be certified by a weaker standard system because of loose monitoring procedures. This paper explores varied responses to mitigate such negative consequences from the fragmentation of private standards. This paper first looks at how private standards have been addressed in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Then, it examines three other initiatives and approaches outside the WTO, dealing with the increase of private standards: (1) the ISEAL Alliance's Codes for defining credible standards; (2) attempts to examine market impacts and effectiveness of private standards; and (3) the International Trade Centre's "Standards Map" database. This paper concludes by pointing out important topics to be addressed in future research.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The global antibiotic resistance threat posed by ESBL and AmpC-producing Gram-Negative Bacteria (GNB) is a public health menace that rolls back the gains of 'One Health'. This study investigated the antibiogram and prevalence of AmpC and ESBL genes in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. from poultry and abattoir milieus in Enugu and Ebonyi States, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Isolation, identification and characterization of GNB from samples (150 abattoirs and 300 poultry) were done using standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST), as well as phenotypic screening for ESBL and AmpC enzymes, was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. PCR technique was used to screen isolated GNB for AmpC and ESBL genes.

RESULTS
Exactly 42 E. coli and 8 Klebsiella spp. isolate from poultry samples and another 5 P. aeruginosa isolates from abattoir samples were phenotypically confirmed to be ESBL-producers. AmpC enzymes were phenotypically detected in 8 E. coli and 13 P. aeruginosa isolates from poultry samples. All ESBL and AmpC-positive bacteria exhibited high resistance frequencies to tested antibiotics, especially to the carbapenems and cephalosporins. ESBL genes (CTX-M, SHV-1, TEM) and AmpC genes (ACC-M, MOX-M, DHA-M) were harbored by the isolated GNB in this study. Overall, the DHA-M and CTX-M genes, mediating AmpC and ESBL production respectively were the most prevalent genes harbored by the tested GNB.

CONCLUSION
This study reported that AmpC and ESBL genes are harbored by Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, Klebsiella species and P. aeruginosa) that emanated from poultry and abattoir milieus.


This thesis addresses the problem of generating executable code for distributed embedded systems in which computing nodes communicate using the Controller Area Network (CAN). CAN is the dominant network in automotive and factory control systems and is becoming increasingly popular in robotic, medical and avionics applications. The requirements for functional and temporal reliability in these domains are often stringent, and testing alone may not offer the required level of con dence that systems satisfy their specications. Consequently, there has been considerable research interest in additional techniques for reasoning about the behaviour of CAN-based systems. This thesis proposes a novel approach in which system behaviour is specifed in a high-level language that is syntactically similar to Esterel but which is given a formal semantics by
translation to bCANDLE, an asynchronous process calculus. The work developed here shows that bCANDLE systems can be translated automatically, via a common intermediate net representation, not only into executable C code but also into timed automaton models that can be used in the formal verification of a wide range of functional and temporal properties. A rigorous argument is presented that, for any system expressed in the high-level language, its timed automaton model is a conservative approximation of the executable C code, given certain well-defined assumptions about system components. It is shownthat an off-the-shelf model-checker (UPPAAL) can be used to verify system properties with a high-level of confidence that those properties will be exhibited by the executable code. The approach is evaluated by applying it to four representative case studies. Our results show that, for small to medium-sized systems, the generated code is sufficiently efficient for execution on typical hardware and the generated timed automaton model is sufficiently small for analysis within reasonable time and memory constraints.


Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, and a growing literature in Russian gender studies, this article shows that "gender stereotypes and attitudes affect the process and results of social cognition." Gender is discussed as interwoven with ideas about the family, and as contingent on demographic and political changes in Russia. Hot issues of Muslim gender norms, domestic violence, prostitution, and other gender-related crimes are analyzed.


BACKGROUND Postoperative peritoneal adhesion (PPA), characterized by abdominal pain, female infertility, and even bowel obstruction after surgery, has always been a major concern. The occurrence and formation of adhesion are from complex biological processes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the basis of microarray data profile, followed by peritoneal adhesion formation, are largely unknown. AIM To reveal the underlying pathogenesis of PPA at the molecular level. METHODS The gene expression profile was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for our analysis. We identified a panel of key genes and related pathways involved in adhesion formation using bioinformatics analysis methods. We performed quantitative PCR and western blotting in vivo to validate the results preliminarily. RESULTS In total, 446 expressed genes were altered in peritoneal adhesion. We found that several hub genes (e.g., tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2) were marked as significant biomarkers. Functional analysis suggested that these genes were enriched in the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and published studies, TLR4, myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) played essential roles in Toll-like signaling transduction. Here, we obtained a regulatory evidence chain of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/inflammatory cytokines/peritoneal adhesion involved in the pathogenesis of postoperative adhesion. The results of the microarray analysis were verified by the animal experiments. These findings may extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of PPA. CONCLUSION The regulatory evidence chain of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/inflammatory cytokines/peritoneal adhesion may play key roles in the pathogenesis of PPA. Future studies are required to validate our findings.


Employing an electron-beam (E-beam) cured hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) based inorganic spin-on-glass as a pre-metal dielectric (PMD) material, we developed a simple planarization process with low thermal budget and good planarity in stacked capacitor dynamic random access memory (STC DRAM) device. We observe the basic E-beam cured HSQ film characteristics such as Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectra (FTIR), wet etch rate, film shrinkage, refractive index (RI), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) in non-patterned wafer. No degradation of device characteristics such as Vth change, hot carrier hardness, and gate oxide quality has been observed. This process resulted in lower leakage current and higher capacitance for Ta2O5 capacitor as well as better planarization performance compared with the conventional undoped silicate glass (USG) etch back process. These results show that E-beam curing process as a low thermal budget PMD scheme would be a promising process for high capacitor dielectric materials.


Traditionally in sporting tasks, expertise has been thought of as the attainment of near flawless technical abilities. While contemporary views have become more holistic in nature, in certain sporting domains it is still not clear what exactly encapsulates expertise. This study sought to further understand the crucial and defining characteristics of cricket batting; a complex and difficult perceptual-motor skill with minimal error tolerance and severe time constraints. Eight elite cricket batting coaches, who themselves were former international or state level batsmen, were interviewed to identify characteristics of cricket batting expertise. From this, a conceptual model was developed in relation to an expert within their performance environment. This model highlights several key factors experts possess beyond just technical proficiency, such as self-awareness of their technical and tactical strengths in relation to the situation of the game; self-regulatory behaviours to problem solve performance challenges in-game; and psychological strategies such as between-ball routines to manage cognitions and emotions. The conceptual model of batting expertise described in this paper is designed to introduce an order to how these various skills, possessed by an expert batter, interact within the performance environment to interpret expert performance.


In this paper we address the problem of estimating the position of the vanishing point in an outdoor camera-mirror environment, making use of motion statistics derived from a video sequence. Knowledge of the vanishing-point position is the key for the geometrical modeling of reflective surfaces or cast shadows; this allows the (future) integration of the model into foreground-extraction methods to achieve better performance. Thanks to the use of co-motion statistics in the correspondence-detection step, our approach gives robust results. The presented optimization method for final parameter estimation utilizes motion statistics to determine an improved fitting function in case of wide-baseline views and in cases where the correspondences are corrupted with considerable amounts of noise. Results are presented for several video sequences representing a variety of scene layouts and object types. The outcomes show that our approach gives robust results in the context of widely different environments.


The traffic conditions in India consist of a high degree of heterogeneity in vehicle categories plying on the highways without any lane-following behavior. A similar behavior is observed at the toll plazas where a dedicated lane assigned to a vehicle class is encroached by the vehicles of other categories, causing a mixed nature of the traffic in the same lane. In the present study, service headway is taken as the measure of effectiveness for studying the effect of mixed traffic conditions on traffic operations at electronic toll collection system (ETC) lanes, which are called FASTag lanes in India. Service headway is composed of processing time and the clearance time of the vehicle. Videographic data were collected at three different toll plazas located on National Highways in India to capture the variability in traffic and human behavior. The results showed that the service headway for a vehicle varies between 1.56 s and 34.40 s. The service headway-based toll equivalency factors (HTEF) are developed for converting the mixed traffic flow into a homogeneous equivalent for FASTag lanes. The results showed that the HTEF varies from 1.01 to 2.61. The results are validated spatially with data taken from a different site, and no significant difference was found between both the converted and equivalent data. Field engineers can use the developed HTEFs to estimate the traffic flow in equivalent terms based on the traffic composition. Further, the present study results can also be used to study the capacity and level of service (LOS) of FASTag lanes.


The tethered spinal cord is an entity with potentially grave neurologic implications. Presenting urologic symptoms include incontinence, symptomatic urinary tract infections and stool soiling. These symptoms may be the first to herald a tethered cord. The patients with previously repaired myelodysplastic defects are particularly prone to develop this lesion. This study was designed to correlate urologic history with pre and post operative cystometry in 20 myelodysplastic children. In this study, it was noted that clinical symptomatology and urodynamic parameters improved in 60% of those children who had cord untethering. A better result was evident in children who were repaired promptly.


Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare abdominal malignancy. We hypothesized that next generation exomic sequencing would identify recurrent mutations that may have prognostic or therapeutic implications. Methods and Materials: Ten patients were selected based on availability of tissue and adequate follow-up. Mutations were tested for in 236 cancer-related genes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) slides using next-generation exomic sequencing (Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect MCL1 expression. Results: Detectable mutations were found in 80% of patients. Seventy percent harbored a KRAS mutation, most commonly involving codon 12 (G12D in four cases, and one case each of G12V, G12A and A59T). Four GNAS mutations (R201H/R201C substitutions) were also detected. MCL1 and JUN were concurrently amplified in three patients. One patient with MCL1 and JUN amplification had concurrent amplification of MYC and NFKBIA. ZNF703 was amplified in one patient. Patients with MCL1 amplification were also found to express MCL1 by IHC, but MCL1 expression was also detected in some patients without amplification. Conclusions: We are first to report MCL1 and JUN co-amplification in PMP. Expression of MCL1 may not be completely dependent upon amplification. The prognostic and therapeutic implications of these recurrent mutational events are the subject of ongoing investigation. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):A135. Citation Format: Aaron S. Mansfield, Terence Sio, Travis E. Grotz, Rondell P. Graham, Julian R. Molina, Florencia G. Que, Robert C. Miller. Concurrent MCL1 and JUN amplification in pseudomyxoma peritonei. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A135.


The Royal College of Surgeons and the General Medical Council (GMC) have published new guidance on cosmetic procedures but called on the government to include legislation in the next Queen's speech to fully protect patients.

The college's new Professional Standards for Cosmetic Surgery states that surgeons who perform cosmetic surgery should be certified in the area of surgery in which they practise.1

The GMC guidance, which was developed after a public consultation, covers surgical procedures, such as breast augmentation, and non-surgical procedures, such as botulinum toxin (Botox). It makes clear the ethical obligations doctors have to patients and the standards …


Splenic macrophage tumoricidal activity was examined and a splenic macrophage tumoricidal assay was established. Initially, mixtures of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and spleen single cell suspensions (SSCS) were cultured for 1–4 days. Adherent macrophages, washed free of nonadherent cells and LPS, were then examined and were found to lack tumoricidal activity in a standard 18‐h 51Cr release assay. However, tumoricidal activity was generated if LPS was added to the SSCS cultures at later time points during the 4‐day incubation period; maximal activity was seen when LPS was added on day 3. In parallel, significant changes in macrophage autofluorescence and morphology, but not phenotype, were observed. Next, SSCS were cultured for 1–4 days without stimulating agents. Adherent macrophages were then washed free of nonadherent cells and LPS was added. Significant tumoricidal activity developed in time‐ and LPS concentration‐dependent fashions. The presence of nonadherent spleen cells in physical contact with the macrophages during the SSCS culture was essential for the macrophages in the resultant monolayer to be responsive to LPS. Activated splenic macrophage‐mediated lysis of tumor cells was shown to depend on the contact between the two cells. J. Leukoc. Biol. 56: 714–722; 1994.


ABSTRACT Due to the widespread deployment and low cost, WLAN has drawn much attention for indoor localization. In this poster, an efficient indoor localization algorithm, which utilizes the WLAN received signal strength from each Access Point (AP), has been proposed. The algorithm is based on the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), a Single layer Feed-forward neural Network (SLFN). It is competitive fast in offline learning and online localization. Also, compared with existing fingerprinting approach, it does not need the fingerprinting database in the online phase, which can substantially reduce the required storage space of the terminal devices.


Intraperitoneal chemo-hyperthermia with mitomycin C was used to treat 28 patients with far advanced digestive adenocarcinoma and histologically confirmed peritoneal carcinomatosis. Surgical resection of the primary tumor was possible in 17 cases. After closure of the abdominal wall, intraperitoneal chemo-hyperthermia was performed for 90 to 120 minutes under general anesthesia and 32 degrees C hypothermia, through 3 intraperitoneal drains forming a closed circuit, using 10 mg/l of mitomycin C in 6 liters of peritoneal dialysate heated to an inflow temperature of 46-49 degrees C. No mortality occurred, and there were 2 post-operative complications, with transitory biological side effects. In 9 out of 10 patients with preoperative malignant ascites, the ascites cleared after treatment. One-year survival rate was 54.2%. These encouraging preliminary results show that intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia with mitomycin C is a safe and reliable treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis in far advanced digestive cancers.


Complications after lung transplantation include the development of rejection and an increased incidence of infection, particularly with cytomegalovirus (CMV). Several recent studies have suggested that interleukin (IL)-6 may be used to detect both infection and rejection after lung transplantation. In addition, IL-6 may play a role in the development of bronchiolitis obliterans after transplantation. Because CMV is also associated with the development of bronchiolitis obliterans after transplantation, we determined whether CMV induces IL-6 gene expression. We demonstrated that CMV infection increased both IL-6 protein and mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We also demonstrated that the CMV immediate early 1 gene product increased expression of the IL-6 promoter. This effect of the CMV immediate early 1 gene product was dependent upon the presence of specific transcription factor binding sites in the IL-6 promoter. These studies demonstrate that CMV may be an important cofactor in the development of rejection and infection after transplantation through its effects on IL-6.


Aggregators of distributed generation are playing an increasingly crucial role in the integration of renewable energy in power systems. However, the intermittent nature of renewable generation makes market interactions of aggregators difficult to monitor and regulate, raising concerns about potential market manipulation by aggregators. In this paper, we study this issue by quantifying the profit an aggregator can obtain through strategic curtailment of generation in an electricity market. We show that, while the problem of maximizing the benefit from curtailment is hard in general, efficient algorithms exist when the topology of the network is radial (acyclic). Further, we highlight that significant increases in profit are possible via strategic curtailment in practical settings.


Background: Myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with stress is a useful examination for detecting coronary artery disease. Since the presence of artifacts is remaining challenges, we aimed to define the minimum intensity of low-grade exercise stress levels combined with drug stress to reduce undesired artifacts and their related factors.Methods: We divided patients with suspicious coronary artery disease into 4 groups as follows: group A, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for 6 min; group A+25 W, ATP+25 W exercise for 6 min; group A+35 W, ATP+35 W exercise for 6 min; group A+45 W, ATP+45 W exercise for 6 min) and enrolled only those whose summed stress scores were <3. Undesired artifacts were evaluated on the basis of heart-to-liver activity (H/L) ratio and heart-to-10 pixels below the heart (H/below the H) ratio. Results: The logarithmic values of H/L and H/below the H ratios were significantly higher in groups A+35 W and A+45 W than in group A (p<0.05, each). In all the patients, the logarithmic values of H/L and H/below the H ratios positively correlated with the increment of rate pressure product (RPP, p=0.002 and p=0.005, respectively) after stress in the univariate analysis. The left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) after stress (p=0.002) negatively correlated with the logarithmic value of H/below the H ratio, but not H/L ratio. Although the increment of RPP was independently associated with the logarithmic values of both H/L (p=0.001) and H/below the H ratios (p=0.005), LVEDV was also independently associated with the logarithmic value of H/below the H ratio (p<0.001) in multivariate regression analysis under adjusting with age and sex.Conclusion: ATP plus ≥35 W exercise stress for 6 min was useful for reducing undesired artifacts after stress in myocardial perfusion SPECT. LVEDV after stress in addition to the increment of RPP was independently associated with the H/below the H ratio, but not the H/L ratio.


P2X receptors are cation-permeable ligand-gated ion channels that open in response to the binding of ATP. These receptors are present in many excitable cells, including neurons, striated muscle cells, epithelial cells, and leukocytes. They mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the central and peripheral nervous systems and are thought to be involved in neuropathic pain, inflammation, and cell damage following ischemia-reperfusion injuries. P2X receptors are thus a target for the development of new therapeutics to treat chronic pain and inflammation. In this study, we characterized the inhibition caused by pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, a natural metabolite of vitamin B6 (MC-1), of P2X₂, P2X₄, P2X₇, and P2X₂/₃ receptors stably expressed in HEK293 cells using the patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration. We also tested a new approach using VC6.1, a modified cameleon calcium-sensitive fluorescent protein, to characterize the inhibition of P2X₂ and P2X₂/₃. MC-1 blocked these two P2X receptors, with an IC₅₀ of 7 and 13 μmol/L, respectively. P2X₂ exhibited the highest affinity for VC6.1, and the chimeric receptor P2X₂/₃, the lowest. The patch-clamp and imaging approaches gave similar results and indicated that VC6.1 may be useful for high throughput drug screening. Pyridoxal-5'-phosphate is an efficient P2X blocker and can be classified as a P2X antagonist.


The vast literature on financial development focuses mostly on the causal impact of the quantity of financial intermediation on economic development and productivity. This paper, instead, focuses on the role of the financial sector in creating securities that cater to the needs of heterogeneous investors. We describe a dynamic extension of Allen and Gale (1989)?s optimal security design model in which producers can tranche the stochastic cash flows they generate at a cost. Lowering security creation costs in that environment leads to more financial investment, but it has ambiguous effects on capital formation, output, and aggregate productivity. Much of the investment boom caused by increased securitization activities can, in fact, be spent on securitization costs and intermediation rents, with little or even negative effects on development and productivity.


The TRAP sequence, also known as acardiac twinning is a rare complication that is unique to monochorioinic multiple pregnancies affecting 1% of monochorioinic pregnancies and about 1 in 35000 of all pregnancies. In TRAP, blood flows from the umbilical artery of the pump twin to the umbilical artery of the perfused twin through artery to artery (AA) anastomosis. The perfused twin has poor development of the upper extremities and the normal or pump twin is at risk of a poor perinatal outcome. This is a report of a patient with TRAP sequence diagnosed in the second trimester who was managed conservatively and had a good outcome for the normal twin.


Pneumonia causes the deaths of over a million people worldwide each year, with most occurring in countries with limited access to expensive but effective diagnostic methods, e.g., chest X-rays. Physical examination, the other major established method of diagnosis, suffers from several drawbacks, most notably low accuracy and high interobserver error. We sought to address this diagnostic gap by developing a proof-of-concept non-invasive device to identify the accumulation of fluid in the lungs (consolidation) characteristic of pneumonia. This device, named Tabla after the percussive instrument of the same name, utilizes the technique of auscultatory percussion; a percussive input sound is sent through the chest and recorded with a digital stethoscope for analysis. Tabla analyzes differences in sound transmission through the chest at audible frequencies as a marker for lung consolidation. This paper presents preliminary data from five pneumonia patients and eight healthy subjects. We demonstrate 92.3% accuracy in distinguishing between healthy subjects and patients with pneumonia after data analysis with a K-nearest neighbors algorithm. This prototype device is low cost and simple to implement and may offer a rapid and inexpensive method for pneumonia diagnosis appropriate for general use and in areas with limited medical infrastructure.


ABSTRACT This study explores the silencing and voicing of sensitive topics in history education from a cross-national and multilevel perspective. In this mixed-method study, we undertook a quantitative analysis of a 'teaching sensitive issues' questionnaire and qualitative analyses of history curricula and teachers' verbal responses. The findings show that most respondents were aware of societal and self-silencing but were also committed to voicing and giving a voice to pupils. Focusing on the issues found to be most sensitive – immigration and Islam – in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Israel, the analysis of national curricula indicates a climate of 'voicing' rather than silencing. Analysis of teachers' responses showed strong awareness of the relationship between the sensitivity of the history of immigration and that of Islam and the relationship between pupil diversity and self-silencing on these issues. It appears that, in some cases, apprehension of pupils' voices led teachers to self-silence.


Abstract : This report describes the analysis of energy consumption data collected between September 1976 and February 1978 for selected Army buildings at Fort Belvoir, VA, Fort Carson, CO, and Fort Hood, TX. These buildings represent seven major energy consumer groups found on Army installations: family housing, troop housing, administration/training, production/maintenance, medical/dental, storage, and community support facilities. Results of analyses of building energy consumption vs. building floor area and weather parameters are presented in Btu/sq/ft/heating degree days (HDD) and kWh/sq ft/cooling degree days (CDD) for each consumer group. Comparisons between consumer groups are shown graphically on bar charts; energy use data for each consumer group are used to develop charts showing installation energy use by consumer groups. (Author)