Abstract Cardiovascular disease has a multifactorial aetiology, as is illustrated by the existence of numerous risk indicators, many of which can be influenced by dietary means. It should be recalled, however, that only after a cause-and-effect relationship has been established between the disease and a given risk indicator (called a risk factor in that case), can modifying this factor be expected to affect disease morbidity and mortality. In this paper, effects of diet on cardiovascular risk are reviewed, with special emphasis on modification of the plasma lipoprotein profile and of hypertension. In addition, dietary influences on arterial thrombotic processes, immunological interactions, insulin resistance and hyperhomocysteinaemia are discussed. Diet-ary lipids are able to affect lipoprotein metabolism in a significant way, thereby modifying the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, more research is required concerning the possible interactions between the various dietary fatty acids, and between fatty acids and dietary cholesterol. In addition, more studies are needed with respect to the possible importance of the postprandial state. Although in the aetiology of hypertension the genetic component is definitely stronger than environmental factors, some benefit in terms of the development and coronary complications of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients can be expected from fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. This particularly holds for those subjects where the hypertensive mechanism involves the formation of thromboxane A2 and/or α1-adrenergic activities. However, large-scale trials are required to test this contention. Certain aspects of blood platelet function, blood coagulability, and fibrinolytic activity are associated with cardiovascular risk, but causality has been insufficiently proven. Nonetheless, well-designed intervention studies should be initiated to further evaluate such promising dietary components as the various n−3 and n−6 fatty acids and their combination, antioxidants, fibre, etc. for their effect on processes participating in arterial thrombus formation. Long-chain polyenes of the n−3 family and antioxidants can modify the activity of immunocompetent cells, but we are at an early stage of examining the role of immune function on the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Actually, there is little, if any, evidence that dietary modulation of immune system responses of cells participating in atherogenesis exerts beneficial effects. Although it seems feasible to modulate insulin sensitivity and subsequent cardiovascular risk factors by decreasing the total amount of dietary fat and increasing the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, additional studies on the efficacy of specific fatty acids, dietary fibre, and low-energy diets, as well as on the mechanisms involved are required to understand the real function of these dietary components. Finally, dietary supplements containing folate and vitamins B6 and/or B12 should be tested for their potential to reduce cardiovascular risk by lowering the plasma level of homocysteine.


This thesis examined why the Nibgeean community, situated in a deep valley 70 kilometres from the capital city of Ethiopia, has chosen to stay in a place where travel is difficult, and amenities are very basic or nonexistent. They have remained there independently, peacefully, and relatively unchanged, for generations; largely untouched by famines and wars that have afflicted wider Ethiopia. Various methods were employed in order to determine the points of view of the people of Nibgee and find out how they regard their own development and whether they subjectively experience deprivation. It was expected that they would feel profoundly in need of a road but direct observation, dream mapping and interviews established that they feel happy and proud as they are, and in fact their isolation is a strategic choice to maintain their self-sustainability and preserve their safe haven. Their traditional culture of cooperation, conservation and resistance to outside interference was found to have kept them safe for generations. They showed some interest in development, however, with different groups within the community showing particular interest in the development of a school and electricity.


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Full Text PDF Images References Journal of Endodontics Volume 38, Issue 1 , Pages 37-40, January 2012 Irrigation Trends among American Association of Endodontists Members: A Web-based Survey Joseph Dutner, DMD , Pete Mines, DDS, Alfred Anderson, DDS Rohde Dental Clinic, US Army Fort Bragg DENTAC, Fort Bragg, North Carolina published online 22 September 2011. Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine current trends in irrigation selection among endodontists.Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine current trends in irrigation selection among endodontists. Methods An invitation to participate in a web-based survey (QuestionPro) was e-mailed to 3844 members of the American Association of Endodontists. Survey participants were asked between 10 and 14 questions based on their individual responses. Among other questions, participants were asked about their irrigant selection, irrigant concentration, smear layer removal, and use of adjuncts to irrigation. Results A total of 3707 survey invitations were successfully delivered by e-mail after accounting for several undeliverable e-mail invitations. There were 1102 participants, with an overall completion rate of 28.5% (n = 1054). Our data indicate that >90% of respondents primarily use sodium hypochlorite, with 57% of them using it at a concentration >5.0%. Seventy-seven percent of respondents aim to remove the smear layer during endodontic treatment. At least 45% of respondents reported using an adjunct to irrigation. Conclusions Most of the respondents are using full-strength sodium hypochlorite and are routinely removing the smear layer during endodontic treatment. In addition, almost half of the respondents are using an adjunct, such as ultrasonic activation, to aid in their irrigation technique. Print or


We propose a new parameter extraction method for advanced polysilicon emitter bipolar transistors. This method is based on the predetermination of equivalent circuit parameters using the analytical expressions of de-embedded Z-parameters of these devices. These parameter values are used as initial values for the parameter extraction process using optimization. The entire device equivalent circuit, containing RF probe pad and interconnection circuit parameters extracted by test structures, is optimized to fit measured S-parameters for eliminating de-embedding errors due to the imperfection of pad and interconnection test structures. The equivalent circuit determined by this method shows excellent agreement with the measured S-parameters from 0.1 to 26.5 GHz. >


Noncommensura te systems are those in which either the input vector or the output vector contains elements with different physical units. Such systems are encountered in situations where different physical quantities must be combined to achieve a given goal. An example is the control of robot manipulators where position with units of distance and orientation with units of angle must be combined. Unless proper care is taken, control systems based on current optimization techniques may yield inaccurate and misleading results. This paper examines properties of noncommensurate systems and develops several algebraic properties and requirements on the physical units involved in the control methods for such systems.


The evaluation of education programs provides valuable information for the program coordinator or instructor. The Program Evaluation Instrument (PEI) was developed with the use of various educational settings and subjects. The PEI provides a valid, reliable instrument that is generalizable to a variety of programs.


Sudden cardiac death (SCD), which is often the first manifestation of cardiovascular disease, is defined as a non-traumatic, unexpected fatal event occurring within one hour of the onset of symptoms in an apparently healthy subject. According to the current guidelines, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy is recommended for the primary prevention of SCD among patients with a reduced (i.e. less than < 35%) left ventricular ejection fraction. The authors of the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study (SUDS) have proposed a new electrocardiographic model of SCD risk assessment including: resting heart rate > 75/min, prolonged QTc interval (> 450 ms for men, > 460 ms for women), QRS-T angle > 90 degrees, delayed QRS transition zone (> V4), prolonged Tpeak-to-Tend (TpTe) > 89 ms and left ventricular hypertrophy (according to Sokolow-Lyon or Cornell criteria). This novel ECG risk score could be particularly effective for patients with left ventricular ejection fraction > 35% where risk stratification is currently unavailable.


Background: Mothers and infants are considered as two vulnerable groups. Most problems occur during and immediately after delivery, which, if not addressed promptly, lead to death of mother, baby, or both. Maternal emotional support and midwifery care is one of non-pharmacologic methods of pain management during labor and delivery. Since the quality of midwifery care has an effective role in mothers' satisfaction with midwife's performance, this study was conducted to assess the quality of mothers' satisfaction with midwifery care. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, 400 mothers admitted to the postpartum ward of Shahid Mobini Brothers Hospital of Sabzevar, Iran, were evaluated by simple convenience sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire entitled "Satisfaction with quality of midwifery care in labor and delivery room", and was confirmed by content validity method and reliability was calculated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (I± = 0.92). Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0. Results: The average age of mothers was 25.88 ± 5.70 years old. The mean maternal satisfaction was 104.72 ± 0.76. In satisfaction category, 1 were dissatisfied, 17.3 had moderate satisfaction, and 81.7 had high level of satisfaction. There was a significant relationship between the variables affecting the level of satisfaction including education, age, and number of maternal deliveries with satisfaction (P<0.05). Conclusion The results of this study indicate that mothers have high satisfaction with the quality of midwifery care in the maternity ward. This care is mainly performed by midwives, and midwifery tutors and students. Therefore, it is recommended to apply midwives in other areas requiring specialized midwifery performance.


Introduction: Synovial chondromatosis is a condition where the cells lining a joint form benign cartilaginous tumors. This benign cartilage metaplasia results in the formation of multiple intra-articular loose bodies within a joint. Case Report: This case is a 59-year-old female that presented with constant, severe left hip pain that was localized to the groin and began 2 years ago. There were severe limitation of hip flexion, extension, pain on internal rotation, and a half inch left leg shortening. Radiographs demonstrated multiple round opacities surrounding the left femoral neck. MRI showed numerous, small rounded intra-articular loose bodies, measuring about 5–6 mm each within the left hip joint. Surgical Technique: A lateral approach toward the hip was used to perform an osteotomy at the portion of the greater trochanter. The hip capsule was identified and an S-shaped incision was then made through the capsule. Repetitive hip dislocations allowed for improved visualization making further removal of the difficult fragments much easier. The capsule was closed and the osteotomy was reattached. Range of motion was found to be significantly improved compared to preoperatively. No further fixation was necessary and the patient's subcutaneous tissue was closed in normal fashion. Conclusion: The technique used in our case involves a lateral approach with a trochanteric flip osteotomy to preserve the medial femoral circumflex artery and external rotators. This is similar to the approach described by Ganz in 2001 who used a posterior approach. Following the approach, the hip is then dislocated and exposed anteriorly with full visualization of the joint with a gap of about 11 cm between the femoral head and acetabulum. Surgical dislocation allows for the removal of difficult chondromas and osteophytes around the femoral head-and-neck junction. Multiple studies support the idea of surgical dislocation as an exceptional treatment method for SC.


Examining the relationship between the legislature and the judiciary in the statutory interpretation process on the state level illuminates a positive theory of common law courts' independence. This article presents new empirical work that suggests a legislature's attempt to codify the way in which a court interprets statutes has little influence over a judiciary's sense of institutional independence. Moreover, neither the method of selection or retention of the judges, their term lengths, the method prescribed by statute, nor the type of claim being litigated correlates with the judiciary's reception of the statutes codifying methods of interpretation. These findings have a few implications. First, the data shows judicial pushback to legislative interpretive directives at a fairly consistent rate regardless of selection and retention methods. In other words, all types of judicial selection and retention methods seem to share this type of institutional judicial independence. Second, while institutional ownership over interpretation appears unified across many variables like method of judicial selection, retention, term length, and type of claim; methodological choice in any given case is quite flexible, as shown by the trend of methodological disagreement in all states. Statutory interpretation is made up of both institutional and methodological components; institutionally the interpretive exercise appears firm, while methodologically it is flexible.


Econometric analysis can be mobilized by the regulator to set cost-oriented prices. Indeed, the regulator can influence the market structure to lower these rates. Our work is to estimate,econometrically, the effect of variables related to market structure and competition on mobile termination rate evolution .The variable of market power will be estimated, based on the work of Parker Roller and the assumption "Balanced Balling Pattern". The "conduct parameter" measuring the intensity of competition is not null during the period (1993-2011), in this situation interconnection price is not oriented to marginal cost. Econometric model will be based on Ordinary Least Squares method during the period (1993, 2011).


In this paper, we propose a type of neural network with recursive learning in the time domain called RTNet for monaural speech enhancement, where the proposed network consists of three principal components. The first part is called stage recurrent neural network, which is introduced to effectively aggregate the deep feature dependencies across different stages with a memory mechanism and also remove the interference stage by stage. The second part is the convolutional auto-encoder. The third part consists of a series of concatenated gated linear units, which are capable of facilitating the information flow and gradually increasing the receptive fields. Recursive learning is adopted to improve the parameter efficiency and therefore, the number of trainable parameters is effectively reduced without sacrificing its performance. Numerous experiments are conducted on TIMIT corpus and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed network can achieve consistently better performance in terms of both PESQ and STOI scores than two state-of-the-art time domain-based baselines in different conditions. The code is provided at this https URL Andong-Li-speech/RTNet.


This paper presents reflections on the outcome of a research project conducted at the School of Communications and Arts of the University of Sao Paulo, regarding librarian training, their field of expertise and the need for continued education. The methodological design compiled in the research project involved planning-presenting project, and developing the questionnaire for data collection. The electronic form was applied to an intentionally random, stratified sample of 18,374 active librarians throughout Brazil, totalling 3,320 responses that were statistically treated and compiled. Once the data was collected using the electronic forms, we analysed the collected information and the literature, cleansed the information and standardized the bibliographic records and statistical processing of data that formed the results presented in this research project. As the world gets more sophisticated and diversified, the competence required of the professional librarian, which in a first stage is highly technical – remembering that it is impossible to dispose of or move forward without it being well established – grows and includes other important responsibilities in the new organizational environment. We must work towards a holistic qualification, valuing management, methodological, cultural, multidisciplinary and systemic skills – all highlighted in the economy of knowledge.


Robust vehicle detection is one of the key task for autonomous vehicle under the complex urban environment. Using 3D Lidar, the difficulty of the task lies in that the appearance of a vehicle in the sparse range data changes greatly with the distance, the angle of view, as well as occlusions. In this paper we present a new algorithm to detect vehicles using the finely segmented 3D object points. In segmentation, RGLOS (Ring Gradient based Local Optimal Segmentation) algorithm is proposed. Instead of processing in the grid map, the point-wise segmentation method keeps the connection between points and is able to extract object points in far distance. Using the local optimal ground height, it produces much more correct object points with less wrong ground points. In feature extraction stage, three novel features: position-related shape, object height along length and reflective intensity histogram are proposed. Finally the kernel based SVM is used to finish the classification task. Experiments are carried out using the real data acquired from urban environment. The results demonstrate the superior performance comparing with previous methods, thanks to the improved segmentation and new features.


Purpose: To report 2 eyes of a patient which developed vitreomacular traction (VMT)1 month after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection. Materials and Methods: A 45-year-old female with bilateral diffuse diabetic macular edema (DME) received bilateral IVB. Results: Her initial visual acuity (VA) was 0.15 and 0.2 in OD and OS, respectively. Central foveal thickness (CFT) was 568 and 662 µm in OD and OS, respectively, without any sign of VMT. Both eyes responded well initially but developed VMT at 1 month. This time, intravitreal triamcinolone (IVTA) injection was performed. One month after IVTA injection, VMT was released and CFT decreased to 163 and 181 µm in OD and OS, respectively. Six months after IVTA injection, CFT was 163 and 153 µm, and VA was 0.7 and 0.9 in OD and OS, respectively. Conclusion: In eyes with DME and attached posterior vitreous, VMT may develop after IVB injection and increase edema. IVTA injection might be an option to release VMT before considering vitrectomy.


The knowledge that asthma is an inflammatory disorder has prompted us to investigate the plasma levels of a new inflammatory marker sTREM-1 that is released from the surfaces of activated neutrophils and monocytes. The plasma levels of sTREM-1 were analysed by a sandwich ELISA test in the cohort of 76 patients with allergic asthma bronchiale and 39 healthy controls. Our results revealed more than 3.5 times higher levels of sTREM-1 in AB patients (92.3 pg/mL ± 125.6) compared with healthy subjects (25.7 pg/mL ± 9.2; P = 0.0001). Higher levels of sTREM-1 were found also in patients with exacerbated AB (170.5 pg/mL ± 78.2) compared with nonexacerbated AB patients (59.1 ± 78.2; P < 0.0001), patients with respiratory tract obstruction (176.4 pg/mL ± 177.8), than those without obstruction (51.99 pg/mL ± 64.0; P < 0.0001) and patients with anti-IgE therapy (P < 0.0001). Levels of sTREM-1 correlated with number of leucocytes (P = 0.002), and absolute number of neutrophils (P = 0.001). Elevated plasma levels of sTREM-1 reflect the severity, state of exacerbation, presence of respiratory tract obstruction in AB patients and together with increased number of neutrophils point to the role of neutrophils in inflammation accompanying AB.


The proportionally fair sharing of the capacity of a Poisson network using Spatial-Aloha leads to closed-form performance expressions in two extreme cases: (1) the case without topology information, where the analysis boils down to a parametric optimization problem leveraging stochastic geometry; (2) the case with full network topology information, which was recently solved using shot-noise techniques. We show that there exists a continuum of adaptive controls between these two extremes, based on local stopping sets, which can also be analyzed in closed form. We also show that these control schemes are implementable, in contrast to the full information case which is not. As local information increases, the performance levels of these schemes are shown to get arbitrarily close to those of the full information scheme. The analytical results are combined with discrete event simulation to provide a detailed evaluation of the performance of this class of medium access controls.


Background: Blunt abdominal trauma is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among patients encountering traumatic injuries, especially motor vehicle accidents, which are the leading cause of injury worldwide. Focused abdominal sonogram for trauma, computed tomography with or without contrast, and laparotomy are the most common ways of diagnosis and treatment. With advancement of diagnostic medicine, the physicians are making use of non-operative methods to achieve quick results quicker and with fewer complications. Methodology: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 2001, through February 2017. The following search terms were used: blunt abdominal injury, FAST scan, US in abdominal trauma, CT for abdominal trauma, trauma management
 Aim: In this review, we aimed at evaluating the various methods of diagnosis using imaging for blunt abdominal trauma.
 Conclusion: The growing tendency of non-operative management necessitates early identification of the injury sites, which is aided by the increasing sophistication of the CT techniques. Additionally, CT also provides a very significant method for following up the patients and for detecting complications which were not diagnosed initially.


Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) occurs at a relatively high frequency in China and is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that could be associated with ESCC in Chinese patients. This retrospective study aimed to validate the association between these 24 SNPs and ESCC in a Han Chinese subgroup from East China. A total of 2280 and 1900 patients with ESCC (case group) and non-esophageal cancer (control group) were included from a single center. Genotyping of the 24 polymorphisms was performed using the Sequenom MassARRAY system. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were conducted for every polymorphism. It was found that rs12188136 (P=0.027, OR=1.158, 95% CI=1.016-1.319 for AG/AA) was associated with ESCC. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed a significant negative association of rs875339 in RORA (P=0.014, OR=0.762, 95% CI=0.613-0.947 for TT/CC). Under the dominant model, rs6854472 was slightly associated with ESCC risk (P=0.048, OR=1.192, 95% CI=1.002-1.418). Under the recessive model, a significant negative association was observed for rs875339 (P=0.010, OR=0.758, 95% CI=0.615-0.935). In a word, this large-scale replication study validated that rs12188136 and rs6854472 are associated with ESCC in a Han Chinese subgroup from Eastern China, and that rs875339 is negative associated with ESCC.


Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and official figures demonstrate a rising prevalence, both in the UK and globally. Increasingly, there is a recognised place for surgical intervention in carefully selected patients, but there is limited understanding of the pathway and process among non-specialist clinicians. This article summarises the available guidelines and literature on the surgical management of obesity for hospital physicians, surgeons and GPs. The focus is on appropriate referral criteria, key bariatric procedures, postoperative management and, most importantly, the complications of surgery and how to recognise them.


ABSTRACT A government-funded trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) program to prevent seasonal influenza was implemented in Taiwan since 1998. However, mismatch between the vaccine and circulating strains may occur. Alternatively, a quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) includes all 4 influenza lineages could minimize the risk of mismatches. Therefore, QIV could be considered as an alternative strategy to enhance protection against seasonal influenza. The objective of the study was to analyze, from a governmental perspective, the cost-effectiveness of using QIV vs. TIV as a vaccination strategy in Taiwan. A lifetime multi-cohort, static Markov model was constructed with 9 age groups to assess the costs and effectiveness of QIV vs. TIV. Direct costs were obtained from a database released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Outcomes included life-years gained, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, influenza cases avoided and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The discount rate of costs and effectiveness was set at 3.5% and the time horizon used in the model was 100 y. Results show that a vaccination strategy utilizing QIV instead of TIV would bring an additional 10,557 QALYs at an extra cost of US$39.4 million, yielding an ICER of US$3,015.07 per QALY gained. When setting the willingness-to-pay threshold at US$10,000, compared to TIV, the probability that QIV would be cost-effective was 98%. Sensitivity analyses show that ICER was sensitive to the changes of circulation of influenza virus subtypes and vaccine mismatch. From a governmental perspective, the QIV vaccination could be considered as a cost-effective strategy within the context of public health in Taiwan.


I have worked in social care for the past 36 years. I started my professional life working with children, before transferring to the adult world in 2000. In my new role I started to have frequent involvement with people who were dying. I became aware of the variable practice that existed within the social care profession in relation to supporting people's end-of-life experience. I also became aware of the accepted view that end-of-life care was solely the responsibility of the medical and nursing professions and that social care had very little to offer. That is clearly not the case. In fact, social care has a great deal to offer people, particularly in relation to facilitating their preferred place of care and death.

Social care practitioners are experts in the field of personalised care. The concept of 'personalisation' means recognising people as individuals who have strengths and preferences and putting them at the centre of their own care and support. It is based in the core values of social work—respect for the individual and self-determination (Social Care Institute for Excellence 2010). Putting People First (HM Government 2007) aimed to transform the way in which adult social care is delivered to people within the community. It is time that as social care practitioners we build on that success in relation to end-of-life planning and enabling people to have choice and control over their lives and place of death.

My journey in promoting end-of-life care within adult social services started 7 years ago when I was the main family carer for my dad George. George had clear views about how and where he wished to die when the time came. Unfortunately, he very nearly did not achieve his desire. Despite wanting to die in his flat, George was admitted to hospital when he became poorly …


The effect of lysed blood on the virulence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus for mice was investigated. A factor present in lysed erythrocytes was found to greatly reduce the 50% lethal dose of V. parahaemolyticus for mice. Similar effects were observed with ferric ammonium citrate and manganous sulfate. V. parahaemolyticus grown in brain heart infusion containing lysed erythrocyte factor appeared to produce a lethal toxin which was either inapparent or absent when the organism was grown in brain heart infusion alone.


This paper explored the relationship of milk society and industrialisation in East Africa by analysing milk production and inclusive mechanisation. Study countries are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan as East African Community (EAC) member states. The application of documentary research and literature analysis methods revealed that the milk societies are heading towards industrialisation through mechanisation of milk production. However, opportunities still exist in non-mechanised or traditional milk production via milking cows by hand. This study recommends that additional revenue sources for milk societies through cultural tourism by welcoming visitors to experience non-mechanised milk production as seen in Igongo Cultural Centre Museum should be promoted in order to have sustainable industrialisation but consider the culture attachments and views to cows for each country. The implication of this study is for stakeholders to emphasise mechanized milk production by small-scale producers relating to pasture so as to promote inclusive industrialisation. Keywords : milk society, industrialisation, East Africa


To the Editor: —InThe Journal, May 28, containing the report on Chinosol by the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, the table of contents (second cover page) is so worded as to have caused an entirely incorrect interpretation. The report of the Council states that Chinosol is non-poisonous and that it is an intensely powerful antiseptic, much stronger than phenol (carbolic acid) and even stronger than bichlorid. It is as an antiseptic that we are introducing Chinosol; thus as a matter of justice to Chinosol and to us, we ask that you publish this letter.


The authors recall two cases of round atelectasis without any known pleural past-record. The first showed, on successive X rays, an increase in size of the image. In the second case a pleural effusion occurred after the discovery of a round opacity. They stress the various small radiological signs as a way of including the etiology of a purely mechanical atelectasis among the difficult diagnosis of intraparenchymal round opacities.


The hotel industry has gained prominence in Malaysia and with the global nature of the industry, human resource issues need to be addressed to ensure that the industry remains competitive. This quantitative research provides a comprehensive study on the competency gap of hotel management graduates from the employers' perspectives. This study looks at the expectation and observation of hotel supervisors towards hotel management graduates in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. A total of 200 questionnaires were sent out to all the star-rated hotels in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and 100 usable responses were received and analysed. It was found out that there is a gap in terms of work-related competencies of the Hotel Management (HM) graduates from the hotel supervisor's perspective. It is suggested that the educational institutions and other training organizations pay attention to the results of this study since it was found that the hotel supervisors felt the work-related competency provided by the institutions where the HM graduates are trained is below their expectation and as such, it needs to be improved.


The purpose of the present study is to underline the importance of the systematic search for iliocaval venous compression on the part of an aortoiliac aneurysm in the face of a clinical picture of suspected deep venous thrombosis. Early diagnosis of this syndrome, although rare in everyday experience, is of decisive importance, as is every other clinical sign of aneurysmal pathology prior to rupture. Correct, systematic diagnostic exclusion procedure, which is capable of leading to certain diagnosis in all cases is therefore necessary.


Venous leg ulcers are a chronic disease that affects populations around the world. For sufferers, it leads to physical, social, economic, and emotional consequences. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of anxiety and depression, as well as to investigate possible associations with sociodemographic variables. A total of 30 patients, both men and women, with venous ulcers receiving care under outpatient treatment in a teaching hospital of a provincial city of São Paulo State, were included in this study. The evaluation tools used were the following: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a sociodemographic questionnaire that included job status, religion, marital status, gender, duration of disease, and age. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Statistical analysis used means, the Student t test, and the χ 2 test. Anxiety was identified in 30% of the patients and depression in 40%. No statistically significant correlation was found between anxiety or depression and the sociodemographic variables. Patients with chronic venous ulcers may present with anxiety and depression independent of socioeconomic variables such as religion, occupation, marital status, and duration of lesion.


Tomography, an efficient nonintrusive technique, was employed to visualize the flow in continuous-flow mixing and to measure the cavern volume (Vc) in batch mixing. This study has demonstrated an efficient method for flow visualization in the continuous-flow mixing of opaque fluids using two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D tomograms. The main objective of this study was to explore the effects of four inlet-outlet configurations, fluid rheology (0.5–1.5% xanthan gum concentration), high-velocity jet (0.317–1.660 m s−1), and feed flow rate (5.3 × 10−5−2.36 × 10−4 m3 s−1) on the deformation of the cavern. Dynamic tests were also performed to estimate the fully mixed volume (Vfully mixed) for the RT, A310, and 3AM impellers in a continuous-flow mixing system, and it was found that Vfully mixed was greater than Vc. Incorporating the findings of this study into the design criteria will minimize the extent of nonideal flows in the continuous-flow mixing of complex fluids and eventually improve the quality of end-products. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 315–331, 2014


BACKGROUND
With family-centred care widely recognized as a cornerstone for effective assistive technology service provision, the current study was undertaken to investigate to what extent such approaches were used by schools when assistive technology assessments and implementation occurred in the classroom.

METHOD
In this cross-sectional study, we compare survey results from parents (n = 76), school staff (n = 33) and allied health professionals (n = 65) with experience in the use of high-tech assistive technology. Demographic characteristics and the stakeholders' perceived helpfulness and frequency attending assessment and set-up sessions were captured. To evaluate how family-centred the assistive technology services were perceived to be, the parents filled out the Measure of Processes of Care for Caregivers, and the professionals completed the Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to conduct the data analysis.

RESULTS
Findings show that parents are more involved during the assessment stage than during the implementation and that classroom teachers are often not involved in the initial stage. Speech pathologists in particular are seen to be to a great extent helpful when implementing assistive technology in the classroom. This study found that family-centred service is not yet fully achieved in schools despite being endorsed in early intervention and disability services for over 20 years. No statistically significant differences were found with respect to school staff and allied health professionals' roles, their years of experience working with students with cerebral palsy and the scales in the Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers.

CONCLUSION
To enhance the way technology is matched to the student and successfully implemented, classroom teachers need to be fully involved in the whole assistive technology process. The findings also point to the significance of parents' involvement, with the support of allied health professionals, in the process of selecting and implementing assistive technology in the classroom.


Organisations are now much more aware that capable and committed people are a critical source of competitive advantage. Although training per se still has its place, the focus now is on individual learning and supporting this in the workplace. The chapter covers the business context of training and learning for organisational success in environmental management. Committed individuals who really understand the organisation's objectives and have the skills and 'permission' to act with professional discretion create business advantage and how embedding learning in the organisation an integrated approach is needed, involving a range of internal stakeholders. In some ways, this unpacks and extends the brief 'Top management shall...' in clauses 4.2 & 4.6 of ISO 14001 and addresses the excellent advice in ISO 14063 on environmental communication.


When a tunnel or an underground structure is excavated in rock mass, rock disturbed or damaged zone (EDZ) is formed around the excavation due to the stress concentration resulting from stress redistribution. Recent studies on the rock EDZ revealed it's important to structural stability around underground opening. In this study, the fracture and damage mechanisms of rock induced by the accumulation of microcracks were investigated by AE tests. The results of the experiments showed that tensile failure was the major microscopic failure mechanism of rock in excavation damaged and disturbed zone. The expression of the damage magnitudes in each AE source leads to accurate prediction of macroscopic failure mechanisms. In addition, the orientation of the macroscopic failure plane could be estimated by the orientational distribution of microcracks.


OBJECTIVES
To correlate the preoperative serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), Gleason score, and clinical staging with pathological outcome following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in Indian men with clinically localized cancer prostate.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A prospective study analysis was done for 166 consecutive patients of prostate cancer who underwent RARP at our center from June 2006 to October 2009. Preoperative workup included serum PSA, biopsy Gleason score, and clinical staging. The preoperative parameters were correlated with final Gleason score, capsular penetration, seminal vesicle involvement, and lymph node status on final histopathology.

RESULTS
The mean age was 64 years (range: 50-76 years) with mean and median PSA of 17.98 ng/ml (range: 0.3-68.3 ng/ml) and 12.1 ng/ml, respectively. With increase in preoperative Gleason score, chance of organ confinement decreases (P=0.002) and capsular penetration increases (P=0.004) linearly. With increasing serum PSA, there is linear decrease in trend of organ-confined disease (P=0.03) and increased chances of seminal vesicle involvement (P=0.02). Patients with higher clinical stage have less probability of localized disease (P=0.007) and more chances of capsular penetration (P=0.04) and seminal vesicle involvement (P=0.004).

CONCLUSION
Our data suggest that patients with higher preoperative serum PSA, Gleason score, and clinical stage have more chances of advanced pathological stage following RARP.


The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of milk consumption, dietary calcium intake and nutrient patterns (bone-friendly and unfriendly patterns) from late adolescence to early adulthood, on bone at 22 years of age. Cross-sectional analysis was performed with 3,109 participants from 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort in the follow-ups of 18 and 22 years of age. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, right femur and whole body were assessed at 22 years using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The exposure variables (dietary calcium, milk and nutrient patterns) were created by combining the consumption frequencies between the two follow-ups (always low, moderate, high, increase or decrease). Multiple linear regressions were performed, stratified by sex. In the right femur site, men classified into the "always high" (mean = 1.148g/cm²; 95%CI: 1.116; 1.181) and "increased" categories of milk consumption (mean = 1.154g/cm²; 95%CI: 1.135; 1.174) presented a slightly low BMD comparing with low (mean = 1.190g/cm²; 95%CI: 1.165; 1.215) and moderate (mean = 1.191g/cm²; 95%CI: 1.171; 1.210) categories. In addition, men always classified in the highest tertile of the "bone-unfriendly" pattern presented the lowest mean of whole body BMD (mean = 1.25g/cm²; 95%CI: 1.243; 1.266). No associations were observed between the categories of dietary calcium intake and "bone-friendly" pattern and each of the three BMD outcomes. These results point to the fact that diets composed of inhibiting foods/nutrients can contribute negatively to bone health.


Abstract The plasmid-encoded colistin resistance gene mcr-1 challenges the use of polymyxins and poses a threat to public health. Although IncI2-type plasmids are the most common vector for spreading the mcr-1 gene, the mechanisms by which these plasmids adapt to host bacteria and maintain resistance genes remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the regulatory mechanism for controlling the fitness cost of an IncI2 plasmid carrying mcr-1. A putative ProQ/FinO family protein encoded by the IncI2 plasmid, designated as PcnR (plasmid copy number repressor), balances the mcr-1 expression and bacteria fitness by repressing the plasmid copy number. It binds to the first stem-loop structure of the repR mRNA to repress RepA expression, which differs from any other previously reported plasmid replication control mechanism. Plasmid invasion experiments revealed that pcnR is essential for the persistence of the mcr-1-bearing IncI2 plasmid in the bacterial populations. Additionally, single-copy mcr-1 gene still exerted a fitness cost to host bacteria, and negatively affected the persistence of the IncI2 plasmid in competitive co-cultures. These findings demonstrate that maintaining mcr-1 plasmid at a single copy is essential for its persistence, and explain the significantly reduced prevalence of mcr-1 following the ban of colistin as a growth promoter in China.


Invaluable paper relics that embody a rich traditional culture have suffered damage, requiring urgent restoration. In this context, the utilization of soymilk as a sizing agent holds great significance and reverence. This study investigates the use of soymilk as a sizing agent for Xuan paper and evaluates its effects on various properties and the long-term behavior of the paper. The findings reveal that the application of soymilk as a sizing agent for Xuan paper imparts distinct properties, including hydrophobicity, improved mechanical properties, and unique chromaticity. These characteristics—arising from the papillae on the surface of the Xuan paper, the protein folding of the soy protein, and hydrogen-bonding interactions between the soy protein and paper fibers—play a crucial role in shaping the paper's unique attributes. From a physicochemical perspective, the aging process leads to multiple changes in paper properties. These changes include acidification, which refers to a decrease in pH, as well as a decline in mechanical strength, an increase in chromaticity, and a decrease in the degree of polymerization (DP) of the paper. The Ekenstam equation is employed to predict the lifespan of the paper, showing longer lifespans for Sheng Xuan paper and a negative correlation between soymilk concentration and lifespan in soymilk-sized paper. Our work provides valuable insights for the preservation and maintenance of paper, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of using soymilk for surface sizing.


Frequency invariant beam patterns are often required in systems using an array of sensors to process broadband signals. Although several methods have been proposed to design a broadband beamformer (typically realized by an FIR filter for each sensor) with a frequency invariant beam pattern, till now the case in which the spatial aperture is shorter than the involved wavelengths has not been addressed. In such a case, the use of a superdirective beam pattern is essential to attain an efficient system. In this paper, a novel method to design a broadband beamforming that produces a frequency invariant beam pattern for a data-independent superdirective array is proposed and compared with other potential approaches. The method generates a far-field beam pattern that reproduces the desired profile over a very wide frequency band, also if the array is shorter than the wavelength. Two steps are necessary: (1) the generation of many apodizing windows at different frequency values by a stochastic method; (2) the synthesis of the FIR filters with the Parks-McClellan technique. At the end of the design chain, the very simple implementation and the robustness to array imperfections of the attained broadband beamformer increases the applicability of the system, for instance, in underwater communications for small vehicles.


1. The changes in the net amounts of retinol, retinyl esters and retinal in both the developing chick embryo and the newly hatched chick were investigated. The embryo requires about 68nmol of the vitamin for its growth, whereas the baby chick requires about 108nmol during the first 7 days after hatching. 2. Retinal was present in the egg in fairly high concentrations at the beginning of the incubation but it virtually disappeared from the extra-embryonic tissue after day 17 of incubation. It was not found in the liver of the embryo or of the newly hatched chick up until day 7.


Purpose: We present an optimization method to improve the spatial resolution and the water equivalent thickness accuracy of proton radiographies. Methods: The method is designed for imaging systems measuring only the residual range of protons without relying on tracker detectors to determine the beam trajectory before and after the target. Specifically, the method was used for an imaging set-up consisting of a stack of 61 parallel-plate ionization chambers (PPIC) working as a range telescope. The method uses a decomposition approach of the residual range signal measured by the PPIC and constructs subimages with small size pixels geometrically rearranged and appropriately averaged to be merged into a final single radiography. The method was tested using Monte Carlo simulated and experimental proton radiographies of a PMMA step phantom and an anthropomorphic head phantom. Results: For the step phantom, the effective spatial resolution was found to be 4 and 3 times higher than the nominal resolution for the simulated and experimental radiographies, respectively. For the head phantom, a gamma index was calculated to quantify the conformity of the simulated proton radiographies with a digitally reconstructed X-ray radiography convolved with a Gaussian kernel equal to the proton beam spot-size. For DTA=2.5 mm and RD=2.5%, the passing ratio was 100%/85% for the optimized/non-optimized case, respectively. An extension of the method allows reducing the dose given to the patient during radiography acquisition. We show that despite a dose reduction of 25 times (leading to a dose of 0.016 mGy for the current imaging set-up), the image quality of the optimized radiographies remains fairly unaffected for both the simulated and experimental results. Conclusion: The optimization method leads to a significant increase of the spatial resolution allowing recovering image details that are unresolved in non-optimized radiographies. These results represent a major step towards clinical application of proton radiography.


OBJECTIVES
No consistent procedure has been established for advice given by occupational physicians concerning scope of disease, criteria of diagnosis and laboratory data, and basis of judgment. The aim of this study was to identify practice-based contexts of occupational physician's advice.

METHODS
We interviewed 6 occupational physicians, and held focus group discussions (FGD) involving 19 occupational physicians, academic researchers, and clinical doctors. Scripts of the interview and FGD were coded to identify the contexts of occupational physician's advice. Additionally, to assure the generalizability of the proposed contexts of occupational physician's advice, we also conducted a survey to collect cases of advice, for which the fitness of the proposed contexts was confirmed.

RESULTS
Four contexts of occupational physician's advice were identified from interviews and FGD, and an additional context was detected through the occupational physician's survey, namely Type 1, work potentially affects a worker's health; Type 2, risk management and prevention of accidents relating to disease; Type 3, recommendation to visit a doctor (referral); Type 4, communication to the head of the department/supervisor; and Type 5, fit for work with appropriate adjustment of work environment and/or conditions. All 48 cases collected could be classified into one or more of these five contexts.

DISCUSSION
This study clarified that several contexts exist for occupational physician's advice in practice. The five proposed contexts reveal different responsibilities and judgments between occupational physician, worker, and employer. Understanding the contexts of occupational physician's advice is important for enhancing consensus-building between stakeholders.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90)-specific inhibitor geldanamycin (GA) on the proliferation and apoptosis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in cervical cancer cells. HeLa cells (1×106/ml) in the logarithmic growth phase were incubated without serum for 24 h. The cells were pretreated with kinase insert domain receptor antibody (KDR)-Ab (20 μg/ml), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 (3 μmol/l), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor PD98059 (30 μmol/l) or Hsp90-specific inhibitor GA (10 μmol/l) for 30 min, and then treated with VEGF-C (50 ng/μl) for a further 24 h. The cells were harvested for MTT analysis, annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide double staining for early apoptosis and SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis in order to determine Hsp90, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and cyclin D1 expression. Treatment with VEGF-C alone induced Hsp90 protein expression in HeLa cells at all time-points. Hsp90 expression was increased 3.31-fold in VEGF-C treated HeLa cells, and this increase was attenuated in the treatment groups (2.17-, 1.69-, 1.82-fold in VEGF-C + KDR-Ab, VEGF-C + PD98059 and VEGF-C + LY294002, respectively). The proliferation of the VEGF-C-treated HeLa cells was increased ~2.13-fold, while that of the VEGF-C + GA-treated HeLa cells decreased 0.87-fold (P<0.05). Even low concentrations of GA (0.02 μmol/l) were found to inhibit the Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 protein expression induced by VEGF-C. Therefore, the results indicate that the Hsp90-specific inhibitor GA has a critical role in the proliferation and apoptosis induced by VEGF-C in cervical cancer cells.


The brothers Mirko and Stjepan Seljan are one of Croatia's most well-known explorers. Between 1903 and 1905, at the invitation of the Brazilian government, they explored the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Parana with the aim of the river training of the country's waterways and building of the new road and railroad communications. This paper reports about the results of the original research project based on an analysis of original expedition journals, manuscript maps and field sketches made by the Seljan brothers in Brazil.


A three-component, broad-band seismic system which records directly onto seven-track digital tape is described. A novel approach of synthesizing a desired response by a differential filtering and summing technic using low-noise operational amplifiers is demonstrated. As an example, the usable velocity sensitivity of a Willmore Mark II seismometer having a natural period of 1.5 sec is extended out to about 40 sec under normal operating conditions. Seismic energy over a wide spectrum may thus be recorded.


Our understanding of ungulate migration is advancing rapidly due to innovations in modern animal tracking. Herein, we review and synthesize nearly seven decades of work on migration and other long-distance movements of wild ungulates. Although it has long been appreciated that ungulates migrate to enhance access to forage, recent contributions demonstrate that their movements are fine tuned to dynamic landscapes where forage, snow, and drought change seasonally. Researchers are beginning to understand how ungulates navigate migrations, with the emerging view that animals blend gradient tracking with spatial memory, some of which is socially learned. Although migration often promotes abundant populations—with broad effects on ecosystems—many migrations around the world have been lost or are currently threatened by habitat fragmentation, climate change, and barriers to movement. Fortunately, new efforts that use empirical tracking data to map migrations in detail are facilitating effective conservation measures to maintain ungulate migration. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, Volume 52 is November 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


This study calls attention to the importance of properly coupling the molecular opacities to the actual surface abundances of TP-AGB stars that experience the third dredge-up and/or hot-bottom burning, i.e. with surface abundances of carbon and oxygen varying with time. New TP-AGB calculations with variable opacities – replacing the usually adopted solar-scaled opacity tables – have proven to reproduce, for the first time, basic observables of carbon stars, like their effective temperatures , C/O ratios, and near-infrared colours. Moreover, it turns out that the effect of envelope cooling – due to the increase in molecular opacities – may cause other important effects, namely: i) shortening of the C-star phase; ii) possible reduction or shutdown of the third dredge-up in low-mass carbon stars; and iii) weakening or even extinction of hot-bottom burning in intermediate-mass stars.


Abstract. This paper presents a novel framework for retrieving the vertical raindrop size distribution (DSD) and vertical wind profiles during light rain events. This is also intended as a tool to better characterize rainfall microphysical processes. It consists in coupling K band Doppler spectra and ground disdrometer measurements (raindrop fluxes) in a 2-D numerical model propagating the DSD from the clouds to the ground level. The coupling is done via a 4-D-VAR data assimilation algorithm. As a first step, in this paper, the dynamical model and the geometry of the problem are quite simple. They do not allow the complexity implied by all rain microphysical processes to be encompassed (evaporation, coalescence breakup and horizontal air motion are not taken into account). In the end, the model is limited to the fall of droplets under gravity, modulated by the effects of vertical winds. The framework is thus illustrated with light, stratiform rain events. We firstly use simulated data sets (data assimilation twin experiment) to show that the algorithm is able to retrieve the DSD profiles and vertical winds. It also demonstrates the ability of the algorithm to deal with the atmospheric turbulence (broadening of the Doppler spectra) and the instrumental noise. The method is then applied to a real case study which was conducted in the southwest of France during the autumn 2013. The data set collected during a long, quiet event (6 h duration, rain rate between 2 and 7 mm h−1) comes from an optical disdrometer and a 24 GHz vertically pointing Doppler radar. We show that the algorithm is able to reproduce the observations and retrieve realistic DSD and vertical wind profiles, when compared to what could be expected for such a rain event. A goal for this study is to apply it to extended data sets for a validation with independent data, which could not be done with our limited 2013 data. Other data sets would also help to parameterize more processes needed in the model (evaporation, coalescence/breakup) to apply the algorithm to convective rain and to evaluate the adequacy of the model's parameterization.


4385 Classically, ligand-induced cell surface receptor down-regulation has been recognized as a longer-term mechanism for termination of a signaling pathway. The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-6 (LRP6) is an essential co-receptor for canonical Wnt signaling. Dickkopf 1 (Dkk1), a major secreted Wnt signaling antagonist, binds to LRP6 with high affinity and prevents the Frizzled-Wnt-LRP5/6 complex formation in response to Wnts. Previous studies have demonstrated that Dkk1 promotes LRP6 internalization and degradation when it forms a ternary complex with the cell surface receptor, Kremen. Intriguingly, in the present study, we found that co-transfection of LRP6 and Dkk1 stabilizes LRP6 at the cell surface while still inhibiting Wnt/LRP6 signaling. This finding was recapitulated with exogenous Dkk1 application suggesting that Dkk1 acts on the cell surface and stabilizes LRP6 at non-functional state. We also found that Kremen coexpression abrogated the effect of Dkk1 on LRP6 expression, suggesting that the effect of Kremen2 is dominant over Dkk1 regulation of LRP6. Furthermore, we demonstrated a Wnt3A-induced LRP6 down-regulation; an effect blocked by Dkk1. Taken together, our results reveal a novel role for Dkk1 on Wnt ligand-induced LRP6 down-regulation and Wnt/LRP6 signaling.


The main goal of this thesis is to study the interaction between the subject and the object within MIR (Mixed Interactive Reality) technologies from a therapeutic perspective. To see how this interaction works, I first consider the general structures of DMI (Digital Musical Interface) technologies, then look at the recently-developed motion capture system (MOCAP), and end by proposing six technologies of relevance to this context. These interactive technologies are significant in the HCI (Human Computer Interface) scenario, from both a historical and an applicative point of view. The first and second parts of this paper serve to introduce the theoretical aspects of the interaction. All the technologies described are grounded in the interaction between the action and the subject's perception of it. In the third part of the thesis, I describe proprioception, shaped by receptors that are fundamental both to movement and to self-awareness. I thus investigate the perceptive dimension of the interaction, referring to some fundamental theories on the philosophy of the body. This is useful for the purpose of taking a holistic perspective, based on the consideration of the human being as the subject, and the technological environment as the object. I then first discuss Presence, a concept acquired by other authors that I revisit within the interactive environment, which becomes a second "presence" interacting with the user. Then I introduce Gibson's theory of visual perception, lingering on the concept of Affordance, which refers to the characteristics of the environment offered to the subject. I continue with the notion of IS (Image Schemata) and Johnson's metaphor, which is functional to the comprehension of the MIR environment. The Sensorimotor Contingency Theory (SCT) advanced by O'Regan and Noe is also helpful for elucidating how sensorimotor contingencies are involved in the perceptive process, within an interactive system. Finally, the Philosophy of Empowerment, interwoven with the aforementioned concepts, includes the experience and the perception that occurs with full control over our actions during the interaction. Bearing this theoretical basis in mind, we can understand the cross-modal interaction that takes place in a holistic view of the interaction between subject and object, in more than one sensory modality at a time. So it seems that images and sounds take part in this sensory integration that the user can experience within a MIR. Tesi dottorale To understand how this sensory integration happens, we should go back to basics: how we perceive colors, and the link that can exist between color and sound. This correlation already exists in nature under the name of chromesthesia (a form of synesthesia), which is produced by an interaction of two sensory modalities in the brain. In the fourth part of this paper, I offer a few conceptual contributions based on theoretical notions, adapted to the field of HCI, following a therapeutic trajectory. This research conceives music therapy as one of the appropriate fields for the application of this technology, which already existed in prehistoric times and has been reconsidered since the 20th century. Today, its efficacy is being studied by the scientific community. Several studies have shown that mixed and virtual technology can be a useful tool for supporting therapeutic interventions, to improve motor abilities, emotional and expressive capacities, and communication, for instance. My contribution concerns the interaction between the subject and the Presence (in the sense of the interactive environment), thus considering the action of the subject as mediated by perception, as suggested by Embodied Cognition. Within this holistic approach, Multiple Affordances (MA) which are the possible paths made available to the subject by the Presence and determined by the subject's exploration of the environment. This experience stems from a mapping done a priori. Enclosed by the MA, we find the Sensorimotor Maps (SM) that derive from the exploratory and perceptual process. These maps involve the creation of sensorimotor paths linked to changes produced by the information arriving from the environment with the performer's movements. The concept of Creative Empowerment (CE) therefore relies on the MS, as happens when the subject gains full control over the technology, and is therefore capable of creative expression, self-control and awareness. To better elucidate the salient features of a MIR technology for the music therapy setting, I developed a prototype and conducted an experiment during a period of research in Brazil (Unicamp). A crucial section of this thesis focuses on this research effort, which involved studying the correspondence between the sounds and colors to be used in the audiovisual design of the e-mocomu prototype, by implementing the aforementioned contributions and concepts. Emocomu stands for e-motion, color and music, and is an interdisciplinary technology developed with the primary aim of enabling users to control sounds and colors by means of their movements in space. The conceptual contributions take shape in the experimental work conducted, which underscores the potential of a music-therapy-oriented MIR technology. The experiment examined how participants interacted with their bodily performance by administering questionnaires on valence and arousal before and after the trial, and observing differences in the participants' CE. The relationship between perception and action emerges, based on the crossmodal interaction, through MA, SM, and CE. This relationship is made possible by the mapping, a crucial step in any MIR technology, and by the concept of Presence as an "agent" that interacts with the subject. Though still a limited prototype, e-mocomu is a good tool for identifying possible therapeutic applications of RMI technologies, and for observing the link existing between technology and creativity. In the last part of the thesis I thus propose some potential applications of a MIR technology in the therapeutic setting. With this research, I hope to have offered a different, HCI-driven slant on the field of music therapy, as well as some helpful insight on the therapeutic process, both for the therapist and for the client.


A robot based 3D laser scanning system which a structured light vision sensor is mounted on the 6 degree-of-freedom robot is proposed to overcome the disadvantages of coordinate measuring machine (CMM). As to calibrate the vision sensor, a novel procedure that utilizes the robot to generate sufficient calibration points with high accuracy is proposed. An improved Tsai's method and a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) approach to calibrate the vision sensor are presented. The experimental performance comparisons are made between the above two approaches. Results demonstrate that both of the two presented methods can achieve an accurate model for the structured light vision sensor.


Business process deviance refers to the phenomenon whereby a subset of the executions of a business process deviate, in a negative or positive way, with respect to {their} expected or desirable outcomes. Deviant executions of a business process include those that violate compliance rules, or executions that undershoot or exceed performance targets. Deviance mining is concerned with uncovering the reasons for deviant executions by analyzing event logs stored by the systems supporting the execution of a business process. In this paper, the problem of explaining deviations in business processes is first investigated by using features based on sequential and declarative patterns, and a combination of them. Then, the explanations are further improved by leveraging the data attributes of events and traces in event logs through features based on pure data attribute values and data-aware declarative rules. The explanations characterizing the deviances are then extracted by direct and indirect methods for rule induction. Using real-life logs from multiple domains, a range of feature types and different forms of decision rules are evaluated in terms of their ability to accurately discriminate between non-deviant and deviant executions of a process as well as in terms of understandability of the final outcome returned to the users.


In this work polyfunctional peripheral (pancreas) and central effects of galanin 1-29 (gal.) were reviewed. In hypothalamus gal. exerts neuroendocrine effects through modulation of secretion of principal hormones of hypophysis, co-localized with acetylcholine in some brain structures including hippocampus. Gal. influences behaviour and memory. Newest hypotheses of T. Hokfelt and J. N. Crawely [correction of G. Crowly] on the involvement of gal. to pathogenesis of in Alzheimer disease and possibilities of its clinical antiamnestic utility are discussed. Our own data indicates antiseizure effect of gal. in the model of febrile convulsions in children--hyperthermia induced seizures in neonatal rats in the age from 5 to 13 days. Systemic intraperitoneal administration of gal. was effective in certain age--7-11 days of postnatal period--in preventing hyperthermia induced seizures: in increased by 2-3 times latency of minimal seizures and clonic-tonic generalized seizures. In adults rats gal. showed antiseizure action when administered intranasal in the model of pentilenetetrazol seizures (modified test with repeated administration of subthreshold doses). Modern data on structure and function of galanin, its chimeric analogs and galanin receptors receptors are discussed.


Hydrocarbon production at Chapman Deep Atoka field is from a complex microfacies mosaic of shallow-water bank limestones deposited along the northern hingeline of the Delaware basin. Reservoir localization is essentially stratigraphic in terms of depositional and diagenetic facies, although regional draping and a system of vertical fractures are significant structural aspects of the field. The bank facies consist of cyclic alternations of Donezella (algal) bioherms, oolite-biograinstone shoals, and low-energy interbank deposits. Laterally equivalent slope and basinal facies include spiculitic and crinoidal argillaceous limestones and shales, with interbedded lenses of fine-grained carbonate and siliciclastic turbidites. Early diagenetic effects include incipient marine ce entation and the formation of secondary porosity, most of which was occluded by calcite cements, internal sediments, and dolomitization. In contrast, reservoir evolution is principally related to diagenesis in the deep subsurface (mesogenetic) environment. Bulk-volume reduction by chemical and physical compaction was counterbalanced by porosity rejuvenation through the selective dissolution of allochems, cements, and stylolite surfaces, and the formation of open-gash fractures and adjoining stylolites. Although this limited pore system is of inherently low permeability, effective communication within and between individual reservoir lenses was enhanced by later fracturing. Although potential reservoir facies can be mapped regionally and burial diagenetic effects can be recognized petrogr phically, exploration for similar reservoirs in the Delaware basin is hindered by our limited knowledge of mesodiagenesis.


The paper deals with the issues of interconnectedness and the role of constitutional amendments introduced by the President of the Russian Federation to the current Constitution of the Russian Federation on January 20, 2020. In assessing the meaning and content of a great deal of amendments to Chapter 3 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the author concludes that they have additional, however, sometimes more important value in the context of the hierarchy of constitutional norms, which is directly related to the chapters of the Constitution that are not subject to any revision. Despite the formal inalterability, the foundations of the constitutional order have in fact as a result of the amendments gained such new provisions as: "the stateconstituing people that is a part of the multinational union of equal peoples of the Russian Federation"; "ban on alienation of a part of the territory of the Russian Federation and calls for such actions"; "non-enforcement of decisions of interstate bodies adopted on the basis of the provisions of international agreements of the Russian Federation in their interpretation contrary to the Constitution of the Russian Federation"; "the state guarantee of minimum wage not less than the minimum living wage of the working population." The rules governing certain fundamental rights and freedoms of man and citizen (art. 37–39, 44 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation) have been supplemented with new content without being formally altered. Ambivalence of local self-government leading to opposition between local and state authorities, partly resulting from the provision of Article 12 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation concerning the autonomy of local self-government bodies. Their failure to enter the system of public authorities is partially minimized by the provision on their unity in the system of public power. However, many, and at first glance minor, amendments to Chapter 8 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation significantly reduce the potential of power for the local population, turn the constituent rules concerning its powers to the reference rule. The conclusion draws attention to some issues in the activity of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on the implementation of these constitutional amendments.


Middle Miocene to Pliocene chronostratigraphic data were obtained from three sections on the southwestern margin of the Sendai Plain, northeast Japan. In this tectonically active area, we newly infer the numerical age of the coastal sedimentary sequence on the basis of 27 fission track ages in combination with planktonic foraminiferal and diatom analyses. The Hatatate Formation cropping out along the Natori-gawa Section approximately ranges from 13 Ma to 11.5 Ma in age. The Tsunaki Formation ranges from 10 Ma to 8.3 Ma, and the basal part of the Nashino Formation is assigned to 6.4 Ma. Four major unconformities were recognized in the Middle Miocene to Pliocene sequence in the study area from a compilation of chronological data: ca. 9 Ma, 6.4Ma, latest Miocene, and 3.5Ma, respectively. The oldest unconformity was newly identified in this study. Formative timings of these unconformities correlate well with the uplift history of the Ou Backbone range reconstructed by Nakajima et al. (2006). These data provide a restriction to reconstruct the uplift history of the Northeast Honshu Arc.


This paper gives a review of an ultra-small and low-cost 60-GHz band front-end module integrated with a single element planar dipole antenna. For miniaturization and cost reduction, we apply 3-D system-in-package (SiP) technology and organic substrates. The planar dipole antenna is patterned on the top layer substrate in the module. Maximum actual gain of 6.0 dBi at 63GHz is measured even though single element simple structure antenna is used. Additionally, a structure of a high-gain 60-GHz band planar dipole antenna which is applicable to 60-GHz band 3-D SiP front-end modules is described. To achieve high gain, we extend a dielectric substrate to main-beam direction. Although lossy substrate is used for cost reduction, the antenna patterned on organic substrates has enough potential for being used as a low-cost and simple configuration antenna integrated with the module.


T cells are the key players in eliminating malignant tumors. Adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-specific T cells and immune checkpoint blockade has yielded durable antitumor responses in the clinic, but not all patients respond initially and some that do respond eventually have tumor progression. Thus, new approaches to enhance the utility of immunotherapy are needed. T-cell activation and differentiation status are tightly controlled at the transcriptional, epigenetic, and metabolic levels. Amino acids are involved in multiple steps of T-cell antitumor immunity, including T-cell activation, proliferation, effector function, memory formation as well as functional exhaustion. In this review, we briefly discuss how amino acid metabolism is linked to T-cell fate decisions and summarize how amino acid deprivation or accumulation of certain amino acid metabolites within the tumor microenvironment diminishes T-cell functionality. Furthermore, we discuss potential strategies for immunotherapy via modulating amino acid metabolism either in T cells intrinsically or extrinsically to achieve therapeutic efficacy.


Guinea-pig experiments were made for objective assessment of the effects of high-intensity noise on the acoustic analyzer. Noise with intensity above 100 dB for 11 hours is accompanied with thresholds rise by 20 dB. In some animals hearing loss was observed for several weeks after discontinuation of a sound impact. In the presence of initially high conductive hypoacusis intensive sound load may cause short-term sound threshold lowering with further damage to neurosensory cochlear elements.


Albeit there exists many collaborative recommendation models, it is still a challenge to increase the performance of these models. In this manuscript, a peculiar approach for collaborative filtering based on fuzzy-c means clustering algorithm is proposed. We use cuckoo search optimization algorithm along with fuzzy-c means to overcome the local optima. Thenceforth Pearson correlation similarity is adopted to compute the similarity between users with in the cluster. Finally, we produce recommendations for the corresponding users. Precise analysis on a standard movie lens dataset reveals that our approach outer performs many other recommendation models and also solves the cold start problem International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Volume 118 No. 5 2018, 231-244 ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version) url: http://www.ijpam.eu Special Issue ijpam.eu


Abstract-The pattern of singing activity of Glossina morsitans morsitans was monitored in LD 12:12. Both males and females showed a clear "U"-shaped diurnal pattern of singing activity typical of other responses in tsetse flies. The morning peak comprised more activity than the evening peak. The significance of sound production and the possible endogenous control are discussed.


Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were made from superficial dorsal horn neurons in thin slices of neonatal rat spinal cord. Spontaneously occurring glutaminergic miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) were recorded in the presence of tetrodotoxin, strychnine and bicuculline. Bath-application of midazolam (5-60 microM) reduced the frequency of mEPSCs dose-dependently and this depression was antagonized by flumazenil 15 microM. In 8 neurons studied, midazolam 15 microM affected neither the amplitude profiles nor the mean amplitudes of the mEPSCs, suggesting a presynaptic site of action. In a nominally Ca(2+)-free solution, midazolam still reduced the frequency of mEPSCs, but to a lesser extent than in a standard solution. We conclude that midazolam may presynaptically inhibit excitatory synaptic transmission in the superficial dorsal horn by affecting both Ca2+ entry into the nerve terminals and transmitter release mechanisms downstream to Ca2+ entry.


DCD (n=30) and DCD + ADHD (n=30) will be recruited from the community and a research-integrated DCD Clinic, along with a control group of typically-developing children (n=30) with no history of motor difficulties. Recruitment is ongoing; to date, 30 typically-developing children, 21 children with DCD, and 16 with DCD+ADHD have been recruited. Materials/Methods: Cerebellar structure will be assessed using Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM) to explore the potential differences in subregional grey matter volumes throughout the cerebellum with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) based on a spatially unbiased atlas cerebellum template (SUIT). Results will be compared between groups using t-tests to identify the cerebellar grey volume differences. Pearson correlation analysis will examine the relationship between grey matter volume and clinical measures of motor skills and attention. Results: Using scans of sufficient quality for segmentation, preliminary findings indicate that children with DCD (n=9) have decreased grey matter volume in sensorimotor-associated cerebellar regions (Lobule VIIIa; Cluster Size=935, t(3.17), p<0.001) and in regions considered essential for visual guidance of movement (Lobule IX; Cluster Size=728, t(2.85), p<0.001) compared to typically developing children (n=10). Children with DCD had increased grey matter volume in cerebellar regions that are engaged during cognitive tasks (Lobule VI; Cluster Size=6428, t (4.24), p<0.001; Crus I; Cluster Size=325, t(3.82), p<0.004; and Crus II; Cluster Size=775, t(3.30), p<0.001). Conclusions/Significance: This novel investigation of cerebellar structural differences in children with DCD+/ ADHD will provide clinicians and researchers with a greater understanding of the role of the cerebellum in motor difficulties in children with DCD+/ ADHD. These cerebellar findings may help to explain why children with DCD struggle with learning motor tasks and why cognitive strategies are effective to learn motor skills. Study findings may inform development or refinement of current rehabilitation interventions for affected children.


Dermoid cyst of the spermatic cord is an extremely rare pathology seen at the urological clinic. We present the case of a 26-year-old man who presented with a groin lump, thought to be a lipoma or a hydrocoele of the cord. The final histopathological analysis established the diagnosis of a dermoid cyst.


Following a presentation in the previous EPDE 08 Barcelona Conference, this paper reports on the progress and Australian findings relating to an international collaborative and distributed design studio project extending over four years between universities in Australia, the Americas and later interested parties in Europe. Primarily the project was run from a third year industrial design studio unit at University of Western Sydney and later it benchmarked Australian students with counterparts elsewhere in Canada (Alberta University) and Chile (Metropolitan University of Technology). While this is an ongoing project still to reveal more results and further joint assessment with partners abroad, this paper builds on previous conference papers explaining more precise structural and technical details to extrapolate lessons learnt and offer some of its main outcomes to others for consideration. Thanks to using latest design, communication, prototyping and simulation technologies, the project focused on challenges to - Education to achieve intended learning outcomes confronted with issues of globalization; - heterogeneous base and retention constraints; - University as gatekeeper of professional standards while confronted with technological change; - and new distributed professional, manufacturing and production developments; - Research on teaching and learning, new methodologies and process relating to design; - manufacturing, implementation and delivery of products and services; - Development of new dynamics of work and production through distributed means of communication and manufacturing (internationalization and globalization of design)


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the commonest primary tumor of the liver and carries a poor prognosis when diagnosed late or left untreated. Treatment relies heavily on the stage of the tumor when diagnosed. Extrahepatic metastasis is known to occur; these are mainly reported via autopsy studies or isolated case reports. Knowledge of extrahepatic metastasis is crucial in order to avoid unnecessary surgery. We report a rare case of a patient at our center, diagnosed to have HCC, who underwent treatment successfully, only to come back with extrahepatic metastasis to the skeletal muscles.


A Liu-Okubo-type dispersion relation is derived for the crossing-even pion-nucleon forward elastic scattering amplitude ${T}^{(+)}$. Two subtractions are made, one at the physical scattering threshold and the other at a previously determined zero of ${T}^{(+)}$ on the imaginary axis of the complex $\ensuremath{\omega}$ (pion lab energy) plane. The dispersion relation is well satisfied over the whole allowed range of the Liu-Okubo parameter. Moreover, it is nearly saturated by low-energy scattering for a considerable range of the parameter. It should thus serve as an extremely sensitive test of the low-energy scattering data when such data become more accurately known.


We have investigated the 77 K operation of AlGaAs/InGaAs MODFETs. The structures, grown by MBE, make use of a 200 A undoped In0.15Ga0.85As quantum well for electron confinement and an Si-doped Al0.15Ga0.85As top barrier. The MODFETs with 1 μm gate lengths exhibit extrinsic transconductances of 360 mS/mm and maximum currents of 310 mA/mm at 77 K. The use of a low Al mole fraction AlGaAs/InGaAs heterojunction allows us to avoid the persistent trapping effects encountered in AlGaAs/GaAs MODFETs without sacrificing device performance.


The detention of children and their families awaiting deportation after being denied asylum is harmful to their health and should be stopped without delay, say the UK's leading child health and related organisations.

The briefing paper from the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and the UK Faculty of Public Health found evidence of harm to the physical and mental health of children and teenagers in the United Kingdom who are subjected to administrative immigration detention.

Rosalyn Proops, officer for child protection with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and one of the papers authors, warned: "We are very concerned about the health and wellbeing of children in administrative immigration detention. These children are among the …


This study explores the relationship between underrepresented and marginalized student college experience and UC San Diego Campus Community Center organizational practice. Retention differences across ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation groups in the higher education sector, and retention and organizational development literature addressing underrepresented and marginalized populations are explored. Using Tinto's (1975, 1993) Longitudinal Model of Student Departure and Wenger's (2002) Communities of Practice organizational analysis, student ideas of comfort and belonging within a research university are examined. Following an embedded, case study design (Yin, 2003) interviews, including photo-elicitation, observations and document review chronicled a six-month period At University of California San Diego's Lesbian/Gay / Bisexual/Transgender, Women's, and Cross-Cultural Center research sites. The UC San Diego Cross-Cultural, Lesbian/ Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT), and Women Centers emerged out of historical legacies that left unanswered questions concerning program effectiveness and campus impact. The development of a new organizing construct, the Campus Community Centers, proved important to individual student success. Students were able to find places of personal validation and at the same time connect across historical group boundaries. Findings show that participants engaged with the Campus Community Centers felt a keen sense of belonging and validation from interactions with the sites. Emergent data on engagement, physical setting, relationship building, and meaning making proved salient across all participants. Ultimately, understanding how organizational linkages create student success can align organizational mission and structure to empirical research in the field of retention and student success


Despite considerable advances in medicine and technology, humanity still faces many deadly diseases such as cancer and malaria. In order to find appropriate treatments, the discovery of new bioactive substances is essential. Therefore, research is now turning to less frequently explored habitats with exceptional biodiversity such as the marine environment. Many studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds from marine macro- and microorganisms. In this study, nine microbial strains isolated from an Indian Ocean sponge, Scopalina hapalia, were screened for their chemical potential. The isolates belong to different phyla, some of which are already known for their production of secondary metabolites, such as the actinobacteria. This article aims at describing the selection method used to identify the most promising microorganisms in the field of active metabolites production. The method is based on the combination of their biological and chemical screening, coupled with the use of bioinformatic tools. The dereplication of microbial extracts and the creation of a molecular network revealed the presence of known bioactive molecules such as staurosporin, erythromycin and chaetoglobosins. Molecular network exploration indicated the possible presence of novel compounds in clusters of interest. The biological activities targeted in the study were cytotoxicity against the HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines and antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7. Chaetomium globosum SH-123 and Salinispora arenicola SH-78 strains actually showed remarkable cytotoxic and antiplasmodial activities, while Micromonospora fluostatini SH-82 demonstrated promising antiplasmodial effects. The ranking of the microorganisms as a result of the different screening steps allowed the selection of a promising strain, Micromonospora fluostatini SH-82, as a premium candidate for the discovery of new drugs.


Context: Digoxin is a commonly used inotropic drug that has a narrow therapeutic range and is monitored poorly for its plasma concentration. It is commonly used in the management of cardiovascular disorders for its inotropic effects. Increased risk of chronic digoxin toxicity among the patients receiving digoxin pharmacotherapy is related to its narrow therapeutic range. Apart from its inotropic properties, it can also produce chronotropic and dromotropic effect. Its serum levels vary due to changes in body weight, age, renal function, hepatic impairment, and concomitant drug administrations. Patients receiving digoxin should be monitored periodically for potential drug interactions, adverse effects, toxicity, and other drug-related problems. Symptoms of digoxin-induced cardiotoxicity are difficult to be identified and may become fatal too. Therapeutic drug monitoring will play a significant role in reducing such drug therapy problems and will ensure safety and efficacy of the given drug. Case Report: We report a case of chronic digoxin toxicity in a 22-year-old male with congestive cardiac failure - Class IV and atrial fibrillation with ventricular bigeminy. Results: Patient's renal parameters were elevated and among electrolytes, sodium level was decreased and potassium level was increased. A reduction in the volume of the distribution of digoxin, due to impairment of renal function or congestive cardiac failure, might be one of the reasons for digoxin toxicity. Drug therapy problems (DTPs) such as untreated indication, inappropriate drug therapy, potential major drug-drug interactions, and drugs prescribed when contraindicated were observed. Conclusion: Monitoring digoxin drug therapy can bring down the risk of digoxin intoxication.


Six sound patterns are important in social communication of the black and white colobus, Colobus guereza, in the Budongo forest, Uganda. The loud roaring of adult males seems to function in intergroup spacing. The snort of adult males may be a threat or an alarm. A soft purring, rarely heard, accompanies a group movement. A cawing sound is used by adult females, juveniles, and infants in situations of mild distress or threat. Squeaks and screams are used by adult females, infants, and juveniles in acute distress. A non-vocal sound, the tongue click, is employed in territorial defense. The characteristics of these sounds are interpreted in light of the social organization of this species which is territorial, with an average group of eight animals, typically with only one adult male. Signals used primarily in intertroop communication are discrete, while those used for signalling within the troop are graded.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) for postoperative analgesia in cases of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed under general anesthesia.

METHODS
A total of 78 patients aged 18-70 years, with an American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of I-III who were to undergo an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled. The patients were randomly separated into 2 groups: Group 1 (38 patients) received a TPVB performed unilaterally at T6 before surgery and Group 2 (40 patients) received only general anesthesia. Postoperatively, both groups received patient-controlled analgesia with an infusion pump. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores at rest and with movement were recorded during the first 24 hours after surgery. Tramadol consumption during the first 24 hours, nausea and vomiting rate, time to first passage of bowel gas and defecation, nutrition, mobilization, and discharge were also noted.

RESULTS
The patients who received an ultrasonography-guided TPVB had significantly lower postoperative VAS scores at rest and on movement at 4, 6, 12,18, and 24 hours and significantly lower levels of postoperative tramadol consumption. It was observed that 77.5% of the patients in Group 2 needed at least 1 dose of additional fentanyl intraoperatively. Group 2 had a significantly higher vomiting rate and it was observed that the time of first bowel gas and defecation, nutrition, and mobilization was later. There was no significant difference between groups in the discharge time.

CONCLUSION
Preoperatively performed TPVB provided efficient analgesia after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A TPVB can also reduce perioperative and postoperative opioid requirements.


External electric field, which is often encountered in practical applications, can induce substantial alterations in materials with respect to chemical potentials and electronic properties. In this work, based on first-principles calculations, it presents the effect of an external electric field on inducing the dissociative adsorption of H 2 and H 2O molecules for the application of graphene as hydrogen storage materials and in electronic devices, respectively.


Abstract The current study examines how second language (L2) users differentially assess the comprehensibility (i.e., ease of understanding) of foreign-accented speech according to a range of background variables, including first language (L1) profiles, L2 proficiency, age, experience, familiarity, and metacognition. A total of 110 L2 listeners first evaluated the global comprehensibility of 50 spontaneous speech samples produced by low-, mid-, and high-proficiency Japanese speakers of English. The listeners were categorized into two subgroups according to a cluster analysis of their rating scores: lenient and strict. Results showed that while the lenient listeners appeared to rely equally on many linguistic areas of speech during their judgments, the strict listeners were strongly attuned to phonological accuracy. Analysis of the background questionnaire data revealed that more lenient listeners likely had higher levels of awareness of the importance of comprehensibility for communication (metacognition); regularly used L2 English in professional settings (experience); and had L1s more linguistically close to the target speech samples, Japanese-accented English (L1-L2 distance).


The ORSTOM-CIRAD procedure for somatic embryogenesis of oil palm has now been routinely used by five production units for almost 15 years. Over 3,000 hectares have been planted by 70 companies or research centres using 450 clones. Results are now available from clonal trials making it possible to estimate the performances of clones. This paper looks at oil production data for 28 clones from 7 trials planted before 1989 in the Ivory Coast (IDEFOR) and Indonesia (SOCFINDO). Two clones were from unselected ortets and 26 from ortets of good progenies from the first cycle reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) scheme. As expected, the mean oil production of clones exceeded the standard cross by 12%. The improvement was 27% for the 10 best clones and 44% for the best. Compared to commercial D x P planting material from second cycle RRS, the. improvements were, respectively, 13% and 28%. The average productivity of clones derived from good progenies of the second cycle RRS will be much higher than clones from the first cycle, and the frequency of good clones will be increased. The first results for clones from the second cycle are in acordance with this view. As clones show different susceptibilities to Ganoderma, Fusarium and blast, it is assumed that selection for resistance to these diseases will be easier. More and more data indicate that the field performances of oil palm clones are promising. Improvements of 20% to 30% over seedling planting materials are easily achieved. The main problem remains trueness-to-type, especially with the incidence of mantled abnormality. Further development of clonal planting material needs an in vitro test for conformity. (Resume d'auteur)


The aim of this paper is to analyze the performance of a large number of long lived TCP controlled flows sharing many routers (or links), from the knowledge of the network parameters (capacity, buffer size, topology) and of the characteristics of each TCP flow (RTT, route etc.) when taking synchronization into account. It is shown that the dynamics of such a network can be described in terms of iterate of random piecewise affine maps, or geometrically as a billiards in the Euclidean space with as many dimensions as the number of flow classes and as many reflection facets as there are routers. This class of billiards exhibits both periodic and non-periodic asymptotic oscillations, the characteristics of which are extremely sensitive to the parameters of the network. It is also shown that for large populations and in the presence of synchronization, aggregated throughputs exhibit fluctuations that are due to the network as a whole, that follow some complex fractal patterns, and that come on top of other and more classical flow or packet level fluctuations. The consequences on TCP's fairness are exemplified on a few typical cases of small dimension.


Scientists are often asked to advise political institutions on pressing risk-related questions, like climate change or the authorization of medical drugs. Given that deliberation will often not eliminate all disagreements between scientists, how should their risk assessments be aggregated? I argue that this problem is distinct from two familiar and well-studied problems in the literature: judgment aggregation and probability aggregation. I introduce a novel decision-theoretic model where risk assessments are compared with acceptability thresholds. Majority voting is then defended by means of robustness considerations.