The workshop has been organised with the contribution of three different Institutions such as COST, University of Florence and Florens Foundation. Within the COST, the Action IE0601 - "Wood Science for Conservation of Wooden Cultural Heritage" - has performed an important role in carrying out the Workshop, both conceiving the idea and supporting its organisation. COST Strategic Workshops are instruments typically dedicated to launch new felds of research and or relevant topics. The present Workshop has been proposed in order to achieve the following aims:• To stimulate the discussion process and awareness on the importance of the safeguard of Cultural Heritage, and for highlighting its Cultural, Social and Economical importance. • To support the strengthening of an ERA in the fi eld of Cultural Heritage, and to establish research topics to be suggested as possible programmatic lines of the 8th FP. • To inform political stakeholders on the necessity to support research and European co-operations in the fi eld of Cultural Heritage.


We performed numerical simulations to study the response of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) to large-scale stochastic forcing mechanisms parameterized by one parameter, 0 ≤ a ≤ 1, going from direct injection on the velocity field (a = 1) to stirring acts on the magnetic field only (a = 0). We study the multiscale properties of the energy transfer by splitting the total flux in channels mediated by (i) the kinetic nonlinear advection, (ii) the Lorentz force, (iii) the magnetic advection, and (iv) the magnetic stretching term. We further decompose the fluxes into two subchannels given by heterochiral and homochiral components in order to distinguish forward, inverse, and flux-loop cascades. We show that there exists a quasi-singular role of the magnetic forcing mechanism for a ∼ 1: a small injection on the magnetic field a < 1 can strongly deplete the mean flux of kinetic energy transfer throughout the kinetic nonlinear advection channel. We also show that this negligible mean flux is the result of a flux-loop balance between heterochiral (direct) and homochiral (inverse) transfers. Conversely, both homochiral and heterochiral channels transfer energy forward for the other three channels. Cross-exchange between velocity and the magnetic field is reversed around a = 0.4, and except when a ∼ 1, we always observe that heterochiral mixed velocity–magnetic energy triads tend to move energy from magnetic to velocity fields. Our study is an attempt to further characterize the multiscale nature of MHD dynamics by disentangling different properties of the total energy transfer mechanisms, which can be useful for improving subgrid modeling.


This paper tries to establish a framework for sampling inspections by attributes based on soft quality standards in order to pay more attention to some shortcomings in classical modelling concerning the acceptability of inspection lots. As a suggestion such sampling inspections are described in terms of a statistical test with fuzzy hypothesis and fuzzy data, extending the classical framework of sampling inspections by attributes. Furthermore the operating characteristics will be explored.


AbstractAlthough direct links between Muh yiddin Ibn 'Arabī (1165–1240) and Eckhart von Hochheim (1260–1328) are lacking, a number of intriguing similarities of expression appear in the teachings of the Arab Muslim and the German Christian, both of whom are recognized today as outstanding representatives of the mystical traditions of their respective Faiths. Nevertheless, both of these spiritual masters also faced opposition and persecution from their religious authorities of their own times and often thereafter. Among the preeminent and most controversial of their teachings is that of the radical unity of the soul with God, ultimately the linchpin of their mystical theologies. Striking similarities between their treatments of the immanence and transcendence of God, the existential 'nothingness' of creatures, and the appeal to direct and immediate experience of God also invite comparative analysis. Such congruence, although imperfect, and despite real and significant differences between the doctrines of t...


In the paper I analyse Daniele Archibugi's conception of the new cosmopolitanism, aimed at formulation of a theory of cosmopolitan democracy capable of facing contemporary global problems that go beyond the competences of nation-states. My claim is that the advocates of the new cosmopolitanism have yet to come up with a theoretical minimum to which all parties of the cosmopolitan debate would subscribe. I argue that the main obstacle in formulation of a viable cosmopolitanism are attempts at imposition of the universalist uniformity inscribed in the traditional cosmopolitanism or, at best, a straightforward acceptance of cultural differences. In opposition to this, I outline the idea of reciprocal cosmopolitanism which, I believe, should proceed from the acknowledgement of human diversity, thus becoming a more inclusive project than its existing alternatives.


In this work, Nicols Fox examines contemporary resistance to technology and places it in a surprising historical context. She illuminates the rich but oftentimes unrecognized literary and philosophical tradition that has existed for nearly two centuries, since the first Luddites - the "machine breaking" followers of the mythical Ned Ludd - lifted their sledgehammers in protest against the Industrial Revolution. Tracing that current thought through some of the greatest minds of the 19th and 20th centuries - William Blake, Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens, John Ruskin, William Morris, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Graves, Aldo Leopold, and many others - Fox demonstrates that modern protests against consumptive lifestyles and misgivings about the relentless march of mechanization are part of a fascinating hidden history. She shows as well that the Luddite tradition can yield important insights into how we might reshape both technology and modern life so that human, community and environmental values take precedence over the demand of the machine.


In this article we present data on the publications of Italian political scientists in international journals. We first introduce the reader to the specific context of Italian political science and illustrate the pattern of problematic institutionalization of this discipline in Italy. We then work on our broad set of eighty-nine journals indexed in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) social science citation index, examined over the period 1990-2002. We present and discuss data on the publications and citations of all academics with an Italian affiliation in political science journals, and, within this set, political scientists. Judging by our data, Italian political scientists have a limited propensity to participate in the international debate - an indication of the problems encountered by political science as a possible 'European' or 'international discipline'. We also note that, when they publish, Italian political scientists do not engage with major theoretical and/or comparative topics, but prefer to write articles on Italian politics. We conclude with some ideas about how to increase the participation of Italian political scientists in the wider European and international debate.


Bitcoin is firmly becoming a mainstream asset in our global society. Its highly volatile nature has traders and speculators flooding into the market to take advantage of its significant price swings in the hope of making money. This work brings an algorithmic trading approach to the Bitcoin market to exploit the variability in its price on a day-to-day basis through the classification of its direction. Building on previous work, in this paper, we utilise both features internal to the Bitcoin network and external features to inform the prediction of various machine learning models. As an empirical test of our models, we evaluate them using a real-world trading strategy on completely unseen data collected throughout the first quarter of 2021. Using only a binary predictor, at the end of our three-month trading period, our models showed an average profit of 86\%, matching the results of the more traditional buy-and-hold strategy. However, after incorporating a risk tolerance score into our trading strategy by utilising the model's prediction confidence scores, our models were 12.5\% more profitable than the simple buy-and-hold strategy. These results indicate the credible potential that machine learning models have in extracting profit from the Bitcoin market and act as a front-runner for further research into real-world Bitcoin trading.


We introduce two new topologies on ordered sets: the way below topology and weakly way below topology. These are similar in definition to the Scott topology, but are very different if the set is not continuous. The basic properties of these three topologies are compared. We will show that while domain representable spaces must be Baire, this is not the case with the new topologies.


An integrated circuit process R&D facility concurrently conducts advanced research, process control and product prototyping of three Very Large Scale Integrated Circuit process generations. Self-managed inter-departmental teams of process engineers and device physicists govern most aspects of process integration through a peer review process, and collectively design short cycle experiments. Organizational structures are adjusted to minimize the number of communication channels. Key metrics traditionally associated with process integration improve by a factor of three.


Paraduodenal hernias (PDH) are rare; however, they are the most common form of internal hernias. A 11-year-old boy presented to us with a history of intermittent abdominal pain since 1 year. His physical examination was normal. Plain abdominal radiographs and ultrasonography were inconclusive. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen reported a right subhepatic cecum. The patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy followed by successful laparoscopic right PDH repair (excision of hernial sac, release of Ladd's bands, and appendectomy). Ours is the sixth report to describe laparoscopic repair of a right PDH and the third in the pediatric age group. He was discharged home on postoperative day 1. He was completely asymptomatic at the 1-year follow-up.  Keywords : laparoscopic, malrotation, paraduodenal hernia, pediatric


Investigation of features and functions of some small biological objects (smaller than 500 nm), in particular, viruses, with conventional optical microscopy is practically impossible. Usually their images are obtained with methods of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), which precludes work with samples in a native state. We obtained images of different viruses including Influenza A virus in native state with Computer-Aided Phase Microscope (CPM) Airyscan, in which a He-Ne laser is used as a light source. The main purpose of this work was to show the possibility to obtain adequate structure images of Influenza viruses with diameter about 100 nm in conditions quite close to native and to investigate different stages of Influenza virus budding. We suppose that these results may be considered as a basis for further studies of cell-virus interaction.


The spin-phase diagrams for the pseudo-binary compounds of RxY1-xCo5 (R identical to Pr, Tb, Dy and Ho) and RxPr1-xCo5 (R identical to Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho and Er) are reproduced well by the calculations which use the fitted R-Co exchange field and CEF parameters evaluated previously by some of the authors of this paper and co-workers by comparing the calculations with other experimental data.


In order to understand the means by which cellular aggregates were maintained in gynecologic samples, the fine structure of samples derived from a number of women of various ages was examined with special attention paid to the intercellular junctions. Most cells in the samples were squamous cells containing numerous intercellular fibrils and glycogen granules. Parabasal or intermediate cells were also seen as well as occasional endocervical cells. All of these cell types were often found as parts of aggregates and, while other cell junctions were present, desmosomes were the most prominent. It was concluded that desmosomes were probably responsible for maintaining the aggregated state of many of the cells found in gynecologic samples.


This article investigates the sources of job satisfaction among practitioners and managers employed in the Norwegian public social services and the professionals ´ perception of social rewards in particular. Being valued, receiving praise and positive feedback are considered to be important aspects of job satisfaction. Nevertheless the expertise and competence of social workers is not always acknowledged. A central question raised is whether the workers ´ job satisfaction is influenced by their opportunities for support and recognition, compared to other (intrinsic and organisational) rewarding aspects available to social service workers. The empirical data come from a 2004 quantitative survey among social workers in local welfare agencies. Despite conflicting demands and lack of resources in the front line services, findings indicate that managers and practitioners perceive their work as overall equally satisfying. Still, the managers find their job more interesting and challenging due to their position, reporting higher feelings of accomplishment and control over work. Receiving public approval and co-worker support are positively associated with job satisfaction within both work positions, while superior support and client recognition were found to be significantly rewarding aspects to the practitioners only. The final discussion addresses the challenges for an organizational climate that sustain the worth and contribution of social professionals.


This paper refines Johnso's implementation of Constantin's method for solving the Camassa–Holm equation for a multiple–soliton solution. An analytical formula for the q(y) and an explicit relation between x and y are found. An algorithm of solving for u(y) is presented. How to introduce time variable t into the solution is also clearly explained.


UNLABELLED
Pro-nominal referencing was evaluated in a sample of 569 children comprising four diagnostic subgroups: typical language (TL), specific language impairment (SLI), nonspecific language impairment (NLI), and typical language with low nonverbal IQ (LNIQ). Participants generated oral narratives in second grade and again in fourth grade. The narratives of the females in the TL group included a significantly higher rate of pro-nominal references than the narratives of both the males in the TL group and the females in the NLI group. A higher percentage of complete pro-nominal references was found in the TL group compared to the SLI group. These findings suggest that pro-nominal referencing measures are not sensitive enough to differentiate school-aged children with typical language development from those with language impairment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
The reader will: (1) become familiar with narrative language measures and (2) learn how groups of children with varying language and cognitive profiles perform on measures of referential cohesion.


Pneumocystis jirovecii is a human-specific species and causes fatal infections like P.jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompromised persons. Although direct microscopy is the gold standard in the diagnosis of the microorganism, molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are needed in non-human immune deficiency virus (HIV) immunosuppresive patients with low P.jirovecii burden. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the value of real-time PCR (Rt-PCR) in the laboratory diagnosis of P.jirovecii. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens of 658 patients sent to Dokuz Eylul University Hospital Central Medical Parasitology Laboratory on suspicion of PCP were included in the study. BAL fluids were evaluated for identification of P.jirovecii mitochondrial gene coding ribosomal large subunit (mtLSUrRNA) using Rt-PCR. In addition, Giemsa and Gomori's methenamine silver (GMG) staining assays were applied to all samples and nested PCR (n-PCR) assay was applied to positive samples detected by real time PCR. Ninety-two (14.3%) of these samples were positive by Rt-PCR. Of these 92 patients, 85 (92.4%) were positive with n-PCR. Only seven of the specimens had P.jirovecii cysts and trophozoites with microscopic examination. The mean cycle threshold (CT ) value of Rt-PCR positive patients was 29.7 (18.17 ≤ CT ≤ 37.96). P.jirovecii load in these patients was calculated as 2.6 x 101-6.15 x 107 copies/ml. The difference between the mean CT values of n-PCR positive and negative results was statistically significant (p< 0.01). The CT values of Rt-PCR of the samples with positive microscopy were; 18.2, 20.9, 22.2, 24.3, 24.7, 26.5, 29.7. The difference between the CT means of the samples with positive and negative microscopy was statistically significant (p< 0.05). When positive patients were grouped according to their diagnosis; the lowest mean CT value (CTmean= 24.8) was found in HIV-positive patients. On the other hand, CT values were found to be significantly lower in the organ transplantation patients (CTmean= 26.15) and in the collagen-vascular-inflammatory patient group (CTmean= 27.8). This study demonstrated that Rt-PCR was the effective method in the diagnosis of P.jirovecii in the laboratory. Conventional n-PCR method was found to be more unsuccessful than Rt-PCR in the presence of very low density organism; direct microscopy is generally found to be positive in samples with a higher burden of P.jirovecii.


UTILIZATION OF FERMENTED RUMENT CONTENT WITH CELLULOMONAS SP IN MIXED COMPLETE FEED FOR RABBIT. Research conducted to learn how to use cattle rumen content by using fermentation processing techniques to enable this rumen to be used as rabbit feed. The material used in this study consisted of cattle rumen contents, starter Cellulomonas sp, rabbits, complete feed. This research consisted of two phase. The first study used an experimental method with a completely randomized design  4 preparations and 6 replications. The fermentation time consists of 0 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. For the second study using an experimental method with randomized block design  based on the initial body weight of rabbits. The treatment given is the level of use of the best fermented rumen contents in a complete feed ration. Variable which is translated as feed consumption, body weight gain and feed conversion. Research results The first stage of the P4 study sample (72 hours) as the best guideline is seen from the parameters of crude protein and crude fiber. The results of this study indicate that the use of feed using rumen fermentation (IRF) can increase feed consumption and weight gain. The conclusion of this study is the provision of 30% mixture of fermented rumen contents of Cellulomonas sp in complete feed produced the best results seen from the parameters of consumption, weight gain and feed conversion of rabbit.Keywords: Rumen contents, fermentation, Cellulomonas sp, complete feed, rabbits


A computer-controlled 16 channel fast data-acquisition system has been developed for the rapid capture of analogue and digital data from a spark-ignition engine. The system is to be used for diagnostic investigations of both single-cycle and cyclic combustion phenomena in engines. Its use is not restricted to spark-ignition engines and it can be used for dynamic investigations with other suitably instrumented rotating machinery, such as turbines, compressors and diesel engines.


Memristors with the outstanding advantages are beneficial for neuromorphic computing and next-generation storage. Realizing various resistive switching behaviors in monolayer memristors is essential for understanding the device physics and fabricating fully memristive devices. In this paper, a simple and feasible method was proposed to achieve the digital and analog resistive switching in Cu/AlOx/Ag memristors by using ozone and water precursors in atomic layer deposition. According to the characterization results of surface topography, Raman spectrum and electrical measurement, the transition between the abrupt and gradual resistive switching was ascribed to the migration and diffusion of active electrode metal ions in the sparser, rougher and more amorphous AlOx dielectric films. The key features of biological synapses including long-term potentiation/depression, paired-pulse facilitation and learning-experience behaviors were emulated in the analog monolayer memristors. This study makes an important step towards the development of the sophisticated, multi-functional, and large-scale integrated neuromorphic devices and systems.


What is the future scenario of crisis cities? How is the urban planning paradigm going to affect cities facing crisis? This thesis has as its departure point the post-crisis cities and the problems these cities have to confront. Discussions and debates concerning the economic crisis have now conquered the political discussions and policies in Europe. Since many cities worldwide suffer from the cut down policies and austerity measures, most of the urban environments are being under major change.The main objective of this Master Thesis is to explore the main characteristics of cities in crisis and then transform this backdrop into a strong element through a design proposal for a sustainable future. Encouraged by the idea that individuals and communities can build up their own economy and their own sustainable environment, initiatives and efforts have been taken. Embracing the already existing and implementing new bottom up initiatives, for the creation of a less consuming lifestyle, specific urban tools are developed. This thesis investigates an alternative economic pattern and how this could be implemented in a greek neighborhood, suffering from the consequences of crisis, basically, reversing the notion of what growth actually is.In this approach, economic degrowth is used as an urban asset rather than being addressed as an urban problem. The idea is that post-crisis cities, struggling with decline and unemployment, can simply adapt a different socioeconomic and more resilient lifestyle that is not based on consumption and materialism. This thesis is about challenging the current concept of 'growth', more in terms of quality rather than quantity.


This paper studies three-dimensional (3D) static responses of a multilayered anisotropic piezoelectric structure due to a point force and point charge. The materials in each layer are homogeneous, generally anisotropic, and linearly piezoelectric, and in general different from one another. The interfaces between adjacent layers are perfectly bonded. The generalized Stroh formalism and two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transforms are employed to find the responses in terms of a 2D integral. For a layered structure made of ten alternating layers of piezoelectric AlN and InN on an InN substrate, we show that the responses due to the point force and point charge are greatly influenced by the material layering, showing complicated patterns through the layer thickness. Furthermore, the responses exhibit the asymptotic behavior in the case of homogeneous infinite space/half-space in a very short distance to the point source, about one tenth of the layer thickness. The complicated responses due to the layered heterogeneity dictate the need for a general 3D analysis in the design of such smart structures.


This paper describes the design of a WiLD multihop network (backhaul), used to provide 3G services to eight villages located on the margin of the Napo River, and to interconnect fifteen health centers located on the same margin so they can have access to telehealth services with the Regional Hospital of Loreto (Iquitos).This design is part of a research project that includes the implementation and maintenance of the backhaul network. The objective of the project is to validate the use of the IEEE802.11n wireless technology for long distances as an economic and feasible solution to be used as a backhaul for the 3G service in disadvantaged rural areas like the ones located on the margin of the Napo River. Currently, there are six long distance wireless links are operating with a bandwidth of approximately 50Mbps of transmission and reception for a 39Km distance.


Conversion of acetic acid, the light oxygenate from biomass pyrolysis, to propylene can be achieved via keto-hydrodeoxygenation (KHDO) over hybrid CeO2–Cu/zeolite catalysts at >573 K under atmospheric H2. The catalyst containing CeO2 and Cu/HY (25 wt% of Cu/HY) was employed to obtain up to 85% conversion of acetic acid with 49% selectivity to propylene. Acetone, propylene and propane are obtained via ketonization–hydrogenation–dehydration over the three-component catalyst, while ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethylene, ethane and ethyl acetate can also be produced from hydrogenation–dehydration over Cu/zeolites alone. The catalyst containing Cu/HY provides higher selectivity to olefin products, as compared to that containing Cu/HZSM-5. The reaction is suppressed by the presence of water. Nevertheless, high catalyst stability (>60 hours on stream) can be obtained. The KHDO can be applicable for the conversion of acetic acid, a biomass derived product, to hydrocarbons using a sequential bed system of the three-component catalyst and HZSM-5 catalyst.


Collective sensemaking is a form of socially-distributed cognition (see Hutchins, 1995) in which multiple agents attempt to interpret (make sense of) specific bodies of environmental information. In order to optimize performance at the collective level, agents often need to share information about the results of their own processing activity, and this raises questions about how the structure of communication networks affects collective sensemaking abilities. In the current study, we used a computational model of collective sensemaking in which individual agents are implemented as constraint satisfaction networks (CSNs) (see Smart & Shadbolt, 2012). We then investigated how the cognitive responses of agents were affected by different kinds of communication network structure.


Beluga whales living in the St. Lawrence River estuary are so contaminated with toxins that their bodies, when they wash ashore, are treated as toxic waste. They are exposed to industrial pollution from the Great Lakes region, which empties into the St. Lawrence. Using chemical formulas and symbols for mercury, PCB, DDT, and water allowed me to depict the primary toxins found directly in this animal's watery habitat. These chemical structures render scientific information and knowledge visible, which highlights the impact that we, as a species, have in the environment and the lives of other animals...Find full piece in .pdf below.


1. Davey Smith G, Ebrahim S. 'Mendelian randomization': can genetic epidemiology contribute to understanding environmental determinants of disease? Int J Epidemiol 2003;32:1–22. 2. Burgess S, Timpson NJ, Ebrahim S, Davey Smith G. Mendelian randomization: where are we now and where are we going? Int J Epidemiol 2015;44:379–88. 3. Haycock PC, Burgess S, Wade KH, Bowden J, Relton C, Davey Smith G. Best (but oft-forgotten) practices: the design, analysis, and interpretation of Mendelian randomization studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2016;103:965–78. 4. Bowden J, Davey Smith G, Haycock PC, Burgess S. Consistent estimation in mendelian randomization with some invalid instruments using a weighted median estimator. Genet Epidemiol 2016;40:304–14. 5. Bowden J, Davey Smith G, Burgess S. Mendelian randomization with invalid instruments: effect estimation and bias detection through Egger regression. Int J Epidemiol 2015;44:512–25. 6. Lango Allen H, Estrada K, Lettre G et al. Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height. Nature 2010;467:832–38. 7. Davies NM, von Hinke Kessler Scholder S, Farbmacher H, Burgess S, Windmeijer F, Davey Smith G. The many weak instruments problem and Mendelian randomization. Stat Med 2015;34:454–68. 8. Burgess S, Butterworth A, Thompson SG. Mendelian randomization analysis with multiple genetic variants using summarized data. Genet Epidemiol 2013;3:658–65. 9. Wood AR, Esko T, Yang J et al. Defining the role of common variation in the genomic and biological architecture of adult human height. Nat Genet 2014;46:1173–86. 10. Kemp JP, Sayers A, Davey Smith G, Tobias JH, Evans DM. Using Mendelian randomization to investigate a possible causal relationship between adiposity and increased bone mineral density at different skeletal sites in children. Int J Epidemiol 2016;45:1560–72. 11. Locke AE, Kahali B, Berndt SI et al. Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology. Nature 2015;518:197–206. 12. Pierce BL, Burgess S. Efficient design for Mendelian randomization studies: subsample and 2-sample instrumental variable estimators. Am J Epidemiol 2013;178:1177–84. 13. Burgess S, Scott RA, Timpson NJ, Davey Smith G, Thompson SG. Using published data in Mendelian randomization: a blueprint for efficient identification of causal risk factors. Eur J Epidemiol 2015;30:543–52.


With the ubiquitous deployment of Internet, workplace Internet misuse has raised increasing concern for organizations. Research has demonstrated employee reactions to monitoring systems and how they are implemented. However, little is known about the impact of punishment-related policies on employee intention to misuse Internet. To extend this line of research beyond prior studies, this paper proposes an integrated research model applying Theory of Planned Behavior, Deterrence Theory, and Theory of Ethics to examine the impact of punishment-related policy on employees' Internet misuse intentions. The results indicate that perceived importance, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms have significant influence on employee intention to avoid Internet misuse. Contrary to expectations, there is no support for the influence of punishment severity and punishment certainty.


Sex determination is triggered by factors ranging from genotypic (GSD) to environmental (ESD), or both GSD + EE (GSD susceptible to environmental effects), and its evolution remains enigmatic. The presence/absence of sex chromosomes purportedly separates species at the ESD end of the continuum from the rest (GSD and GSD + EE) because the evolutionary dynamics of sex chromosomes and autosomes differ. However, studies suggest that turtles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) are cryptically GSD and possess sex chromosomes. Here, we test this hypothesis in painted turtles Chrysemys picta (TSD), using comparative-genome-hybridization (CGH), a technique known to detect morphologically indistinguishable sex chromosomes in other turtles and reptiles. Our results show no evidence for the existence of sex chromosomes in painted turtles. While it remains plausible that cryptic sex chromosomes may exist in TSD turtles that are characterized by minor genetic differences that cannot be detected at the resolution of CGH, previous attempts have failed to identify sex-specific markers. Genomic sequencing should prove useful in providing conclusive evidence in this regard. If such efforts uncover sex chromosomes in TSD turtles, it may reveal the existence of a fundamental constraint for the evolution of a full spectrum of sex determination (from pure GSD to pure TSD) that is predicted theoretically. Finding sex chromosomes in ESD organisms would question whether pure ESD mechanisms exist at all in nature, or whether those systems currently considered pure ESD simply await the characterization of an underlying GSD architecture.


Markets range in size and sophistication from neighbourhood flea markets to global currency markets, but every market exists for the same reason. Some exchanges of goods and services between two or more people are mutually beneficial , in the sense that they would raise the well-being of every party to the exchange. Markets are a mechanism through which people identify these trades and carry them out. The simplest mutually beneficial trades involve only two people, for example, a dairy farmer and a poultry farmer who trade cheese for eggs. Underlying these trades is a double coincidence of wants: each person wants the goods that the other person is willing to give up. Double coincidences are relatively rare, and a mortician or divorce lawyer who relied upon them to furnish his table would not eat well. The benefits from trade generally rise with the number of people who are potentially involved in each trade, for two reasons: Multilateral trade – trade involving more than two people – might be possible even when bilateral trade cannot occur. For example, if the poultry farmer does not want cheese, there can be no trade involving only the dairy farmer and the poultry farmer because there is no double coincidence of wants. A multilateral trade in which the dairy farmer gives his cheese to the barber, who cuts the hair of the poultry farmer, who provides eggs to the dairy farmer, might nevertheless be possible. […]


Summary
Controlled growth chamber experiments were conducted to determine factors affecting seed germination and emergence of the troublesome weed Gomphrena perennis. The objective of this research was to examine the effects of temperature, light, moist chilling, osmotic potential, dry storage and depth of seed burial on G. perennis germination and emergence. The optimum temperature for germination was around 15–20°C. Seeds showed germination rates above 90% under 20/10 and 25/15°C temperature regimes. The minimum exposure to light needed to stimulate germination was 1 min. However, the light requirement was reduced after a long storage period. Furthermore, germination was high (>90%) in all moist-chilling treatments tested. Germination was highly sensitive to increasing osmotic stress. The highest germination percentage (94%) was achieved at 0 MPa, and decreasing osmotic potential from 0 to −0.3 MPa reduced germination to 11%. The highest seedling emergence occurred for seeds placed from 0 to 1 cm deep, and no seedlings emerged from a 5-cm burial depth. Gomphrena perennis has a suitable environment in a no-till soybean field, where seeds remaining on the surface have the required temperature, light and depth needed for germination.


Magnetic dipole couplings between pairs of protons in a series of n-alkanes (hexane through decane) dissolved in a nematic liquid crystal were measured by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The dependence of dipole couplings on the distance between pairs of protons and on the orientation of the molecule with respect to the applied magnetic field make them a potentially rich source of information about molecular conformation and orientation. Interpretation of the dipole couplings, however, is complicated by the fact that the measured couplings are averaged over all molecular conformations and orientations sampled by the molecule. Thus, the couplings do not directly provide internuclear distances and orientations, but instead provide constraints on the time-averaged conformations and orientations of the n-alkane molecules that can be used as a rigorous test of models for intermolecular interactions in liquid crystals. Three models for solute-liquid crystal interactions were examined; the model proposed by Photinos et al. was found to be superior to the others in describing this system. The results of the modeling, including order parameters and conformer probabilities for the alkanes, are discussed and compared to n-alkanes in the liquid state. 22 refs., 7 figs., 14 tabs.


Vapor pressures of HNO3 and H2O have been measured over the trihydrate crystal, formed by vapor deposit on a glass surface. In the temperature range 190 K to 205 K the two phase-equilibrium trihydrate/vapor was studied by adding and removing H2O. Coexistence equilibria vapor pressures of trihydrate/solid solutions of HNO3 in ice ('ice') and of mono-/trihydrate were also measured. Results show that for typical mixing ratios of H2O and HNO3 found in the lower stratosphere (3 ppm H2O, 5 ppb HNO3) the trihydrate would start to form at temperatures about 7 K higher than the ice point. The pressure of atmospheric HNO3 would rapidly decrease as the atmosphere cools without large changes in partial pressures of H2O. These laboratory results provide information on the formation of polar stratospheric clouds containing H2O and HNO3.


In this article, we study the thermal performance of phase-change material (PCM)-based heat sinks under cyclic heat load and subjected to melt convection. Plate fin type heat sinks made of aluminum and filled with PCM are considered in this study. The heat sink is heated from the bottom. For a prescribed value of heat flux, design of such a heat sink can be optimized with respect to its geometry, with the objective of minimizing the temperature rise during heating and ensuring complete solidification of PCM at the end of the cooling period for a given cycle. For given length and base plate thickness of a heat sink, a genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization is carried out with respect to geometrical variables such as fin thickness, fin height, and the number of fins. The thermal performance of the heat sink for a given set of parameters is evaluated using an enthalpy-based heat transfer model, which provides the necessary data for the optimization algorithm. The effect of melt convection is studied by taking two cases, one without melt convection (conduction regime) and the other with convection. The results show that melt convection alters the results of geometrical optimization.


In History Out of Joint, Sande Cohen considers the ways in which historical narratives summon up a past and lay down a future in the ever-multiplying intellectual debates of contemporary public culture. As competing factions advance contradictory principles to validate or discredit their preferred accounts of the past and the present, Cohen argues that the fundamental question of how these principles themselves should be addressed-of what truly constitutes the use or abuse of history-has been pushed aside. Taking Nietzsche's idea of a simultaneous production and "anti-production" of culture as his starting point, Cohen proposes that the real abuse lies in the attempt to establish one version of history by effacing every other and shows how this now prevalent idea of historiography reduced to a political resource has itself become a "normal" starting point of such abuse. Cohen looks first at some current struggles to control public history, examining popular newspaper accounts of events in geopolitics and art, different views of the modern historian's role as a public authority, and the function of anecdote and its relationship to historical writing. He then turns to the works of several major figures in contemporary critical theory, including Derrida, Lyotard, and Deleuze and Guattari. Against the belief that their ideas led primarily to escapism, blindness, or endless deferral, Cohen demonstrates how their concepts of an affirmative yet critical event can be applied specifically to counter contemporary abuse of history and, in doing so, to resist social passivity, the nihilism and eschatological catastrophe of which they describe.


Long term exposure to tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP: initiator of oxidation) in the manufacturing of polyester resin coatings might be a cardiovascular risk for workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TBHP in the serum of rats by assessing the lipid profile and lipid oxidation as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Male Wistar rats (n = 6) aged 10 to 12 weeks were randomly placed in two groups (control and treatment) and fed ad lib with standard rat chow and water. Rats in the control group received an intraperitoneal injection of saline while the treatment group received TBHP (20 iM, 70% aqueous, Sigma Chemical Co, South Africa). Six rats were included in each group and injections (0.5 ml) were administered on 5 consecutive days per week for a period of 8 weeks. Cardiovascular biomarkers in the serum was determined by measuring the total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG) and C-reactive protein (CRP), while the lipid peroxidation in serum was determined by the conjugated diene (CD) measurement, lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) and by thiobarbituric acid resistance substance (TBARS) assay. The serum of rats injected with 20 iM TBHP had significantly increased the levels of cardiovascular biomarkers and lipid peroxidation. The findings of the study indicate that TBHP injection in rats may increase the susceptibility of the serum to lipid peroxidation which could lead to cardiovascular disease.


Providing relevant learning activities in a responsive classroom is necessary to develop 21st-century skills and competencies among students. That is why performance task assessment comes in as part of the educational reform brought about by the K to 12 Curriculum of the Department of Education. Several studies on the challenges to the curriculum planners and educators in implementing the performance-based assessment have been conducted. However, limited research has been done to look into the challenges encountered by the students during this implementation. Thus, this study was conducted. Employing a generic qualitative research design, this study explores the challenges encountered by Senior High School students in the implementation of the Performance Task Assessment. The data were gathered from the six participants who were chosen using criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling techniques. These participants got the lowest scores in the performance tasks component of the students' grades. The data were collected utilizing the unstructured interview. During the interview, the iterative process was followed until the saturation point was reached. The gathered data were analyzed using the recursive textual data analysis. The result of the study revealed that planning of tasks, execution of tasks, and consequences of tasks were contributory to the challenges encountered by students. Challenges on the planning of tasks included quality of leadership, preparation, and articulation. The absence of skills and lack of supervision and motivation were included in the challenges specific to the execution of tasks. Consequences of tasks included challenges brought about by unreliable scores received and the limited learning gained. The findings provided the baseline data for the formulation of departmental policies and procedures on the implementation of performance tasks assessment.


Background: Seminal vesicle protein number 4 (SV-IV) is a small, basic, multifunctional, intrinsically disordered secretory protein synthesized in large amounts by rat seminal vesicle epithelium under androgen transcriptional control. SV-IV-immunorelated proteins occur in other rat tissues and in humans. Methods: The in vitro effect of SV-IV on human FcΕRI+ cells was investigated by standard immunologic, biochemical and molecular biology procedures. Results: SV-IV-induced histamine release from human basophils and lung mast cells without any influence on leukotriene C4 release and cell migration. The histamine release rate was slower compared with that induced by anti-IgE, the temperature dependence of the event being similar. SV-IV-induced histamine release was Ca2+-dependent, suggesting a physiological interaction of the protein with FcΕRI+ cells. SV-IV and anti-IgE acted synergistically on the histamine release. SV-IV did not induce de novo synthesis of cytokines and growth factors (transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-10, interleukin-13, tumor necrosis factor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor A) in FcΕRI+ cells. Conclusions: SV-IV protein induces in human FcΕRI+ cells the release of histamine, a proinflammatory, antiapoptotic and immunosuppressive biogenic amine. These data: (1) are consistent with the antiapoptotic and immunosuppressive properties of SV-IV; (2) confirm a regulatory feature of SV-IV on mammal inflammatory reactivity by either inhibiting the arachidonate cascade pathway or stimulating proinflammatory cytokine release from lymphocyte/monocytes and histamine from FcΕRI+ cells; (3) raise the possibility of a protective role of SV-IV on implanting hemiallogenic blastocysts against maternal reactive oxygen species and immunological attacks at the uterine implantation site.


Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a potentially serious infection in children and often results in hospitalization.CAP symptoms are nonspecific in younger infants, but cough and tachypnea are usually present in older children. The diagnosis can be based on the history and physical examination results in children with fever plus respiratory signs and symptoms. Chest radiography and rapid viral testing may be helpful when the diagnosis is unclear. The most likely etiology depends on the age of the child. Viral and Streptococcus pneumonia infections are most common in preschoolaged children, whereas Mycoplasmapneumoniaeis common in older children.Most children can be managed empirically with oral antibiotics as outpatients without specific laboratory investigations.The decision to treat with antibiotics is challenging, especially with the increasing prevalence of viral and bacterial coinfections. Those with severe infections or with persistent or worsening symptoms need more intensive investigations and may need admission to hospital. The choice and dosage of antibiotics should be based on the age of the patient, severity of the pneumonia and knowledge of local antimicrobial resistance patterns.Bangladesh J Child Health 2018; VOL 42 (1) :38-42


The paper is devoted to the problem of exact calculation of the norms in ideal spaces for monotone operators on the cones of functions with monotonicity properties. We implement a general approach to this problem that covers many concrete variants of monotone operators in ideal spaces and different monotonicity conditions for functions. As applications, we calculate the norms of some integral operators on the cones, associate norms over some cones in Lebesgue spaces, the norms of the dilation operator and embedding operators on weighted Lorentz spaces with general weights. Under some more general conditions, we present order sharp estimates for Hardy-type operators on the cones.


Roll-forward checkpointing schemes are developed in order to avoid rollback in the presence of independent faults and to increase the possibility that a task completes within a tight deadline. However, despite of the adoption of roll-forward recovery, these schemes are not necessarily appropriate for time-critical applications because interactions with the external environment and communications between processes must be deferred during checkpoint validation steps (typically, two checkpoint intervals) until the fault-free processors are identified. The deadlines on providing services may thus be violated. In this paper we present and discuss two alternative roll-forward recovery schemes, especially for time-critical and interaction-intensive applications, that deliver correct, timely results even when checkpoint validation is required.


We read with interest two British Journal of Dermatology editorials that highlighted the positive role of case reports in the medical literature.1,2 Case scenarios are widely presented in hospital teaching sessions, and some universities build their curricula around 'case-based learning'. It facilitates clinical intuition through pattern recognition.1 This fosters a Bayesian approach, increasing the efficiency of diagnosis.


In patients with heart failure there are distinct functional abnormalities in the myocytes themselves. This review deals with the deteriorations in the myocardial energy metabolism and the recently found alterations in the neurohumoral and hormonal signal transduction and signal realization within the cardiac cells. Beside the reduction in the volume of mitochondria in the overloaded myocardium the energy starvation is also reflected by a decrease in the content of high energy phosphates. Studies on nonfailing and failing human ventricular myocardium identified significant alterations in the neurohumoral regulation of the heart including the fluxes and the transport processes of Ca2+ as well as the beta-adrenoceptors, G-proteins, cAMP levels and cAMP-mediated processes. Recent data on the existence of auto-antibodies against the ADP/ATP translocator of the mitochondrial membrane and of stimulatory acting autoantibodies against i) the L-type calcium channel and ii) the beta 1-adrenoceptor, respectively, in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, may open a new view in the etiology of heart failure and for consequences in the therapeutic concept of these diseases.


The purpose of this study was to identify trends in the utilization and acceptance of handheld computers (personal digital assistants) among medical students during preclinical and clinical training. These results can be used to identify differences between preclinical and clinical users, differences between current use and idealized use, and perceived limitations of these devices.


The estimation of soil erosion in Taiwan and many countries of the world is based on the widely used universal soil loss equation (USLE), which includes the factor of soil erodibility (K-factor). In Taiwan, K-factor values are referenced from past research compiled in the Taiwan Soil and Water Conservation Manual, but there is limited data for the downstream area of the Shihmen reservoir watershed. The designated K-factor from the manual cannot be directly applied to large-scale regional levels and also cannot distinguish and clarify the difference of soil erosion between small field plots or subdivisions. In view of the above, this study establishes additional values of K-factor by utilizing the double rings infiltration test and measures of soil physical–chemical properties and increases the spatial resolution of K-factor map for Shihmen reservoir watershed. Furthermore, the established values of K-factors were validated with the designated value set at Fuxing Sanmin from the manual for verifying the correctness of estimates. It is found that the comparative results agree well with established estimates within an allowable error range. Thus, the K-factors established by this study update the previous K-factor system and can be spatially estimated for any area of interest within the Shihmen reservoir watershed and improving upon past limitations.


HIV / AIDS is one of the major public health problems in Tanzania. A community based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to identify socio-cultural factors influencing HIV transmission among Wagogo tribe in Ibihwa Village Bahi District Dodoma. The study revealed that about (98.9%) of the respondents aware about HIV/AIDS. A majority (95.6%) of the respondents were aware about main cause of HIV transmission as sexual intercourse, Mother to child transmission (77.6%), sharing of sharp equipments (63.2%) and Blood transfusion (20%). Majority (74.3%) of the respondents were related to agricultural activities, while 3.3% were civil servants. Some of the detrimental traditional practices identified in the study include widow inheritance with 5% of the respondents traditional practices traditional widow inheritance which is detrimental, 11% of  respondents said girls got married earlier,while, polygamous marriage contributed to 13%, whereas 26% associated themselves with extramarital sexual relationships, and 66% of the respondents reported practicing Female Genital Mutilation. KEY WORDS :HIV, AIDS, Socio-cultural Factors, Female Genital Mutilation


Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a major burden upon health-care facilities in all countries. Electrolyte imbalances (EI) are very common in admitted patients with diabetes which leads to substantial morbidity and mortality. Every patient with diabetes needs thorough evaluation for the etiology and precipitating factors responsible for EI and therefore rational management. Data regarding the incidence of EI in DM in our country is limited. There is no existing record for profiling of EI in Bangladeshi diabetic subjects. The objective of this study was to find out the common types of EI in hospitalized diabetic patients and to determine the influencing factors responsible for them. Samples were selected from all adult nonpregnant diabetic patients admitted in the indoor, department of Medicine with electrolyte disturbances irrespective of their cause of admission. A total number of 150 admitted diabetic patients with electrolyte imbalance were interviewed, examined physically and laboratory specimen taken for biochemical analysis. Information was collected in a semi structured data collection form for analysis. Hyponatremia was found to be the most common EI in admitted diabetic patients. Electrolyte imbalance was found to be more common in the aged and female populations. Common factors influencing EI were vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, uncontrolled diabetes with severe hyperglycemia and certain drugs especially diuretics. Among the other well established complications of diabetes like acute metabolic complications, microangiopathy and macroangiopathy, EI should also be considered especially in the admitted patients. KYAMC Journal Vol. 5, No.-1, Jul 2014, Page 458-466


This study aims to investigate the effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic on university students and their families. A total of 274 students participated in this study. A questionnaire is developed regarding the physical, psychological, and social effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and sent to the students via e‐mail. According to the results of the study, students who contracted COVID‐19 experienced significantly higher musculoskeletal pain (MSP) (p = 0.01). Students with increased propensity for harmful habits experienced significantly more MSP (p = 0.01). Anxiety levels of students who experienced MSP were significantly higher (p = 0.01). Students living in an inadequate home environment were significantly more prone to harmful habits (p = 0.01). The anxiety level of the students who experienced domestic unrest was high (p = 0.02). The home environment of students with economic difficulties was significantly inadequate (p = 0.01). The anxiety levels of the students whose participation in sports and art activities decreased, were high (p = 0.04). The home environment of the students who reported that they were positively affected by distance education was significantly inadequate (p = 0.03). The authors suggest that physiotherapy, nutrition and psychological assistance services should be provided to students, scholarship opportunities and extracurricular activities (art and sports activities) should be increased.


Histoquantitative methods were applied to the study of the bursa dependence of the while pulp structures of normal chickens and chickens bursectomized neonatally by surgical means or chemically by the anal application of colchicine solution. The morphometrical analysis of the spleens from 6- and 12-week-old bursectomized chickens showed that the amount of the white pulp tissue and its compartments, periellipsoidal lymphoid tissue (PELT), periarteriolar lymphoid tissue (PALT) as well as the number of the germinal centers (GC), were decreased, when compared to the controls. The perivenous lymphoid tissue (PVLT) seemed not to be affected by the bursectomies. The results indicate that the PELT, PALT and GCs are bursa-dependent structures of chicken spleen, whereas the PVLT seems to be bursa-independent.


In all societies, considering the nature of physicians' profession, regarded as one of the confident groups among other social strata as well as in the courts, physicians had very high dignity and acquired kings' revere accordingly. However, in diplomatic relations confidence strengthens mutualties. Isaac Beg was one of Iranian medics who arrived in the palace of Stephan III in 1474. In the aforementioned era, European rulers grappled with the Ottomans who tried to gain control over seas and disturbed the process of trade in the Levant. King of Aq Qoyunlu after suzerainty over the domestic rivals could gain power in Persia and inclined to dominate Anatolia in 1473. On the other hand, by gaining initial success in Anatolia, Sultan Mohamed II stood against Aq Qoyunlu ambitions, but Uzun Hasan held his dogged point to accomplish the mentioned goal. Although Europe languished in chaos and the continuous outbreaks on Wallachia exhausted and blurred lifestyle, Stephan III launched some sterunous marches but when battles bursted between rulers of Hungary and Moldavia, the latter was injured and entreated Uzun Hasan to dispatch a physician to cure his wounded leg. This article tries to portray the attempts of Aq Qoyunlu ruler in invoking Europeans to open an outlet to trade and to beginning a new crusade against Ottoman progress.


The Tenth World Wilderness Congress (WILD10) met in Salamanca, Spain in 2013. The symposium on science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values was the largest of multiple symposia held in conjunction with the Congress. This symposium was organized and sponsored by the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, the Wildland Research Institute of the University of Leeds, CzechGlobe - Global Change Research Centre, and the WILD Foundation. The papers contained in these proceedings were generated at this symposium, but not all authors submitted papers for consideration for inclusion in these proceedings. They have been organized into four major sections: (1) Europe: Intervention and Nonintervention to Meet Protection Goals, (2) Australia and Antarctica: Geography of Place and Spirit in The Big Wild, (3) Africa and North America: Linkages Across Boundaries to Protect Nature, and (4) Old World and New World: The Relationships Between Wilderness, Human Health and Culture. Included are papers that address wildland issues on all continents, but wilderness designation, protection and restoration processes and challenges vary tremendously from North America to Europe and from Antarctica to Africa, thus sections are defined by geography and topic.


Laser intensity modulated, time dependent exposure is calculated analytically using a diode circuit model. We found that the exposure of individual pulses with different intensities can be spatially superimposed by scaling the exposure based on the intensities. However, when the beam stays on and changes its intensity, this scaling method is no longer appropriate since there is no contribution from the fall time when the intensity changes. In this case, exposure calculation must be carried out from time dependent intensity equations with the current and previous asymptotic intensity levels and the intensity just before the beam changes its intensity. Different exposure integrals are solved separately depending on the relative magnitude of the current intensity. An iterative procedure for calculating the resultant exposure of a pulse with an arbitrary number of intensity modulations is presented and demonstrated.


: This paper examines Mihail Manoilescu's Theory of Protectionism . Its main point was the defense of a permanent or general protection of high productivity sectors, contrasting with List's temporary protection of infant industries. Manoilescu's reasoning goes into a contradiction. He argued that the productivity of agriculture and the productivity of industry would equalize in the long-term. In that case, protection would no longer be necessary. So, his argument needs an additional assumption, that is variable costs of production. Manoilescu mentioned the presence of increasing returns in industry and decreasing returns in agriculture in an appendix. This assumption renders his theory very similar with Graham's argument and contemporary main- stream analysis of trade and protection (P. Krugman, I. Magaziner and R. Reich).


American courts persistently enforce a thick professional norm against plagiarism in filed legal briefs. But while courts variously label the practice as "reprehensible" and "wholly intolerable," they never bother to explain why, exactly, plagiarism is worthy of such heavy rebuke. Instead, the courts proceed as though plagiarism is a malum se offense, a practice of such obvious moral turpitude that its prohibition requires no further explanation. The courts are flatly wrong about plagiarism. Plagiarism breaches no universal moral code. And once you take morality off the table, it is near-impossible to locate the interests served by the courts' rule against plagiarism. Indeed, when the efficiencies obtained by plagiarism are placed on the scales, the case turns decidedly in favor of plagiarism as a legitimate means of brief drafting.


Fractional-order controllers have gained significant research interest in various practical applications due to the additional degrees of freedom offered in their tuning process. The main contribution of this work is the analog implementation, for the first time in the literature, of a fractional-order controller with a transfer function that is not directly constructed from terms of the fractional-order Laplacian operator. This is achieved using Padé approximation, and the resulting integer-order transfer function is implemented using operational transconductance amplifiers as active elements. Post-layout simulation results verify the validity of the introduced procedure.


Multitask learning (MTL) aims to improve the generalization performance of multiple tasks by exploiting the shared factors among them. Various metrics (e.g.,  $F$ -score, area under the ROC curve) are used to evaluate the performances of MTL methods. Most existing MTL methods try to minimize either the misclassified errors for classification or the mean squared errors for regression. In this paper, we propose a method to directly optimize the evaluation metrics for a large family of MTL problems. The formulation of MTL that directly optimizes evaluation metrics is the combination of two parts: 1) a regularizer defined on the weight matrix over all tasks, in order to capture the relatedness of these tasks and 2) a sum of multiple structured hinge losses, each corresponding to a surrogate of some evaluation metric on one task. This formulation is challenging in optimization because both of its parts are nonsmooth. To tackle this issue, we propose a novel optimization procedure based on the alternating direction scheme of multipliers, where we decompose the whole optimization problem into a subproblem corresponding to the regularizer and another subproblem corresponding to the structured hinge losses. For a large family of MTL problems, the first subproblem has closed-form solutions. To solve the second subproblem, we propose an efficient primal-dual algorithm via coordinate ascent. Extensive evaluation results demonstrate that, in a large family of MTL problems, the proposed MTL method of directly optimization evaluation metrics has superior performance gains against the corresponding baseline methods.


Endometrial Cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignancy of the female reproductive system. With an increasing incidence, it is important to improve the new prognosis ways for its pre-diagnosis that must be early, accurate and effective. This study aimed to search for biological (like some new interleukins) which could help in early diagnosis of EC before the hysterectomy. Currently not enough research is being done exploiting linking between the interleukins submitted in this study and EC. Epically IL-36 and IL-38, which have been recently described and are still under study in the world. This study is the first of its kind in Iraq. Fifty-five patients with EC (mainly in their first or second stage, due to early diagnosis and who newly have the symptoms and pain as a result of cancer) and 57 healthy controls (with ages up to 45) were involved in this study. To measure the concentration of the following interleukins: IL-27, 31, 33, 35, 36 and 38 by ELISA, blood samples were collected from women via vein puncture. The results of this study showed a highly significant (P≤0.01) increase in Interleukin 27 (IL-27), Interleukin 31 (IL-31) and Interleukin 33 (IL-33) among all studied interleukins levels in EC patient as compared with healthy controls. Interleukin 35 (IL-35), Interleukin 36 (IL-36) and Interleukin 38 (IL-38) also showed highly significant (P≤0.01) increase in EC patients as compared with healthy women. The significant increase (P≤0.01) of these interleukins can be used to help in the early diagnosis and treatment of EC, without need to hysterectomy or histological diagnosis.


Current efforts on lead sulfide quantum dot (PbS QD) solar cells are mostly paid to the device architecture engineering and postsynthetic surface modification, while very rare work regarding the optimization of PbS synthesis is reported. Here, PbS QDs are successfully synthesized using PbO and PbAc2 · 3H2O as the lead sources. QD solar cells based on PbAc‐PbS have demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.82% (and independently certificated values of 10.62%), which is significantly higher than the PCE of 9.39% for PbO‐PbS QD based ones. For the first time, systematic investigations are carried out on the effect of lead precursor engineering on the device performance. It is revealed that acetate can act as an efficient capping ligands together with oleic acid, providing better surface coverage and replace some of the harmful hydroxyl (OH) ligands during the synthesis. Then the acetate on the surface can be exchanged by iodide and lead to desired passivation. This work demonstrates that the precursor engineering has great potential in performance improvement. It is also pointed out that the initial synthesis is an often neglected but critical stage and has abundant room for optimization to further improve the quality of the resultant QDs, leading to breakthrough efficiency.


Suicide attacks have raised the stakes for officers deciding whether or not to shoot a suspect ('Police Officer's Terrorist Dilemma'). Despite high-profile errors we know little about how trust in the police is affected by their response to the terrorist threat. Building on a conceptualisation of lay observers as intuitive signal detection theorists, a general population sample (N = 1153) were presented with scenarios manipulated in terms of suspect status (Armed/Unarmed), officer decision (Shoot/Not Shoot) and outcome severity (e.g. suspect armed with Bomb/Knife; police shoot suspect/suspect plus child bystander). Supporting predictions, people showed higher trust in officers who made correct decisions, reflecting good discrimination ability and who decided to shoot, reflecting an 'appropriate' response bias given the relative costs and benefits. This latter effect was moderated by (a) outcome severity, suggesting it did not simply reflect a preference for a particular type of action, and (b) preferences for a tough stance towards terrorism indexed by Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). Despite loss of civilian life, failure to prevent minor terror attacks resulted in no loss of trust amongst people low in RWA, whereas among people high in RWA trust was positive when police erroneously shot an unarmed suspect. Relations to alternative definitions of trust and procedural justice research are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Structural superlubricity describes the state of virtually frictionless sliding if two atomically flat interfaces are incommensurate, that is, they share no common periodicity. Despite the exciting prospects of this low friction phenomenon, there are physical limitations to the existence of this state. Theory predicts that the contact size is one fundamental limit, where the critical size threshold mainly depends on the interplay between lateral contact compliance and interface interaction energies. Here we provide experimental evidence for this size threshold by measuring the sliding friction force of differently sized antimony particles on MoS2. We find that superlubric sliding with the characteristic linear decrease of shear stress with contact size prevails for small particles with contact areas below 15 000 nm2. Larger particles, however, show a transition toward constant shear stress behavior. In contrast, Sb particles on graphite show superlubricity over the whole size range. Ab initio simulations reveal that the chemical interaction energies for Sb/MoS2 are much stronger than for Sb/HOPG and can therefore explain the different friction properties as well as the critical size thresholds. These limitations must be considered when designing low friction contacts based on structural superlubricity concepts.


In an earlier paper (1) the preliminary results of a study of the effect of radiation on the subsequent development of tar tumors were given. The present paper deals with the final results of this experiment. As outlined previously, the experiment consisted of painting with a sample of coal tar of unknown carcinogenic power, the interscapular region of 139 albino mice, chosen from an inbred strain. This strain, called strain 3, developed by the biologist of the State Institute, Mr. Marsh, is a high-cancer strain, in which upwards of 80 per cent of the bred females develop spontaneous mammary cancer, while the unbred females have a cancer incidence which is slightly lower and somewhat retarded. The mice used in this experiment were unbred females and therefore belong in the latter group. The tar was applied twice weekly, one group receiving 8 applications, another 16 applications, and a third group 24 applications. Following the tarring, each large group was divided into two subgroups, one of which was radiated with heavy doses of gamma rays, while the other was held as a control group. Approximately six months after cessation of tarring, when the mice were ten to eleven months old, all of the animals still alive (103 in number), irrespective of the grouping, showed widely distributed multiple tumors on the skin (Figs. 1–4). The location of these tumors bore no relation to the site painted; in fact, this site rarely showed any tumor formation. The widespread occurrence of the tumors is indicated by the fact that 26 separate and distinct nodules were counted on one animal.


This paper describes the design of a 0.5-6.6 Gb/s fully-adaptive low-power quad transceiver embedded in low-leakage 28 nm CMOS FPGAs. Integration techniques enable the utilization of the transceiver in FPGAs with both wire-bond and flip-chip packages and resolve significant challenges with receiver input and transmitter output insertion loss, power integrity, ESD, and reliability. The transceiver clocking network provides continuous operation range up to the maximum speed and incorporates two wide-range ring-based PLLs for enhanced clocking flexibility. The receiver front-end utilizes a 3-stage CTLE with wide input common-mode to remove the post-cursor ISI. The CTLE is fully adaptive using an LMS algorithm and edge-based equalization. The transmitter utilizes a 3-tap FIR. The transceiver achieves BER 10-15 at 6.6 Gb/s over a 20 dB loss channel. Power consumption is 129 mW from 1.2 V and 1 V supplies.


A retrospective chart review study was performed to determine the presence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children with primary mitochondrial disease (MD). The symptoms, sleep-related breathing, and movement abnormalities are described for 18 subjects (ages 1.5 to 18 years, 61% male) with MD who underwent polysomnography in our pediatric sleep center from 2007 to 2012. Of the 18 subjects with MD, the common indications for polysomnography were excessive somnolence or fatigue (61%, N = 11), snoring (44%, N = 8), and sleep movement complaints (17%, N = 3). Polysomnographic measurements showed SDB in 56% (N = 10) (obstructive sleep apnea in 60% (N = 6), hypoxemia in 40% (N = 4), and sleep hypoventilation in 20% (N = 2)). There was a significant association between decreased muscle tone and SDB (P: 0.043) as well as obese and overweight status with SDB (P = 0.036). SDB is common in subjects with MD. Early detection of SDB, utilizing polysomnography, should be considered to assist in identification of MD patients who may benefit from sleep-related interventions.


We address the problem of distribution shifts in test-time data with a principled data augmentation scheme for the task of content-level classification. In such a task, properties such as shape or transparency of test-time containers (cup or drinking glass) may differ from those represented in the training data. Dealing with such distribution shifts using standard augmentation schemes is challenging and transforming the training images to cover the properties of the test-time instances requires sophisticated image manipulations. We therefore generate diverse augmentations using a family of max-entropy transformations that create samples with new shapes, colors and spectral charac-teristics. We show that such a principled augmentation scheme, alone, can replace current approaches that use transfer learning or can be used in combination with transfer learning to improve its performance.


Major seismic events occurring around urban centres often cause widespread damage to the building stock. Engineers are then required to perform safety inspections of these buildings. This process may be time-consuming and can cause residents or businesses to be displaced for a considerable duration even if the building is safe to occupy. Furthermore, other post-earthquake recovery phases, such as repair and demolition/reconstruction works, may not even initiate until the building inspection phase is complete. As such, the disruptions caused by post-earthquake inspection need to be considered when modelling building occupancy/functionality downtime.
This study uses the data obtained from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake to develop a post-earthquake inspection duration quantification model. Firstly, the duration of the rapid assessment phase is estimated from the number of damaged buildings to be assessed, the total number of available engineers, and the median time needed for assessing each building. Secondly, the probability of a building being assigned a certain colour tag (White, Yellow or Red) is derived based on the extent of damage. Finally, both sets of information are combined to quantify the post-earthquake inspection duration. A case study is examined to demonstrate the application of the proposed model.


Avian influenza A virus subtypes H5N1 and H9N2 are contagious zoonotic diseases that are circulating in Indonesia and have raised increasing concern about their potential impacts on poultry and public health. A cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of avian influenza A virus subtypes H5N1 and H9N2 among poultry in the live bird markets of four cities in East Java province, Indonesia.

 A total of 600 tracheal and cloacal swabs (267 from backyards, 179 from broilers, and 154 from layers) from healthy birds were collected. The samples were inoculated into specific pathogenic-free embryonated eggs at 9-day-old via the allantoic cavity. qRT-PCR was used for further identification of avian influenza.

 The overall prevalence of circulating influenza A virus subtypes H5N1 and H9N2 was 3.8% (23/600, 95%CI [0.0229–0.0537]). Prevalence was higher in backyards at 5.99% (16/267) followed by broilers (2.23% (4/179)) and layers (1.68% (3/154)). The final multivariable model revealed five risk factors for H9N2 infections: presence of ducks (p = 0.003, OR = 38.2), turkeys (p = 0.017 OR = 0.032), and pheasants in the stall (p = 0.04, OR = 18.422), dry (p = 0.006) and rainy season (p < 0.001), and household birds (p = 0.002) and seven factors for H5N1 infections including: observing rodents (p = 0.036, OR = 0.005), stray dogs access (p = 0.004 OR ≤ 0.001), presence of turkeys (p = 0.03 OR = 0.007), chukars/partridges (p = 0.024 OR = 2500), and peafowls in the stalls (p = 0.0043 OR ≤ 0.001), rainy season (p = 0.001) and birds from the household sources (p = 0.002) in the live bird markets.

 The findings of the current study illustrate the recurring infection and presence of both avian influenza viruses and associated risk factors in the surveyed marketplaces. Effective protective measures and mitigation strategies for risks outlined in this study could help to reduce the burden of H5N1 and H9N2 AI subtypes into the live bird markets of Indonesia.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present how the social learning theory of Bourdieu (1990; Bourdieu and Passeron, 1990) can be a valuable tool to investigate mentoring relationships of beginning teachers with their more experienced colleagues. Bourdieu's work provides a lens to magnify the social exchanges that occur during the mentoring relationship, so that what tends to be hidden in the "logic of practice" (Bourdieu, 1990) is drawn into view. The paper shows how the mentor is ascribed power that enables domination, and how this tends to result in cultural reproduction. A case study is used to identify aspects of social and cultural learning that demonstrate this process.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a year-long narrative inquiry of beginning secondary teachers' mentoring experiences in the state of Victoria, Australia. The data were generated through in-depth interviews and participants' diary entries to answer the research question "What personal, professional knowledge is developed through beginning teachers' early experiences with induction and mentoring?"

Findings

The researcher found that attention to minutiae of mentor/mentee interactions can suggest how symbolic violence shapes personal, professional knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

This small-scale study has some limitations. However, as an illustration of organisational learning, with strong connections to Bourdieu's theoretical work, it can provide some illuminating insights into how policy can be enacted at the micro-level. In particular, there are implications for how mentor teachers engage in their roles and understand the potential impact of their interactions with beginning teachers.

Originality/value

This study applies Bourdieu's framework of cultural reproduction as an analysis tool for a qualitative study of the mentoring of beginning teachers.


Venereal disease (VD) programs in England West Germany Denmark and Sweden were studied in 1975 and compared with the program in Canada. Pronounced variation was found in case reporting procedures contact tracing treatment services and health education. Only Canadian physicians are required to identify VD patients by name in their statistical reports which contributes to underreporting. There are over 200 special VD clinics in England administered by the hospital system and providing free treatment. In the other countries studied those suspecting they have VD consult a general practitioner a specialist in venereology and dermatology or attend a public clinic. Physicians in England West Germany and Canada cannot treat a minor without parental consent. The incidence of reported cases of both syphilis and gonorrhea rose more markedly in Canada during 1969-73 than in the other 4 countries. Overall the results of the comparison suggest that Canada could benefit from careful attention to the British system considered to be the most effective. It is recognized that much of the effectiveness of the British system is due to the unique method of reimbursing general practitioners in that country. Nonetheless specific features of the VD programs in England and other European countries that could be applied to Canada include: 1) statistical rather than individual reporting of cases; 2) physical location of clinics in hospitals; 3) establishment of clinics in smaller as well as large cities; 4) extension of clinic activities to encompass management of all sexually transmitted diseases; 5) more serious attention to investigation and epidemiologic control of nonspecific genital infections which in England are about 1.4 times as common as gonorrhea in both sexes combined; 6) special training in venereology for physicians in charge of clinics; 7) training and increased use of public health nurses and social workers in contact tracing; 8) increased use of public health nurses for health education of high risk groups; 9) compulsory sex education in schools; 10) increased use of vending machines for condom sales; and 11) legislation to facilitate treatment and examination of minors without parental consent.


Personal hygiene is a necessity of every person including people with mental disorder. People who are able to fulfill his needs during lives at home is family. The main personal hygiene that needs to be fulfilled is the hygiene of the body and the welfare of the physical and psychological. Research purposes was to know the family effort to fulfilling for personal hygiene of people with mental disorder. The research design used descriptive. The research population were families who have's members with mental disorder who are registered at public health center of Kepanjen Kidul of Blitar City. Samples size were 30 families selected by purposive sampling. Time of data collected on the Mei 31 st until July 30 th , 2017. The result showed that the family effort was as good as 24 families (80.0%), enough as much as 5 families (16.7%), and less as much as 1 family (3.3%). Personal hygiene of person with mental disorder needs that are the needs of dress and toilet. Recommended to maintained of family efforts to fulfill of his personal hygiene need using health education by health provider.


Modern society is said to be a knowledge society. Yet the academic discourse on the topics of learning and knowledge production is fragmented. In order to build bridges between different traditions, we review three discursive formations on contemporary knowledge production in science and innovation: the social shaping of science (SSS) discourse, the knowledge in innovation (KNOWINN) discourse and the analogy in science (ANALOG) discourse. We argue that the three discourses should be seen as complementary; and that a more comprehensive approach to the study of knowledge production in contemporary society can be developed by combining them. We illustrate this with an empirical example from the field of biotechnological science and innovation, and end the paper with a few proposals for fruitful ways of combining and juxtaposing the perspectives developed within the three discourses.


Persisting musculoskeletal complaints in the neck-shoulder region are highly prevalent and associated with high health care and community costs in industrialized countries. The mechanisms underlying the development and perpetuation of these complaints have not fully been identified yet, but explanatory models and hypotheses generally acknowledge a role to abnormal muscle activation patterns. From a physiological perspective the painspasm-
pain and the pain-adaptation models ascribe an important role to abnormal muscle activation. However, the leading hypothesis in this field is the Cinderella hypothesis, which suggests that lack of complete muscle relaxation, rather than abnormal muscle activation levels, is relevant for developing and perpetuating complaints. The hypothesis has especially been investigated in subjects with (computer) work-related neck-shoulder complaints, in whom contraction levels are relatively low but continuous over a long time frame. A purely physiological approach of musculoskeletal neck-shoulder complaints related to abnormal muscle activation patterns is according to the commonly adopted biopsychosocial approach not tenable. Within this approach the fear-avoidance and the
avoidance-endurance models are relevant, describing the role of cognitions and behaviour in perpetuating pain and disability, and also indirectly addressing the reflected effects on muscle activation patterns. As such, normalisation of muscle activation patterns has been a
starting point for developing an intervention strategy for treating musculoskeletal neckshoulder pain. An appropriate method for this purpose may be ambulant myofeedback
training based on the Cinderella hypothesis, which provides feedback to the subject when muscle relaxation is insufficient. This feedback is anticipated to increase muscle relaxation levels contributing to recovery in terms of pain and disability, but likely other factors like
cognitions and behavioural characteristics are important for outcome after myofeedback training as well. The ambulant Cinderella-based myofeedback approach is deviating from traditional feedback studies in that feedback is provided when the muscle is insufficiently
relaxed rather than when muscle activation exceeds a certain threshold, and in that it enables continuous monitoring. This makes it potentially more effective than traditional feedback approaches. This thesis aimed at evaluating the effects and mechanisms of ambulant
Cinderella-based myofeedback training in subjects with persistent musculoskeletal neckshoulder pain, primarily focusing on subjects with neck-shoulder complaints related to work but also exploring its effects in subjects with Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD).


Background: Supraspinatus tendinitis is defined as the nontraumatic, inflammatory and /or degenerative changes of tendon. It manifests a pain on lateral aspect of shoulder, painful arc and /or pain on full elevation of shoulder and tenderness at greater tuberosity of humerus. Supraspinatus is the most utilized muscle of entire shoulder complex. It provides dynamic as well as static stability to glenohumeraljoint. The tendon is subjected to large internal forces even during quite routine activities. Shoulder problems are most common orthopedic complaints referring to physiotherapy after back pain and knee pain.The supraspinatus muscle frequently undergoes rupture, as such it is the main site of impingement .Clinically supraspinatus tendinitis causes about 60% of all shoulder pain presentations and typically, peaks between the age of 2070. The pain is worsen on abduction and elevation of the arm. The primary function of supraspinatus is to compress humeral head into the glenoid fossa and prevent excessive superior translation of the humeral head during functional activities. It is advocated that the lateral rotation and medial rotation strength ratio of supraspinatus muscle significantly less in subjects with shoulder pain and dysfunctions .Usual strengthening exercises help to strengthen the muscle which is not related with fine tuning of the glenohumeral joint. The mental imagery exercise is helping the patient to do the fine control activities and specific strengthening to supraspinatus muscle. Aim: The study is to investigate the effect of mental imagery strengthening techniques exercises in supraspinatus tendinitis. Methodology: The population includes patients who were diagnosed having supraspinatus tendinitis .A total of 30 patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group A (Experimental Group 1) was treated with Strengthening Exercises and Conventional Physiotherapy .Group B (Experimental group 2) was treated with Mental Imagery Techniques and Conventional Physiotherapy. The outcome measurement used for the study was SPADI for pain and disability. Goniometer for shoulder abduction ROM. The pretest values were taken on the 1day before the treatment and posttest values were taken on 21 day. (3 week study).Total duration of the study was 03 weeks. For both the groups the treatment was carried out one session daily for 3 weeks. One session was lasting for 45 minutes. The total data collection period was 6 Months. Student `t` test was used to compare ROM, Pain and disability between groups and within groups. Both groups response to the treatment were analyzed by using paired `t` test. Result: When considering the parameters like Shoulder ROM (goniometer), Pain and Disability (SPADI). Group B (Experimental group 2) showed highly significant effect when compared to group A (Experimental group 1) (p<0.001). Conclusion: The Mental imagery technique may be more effective in improving shoulder abduction range and shoulder functions in patients with supraspinatus tendinitis .Mental imagery technique is simple and cost effective and can be given adjunct to physiotherapy treatment in supraspinatus tendinitis.


Abstract Our environment, which is endowed by nature, needs to be protected from ever-increasing chemical pollution. The challenge for the institution and industries is to come together and pursue development in the field of greener chemistry by reducing or eliminating the use and generation of hazardous substances. We have organized a national and international symposium for promoting green chemistry in India, which has provided the platform for interaction of concepts among the leading scientists. The main idea behind this to activate work toward green chemistry for which involvement of academic, industrial, and governmental and non-governmental bodies is needed collectively, which will help the designing and development of environment-friendly chemistry practices in India.


In Pakistan, a dozen young women attended a "Girl Child Project (GCP) Supervisors Meeting" in a rural home. While this gathering hardly seems revolutionary, the young women had to take the unusual step of travelling unescorted to attend, relying on community recognition of their hard-earned status as Baiji (aunt/elder sister). Later, a effervescent leader conducted a tour of her project ward where girls do needlework, operate nursery schools, attend sewing or literacy classes, and tend a vegetable garden. At the start of her 7-year involvement with the GCP, this leader, who now inspires awe for her ability to call a public meeting, was a newly widowed mother of a baby who resented the workshops that forced her to talk to outsiders. Another role model is a leader who used the project to develop skills that landed her a full-time job as an extension worker in the National Rural Support Program. The recent arrangements for this young woman's marriage included the unprecedented agreement of her fiance to live with her widowed mother so his new bride could continue to help care for her three younger siblings. The GCP began in the early 1990s by training 500 young women who, in turn, trained others, has expanded to 10,000 girls in 200 locations, and is beginning another major expansion. While the GCP has achieved community support, it will require connections to governmental programs and nonexploitative market mechanisms in order to continue its success. This effort may be aided by the networking of the Family Planning Association of Pakistan and by the government's new educational policy that focuses on the needs of girls.


D-enantiomers of proteinogenic amino acids (D-AAs) are found ubiquitously, but the knowledge about their metabolism and functions in plants is scarce. A long forgotten phenomenon in this regard is the D-AA-stimulated ethylene production in plants. As a starting point to investigate this effect the Arabidopsis accession Landsberg erecta (Ler) got into focus as it was found defective in metabolizing D-AAs. Combining genetics and molecular biology of T-DNA lines and natural variants together with biochemical and physiological approaches we could identify AtDAT1 as a major D-AA transaminase in Arabidopsis. Atdat1 loss-of-function mutants and Arabidopsis accessions with defective AtDAT1 alleles were not able to produce D-Ala, D-Glu and L-Met, the metabolites of D-Met, anymore. This result corroborates the biochemical characterization of AtDAT1, which showed highest activity using D-Met as substrate. Germination of seedlings in light and dark led to enhanced growth inhibition of atdat1 mutants on D-Met. Ethylene measurements revealed an enhanced D-AA stimulated ethylene production in these mutants. According to initial working models of this phenomenon D-Met is preferentially malonylated instead of the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). This decrease of ACC degradation should then lead to the increase of ethylene production. We could observe in our studies a reciprocal relation of malonylated methionine and ACC upon D-Met application and even significantly more malonyl-methionine in atdat1 mutants. Unexpectedly, the malonyl-ACC levels did not differ between mutants and wild type in these experiments. With AtDAT1, the first central enzyme of plant D-AA metabolism was characterized biochemically and physiologically. The specific effects of D-Met on ACC metabolization, ethylene production and plant development of dat1 mutants unraveled the impact of AtDAT1 on these processes, but they are not in full accordance to previous working models. Instead, our results imply the influence of additional candidate factors or processes on D-AA-stimulated ethylene production which await to be uncovered.


Climate change is one of the most important issues to tackle this generation and possibly any generation in history. Bangladesh is a very low energy consuming country, it is pursuing a low carbon growth path, while building its resilience to climate change and reducing the risk of climate change, which represents national development. However, Bangladesh is one of the top 10 nations that are mostly vulnerable to climate change and by the end of the century, Bangladesh may be set to disappear under the waves. The government and non-governmental organizations have a key role to play. This study was carried out by employing a general review of literature on climate change, focusing on its effects in Bangladesh, and the results of specific research recently conducted by the author.


OBJECTIVE
To offer pragmatic, evidence-informed guidance on the use of systemic corticosteroids (SCS) for common otolaryngologic disorders.

DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Cochrane Library, and American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation clinical practice guidelines.

REVIEW METHODS
A comprehensive search of published literature through November 2021 was conducted on the efficacy of SCS, alone or in combination with other treatments, for managing disorders in otolaryngology and the subdisciplines. Clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials, when available, were preferentially retrieved. Interventions and outcomes of SCS use were compiled to generate summary tables and narrative synthesis of findings.

CONCLUSIONS
Evidence on the effectiveness of SCS varies widely across otolaryngology disorders. High-level evidence supports SCS use for Bell's palsy, sinonasal polyposis, and lower airway disease. Conversely, evidence is weak or absent for upper respiratory tract infection, eustachian tube dysfunction, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, or nonallergic rhinitis. Evidence is indeterminate for acute laryngitis, acute pharyngitis, acute sinusitis, angioedema, chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps, Ménière's disease, postviral olfactory loss, postoperative nerve paresis/paralysis, facial pain, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Clinicians should bring an evidence-informed lens to SCS prescribing to best counsel patients regarding the risks, anticipated benefits, and limited data on long-term effects. Alternate routes of corticosteroid administration-such as sprays, drops, inhalers, and intralesional injections-may be preferable for many disorders, particularly those that are self-limited or require a prolonged duration of therapy. Prudent use of SCS reduces the risk of medication-related adverse effects. Clinicians who are conversant with high-level evidence can achieve optimal outcomes and stewardship when prescribing SCS.


The tropics of Malaysia have plenty to offer when it comes to its biodiversity. In the animal kingdom, snakes play a crucial role and form a large component in the ecosystem, with human envenomation being a fairly common problem. From 1965 to 1971, there were 5203 reported cases of venomous snake bites throughout Malaysia, 18 of which being fatal cases. Symptomatology varies, ranging from mild local symptoms on one end of the spectrum to life threatening systemic manifestation on the other end. Quick identification of species and application of basic first aid management is crucial in preventing further complications, whilst awaiting further definitive management if necessary. Thus, a well-established management plan for selecting cases based on recognition of species would ultimately influence the prognosis of victims.


Background And Aims: Few studies on HIV coinfection with hepatitis B and C have been conducted in children especially in low resource settings. These coinfections have been shown to be associated with lower CD4 counts and high alanine transaminase in adults. In children conflicting results from different geographic areas exist. This study evaluates these parameters in coinfected Nigerian children. Method: Some 155 HIV infected children were screened for HBsAg, antiHbC and anti HCV. Those who were positive for HBsAg and antiHBc were also screened for HBeAg. Any child who was positive for any of the serologic parameters had alanine transaminase estimation. Result: Overall prevalence of HIV coinfection with hepatitis B and C was 12.9% (HBV 7.8% and HCV 5.2%). Of the 12 children positive for HBsAg 4(33%) were HBeAg positive while 3(25%) also had anti HBc. Of the remaining HBsAg negative children 8 were positive for antiHBc of which 2 had HBeAg. A total of 6 children were thus positive for HBeAg. The mean CD4 % for the HIV monoinfected and coinfected children were not significantly different (22.05±10.44 vs 18.13±7.41)p=0.11. The CD4 count of monoinfected children (957.14±652.42) was not significantly different from that of coinfected children (959.40±698.49)p=0.99. The mean alanine transaminase level was within normal in 82.1% of the coinfected children. Conclusion: No significant difference in CD4 counts and percentage was found between HIV mono and coinfected children. A significant proportion of HIV infected children were coinfected with either HBV or HCV thus there is need for HIV infected children to be screened for hepatitis B and C. Screening for HBV may require more than testing for only HBsAg as HBV infection may be present in the setting of negative HBsAg. Keywords : Laboratory features, HIV, HBV, HCV, coinfections Erratum: The name of the co-author, N.J Idoriyekemwen, was inadvertently omitted from ABS Vol. 11, No. 1, January 2012. Thus the Editorial Board has deemed it proper to reproduce the Title Page. Our apology to the author for the inconvenience.