Introduction and Objective: Thalassemia and its complications affect the quality of life of these individuals. Therefore, nursing interventions by nurses as essential careers of these patients are necessary. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Orem's self-care model on the quality of life associated with the disease in patients with β-thalassemia major.

Methods: This is a semi-experimental interventional study with pre-test and post-test design. This study was performed on 80 patients with β-thalassemia in Dezful-Iran in 2015 and then randomly divided into two groups of 40 subjects. Data collection tool was SF-36 questionnaire. Educational package, self-care based on need assessment and based on Orem selfcare model, was taught to patients in a 60 minute session.

Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic variables (p>0.005). The results showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the control and education groups in terms of quality of life were observed (p<0.005).

Conclusion: Orem self-care can increase the quality of life of patients with major β-thalassemia. Therefore, this method can be used as a simple and low cost supplementary non-pharmacological treatment in order to increase the quality of life associated with their health.


Amphiphilic peptides designed to have a pH-dependent conformational change and membrane activity are described. At physiologic pH, the peptides would exist in a random coil conformation, but at endosomal pH values they would switch to amphiphilic alpha-helices, disrupt membranes, and release liposomal contents. A series of peptides have been investigated that contain a high percentage of Glu residues for the pH-induced conformational switch, and Leu residues for optimal lipid binding. Circular dichroism (CD) results in aqueous and liposomal environments were performed and demonstrate a pH-dependent shift to helicity upon acidification. Liposomal release data at neutral and acidic pH, also document the success of this design strategy.


This paper identifies strategies to build a library consortium from a long term point of view. Contrary to the conventional wisdom to build a consortium around groups of homogenous institutions (Davis, 2002), we find that libraries with similar preferences are likely to lose from building a consortium while libraries with opposite preferences almost always gain from it. Our results suggest a strong tension between a short-term strategy and a long-term strategy as long as the former dictates forming a consortium around libraries with homogenous preferences in order to gain from quantity discounts. This tension might create a "library consortium trap".


Systemic or intra-hippocampal administration of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin generally leads to impairments in memory tested 24 hr or more after training but spares memory for a few hours after training. Thus, amnesia does not appear immediately after training but develops with time, findings most often interpreted as evidence for distinct short- and long-term memory processes. However, time courses for the onset of amnesia vary substantially after treatment with protein synthesis inhibitors. Some of the variability across experiments may reflect task-related differences or, perhaps relatedly, may reflect memory processing mediated by different neural systems. In the present experiments, anisomycin was infused into either the hippocampus or the amygdala 20 min before inhibitory avoidance training. Similar to previous findings, intra-hippocampus injections of anisomycin impaired memory tested 48 hr after training yet spared memory tested 4 hr after training. In contrast, intra-amygdala injections of anisomycin impaired memory tested at 0.5, 4, and 48 hr after training, revealing no evidence for spared memory at short times after training. The distinct temporal properties for amnesia following anisomycin injections into the hippocampus or amygdala may reflect different consequences for memory of perturbations of the neural system in which the manipulation is made.


Abstract Due to their complex mental health needs, female inmates comprise a particularly vulnerable group, at an elevated risk for suicide. Although suicidal ideation—the early stage in the trajectory towards suicidal behavior—represents a valid target for suicide prevention, there has been little research devoted to this outcome among female inmates. In order to address this void and to inform prevention efforts, the present study sought to investigate correlates of recent suicidal ideation among women incarcerated in Flanders, Belgium. A representative sample of prisoners (N = 123; aged 19–70 years) was randomly selected from all Flemish correctional facilities detaining female inmates, representing one in four incarcerated women throughout Belgium. Prevalence estimates for lifetime history of suicide ideation and attempts are 57.7% and 36.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicates that women with recent suicidal ideation while incarcerated are significantly more likely than their non-suicidal peers to report a lifetime history of non-suicidal self-injury (aOR = 7.36), in-prison drug use (aOR = 4.72), and severe psychological distress (aOR = 3.14). The findings highlight the importance of providing adequate mental health services in prison, in order to address women's unique needs and vulnerabilities, and consequently, to reduce suicide risk.


The recently discovered FeAs-based superconductors are a new, promising set of materials for technological and basic research. They offer transition temperatures as high as 55 K as well as essentially isotropic, and extremely large, upper, superconducting critical fields, in excess of 40 T at 20 K. In addition, they may well provide insight into exotic superconductivity that extends beyond just FeAs-based superconductivity, perhaps even shedding light on the still-perplexing CuO-based high-Tc materials. Whereas superconductivity can be induced in the RFeAsO (R ¼ rare earth) and AEFe2As2 (AE ¼ Ba, Sr, Ca) families by several means, transition metal (TM) doping of BaFe2As2 [e.g., Ba(Fe1–xTMx)2As2] offers the easiest experimental access to a wide set of materials and states. In this review, we present an overview and summary of the effect of TM-doping (TM ¼ Co, Ni, Cu, Pd, and Rh) on BaFe2As2. The resulting phase diagrams reveal the nature of the interaction between the structural, magnetic, and superconducting phase transitions in these compounds and delineate a region of phase space that allows for the stabilization of superconductivity.


Taurine is actively transported at the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) apical membrane in an Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent manner. Diabetes may alter the function of the taurine transporter. Because nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes, we asked whether NO would alter the activity of the taurine transporter in cultured ARPE-19 cells. The activity of the transporter was stimulated in the presence of the NO donor 3-morpholinosydnonimine. The stimulatory effects of 3-morpholinosydnonimine were not observed during the initial 16-h treatment; however, stimulation of taurine uptake was elevated dramatically above control values with 20- and 24-h treatments. Kinetic analysis revealed that the stimulation was associated with an increase in the maximal velocity of the transporter with no significant change in the substrate affinity. The NO-induced increase in taurine uptake was inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide. RT-PCR analysis and nuclear run-on assays provided evidence for upregulation of the transporter gene. This study provides the first evidence of an increase in taurine transporter gene expression in human RPE cells cultured under conditions of elevated levels of NO.


This thesis explores fabric (arrangement of particles and voids) evolution of sands under triaxial compression using the X-ray Microscopy Facility for Imaging Geo-materials (XMFIG) established at the Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University. A number of new essential image-processing algorithms consisting of the Monash Particle Separation Method (MPSM) have been developed. All analyses clearly reveal the localisation and anisotropic behaviour of fabric parameters during shearing. The unreliability of global measurements as critical state parameters is exposed. This thesis shows the high potential of X-ray CT in studying the internal topology of soils and advanced micromechanical phenomena, which were previously speculative.


This paper investigates the design and implementation of programmable FIR filters in FPGAs, for applications requiring the highest sampling rates. A comparison of architectures is made, with a quantitative evaluation of the direct and direct transposed forms in terms of logic resources. A qualitative assessment of placement and routing issues is also made. Two types of programmable filters are considered. In the first case, all coefficients are allowed the same dynamic range. In the second case, programmability is allowed but for a restricted set of linear phase filters where the center coefficients are allotted more bits. Implementation details leading to a cost and performance comparison are given. For a filter with 32 coefficients, the transposed form requires 11% and 32% more arithmetic resources for the general and restricted cases, respectively, and 24% fewer memory elements in either case


The Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP) is a NRC-funded, multi-year program conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). One of the goals of the program is to develop a complete, fully coupled analysis procedure (including methods and computer codes) for estimating the risk of an earthquake-caused radioactive release from commercial nuclear power plant. The analysis procedure is based upon a state-of-the-art evaluation of the current seismic analysis design process and explicitly includes the uncertainties inherent in such a process. The results will be used to improve seismic licensing requirements for nuclear power plants. In Phase I, a probabilistic computational procedure was developed for the seismic safety assessment. In Phase II, sensitivity studies were performed, codes and models were improved, and analysis of the Zion plant was completed.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of the IgY solution on dental plaque and mutans Streptococci in plaque and in saliva.

METHODS
A double-blind study was used. 44 school children at the third grade in test group used the IgY solution for 21 days; 41 children in control group used the placebo. The plaque index, the plaque weight, the level of mutans streptococci in saliva and in plaque were tested for all children.

RESULTS
The plaque weight in test group was (46.4 +/- 31.2) mg at baseline, and (36.6 +/- 25.6) mg at the end of the study (P = 0.007). The IgY solution reduced 21.1% plaque weight. Statistically significant differences for other indices were not shown in this study.

CONCLUSION
The 0.1% IgY solution reduces the mass of plaque on the tooth surfaces.


— To abstract a concept from the raw data user may choose any classification algorithm of processor interest, or choose one that appears to be good at learning the current data. Information is commonly used and can achieve reasonable classification accuracy in general. A trigger detection algorithm finds instances, across which the underlying concept has changed and the prediction model should be modified. It is especially important when concept shifts. A classification methodology is used here with two parameters window size and error threshold. The beginning of the window is always a misclassified instance. When the window is full and its error rate exceeds the error threshold, the beginning instance is taken as a trigger; otherwise, the beginning of the window is slid to the next misclassified instance (if there is any) and previous instances are dropped from the window. The temporarily package holds potential novel class instances. These instances are analyzed periodically in order to detect novel class, which is explained in the next paragraph, needs to be cleared periodically to remove instances that no longer contribute to novel class detection. Besides, instances in that have reached classification deadline.


We present a computationally very efficient learning control method which is ideally tailored to high-precision velocity control of servo motors in the presence of the disturbance torque which is unknown, unstructured, and state-dependent. The proposed learning control method can drive the steady state velocity error to zero and, furthermore, can be used to identify the unknown disturbance torque in look-up table form. In order to demonstrate the generality and practical use of our work, we present the rigorous convergence analysis of the learning control algorithm and some experimental results using a single degree-of-freedom manipulator.


Spinal metastases are a relatively common manifestation in advanced cancer patients. Low-dose conventional radiotherapy has long been the mainstay of treatment under the assumption that patients have a limited life expectancy in the order of 3–6 months. However, with new developments in systemic therapies, patients are surviving longer than expected. As the spinal retreatment rates, secondary to conventional radiation, can approach 20–50%, retreatments are likely to be more frequent. Rather than a second course of even lower-dose conventional radiation, spine stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been developed predominantly to overcome the limitations of conventional reirradiation. Spine SBRT permits a second course of high-dose radiation aimed at local tumor control while sparing the spinal cord, and other surrounding normal tissues, of a toxic dose. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of reirradiation spine SBRT, and address key issues surrounding safe and effective practice.


This paper investigates the mechanism of the eddy's formation and their locations in the Caspian Sea using numerical simulations. The HYCOM model is used to simulate the evolutions of eddies. The model ran for 18 years from 1992 to 2009 while river runoff and atmosphere forcing are applied into the model as input files. The model output is appropriately compared to some observation data. The results indicate that one cyclonic eddy in the middle and two cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies in the southern basin of the Caspian Sea are the main eddies in this closed Sea. Herein we prepare a comprehensive map to show the exact location of eddies with their important features like scales of them in all months using a model simulation outputs. These eddies showed different behaviors in all seasons. Topographic steering seems to be very important in the formation of these mesoscale deep basin size eddies. . .


The interactive relationships of ecological and hydrological processes on individual plant growth and development as well as community succession have been a main focus of research in plant ecohydrology. In this paper, we firstly explore the spatial difference of the desert riparian ecosystems as distance to the river in the arid inland Tarim River Basin and then investigate the response of vegetation communities to emergent ecological water conveyances. Results showed that the decreasing groundwater table is the main driving force for vegetation degradation. Herbs exhibit degradation when the groundwater table is 4–6 m below the surface, whereas trees do not exhibit degradation until the groundwater table exceeds 6 m from the soil surface, in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. In addition, the structure of the plant community is controlled by the depth of the groundwater table. The mixed trees/shrubs/herbs structure is distributed in areas where the groundwater table is between 2 and 4 m in depth, the trees/shrubs structure is distributed in areas where the groundwater depth is 4–8 m and the simple structure of degraded Populus euphratica/Tamarix chinensis dominates the areas where the groundwater depth is >8 m. After ecological water conveyance, the Phraginites communis leaf weight, length and width decrease with the increasing distance from the river channel. The length of current‐year twigs and average number of leaves of P. euphratica are significantly greater in the upstream section of the lower reach than in the downstream section of the lower reach. We concluded that the ecologically suitable groundwater depth for P. euphratica and T. chinensis is 2–4 m and the critical groundwater depth for drought stress is about 9 m. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Relativistic multi-configuration Dirac Fock (MCDF) wavefunctions coupled to good angular momentum J have been calculated for low lying states of Ba I and Ba II. These wavefunctions are compared with semi-empirical ones derived from experimental atomic energy levels. It is found that significantly better agreement is obtained when close configurations are included in the MCDF wavefunctions. Calculations of the electronic part of the field isotope shift lead to very good agreement with electronic factors derived from experimental data. Furthermore, the slopes of the lines in a King plot analysis of many of the optical lines are predicted accurately by these calculations. However, the MCDF wavefunctions seem not to be of sufficient accuracy to give agreement with the experimental magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hyperfine structure constants.


A better understanding of the physiological processes related to nitrogen (N) metabolism in maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines is important for increasing the efficiency of breeding programs targeting low-Nenvironments.ThisstudyanalyzedtheresponsetocontrastingN availability of morphophysiological traits in a set of 12 maize inbred lines, from different origins (USA and Argentina) and breeding eras (from 1952 onward). Traits included in the analysis were related to canopy structure, light interception, shoot biomass production, and grain yield. Our results indicate that (i) the start of N effects on canopy sizewas more related to a threshold crop leaf area index (about 2) than to a given leaf stage (i.e., Vn), (ii) the light attenuation coefficient value was not affected by N availability, (iii) variations in kernel number per plant were explained by prolificacy (r 2 5 0.59), and (iv) differences in harvest index were related to kernel number per plant (r 2 5 0.77). The most important finding of our research was the detection in some inbreds of a particular response of kernel number to plant growth rate around silking, different from the general model established for hybrids. In these inbreds an additional effect of N availability was detected as reduced kernel set at a given plant growth rate under N deficient conditions (i.e., reduced reproductive efficiency). This result highlightstheneedofmoreresearchonreproductivesinkdevelopment in this type of germplasm.


It has been claimed that the traditional annual budget is a dysfunctional management instrument and that flexible budgets, such as rolling budgets, should be used instead. However, empirical research has produced conflicting results. The results of the present study indicate that environmental uncertainty has a significant negative association with the perceived usefulness of traditional annual budgets, whereas there is no indication of a significant association with flexible budgets. By contrast, there is a significant positive association between accentuation of strategy and appreciation of both types of budget. There is also evidence of a positive association between the perceived usefulness of traditional annual budgets and the perceived usefulness of flexible budgets, supporting prior findings that these budgets are seen more as complements than rivals.


Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major reproductive health problem in developing countries like Nepal. The government has addressed the problem by initiating free surgical camps. However, different issues related to the paternalistic mode of management raise questions about the effectiveness of this approach. For a successful outcome, the problem needs to be assessed and treated considering different quality of life (QOL) domains. In order to arrive at a solution to manage POP in Nepal that places the person at the centre of care (person-centred care, PCC), multiple ways of understanding the effectiveness are needed which include the voices of women and the voices of clinicians.

A qualitative methodology, based on an interpretivist approach was used in this study. This study explores the views of women who experienced POP management together with the clinician's views involved in the management of POP. The impact of POP, on QOL before and after its management forms the central focus for evaluating effectiveness. Fourteen one-to-one interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted. Narratives were obtained from the women about the experiences of living with POP as well as life after its management. Similarly, narrative accounts of POP management were obtained from the clinicians. These narratives from the two groups of participants were analysed using the framework analysis technique.

This thesis highlights that the position of women in society was an important factor contributing to the development of POP amongst Nepalese women. Poverty, lack of education and socio-cultural disempowerment together with lack of access to a health care facilities were associated factors leading to delays in seeking timely health care. POP has been found to hamper the QOL for women significantly. The physical domain was the main domain effected above all other domains. Correction of physical symptoms was found to be associated with an improved QOL for women. The favoured clinical initiatives taken for the treatment of POP, though paternalistic, seemed successful as surgery for POP was found to be associated with an improvement in QOL for the majority of women. However, the management approach needs to be refocused on PCC in order to improve the overall lives of the women. Such a shift to PCC will require practice development at every level of its management. There is an urgent need to develop knowledgeable and skilled manpower both in curative and preventive care of POP. Integration of preventive aspects of POP management, within the government health care system, is a key factor if sustainable improvements are to be achieved.


In most countries, sanitary landfilling is the common way to dispose municipal solid wastes. In the operations, leachate treatment is a difficult and expensive process. Although, leachate can be treated by biological processes, COD removal efficiency is usually low due to high ammonium ion content and the presence of toxic compounds such as metal ions. This experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of coagulation–flocculation process on the Hamadan landfill leachate treatment in the city of Hamedan. Also the effects of different coagulants with various dosages and pH values in the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids were studied. Results showed that the efficiency for COD removal by Poly Aluminum Chloride at pH=12 and 2500 mg/L of coagulant, by alum at pH=12 and 1000 mg/L of coagulant dose and by ferrous sulfate at pH=12 and 1500 mg/L of ferrous sulfate dose were 60%, 62.33% and 70.66%, respectively. Also results showed that, the efficiency for Total Suspended Solids removal by Poly Aluminum Chloride that was obtained at pH=12 and 2500mg/L concentration of Poly Aluminum Chloride, by alum at pH=2 and 1500 mg/L concentration of alum and by ferrous sulfate at pH=7 and 2500mg/L of ferrous sulfate, were 39.14% , 58.37% and 35.58%, respectively. Based on results of this study, the best coagulant for COD removal was ferrous sulfate and the physico-chemical process may be used as an effective pretreatment process, especially for young leachate, prior to post-treatment (polishing) for partially stabilized leachate. Key word: Leachate; Treatment; Coagulation-flocculation; Landfill


To control quality in supply chain, this paper presents multi-period, dynamic game models in principal-agent theory, which are opposite to static, single period game models. The research comes from industrial practice and the conclusions are more operational and feasible in theory. Finally, the research is applied into two famous companies in different industries and shows good effectiveness. managed and controlled through quality provisions. Some researchers pay the role of incentive to quality management and quality contract becomes one approach to control and manage quality in supply chain. As illustrated, there are many academic and practical researches to quality management from view of incentive and restraint. Here, we should explain some definitions. Firstly, there are two kinds of contracts: supply chain contract and supply chain quality contract. So-called supply chain contract is meant traditional contract in supply chain, in which main variables are price and quantity while quality is neglected or fixed. And supply chain quality contract is a kind of supply chain contract, in which main variables quality, price, quantity and other related variables while quality interacts DOI: 10.4018/jal.2011010106 86 International Journal of Applied Logistics, 2(1), 85-93, January-March 2011 Copyright © 2011, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. with other variables. Secondly, there are two kinds of models: one is structural model and another is economic and quantificational model or called game theory. Structural model depicts transaction process and information flow between supplier and buyer, in which information of variables such as price, volume and quality are passed down to next and how these variables change. Economic and quantificational model is called the game theory, which includes many variables, formula, algorithm, mathematics and constructed based on principal-agent theory. There have been many supply chain quality contract models. For example, there are some parameters such as price, quantity, revenue, quality level, sampling level, penalty and incentive in these models. Although there are some achievements in the contract research, these models have some disadvantages such as static, single period, simple structure and lack of operation. So, there are many things to manage supply chain quality in the future. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Contracts and quality contracts in supply chain have been studied by overseas and domestic researchers for long time. Corbett, Zhou, and Tang (2004) found that more suppliers get information about buyers' cost structure, higher the value between supplier and purchaser become. Gurnani and Erkoc (2008) studied the distribution channel on the condition that demand is influenced by supplier's quality and retailer's promotion. When the cost of promotion is private, there are three types of contract: wholesale price contract, fixed fee contract under marginal cost and franchise contract. Manufacturers have different choice and costs under three contracts. Starbird (2001) studied that the relation among quality, quality cost and information and how to coordinate quality of supplier, sampling inspection of purchaser and penalty of bad quality between the risk-neutral supplier and risk-neutral purchaser. Reyniers (1995) studied that as to different sampling policy, the optimal contract arrangement in supply chain model involved quality into the contract. The contract model of price rebate and after-sale guarantee cost is constructed concerning quality of the supplier, sampling policy of production and the finished product quality. The strategy and contract of quality management is studied under cooperation and non-cooperation circumstance. Baiman, Fisher and Rajan (2000) studied that the relation among quality, cost and information, and how to coordinate the quality of supplier, sampling inspection of purchaser and penalty of bad quality between the risk-neutral supplier and the risk-neutral purchaser. Starbird (2000) designs optimal contract arrangement in supply chain model involving quality into the contract as to different sampling policy. Reyniers and Tapiero (1995) designed the contract model of price rebate and after-sale guarantee cost concerning quality of supplier, sampling policy of production and the finished product quality. Agrawal (2002) considered the choice of contract between an entrepreneur and a worker: in a situation where the worker cannot readily observe the outcome (such as profit or output) of their joint effort, while the entrepreneur cannot easily observe the effort supplied by the worker. On the basis of analyzing cost in supply chain, Rahim (2000) studied the quality cost of supply chain based on the principal-agent theory under asymmetric information. Agrawal (2002) demonstrated that the game model between supplier and manufacturer in two-echelon supply chain there are suitable incentive and penalty to meet first-best. It also analyses the relation among quality, late delivery and penalty. Under asymmetric information assumption, Huang (2003) studied control of quality and the quality-cost model is built. The model analyses the principal-agent relation under asymmetrical information. Zhang (2003) put forwards the game model of quality coordination in two-echelon cooperation supply chain consisting of logistics provider and integrator. On the ground of two-echelon supply chain, Li (2005) discussed two types of Stalkelberg game between supplier and retailer, and gave the Nash-equilibrium. 7 more pages are available in the full version of this document, which may be purchased using the "Add to Cart" button on the product's webpage: www.igi-global.com/article/research-supply-quality-controloptimization/52578?camid=4v1 This title is available in InfoSci-Journals, InfoSci-Journal Disciplines Business, Administration, and Management, InfoSci-Operations, Logistics, and Performance Assessment eJournal Collection, InfoSci-Select. Recommend this product


Abstract. The blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is an important pest of wild and cultivated blueberries, Vaccinium spp. (Ericales: Ericaceae), and causes great loss at infested farms. This is the first report of the occurrence of the pest at a plantation in Mexico. Suspicious larvae and adults were collected from flower and vegetative buds of 12,625 (11.2% of the total) infested blueberry plants, Vaccinium corymbosum L. Specimens were identified based on DNA similarity to known sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene and on traditional morphometric analysis of the species. Interestingly, DNA sequence similarity varied depending upon the origin of known sequences: 98.88-99.84% similarity with D. oxycoccana from V. corymbosum in Canada, Japan, and United Kingdom, <91.04% with specimens from Vaccinium macrocarpon from Canada, and <85.85% with other Dasineura species. In conclusion, both (morphometric and molecular) approaches agreed that all analyzed specimens were D. oxycoccana. Once identified, complete control of the pest was achieved 4 weeks after proper measures were initiated.


Coconut sap easily damaged, so the need for the preservation process. Farmers usually use (laru) was added a solution of lime with mangosteenrind and jackfruit wood chips to conserve juice. But the availability of a preservative is limited so that not a few farmers who use synthetic preservatives, sodium metabisulfite. Some natural preservatives that can be used as an alternative to extend the shelf life of coconut sap are betel leaves, clove leaf, guava leaves, wooden cup, and tea leaves. These materials have bioactive components that can act as antimicrobia.This research aims to 1) determine the effect of the type of natural preservatives to maintain freshness of coconut sap and quality of coconut sugar, 2) determine the effect of concentration of natural preservatives to maintain freshness of coconut sap and quality of coconut sugar, 3) determine the effect of the old store on the quality of coconut sap , 4) determine the effect of combined treatment of natural preservative type and concentration of preservatives on the quality of the coconut sugar.The research consisted of two phases. The results of phase 1 showed that the coconut sap is added preservative clove leaves (M4), guava leaves (M5) and mangosteenrind (M1) with concentration of 4.5% (K1) gave pH value, levels of sucrose and the highest sensory when compared with other preservatives. The results of phase 2 showed that coconut sugar is added to the preservative mangosteen rind, clove leaf, and guava leaves not significant difference to the chemical variables (water content, ash content, reducing sugar content, and total sugar content), but gave significant influence to organoleptic variables (color, aroma, flavor, texture, and preferences)..


In the late 1950s, Iraqi Jews were either forced or chose to leave Iraq for Israel. Most Iraqi Jewish authors found it impossible to continue writing in Arabic in Israel and so faced the literary challenge of switching to Hebrew. As bilinguals, Iraqi Jewish novelists have employed Arabic in some of their Hebrew literary works, including strategies of code-switching. Conversational code-switching is traditionally divided into three types: intersentential code-switching, intrasentential code-switching, and tag-switching. Although code-switching in literary texts has its distinct features, research on written code-switching generally follows the typology applied to conversational code-switching. This article focuses on the typology of code-switching in literary texts. It investigates Arabic codes used in three Hebrew novels written by Iraqi Jewish novelists. The article suggests three main types of literary code-switching in view of the mutual relationship between author, text, and reader: Hard-Access, Easy-Access, and Ambiguous Access code-switching.


Kisspeptin signaling through its receptor, Kiss1R, is crucial for many reproductive functions including puberty, sex steroid feedback, and overall fertility. Although the importance of Kiss1R in the brain is firmly established, its role in regulating reproduction at the level of the pituitary is not well understood. This study presents molecular analysis of the role of kisspeptin and Kiss1R signaling in the transcriptional regulation of the gonadotropin gene β-subunits, LHβ and FSHβ, using LβT2 gonadotrope cells and murine primary pituitary cells. We show that kisspeptin induces LHβ and FSHβ gene expression, and this induction is protein kinase C dependent and mediated by the immediate early genes, early growth response factor 1 and cFos, respectively. Additionally, kisspeptin induces transcription of the early growth response factor 1 and cFos promoters in LβT2 cells. Kisspeptin also increases gonadotropin gene expression in mouse primary pituitary cells in culture. Furthermore, we find that Kiss1r expression is enhanced in the pituitary of female mice during the estradiol-induced LH surge, a critical component of the reproductive cycle. Overall, our findings indicate that kisspeptin regulates gonadotropin gene expression through the activation of Kiss1R signaling through protein kinase C, inducing immediate early genes in vitro, and responds to physiologically relevant cues in vivo, suggesting that kisspeptin affects pituitary gene expression to regulate reproductive function.


SUMMARY Summer thermal sensations of secondary schoolchildren in England are compared with those earlier published for winter. Heat stress, contrary to expectation, is seen to decrease during the warm months, and neutrality is found to increase by some 6° F. (3·5° C.) air temperature, which is more than double the increases observed for adults under similar circumstances.


One of the ways to administrate hepatitis B vaccination is the intradermal (id) route. The aim of this study is to evaluate the immunologic response of various age groups of children who received three 2 micrograms id doses of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. One hundred and eighty-seven children (86 infants, 101 preschool children) were administered a 2 micrograms dose of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Gen Hevac B) intradermally zero, one and six months. Eight weeks after the third vaccination, the geometric mean titers (GMT) of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) of infants was 753 IU/L; that of preschool children was 799 IU/L. There was no statistically significant difference between the anti-HBs GMT of infants and preschool children. However, infants were less likely to have developed protective anti-HBs (< or = 10 IU/L) than preschool children (93% vs 100%, p = 0.009). In 8.1 percent of infants and 3.9 percent of preschool children, local reactions were observed. The 2 micrograms recombinant vaccine by id route is safe and suitable for immunization of preschool children. The id route is technically difficult to administrate in infants and protective seroconversion rates are lower than in preschool children.


There is a strong relationship between buyers' perceived risk and their satisfaction in out-of-standard situations of services. The customer-specific feature of these situations has been modelled as jaycustomers, i.e. customers of nonstandard behaviour. In education - due to students' expectations - the control of different situations is of high importance. The purpose of our research is to study administrative staff's behaviour when they find themselves face-to-face with so called 'jaystudents'. To solve the problem of research, an interdisciplinary approach of psychology and marketing is needed. As far as methodology is concerned a basically qualitative experimental design has been selected with some quantifiable elements. The research process starts with a series of mystery callings followed by post-experimental focus group discussions. In service research mystery calling is usually applied for testing standards. As a new methodological approach of our research, the application of experimental techniques in exceptional service frontline situations can be mentioned. From managerial aspects the results can provide the management with realistic information on the weaknesses of frontline personnel and of frontline standards. They can serve to improve human resource management in higher education. Based on the results we are going to extend the investigations to face-to-face contexts.


Purpose: This study was designed to identify a path model that anticipates the interpersonal competence of nurses by anticipating factors that explain interpersonal competence within an organization, and analyzing the effects of these factors. A hypothetical model was formulated based on a literature review of interpersonal competence. For the study, influential factors were divided into two variables: exogenous variables including communication style, coaching leadership, and social support, and endogenous variables of self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Methods: The sample included 202 hospital nurses. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. Results: The overall fitness was good (x 2 =74.707, p<.001), d.f=19, x 2 /df= 3.932, GFI=.940, AGFI=.826, RMR=.009). Social support, self-efficacy, horizontal communication and organizational commitment directly affected the interpersonal competence of the nurses, and informal type of communication, horizontal, upward communication and coaching leadership indirectly effected the interpersonal competence of the nurses. Horizontal communication, social support, self-efficacy, and organizational commitment explained 46.5% of the variance in interpersonal competence of nurses. Conclusion: Based on the study results, nurses in hospitals need informal types of communication, horizontal, upward communication and coaching leadership to increase their interpersonal competence.


The purpose of this paper is to optimize dimensions of KNTU 6-DoF cable driven redundant parallel manipulators. This manipulator is under investigation for possible high-speed application such as object manipulator. Usage of cable parallel manipulator depends on kinematic characteristic and control algorithm. This optimization is based on different performance indices including the singularity measure, the kinematic sensitivity, the stiffness and free collision workspace. Stiffness of the cable is also taken into consideration because of its effect on kinematic stiffness of moving platform manipulators performance. Points with cable collision, singular or actuator wrench infeasible configuration characteristic are eliminating from entire workspace.


Halofantrine study on uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients was carried out at ITCI hospital in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia in 1990-1991. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of halofantrine on in vitro sensitive and resistant chloroquine falciparum malaria patients. Of the 80 patients selected according to WHO criteria for in vivo and in vitro drug sensitivity test and treated orally with 500 mg halofantrine 6 hourly for 3 doses, only 46 patients could be further analized as the in vitro sensitive group (19) and resistant group (27). On admission, no significant different findings were noted in characteristics, clinical symptoms and signs, hematological and biochemical parameters between the sensitive and resistant groups except thrombocyte and creatinine. Clinical symptoms more frequently encountered were headache (92,6-100%), fever (789- 92,6%), chills (78,9-85,2%) and nausea or/and vomiting (57,9-63%). There were no significant differences between the sensitive and resistant groups in cure rate (100% and 96,3%), fever clearance time (17,1 ± 3,5 h and 21,8 ± 4,6 h) and parasite clearance time (51,6 ± 2,8 h and 66,9 ± 12,1 h). When the patients were discharged, the hematological and biochemical parameters showed normal values, except thrombocyte, but the differences between those groups were insignificant. This study showed that halofantrine is effective and safe both for treatment on in vitro sensitive chloroquine falciparum malaria patients and for treatment on in vitro resistant chloroquine falciparum malaria patients.


Abstract : The Voluntary Aviation Safety Information-Sharing Process (VASIP) is designed to provide a means for the commercial aviation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to collect, share safety-related information, and to use that information to proactively identify, analyze, and correct safety issues that affect commercial aviation. The key to VASIP is the development of a technical process to extract de-identified safety data from any participating airline Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) or Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), aggregate it through a distributed database, and make it accessible to appropriate industry stakeholders for analysis. In 2004, the ASAP and FOQA Aviation Rulemaking Committees (ARCs) identified the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as having the institutional background, resources, and personnel capable of developing this technical aggregation framework, as well as the analytical tools to support the process. Beginning in June of 2004, NASA led a collaborative partnership of participating airlines, employee organizations, and FAA representatives to define key components of archives of FOQA and ASAP data. This defined a set of functional requirements for archive development that were approved by the FOQA and ASAP ARCs. In October 2004, at the request of and with partial funding by the FAA, NASA initiated an Information Sharing Initiative under the Aviation Safety and Security Program to provide funds and oversight to develop distributed archiving and analysis. The basic infrastructure was deployed in January 2006, and data archiving began at participating airlines. The current document audits the hardware, software, and networking infrastructure against the original functional specifications provided by the ARCs to NASA.


Respirable coal particle generated during underground mining is the main cause for gas-dust explosions and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) which needs accurate monitoring especially on its concentration. Focusing on the coal dust pollution in the fully mechanized working face of Huangbaici coalmine, coal particle was sampled for further industrial analysis and FT-IR test to obtain its chemical composition and optical constant. Combined with the simulated spatial distribution of airborne dust, the spectral transmission characteristics of coal dust within wavelengths of 2.5 to 25 μm under different operating conditions were obtained. The simulation results show that the transmittance and aerosol optical depth (AOD) of coal dust are closely linked and obviously influenced by the variation of dust generation source (intensity of dust release, position of coal cutting, and the wetting of the coal seam) and airflow field (wind speed and direction of ventilation). Furthermore, an optical channel of 1260–1280 cm−1 (7.937–7.813 μm) which is almost only sensitive to the variation of dust concentration but dull to the diameter change of coal dust was selected to establish the correlation of dust concentration and infrared transmittance. The fitting curve was then applied to retrieve the equivalent dust concentration based on optical information, and the comparison results demonstrate that the estimated pollution level is consistent with field measurement data in engineering practice.


Background Subthreshold depression is a common mental disorder in late life. Increasing studies have supported the positive effects of exergames to subthreshold depression. The current study aims to investigate how play mode potentially affects exergames' effects on subthreshold depression among older adults. Method A between-group experiment was carried out to compare the effect of exergames with different play modes. Fifty-two Singaporean older adults with subthreshold depression were randomly assigned into two conditions, and performed either single-player or multiple-player Nintendo Wii Tennis exergames for 6 weeks, while the key variables of depression, social support and loneliness were measured at both pre- and post-study period. Results Findings from path analysis suggested that older adults in multiple-player exergames experienced lower levels of loneliness, and further more reduction on subthreshold depression, when compared to those in single-player exergames. Although social support was not affected by play mode, the significant relationship among social support, loneliness, and depression was found in the context of exergaming. Conclusion This study not only provides additional insight into a possible causal association lining play mode and health outcomes of exergames, but also opens the discussion of how to optimize antidepressive effect of exergames for older adults.


The increasing demand of natural resources for the concrete production has impacted the surroundings and the concern to protect these natural resources is increasing. Lately, handling and management of scrap is the primary issue faced by the countries worldwide. The waste problem is the most important problems facing the world as a source of the environmental pollution. One of the censorious wastes to be control in today is 'waste tyre' because; recent development in transportation has create big number of vehicles, which produce huge quantities of used tyres. Disposing such waste tyres is a critical waste management concern around the world at the moment. Various research work had been conducted in the past which had results that showed reduction in the mechanical energy of the concrete. The motive of this study is to use the reshaped waste tyre rubber as partial alteration of coarse aggregate in the concrete and to examine the outcome of providing an mooring hole of10mm in dia on the surface of the rubber gravel which makes the cement plaster to form a cylindrical mooring between the gravel and the concrete as well work as are bar to the rubber gravel thereby, increase withstanding power to failure under load which simultaneously increase the strength. The partial replacements of coarse aggregates are done at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by quantity of coarse gravel. The resulting concrete beams are tested for the physical characteristics of concrete. The Comparison of flexural response of beams are made with ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPCC)and Reshaped Waste Tyre Rubber Aggregate Concrete (RWTRAC)for various compositions of Reshaped Waste Tyre Rubber Aggregate replacement to coarse aggregate. Consequently the tests on RWTRAC beams of 10 % rubber aggregate replacement are conducted and results indicated that all the beams are failed in pure bending region and gives deflection nearly same as the conventional beam with the influence of the ultimate moment. Based on the observations during testing, the beams failed in pure flexural compression failure mode. Ductility factor of RWTRAC beam also showed enhanced performance when compared with the performance of conventional concrete. After testing it is inferred that till 10% of RWTRA replacement, the compressive and flexural strength of concrete is nearly same as the conventional concrete, but from 10 to 20% the strengths are abruptly fallen.


Metals can cause oxidative stress by increasing the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which make antioxidants incapable of defiance against growing amounts of free radicals. Metal toxicity is related to their oxidative state and reactivity with other compounds. However, several reports about metals have been published in the recent years. Mitochondria, as a site of cellular oxygen consumption and energy production, can be a target for metals toxicity. Dysfunction of Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation led to the production of some metals toxicities metals through alteration in the activities of I, II, III, IV and V complexes and disruption of mitochondrial membrane. Reductions of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis or induction of its hydrolysis can impair the cellular energy production. In the present review study, the researchers have criticized reviews and some evidence about the oxidative stress as a mechanism of toxicity of metals. The metals disrupt cellular and antioxidant defense, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and promote oxidative damage. The oxidative injuries induced by metals can be restored by use of antioxidants such as chelators, vitamin E and C, herbal medicine, and through increasing the antioxidants level. However, to elucidate many aspect of mechanism toxicity of metals, further studies are yet to be carried out.


The variations of the concentrations of trehalose and glucose, the major components of the haemolymph of emerging worker honeybees, have been examined with respect to the lunar phase. Two series of experiments were performed independently, from April to June and from July to September respectively. The results revealed significant peakings for both carbohydrates at full moon and at new moon, and also a minor peak at last quarter. The data obtained for trehalose in the July-September period are consistent with the existence of a circaseptan subcomponent of period tau congruent to 132h.


This paper presents a new methodology for topology optimization in which the topology of the design domain considered may change during the shape optimization process, unlike the case of classical shape or topology optimization. To achieve this, the concept of the topological gradient is introduced to compute the sensitivity of an objective function when a small hole is drilled in the domain, and this is successfully connected to the shape sensitivity. A test problem consisting of an elliptic dielectric material with a circular hole has been selected to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.


A theoretical statistical analysis is developed to investigate the effects of random capacitance matching errors in the frequency response of recursive switched-capacitor filters implemented in direct form. As a result, with appropriate approximations, closed-form solutions for the mean and the standard deviation of the frequency response error are derived. The obtained expressions provide insight into the quantitative influence of capacitance ratio tolerance, numerator and denominator orders, passband and stopband ripples, and edge frequencies, and reveal existing tradeoffs among these parameters, so that the most efficient filter design can be found. The main theoretical results are extensively verified by simulation through Monte Carlo analysis to show the effectiveness of the proposed formulas.


School Effectiveness (SE), as a research paradigm and, more widely, as a set of political practices in school management and development, is examined in terms of the concept of 'reductionism'. The article serves to systematise an ongoing critique of Effectiveness by Ball, Morley, Fielding, Slee, etc. Building upon studies by the biologist Steven Rose and colleagues of reductionism from psychology to biology, the reductionism of the Effectiveness discourse is analysed in its methodological, contextual, historical and moral aspects. Finally, the article explores the impact of SE upon the dominant model of School Improvement in England in particular, and the need for transformation within that paradigm.


1 Tbit/s (100 WDM/spl times/10 Gbit/s) transmission over 7300 km with 25 GHz (0.2 nm) channel separation has been achieved using a non pre-chirped RZ format signal. The ultra-narrow channel spacing of 0.2 nm was adopted to fully utilise the bandwidth of the long-distance erbium-doped fibre amplifier chain. As a result, error-free transmission is possible using forward error correction.


A recently developed lattice kinetic Monte Carlo (LKMC) model for vacancy aggregation is used to investigate the morphological evolution of large vacancy aggregates under different conditions relevant to commercial silicon crystal growth. In particular, the roles of dissolved oxygen atoms as vacancy complexing agents during the aggregation process are studied and the resulting effects on the void morphological evolution are compared to recent experimental observations. It is shown that oxygen plays an important role, under certain crystal growth conditions, in the final morphology of vacancy clusters, and that the LKMC model is able to explain and accurately reproduce experimental observations. The essential dynamical features of the LKMC predictions are analyzed using a simple differential equation model to describe void growth kinetics under different conditions.


Smoking behaviour is a problem that is often found in Indonesian society. The number of active smokers in Indonesia is increasing from year to year. Smoking can cause losses both in terms of socio-economic and health and even death. The aim this research is (1) to assess the prevalence of smoking cigarette among adult in Indonesia, and (2) to analizing relationship between health problem and smoking cigarette among adult in Indonesia. This is a crosssectional study based on data extracted from the Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey, 2017. A household-based survey, implemented in a representative probability sample of more than 47963 households from urban and rural areas in Indonesia. This research was analytic correlational study with Cross sectional approach. The sample of reserach were 18023 adult aged between 15 and 44 years. Relationship between health problem and smoking cigarette among adult in Indonesia was assessed by bivariate methods. Based on the results of the study found that most smokers have ages, residing in rural areas, secondary level education background, have a very poor wealth index level. The research findings found there is a relationship between age (p=0,001), type of residence (p=0,005), type of education (p=0,000), type of wealth index (p=0,000), and health problem related smoking behavior. The findings indicate that there is a relationship between complaints of short / rapid breath (p=0,001), and dont have relationship with nasal disorders and the presence or absence of cough with smoking behavior.


The relationship between terrorism and culture was systematically examined using three high-quality global databases. Contrary to prior research, terrorism—collapsed across form and era—was not related to any of Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Yet, particular forms of terrorism—incidents involving substantial casualties and damage, suicide bombings, and the proportion of incidents involving fatalities—all showed relationships with cultural dimensions. Tolerance of terrorism and relative tolerance of the 9/11 attack were related to cultural dimensions and terrorist events. Finally, populations that were relatively voiceless, disengaged from their communities, suffering, angry, and hopeless showed more tolerance of terrorism and incidents of terrorism.