The main purpose of this research is to improve collaborative learning, student engagement and student performance through an Experiential Learning Cycle. The target group was the 36 Chinese students who study "Business and Social Entrepreneurial" subject and are currently attending Chinese Exchange program. It is the case study of private university in Thailand. Instructional Development intervention was designed and applied using Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle and Organization Development and Change Management theories. Class activities were designed to match with students' preferences and course syllabus. Research instruments used in this study consisted of structured questionnaire, interview checklist and reflection. The students' performance was observed during and after class activities. Moreover, the academic achievement data through in class participation and examination were collected and analyzed. The data was analyzed using T-test, it showed that there was slight improvement in students' cooperation, engagement and performance after implementing IDIs. The students' cooperation increased by 0.51, the students' engagement increased by 0.43 and the average mean of students' performance increased by 0.45. Moreover, the P-value of each variable was less than the significance level of 0.05. This could imply that there was a significant difference between pre and post implementation on students' cooperation, engagement and performance.


OBJECTIVE
To assess medical students' clinical competence in addressing musculoskeletal problems.

METHODS
Nineteen junior medical students completed 2 standardized patient-based tests structured to capture their clinical decisions from undiagnosed chief complaint to management.

RESULTS
No student approached the highest possible score on either test, and the students as a group received less than half the possible points on 5 important aspects of diagnostic reasoning.

CONCLUSION
Standardized patient-based tests can be structured to provide enlightening information about medical students' clinical competence with regard to musculoskeletal problems.


Twenty seven patients with total atrioventricular (AV) block at the age of 29-83 were examined (average age--69 years, females--13, males--14); with cardiac decompensation stage 1-8 patients, stage II--13 patients and stage III--1 patient; without cardiac decompensation--5 patients. During the examination period, no cardiotonics and dehydrating drugs were administered. The examination was carried out prior to and 10 days post the implantation of an electro-stimulator VVI with an echocardiograph M-type in the standard method. The examination prior to the implanted pacemaker manifested moderately to strongly expressed pathological deflection of the mean values of all echocardiographic indices for the pumping and contractile function of the left cardiac ventricle: increased diastolic size, diastolic index and diastolic volume of the left ventricle, mean values of the fraction of contraction, ejection fraction, velocity of circumferential fibers shortening in the lower limits of the norm and increased mean values of stroke volume and reduction of minute volume. The results from the examination are given in Table 1a and 1b. The second examination of the same indices after 10 days gives the improvement of the mean as well as of the final values of the basic echocardiographic indices with a very good correlative coefficient R = 0.92-0.96, P = 0.001. Decrease of the diastolic size with 8.4% was determined as well as of the systolic size with 3.8%, of the diastolic volume with 23.2%, of the systolic volume--with 19.4%, increase of the minute volume with 19.8%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Purpose: To verify that the planned Primary Target Volume (PTV) and Internal Gross Tumor Volume (IGTV) fully enclose a moving lung tumor volume as visualized on a pre-SABR treatment verification 4D Cone Beam CT. Methods: Daily 3DCBCT image sets were acquired immediately prior to treatment for 10 SABR lung patients using the on-board imaging system integrated into a Varian TrueBeam (v1.6: no 4DCBCT module available). Respiratory information was acquired during the scan using the Varian RPM system. The CBCT projections were sorted into 8 bins offline, both by breathing phase and amplitude, using in-house software. An iterative algorithm based on total variation minimization, implemented in the open source reconstruction toolkit (RTK), was used to reconstruct the binned projections into 4DCBCT images. The relative tumor motion was quantified by tracking the centroid of the tumor volume from each 4DCBCT image. Following CT-CBCT registration, the planning CT volumes were compared to the location of the CBCT tumor volume as it moves along its breathing trajectory. An overlap metric quantified the ability of the planned PTV and IGTV to contain the tumor volume at treatment. Results: The 4DCBCT reconstructed images visibly show the tumor motion. The mean overlap between the planned PTV (IGTV)more » and the 4DCBCT tumor volumes was 100% (94%), with an uncertainty of 5% from the 4DCBCT tumor volume contours. Examination of the tumor motion and overlap metric verify that the IGTV drawn at the planning stage is a good representation of the tumor location at treatment. Conclusion: It is difficult to compare GTV volumes from a 4DCBCT and a planning CT due to image quality differences. However, it was possible to conclude the GTV remained within the PTV 100% of the time thus giving the treatment staff confidence that SABR lung treatements are being delivered accurately.« less


The 1994 Bolivian Earthquake (Mw=8.3) was recorded on-scale by 8 very-broadband stations deployed approximately 600 km south of the epicenter. When these seismograms are carefully converted to ground displacement, there appears to be a static offset which is on order of 2 cm. We have modeled the waveforms with a synthetic waveform method that contains near-, intermediate- and far-field terms. Although the synthetics are only calculated for an elastic half-space, they compare favorably with the observed waveform in terms of shape. However, the theoretical amplitude is 1/2 of the observed static offset, which probably reflects the limitations of a homogeneous half-space model and/or the instabilities in deconvolution.


Trapped ions in Paul traps (radio frequency ion traps) are a promising candidate for the realization of a quantum computer. To date, experimental demonstrations of quantum computing and information processing with trapped ions have been limited to small numbers of quantum bits (qubits). The most prominent challenge to realise ion-trap quantum computation is to scale the system and control a large number of trapped ions coherently. Surface-electrode ion trap designs which are amenable to various microfabrication techniques offer a path to achieve this. In this work, design, fabrication and key operations of two types of surface-electrode ion traps, i.e. a Y-junction trap and a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal lattice trap developed towards scaling ion-trap architectures, are presented. The steps involved in the fabrication of the ion-trap devices included photolithography, wet etch (hydrofluoric acid etch) and dry etch (deep reactive ion and inductively coupled plasma etching), and metal evaporation. The devices were fabricated on SOI substrates with different buried oxide thicknesses (i.e. 5 µm and 10 µm) and different metals for the trap electrodes (i.e. gold and aluminium). An extremely high-breakdown voltage up to 1 kV was measured in vacuum for the SOI-built test devices with a 10 µm-thick buried oxide formed by oxide film-to-oxide film bonding process. This is attributed to the deep V-shaped undercut profile of the buried oxide layer which resulted in a large breakdown path length, and so mitigating surface breakdown effects. Owing to the V-shaped undercut profile, the surface breakdown voltage was improved by 15% for the devices fabricated on SOI substrates with a 10 µm-thick buried oxide. In the first experiment, the demonstration of ytterbium ( 174 Yb + ) ion trapping in the 2D hexagonal lattice trap is achieved with a relatively long lifetime of a laser-cooled ion up to 90 minutes and ≤ 5 minutes without cooling in ultra-high vacuum system. The 2D lattice trap design allows for reliable trapping of 2D ion lattices, rudimentary shuttling between lattice sites and deterministic introducing of defects into the ion lattice. Based on all these abilities, such a 2D lattice trap with the predicted reduction of lattice spacing down to 32 µm can be configured as a versatile architecture for 2D quantum simulations with trapped ions. In the second experiment, microparticle trapping in the 2D lattice trap, performed in air, is achieved with the longest trapping lifetime of 60 minutes. Both gold and aluminium-coated electrodes also lead to comparable trapping performances. Furthermore, the in situ levitation of microparticles is successfully demonstrated at the maximum levitation height of 30 µm. This ability provides additional control on the trapping height which increases the overall functionality of the 2D lattice trap.


The human monoclonal antibody Fab X5 neutralizes a broad range of HIV-1 primary isolates. The crystal structure of X5 has been determined at 1.9 A resolution. There are two crystallographically independent Fab fragments in the asymmetric unit. The crystallographic R value for the final model is 0.22. The antibody-combining site features a long (22 amino acid residues) CDR H3 with a protruding hook-shaped motif. The X5 structure and site-directed mutagenesis data suggest that X5 amino acid residues W100 and Y100F in the CDR H3 motif may be critical for the binding of Fab X5 to gp120. X5 bound to a complex of a CD4 mimetic and gp120 with approximately the same kinetics and affinity as to a CD4-gp120 complex, suggesting that specific interactions between CD4 and X5 are unlikely to contribute to the binding of X5 to gp120-CD4 complexes. Binding of X5 to alanine scanning mutants of gp120JR-CSF complexed with CD4 suggested a critical role of the highly conserved amino acid residues at positions 423 and 432. The X5 structure and fine mapping of its epitope may assist in the elucidation of the mechanisms of viral entry and neutralization, and the development of HIV-1 inhibitors and vaccines.


For a simple and connected graph, several lower and upper bounds of graph invariants expressed in terms of the eigenvalues of the normalized Laplacian matrix have been proposed in literature. In this paper, through a unified approach based on majorization techniques, we provide some novel inequalities depending on additional information on the localization of the eigenvalues of the normalized Laplacian matrix. Some numerical examples show how sharper results can be obtained with respect to those existing in literature.


We present a new and efficient algorithm for decomposition of arbitrary triangle meshes into connected subsets of meshes called regions. Our method, based on discrete curvature analysis decomposes the object into almost constant curvature surfaces and not only "cut" the object along its hard edges like traditional methods. This algorithm is an hybrid approach vertex-triangle, it is based on three major steps: vertices are first classified using their discrete curvature values, then connected triangle regions are extracted via a region growing process and finally similar regions are merged using a region adjacency graph in order to obtain final patches. Experiments were conducted on both CAD and natural models, results are satisfactory. Segmented patches can then be used instead of the complete complex model to facilitate computer graphic tasks such as smoothing, surface fitting or compression.


Technology Foresight exammes the future of the Greek economy and in particular what the contribution of science and technology is to this. Greek Technology Foresight started in October 2001 as a programme co-financed by the European Union and the target was to create a functional view after two decades.

The main purpose of this project is the identification of cost-effective Aerospace and Defence Technologies for Greece in the year 2020. Firstly, the capacity and capability of Greek industries and the research environment are examined in
conjunction with the products demanded by Armed Forces. Secondly, comes the examination of all relevant factors (industry, university, government) which have a considerable contribution to research and innovation in order to promote networking and further institutional development.

Research was absolutely necessary to foresee and evaluate specific technologies within a frame of long-term development strategy for the various stakeholders. This research area is directly related to my managerial role as I have been in charge of this programme during its implementation.

The research methods employed are documentary evidence, interviews and the Delphi approach. Thus the data collected from a variety of sources ensure the qualitative character of the thesis. The main findings are that the outlined Aerospace and Defence technologies can playa decisive role in the three different scenarios for the future of the country and they are related to the outcomes of science and technology evolution.

The general conclusion is that taking into consideration Technology Foresight results defence procurement could be managed better which would result an efficient contribution to national economy, an improvement in intra-community transfer and several benefits from export opportunities of dual-use products.


Introduction: Schistosomiasis is one of the
most prevalent parasitic diseases and an important public health problem in many developing countries including
Ethiopia. The study was aimed at assessing prevalence of schistosomiasis and associated factors among students
attending at elementary schools in Amibera District, Ethiopia. Methods:
A cross sectional school based study was carried out on sample of 840 students.
First, all
elementary schools around Amibera District were grouped in to strata based on their distance
from the irrigation site as "Near" or "Far". Then two schools were selected by
simple random sampling method from each stratum. Finally, proportional
allocation of the sample size was done according to the number of students in
each stratum. From each grade level students were selected by simple random
sampling techniques. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to
collect data on socio demographic characteristics, water contact habit and
toilet utilization. Stool and urine examination were done to determine
prevalence. The analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16.0. Result
and Conclusions: The overall prevalence of schis- tosomiasis in this study was 8.2%;
among this Schisosoma haematobium was 7.4% and Schisosoma mansoni was 0.8%. Education level (p-value = 0.047, OR = 1.834), swimming habit (p-value = 0.0001, OR = 4.979) and
source of water for domestic consumption (p-value = 0.0001, OR = 0.334) had
shown significant association with the occurrence of S. haematobium infection. Conclusion and
recommendations: The prevalence of schistosomiasis was not
what to be neglected. It was significantly associated with educational level,
swimming habit of children and source of
water for domestic consumption. Therefore, provision of safe water
supply and health education at school level was recommended.


This paper presents a hardware implementation of the detection system of cardiac arrhythmias on FPGA. Thus we are interested in the software and hardware detection of the QRS complex. Our algorithm is based around a recursive digital filters (FIR) and non-recursive (IIR). The hardware implementation of our algorithm was done in HDL (hardware description language). For this our generated source has been simulated, synthesized and tested on Xilinx FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) card using the MIT BIH data base. The results shows the contribution of this implementation for embedded systems to better track patients by minimizing the size of the screen and increasing the computational efficiency while reducing the execution time.


Twelve patients with asymptomatic occlusion of one (n = 8) or both (n = 4) internal carotid arteries were examined by positron emission tomography (PET) and transcranial Doppler ultrasound. PET measurements included the determination of the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), oxygen extraction ratio (rOER), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (rCMRO2), and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose consumption (rCMRGlc). Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) was used to determine the pathways and efficacy of collateralization via the circle of Willis and included spectrum analysis of flow velocities within the middle and anterior cerebral arteries as well as vasoreactivity tests. In correspondence with ultrasound evidence of a haemodynamically effective intracranial collateral circulation no significant differences between patients and controls were observed for rOER, rCMRO2 and rCMRGlc, but rCBF was globally reduced. Furthermore, in all patients with unilateral carotid occlusion PET excluded side asymmetries of any parameter studied. In contrast, flow velocity parameters measured by TCD were significantly reduced ipsilateral and significantly increased contralateral to the carotid obstruction. Vasodilative capacities, however, remained preserved even in the territory of the occluded carotid system. These data indicate that patients with asymptomatic carotid occlusion compensate by haemodynamic and not by metabolic mechanisms in contrast to symptomatic patients.


The adverse consequences of thrombosis are per haps nowhere more evident than in clinical cardiology. Throm bosis and hemostasis are primary issues in the management of patients with atrial fibrillation, prosthetic heart valves, severe left ventricular dysfunction, and coronary artery disease. Clini cal trials have defined a crucial role for anticoagulation with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation to reduce the inci dence of stroke. Anticoagulation with warfarin and aspirin in combination offers significant protection from systemic emboli in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves, without a sub stantial increased risk of hemorrhage. The risk of systemic emboli may also be reduced by anticoagulation in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. Disturbance of the normal balance of hemostasis is a major factor in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease. Antiplatelet therapy, antithrombin agents, anticoagulants, and fibrinolytic agents have been used to prevent and treat acute coronary thrombosis and to prevent reocclusion following thrombolysis and interventional therapy. Guidelines are presented for antithrombotic therapy in the prac tice of clinical cardiology.


This work investigated the causes of scale formation and removal methods on 107 km crude oil pipeline of Diffra oil field of Muglad basin as a case study. The study is based on well and pipeline historical data of three years (2007, 2008 and 2009). The data included production data (net oil and water cut), choke opening, pipeline pressures, water qualities and scale composition. The study revealed that the main cause of scale formation is the presence of Ca+2 and Mg+2  in produced water and wax in oil. The scale consists of 78 % Ca+2, 12 % Mg+2 and 10 % wax. Investigations on removal methods revealed that the currently employed chemical removal method is effective; however the downtime (well shut down) is high making significant production cut. A method to reduce the cleaning down time is proposed. The pipeline is divided into two sections: aboveground and underground. The aboveground line is characterized with the presence of valves, choke and pipe reductions (i.e. non uniform cross section). The underground section is uniform in cross sectional area. For the aboveground section the current practice of chemical cleaning is recommended to be maintained however, with provision of a bypass line. For underground section the standard practice of pigging is recommended. The proposed cleaning method of the whole pipeline eliminates the downtime completely. In addition it is uncomplicated, with economical operation and installation cost. The method also make significant cut in chemical used hence reduces the hazard and environmental impacts.


Performance of neural models for named entity recognition degrades over time, becoming stale. This degradation is due to temporal drift, the change in our target variables' statistical properties over time. This issue is especially problematic for social media data, where topics change rapidly. In order to mitigate the problem, data annotation and retraining of models is common. Despite its usefulness, this process is expensive and time-consuming, which motivates new research on efficient model updating. In this paper, we propose an intuitive approach to measure the potential trendiness of tweets and use this metric to select the most informative instances to use for training. We conduct experiments on three state-of-the-art models on the Temporal Twitter Dataset. Our approach shows larger increases in prediction accuracy with less training data than the alternatives, making it an attractive, practical solution.


Background Heart failure (HF) continues to be an illness of daunting proportions with a four- year mortality touching 50%. Biomarkers for prognosticating patients with heart failure have generated immense interest. Several studies have been conducted on a novel biomarker, galectin-3 to assess its prognostic effect in heart failure populations. However, the studies have generated conflicting results. Hence a systematic review was done to assess the utility of galectin-3 as a prognostic biomarker in HF. Design This study was a systematic review. Methods A literature search was done using terms 'galectin-3 and heart' and 'galectin-3 and heart failure' in MEDLINE, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar for original articles using a predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results Altogether 27 original articles were selected for the systematic review. Multivariate analysis showed galectin-3 to be ineffective in predicting all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality especially under the influence of factors such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP). Galectin-3 was not found to be superior to NTproBNP, sST2, GDF-15 or C-reactive protein (CRP) as a predictor of mortality. However the combination of natriuretic peptides and galectin-3 has been observed to be superior in predicting mortality compared to either of the biomarkers alone. The role of galectin-3 in remodelling has not been conclusively proven as seen in earlier pre-clinical studies. Conclusion The current weight of evidence does not suggest galectin-3 to be a predictor of mortality. However, assessment of galectin-3 in a multi-biomarker panel may have a distinct advantage in prognosticating patients with heart failure.


The morphological evolution of thin composite films based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) upon annealing has been studied by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), and confocal Raman microscopy. This system currently is the most promising candidate for high-performance polymer solar cells. TEM bright field and SNOM topography measurements show that segregation and large-scale crystallization of PCBM take place upon thermal annealing. Additional SNOM optical absorbance measurements using laser irradiation sources with two different wavelengths in the visible light range and Raman microscopy are able to detect the component distribution within the thin composite film, which in detail demonstrates high diffusive mobility of PCBM upon annealing.


This paper demonstrates the design, Fabrication, and characterization of a novel electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction micropump. The device is based on LCP MEMS microfabrication technology. The novelty of design is due to its micro scale space between two electrodes. The pump consists of high voltage electrode, ground electrode, gasket, input/output ports, and electrical connections. The high voltage electrode consists of 75 centric annulus that were patterned on a 1.5mm LCP film with 30 μm copper clad layer as a substrate. The ground electrode was patterned using the same technology in the shape of a single circular plane avoiding any sharp point. A 230 μm -annuals liquid crystal polymer (LCP) gasket was used to fix the distance between the two substrates. Using 56 μm -resin epoxy film, two substrates are bonded together with constant distance 286 μm. The overall dimension of the micro pump is 65mm × 70mm. The flow direction in the pump was from ground electrode toward positive voltage electrode. In the absence of net flow, the device tests showed a maximum head of 105 Pa with 18 mW power consumption in absence of direct ion injection. The low level of power consumption with this pressure head generation promises a good chance to use the micropump in microgravity micro lubrication applications.© 2008 ASME


In this study is examined the SERV*OR scale which measures the level of Organizational Service-Orientation (OSO) of the service firms and is developed by Lytle, Hom and Mokwa (1998) and applicated to the service firms worked in Antakya. has measured these firms. Organizational Service Orientation is defined as " an organization wide embracement of a basic set of relatively enduring organizational policies, practices and procedures intended to support and reward service-giving behaviors that create and deliver service excellence†. The results which are obtained shows that there are differences between results of studies about number of factors of scale and the effect of the characteristics of firms on the OSO .


The second international conference "The Mongols: traditions and modernity" took place in the Russian State University for the Humanities, on September 11-13, 2019. This conference was initially established as an international research forum convening once in 3 years and connecting scholars in various aspects of Mongolian culture. The event aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge regarding new ideas, topics, approaches and projects concerning Mongolian studies and related academic fields. The thematic frame of this event includes a number of topics concerning cultural, religious, ritual and mythological, folklore, literary, artistic and other traditions of the Mongolian people, the past and present forms of said traditions.


A pattern of intact verbal abilities and impaired visuospatial abilities has led to a hypothesis of alcohol-induced right-hemisphere dysfunction in male chronic alcoholics. The applicability of this hypothesis to chronic female alcoholics was examined by administering the WAIS-R, Stark Paired Associates Tasks, and dichotic listening tasks to 15 male and 10 female alcoholics and 15 male and 10 female controls of similar age and education. Alcoholics had significantly lower Full Scale IQ scores on the WAIS-R but neither sex had a Verbal-Performance IQ difference indicative of right-hemisphere dysfunction. Male alcoholics showed deficits on both the Verbal and Visuospatial Stark Tasks, the deficit being greater on the Visuospatial Task. Male alcoholics showed an increased right-ear superiority on the verbal dichotic listening task and a decreased left-ear superiority on the musical dichotic listening task, both indicative of right-hemisphere dysfunction. The results, except for the WAIS-R, support the hypothesis that male but not female chronic alcoholics exhibit right-hemisphere dysfunction. Females, alcoholic or not, appear to be less lateralized in function.


Background

Achieving undetectable viral loads is crucial for the reduction of HIV transmissions, AIDS related illnesses and death. Adolescents living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) have worse treatment adherence and lower viral suppression rates compared to adults. We report on the clinical factors associated with viral suppression among adolescents 10–19 years living with HIV in the Ehlanzeni district, Mpumalanga in South Africa.
Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted with 9,543 adolescents living with HIV, aged 10–19 years, who were enrolled in 136 ART clinics in the Ehlanzeni district. Clinical and immunological data were obtained from electronic medical records (Tier.net). Adolescents were categorized as having achieved viral suppression if their latest viral load count was < 1000 ribonucleic acid (RNA) copies/mL. Using a backward stepwise approach, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with viral suppression.
Results

The mean age of the participants was 14.75 years (SD = 2.8), and 55.43% were female. Mean duration on ART was 72.26 (SD = 42.3) months. Of the 9,543 adolescents with viral load results recorded, 74% had achieved viral suppression. After adjusting for other covariates, the likelihood of achieving viral suppression remained significantly higher among adolescents who were: female (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.05–1.38), had CD4 count > 200 (AOR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.89–2.79), and on ART for more than 6 months (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.74–4.34). Furthermore, the likelihood of having viral suppression was lower among adolescents with CD4 count < 200 at baseline (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.64–0.90), and who were switched to second line regimen (AOR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.35–0.49).
Conclusions

Viral suppression amongst adolescents at 74% is considerably lower than the WHO target of 90%. Of particular concern for intervention is the lower rates of viral suppression amongst male adolescents. Greater emphasis should be placed to enrol adolescents on ART earlier before CD4 counts are depleted (< 200) and keeping them engaged in care (beyond 6 months). Furthermore, improved viral load monitoring may prevent unnecessary switching to second line treatment, which are costly and is a risk factor for viral non suppression.


In South Africa, as fisheries management continues to move through a transformation process, it is confronted with a myriad of uncertain scenarios which have the potential to jeopardize its objectives. One such situation, which has proved to be threatening to the sustainable utilization of marine resources, is illegal exploitation. In recent years, South Africa has witnessed an increase in poaching activities, with a particular emphasis on the lucrative abalone industry. This fishery has existed successfully for almost 50 years, with an average annual catch in the past 10 years of 615 tonnes. Dramatic cuts in the total allowable catch since late 1996, with up to 90% reductions in key areas, have placed the long-term sustainability of the fishery in question. A criminological study of abalone poaching in a community where both the legal and illegal industries are centred has clearly illustrated both the severity and the complexity of the problem. Negative ramifications have spread through several spheres, incorporating environmental, social, economic, and political dynamics. From the perspective of the community, where poaching is rife, this study highlights the impact poaching has had on a local level, representing significant obstacles for successful fisheries management. The de-legitimization of regulations, the mistrust and corruption of authorities, the bitter and often violent conflict between resource users and the increased fear within the community exacerbate the challenges for cooperative management structures. Although there has been a historic reliance on law enforcement and crime control to address the problem of illegal exploitation, it has been recognized that a shift in governance needs to take place. However, such a shift will require extreme measures that consider the broad issues discussed above.


This paper will illustrate a manufacturing line improvement design. The company which will implement our design is Jamjoom Medical Industries (JMI), a mid-size manufacturing company specializing in medical disposables. JMI is challenged with meeting the increased demand for their products and surpassing their competition. JMI sees these new challenges as an opportunity to re-evaluate the current situation and potentially increase the company's profitability. In order for JMI to accomplish this, a re-design (JMRD) of its manufacturing process is required. This project evaluates alternative designs that will supplement the current processes. JMRD focuses on the manufacturing method of the stop cock, a product that utilizes all facets of the plant. The results gathered from the analysis offer recommendations for changes to be implemented within the manufacturing process of the stop cock as well as other products. A simulation model of the manufacturing process is developed using Rockwell Arena software. The control variable in this re-design process is the product type. The simulation provides evidence of theoretical improvements including increased overall throughput and decreased number of defective units. Each design alternative will be evaluated by cost, performance, and maintainability. In support of the decision process for implementing changes, the improvements discovered in simulation are evaluated with a cost-benefit analysis. The following improvements are considered: automation implementation and statistical sampling of quality. A trade-off analysis will be done to allow our team to provide the decision makers with the best alternative that meets their requirements. Multiple alternative manufacturing product line designs are being evaluated and the analysis results are described.


Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) can live in extremely harsh environments and subsist on submaintenance diets for much of the year. Under these conditions, energy stored as body fat serves as an essential reserve for supplementing dietary intake to meet metabolic demands of survival and reproduction. We developed equations to predict ingesta-free body fat in bighorn sheep using ultrasonography and condition scores in vivo and carcass measurements postmortem. We then used in vivo equations to investigate the relationships between body fat, pregnancy, overwinter survival, and population growth in free-ranging bighorn sheep in California and Nevada. Among 11 subpopulations that included alpine winter residents and migrants, mean ingesta-free body fat of lactating adult females during autumn ranged between 8.8% and 15.0%; mean body fat for nonlactating females ranged from 16.4% to 20.9%. In adult females, ingesta-free body fat > 7.7% during January (early in the second trimester) corresponded with a > 90% probability of pregnancy and ingesta-free body fat > 13.5% during autumn yielded a probability of overwinter survival > 90%. Mean ingesta-free body fat of lactating females in autumn was positively associated with finite rate of population increase (λ) over the subsequent year in bighorn sheep subpopulations that wintered in alpine landscapes. Bighorn sheep with ingesta-free body fat of 26% in autumn and living in alpine environments possess energy reserves sufficient to meet resting metabolism for 83 days on fat reserves alone. We demonstrated that nutritional condition can be a pervasive mechanism underlying demography in bighorn sheep and characterizes the nutritional value of their occupied ranges. Mountain sheep are capital survivors in addition to being capital breeders, and because they inhabit landscapes with extreme seasonal forage scarcity, they also can be fat reserve obligates. Quantifying nutritional condition is essential for understanding the quality of habitats, how it underpins demography, and the proximity of a population to a nutritional threshold.


For the individual dentist, the Ceramic Success Analysis (CSA) is atried and tested internet-based platform for monitoring the clinical success of all-ceramic restorations. After compiling an insertion protocol and recording the findings from regular clinical follow-up examinations, an analysis follows which culminates in the re-evaluation of the indication and the treatment approach. The evaluations of the 12-year results confirm a high success rate for all-ceramic restorations. Factors which influence the long-term success are: tooth vitality, an indicated crown, the use of a two-bottle dentin adhesive, and the placement of rubber-dam in the adhesive cementation technique.


Abstract The oldest dated rocks in eastern Timor are of Lower Permian age, the metamorphic rocks of uncertain age being interpreted as probably pre-Permian. With the exception of two important breaks and a number of minor but widespread unconformities (affecting all eastern Timor) from Permian times onwards the stratigraphical record is fairly continuous to the Holocene. Some formations are entirely allochthonous in eastern Timor. The present work attempts a complete revision of the stratigraphical column. This entails the definition of many new formations, the revision of the limits of others, and their re-positioning in the time-sequence. All field mapping and stratigraphical subdivisions were based on lithostratigraphical units. Fossils collected from these various units and identified by specialists have provided the time-control. The recommendations of the Australian Code of Stratigraphic Nomenclature (4th edition, 1964) are followed as closely as possible. Grunau (1953) recognized that some rocks of eastern Timor were technically allochthonous and divided the formations into an autochthonous and allochthonous complex. Gageonnet & Lemoine (1958) followed Grunau in this procedure. The uncertainties of these and earlier workers over which formations are allochthonous are now dispelled; most of the formations are now recognized as autochthonous. Four separate formations are recognized as completely allochthonous: the Lolotoi Complex, Aileu Formation, Maubisse Formation and Bobonaro Scaly Clay. Of these the Bobonaro Scaly Clay is distinct in that it was emplaced in Timor as a submarine gravity slide (Audley-Charles 1965a). Unlike all the other allochthonous formations it does not rest on a thrust-plane. The Bobonaro Scaly


For most of history, humans have been watching the night-sky (Brecher & Feirtag, 1979; Hawkins, 1983). Despite the long history of night-sky watching among humans and the apparent importance of the behavior to portions of the contemporary population (i.e., amateur astronomers, astro-tourists, etc.), this behavior has only recently become a focus of scientific study. In two of the first studies examining night-sky watching as a psychological variable, Kelly (2003) and Kelly and Kelly (2003) identified a single latent construct which accounted for a majority of the variance in night-sky watching attitudes and behaviors. Kelly (2003) termed this construct noctcaelador, defined as strong interest in, or psychological attachment to the night-sky. Recently identified, little research has examined correlates of noctcaelador. One of the few studies on this topic found that higher scores on a measure of noctcaelador were related to higher scores on the openness to experience factor of the five-factor model of personality (Kelly, 2004a). Across several studies, openness to experience has been identified as a correlate of cognitive effort and engagement (Ackerman & Heggestad, 1997; Ferguson & Patterson, 1998). Two cognitive variables which have been empirically associated with openness to experience are need for cognition (Sadowski & Cogburn, 1997; Tuten & Bosnjak, 2001) and social problem-solving (McMurran, Egan, Blair, & Richardson, 2001). Need for cognition refers to enjoyment of engaging in effortful thought (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982). Individuals who score higher on measures of need for cognition tend to have more positive attitudes towards complex stimuli which require reasoning and effortful thought (Cacioppo, Petty, Feinstein, & Jarvis, 1996). The night-sky might be considered a complex stimuli. Therefore, it is possible that individuals higher in need for cognition would find the night-sky to be appealing and worthy of effortful contemplation. Social problem-solving can be conceptualized as the cognition and behavioral processes by which individuals attempt to approach problems and identify solutions in everyday living or "in the real world" (p. 116, Maydeu-Olivares & D'Zurilla, 1996). In general, social problem solving refers to orientation to problems (i.e., positive or negative attitude) and their approach to solving problems (i.e., active rational approach, carelessness in solving problems, and avoidance). Based on previous findings, it appears that individuals with a more positive attitude towards problems and a rational approach to problem solving are more likely to engage with stimuli, systematically seek-out additional information regarding stimuli, and construct new meanings of stimuli (D'Zurilla & Chang, 1995; Maydeu-Olivares & D'Zurilla, 1996). If this interpretation is correct, it is possible that individuals higher in positive problem orientation and rational problem-solving approaches would be more likely to engage a complex stimuli such as the night-sky and be able to identify and re-construct patterns and personal meaning in that complex stimulus. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether or not the nomological network for night-sky watching, operationalized as noctcaelador, also includes need for cognition and problem solving approaches. Such information might be helpful to researchers interested in further understanding characteristics of individuals who enjoy engaging in night-sky watching. Also, this information might be helpful to occupational and academic counselors in assisting individuals to determine whether or not their interests and characteristics are consistent with pursuit of the discipline of astronomy. Based on previous findings that noctcaelador, need for cognition, and problem solving are correlated with the broad domain of openness to experience, it was hypothesized that a measure of noctcaelador would be significantly, positively correlated with measures of problem-solving (rational problem-solving and positive problem-solving orientation) and need for cognition. …


A search for new targeted therapeutic strategies based on examining immunopathogenetic mechanisms for emerging co-infections is relevant and may further contribute not only to optimizing choice of immunotropic drugs, but also to achieving positive clinical and immunological remission for abnormal infectious processes. Previously, our studies found that recurrent viral-bacterial respiratory infections are associated with dysfunction of neutrophilic granulocytes (NG) with varying degree of intensity in altered effector properties. NG dysfunctions are often associated with diverse phenotypic profiles characterized by varying density for expression level of functionally significant trigger receptors. The aim of the study was to pinpoint phenotype transformation in CD64-CD32+CD16+CD11b+, CD64+CD32+CD16+CD11b+ neutrophilic granulocytes in experimental model of viral-bacterial infection in vitro. We examined 52 peripheral blood samples collected from 13 healthy adult volunteers. Viral, bacterial and virus-bacterial infection was modelled in vitro by incubating blood-derived cell samples with formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or in combination followed by assessing changes in immunophenotyping of CD64-CD32+CD16+CD11b+NG, CD64+CD32+CD16+CD11b+NG by using using MAbs CD16-ECD, CD64-FITC, CD32-PE, CD11b-PC5 conjugates (Beckman Coulter International SA, France). It was demonstrated that NGs from healthy adult volunteers were dominated by CD64-CD32+CD16+CD11b+NG as well as minor subset СD64+CD32+CD16+CD11b+ NG varying in expression density of membrane molecules. Percentage of the minor subset СD64+CD16+CD32+CD11b+ NG was significantly increased after exposure with dsRNA, fMLP and dsRNA+fMLP compared to untreated samples. Comparative analysis revealed that various immunotropic agents differed in affecting expression of surface receptor molecules CD16, CD32 and unidirectional effects, but of varying magnitude altering CD11b marker both in major and minor subsets. Preincubation with dsRNA followed by adding fMLP allowed to find that they co-stimulated expression of surface receptors in both NG subsets. We generated an experimental model of viral-bacterial co-infection in vitro by using fMLP and dsRNA and observed types of phenotype transformation in CD64-CD32+CD16+CD11b+ NG and CD64+CD32+CD16+CD11b+ NG subsets. This model can be used to evaluate transformation of other NG subset phenotypes, NG functional activity, features of NET formation as well as impact of various immunotropic agents on NG.


Abstract Introduction The concept of social isolation is currently understood as a measure of epidemiological containment that aims to reduce the speed of spread of the disease, enabling health services to prepare their resources to cope with the likely increase in demand, while also seeking to provide additional protection to groups considered to be at higher risk. Objective The present narrative review aims to compile and synthesize the literature related to social isolation produced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Method This study is a narrative review of the literature on social isolation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results 73 publications were included for full-text reading and were classified into the following categories: levels of social isolation, economic effects, family relationships, health system, mental health of the population, and use of technology. Conclusions It is necessary to plan an escalation of responses to the consequences of the pandemic, especially in view of the increased demand on the health sector and social services. The negative effects of social isolation can be prevented by public policies that offer a response to the economic recession, maintenance of social work, encouragement of quality care in mental health services, and community support for vulnerable families.


The Cambodia Kampong basin located in the east Gulf of Thailand.The exploration in this basin is low because of some history reason.The hydrocarbon research doesn't carry out before,thus seismic data and well log data are lack.Kampong basin is a Meso-Paleozoic basin and located in the east of the paleo-Thetis suture zone.The basin that recognized as a intraplate-craton basin until the Permian,became the intracontinental rift basin after the late Triassic,as the tectonic movement.In order to analyze evaluate the hydrocarbons potential,we integrated the seismic and high accuracy satellite gravity data(sample density:0.02°×0.02°),to calculate Bouguer gravity anomaly,the gravity vertical second-order derivative and the gravity level total gradient anomaly,According to the gravity field theory and the global gravitational field model(EGM96).Finally,Based on seismic constrained gravity inversion and interpreted integration,the research forecasts the basement depth,analyzes the fault system and divide the tectonic unit.Conclusions:(1)The basement is Carboniferous and below formations,with roughly undulated interface.The basement is with alternating uplifts and depressions,the depth of basement is deeper in the eastern and middle western parts,shallower in the middle eastern and western parts with depth of 4000-5000m,the biggest subsidence center is approximately 8000m.(2)The basin can be divided into four tectonic units:Narathiwat uplift,western depression,Poulo Wai uplift and Eastern depression.The age of the Narathiwat uplift and western depression western depression is Cenozoic and Mesozoic.The Poulo Wai uplift can be subdivided into two secondary units:northern slope and western uplift.The age of the cap rock of the Poulo Wai uplif and the eastern depression is the Mesozoic Paleozoic.(3)The uplifts and depressions are developed in north-south direction,while a few of highpoints were developed in uplifts and a few of sedimentation centers in depressions.The mainly structural type is anticline and fault-nose,with the NNW-SSE trend,irregular long ellipse shape,big scale and big exploration potential.


This report presents results of the solar resource mapping and photovoltaic power potential evaluation, as a part of a technical assistance for the renewable energy development in Myanmar, implemented by the World Bank.The study has two objectives: 1) Improve the awareness and knowledge of resources for solar energy technologies by producing a comprehensive countrywide data set and maps based on satellite and meteorological modelling. This report evaluates key solar climate features, and geographic and time variability of solar power potentialin the country. The outcomes are supported by explanation of the methodology and evaluation of thedata uncertainty.2) Provide support information for installation of meteorological stations in Myanmar by identifying and evaluating the most feasible areas. The data used in this report are based on the satellite and meteorological models. Due to lack of accurate solar measurements, the data and the outcomes published in this study have higher uncertainty, compared to other regions. The regional uncertainty of models can be reduced in future by acquiring high quality measurements at several meteorological stations with specialised solar-measuring equipment. The report also provides an indicative analysis of regions and areas where deployment of solar measuring stations could take place. These stations would contribute to the validation of the models and reducing the datauncertainty. Once at least one year of measurements is available the data can be used for adaptation of solar and meteorological models and for detailed analysis of solar climate at representative sites.


Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a wide range of clinical manifestations, including dementia and peripheral neuropathy.1 NIID is pathologically characterized by eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions found in the central and peripheral nervous systems and various organs, including the skin,1,2 which enables the confirmation of a diagnosis by skin biopsy.2 High-intensity signals along the corticomedullary junction on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and bilateral leukoencephalopathy are also specific features of NIID1 and extend as the disease progresses.1,3 However, the clinical and pathophysiologic significance of cerebral blood flow remains undetermined. In this study, we present the case of a patient with NIID exhibiting dynamic perfusion changes on arterial spin labeling (ASL) before typical subcortical DWI signals. The patient's clinical manifestations and radiologic changes are very unique and remarkable for NIID. Her diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy and genomic analysis.


The future of the constantly changing public health profession is tied to the development of practice skills through competency-based training. In this article, we describe a program change in the Master of Public Health program at East Stroudsburg University in northeastern Pennsylvania. The first goal of the program transition was to ensure that all program elements included the relevant vision, values, mission, goals, and objectives. The second goal was to use continuous data input and evaluation to incorporate opportunities for flexible assessments. The change process helped the university faculty define the program's vision and fostered an environment of community collaboration that guides training for public health professionals.


As part of an ongoing technical support mission to achieve excellence and efficiency in environmental restoration activities at the Laboratory for Energy and Health-Related Research (LEHR), Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) provided guidance on the design and construction of monitoring wells and identified the most suitable type of groundwater sampling pump and accessories for monitoring wells. The goal was to utilize a monitoring well design that would allow for hydrologic testing and reduce turbidity to minimize the impact of sampling. The sampling results of the newly designed monitoring wells were clearly superior to those of the previously installed monitoring wells. The new wells exhibited reduced turbidity, in addition to improved access for instrumentation and hydrologic testing. The variable frequency submersible pump was selected as the best choice for obtaining groundwater samples. The literature references are listed at the end of this report. Despite some initial difficulties, the actual performance of the variable frequency, submersible pump and its accessories was effective in reducing sampling time and labor costs, and its ease of use was preferred over the previously used bladder pumps. The surface seals system, called the Dedicator, proved to be useful accessory to prevent surface contamination while providing easy access for more » water-level measurements and for connecting the pump. Cost savings resulted from the use of the pre-production pumps (beta units) donated by the manufacturer for the demonstration. However, larger savings resulted from shortened field time due to the ease in using the submersible pumps and the surface seal access system. Proper deployment of the monitoring wells also resulted in cost savings and ensured representative samples. « less


Introduction: Hearty Lives (HL) is a £1.2 million programme established by the British Heart Foundation which aims to reduce health inequalities, particularly by supporting those 'at greatest risk' of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Six programmes have been set up (Adur, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Renfrewshire & Wolverhampton) to reduce the incidence of CVD risk factors in children and young people (aged 11-18 years old). Leeds Beckett University (LBU) is conducting the national three-year evaluation of the HL programmes. Objectives: The national evaluation aims to extract key learnings and provide recommendations for working with vulnerable populations (at greater risk of CVD). This is done through an action research methodology. Methods: Within this action research approach, a case study methodology has been used to recognise the uniqueness of each HL project. Impact and process outcomes are being collected to assess HL intervention effectiveness and to establish what processes led to the success or shortcomings of each approach. Key stakeholders views towards HL interventions were captured. Results: The evidence produced from the first year fed into the refinement and development of each of the six HL interventions in the second year. The 6 HL interventions have considered stakeholders views in order to develop tailored and flexible HP interventions. This is considered key when addressing health disparities (Jacobs et al., 2012). All HL interventions recognise the importance of planning for sustainability and putting strategies in place to ensure that they can be continued beyond the three year funding. Developing links with partners, delivering training to multiple stakeholders and accessing other sources of funding are key to consider in the sustainability of such HP interventions. Conclusion: This research highlights the benefits of a collaborative action research approach. It identifies the value of evaluation teams working alongside stakeholders to refine and develop feasible, acceptable and efficacious HP interventions.


The present invention provides a method for signaling between an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and a multi-mode terminal using concise primitives to support the use of IMS-based services while the multi-mode terminal is attached to either the packet switched (PS) domain or to the circuit switched (CS) domain, or moves between these domains. The present invention enables the maintenance of services state in only the IMS and in the multi-mode terminal, thus avoiding the creation or transfer of services state information as the multi-mode terminal moves between the PS and CS domains.


Metakaolin hollow fibre membranes (MHFM) prepared by a combined phase inversion and sintering method were proposed for application in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Four kinds of hydrophobic metakaolin hollow fibre membranes (h-MHFM) sintered at different temperatures (1200ºC to 1500ºC) were successfully prepared by grafting 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane on the MHFM. Prior to the grafting process, hydrolysis with a mixture of ethanol and water with ratio 1:2 was applied for 24 hours. The effectiveness of hydrophobization on each MHFM was assessed using contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3-point bending. It was found that increasing sintering temperature increased the mechanical strength from 117.6 MPa to 182.3 MPa. Further increment was observed when mofification with FAS was applied. After modification, the contact angle was enhanced up to 120º. In general, membrane prepared at lower sintering temperature of 1200°C exhibited higher DCMD performance with water vapor flux of 17.5 kg/m2h due to sufficient pore size for the vapor to pass through the memrbane structure. It was suugested that this membrane is suitable for any condition of water treatment including heavy metal removal, due to its excellent properties to act in harsh condition and best DCMD performance.


Defining the relevant market is a preliminary step in every assessment of the degree of Significant Market Power (SMP). A firm with total market power can raise prices without losing any customers to competitors. SMP exists when prices exceed marginal cost and long run average cost, so the firm makes economic profits. The contribution of this paper is two-fold. On the one hand, a critical assessment of the role of competition in an industry/sector is performed. To this end, we discuss the most recent quantitative and qualitative techniques in market delineation. On the other hand, we try to shed some light on the competitive constraints in the Cypriot airport industry where little prior knowledge is evident. Although the airport industry is a crucial economic sector and has oligopolistic, to some extent even monopolistic structure, there is no standard and universal approach established by the National Competition Authorities (NCAs) for exact categorization of market delineation. ?his paper tries to perform a thorough market power assessment in order to analyse all the competitive constraints faced by an airport operator, regardless of whether they arise from within or outside the relevant market(s).


Variance-based global sensitivity analysis, in particular Sobol' analysis, is widely used for determining the importance of input variables to a computational model. Sobol' indices can be computed cheaply based on spectral methods like polynomial chaos expansions (PCE). Another choice are the recently developed Poincare chaos expansions (PoinCE), whose orthonormal tensor-product basis is generated from the eigenfunctions of one-dimensional Poincare differential operators. In this paper, we show that the Poincare basis is the unique orthonormal basis with the property that partial derivatives of the basis form again an orthogonal basis with respect to the same measure as the original basis. This special property makes PoinCE ideally suited for incorporating derivative information into the surrogate modelling process. Assuming that partial derivative evaluations of the computational model are available, we compute spectral expansions in terms of Poincare basis functions or basis partial derivatives, respectively, by sparse regression. We show on two numerical examples that the derivative-based expansions provide accurate estimates for Sobol' indices, even outperforming PCE in terms of bias and variance. In addition, we derive an analytical expression based on the PoinCE coefficients for a second popular sensitivity index, the derivative-based sensitivity measure (DGSM), and explore its performance as upper bound to the corresponding total Sobol' indices.


Some form of critical evaluatory procedure for models is needed to maintain the integrity of modeling and to ensure that the increasingly widespread use of models does not result in the propagation of misleading information. The term validation must be used with the clear understanding that no model can be validated in the sense that it has been unequivocally justified. All that can be achieved is to show how small the probability is that the model has been refuted. Whether this probability is acceptable is a subjective decision. The type of statistical test that is appropriate depends on the quality of the data against which the model is tested. Using a procedure that compares the sums of squares that result from the model not fitting the data with the sums of squares due to error in the data, gives a stringent test, but it requires the replication of measurements. Rigor is as important in evaluating parameters as it is in testing models. Direct measurement is the best option, but where a parameter has to be obtained by fitting, the statistical procedures used for validation are appropriate. In general, the further the data used for parameterization are removed from the data to be simulated the better. Problems can arise in both parameterization and validation if the model is nonlinear regarding its parameters, and the latter have appreciable variances. Parameterization and validation become more difficult as the complexity of the model or the scale at which it is used increase.


Coincidence of the Eagle syndrome and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis can very rarely result with compression of the hypopharynx. The authors here described a very rare case of hypopharyngeal airway compression secondary to cervical osteophytes in a patient with coincidence of Eagle syndrome and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Multidetector computed tomography accuracy showed compression to the hypopharyngeal air column by the Eagle syndrome and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.


The MOXY device provides a non-invasive measure of muscle oxygen saturation (SmO 2 ) during exercise. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), MOXY may help determine which physiological system limits physical performance by providing real time readings of SmO 2 . Purpose: The aim of this preliminary study was to generate a hypothesis by evaluating patterns between muscle oxygen saturation (SmO 2 ) and VO 2 max as well as anaerobic threshold (AT) during a progressive workload running test on the treadmill.  Methods: As a part of pre-season fitness assessment, college-age basketball players (n=8; mean ± SD: Wt: 92.7 ± 12.3kg; Ht: 191.4 ± 5.8cm) performed a progressive workload running test on the treadmill until volitional exhaustion. The treadmill slope increased every 2 min.  Before the treadmill test, the MOXY device was placed on either the right quadriceps, right calf, or right triceps muscles.  The triceps site was used in one subject as a reference of less active muscle not directly involved in the motion while whole body VO 2 increased with progressive work. Main Outcome Measures: VO 2 max and AT were measured using indirect calorimetry. SmO 2 was measured using the MOXY device. VO 2 max and AT values were compared with the slope of the relationship between log of VO 2 and log of SmO 2 . Pearson correlation coefficients were generated for VO 2 max and the slope and AT and the slope.  Results: The correlation between VO 2 max and the slope was 0.516 (p>0.05), while the correlation between AT and the slope was 0.547 (p>0.05). Interpretations: It cannot be concluded that subjects with a higher VO 2 max and AT can predict the decline in SmO 2 . However, a future study with at least 15 subjects might be able to detect a relationship between these variables, and allow us to hypothesize that muscle oxygenation may be a limiting factor in maximum oxygen uptake during exercise.


Regional Diary

Not many outside Pakistan would have heard about the continuing violence in Parachinar – the headquarters of Kurram Agency in FATA. Ironically, even not many within Pakistan were aware of the extent of the problem. Until recently. But few individuals from Parachinar went on a dharna and made skilful use of the social media – to highlight their problems – both at national and international levels. End result: the Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa visited Parachinar town during early July and made few promises to the local community.

Will Bajwa's visit bring peace to Parachinar? Is the problem in the Kurram valley – related to terrorism as Bajwa has proclaimed, or that of sectarian which the State has been refusing even to acknowledge? Is Parachinar - case of Sunni sectarian militants in Pakistan, trying to exploit the current situation to their advantage, and target local Shia communities? Or, is the problem related to geo-political – that the Deep State in Pakistan wants to use the location of Parachinar (abutting three provinces in Afghanistan) to their strategic advantage?

Clearly there is a problem in Parachinar. And then, there is also a problem of Parachinar vis-a-vis the Durand Line and its location bordering Afghanistan in FATA. The immediate problem however is related to high level of violence, that too recurrent, against the local shia community and state's apathy towards it.


better back-up from specialist heart failure nurses in terms of problem-solving. In particular, they stated that their role of care co-ordinator would have been enhanced had they been involved earlier in the illness trajectory. They also expressed concerns that some patients lacked insight into their prognosis, which was a barrier to providing holistic care. Conclusions: Community nurses in this study were happy to deliver palliative care to heart failure patients. However they expressed a need for earlier involvement and more back-up from the hospital-based specialist heart failure teams, to ensure that care was better co-ordinated and seamless. These findings suggest that the door may be open for specialist nurses to engage more with community colleagues, offering education and specialist advice that would facilitate patients with end-stage heart failure to receive quality care at home in the final stages of their illness trajectory.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the reported incidence of pneumoconiosis in China in 2010, and to investigate the reasons for increase in the number of new cases.

METHODS
Descriptive analysis was performed on the new cases of pneumoconiosis reported by the "Monitoring System of Health Hazard Factors" under "China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention" in China in 2010.

RESULTS
A total of 23812 new cases of pneumoconiosis were reported in all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities except Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as Production and Construction Corps of Xinjiang, increased by 64.28% compared with the number in 2009. There were 12 564 cases of coal-workers' pneumoconiosis and 9870 cases of silicosis, accounting for 94.21% of all new cases. The cases of silicosis were distributed mainly in Sichuan, Liaoning, and Jiangsu, from which 52.21% of all new silicosis cases were reported; most of the cases were in railway, nonferrous metal, and coal industries, and the majority of them were drillers. The cases of coal-workers' pneumoconiosis were distributed mainly in Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shanxi, and Beijing; most of the cases were in coal industry, and the majority of them were coal-getters. The main reasons for increase in the number of new cases were as follows: increased numbers of reporting agencies and diagnosis agencies, expanded coverage of occupational health surveillance and occupational insurance, closing down and integration of small coal mines, solution of untreated problems, enhanced legal awareness of employers and employees, and investigation into omission of pneumoconiosis case reporting.

CONCLUSION
Coal-workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis are the most serious occupational diseases in China, and specific measurements for prevention and control should be taken according to the geographic, industrial, and occupational distributions.


The paper presents a model of a planar broadband differential waveguide interferometer with a gradient refractive index distribution. Its response to the change in the refractive index of the waveguide cover layer is presented. The analysis was performed for the wavelength range from 0.5um to 0.7um. The orthogonal TE0 and TM0 modes propagating in this wavelength range are considered. The influence of the coverage refractive index change on the output characteristics of the system is shown. Full Text: PDF ReferencesP. Kozma, F. Kehl, E.Ehrentreich-Forster, C. Stamm and F.F. Bier, "Integrated planar optical waveguide interferometer biosensors: A comparative review", Biosens. Bioelectron. 58, 287 (2014), CrossRef M. Kitsara, K. Misiakos, I. Raptis, and E. Makarona, "Integrated optical frequency-resolved Mach-Zehnder interferometers for label-free affinity sensing", Opt. Express 18, 8193 (2010). CrossRef K. Misiakos, I. Raptis, A. Salapatas, E. Makarona, A. Bostials, et al., "Broad-band Mach-Zehnder interferometers as high performance refractive index sensors: Theory and monolithic implementation", Opt. Express 22, 8856 (2014). CrossRef K. Misiakos, I. Raptis, E. Makarona, A. Botsialas, A. Salapatas, et al, "All-silicon monolithic Mach-Zehnder interferometer as a refractive index and bio-chemical sensor", Opt. Express 22, 26803 (2014) CrossRef K. Misiakos, E. Makarona, M. Hoekman, R. Fyrogenis, K. Tukkiniemi, et al., "All-Silicon Spectrally Resolved Interferometric Circuit for Multiplexed Diagnostics: A Monolithic Lab-on-a-Chip Integrating All Active and Passive Components", ACS Photonics 6, 1694 (2019). CrossRef E. Makarona, A. Salapatas, I. Raptis, P. Petrou, S. Kakabakos, et al., "Broadband Young interferometry for simultaneous dual polarization bioanalytics", J Opt Soc Am B 34, 1691 (2017). CrossRef K. Gut, "Broad-band difference interferometer as a refractive index sensor", Opt. Express 25, 3111 (2017), CrossRef K. Gut, "Study of a Broadband Difference Interferometer Based on Low-Cost Polymer Slab Waveguides", Nanomaterials 9, 729 (2019), CrossRef T. Pustelny, J. Ignac-Nowacka and Z. Opilski, "Optical investigations on layered metalphthalocyanine nanostructures affected by NO2 applying the surface plasmon resonance method", Opt. Appl. 34, 563 (2004). CrossRef W. Lukosz, Sensor Actuat. B-Chem. "Integrated optical chemical and direct biochemical sensors", 29, 37 (1995). CrossRef Z. Qi, S. Xia and N. Matsuda, "Spectropolarimetric interferometer based on single-mode glass waveguides", Opt. Express, 16, 2245 (2008). CrossRef K. Gut, A. Zakrzewski, T. Pustelny, "Sensitivity of Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Different Wavelengths", Acta Phys. Pol. 118, 1140 (2010). CrossRef J.E. Broquin, S. Honkanen, "Integrated Photonics on Glass: A Review of the Ion-Exchange Technology Achievements", Appl.Sci. 11, 4472 (2021). CrossRef G.C. Righini, J. Linares, "Active and Quantum Integrated Photonic Elements by Ion Exchange in Glass", Appl.Sci. 11, 5222 (2021). CrossRef


Resonance in aerospace is a phenomenon that engineers have been trying to predict and avoid for a long time. Acoustic resonance is only a part in this field. When it was previously studied, it was mostly in connection with long slender gaps at the fuselage of aircrafts. Lately it has become a focus in the development of highly efficient aero engines. Bleed systems in the compressor part of engines are needed but not easy to place aerodynamically. Additionally, these bleed systems have complex geometries. These geometries coupled with the operational range of modern aircraft from low to high subsonic Mach numbers can create unwanted acoustic resonances.
 This paper is part of project study of these resonances. Here the bleed geometry is simplified to an open box cavity that is studied experimentally in order to measure its acoustic behavior in low to high subsonic flow. The experimental data is compared to theoretical prediction models to create a baseline for future studies. The results show a good agreement between Rossiter prediction and experiments for a shallow cavity of L/D = 4. Deeper cavities with a length to depth ratio of one and 0.5 represent more organ pipe resonance phenomena. This is especially governed by the geometry of the cavity itself and the height of the test section. All cavities experience a shift in modes depending on the operating point. This mode shift pattern is similar for deeper cavities. However, the operating range can be divided into four sections in which a mode shift occurs for all cavities.


Design/Methods/Approach: The study is rooted in normative theory of compliance and empirically verifies the model of compliance as suggested by Jackson et al. (2011b) within Czech context, assuming an important role of trust in procedural fairness of the police in shaping compliant behaviour. The analysis is based on structural equation modelling with use of two representative datasets (European Social Survey, 2010; Bezpečnostní rizika, 1999).


We tested the hypotheses that the levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) reflect the degree of control during the treatment of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and that suppressed IGF-I levels during puberty contribute to decreased adult height. We measured serial IGF-I levels in 26 CAH patients followed over 6 months to 5 years. The control of CAH was variable, with several cases of overtreatment in infancy, and frequent undertreatment in childhood and adolescence. IGF-I levels were quite variable and inconsistent with the control of CAH. Our results suggest that IGF-I levels are not helpful in monitoring CAH patients; IGF-I does not seem to play a role in the growth failure during CAH therapy.


Background and aim of the work: Epidemic influenza is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in people at risk. The vaccine reduces complications, hospitalization and mortality excess, as well as health care and social costs. Aim of the study was to estimate the influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in Emilia-Romagna Region during the 2018/2019 season. Methods: Within the context of virological surveillance conducted at the Regional Reference Laboratory of Parma, nasal/throat swabs were performed by sentinel practitioners and clinicians, on patients with ILI (Influenza-like illness). VE estimates, overall and against subtype A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2), were evaluated in three periods of the season, using a test-negative case-control design. Results: From November 2018 to April 2019, 2,230 specimens were analyzed: 1,674 (75.1%) performed by clinicians and 556 (24.9%) by sentinel practitioners of the regional network. The season was characterized by the predominant circulation of influenza type A viruses: 57.4% belonged to subtype A(H3N2), 41.2% to subtype A(H1N1)pdm09. 23.5% of patients was vaccinated against influenza with quadrivalent or adjuvate vaccine. The overall VE was -5% (95% CI -33% - 18%) with a decreasing trend during the season. The overall VE against subtype A(H1N1)pdm09 was 39% (95% CI 11% - 58%) and remained stable during the season. The overall VE against subtype A(H3N2) was -43% (95% CI -89% - -9%), and showed an important decreasing trend. Conclusions: The possibility to make accurate and continuous VE estimates during the season will help to better define the composition of the vaccine for the following season. (www.actabiomedica.it)


An integrated double buck-boost converter circuit, which can act as a high power factor, low output current ripple, and good efficiency driver for power LED lamps. The input stage is based on the integration of buck boost converter which performs power factor correction (PFC) from a universal ac source, using the PWM operation mode as a control loop. The integrated double buck-boost (IDBB) converter features one controlled switch and two inductors that supply a solid-state lamp from the mains, providing high power factor and good efficiency. In this project, the IDBB converter is analyzed with and without Control algorithm (PI controller), and a design methodology is proposed using Matlab. It is demonstrated that, with a careful design of the converter, the filter capacitances can be made small enough so that film capacitors may be used. The results obtained using PI controller and fuzzy logic controller for the same circuit are compared and are presented which validates high input power factor and superior control over the output voltage.


Fauzi MA, Hamidy A, Kurniawan N. 2020. Harvesting trends of Amboina box turtles (Cuora amboinensis) seventeen years after listing in Appendix II CITES. Biodiversitas 21: 1142-1148. Among Southeast Asian freshwater turtles, the Amboina box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) held the highest recorded harvesting levels. The large volumes of harvesting influenced its International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revised the conservation status of C.amboinensis from Near Threatened to Vulnerable in 2000. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) also inclusion of Amboina box turtle in Appendix II category. The CITES trade database provided a data set that tracks the legal trade of C. amboinensis in the global market from 2000 to 2017. Before 2005, Malaysia was the largest major supplier of this species to the global market. However, after 2005, Indonesia replaces Malaysia as the biggest exporter. From 2005 to 2014, the data showed that the trade trends already followed the quota of provisions. The trade routes of C amboinensis showed that the USA was the country to which these turtles were most frequently imported (50 times during 2000-2017), while China was still the biggest importer country in terms of quantity (463584 individuals from 2000-2017). The USA re-exported C. amboinensis for the pet trade to several European countries. Vietnam reportedly also re-exported C. amboinensis from Laos. However, Laos has rarely reported the occurrence of export activities to Vietnam. Based on these findings, we were able to understand the dynamics of the C. amboinensis trade globally more clearly, propose several actions deemed necessary for its conservation, and suggest greater on-going coordinated efforts to monitor the trade of this species.


OBJECTIVE To define the continuing education topics and methods in the area of chemistry and hematology, that if developed, would best support the cross-training needs of hospital based laboratories in the State of Georgia. DESIGN A cross sectional study of hospital based laboratories in Georgia was completed using surveys sent to 181 hospital laboratory managers and administrators. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the survey results. SETTING Department of Medical Technology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta GA. PARTICIPANTS Laboratory managers and administrators. INTERVENTION Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Four descriptive outcome measurements were requested from each participant: 1) demographic questions, 2) cross-training topics desired, 3) training material desired, and 4) computer literacy and equipment assessment. RESULTS Sixty-six surveys were completed and returned in a usable form (36% return rate). Demographically, the respondent group is a representative sample of hospital based laboratories in the State of Georgia with 46% of the respondents from facilities of 100 hospital beds or less. Respondents desired that case study training topics be developed using paper and computer assisted instruction mediums. Additionally, respondents desired that Professional Acknowledgement for Continuing Education (P.A.C.E.) be associated with the training material. They were willing to pay for this administrative service. CONCLUSION This cross sectional study assessed the cross-training needs of hospital based laboratories in Georgia. Findings will allow educators to focus and develop continuing education packages that best meet the needs of the laboratorian workforce.


Abstract The WHO declared the first pandemic of the 21st century in June 2009 [influenza A(H1N1)pdm09]. The exact burden of the pandemic is still unknown and data continues to emerge on the direct and indirect costs associated with this pandemic. In this review we explore why the 2009 pandemic was so mild, what we might have done better to control and manage it then suggest some lessons for the future. Compared to previous influenza pandemics, the 2009 pandemic would be considered mild. It raises questions as to whether the pandemic virus was less virulent compared with previous pandemics and/or whether advances in modern medicine helped to keep the mortality low. This is the first pandemic that has been tackled with the combination of antivirals, antibiotics, vaccines for both the virus and bacterial super-infections as well as advanced intensive-care management. The pandemic influenza virus showed some remarkable antigenic and genetic similarities with the 1918 pandemic H1N1 virus. Related to this, it spared the elderly who are usually at much higher risk of influenza morbidity and mortality during seasonal epidemics and pandemics.


Any constitutional move towards a federal system in the United Kingdom would inevitably be unbalanced by England's obvious economic, cultural and numerical dominance. Some form of English regional devolution is therefore essential if we are to progress as a multinational state post Scottish and Welsh devolution. This article adopts a deliberately polemical approach to a consideration of the potential role of regional English newspapers in that context, suggesting that their established links with a coherent audience, rooted in place, might allow them to act as a vehicle for debate and nurture a sense of regional identity often absent from contemporary English politics. Regional newspapers are 'culturally specific' and have a key role to play in articulating the popular experience of post-devolution political change: this might also present this struggling sector with valuable commercial opportunities as they take advantage of the new political paradigm to further embed themselves within their communities.


Rational empirical antimicrobial therapy is an important component of sepsis patient management. This study aimed to assess the rationality of empirical antimicrobial therapy in patients diagnosed with sepsis admitted in intermediate care ward of internal medicine department (RPI) of Dr. Soetomo General Hospital from January 2016 to July 2017. Medical records of 91 patients diagnosed with sepsis were collected and studied retrospectively in period from July 2017 to November 2017. 91 (85.05%) medical records from 107 sepsis patients were evaluated. Cultures and antimicrobial sensitivity tests were carried out in 21 (23.07%) patients. 14 patients yielded positive culture results, 9 of which were MDRO positive with ESBL as resistant marker. Empirical antibiotic therapies for these patients were reviewed according to Gyssens method.73 (80.2%) of 91 patients were deemed receiving appropriate empirical antibiotic therapies. Ceftriaxone IV injection as monotherapy or combination therapy were the most common empirical antibiotic therapies (82 in 91 patients, 90.1%), despite local microbiologic flora and antibiogram show most pathogens were resistant to ceftriaxone. Mortality rate in this study was high, 92.3% (84 patients died) despite rational empirical antibiotic therapies were high. This study concluded that empirical antibiotic therapies in sepsis patients according to guidelines adopted in Soetomo General Hospital, albeit deemed rational, was no longer appropriate according to local antibiogram issued by microbiological department of Soetomo General Hospital. Keywords: Empirical Antibiotics Therapy, Gyssens criteria, Intermediate Care Ward, Sepsis, Septic Shock


We present a computer code DETRA which solves analytically the Bateman equations governing the decay, build-up and transmutation of radionuclides. The complexity of the chains and the number of nuclides are not limited. The nuclide production terms considered include transmutation of the nuclides inside the chain, external production, and fission. Time dependent calculations are possible since all the production terms can be re-defined for each irradiation step. The number of irradiation steps and output times is unlimited. D ETRA is thus able to solve any decay and transmutation problem as long as the nuclear data i.e. decay data and production rates, or cross sections, are known.


More needs to be done to promote the AHEC Digital Library (AHEC ADL)—hospitals with no library budget can solve their library resource needs by active promotion and use of the AHEC ADL. Some hospitals are well funded and need few new resources. Others have an urgent need to update on-site computers and access to the Internet—the Outreach/AHEC Librarian will assist with locating new sources of grants to assist hospitals that do not have ready access to funds to upgrade library computers.


The 2021 3rd International Conference on Global Economy and Business Management (GEBM 2021) for the researchers and scientists was successfully held in Suzhou, China during December 25-26, 2021. This conference provides a forum for accessing to the most up-to-date and authoritative knowledge from both industrial and academic worlds, sharing the best practice in the fields of global economy, world trade, financial investment, real estate, economic policy, e-commerce and business management. A key aspect of this conference is the strong mixture of academia and industry. This allows for the free exchange of ideas and challenges faced by these two key stakeholders and encourage future collaboration between members of these groups.

The conference program covered invited, oral, and poster presentations from scientists working in similar areas to establish platforms for collaborative research projects in these fields. This conference brought together more than 80 participants from industry and academia to exchange and share their experiences, present research results, explore collaborations and to spark new ideas, with the aim of developing new projects and exploiting new technology in these fields.

Less than 50 contributions have been selected to be published in the volume of BCP Business & Management. The organizing committee appreciates the enormous work of the both the editorial board and reviewers in the preparation of this volume. Many thanks also to all authors for their flexibility and meeting deadlines.

With warmest regards,

GEBM Conference Organizing Committees
Suzhou, China


The objective of the present communication is to develop new genuine exponentiated mean codeword lengths and to study deeply the problem of correspondence between well known measures of entropy and mean codeword lengths. With the help of some standard measures of entropy, we have illustrated such a correspondence. In literature, we usually come across many inequalities which are frequently used in information theory. Keeping this idea in mind, we have developed such inequalities via coding theory approach. Keywords—Codeword, Code alphabet, Uniquely decipherable code, Mean codeword length, Uncertainty, Noiseless channel


The purpose of this study was to investigate the relevance of the prediction equations derived from the relationship between metabolic energy expenditure and kinetic energy, for different speeds of walking and running over the treadmill. Seven male subjects participated in this study. A tri-axial accelerometer was attached on between the left and right posterior superior iliac spines. Kinetic energy was calculated by the integration of acceleration data and compared with the metabolic energy measured by a gas analyzer. Correlation coefficients were determined to find a relationship between the kinetic energy and the metabolic energy expenditure. Also, the difference between measured and predicted values was used to find the relevance for individual and group equations. Results showed a relatively good correlation between the measured metabolic energy and the calculated kinetic energy. In addition, a dramatic increase in kinetic energy was observed at the transition speed of walking and running (6 km/h). There was no difference in how to predict the kinetic energy expenditure for individual and group even though people have different physical characteristics. This study would be useful to predict metabolic energy expenditures by the regression analysis with acceleration data.


OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE:A cranial dural arteriovenous fistula may undergo configurational changes in response to local arterial pressure. CLINICAL PRESENTATION:A 53-year-old man had two distinct neurosurgical pathological features at presentation: an occipital dural arteriovenous fistula and cervical radiculopathy secondary to spondylosis. INTERVENTION:An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion were performed with the patient's head secured to a horseshoe headrest. After surgery, the patient's bruit resolved, and angiography demonstrated involution of the cranial dural arteriovenous fistula with only a small residual arteriovenous shunt. CONCLUSION:Sustained local pressure on the scalp may produce favorable symptomatic and angiographic changes in cranial dural arteriovenous fistulae.


ABSTRACT This study conducted terrain analysis and remote sensing image interpretation to determine the distributions of historical and potential landslides in Shang-an Village and elucidate the characteristics of landslide development within the area. Using the discrete element method, we constructed a digital model of the study area in order to explore the landslide movement processes and determine the scope of influence with regard to deposition. The scope of influence was then used to perform hazard zoning in the creation of a landslide hazard map for use as a reference in future land planning and disaster prevention. Our results revealed 13 potential landslide masses in the study area, 92% of which are on unstable slopes with limited landslide activity. These areas should be the focus of future monitoring and remediation projects. Direct impact from falling rock is the main concern in the area roughly 50 m around the sliding masses in the source areas of the study region and approximately 30 m around the creek beds upstream. In contrast, being buried by debris flow is the concern in the lowland areas roughly 30 m from creek channels in the middle and lower reaches.


ABSTRACT Vaccination is the most cost-effective way to prevent mothers and infants from contracting tetanus. However, developing countries struggle with the persistent low take-up of vaccination. The low risk perceptions of disease can be one of the barriers to vaccination. One way to increase the risk perceptions of disease is to use salient loss-framed messages to highlight negative consequences of not getting vaccinated. We conducted a randomized controlled trial among 1,660 women in 80 villages in northeastern Nigeria. Respondents were randomly assigned to view one of two flipcharts: (1) control flipcharts, which contained written explanation about the severity of the disease, or (2) `scared-straight' flipcharts that contain the salient information about the disease severity in addition to the written explanation about the severity of the disease. Additionally, respondents were provided randomly assigned amounts of cash incentives. The scared-straight intervention backfired among women with no previous experience of tetanus vaccination: it decreased their vaccine take-up by 3.7–6.1 percentage points, even though it increased their perceived risk of disease and their fear level. The negative effect of the scared-straight intervention is the most prevalent among women who received the lowest amount of cash incentive. Women without experience of tetanus vaccination might have responded to the scared-straight flipcharts by denying the information provided because the flipcharts were too frightening. The use of the scared-straight tactic is not recommended to aim for the improved take-up of vaccination in developing countries where people might face budget constraints for achieving desirable behaviors. Trial Registration: The trial was registered at ISRCTN registry (ID: ISRCTN95083356).


Abstract Eutrophication of the Baltic Sea is considered a major threat to its ecological status. We present and discuss Polish riverine flow normalized loads of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) discharged into the Baltic Sea in (i)1988–2014, (ii) periods of maximum TN (1992–1994), TP (1988–1991) emission, (iii) the reference period (1997–2003) established by the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), (iv) 2012–2014, last years of our study. Despite considerable nutrient load reductions prior to the HELCOM reference period, Poland is expected to reduce TN and TP loads by 30% and 66%, respectively. In the light of our historical and up-to-date findings defining ecological status of the Baltic Sea, we suggest that the proposed TP load reduction is overestimated and its realization may lead to (i) undesirable consequences for the Baltic ecosystem, (ii) would require a decline in TP concentrations to 0.067 mg P dm-3 (the Vistula River) and 0.083 mg P dm-3 (the Oder River), values reported for pre-industrial times. The current nutrient concentrations in the Vistula and Oder safely comply with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. We also comment on the top-down and bottom-up effect resulting in quantitative and qualitative reorganization of the Baltic ecosystem, a phenomenon already observed in the Baltic Sea.


ABSTRACT: The  present  study  deals  with  floristic  analysis  of  plant  species  belongs  to Angiosperms, grow in the area  of  Sabarmati river of Gujarat state , India. Plant  exploration  was  conducted  to  determine  plant  species  of  Angiosperms. Plant  species  of  Angiosperms  from  Sabarmati  riverbed  –riverside  area,  have been  listed  systematically  which  counts  including    indigenous  cultivated  and naturalized plants.The   study    area  shows   a   floral   diversity   comprise   of   384  genera   and   542  species  belong   to  114   angiospermic   families. Dicots   were  represented    by    93    families   and    459   species ,While   Monocots   were    represented   by    21   families  and   83  species.These plant  species  grow  wild  as  well  as  cultivated  in  study  site  .The  Floristic analysis details given in the present paper. KEY WORDS: Floristic, Riparian, Sabarmati river.


Entering the Economic Base of the Pyramid (BoP) is often portrayed as an effective way for multinational corporations (MNCs) to grow and alleviate poverty, yet only few MNCs succeed. Although scholars have suggested that emotional arguments may be critical in motivating MNCs to engage at the BoP, it has remained unexplored how managers who develop BoP ventures inside MNCs use emotional framing to persuade organizational members to support their initiatives. Building on a multiple-case study of a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Company, we find that captivating, solidifying, and perpetuating emotional frames allowed managers to earn and maintain commitment from volunteers and senior managers and sustain venturing efforts up until a stage where ventures were considered for launch despite an obvious sense of profitability. These findings contribute to a theoretical understanding of processes that enable BoP venture development inside MNCs, and contribute to the literatures on emotional framing and corporate entrepreneurship.


Because critical thinking is essential for scientific learning, academics and casual staff struggle to effectively develop students' critical thinking. This study examined the integration of the Research Skill Development (RSD) framework into a Biology course in an Indonesian University and tested how it helped academics and casual staff develop students' critical thinking. Specifically, the study focused on the benefits attained by the students and how the use of the RSD framework structured their lab reports. This study employed instruments, i.e., questionnaires, student open-field questions, semi-structured interviews, and a rubric. The results indicated two benefits: self-perception on critical thinking and appropriate student lab reports for the RSD framework.


Abstract Commonsense morality divides acts into those that are right and those that are wrong, but it thinks some wrong acts are more seriously wrong than others, for example, murder than breaking a promise. This has several implications. If an act is more seriously wrong, you should feel more guilt about it and, other things equal, you are more blameworthy for it and can deserve more punishment; we may also need to consider serious wrongness when choosing in conditions of risk or moral uncertainty. This paper examines how one act can be more seriously wrong than another, and, when it is, what makes this so. More specifically, it considers a number of different views about the ground of serious wrongness and explores the possibility that this may be different when acts violate deontological versus consequentialist duties. It also asks whether there is a parallel concept that admits of degrees on the side of rightness, one of being, as we can say, more importantly right. It aims to expand the scope of deontic theory from binary questions about right versus wrong to ones whose answers admit of degrees.


We show that the minimum classification error (MCE) criterion gives an upper bound to the true Bayes' error rate independent of the corresponding model distribution. In addition, we show that model-free optimization of the MCE criterion leads to a closed form solution in the asymptotic case of infinite training data. While leading to the Bayes' error rate, the resulting model distribution differs from the true distribution. This suggests that the structure of model distributions trained with the MCE criterion should differ from the structure of the true distributions, as they are usually used in statistical pattern recognition.