Ongoing corporate scandal and audit failure raise serious concerns about the ability of auditors to resist client pressure. Based on a sample of 93 auditors from China and the United Kingdom (U.K.), we analyze the effect of specificity of accounting standard, level of auditor tenure, provision of management advisory services (MAS) and degree of audit market competition on perceptions of auditors' ability to withstand client pressure in audit conflict situations. We draw on cultural differences to explain differences in auditors' perceptions in the respective countries. Our findings are consistent with national cultural characteristics identified in the research literature. We find that U.K. auditors perceive specificity of accounting standards, auditor tenure, MAS and competition as less likely to affect decisions as to whether or not to accept clients' preferred accounting treatments than do their Chinese counterparts. Additionally while Chinese auditors perceive MAS and competition to be significant factors, they perceive accounting standard specificity and auditor tenure to be insignificant. For U.K. auditors, these results are reversed. The results may be relevant to international audit firms operating cross-culturally and seeking to apply common audit procedures or codes of professional conduct in different national settings.


ABSTRACT Peng, C., 2020. The analysis of port economy driving the development of regional economy based on regional big data analysis. In: Yang, D.F. and Wang, H. (eds.), Recent Advances in Marine Geology and Environmental Oceanography. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 108, pp. 226–229. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. At present, the accelerated development of the global economy division of labor occurs in the global regional scope of the deepening of trade between countries. As the main way and means of international exchange and trade of goods, ports have become an essential transportation channel in the transportation and exchange between countries, among which the port economy has flourished under the background of global economy. In terms of the port logistics industry and port logistics services, it is necessary to increase the support of multiple resources such as capital and manpower and to advertise itself with higher requirements in terms of logistics services. Based on the regional economy and the relationships between the elements of port logistics, through systemic economic theory to establish a model analysis, through the development of port logistics and economic development of the research design, the world in the era of diversified information and multidisciplinary integration, accompanied by cloud computing and internet, including the emergence of new technology, globalization officially entered the era of big data. Therefore, with a large number of data processing, shortcuts will be regional and related to economic behavior through the analysis and fusion of data processing to reach a relatively reliable conclusion.


This study examines the effect of gender on the choice of adjustable- versus fixed-rate mortgages among mortgage applicants in the United States. While adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are initially cheaper, they expose the borrower to interest rate risk. Using linear probability models applied to US lender data for 2004–6, the study finds that the propensity to apply for an ARM among higher-income applicants is lower for women by 3.7–8.4 percentage points or 12–42 percent. Results are robust to the inclusion of education, financial knowledge, and economic determinants of mortgage choice. Results are consistent with past findings of women being more risk averse than men in financial behaviors. Findings of this US-based study are relevant for other countries, as ARMs of varying lengths are widely prevalent outside the US.


OBJECTIVE
To study the social-psychological health status on female drug abusers.

METHODS
Case-control study and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS
Results of simple logistic regression showed that factors with significant ORs were low education level, unemployment, marital status, senseless of life, self-killing, horror, madness, depression, insomnia, dizziness, perspiration, evil dream, divorce, setbacks of emotion, smoking, alcohol-abuse, playing truant, runaway from home, fighting, etc. The results of stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that factors entered the regression model were smoking, runaway from home, divorce, setbacks of emotion, marital status, hopeless toward life, level of education, dizziness, etc.

CONCLUSION
Most female drug abusers' social-psychological status was poorer than controls preceding to their drug abuse, which contributed to the major causes of abuse drugs.


The signing of the Ulster Covenant on 28 September 1912 by almost 450,000 men and women was a powerful act of defiance on the part of Unionists in the context of what they perceived as the threat to their way of life represented by the Liberal Government's policy of Irish Home Rule. This article attempts to look beyond the well-studied leadership figures of Carson and Craig in order to fashion insights into the way Ulster Protestant society was mobilised around the Covenant and opposition to Home Rule. It draws attention to hitherto over-shadowed personalities who can be said to have exerted crucial local influence. It also contends that although pan-Protestant denominational unity provided the basis for the success of the Covenant, the Presbyterian community was particularly cohesive and purposeful in the campaign. The article further argues that the risk-taking defiance that came more easily to the Presbyterians, on account of a troubled history, largely evaporated in the new political circumstances of Northern Ireland when it became a separate devolved political entity within the UK from 1921.


We analyzed long-term datasets from nest box programs, Breeding Bird Surveys run by the US Geological Survey, Christmas Bird Counts run by the National Audubon Society, and counts from two key fall migration watch sites, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Cape May Hawkwatch. We found that populations of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) in North America are generally still declining, albeit with some caveats. Some populations are actually increasing, while others are remaining stable. Overall, the magnitude of annual change appears to be decreasing slightly during recent years. To understand potential causes of the decline, we recommend the following courses of action in no particular order: (1) determine whether the increase in Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations is restricting kestrel distributions by the mere presence of the larger raptor; (2) study the effects of habitat loss and/or degradation on the falcon's wintering range; (3) further investigate on a broader spatial scale whether within-season habitat alterations are creating ecological traps for breeding kestrels; (4) determine the importance of arthropods in the diet of kestrels, especially the long-term population trends and timing of emergence of grasshoppers in relation to kestrel breeding chronology; (5) discover whether rodenticides pose a serious risk to American Kestrels across North America; (6) learn more about possible effects, both direct and indirect, that the use of neonicotinoids may have on kestrels; and (7) continue ongoing studies of the effect of climate change on these birds.


An isolated-core-excitation (ICE) scheme and stepwise excitation are employed to study the highly excited states of the europium atom. The bound europium spectrum with odd parity in a region of 42400–43500 cm−1 is measured, from which spectral information on 38 transitions, such as level position and relative intensity, can be deduced. Combined with information about excitation calibration and the error estimation process, the selection rules enable us to determine the possible values of total angular momentum J for the observed states. The autoionization spectra of atomic europium, belonging to the 4f76pnl (l = 0, 2) configurations, are systematically investigated by using the three-step laser resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS) approach. With the ICE scheme, all the experimental spectra of the autoionizing states have nearly symmetric profiles whose peak positions and widths can be easily obtained. A comparison between our results and those from the relevant literature shows that our work not only confirms many reported states, but also discovers 14 bound states and 16 autoionizing states.


In what follows the first in-depth study of the South African carbon market is undertaken. The study begins by laying out the current state of the global carbon market and some related critiques. Turning to the South African context, four Clean Development Mechanism projects are examined in-depth. These include the controversial Bisasar Road Landfill project in Durban, the Sasol fuel-switching project in Sasolburg, plus the South Bellville Landfill gas capture and the Kuyasa low-cost housing energy upgrade projects in Cape Town. In addition to analyzing these projects this study also examines the social and institutional capacity in South Africa to provide oversight of this market. Through this examination it is shown that many of the more dubious trends in the global carbon market are being replicated in South Africa, particularly around the so-called "low-hanging fruit" projects that generate a lot of cheap credits but few other benefits. Just how this situation might get resolved is the focus of the concluding chapter that offers a number of suggested reforms.


Separation is a famous principle and separation properties are important for optimization theory and various applications. In practice, input data are rarely known exactly and it is advisable to deal with parameters. In this article, we are concerned with the basic characteristics (existence, description, stability etc.) of separating hyperplanes of two convex polyhedral sets depending on parameters. We study the case, when parameters are situated in one column of the constraint matrix from the description of the given convex polyhedral set. We provide also a lot of examples carried out on PC.


ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Alzheimer disease is the main cause of dementia associated with aging in Cuba and the world. Development of methods for early diagnosis is vital to increasing intervention effectiveness and improving patient quality of life. Recent studies have shown associations between alterations in serum levels of antineuronal antibodies and Alzheimer disease pathology. However, the specific relationship between such antineuronal antibodies and Alzheimer pathogenesis remains unclear because of the great variety of antibodies identified and their heterogeneity among patients and nondemented controls. OBJECTIVE Assess the association between serum levels of antibodies against neuronal antigens (total brain protein, aldolase and amyloid beta protein) and cognitive performance in older Cuban adults. METHODS A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted of adults aged ≥65 years living in Havana's Playa Municipality and Artemisa Province (southwest of Havana). A sociodemographic and risk factor questionnaire was administered, neuropsychological assessment conducted, and physical and neurological examinations performed. A relative or caregiver was also interviewed. Laboratory tests included: complete blood count, glycemia, lipid panel, and apolipoprotein E genotype. Of 143 individuals studied, 33 were cognitively normal, 52 had mild cognitive impairment, and 58, probable Alzheimer disease. Serum antibody levels were determined by ELISA and compared using covariance analysis with a significance level of 0.05. ELISA specificity, sensitivity and predictive value were assessed by analyzing their respective diagnostic performance curves. RESULTS Patients with probable Alzheimer disease performed least well on the mini mental state examination (cognitively normal 28.8, SD 1.2; mild cognitive impairment 27.4, SD 2.2; probable Alzheimer disease 12.9, SD 6.5; ANOVA p <0.001). The percentage of Apo E4 carriers was seven times greater in the group with probable Alzheimer disease than in the cognitively normal group. Among the antibodies studied, only those against amyloid beta peptide had levels significantly higher in the Alzheimer disease group than in the cognitively normal group (p = 0.007) and the group with mild cognitive impairment (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Results support the presence of an autoimmune component in Alzheimer disease and suggest that serum anti–amyloid-beta could be used for its diagnosis.


Background: ABT-263 is a novel small molecule Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor that binds with high affinity (K i ≤ 1 nM) to multiple antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins including Bcl-X L , Bcl-2, Bcl-w, and Bcl-B. ABT-263 displays potent mechanism-based cytotoxicity (EC 50 ≤ 1 mM) against human tumor cell lines derived from lymphoid malignancies and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Pre-clinical experiments on primary patient derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) samples with ABT-737, a first generation Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor, induced robust, concentration-dependent apoptosis. The anticipated ABT-263 associated toxicities are mechanism based, in particular, Bcl-X L mediated decrease in circulating platelet survival, Bcl-w mediated testicular toxicity, and Bcl-2 mediated effects on lymphocytes. ABT-263 is currently being investigated in 3 Phase 1/2a studies in patients with lymphoid malignancies, SCLC/solid tumors, and CLL. Methods: In this Phase 1/2a study of ABT-263 in subjects with lymphoid malignancies, the Phase 1 dose escalation portion of the study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose limiting toxicity (DLT), and recommended Phase 2 dose (RPTD). For each 21-day cycle, subjects receive ABT-263 orally QD for 14 consecutive days followed by 7 days off drug. Pharmacokinetic (PK) assessment was performed at study initiation and on Day 14 of drug dosing. The Phase 2a portion of the study will evaluate ABT-263 at the RPTD in up to 40 subjects with follicular and aggressive NHL to obtain additional safety information and a preliminary assessment of efficacy. Results: Currently 17 subjects have been enrolled in the lymphoma study. Three subjects completed each of the 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg cohorts enrolled thus far. A Grade 3 DLT (URI resulting in hospitalization treated with antibiotics) occurred in the 160 mg cohort, thus the cohort was expanded to 6. Two patients with bulky SLL/CLL in the 40 and 160 mg cohorts had 95% and 64% tumor reductions after cycles 4 and 2, respectively, and continue on treatment. The PK profile of ABT-263 appeared to be linear between the 10 mg and 160 mg dose levels. The average terminal half-life of ABT-263 varied between 14 and 25 hours across all dose levels. ABT-263 reduced the platelet level in a dose-dependent manner. One subject experienced a Grade 3 thrombocytopenia (platelets 45K/uL) on C1D14, 4 hours post-dosing with 80 mg, resolving 8 hours post-dosing to a platelet count of 162 K/uL. The decreased platelet count did not result in any medical sequelae. Conclusions: ABT-263 is a novel, orally bioavailable and active small molecule Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor that has shown preliminary evidence of activity in lymphoid malignancies.


ABSTRACT Liu, Y. and Shen, Y., 2015. Influence of crack geometric properties on its propagation tendency of rail surface crack under rolling contact fatigue for the port machines. With the development of the loading capacity of the port machines, rail cracks have become a safety problem during operation. As rail cracks' geometric properties change, load distribution is rearranged at the crack tips, which affects the propagation tendency of the crack. In this study, simulations of rail surface crack growth under rolling contact fatigue (RCF) were presented based on a 3D finite element model. More specifically, the focus was on the calculation of the stress intensity factors at the crack tip fronts of short surface crack as well as the variation of the crack geometric properties such as the crack's size, inclination angle and shape, etc. The results showed that with the increase of the crack size, the propagation rate increases to a maximum and then decreases when the crack extends away from the domination of RCF loadings. Moreover, with the increase of the crack inclined angle, the crack propagation rate decreases, but this is only true when the crack size is small. Under RCF, the propagation rate at the rail surface in lateral direction was higher than that at the deepest crack tip, which leads the crack to develop from semi-circular into semi-elliptical, and the propagation rate of semi-elliptical crack is higher than the semi-circular one with the same crack size.


Abstract. The climate in Northeast Greenland is shaped by complex topography and interaction with the cryosphere. Since the regional ecosystem processes are sensitive to atmospheric stability conditions, it is crucial to capture this complexity including adequate cryosphere coupling. This study uses an observational dataset from the Zackenberg region (Northeast Greenland) to investigate the local- and large-scale factors that determine the slope temperature gradient (STG), i.e., the temperature gradient along the mountain slope. A synthesis of automated weather stations, reanalysis, and a regional climate model simulations was used. For all seasons, our results show that snow cover and near-fjord ice conditions are the dominating factors governing the temporal evolution of the STG in the Zackenberg region. Considering large-scale drivers of the STG, we find that temperature inversions are associated with positive 500 hPa geopotential height and surface pressure anomalies over East Greenland. A strong connection between fractional sea-ice cover (SIF) in the Greenland Sea and the terrestrial climate of the Zackenberg region is found. A positive SIF anomaly coincides with a shallow STG, i.e., more positive (inversions) or less negative than the mean STG, since the temperature at the bottom of the valley decreases more than at the top. For example, the mean STG varies by ∼4 ∘C km−1 for a corresponding ∼27 % change in SIF. Reduction in temperature and precipitation (snowfall) during the days with high sea ice also affects the surface mass balance (SMB) of nearby glaciers and ice caps as shown for the A. P. Olsen Ice Cap. During summer, days with high SIF are associated with a positive SMB anomaly in the ablation area (∼16 mm w.e. d−1; indicating less melt) and a negative anomaly in the accumulation area (∼-0.3 mm w.e. d−1; indicating less accumulation). Based on our findings, we speculate that the local conditions in the Zackenberg region associated with anomalously low sea ice (i.e., a decrease in atmospheric stability) will be more prominent in the future with climate warming.


The concept of radar cross section reduction has become very important subject for the designers giving deep attention to methods of reducing detectability. The low detectability of aircraft from hostile radar sources can be practically achieved through radar absorbing coating (RAM/RAS), shaping, engineered materials or plasma. The techniques such as shaping, RAM coating have bandwidth constraints. Plasma-based stealth also referred to as active stealth technology is an alternative method which is under research. Plasma-based shielding is based on the fact that plasma being dispersive media absorbs the incident electromagnetic (EM) radiation before it is scattered by the target. Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) is known to be an efficient technique of plasma generation w.r.t. energy consumption and device complexity. In other words, depending on atmospheric pressure, electron density, plasma frequency, ambient temperature and several other parameters, DBD plasma can behave as an absorber or a reflector of incident EM waves. This paper reviews is upon radar cross section reduction techniques and dielectric barrier used for plasma generation.


Europe has become a laboratory for recombining elements of citizenship. The paper suggests a matrix of citizenship dimensions (membership, rights and practices) and conceptions (liberal, republican and communitarian). The second part discusses three challenges to a monistic view of citizenship as a homogenous status and exclusive link between individuals and a singular political community. First, international migration leads to overlapping multiple citizenship through the proliferation of dual nationality but also "denizenship" rights for foreign residents. Second, claims for territorial autonomy by national minorities have resulted in the devolution of unitary states, creating thereby a nested multilevel citizenship that is also emerging in a different way in the European Union itself. Third, cultural rights of citizenship have been increasingly differentiated according to group membership in response to demands by cultural minorities for protection from discrimination, for special exemptions from general obligations of citizenship, or for public resources and recognition.


Marine geological and geophysical studies of the New Hebrides island arc have been made to study (a) the present development of lithospheric plate boundaries, (b) evidence for creation of oceanic crust behind the frontal arc in interarc basins, and (c) evidence for reversal of the arc from east-facing to the present-day west-facing orientation. The arc system is bisected between 13° and 15° S. by the east-west Hazel Holme Fracture Zone which connects the trench and a north-south—trending spreading center (Nova Rise) on the Fiji Plateau near 174° E. The crust on the plateau south of the fracture zone is very young. Narrow interarc basins are present but youthful, south of about 18° S. North of the Hazel Holme Fracture Zone, interarc basins are less well developed and apparently even younger. Most of the Fiji Plateau has apparently been formed by spreading from the Nova Rise rather than within interarc basins associated with the New Hebrides. The tectonics of the central region of the arc system, immediately south of 15° S., appears to be governed by the transform section of the Hazel Holme Fracture Zone and by subduction of the D9Entrecasteaux Fracture Zone into the trench rather than by interarc spreading. In this region, the western and eastern chains of the New Hebrides group have been recently uplifted and tilted toward one another, creating a sedimentary basin. Most data do not support the idea that the eastern island belt in this region, including Maewo and Pentecost islands, is an ancient remnant of an east-facing arc system. These islands have been uplifted only very recently and later than the western islands. Therefore, any east-facing subduction phase must have ceased recently and occurred after subduction beneath the western islands. We suggest instead that the eastern island belt represents an interarc basin floor or a frontal arc uplifted behind the volcanic line.


Efficiency is one-half of the formula for productivity that American IS managers are most familiar with. The other half of the productivity issue is effectiveness. Japanese companies emphasize effectiveness to achieve impressive results. This column explores the difference in productivity between East and West.


In recent years the use of nanoparticles in medical applications has boomed. This is because the various applications that provide these materials like drug delivery, cancer cell diagnostics and therapeutics [1-5]. Biomedical applications of Quantum Dots (QDs) are focused on molecular imaging and biological sensing due to its optical properties. The size of QDs can be continuously tuned from 2 to 10 nm in diameter, which, after polymer encapsulation, generally increases to 5 – 20 nm diminishing the toxicity. The QDs prepared in our lab have a diameter between 2 to 7 nm. Particles smaller than 5 nm can interact with the cells [2]. Some of the characteristics that distinguish QDs from the commonly used fluorophores are wider range of emission, narrow and more sharply defined emission peak, brighter emission and a higher signal to noise ratio compared with organic dyes [6]. In this paper we will show our progress in the study of the interaction of quantum dots in live cells for image and Raman spectroscopy applications. We will also show the results of the interaction of quantum dots with genomic DNA for diagnostic purposes.


. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the basic concepts of marketing. Specific attention is given to the ap-plication of these concepts to the marketing of tree care.


Abstract The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), is an economically important invasive insect pest of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, production in the southern United States. Studies were conducted to: (1) assess the fecundity of Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) parasitizing M. sacchari in the greenhouse, and (2) examine the temporal synchrony between L. testaceipes and M. sacchari in the field during 2017 and 2018. Results indicate that after 96 h, the number of M. sacchari increased approximately 90-fold from a single adult in the greenhouse study. The percentage of mummification observed in the greenhouse study was 15.2 ± 3.3%. Of those mummies, L. testaceipes adults emerged from 88.7 ± 4.4%, with 38.6 ± 8.4% of those males. Field observations showed that L. testaceipes appeared in the sentinel fields in late July to August. The percentage of mummies observed in the June- and July-planted plots of 2017, and June-planted plots of 2018 were 4.5 × 10–4 ± 1.5 × 10–4%, 7.4 × 10–4 ± 4.4 × 10–4%, and 4.4 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5%, respectively. Even though parasitization of M. sacchari by L. testaceipes was observed in both field and greenhouse, the lack of wasps before late July and low rate of parasitization in the field suggest that this species is not well synchronized with M. sacchari populations. Additional natural enemies (e.g., other parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogens) or other adaptations will be necessary before this pest is managed using biological control in Georgia.


The island of Borneo suffers from one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, primarily due to agriculture, logging, and other human activities. This habitat loss may be partly mitigated by reforestation programs in degraded landscapes, especially anthropogenic grasslands that have little conservation or economic value. By monitoring native bird communities, we evaluated the success of two small (<20 ha) community reforestation projects in Gunung Palung National Park in Indonesian Borneo. Birds responded rapidly following reforestation, with species richness doubling over 7 years at one site, and increasing by 29% in just 3 years at the other. Final tallies (63–70 species per site) were comparable to those obtained in older secondary forests elsewhere in Borneo. Anthropogenic fire is the primary threat to reforestation success, but intensive fire prevention allows bird communities to recover from temporary setbacks. Absence of fire was thus the most important factor in recovery, and we detected no effect of replanted area on bird species richness. Our results suggest that by engaging local communities and ensuring long-term maintenance, even small reforestation sites in Borneo can provide immediate benefits for native biodiversity.


A proof of the isometric embedding of a given two-metric in E^3 of class C^1. The method uses the theory of first order partial differential equations. The curvature of the metric plays no role in the proof.


Purpose: Surgical resection is considered as a curative treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma; however, the incidence of postoperative tumor recurrence is high, leading to worse patient survival. Persistent hepatitis (inflammation) is one of the risk factors of tumor recurrence after surgical resection. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms linking liver inflammation to hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Experimental Design: In this study, we used a cytokine array to identify important cytokines whose levels are increased in liver microenvironment with severe hepatitis. We evaluated the morphologic changes, migration and invasion ability, and signal transduction in hepatocellular carcinoma cells with or without inflammatory cytokine in vitro. Finally, we analyzed the NF-κB signal pathway in tumor specimens from 232 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining. Results: The proinflammatory cytokine TNFα was increased in the peritumoral microenvironment and contributed to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Specifically, TNFα promoted hepatocellular carcinoma cancer cell migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) by upregulating the transcriptional regulator, Snail. We identified Snail as a direct target gene downstream of the TNFα-mediated canonical NF-κB activation. In addition, tumor recurrence-free survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients correlated negatively with high p65 and Snail expression and positively with high E-cadherin expression. Conclusions: Our results establish a signaling axis that explains how inflammatory tumor microenvironment promotes hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and metastasis. These findings suggest that controlling liver inflammation and/or targeting NF-κB–mediated Snail expression may be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after hepatectomy. Clin Cancer Res; 22(7); 1800–12. ©2015 AACR.


The Thaumasian lava plateau developed within an already deformed domain, consisting of composite orogenic belts. A crude scheme of the deformation history of the Thaumasian plateau summarizing the most significant events of its polycyclic development is presented here. It is suggested that the region evolved in four tectonism phases: (1) alpinotype regional compression, formation of basement nappes (early and middle Noachian orogen); (2) late Noachian regional, domal uplift, and denudation of the internal fold belt; (3) late Noachian-early Hesperian supracrustal deformation, as decollement nappes; and (4) Hesperian crustal foundering and great effusion of trap basalts flooding of the inner, alreadypeneplain mountain belts, balanced by uplifting of peripheral arcuate rim-highlands (swells and mountain belts). The two orogenic arcs of the Coprates and Thaumasia -Claritas belts exhibit thrusting vergence and orogenic migration, E- and SW-directed, indicating the presence of topographic doming associated with plume activity, which was probably positioned, in the late Noachian, upon the modern Solis planum lowland. There is a substantial possibility that the two arcs followed different tectonic evolutions. The lateral intrusion of hot, mafic fluids in interconnected fractures, near the crust-mantle boundary, is supposed to have been an important driving mechanism of tectonism beneath the plateau region. The thick bodies of diapir-like, moving aqueous fluid were probably related to ascending deepmantle plumes.


This article examines the policies and practices that manage user-submitted content on 3 gay-targeted social networking services. While managing user-generated content is a common practice across social networking services, the policies implemented on gay-targeted services tend to be distinctively restrictive in scope and highly specific in formulation. This analysis identifies the technical, legal, and social affordances that authorized the creation of these policies. Framing content management policies as derived from the technical rules of platforms such as Apple's App Store obscures normative judgments about proper self-presentation and community formation. Identifying the normative character of these policies requires an analysis rooted simultaneously in technology studies, media policy, and subcultural identity politics.


The community of Chijipata Alta, at an altitude of 3850 m, near the southern coast of Lake Titicaca in the Northern Altiplano of Bolivia, was surveyed for human fascioliasis. The global prevalence (66.7%) and intensity (eggs per gram of faeces – epg: range: 24–4440; arithmetic mean: 1001; geometric mean: 390) proved to be the highest known in the world by means of coprological techniques. These results suggest the existence of highly hyperendemic subzones among the large human fascioliasis‐endemic zone of the Bolivian Northern Altiplano. Despite the decrease in prevalence and intensity from children (75.0%, 24–4440 epg) to adults (41.7%, 144–864 epg), our findings show that in an hyperendemic zone adult subjects either maintain the parasites acquired when young or are newly infected as the consequence of inhabiting a zone of high infection risk.


Cefaclor, a new semisynthetic cephalosporin, was evaluated for efficacy in the treatment of otitis media in 46 pediatric patients who had aspiration of the middle ear for culture. The dose of cefaclor ranged from 29 to 42 mg/kg/day administered in three divided doses. No organism was isolated in nine of the 46 patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated in 43% and Hemophilus influenzae in 27% of the remainder. A bacteriologic cure was achieved in 97% of cases with culturable organisms. The one treatment failure was due to a cefaclor-resistant strain of H influenzae. The medication was well tolerated with the exception of one case of eosinophilia that was possibly drug related. Cefaclor given three times a day is an effective program for the treatment of otitis media.


Hypertension is to be responsible for death which accounts for 6% of adult deaths all over the world. It is the third ranks among causes of death. These ranks are similar both in developed and developing countries. Hypertension has important role causes of death. But, hypertension can be prevented to great extent. On the other hand, a lot of countries in the world hypertension control rates are reported to be inadequate in sample communities representing the general society and in patients treated under health service conditions. Patient no adherence to treatment is one of the significant factors in failing to raise blood pressure (BP) control over 25% around the world and in our country. No adherence reason of hypertension treatment was examined in this review article.


Phytopathogenic fungi are heterotrophic organisms that
excrete a complex array of enzymes for digestion of plant host tissues.
Regulation and coordination of extracellular enzyme production, according to
growth conditions and fungus nutritional needs, may be controlled by
conserved eukaryotic signaling elements such as G-protein subunits and
mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). These pathways are known to mediate a
complex set of responses in fungi involved in development, reproduction and
pathogenicity. Here, we used a series of mutants, deficient in G-protein α (cga1)
or/and β subunits or in MAPK, to test
their contribution to the ability of Cochliobolus heterostrophus to
utilize different carbon sources. In saprophytic culture, the G-protein α subunit mutant strains had WT levels
of cellulase, pectinase and protease degradation activities, but it grew
significantly slower on minimal medium containing maltose. This weakened ability implies an essential role of the CGA1 signaling in some poor
nutritional environments. Remarkably, the MAPK null mutant failed to achieve
the WT (and cga1) growth
rate on cellulose as a sole carbon and did not grow at all for the first seven
days of culture. An enzymatic activity test revealed that this strain
significantly reduced cellulose extracellular degradation activity when grew on
this medium. Deficiency in the MAPK encoding gene also led to reduced
ability to grow on pectin, protein sources and maltose as a sole carbon. The
evidence presented indicates a significant and nutrient-specific role of the
G-protein and MAPK pathways in mediating growth of this fungus in different
environments.


Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale expulsions of coronal plasma and magnetic field propagating through the heliosphere. Because CMEs are observed by white-light coronagraphs which, by design, occult the solar disc, supporting disc observations (e.g. in EUV, soft X-rays, Halpha and radio) must be employed for the study of their source regions and early development phases. We review the key properties of CME sources and highlight a certain causal sequence of effects that may occur whenever a strong (flux-massive and sheared) magnetic polarity inversion line develops in the coronal base of eruptive active regions (ARs). Storing non-potential magnetic energy and helicity in a much more efficient way than ARs lacking strong polarity inversion lines, eruptive regions engage in an irreversible course, making eruptions inevitable and triggered when certain thresholds of free energy and helicity are crossed. This evolution favours the formation of pre-eruption magnetic flux ropes. We describe the steps of this plausible path to sketch a picture of the pre-eruptive phase of CMEs that may apply to most events, particularly the ones populating the high end of the energy/helicity distribution, that also tend to have the strongest space-weather implications. This article is part of the theme issue 'Solar eruptions and their space weather impact'.


The main thrust of this study was to decide if certain strategies exist that have significant impact on profit in a lodging establishment. In reviewing the literature it did not contain any conceptual plan for operating a lodging facility completely. However, as noted in the literature review, there are many articles discussing one strategy or another. It is pointed out in chapter two that most of these strategies are more correct by definition "tactics." Tactics that if implemented may contribute to success, but not be solely responsible for success. This study also attempted to identify some differences between the service sector strategies and that of manufacturing. The study used the Delphi Method to obtain consensus from a panel of lodging industry General Managers and Owners on key departmental operating strategies that have the most impact on profit. This study also obtained a consensus on three master strategies that must be seriously considered before building, buying, or investing in a property and will have a major impact on a properties success.


Urban flood hazard is a typical natural disaster that occurs due to the reduction of permeable surfaces as a result of land use conversion and changes in rainfall intensity. It ensures the need of different mitigation strategies such as sufficient drainage system, and it is a simple mitigation measure that can be applied in the ground. This paper is timely due to the lack of research studies undertaken that are related to the study area. Natural disasters, flood hazard, influence of urbanization for urban flood, and negative influence of urban flood in the context of the world and Asian region have been discussed in the available literature. Limited research has been undertaken on urban flood mitigation based on hydrological analysis and run off volume calculation in Kaduwela Municipal Council (KMC) area. With this limitation, this paper focuses on analysing the runoff rainwater volume to mitigate urban flood in 2030 (predicted land use) by calculating the rainwater volume in natural and artificial possible outfalls of each watersheds in KMC. The analysis consists of three phases such as: land use prediction, hydrological analysis, and calculation. A GIS-based land use prediction is simulated to analyse the land use changes in relation to green, blue, and brown fills. The revealed land use conversion is also processing day by day as a result of land use conversion and rapid urbanization which will increase the runoff volume in 2030. A GISbased Hydrological analysis was carried out to identify the outfalls and watersheds of the study area. The possible outfalls function as outlets of runoff water which were collected in each watershed. Runoff volume was calculated by using rational formula (Q = 0.0028CIA) and the parameters of the equation used were the coefficient of land use in 2030, rainfall intensity, and 90 acres portion of the watersheds. A sufficient drainage system was also designed to make KMC a disaster resilient municipality. This research will be important in the process of decision-making and policy implementation in the fields of urban planning and flood mitigation.


To understand the relationship between experimental and behavioral economics, we need to go back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1970s, psychologists began conducting new kinds of experiments, the results of which seemed to falsify the assumption of rational individual behavior. This compelled experimental economists to stake out a position for the economics discipline regarding the results. Much to their surprise, their experiments corroborated the results of the psychologists. This led them to completely discard preference theory but at the same time to emphasize the role of the market as the mechanism that rationalizes individual behavior. An initially diverse and unorganized group of financial and other economists drew very different conclusions from these same experimental results. They saw them as proof of observed anomalies in financial markets and hailed Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky's prospect theory as the most important candidate for replacing the traditional microeconomic model of human behavior.


Background:Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is a type of food allergy that manifests as hypersensitivity symptoms of the oropharyngeal mucosa on ingestion of specific foods with oral findings resembling herpetic gingivostomatitis. Symptoms can also appear in parts other than the oral cavity. There are a few reports of OAS caused by consuming radishes in the literature.Case presentation:A 31-year-old male presented to our department with stomatitis and pharyngeal pain. The patient did not have a history of allergy, and herpetic gingivostomatitis was suspected. He was admitted to the emergency room of our hospital after complaining of oral and epigastric pain a few days later. On admission, symptoms noted were similar to those when he first visited our department. After detailed history taking, he reported consuming raw Japanese radish frequently, which gave rise to his symptoms. Radish was strongly suspected as the causative allergen. The skin prick test result was positive, confirming the diagnosis of OAS.Conclusions:OAS can be diagnosed easily once the food causing symptoms is identified. However, guiding the diagnosis can be challenging if the patient is unaware of food allergies. Upon encountering widespread erosion in the oral cavity, it is essential to consider OAS as the possible cause.


The properties of lateral electromagnetic waves on the one hand and antennas in material media on the other are applied to the problem of locating a submerged submarine from measurements of the scattered field observed on the surface of the sea. The method parallels an earlier study on locating a conductor buried in the earth. However, major changes are required because of the quite different properties of the media and the consequent very much lower frequencies. An important improvement is also incorporated in the use of circularly polarized lateral waves. Representative calculations are made to illustrate the relative orders of magnitude of the dimensions and fields involved and the required sensitivity of a receiver. >


Some physico-chemical properties of lecithin lyposomes and the effects of pH, temperature and ionic strength changes are studied by ESR using hydrophobic and hydrophylic nitroxyl radicals as spin probes. The structure differences between outer and inner layers of bilayer liposomes are observed using auxiliary water soluble paramagnetic complex and attributed tentatively to the different curvature signs of both layers. Lower estimates of transversal diffusion rates of both probes throught the membrane are obtained using exchange broadening technique and water soluble reducing agent. The limiting step in this diffusion is revealed, caused by the transport of a charged group of the diffusing molecule through the hydrophobic membrane space.


Objective: To evaluate the relationship between maternal serum levels of human placental growth hormone (hPGH) and fetal Down syndrome at gestational midtrimester. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed samples of serum from 21 women with Down syndrome pregnancies detected at gestational midtrimester. The samples were obtained at 16–23 weeks' gestation during amniocentesis for fetal karyotyping. Sixty-two serum samples were used as controls, which were obtained at 16–23 weeks' gestation from women with singleton, uncomplicated pregnancies, who gave birth to healthy neonates with a birth weight appropriate for gestational age. The hPGH levels were measured by a solid-phase immunoradiometric assay using 2 different epitopes. Results: The median hPGH values in the serum of the Down-syndrome-affected pregnancies were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of the normal pregnancies at 16–23 weeks' gestation: the median value in the serum was 9.4 ng/ml (5th to 95th percentiles = 1.49–39.03) versus 4.7 ng/ml (0.53–7.88). Conclusion: The hPGH levels in maternal serum were found to be higher at 16–23 weeks' gestation in pregnancies affected by fetal Down syndrome. Further investigation is needed to examine if maternal serum hPGH could be used as an additional marker in prenatal screening of Down syndrome at gestational midtrimester.


We consider ill-posed linear operator equations with operators acting between Banach spaces. For solution approximation, the methods of choice here are projection methods onto fi nite dimensional subspaces, thus extending existing results from Hilbert space settings. More precisely, general projection methods, the least squares method and the least error method are analyzed. In order to appropriately choose the dimension of the subspace, we consider a priori and a posteriori choices by the discrepancy principle and by the monotone error rule. Analytical considerations and numerical tests are provided for a collocation method applied to a Volterra integral equation in one-dimension space.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics of functional magnetic resonance imaging in brain of children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)when performing an impulsive task and to explore the brain structure of impulsivity.

METHODS
Ten ODD children and 10 age and sex-matched control children were recruited. The stimulus task with GOSTOP impulsivity paradigm software was used as the mode of stimulus-rest-stimulus. The data of 2 groups were normalized, merged, and averaged, and then the activation regions were compared by SPM software.

RESULTS
More scattered cortex and subcortex regions were activated in the ODD group than in the control group during the performance of an impulsive task. The activated cortex in the control group focused on the frontal pole (including inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus and orbital-frontal gyrus) and temporal pole (including inferior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus).

CONCLUSION
Frontal pole may be an important region related to multiplicity impulsivity, and shows hypofunction in ODD children.


Occasionally sporadic defects in high voltage cable insulation may escape from detection by commissioning or maintenance tests. Usually these tiny defects will not initiate significant partial discharges or cause breakdown in the cable insulation system under normal AC operating condition and normal transient situations. However, nowadays more often complex transient's behaviour occurs in power systems. For example, in a mixed line and cable system, superimposed transients with large overvoltage can occur due to switching operations. Such transients may have unexpected influences on the partial discharge behaviour and degradation of the cable insulation. This thesis aims to investigate which potential effects such transients have on the insulation condition of the HV cable system, in particular in one of its weakest links, the cable joint.


Photograph of Kyteler's Inn in Kilkenny, Ireland. In the foreground, a street is visible in front of the row of stone buildings. The inn is at the left end of the street. There is an antique shop on the right end. More buildings and power lines are visible in the background.


This paper examines the significance of the historic urban spaces in influencing the character of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) by analyzing the perception of the residents towards the character of the heritage sites. George Town was the first British port city recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape that was inscribed together with Malacca as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The multi-cultural character influences of Asia and Europe have created tangible and intangible elements that contribute to the character of the historic urban spaces. The significance of the historic buildings with unique its architecture and the urban pattern derived through their juxtaposition on the site has created unique spaces that characterized the George Town WHS. These rows of pre-war historic buildings enclosed the areas and create the planned or incidental urban spaces, which divided the area into several significant streets or spaces. The names of the street depict the historical significance of the area having a close association with the existence of different groups of the community. The findings suggest that the historic urban spaces play an important role in influencing the character of the WHS sites.


In this study, Spatial Autocorrelation Method (SPAC Method) was carried out in Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Additionally, we applied H/V spectral ratio or Nakamura method to the same area. We obtained that in the western part of the study area the engineering bedrock (Vs>400m/sec) is as shallow as 10-15 m, where as in the eastern part it is much deeper and reaches to 50-60m. The former is categorized in Class D or Stiff Soil of NEHRP (2001) Ground Classification, and the latter in Class E or Soft Soil. We could obtain the same soil classification by implementing the method proposed by Kon'no et al. (2007), which allow us to skip the inversion of the dispersion curve. Finally, H/V spectral ratio could not show any correlation of its predominant period with the underground velocity structure determined by SPAC method. Furthermore, with the provided information from Nakamura method it is difficult to obtain the ground classification at a site.


Upgrading of pyrolysis wax oil using HZSM-5 catalyst has been conducted in a continuous fixed bed reactor at , 1hour, LHSV 3.5/h. The catalytic degradation was studied with a function of catalyst amount and reaction temperature. The raw pyrolysis wax oil shows relatively high boiling point distribution ranging from around to , which has considerably higher boiling point distribution than that of commercial diesel. The catalytic degradation using HZSM-5 catalyst shows the high conversion of pyrolysis wax oil to light hydrocarbons. The liquid product obtained shows high gasoline range fraction as around 90% fraction and considerably high aromatic fraction in liquid product. Here, the experimental variable such as catalyst amount and reaction temperature was influenced on the product distribution.


Summary

Granulosa cell tumour (GCT) is reported to be the most common ovarian neoplasm in the mare. A multicentre retrospective study evaluating the medical records of horses undergoing ovariectomy for treatment of a GCT was undertaken, documenting the presenting clinicopathological features, treatment and outcome. Follow-up information was obtained by telephone questionnaire. Fifty-two mares were included. Most presented with behavioural/reproductive abnormalities, including stallion-like behaviour (50%), aggression (31%), prolonged oestrus or nymphomania (19%), and persistent anoestrus (8%). Most (93%) affected ovaries had a multilocular appearance when examined ultrasonographically. Only 60% of horses with histopathologically confirmed GCTs demonstrated elevations in serum inhibin concentrations. Twenty-five percent of horses had histopathologically confirmed bilateral GCTs. Ninety-four percent of horses that underwent ovariectomy were discharged from the hospital. Standing laparoscopic ovariectomies had a lower complication rate (34%) than other surgical methods. Long-term complications were uncommon (11%). In conclusion, histopathologically confirmed GCTs can occur in the presence of normal serum inhibin concentrations. The high prevalence of bilateral GCTs indicates that thorough evaluation of the contralateral ovary is necessary. Surgical ovariectomy for treatment of GCTs has favourable short- and long-term outcomes. Standing laparoscopic ovariectomy may be associated with a lower complication rate than other surgical methods.


Homan & Lister have recently published circular polarization (CP) detections for 34 objects in the MOJAVE sample – a set of bright, compact active galactic nuclei (AGN) being monitored by the Very Long Baseline Array at 15 GHz. We report the detection of 15-GHz parsec-scale CP in two more AGN (3C 345 and 2231+114), and confirm the MOJAVE detection of CP in 1633+382. It is generally believed that the most likely mechanism for the generation of this CP is Faraday conversion of linear polarization (LP) to CP. A helical jet magnetic field (B field) geometry can facilitate this process – linearly polarized emission from the far side of the jet is converted to CP as it passes through the magnetized plasma at the front side of the jet on its way towards the observer. In this case, the sign of the generated CP is essentially determined by the pitch angle and helicity of the helical B field. We have determined the pitchangle regimes and helicities of the helical jet B fields in eight AGN for which parsec-scale CP has been detected, and used them to predict the expected CP signs for these AGN if the CP is generated via conversion in these helical fields. We have obtained the intriguing result that our predictions agree with the observed signs in all eight cases, provided that the longitudinal B field components in the jets correspond to south magnetic poles. This clearly non-random pattern demonstrates that the observed CP in AGN is directly associated with the presence of helical jet B fields. These results suggest that helical B fields are ubiquitous in AGN jets.


In a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system, the successive interference cancellation (SIC) procedure is typically employed at the receiver side, where several user's signals are decoded in a subsequent manner. Fading channels may disperse the transmitted signal and originate dependencies among its samples, which may affect the channel estimation procedure and consequently affect the SIC process and signal detection accuracy. In this work, the impact of Deep Neural Network (DNN) in explicitly estimating the channel coefficients for each user in NOMA cell is investigated in both Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. The proposed approach integrates the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network into the NOMA system where this LSTM network is utilized to predict the channel coefficients. DNN is trained using different channel statistics and then utilized to predict the desired channel parameters that will be exploited by the receiver to retrieve the original data. Furthermore, this work examines how the channel estimation based on Deep Learning (DL) and power optimization scheme are jointly utilized for multiuser (MU) recognition in downlink Power Domain Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (PD-NOMA) system. Power factors are optimized with a view to maximize the sum rate of the users on the basis of entire power transmitted and Quality of service (QoS) constraints. An investigation for the optimization problem is given where Lagrange function and Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions are applied to deduce the optimum power coefficients. Simulation results for different metrics, such as bit error rate (BER), sum rate, outage probability and individual user capacity, have proved the superiority of the proposed DL-based channel estimation over conventional NOMA approach. Additionally, the performance of optimized power scheme and fixed power scheme are evaluated when DL-based channel estimation is implemented.


Digitization, connected networks, embedded software, and smart devices have resulted in a major paradigm shift in business models. Transformative service-based business models are dominating the market, where advancement in technology has paved the way for offering not only a set of new services but also altering product functionalities and services over time. This paradigm shift calls for new design approaches. Designers should be able to design flexible products and services that can adapt to a wide range of consumer needs over time. To address the need for designing for flexibility, the objective of this study is to develop a graph coloring technique that can model changes in the functional requirements of a product and determine the minimum number of physical parts needed to meet future functionalities. This technique relies on vertex labeling by the designer and the construction of a core graph combining key elements of all desired iterations, which is then colored by label. One numerical example and one real-world example are provided to show the application of the proposed model.


Although they are the lesser known Nazi atrocities, it is estimated that some 5000–8000 children with physical and intellectual disabilities were killed in Nazi Germany under a programme of euthanasia. Chronologically, they were a precedent, being the Nazis' first organised and systematic killing programme that would later enlarge to include adults with disabilities and ultimately, to the broader programme of racially motivated 'euthanasia' of the holocaust. The programme intimately involved medical staff, including a number of paediatricians, many of whom would go unpunished and continue to practice for many years after the war. This paper outlines the origins and development of the programme, examines how families were involved and affected and looks at what motivated the medical staff involved with the killing. The history of the Nazi child euthanasia programme has a number of important lessons for practicing doctors and health policy‐makers in the 21st century.


In a previous paper, 2'-deoxy-N(6)-methoxyadenosine (mo(6)A) was shown to form a mismatch base-pair with 2'-deoxycytidine with a Watson-Crick-type geometry. To fully understand the structural basis of genetic mutations with damaged DNA, it is necessary to examine whether the methoxylated adenine residue still has the ability to form the regular Watson-Crick pairing with a thymine residue. Therefore, a DNA dodecamer with the sequence d(CGCGmo(6)AATTCGCG) has been synthesized and its crystal structure determined. The methoxylation has no significant effect on the overall DNA conformation, which is that of a standard B-form duplex. The methoxylated adenine moieties adopt the amino tautomer with an anti conformation around the C(6)-N(6) bond to the N(1) atom, and they form a Watson-Crick base-pair with thymine residues on the opposite strand, similar to an unmodified adenine residue. It is concluded that methoxylated adenine can present two alternate faces for base-pairing, thanks to the amino<-->imino tautomerism allowed by methoxylation. Based on this property, two gene transition routes are proposed.


OBJECTIVE
To isolate, culture and identify of human endometrial stromal stem cells.

METHODS
Endometrial tissue was obtained from 10 women undergoing hysterectomy. Purified stromal stem cell suspensions were then obtained by selecting cells with magnetic bead sorting and colony-forming. The surface markers of stromal cell were identified by flow cytometry. Proliferation of stromal stem cell was observed by MTT methods. The osteogenic potential was evaluated by alizarin red staining, the adipogenic potential by oil red O staining. Then the adipogenic and osteogenic specific markers of differentiated cells assayed by RT-PCR method. Expression of cell surface antigen OCT-4 was detected with immunocytochemical staining.

RESULTS
Endometrial stem cells were successfully isolated from human endometrial tissue. They were stably proliferated and subcultured in vitro. Most of the passage cells expressed mesenchymal stem cell markers CD90, CD105 but not hemopoietic markers CD34, CD45. The analysis of cell cycle indicated that the percentage of G2-M phase and S phase cells increased. The growth curves of the third passage presented in "S" shape. After cultured in differentiation medium, the cells differentiated toward adipoblasts and osteoblasts as verified by positive staining with Oil Red O and alizarin red staining. Under induction,cells expressed osteogenic and adipogenic marker genes. The immunocytochemical staining of OCT-4 was positive.

CONCLUSION
Human endometrium contains endometrial stromal stem cells, which present characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells and may be used as seed cells for tissue engineering.


The paper identifies three topics in order to evaluate the improvements in the regulation of the National System of EnvironmentalImpact Assessment, looking to benefit the people's trust in the environmental certification. The first one consists in the gradual transition from the prevention paradigm to the integration one, as the purpose of the different instruments that compose the system; the second involves the enrichment in the evaluation of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS), by incorporating the scoping phase; and the third involves adopting additional measures that reinforce the independence of the teams in charge of the elaboration and evaluation of the EIS.


This study aims at establishing the decision-making support system for the highway assets, long-term performance presumption and evaluation of asset value, which are appropriate for Korea, and proposing the methods of the optimal engineering method and the timing decision for the preventive maintenance through the project evaluation, the optimization method and life-cycle analysis related to the highways. In order to supplement the current problem of the near-sighted budget management system, which chooses the maintenance place of the highway, depending on the level of the budget with fixed amount, the long-term required budget prediction system and the economy principle were introduced, so that the pavement agency can predict the level of the required budget, and it was aimed to develop the pavement asset evaluation system to maintain the performance of the highway with the minimum of the cost. In the use of the highway pavement asset evaluation system, to maintain the appropriate level of the pavement evaluation index, when the budget was efficiently established in the reference of the required maintenance budget for the chosen section of the highway in the year concerned, it was possible to analyze the most rational pavement maintenance budget. With this result, it is estimated to prevent the unnecessary waste of budget in advance, and through the development of the decision-making system for the long-term performance presumption and the asset value estimation of the pavement, it is expected to able to analyze the previous evaluation of the project related to the highway and the feasibility of introduction.


PROBLEM
This predictive correlational study was designed to test a comprehensive model of depression for Thai adolescents.

METHODS
This sample included 800 high school students in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Data were collected using self-reported measures of depression, negative automatic thoughts, effective social problem solving, ineffective social problem solving, rumination, parental care, parental overprotection, and negative life events.

FINDINGS
Structural equation modeling revealed that negative automatic thoughts, effective and ineffective social problem solving mediated the effects of rumination, negative life events, and parental care and overprotection on adolescent depression.

CONCLUSION
These findings provide new knowledge about identified factors and the mechanisms of their influence on depression among Thai adolescents, which are appropriate for targeting preventive interventions.


Background/aim Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) operations may increase exposure to hazardous air pollutants and several studies suggest they can harm the health of nearby residents. However, research is hampered by a lack of data on pollutant emissions from drilling sites and few studies have examined the potential health impacts of flaring, the common practice of combusting petroleum waste products on site. Methods We utilise a novel remote sensing data source to estimate exposure to flaring among residents of the Eagle Ford Shale region of Texas, U.S. This rural region has experienced a roughly tenfold increase in oil and gas production since 2010 and is the highest oil-producing and fourth highest gas-producing region in the U.S. We investigate the potential of the VIIRS Nightfire product – which includes satellite observations of infrared radiation at night from combustion sources – to characterise exposure to flaring and compare estimates of exposure to UOG operations derived from VIIRS and those derived from more traditional data sources (permit and self-reported production data) that have been used in previous epidemiological studies. Results Nearly 8 00 000 people live less than 5 km from one or more of the 22 000 active, permitted UOG wells in the study region. Nighttime infrared observations from VIIRS confirm reports of extensive flaring in close proximity to homes. We construct VIIRS-derived indices to characterise exposure to flaring based on residential proximity to flaring locations, flaring frequency and duration, temperature of combustion, and areal extent. We discuss the strengths and limitations of these measures for estimating air pollutant emissions, and the implications of this exposure assessment method for future epidemiological research on the health impacts of UOG operations. Conclusion While previous studies have relied on self-reported information on the location, timing, and productivity of oil and gas extraction activities, careful processing of VIIRS observations can provide novel, objective estimates of exposure to flaring that are likely better capture exposure to air pollutants resulting from UOG operations.


Abstract
Purpose
Healthcare policy-makers are implementing practices based on the logic of cost-opportunity to rationalize investments and resource consumption. The successful implementation of these practices depends on policy-makers' capacity to involve professionals dispersed in the ecosystem, and who are unaccustomed to cooperating. Our case study investigates the institutional work pursued by the Lombardy Region to stimulate a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) program.

Design/methodology/approach
This chapter is based on a longitudinal case study of institutional change linked with a HTA program in the Lombardy Region. The HTA program initiatives were implemented during the 2009–2012 period. The case study is based on triangulating data from archival data, contents of the assessment forms and interviews with regional staff and experts.

Findings
The Lombardy Region implemented two distinct strategies, with mixed results. A strategy that was based on the formalization of the HTA program in a legislative direct through educational efforts did not obtain the commitment of the key actors in the relevant ecosystem. Subsequently, the Region implemented an 'institutional work' design strategy that included a combination of political, cultural, technical and structural work. This strategy stimulated local HTA experiments that might be used in the future to legitimize the full diffusion of the new practice in the ecosystem.

Originality/value
This study highlights a viable strategy of change that policy-makers can use to manage processes of institutional change in a professional ecosystem. The 'institutional work' strategy can support the establishment of new practices that incorporate the logic of cost-opportunity, which might rationalize the use of resources and improve investment decisions.


We study the magnetization of a cylindrical type-II superconductor filament covered by a coaxial soft-magnet sheath and exposed to an applied transverse magnetic field. Examining penetration of magnetic flux into the superconductor core of the filament on the basis of the Bean model of the critical state, we find that the presence of a non-hysteretic magnetic sheath can strongly enhance the field of full penetration of magnetic flux. The average magnetization of the superconductor/magnet heterostructure under consideration and hysteresis AC losses in the core of the filament are calculated as well.


The nature of the submarine deposits produced by the 1883 Krakatau eruption in Indonesia has remained controversial for more than a century. Knowledge of their character, however, is critical to understanding the origin of the devastating tsunamis generated during the event, which claimed about 36,000 lives. Results of a 1990 marine geological investigation reported here demonstrate that the deposits are largely of pyroclastic flow origin. Pyroclastic flows are partially fluidized mixtures of particles and gases that travel up to 150 m/s and have internal temperatures as high as 600°C. They are denser than the atmosphere but are likely to be comparable to seawater in density. What happens when such a flow encounters the sea along the coast of an active volcano has been the subject of much speculation [Cas and Wright, 1987] but little research [Sparks et al., 1980a, 1980b]. One well-known effect is the generation of tsunamis [Kienle et al., 1987] and indeed, 20% of all volcanogenic tsunamis have been attributed to the entrance of pyroclastic flows into the sea [Latter, 1981]. The most devastating of these occurred during the 1883 eruption of Krakatau volcano.


Anxiety is a part of the emotional response, where anxiety is an unclear and widespread concern, related with feelings of uncertainty and powerlessness. In Indonesia, according to the Ministry of Health Republic Indonesia (DEPKES RI) there are 373,000,000 pregnant women who experience anxiety when faced the birth, there are as many as 107 million people (28.7%). One of the factors causing the anxiety of pregnant women is usually related to condition of welfare of mother and baby to be born. This study aims to determine the relationship between age and parity of pregnant women trimester III before the childbirth at Comunity Health Center (PUSKESMAS) RanotanaWeru in Manado City. The type of this research is analytical survey with cross sectional approach, total sample is 66 samples, and sampling technique is total sampling and data analysis using Spearman's Rho test with significance value a = 0,05. The result of research of age relation with level of anxiety of pregnant woman trimester III ahead to the childbirth got value p Sig - 0.000 which mean having a relation, and the result of research of parity relation with level of anxiety pregnant woman trimester III before the childbirth got value p Sig-0.000 which mean having a relation too. This study uses only three variables. So for health workers, especially midwives to pay attention of the psychology of pregnant women trimester III before the childbirth by providing counseling and pregnancy exercise, to reduce the level of anxiety experienced by the pregnant woman.


Emerging wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC), will enable chargers to operate at higher switching frequencies, which grants the ability to deliver high power and enhances efficiency. This paper addresses the modeling of a double-sided cooling (DSC) SiC technology-based off-board charger for battery electric buses (BEBs) and the design of its control and real-time (RT) implementation. A three-phase active front-end (AFE) rectifier topology is considered in the modeling and control system design for the active part of the DC off-board charger. The control system consists of a dual-loop voltage–current controller and is used to ensure AC to DC power conversion for charging and to achieve the targeted grid current total harmonic distortion (THD) and unity power factor (PF). Linear and nonlinear simulation models are developed in MATLAB/Simulink for optimum control design and to validate the voltage and current control performances. Four types of controllers (i.e., proportional–integral (PI), lead–lag, proportional–resonant (PR), and modified proportional–resonant (MPR)) are designed as current controllers, and a comparative analysis is conducted on the simulation model. In addition, the final design of the dual-loop controller is implemented on the RT–FPGA platform of dSpace MicroLabBox. It is then tested with the charger to validate the control performance with experimental data. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the correct operation of the converter control performance by tracking the reference commands.


Group living is widespread in animals. In nature, groups usually not only differ in phenotypic characteristics but also in the social relationships among group members. Theory predicts that individuals adjusting their shoaling decisions—to join certain groups or not—based on social criteria, such as familiarity or genetic relatedness, can increase their fitness. Although numerous studies report grouping preferences based on social criteria, the benefits actually emerging from such behavioral preferences are less well studied. Here, we examine both shoaling preferences and their consequences in juveniles of Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a monogamous cichlid fish from Western Africa with biparental brood care. After juvenile P. taeniatus have left their parents, they form loose shoals. Then, juveniles may have the option either to stay in their sibling group or to join a novel shoal. Therefore, in a first experiment, we tested whether juveniles prefer to shoal with their familiar sibling group or a group consisting of unfamiliar unrelated individuals. Second, we examined whether the shoaling decision translates into fitness benefits. We used body size as proxy for fitness and compared the growth in groups consisting exclusively of familiar full-siblings with growth in groups consisting of members of different relatedness and familiarity. Juvenile P. taeniatus preferred shoaling with kin over shoaling with non-kin. Growth was significantly higher in kin-only groups than in mixed groups indicating that grouping with familiar kin yields fitness benefits in juvenile P. taeniatus. Our results suggest that individual shoaling decisions based on social criteria can be adaptive.


In the last decades the semiconductor technology has been driven by Moore's law leading to high performance CMOS technologies with feature sizes of less than 10 nm [1]. It has been pointed out that not only scaling but also the integration of novel components and technology modules into CMOS/BiCMOS technologies is becoming more attractive to realize smart and miniaturized systems [2]. Driven by new applications in the area of communication, health and automation, new components and technology modules such as BiCMOS embedded RF-MEMS, high-Q passives, Sibased microfluidics and InP-SiGe BiCMOS heterointegration have been demonstrated [3-6]. In contrast to standard VLSI processes fabricated on front side of the silicon wafer, these new technology modules additionally require to process the backside of the wafer; thus require an accurate alignment between the front and backside of the wafer. In previous work an advanced back to front side alignment technique and implementation into IHP's 0.25/0.13 µm high performance SiGe:C BiCMOS backside process module has been presented [7]. The developed technique enables a high resolution and accurate lithography on the backside of BiCMOS wafer for additional backside processing. In addition to the aforementioned back side process technologies, new applications like Through-Silicon Vias (TSV) for interposers and advanced substrate technologies for 3D heterogeneous integration demand not only single wafer fabrication but also processing of wafer stacks provided by temporary and permanent wafer bonding [8-9]. In this work, the non-contact infrared alignment system of the Nikon® i-line Stepper NSR-SF150 for both alignment and the overlay determination of bonded wafer stacks with embedded alignment marks are used to achieve an accurate alignment between the different wafer sides. The embedded field image alignment (FIA) marks of the interface and the device wafer top layer are measured in a single measurement job. By taking the offsets between all different FIA's into account, after correcting the wafer rotation induced FIA position errors, hence an overlay for the stacked wafers can be determined. The developed approach has been validated by a standard front side resist in resist experiment. After the successful validation of the developed technique, special wafer stacks with FIA alignment marks in the bonding interface are fabricated and exposed. Following overlay calculation shows an overlay of less than 200 nm, which enables very accurate process condition for highly scaled TSV integration and advanced substrate integration into IHP's 0.25/0.13 µm SiGe:C BiCMOS technology. The developed technique also allows using significantly smaller alignment marks (i.e. standard FIA alignment marks). Furthermore, the presented method is used, in case of wafer bow related overlay tool problems, for the overlay evaluation of the last two metal layers from production wafers prepared in IHP's standard 0.25/0.13 µm SiGe:C BiCMOS technology. In conclusion, the exposure and measurement job can be done with the same tool, minimizing the back to front side/interface top layer misalignment which leads to a significant device performance improvement of backside/TSV integrated components and technologies.


Norman Lindsay was one of the most influential, popular and controversial figures in Australian literature and art. The nude and masculinist conceptions of female sexuality were at the centre of Lindsay's aesthetic vision and his programme for an Australian renaissance. Male sexual liberation through the exploration of women's bodies was also an important aspect of his articulation of a national resistance to modernism as the product of metropolitan modernity. Lindsay's antimodernism was based on premodern styles and images increasingly divorced from historical time and national space. His nationalism was interwoven with his antimodernism; it was personal and contradictory and included criticism of the constraints placed on Australian writing by British publishers.


Brown carbon (BrC) is an organic aerosol material that preferentially absorbs light of shorter wavelengths. Global‐scale radiative impacts of BrC have been difficult to assess due to the lack of BrC observational data. To address this, aerosol filters were continuously collected with near pole‐to‐pole latitudinal coverage over the Pacific and Atlantic basins in three seasons as part of the Atmospheric Tomography Mission. BrC chromophores in filter extracts were measured. We find that globally, BrC was highly spatially heterogeneous, mostly detected in air masses that had been transported from regions of extensive biomass burning. We calculate the average direct radiative effect due to BrC absorption accounted for approximately 7% to 48% of the top of the atmosphere clear‐sky instantaneous forcing by all absorbing carbonaceous aerosols in the remote atmosphere, indicating that BrC from biomass burning is an important component of the global radiative balance.


The paper addresses the robust stabilization problem for nonlinear systems with time delay. A novel control scheme is proposed based on fuzzy performance evaluator (FPE). Sufficient conditions for existence of fuzzy state feedback gain and distribution attenuation gain are derived through finding the feasible solutions of some linear matrix inequalities (LMIs).


PURPOSE
Visual prostatic definition is difficult using conventional CT. This is because the prostate is surrounded closely with tissue of similar electron density. Definition is further hindered when the region contains high-Z material (such as fiducial markers). Dual-energy CT (DECT) is a technique where images are rendered using two tube voltages during a single scan session. This study evaluates DECT as a means of improving prostatic volume delineation for radiation oncology.

METHODS
The patients were scanned using a Definition AS20 (Siemens Healthcare, Malvern, PA). This device uses a single-tube configuration, where two scans of differing energies are performed in serial. The scans are acquired with tube voltage of 80kVp and 140kVp. Following acquisition, these scan data were used to generate effective monoenergetic scans ranging from 40keV to 190keV. In the current study, the data were presented to observers using a novel program, which allows real-time adjustment of window, level, and effective keV; all while scrolling through volumetric slices. Three patients were scanned, each with a different high-contrast material in or around the prostate: I-125 seeds, gold fiducial markers, and prostatic calcifications. These images are compared to a weighted average of the 80kVp and 140kVP scans, which yield a scan similar to that of a 120 kVp scan, which is a common tube voltage in radiation oncology.

RESULTS
Prostatic definition improved in each case. Differentiation of soft tissue from surrounding adipose improved with lower keV, while higher keV provided a reduction of high-z artifacts. Furthermore, the dynamic adjustment of the keV allowed observers to better recognize regions of differing tissue composition within this relatively homogeneous area.

CONCLUSION
By simultaneously providing the observer with the benefits of high-energy images and low-energy images, and allowing adjustment in real-time, improved imaging in highly homogeneous regions such as the male pelvis is achievable.


Quantum key distribution (QKD) using free space optical (FSO) systems will, in most applications, involve atmospheric propagation. As is well known from classical FSO communication links, turbulence can cause large power variation in the link strength. Optical scintillation can cause fades below and surges above the mean power that last tens of milliseconds. Fades can be as deep as 20-30 dB. Previously we have demonstrated a system that allows laboratory studies of the effects of scintillation that faithfully represent the effects seen in the field. Scintillation is recorded using a modified FSO system and then played back in the laboratory using a fiber optic based system. The result is a laboratory experiment that reproduces, with high fidelity, the field conditions and component performance of the actual link. We have applied this same technique to studying scintillation effects on a QKD link. Scintillation was recorded at the US Naval Research Laboratory's Maritime Lasercom Testbed This facility has sites on both sides of Chesapeake Bay separated by 16 km. A single-photon scintillation playback system was constructed. This scintillation playback system was designed to implement a BB84 protocol, but other QKD protocols could also be used. After the playback experiment the data can be analyzed to determine key length, error rate and other parameters. The set up can be used to study a variety of protocols for QKD in scintillation. Application to studies such as this will be presented.


Mosquitoes can act as vectors for many disease-causing viruses and parasites through carrying these organisms from person to person. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Aedes aegypti larvae to some insecticides in Jeddah Governorate. Mosquito larvae were collected from all the available breeding sites in Jeddah municipalities using standard larval collection kits. The diagnostic doses (LC50 and LC90) were calculated from the mortality and concentration data. The larvicides Pirimiphos methyl, Fenitrothion, Bifenthrin and Cypermethrin were tested against the larvae of Ae. aegypti mosquito. The results showed positive correlation between the concentrations under investigation and mortality% of the treated larvae. Cypermethrin gave strong effect against Ae. aegypti larvae (LD50 0.0015 ml/L) followed by Pirimiphos methyl (LD50 0.0020 ml/L), Bifenthrin (LD50 0.039 ml/L), and at last rank Fenitrothion (0.041 ml/L). The same trend was obtained in LD90s. Ae. aegypti in Jeddah was susceptible to Bifenthrin, Cypermethrin, Pirimiphos methyl and Fenitrothion. Further studies should be run to conduct an intensive and appropriate vector control program in Jeddah Governorate.


The purpose of this report is to describe the general use of clickers as an active learning tool and how they were used in teaching a combined periodontology course for second-year dental and junior dental hygiene students. A survey was used to capture student perceptions following completion of the course. Specific domains were active learning, improved performance, and expectations. The survey response rate was 94.5 percent (121/128). Descriptive analyses showed that, in the domain of active learning, 102 (84.3 percent) agreed/strongly agreed that the use of clickers made the lectures more interactive; sixty-six (54.5 percent) agreed/strongly agreed that the clickers made them focus; and ninety-two (76 percent) agreed/strongly agreed that the clickers encouraged active participation. In the domain regarding improved performance, sixty-three (52 percent) agreed/ strongly agreed that the review sessions utilizing clickers helped them prepare for tests. In the domain of expectations, ninety-three (76.9 percent) had a better idea of what to expect on the examination due to the use of clickers, and seventy-three (60.3 percent) thought that the clickers should be used in future semesters for this class. In addition, faculty members appreciated the greater participation afforded through the use of clickers to obtain a better understanding of the students' grasp of course content. Learning theory suggests that students must actively engage in the learning process in order for meaningful learning in the form of critical thinking and problem-solving to take place. In this study, students confirmed that the use of clicker technology encouraged their active participation in a periodontology course.


The purpose of this retrospective study conducted in a dermatologic out patient clinic in Lomé was to assess the epidemiologic, clinical, and prognostic profile of Kaposi's sarcoma in Togo during the 15 years period between 1980 and 1994. Only patients who had undergone serologic tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were included. There were 30 patients (27 men and 3 women) with a mean age of 35.2 years (range: 17 to 59 years). Thirteen patients were seropositive (epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma or EPK) and 17 were seronegative (endemic Kaposi's sarcoma or ENK). The mean age of patients with EPK was lower than that of patients with ENK (30.0 vs 42.3 years). Extensive (92.3%) and edematous (90%) forms and involvement of the upper extremities (66.7%), trunk (01.6%), and mucosa (92.3%) were characteristic clinical features of EPK while localized nodular forms (92.3%) were characteristic of ENK. A death was noted after 5 years of follow-up in the ENK group as compared to 12 deaths after a mean follow-up of 15.95 years in the EPK group. This study illustrates the current profile of Kaposi's sarcoma in Black Africa where HIV infection has greatly changed clinical findings and prognosis.


Two noncentrosymmetric borates, Na8MB21O36 (M = Rb and Cs), have been synthesized, structurally analyzed, and characterized for the first time. Their fundamental building block (FBB) is determined as the unprecedented [B21O36]9- units, which is cotemplated by four-connected [BO4]5- and five-connected [B5O11]7- clusters. To the best of our knowledge, the [B21O36]9- FBB has never been reported in borates. Besides, the structure comparisons among all the available anhydrous borates with high-polymeric FBBs were carried out to enlighten the investigation of B-rich borates.


The present study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect and mechanism of action of Gynura procumbens on acute and chronic ethanol-induced liver injuries. Ethanol extract from G. procumbens stems (EEGS) attenuated acute ethanol-induced serum alanine aminotransferase levels and hepatic lipid accumulation. Therefore, EEGS was successively extracted by petroleum, ethyl acetate, and n-butyl alcohol. The results showed that the n-butyl alcohol extract was the active fraction of EEGS, and hence it was further fractionated on a polyamide glass column. The 60% ethanol-eluted fraction that contained 13.6% chlorogenic acid was the most active fraction, and its effect was further evaluated using a chronic model. Both the n-butyl alcohol extract and the 60% ethanol-eluted fraction inhibited chronic ethanol-induced hepatic lipid accumulation by modulating lipid metabolism-related regulators through MAPK/SREBP-1c-dependent and -independent signaling pathways and ameliorated liver steatosis. Our findings suggest that EEGS and one of its active ingredients, chlorogenic acid, may be developed as potential effective agents for ethanol-induced liver injury.


Inactivation of p53‐mediated cell death pathways is a central component of cancer progression. ASPP2 (apoptosis stimulated protein of p53‐2) is a p53 binding protein that specially stimulates pro‐apoptosis function of p53. Down‐regulation of ASPP2 is observed in many human cancers and is associated with poor prognosis and metastasis. In this study, ASPP2 was found to enhance L‐OHP‐induced apoptosis in HCT116 p53−/− cells in a p53‐independent manner. Such apoptosis‐promoting effect of ASPP2 was achieved by inhibiting autophagy. Further experiments with ASPP2 RNA interference and autophagy inhibitor (3‐methyladenine, 3‐MA) confirmed that ASPP2 enhanced HCT116 p53−/− cell apoptosis via inhibiting the autophagy. The association of cell death and autophagy was also found in ASPP2+/− mice, where colon tissue with reduced ASPP2 expression displayed more autophagy and less cell death. Finally, colorectal tumours and their adjacent normal tissues from 20 colorectal cancer patients were used to examine ASPP2 expression, p53 expression and p53 mutation, to understand their relationships with the patients' outcome. Three site mutations were found in p53 transcripts from 16 of 20 patients. ASPP2 mRNA expressions were higher, and autophagy level was lower in the adjacent normal tissues, compared with the tumour tissues, which was independent of both p53 mutation and expression level. Taken together, ASPP2 increased tumour sensitivity to chemotherapy via inhibiting autophagy in a p53‐independent manner, which was associated with the tumour formation, suggesting that both p53 inactivation and ASPP2 expression level were involved in the sensitivity of colorectal cancer to chemotherapy.


Soccer Coaching: The Professional Way includes all the information and guidance that soccer coaches need to develop the skills required to manage a football team successfully. Each chapter addresses an aspect of coaching, from how to plan a coaching process to communicating effectively with players and developing a scouting programme to identify new talent. Other topics covered include: developing a coaching style and planning a coaching programme coaching methods and team coaching motivating the team and coaching for performance.


The scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) technique is used for studying the character and interface quality of cold sprayed Fe coatings deposited onto notched Al-based substrates. Three notch geometries were used: a rectangular notch, a trapezoidal notch with a flat bed, and a trapezoidal notch with a cylindrical bed. Scanning electron micrographs demonstrated an increased porosity and cracks at the areas where the spraying direction was not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. The SAM measurements were then performed on thin plates cut vertically across the notches such that the scanned area included the locations of the increased porosity and their surroundings. The resulting distributions of longitudinal wave velocities and their attenuation revealed that the affected area is more complex and the mechanical response of the coatings could be limited not only at areas of the visible porosity, but also in their vicinity.


The emergence of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has changed the paradigm for genetic and genomic studies in many medical and life science fields. Despite its growing popularity and importance in many life science applications, several factors such as complicated sample preparation, high cost, and time-consuming data analyses may prevent NGS applications from being more widely used in clinical and research settings. Therefore, it is crucial that the current methods are improved or newly developed to become faster, more robust, and accurate in NGS applications. Targeted sequencing, focusing on small but important gene sets or genetic regions, is a very powerful approach to screen disease-related key genes. Reductions in cost and experimental time as well as availability of targeted sequencing are fueling the use of NGS for many genetic applications. We have developed a new, simple, and robust sample preparation method called 'NextDay Seq,' enabling us to obtain targeted deep sequencing data within the next day of sample arrival. Researchers and clinicians can obtain sequencing data within 36 hours. Our method starts with a 15 minute DNA extraction kit followed by library preparation, sequencing, and then data analysis. The NextDay Seq library preparation method directly ligates adapters to targeted genes/amplicons. This new protocol does not require restriction enzyme digestion (i.e. Ion Torrent Ampliseq) or hybridization of the target region (i.e. Illumina TruSeq). It is faster and simpler than previously referenced library preparation kits. We have also developed a new data analysis tool called DanPA: a fast, accurate, and robust NGS data analysis tool. DanPA, yet developed mainly for targeted sequencing analysis, can also be used for whole exome or genome sequencing data analysis. DanPA detects any kind of reported mutations registered in the database such as Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC). We have so far analyzed 866 cancer FFPE tissue samples, 431 flash-frozen tissue samples, 18 cell lines samples, and 515 other biological or synthesized (i.e. plasmids) samples using these new inventions. Our system will help clinicians in better deciding which therapeutic options (personalized medicine) or biological applications are optimal to treat patients with specific mutations. Cancer patients should have exact mutation information in a timely manner in order to select treatment options. By combining our new FFPE DNA extraction method, NextDay Seq library preparation method, and DanPA data analysis software, we are able to provide key mutation data to patients, medical doctors, and researchers within 36 hours (next day). We believe this new innovative NGS system can change the paradigm for mutation screening in clinical and research applications. Citation Format: Pedro Mendez, Jun-Hee Yoon, Sharon Lee, James Kim, Jenny Dang, Thomas Kim, David Jablons, Il Jin Kim. A new innovative and robust targeted deep sequencing system: 36 hours turn round time from patient samples to the final mutation report. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3609.


In August 2017, a series of stabbings took place in Turku. The perpetrator was sentenced for murder and attempted murder committed with terrorist intent. Because of this incident, a decision was made to investigate how referral to services has been organised in cases where the police do not target any measures at a person and he or she is referred to services provided by a municipality or an organisation. The aim was to clarify the processes, assess the current state of cooperation and identify development needs. A further aim was to find out how cooperation with religious communities has been organised and how it should be improved. The report includes a description of the current state that is based on interviews with local operators as well as recommendations for further work. In addition, the report describes the systems of the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom and compares these to the situation in Finland. Publisher Ministry of the Interior Distributed by/ publication sales Online version: julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi Publication sales: julkaisutilaukset.valtioneuvosto.fi


Within the context of selecting pedagogic resources for a virtual constructivist learning environment aimed at qualifying teachers, research in physics teaching in Brazil was confronted to the pedagogic problems of a group of 18 physics teachers. Problems gathered from teachers' discourse were confronted with the characterization of physics teaching in the 21st century seen from the perspective of works published in Brazil in this area in proceedings of the latest scientific events and in periodicals, since 2000. Comparison was carried out aiming at two categories: a match (total and relative) and a mismatch. Results showed that theory and practice do not match. The paths to overcome this scenario point to the collaboration between researchers and teachers in investigating new study objects. Promising pathways for the initial and continuous preparation of the physics teacher may also result from this approach.