Abstract A series of four experiments are described investigating the effects of a number of treatments on the ability of aphasic patients to retrieve picture names, at some time after the treatment is applied. Auditory word-to-picture matching, visual word-to-picture matching and semantic judgements are found to have effects lasting for up to 24 hours. It is argued that durable facilitation of aphasic word retrieval is a consequence of treatment techniques that require the patients to access the semantic representation corresponding to the picture name, and this is contrasted with the short-term effects of techniques that provide patients with information about the phonological shape of the name. The theoretical and therapeutic implications of these results are discussed.


Germplasm collections are valuable gene pools providing diverse genetic material that may be applied for the improvement of cultivars and advanced agronomic productivity. An assessment of genetic and genomic diversity within these collections can be used to assign lines and populations to diverse groups; to study the evolutionary history of wild relatives; to verify pedigrees and fill in the gaps in incomplete pedigree or selection history, to monitor changes in allele frequencies in cultivars or populations and to help narrow the search for new alleles at loci of interest. Towards the application of genetic diversity analysis to Brassica germplasm improvement, we are characterising genetic diversity between 28 species and wild relatives of Brassica from an international germplasm collection, using 60 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Results on the SSR polymorphism and phylogenetic relationship among species and wild relatives of Brassica will be presented.


The most common work-related injuries among firefighters are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The strict physical demands of the job and limited modified work opportunities suggest that MSDs are potentially more disruptive and costly to firefighters than to others. The importance of understanding the frequency and severity of firefighter MSDs has become heightened due to changes to the California workers' compensation landscape since 2004, including the reduction of permanent-disability ratings that occurred due to the adoption of a new disability rating system and new rules for apportioning disability with respect to job-related causation, the adoption of treatment guidelines to provide utilization review in workers' compensation medical care, and the imposition of caps on the number of times injured workers can be reimbursed for use of chiropractic care and physical therapy. Each of these could have a potentially disadvantageous and disproportionate impact on firefighters with MSDs. This article describes the average frequency and severity of work-related MSDs experienced by California firefighters; examines the impact of work-related MSDs on the firefighters' earnings and employment several years after injury; evaluates the reforms' impact on the ratings of firefighters with permanently disabling MSDs; and assesses whether reforms to the medical delivery system affected the employment outcomes of firefighters with MSDs.


Students' learning interest and motivation in programming language to date are determined by their scores and abilities to create applications. However, this is not sufficient to identify students' learning interest in programming language because some students got low scores. This study aims to identify students' learning interest in Dipanegara school of informatics management and computer (STMIK), Makassar, in Java programming language. The samples were 65 technical information students and 63 information system students. The data collection technique of this study was questionnaire and processed with data mining technique. Additionally, Fuzzy C-Means clustering method was applied on Java Netbeans programming language to classify the level of students' interest in studying Java programming language.   The result of the study was a web-based application that could determine students' learning interests. It was obtained through questionnaires and resulted as follows: 47 students had high learning interest, 45 students had moderate interest, and 36 students had fair interest out of 128 samples.


A method is described for measuring minority-carrier lifetime in semiconductor samples of any thicknes and dimensions (e.g. silicon is used in device fabrication). The semiconductor sample is used as the dielectric of a microstrip line sandwitched between a ground plane of electroplated gold (or other metal) and electroplateted strip conductor delineated using standard photoresist masking techniques.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of a large family with late-onset, progressive autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss.

METHODS
Collections of detail history hereditary features, physical and audiological examination were performed. After mutation screening of GJB2, SLC26A4, MTRNR1 (12SrRNA) genes by Sanger sequencing, the proband was investigated by targeted next-generation sequencing of 79 deafness genes.

RESULTS
This family included seven generations and 73 members. Eleven persons with hearing loss and 11 normal-hearing persons participated in this study. All affected members but one exhibited late-onset, progressive non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss; the ages of onset were between 9 and 30 years. Mutation screening by sanger-sequencing and targeted next-generation sequencing excluded the possibility of pathogenic mutations within known deafness gene.

CONCLUSIONS
A Chinese family with late-onset progressive non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss was investigated clinically and genetically. By candidate gene approach and targeted next-generation sequencing, this family was preliminary proved to be caused by unknown deafness gene.


Small lesions centered in the posterodorsal region of the medial amygdala resulted in excessive weight gains in female rats. Unilateral lesions were nearly as effective as bilateral lesions in the first 48 h after surgery (+21 to +32 g). Assessment of lesion damage was done by both qualitative evaluation and by a quantitative grid-point counting method. The critical sites for weight gain were the intra-amygdaloid bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the posterodorsal medial amygdaloid nucleus. Incidental damage to the overlying globus pallidus was negatively related to weight gain. The cupric silver method for demonstrating axonal degeneration was applied to brains with obesity-inducing lesions. A dense pattern of degenerating terminals was found in the lateral septum, amygdala, ventral striatum, and ventromedial hypothalamus. Degeneration in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus was scarce or absent. Small retrograde tracer injections made in either the intra-amygdaloid bed nucleus of the stria terminalis or in the posterodorsal medial amygdaloid nucleus labeled cells in the amygdala, lateral septum, and hypothalamus, reciprocating the anterograde projections from the amygdala to these areas. The data suggest that subdivisions of the posterodorsal amygdala participate in the regulation of feeding in a manner that is similar to the better-known role of this part of the brain in mediating reproductive behavior. Although topographical differences may exist within the amygdaloid and hypothalamic subdivisions regulating these two sexually dimorphic behaviors, the relays engaged by feeding-related connections and those related to reproduction are remarkably parallel.


Potential vaccine components for protection against atrophic rhinitis in pigs were developed. This was achieved by deletion mutagenesis of the gene encoding the Pasteurella multocida toxin. Four purified toxin derivatives lacking different and widely separated regions in the amino acid sequence were characterized by a lack of toxic activity. One such component was shown to induce efficient protection of vaccinated female mice and their offspring against challenge with purified P. multocida toxin.


The organization of the brainstem trigeminal complex (BTC) of the mouse is described, with emphasis on the normal organization of the vibrissal representations. Thionin staining for Nissal substance was employed to reveal the cytoarchitecture. Cytochrome oxidase histochemistry was used to reveal the chemoarchitecture. Golgi impregnation methods, in combination with thionin staining, were used to examine the neuronal dendritic morphology within a defined cytoarchitectonic context. An in vitro horseradish peroxidase labelling method was used to study the distribution and morphology of primary trigeminal afferent terminals within the BTC. The BTC consists of four distinct subnuclei: principalis (nVp), oralis (nVo), interpolaris (nVi), and caudalis (nVc). The present study shows that these sub-nuclei can be distinguished from each other on the basis of several anatomical criteria, including the distribution and density of neuronal size classes, histochemical staining intensity, morphology and orientation of neuronal dendrites, and size and texture of primary afferent terminal arbors. Anatomical manifestation of vibrissal representations within the BTC can be described in nVp, nVi, and nVc, but not in nVo. Within the three subnuclei where they are found, anatomical vibrissal representations are composed to architectural subunits that form an overall pattern homeomorphic to the pattern of vibrissae on the face of the animal. Each sub-unit forms a cylindrical tube running in a rostrocaudal orientation within the BTC. These sub-units will be called barrelettes. Cytologically, each barrelette consists of cell-dense "sides," surrounding a practically cell-free "hollow." Individual sub-units are separated by narrow, cell-free "septa." Histochemically, each subunit is manifested as a discrete patch of positive-staining reaction products. Differential interference contrast optics shows that these patches correspond precisely to the barrelette hollows. Evidence is presented to show that the barrelettes are the functional units for the processing of vibrissal sensory information. Terminal arborizations of individual primary afferents seem to be confined to the hollow of single barrelettes. The majority of neurons that form the sides of a barrelette have bitufted dendritic arbors, which project predominantly into the barrelette hollow, although a minority of neurons, particularly in nVi and nVc, also extend part of their dendritic arbors into adjacent barrelette hollows. The barrelette hollows are thus the principal neuropil region in which primary afferents and their target neurons interact. Contacts are made mainly between en passant varicosities and terminal boutons on primary afferent collaterals and dendritic spines and shafts of second order neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) complex antibodies have been associated with a spectrum of presentations including peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (PNH), Morvan's syndrome, autoimmune encephalopathy, epilepsy and recently psychosis. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 70 patients from the Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, who had tested positive for VGKC-complex antibodies between 2012 and 2015 to identify the clinical relevance of positive results. The majority were diagnosed with autoimmune encephalopathy(19) followed by epilepsy(14), psychosis(10) and PNH(6). The remaining fifteen had other neurological presentations and six had no primary neurological disorder. 39/70 patients who had antibody titres>400 pM, were diagnosed with autoimmune encephalopathy(19), epilepsy(9), psychosis(4), PNH(3) and other disorders(4). 24/39 patients, who received treatment with one or a combination of corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, cyclophosphamide, plasma exchange, azathioprine or rituximab, had a diagnosis of autoimmune encephalopathy(18), epilepsy(2), psychosis(2) and malignancy(2). 16/24 were treatment responsive. 3/31 patients with lower titres were also treated, but only one with the classic phenotype (PNH) responded to treatment. The classic phenotype often had a titre >400 pM. PNH may have a titre ≤400 pM. The patients without classic presentations typically had titres≤400 pM. Consistent with previous studies, clinical phenotyping and antibody titre helped to determine the relevance of VGKC-complex antibodies.


Medicinal plants are rich in several potential drugs and it carries healthier and harmless alternate to synthetic system of drugs. Plant Cynodon dactylon (L.) (doob/ bermuda grass) family (Graminae/Poaceae) is one of them. It is a perennial grass circulated all over the world, and particularly it is native to the high temperate and tropical regions. In various states of India doob grass is known by different names like Durva (Marathi), Arukampillu (Tamil), Durba (Bengali), Dhro (Gujarati), Shataparva (Sanskrit), Garichgaddi (Telugu) etc. It is the second most holy plant of Hindu religious after Tulsi (Oscimum sanctum). It has various medicinal values and it is used in the treatment of various types of diseases in the form of various dosage forms like powder, paste or extracts. The plant of C. dactylon has a variety of biological activities like antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial and specially wound healing properties. Furthermore, it has been broadly used in ancient medicines to treat various problems such as hypertension, epilepsy, cough, diarrhoea, headache, cramps, dropsy, dysentery, hemorrhage, hysteria, measles, snakebite, sores, stones urogenital disorders, tumors, and warts (outer growth on the skin). The herb contains crude proteins, carbohydrates, and mineral constituents, oxides of magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, sodium and potassium. The herb has β-sitosterol and β-carotoene, triterpinoids, vitamin C, cartone, palmitic acid, alkaloids, ergonovine and ergonovinine. The aim of this review is to produce an interest for further investigations of the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of this herb.


A technique is presented for evaluating the probability of error for an optically preamplified receiver with a fiber Fabry-Perot optical filter of arbitrary bandwidth between the preamplifier and photodiode. The technique permits simultaneous consideration of the distortion due to modulator chirp and fiber dispersion, the optical filter and the baseband electrical filter. The optical filter is characterized by a Lorentzian passband response, and the quadrature noise processes due to the amplified spontaneous emission are represented by Karhunen-Loeve expansions. For an arbitrary optical filter bandwidth, the evaluation of the probability of error depends explicitly on the details of the Karhunen-Loeve expansion. The solution procedure is general and consequently can, in principle, be applied to other filter passband responses. The influence of the bandwidths of the optical and electrical filters on the performance of a 10 Gb/s system is assessed.


Granular flows and vibro-fluidised granular gases have been extensively studied recently; most of the theoretical analyses and the experimental descriptions use temperature and other thermodynamics concepts. However, taking the very simple case of a vibro-fluidised gas made of identical particles, we show the lack of efficiency of such concepts for the understanding of the physics of such systems. This results from both (i) the fact that the vibrator does not transmit the same amount of energy to each particle, but an amount which depends on its mass and/or its size and (ii) from the fact that it is a strongly dissipative medium. We conclude that most experimental device works rather as velostat as a thermostat. Pacs # : 5.40 ; 45.70 ; 62.20 ; 83.70.Fn


is Traditional integral order PID control is the method,which is used most widely in the industrial process control. Fractional order PIλDμ control is the promotion and development of traditional PID control. The fractional calculus theory and basic concept of fractional order PIλDμ control are introduced in this article, and a new parameters installation method of fractional order PIλDμ controller is brought forward. This method resolves mainly the design problem of fractional order PIλDμ controller. Thus the control model of fractional order PIλDμ controller is obtained. The second-order industry object is taken as the example. The simulation research of fractional order PIλDμ controller and that of integral order PID control are done separately. The simulation result indicates that the improved fractional order PIλDμ controller could improve the quality of second-order object, and has better control effect.


The article is based on Coleman's theory about social capital in the creation of human capital. Social capital is defined by its function. Human capital is created by changes in persons that bring about skills and capabilities to act in new ways. The article examines empirically the value of social capital in the creation of human capital in the next generation. The real cases of multi-child families are very helpful for this task. Human capital is approximately measured by parents' education (partly expressed by their occupation as well) and provides the potential for social environment for the child that aids learning, occupation, values and norms. The use of the number of siblings as a measure of social capital expresses professional succession in the family, tests decline/growth with sib position, some tendencies of their emigration and family creation.


After a century of relative stability in the electricity sector, introduction of the smart grid has triggered a period of great uncertainty with the potential for wide-spread and long-lasting impacts. When faced with pressures that threaten established institutionalized practices, incumbent organizations may respond in a variety of ways, ranging from resistance to manipulation. This paper reports the findings from a qualitative field study that explores how utilities, the organizations at the core of the electricity sector, are responding to institutional pressures and what it means for their deployment of smart grid technologies. Under coercive and mimetic pressures, utilities respond with avoidance by taking a wait-and-see approach, or acquiescence, simply following direction of others. In contrast, organizations that perceive benefits of smart grid technologies beyond the need for compliance adopt manipulation strategies, becoming more engaged in shaping the transformation and experimenting with new technologies to enhance their stature and performance.


Abstract Reefs are used for spawning by Great Lakes fishes such as the lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis, and cisco C. artedi. We designed egg funnels as a new type of sampling gear for quantifying egg deposition while minimizing losses of eggs to physical disturbance and predation. Egg funnels were compared with traditionally used egg bags to quantify egg deposition by spawning fish. In addition, the efficiencies of the egg funnels and egg bags were measured by seeding each gear type with artificial lake trout and lake whitefish eggs in situ. Egg funnels were as efficient as or more efficient than egg bags for capturing artificial eggs and naturally deposited lake trout eggs in both 2008 and 2009. Egg funnels had lower efficiency than egg bags for capture of natural coregonid eggs in 2008, potentially due to avoidance of the gear by spawners; gear avoidance was reduced by burying the egg funnels more deeply in 2009. Accurate estimates of egg deposition will assist fis...


Using an antibody revealed by the protein A-gold technique, we have studied the distribution of clathrin antigenic sites in the Golgi area of pancreatic B-cells. Golgi compartments showing an immunolabelling comprised extensive segments of cisternae, typical coated vesicles, dilated extremities of cisternae with condensing secretory material, and newly formed secretory granules. Most of the labelled membranes were observed at the trans Golgi pole while little immunoreactivity was found on the cis pole.


Summary
The symptomatology, duration, relapse rate, and response to treatment of Southwest Pacific vivax malaria was evaluated in 328 veterans who were studied over a 33-month period. The infections were diagnosed by blood smear.
Prodromal symptoms other than chills, fever and malaise were elicited in 46 per cent of the cases.
Splenomegaly was noted in 37.6 per cent, and hepatomegaly in 15.1 per cent of the cases.
In groups paired on the basis of average attack treated, the relapse rate following chloroquine was 56 per cent and atabrine 60 per cent. The relapses following chloroquine occurred much earlier. Chloroquine has no advantages over atabrine.
In the present series the relapse rate decreased with further attacks but the per cent of each relapse group recurring further was approximately the same from one attack to the next.
Of a group of cases studied in the entirety of their clinical duration, 24.5 per cent were terminated in the first year, 52.9 per cent in the second year, and 18.3 per cent in the third year. Attacks were still occurring in 4.3 per cent in the fourth year of the disease. The frequency distribution of the duration of this group of cases is presented.
Relapses of Pacific vivax malaria will be a rarity in the fifth year after infection. The earlier impression that few cases would last beyond two years is not borne out by this stidy.
Patients with Pacific vivax malaria often harbor multiple strains. The duration of clinical activity of such a group of cases should not be interpreted as the behavior of a single strain infection.


This paper proposes an approach for integrated system design, which has the intent of facilitating high levels of effectiveness in sociotechnical systems by promoting their capacity for adaptation. Building on earlier ideas and empirical observations, this approach recognizes that to create adaptive systems it is necessary to integrate the design of all of the system elements, including the interfaces, teams, training, and automation, such that workers are supported in adapting their behavior as well as their structure, or organization, in a coherent manner. Current approaches for work analysis and design are limited in regard to this fundamental objective, especially in cases when workers are confronted with unforeseen events. A suitable starting point is offered by cognitive work analysis (CWA), but while this framework can support actors in adapting their behavior, it does not necessarily accommodate adaptations in their structure. Moreover, associated design approaches generally focus on individual system elements, and those that consider multiple elements appear limited in their ability to facilitate integration, especially in the manner intended here. The proposed approach puts forward the set of possibilities for work organization in a system as the central mechanism for binding the design of its various elements, so that actors can adapt their structure as well as their behavior—in a unified fashion—to handle both familiar and novel conditions. Accordingly, this paper demonstrates how the set of possibilities for work organization in a system may be demarcated independently of the situation, through extensions of CWA, and how it may be utilized in design. This lynchpin, conceptualized in the form of a diagram of work organization possibilities (WOP), is important for preserving a system's inherent capacity for adaptation. Future research should focus on validating these concepts and establishing the feasibility of implementing them in industrial contexts.


Abstract The pivotal role of Abraham in Paul's theology is uncontested in New Testament scholarship. Naturally, reference is made mostly to Gal 2,15–3,22 and Rom 4. Paul found the basis for justification by faith versus law in Old Testament traditions about Abraham and Gen 15,6. Abraham thus becomes the biblical prototype for those having faith in God. Accordingly, he is the father of all Christ-believers, be they Jews or Gentiles. As for Romans, the role of Abraham is almost exclusively linked to chap. 4. In my view, scholars have, more or less, unanimously overlooked the οΰν by which Rom 5,1 is introduced, and the implications thereof. This οΰν works very much like οΰν in Rom 3,27 and 4,1, which takes the argument one step further, thus implying that the analogy with Abraham is not limited to chap. 4. In the scholarly literature on Rom 5,1–11 Abraham is almost out of the horizon. Some significant exceptions are worth mentioning though. In his commentary on Romans, James D.G. Dunn says that "δικαιωθέντες is best taken to denote God's acceptance into that relationship and status (which Abraham enjoyed as 'the friend of God, …')." Dunn claims a similarity between faith exercised by Abraham and faith as described in Rom 5,1 ff. The point of comparison is "faith in God's faithfulness to his promise." Likewise, Philip F. Esler says: "In our faith we can expect to be subject to the ups and downs of human life, needing to be sustained by hope, just like Abraham, just as Paul makes clear in 5,1–5." It is the merit of these scholars to have drawn attention to a neglected aspect of Paul's text. They have rightly pointed out that Paul's use of Abraham is not exhausted in Rom 4. All the same, none of them have substantiated that Abraham's role somehow continues in Rom 5,1 ff. This short notice will provide some substantiation for their claim.


Dry-ice particle blasting is similar to sand blasting, plastic bead blasting, or soda blasting where a media is accelerated in a pressurized air stream (or other inert gas) to impact the surface to be cleaned or prepared. With dry-ice blasting, the media that impacts the surface is solid carbon dioxide (CO2) particles. One unique aspect of using dry-ice particles as a blast media is that the particles sublimate (vaporize) upon impact with the surface. The combined impact energy dissipation and extremely rapid heat transfer between the pellet and the surface cause instantaneous sublimation of the solid CO2 into a gas. The gas expands to nearly eight hundred times the volume of the particle in a few milliseconds in what is effectively a "microexplosion" at the point of impact that aids the coating removal process. Because of the CO2 vaporizing, the dry-ice blasting process does not generate any secondary waste. All that remains to be collected is the removed coating. As with other blast media, the kinetic energy associated with dry-ice blasting is a function of the particle mass density and impact velocity. Since CO2 particles have a relatively low density, the process relies on high particle velocities to achieve the needed impact energy. The high particle velocities are the result of supersonic propellant or air-stream velocities. Unlike other blast media, the CO2 particles have a very low temperature of –109°F (–78.5°C). This inherent low temperature gives the dry-ice blasting process unique thermodynamically induced surface mechanisms that affect the coating or contaminate in greater or lesser degrees, depending on coating type. Because of the temperature differential between the dryice particles and the surface being treated, a phenomenon known as fracking, or thermal shock, can occur. As a material's temperature decreases, it becomes embrittled, enabling the particle impact to break-up the coating and sever the chemical bond that is weakened by the lower temperature. The thermal gradient or differential between two dissimilar materials with different thermal expansion coefficients can serve to break the bond between the two materials. This thermal shock is most evident when blasting a nonmetallic coating or contaminate bonded to a metallic substrate.


Skin regenerates being formed on the stomach of rats were exposed to dosed injuries by needles. These injuries have significantly hastened formation of definitive regenerates.


Current Technical Guidance Documents for preparing risk assessments, like the guidance for the implementation of REACH, have limited focus on chemical substances in the particulate form and generally do not focus on substances in the nanoform. Within the ENRHES project a comprehensive and critical scientific review of publicly available health and safety information on four types of nanoparticles was performed. Based on the identified exposure and hazard data, basic human health risk assessment appraisals were carried out for fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nano-silver and nano-titanium dioxide. These risk assessment appraisals followed the structure of a regulatory risk assessment and if possible and relevant, it was attempted to derive indicative human no-effect levels from key studies by applying assessment factors as suggested in the technical guidance document for REACH. These assessment factors address differences and uncertainty related to exposure features between test animals and humans (time, respiratory volume), other interspecies and intraspecies differences and factors for extrapolation to chronic duration. If required, the severity of effects and the quality of the database can be addressed by additional factors. Recently other procedures for deriving human no-effect levels have been published and these are compared to the ENRHES basic risk assessment appraisals. The main differences were observed in relation to evaluating the differences in animal and human exposure situations and interspecies differences, and in applying assessment factors for intraspecies differences for local effects. The applicability of the REACH guidance for nanomaterials is currently being investigated for possible adaptations, considering the specific behaviour and mode of action of nanomaterials.


In order to adapt to all kinds of spectral mask and utilize the full frequency band and avoid interference to/from the existing wireless systems for ultra wideband (UWB), this paper investigates two pulse designs for ultra wideband-cognitive radio (UWB-CR) by using multiple modified transform domain communication s ystem (M-TDCS). By applying multiple M-TDCS and installing a different power scale factor to each sub-band with about 1-2GHz, the first flexible and implementable pulse is generated. By using a combination of the multiple M-TDCS and compressed chirp waveform, the second pulse is accomplished. The two new pulses each can be implemented by surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices and some other accessorial devices as well, moreover, comparing with the seventh order derivative of Gaussian pulse, the bit error ra tio (BER) performance by using these two pulses can be observably improved 2-3dB for UWB systems. For BER performance, the second pulse is better, but it is more complex.


Chromosome banding patterns obtained by ammoniacal silver staining (Ag-AS) and alkaline Giemsa (CBG) have been analysed in several amphibian species of the genus Odontophrynus from South America. Ag-AS bands were found at secondary constrictions, mainly of chromosomes 4 and 11. The CBG technique revealed centromeric and telomeric constitutive heterochromatin on almost all chromosomes of these species. Moreover, intercalary bands were found at particular sites of several chromosomes. Some inter- and intra-population polymorphisms were found for the Ag-AS and C-banding patterns. The species variability in the number and position of the Ag-AS bands, known to be regions of active ribosomal cistrons, as well as the specific sites of intercalary heterochromatin, are used to discuss the possible evolutionary relationships among these species.


Summary: Nail gun injuries are common, work-related injuries that typically involve bony impalement of an extremity with the nail. Treatment recommendations are well established, although suggestions for removing the nail itself have been lacking. In our hands, removal using typical operating room equipment has been challenging, usually resulting in nail head deformity and breakage, which makes completing the procedure even more difficult. As a result, we have revisited the tool designed solely for the purpose of nail removal, that is, a claw hammer: this tool is readily available from materials management at most hospitals, can be easily autoclaved, and is effectively used with a block or surgical pan lid to gain leverage and protect the soft tissues. We have found this method to be simple and extremely useful for nail removal for the nail-impaled patient.


The performance of in-memory databases is significantly affected by the number of data blocks fetched from memory into the processor-resident cache. In recent years, various tree-based indexes have been proposed for main memory databases. A common assumption in the analysis of these indexes is that there is no data in the cache that can be reused between key lookups, i.e. the system has a cold cache for each lookup. In practice, though, the "temperature" of the cache is strongly dependent on the application. For example, a warm cache is typical for OLTP applications that query the same index over and over with little computation in between lookups. In this paper, we present a comparative study of the cache behavior of various B+-tree-based indexes which shows that none of them performs best in all cases. Also, we propose a lightweight technique for improving the cache behavior of any B+-tree based index that performs best in all settings


The faults in the "steeply dipping" domain of Hole 863B are situated in a distinct tectonic setting, where an active spreading center is subducting. Early rheological contrasts, arising from primary compositional differences, were enhanced by fluid flow channeled along bedding planes. Several early faults focalized under low effective stresses, parallel to bedding planes. Fluid flow was focused along discrete millimeter to centimeter-scale, branching channels within fault zones and their surroundings, even though the sediments were only partially consolidated. Individual core-scale fault zones accommodate only minor strain but they contain penetrative grain-scale fabrics. These fabrics were generated during a dilation-fluid flow-porosity collapse history, interpreted from textural variations and cross-cutting relations in fault zones. There is no evidence for cataclasis or pressure solution in fault rocks but some dissolution has occurred. A generalized sequence of cementation is represented by early sulfate and clay minerals and zeolites followed by pyrite, carbonate and minor quartz. Carbonate and pyrite cements formed prior to and synchronously with normal faults. Normal faults generally post-date reverse faults and could be related to ridge subduction. The interpreted deformation and cementation histories illustrate the fine-scale porosity (and permeability?) variations caused by linked cementation and deformation in the earliest stages of accretion.


Sigma receptors have recently been the target of drug development related to psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and depression, as well as cognitive enhancers. This paper focused on the sigma-receptor-mediated modulation of neuronal activity, especially the effects on aminergic neuron and hippocampal neuron activity. Dopaminergic neuron activities in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are variously modified by the systemic administration of sigma ligands. When applied with microiontophoresis, they are reported to increase dopaminergic neuron activity in the VTA. This activity may be involved in the psychotropic or antipsychotic effects of these ligands. Moreover, serotonergic neurons in the raphe nucleus and noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus were activated by sigma ligands. These effects are probably related to the antidepressant activity of sigma receptor ligands. In the hippocampus, sigma ligands suppressed CA1 neuronal activity in vitro. The effects were suggested to be due to an increase in the threshold of action potential and decreased synaptic transmission efficacy. NMDA receptor function was modified in biphasic fashion related to doses of sigma ligands, that is, a lower dose facilitated the NMDA receptor functions, and a higher dose inhibited them. These effects on the hippocampal neurons may contribute to their neuroprotective and antiamnesic actions. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relation between the physiological function of sigma receptor and psychiatric diseases by the use of sigma receptor ligands and molecular techniques.


The direct in vitro effect of radiographic contrast media (RCM) on granulocyte locomotion was assayed using an under agarose technique. All RCM tested inhibited the chemotactic response to N-fmlp, a synthetic chemotactic N-formylated tripeptide, which is an analogue of natural bacterial products. The inhibition was most pronounced for diatrizoate, the most hyperosmolar of the RCM, but hyperosmolality per se was not the only inhibitive factor, since 0.5 M NaCl, which has an osmolality comparable to the RCM used, did not inhibit chemotaxis significantly. Furthermore, the inhibition was not caused by a nonspecific sticky effect of RCM on granulocytes, since spontaneous migration was normal. We propose that the inhibition might be caused by competitive binding of RCM to the N-fmlp receptor sited on leukocytes because the third amino acid in N-fmlp is phenylalanine, which, like the RCM, contains a benzene ring.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism and effectiveness of inducing severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) with saline saturated hydrogen in rats.

METHODS
Based on a random number table, 54 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: control, SAP and treatment (n = 18 each). The model of SAP was established by a retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into biliary-pancreatic duct. The treatment group received an injection of 5 ml/kg hydrogen-rich saline into tail vein at 1 h post-modeling. The control group underwent only pancreatic tipping. All rats were exsanguinated under anesthesia by aortal puncture after 24 hours. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in 3 groups were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of TNF-αmRNA in pancreatic tissue was measured by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. And intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in pancreatic tissue was measured by immunohistochemistry. The pancreatic tissues were harvested to examine the microscopic changes. The levels of malonic aldehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in pancreatic tissue was measured by specific kits.

RESULTS
The pathological scores of pancreatic tissue were significantly lower in the treatment group than those in the SAP group (9.7 ± 2.0 vs 13.2 ± 2.5, P < 0.05). The serum level of TNF-αwas significantly lower in the treatment group than that in the SAP group ((88 ± 17) vs (1171 ± 18) pg/ml, P < 0.05). And the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-18 were lower in the treatment group than those in the SAP group ((25.2 ± 5.9) vs (37.3 ± 4.6) ng/L, (401 ± 100) vs (439 ± 103) ng/L, both P < 0.05). As compared with the SAP group, the levels of MDA and MPO decreased significantly in the treatment group ((8.2 ± 2.8) vs (14.7 ± 2.7) nmol/mg, (0.040 ± 0.011) vs (0.170 ± 0.071) U/g, both P < 0.05). However, the levels of SOD and GSH significantly higher than those of the treatment group ((22.1 ± 1.3) vs (15.1 ± 1.7) U/mg, (4.8 ± 0.4) vs (2.5 ± 0.3) U/mg, both P < 0.05). The expressions of TNF-α mRNA and ICAM-1 in pancreatic tissues were lower than those of the treatment group (0.33 ± 0.17 vs 0.94 ± 0.31, 2.0 ± 0.4 vs 2.8 ± 0.8, both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Hydrogen-rich saline can decrease the levels of inflammatory mediators and reduce the pathological damage of pancreas through the inhibition of oxidative stress.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency of microdeletions in the long arm of Y chromosome of idiopathic infertile males with azoospermia and oligospermia in Shaanxi province in China and to investigate the relevance of sperm count to Y microdeletion frequencies.

METHODS
According to the sequence of sequence-tagged sits (STS) AZFa, AZFb, AZFc and SRY, 4 of the azoospermic factor regions on Y chromosome long-term supplied by GenBank, 5 sets of primers were synthesized. The Y microdeletions in AZF regions were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 64 idiopathic cases of azoospermia and oligospermia and 20 men of known fertility.

RESULTS
No microdeletion was detected in the 20 normospermic subjects. Deletion of the AZFc/DAZ was detected in 11 individuals and one patient had both AZFb and AZFc deletion; no deletion of AZFa and SRY region was found. The frequency of Y microdeletions in the subgroups with different sperm count showed the highest value among azoospermic men (3 cases, 21.4%). The percentage progressively decreased with the deletion frequency (20.0%, 17.9% and 8.3%) in the subgroups with sperm counts of < 1 x 10(6)/ml, < (1-5) x 10(6)/ml and < (1 to approximately 10) x 10(6)/ml, respectively.

CONCLUSION
Y chromosome microdeletions are specifically associated with severe spermatogenic failure. The rate of deletion involving AZF region of the Y-chromosome is higher in infertile men with azoospermia and oligospermia. PCR amplification of AZF locus is useful for the diagnosis of microdeletions in the Y-chromosome.


In this history of Modernism, Edward Lucie-Smith examines the historical, social and intellectual contexts that have underlain individual creativity. The book's structure is strictly chronological, rather than thematic, in order that readers can find affinties between approaches to art normally regarded as separate, such as Pop Art and Conceptualism. The main topics - architecture, painting, sculpture, photography - appear within each chapter in a fixed order. Each chapter begins with an illustrated timeline highlighting the key events of the decade, and outstanding and influential pieces of art are given a special focus.


The mangrove cricket Apteronemobius asahinai is endemic to mangrove forest floors in China, Southeast Asia and the Ryukyu archipelago (Amamiohsima, Okinawa, Miyako, Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands) of Japan. We developed six polymorphic microsatellite markers for the mangrove cricket from genomic DNA libraries enriched for CA, GA, AAG and ATG motifs. The M13‐tailed primer method was used in the process of screening of amplification and polymorphism of primers. A total of 64 specimens from two populations (one from Okinawa and the other from Iriomote) were genotyped for allelic diversity. The average number of alleles per locus was 4.67 and 6.67 for Okinawa and Iriomote populations, respectively. A significant genetic differentiation was detected between the two populations (pairwise FST 0.2404). These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful in ongoing studies of the population genetic structure of the mangrove cricket including several populations in the Ryukyu archipelago.


The bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (BCP) unit is under scrutiny as a bioisostere in drug molecules. We employed methodologies for the synthesis of different BCP triazole building blocks from one precursor, 1-azido-3-iodobicyclo[1.1.1]pentane, by "click" reactions and integrated cycloaddition-Sonogashira coupling reactions. Thereby, we accessed 1,4-disubstituted triazoles, 5-iodo-1,4,5-trisubstituted triazoles, and 5-alkynylated 1,4,5-trisubstituted triazoles. This gives entry to the synthesis of multiply substituted BCP triazoles on either a modular or a one-pot basis. These methodologies were further utilized for appending porphyrin moieties onto the BCP core.


ABSTRACT: Whereas the impact of Brexit on Anglophone Africa was a major issue in the controversial British discussions on the pros and cons of Brexit, possible repercussions on French-speaking Africa have been rarely mentioned up to now. Yet, the range of possible Brexit effect is impressive, including the revival of progressive social networks in Francophone Africa. The latter are already demanding more political and economic sovereignty, for example with respect to the increasingly anachronistic F CFA currency. Yet, in view of the lack of countervailing power of Britain within the EU in the case of Brexit, the murky network of Francafrique could be re-vitalized and consolidated as well. Finally, the Brexit and its spread-effects could also impact negatively on acquired human rights, both in Europe and in Africa. The withdrawal in general will have widely disregard implications for hitherto shared ethics. In fact, the Brexit constitutes a retrograde step in promoting a political and socio-cultural climate which could become similar to that of Apartheid South Africa. This includes the pursuit of ultranationalist goals and compromising on established human rights, for example with respect to growing inequality and the crusade against infidels and outsiders. More generally, the Brexit will also impact negatively on acquired ethics concerning popular articipation, both in Europe and in Africa.


We study approaches for finding good solutions, and lower bounds, for three difficult combinatorial optimisation problems. The supply ship travelling salesman problem is a simplification of a situation faced by a naval logistics coordinator who must direct a support vessel tasked with resupplying ships in a fleet. It is a generalisation of the travelling salesman problem in which the nodes are in motion, each following some predetermined route. We apply dynamic programming state-space relaxation
techniques, producing lower bounds for the problem that are 73% to 84% of the best solution, on average. We also apply heuristics to find good solutions to this NP-hard problem, showing that restricted dynamic programming approaches outperform simple 2-opt and 3-opt local search procedures
for instances with 20 nodes. We introduce the supply ship scheduling problem, another roblem inspired by a support vessel environment. We wish to minimise the number of mobile machines required to process a set of jobs; each job is in a different stationary location and features a fixed start time. Jobs may be simultaneously processed by multiple machines, obtaining a speed-up in processing time. We represent the problem as a directed graph and use the minimum flow in a transformed network to determine the minimum number of machines. We present a neighbourhood structure based on the maximum cut, applying it
within descent and tabu search procedures. We construct a restricted dynamic programming based approach, but this is outperformed by the tabu search algorithm. The task allocation problem, arising in distributed computing, is to assign a set of tasks to a set of processors so that the overall cost is minimised. Costs are incurred from processor usage, interprocessor communication and task execution. We construct, and try to improve, semidefinite programming relaxations to find lower bounds for variants of this NP-hard problem. We develop a branch-and-bound approach to find optimal solutions, but this is only effective for small instances.


OBJECTIVES
This scoping review seeks to identify what community-based support is used by older sexually and gender diverse (SGD) people, that aims to improve mental health/wellbeing.

METHODS
A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. APA PsycInfo, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus were searched. Key information was extracted and entered into a structured coding sheet before being summarized.

RESULTS
Seventeen studies were included (41% observational qualitative and 35% observational quantitative). The most commonly used community-based support was lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) social groups. A range of practices were reported in five studies, including in SGD affirming religious congregations and mind-body practices. Two studies reported the use of formal programmes, with one based on a group initiative. Positive outcomes included feeling connected, improved social support and mental health, and coping with illness. Five studies reported null or negative findings, including a lack of acceptance. Most studies used categories for sex and gender inaccurately, and lacked detail when describing community-based support.

CONCLUSION
The use of community-based support by older SGD people is underexplored. More interventions designed for and by this community are needed, along with experimental research to draw conclusions on effectiveness to improve mental health or wellbeing.


Qualitative methodology is used to examine social and dialogic interactions, in a fifth‐grade classroom known as 'Freedom Falls'. The author discusses social interaction through dialogue as a means of constructing a democratic classroom community for students. In this case study, through descriptive data, classroom dialogue is examined from the collective group to individual members. The author explains how she discovered that meanings about democracy in the classroom were transferred from the collective group to the individual members, and ways of expressing democratic practices in the classroom enhanced students' participation as active classroom members responsible for their classroom culture.


Abstract This article discusses several definitions of the fractional Laplace operator L = — (—Δ)α/2 in Rd , also known as the Riesz fractional derivative operator; here α ∈ (0,2) and d ≥ 1. This is a core example of a nonlocal pseudo-differential operator, appearing in various areas of theoretical and applied mathematics. As an operator on Lebesgue spaces ℒp (with p ∈ [1,∞)), on the space 𝒞0 of continuous functions vanishing at infinity and on the space 𝒞bu of bounded uniformly continuous functions, L can be defined, among others, as a singular integral operator, as the generator of an appropriate semigroup of operators, by Bochner's subordination, or using harmonic extensions. It is relatively easy to see that all these definitions agree on the space of appropriately smooth functions. We collect and extend known results in order to prove that in fact all these definitions are completely equivalent: on each of the above function spaces, the corresponding operators have a common domain and they coincide on that common domain.


Commonly used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms rely on the use of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers for navigation. To enable the autonomous navigation of cooperative UAVs in GNSS-denied environments, the use of an ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning system is proposed. This paper discusses the design and evaluation of a practical and cooperative UWB positioning system using newly available integrated radio frequency hardware and antennas. Constellation-aware parameters, as well as other effects like antenna characteristics, are taken into consideration. A non-line-of-sight rejection is implemented based on the ratio of the first path compared to the power of the cumulated channel impulse response. An experiment covering a range of positions and orientations is conducted to gain a broad, representative set of results to assess the system accuracy in real-life usage. In a first experiment the system performance achieves a root-mean-square error of under 10 cm in the horizontal plane and under 20 cm in the three-dimensional space with a probability of 95 %. A GNSS emulation system is implemented to evaluate the real-time in-flight use of the UWB positioning system on an experimental UAV carrier. A proof of concept is given that the GNSS emulation may be used with commercially available UAV platforms to augment those systems with indoor navigation capabilities.


Superhero characters are a pop culture phenomenon. Many blockbuster
movies are based on superhero from comic books including Super Black.
This study analyses the Super Black archetype in Nick Fury's character, one
of the significant Super Black in Marvel Universe (Earth-616). In fact, the
character of Nick Fury has experienced racial switcheroo, where white
superhero shifted into Super Black, which makes the study more interesting
to investigate. This qualitative study used narrative - non narrative method
and The Avengers (2012) as the main source of this study to reveal three
important characteristics of Super Black proposed by Adilifu Nama, an
expert in African American studies. The characteristics used in this study
are the American ideals of Super Black as the a symbolic extension of
America's shifting political ethos and racial landscape, Super Black
expresses powerful visuals, compelling narratives, and multiple meanings
around a range of racial ideas and beliefs circulating in American culture,
and Super Black symbolizes social discourse and accepted wisdom
concerning notions of what is racially right in America. The result of this
study showed that Nick Fury can be a leader figure in the Avengers, among
other superheroes, supported by his intelligence, capability and experience
in the battlefield even he is black from the characteristic proposed by
Adilifu Nama.


PURPOSE
To review a series of 55 teachers from schools in Connecticut who presented consecutively to our clinic, and to summarize our clinical experience with work-related disease in this population, which could lead to a more formal study.

METHODS
Retrospective chart review; data were abstracted concerning clinical and environmental factors and entered into a statistical spreadsheet program (JMP for Windows).

RESULTS
Of the 55 educators, 22 were diagnosed with upper respiratory syndromes (rhinitis or sinusitis), three with bronchitis, and 23 with asthma. Of the 23 with asthma, 20 presented with active or symptomatic asthma, and seven of these were incident cases of occupational asthma. In addition, four cases (7%) of granulomatous lung disease (two hypersensitivity pneumonitis and two sarcoidosis) were diagnosed. Finally, three patients (5%) received only nonrespiratory diagnoses (panic disorder, sicca syndrome, and vertigo). In 33 work-places, the exposures of concern were predominantly related to ongoing "dampness" or visible mold growth. The remaining 22 work-places were "dry." Symptoms varied according to the work-place environment, with more patients from water damaged (vs dry) work-places having upper respiratory symptoms (76% vs 45%) and asthma (45% vs 23%). All seven patients with incident asthma and all four patients with interstitial lung disease worked in schools with documented water incursion.

CONCLUSIONS
Work-place exposures in water damaged school buildings are risk factors for development of work-related lower respiratory disease in schoolteachers and staff. Identification of such high-risk environments can be done by a simple but thorough qualitative evaluation during a walk-through inspection, and it should not require air sampling or surface sampling protocols for microbial contaminants.


We perform multiscale simulations based on the coupling of molecular dynamics and lattice-Boltzmann (LB) method to study the electrohydrodynamics of a polyampholyte-grafted spherical nanoparticle. The long-range hydrodynamic interactions are modeled by coupling the movement of particles to a LB fluid. Our results indicate that the net-neutral soft particle moves with a nonzero mobility under applied electric fields. We systematically explore the effects of different parameters, including the chain length, grafting density, electric field, and charge sequence, on the structures of the polymer layer and the electrophoretic mobility of the soft particle. It shows that the mobility of nanoparticles has remarkable dependence on these parameters. We find that the deformation of the polyampholyte chains and the ion distribution play dominant roles in modulating the electrokinetic behavior of the polyampholyte-grafted particle. The enhancement or reduction in the accumulation of counterions around monomers can be attributed to the polymer layer structure and the conformational transition of the chains in the electric field. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017


A novel method is proposed to simulate Rayleigh−Taylor instabilities using a specially-developed unsteady three-dimensional high-order spectral element method code. The numerical model used consists of Navier–Stokes equations and a transport-diffusive equation. The code is first validated with the results of linear stability perturbation theory. Then several characteristics of the Rayleigh−Taylor instabilities are studied using this three-dimensional unsteady code, including instantaneous turbulent structures and statistical turbulent mixing heights under different initial wave numbers. These results indicate that turbulent structures of Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities are strongly dependent on the initial conditions. The results also suggest that a high-order numerical method should provide the capability of simulating small scale fluctuations of Rayleigh−Taylor instabilities of turbulent flows.


The study "Role of English Press in Strengthening Accountability Institutions of Pakistan During 2013-2021" aimed to find out how media especially the English Press explore, highlights, and analyze the problems in accountability institutions like the National Accountability Bureau, Public Accounts Committee, and Federal Investigation Bureau, Agenda Setting & Framing theory as theoretical support were selected. The content Analysis method was used for data collection by purposive sampling technique. After analyzing the data and putting it through statistical testing., the researcher justified the hypothesis successfully that the print media played an effective role in strengthening the accountability process that leads to independent institutions for accountability in Pakistan. Keywords: Framing, Pakistani media, Accountability, English Press.


This thesis focuses on the Turkish fictional/satirical news website Zaytung, which employs humor as a form of resistance. Zaytung makes fun of the political authority and practices of the Turkish mainstream media in its humorous fake news and parody news articles. Zaytung is a social platform in which anyone can sign up and write their own fictional humorous news articles. A humorous alternative reality is produced and presented to the public by Zaytung as a reaction to the discourses of conventional journalism in Turkey. With Zaytung's new perspective surrounded with irony, a different political consciousness is created. There are examples of Zaytung news articles that are taken seriously, and also examples of conventional news articles pointed out for being "like Zaytung news". I argue that not only mainstream representations of reality affect Zaytung, but also the website affects mainstream conceptions of reality by shaping readers' approaches to it as in the example of "like Zaytung news". The website demonstrates the absurdity in that reality by approaching it in a subversive and humorous way. In this thesis, I suggest that plurality provided by parody and irony helps Zaytung play with politics, reality, and the boundaries of humor.


The articular processes (AP) of the neural arch have been implicated in weight transmission through the cervical spine. To analyse the mechanism of weight transmission in the AP, we studied the direction of forces within it, in particular, the pattern of trabecular trajectories. Twenty‐two AP from C4 vertebrae were studied in anatomical sections, and corresponding photoelastic models from selected sections were constructed and analysed. Anatomical and photoelastic findings show the subarticular spongiosa of the superior articular process (SAP) to be orthogonally arranged with vertical and oblique trabeculae in the direction of compressive forces and additional trabeculae always oriented perpendicular to the former. Vertical and oblique trabeculae are divided into rostral, middle and posterior groups. Rostral and middle trabeculae end in the anterior wall of the SAP and the transitional zone with the pedicle. Posterior trabeculae end in the subarticular spongiosa of the inferior articular process (IAP). The findings relating to trabecular trajectories in the SAP differ from previous descriptions and instead suggest that a part of the weight forces distributed within the AP transmit to the subchondral zone of the IAP. Knowledge of the trajectorial architecture of the AP may contribute to refining finite element analytical models for investigating its weight‐bearing function.


The quantification of carbon monoxide emissions resulted from a non authorized waste facility, located in a Jucu village close to Cluj municipality, in middle and late spring, in connection to temperature and humidity, was the aim of our study. The air samples were collected three times a week at horary intervals during 8.00 am and 8.00 p.m. in last sprig middle of 2010, 2011 and 2012. The air samples were collected and quantified with SafeLog100 gaze analyzer, and statistical data were processed using STATISTICA programme v. 8.0. The horary average of CO emissions had a similar distribution within the interval 34.62 – 41.67 ppm, with biggest horary average emission of 1193.01 ppm recorded in 2012, and the smallest of 1068.24 ppm in 2011. The biggest difference between the values of the CO emissions expressed as hourly averages, 124.75 ppm, was obtained between 2012 and 2011, and it is statistically assured at significance threshold of 0.1%. The humidity has negative influence, while temperature positively influences the regression CO emissions, as shown by the regression lines. The emissions and influence factors (temperature and humidity) are moderately to high correlated (R = 0.600 0.758) within experimental interval.


We propose a new method for the analysis and design of a robotic system that minimizes the energy consumption of a six-axis robot arm by controlling the velocity and acceleration of each arm of the robot to achieve the specified trajectory of the robot determined from a lean manufacturing method. A dynamic model of the PUMA 560 robot has been simulated on MATLAB, while the Robotics Toolbox and particle swarm optimization (PSO) are utilized to search for optimal paths and the optimal velocity and acceleration of the robot arms. The optimal velocity and acceleration are described as those giving minimum overall energy consumption constrained by a specified cycle time of the entire robotic system. Typically, the picking and placing of materials are carried out by humans, causing a variation in production rate, whereas our system using a robot arm ensures a stable production rate. Moreover, the optimal results obtained from PSO are adopted to train an artificial neural network (ANN) to extend the design system from discrete optimal values to a continuous and near-optimal value. In other words, the ANN is used to obtain an approximate optimal value between those obtained from PSO to make the system applicable to a real-world system. As shown by the simulation results, this method reduces the energy consumption of 12.3% from the initial energy and reduces the time for optimization by 99.8% compared with that for the PSO technique.


Levels of physical capability, an individual's ability to undertake the physical tasks of daily living, are assessed using performance-based and self-reported measures. By examining discordance between these measures, two groups can be identified; one reports poor capability yet performs to higher levels than expected (underestimators), whilst the other report higher levels of capability than expected given their poor performance (overestimators). It was hypothesised that discordant groups would have different characteristics. Data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development were used to explore the concordance and discordance between self-reported and performance-based measures of physical capability at age 60-64. To identify two discordant groups, and distinguish these from a reference concordant group, summary scores of the selfreported and performance-based measures were produced and plotted against each other. The selection of measures used to produce the self-reported summary score was informed by analyses that explored the hierarchical order in which participants reported difficulty with the physical tasks of daily living. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between discordance and factors selected a priori based on comprehensive literature reviews Sex, education, occupational class, smoking history, pain and chronic depression, were associated with discordance at age 60-64. For example, those with higher socioeconomic position, who experienced pain or chronic depression were more likely to underestimate their physical capability, whilst women and ex-smokers were less likely to overestimate their physical capability. Evidence of discordance suggests that there may be individuals in early old age who have unmet needs relating to their physical capability when assessment is based on either self-reported or performance based measures alone. Future policy should ensure these individuals are identified; factors associated with discordance can be used to identify target groups who may benefit from intervention that prevent or minimise age-related declines in physical capability.


The walnut fruits (Juglans regia) contain many active principles which are very important for the prevention of many chronic diseases. The romanian walnut fruits are rich in nutritional compounds, with a high lipid content (between 55% and 76%), proteins (11% 25%) and carbohydrates (16%). Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in a ratio around 70% in the walnut oil and predominantly is the linoleic acid (about 58%). Also, walnuts contain compounds as: phytosterols, tocopherols and scvalens, which prevent cardiovascular diseases. Not all the walnuts from different areas of Romania correspond to the market standards and so they are considered inadequate for consumption. Therefore an economic variant with nutritive value is the use of this raw material for the obtaining of edible oil thus turning to good account the insufficiently used resources. In this research we analyzed the fruits from several local populations of the Moldavian territory: Targu Neamt, Vrancea, Galati, Iasi, Bacau, Vaslui. We analyzed morphological aspects, physical and chemical parameters of the kernel and of the oil (refractive index, oil density, iodine value, acidity). We found that the fruits we studied are medium and large, weighing between 8-15 g, the kernel ratio has values between 32% and 54%, total lipid content is between 55% 72% and the protein content is quite high, with values between 14% 20%.


The thesis explores the trend in recent years by HCI designers to create an interface which is increasingly more anthropomorphic in nature, due to advances in computer graphics and interface technologies. The thesis has researched the effects of one such manifestation of this anthropomorphic trend on the human user, which embodies the human persona, in the form of embodied agents.The thesis is anchored in the growing area of human-agent interaction studies; and how the agent?s appearance in terms of their visual cues (i.e. gender, ethnicity, realism, and attractiveness levels), affects the human user interacting with these artificial entities. The aim of this thesis is to explore how the agents? visual appearance can elicit change in the user?s perception and behaviour, in order to improve human-agent design, and the interaction experience for the user.The thesis extends HCI studies investigating the effect of embodied agents, by highlighting the effect of the attractiveness stereotype which can elicit various impressions, stereotypes and behavioural changes within the human user. The thesis results demonstrate that attractive agents were perceived and evaluated more positively, as well being more persuasive than the unattractive agents. Hence, the agents? attractiveness was the main visual cue which played a major role in affecting the participants? opinion and behaviour towards the agents.The thesis advances the current understanding of CASA, by providing evidence to suggest that although users may respond socially to agents; this human-agent experience is not always equal to human-human experience. The thesis concludes by stating that the CASA methodology and Media Equation require some modification and needs to be adapted when applied to human-agent interaction, and especially within the interaction-based context.


Translation of phraseological units with proper names (PUPs) is topical for the contemporary translation studies nowadays. It is noted that PUPs reflect the culture and national mentality of a definite nation. Quite a few studies have prospectively examined English PUPs and their translation into other languages, but it is hard to find such an in-depth study in the case the target language is Vietnamese. By employing the qualitative approach, this paper sets out the findings of the study where 241 English PUPs in our compiled database were classified into four groups according to their translations into Vietnamese. The group of non-idiomatic and descriptive translation equivalents accounts for a majority of more than 57% of all the PUPs, proving that PUPs in both languages are highly culture-specific. Although the other three groups share a minority of approximately 43% of all the PUPs, they hold interesting implications and multiple levels of similar or different metaphors. Based on the findings, the paper discusses the challenges translators encounter during the translation process of English PUPs into their Vietnamese equivalents. It is evident that among various translation obstacles, the proper name factor is clearly one of the most challenging issues. The paper then proposes some translation solutions to cope with these special expressions. In addition to recommending to flexibly apply translation strategies, the author's conclusion emphasizes that only when translators manage to decode and grasp how PUPs work cross-linguistically in both languages and cultures can they achieve an appropriate translation of English PUPs.


Maize has now become an important staple food. In Iran, maize in its many forms, is included as a part of the diet of many people. This experiment was done in 2010 to evaluate the effects of nitrogen topdressing on source limitation, seed yield and yield components of different cultivars of maize. The experiment was conducted at the Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan Branch (Isfahan). It was a split plot arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Four nitrogen topdressing levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha) were tested in main plots and three cultivars (DC 370, MV 524 and SC 704) were tested in sub plots. Nitrogen topdressing was done when plants had 5 to 6 leaves. Nitrogen topdressing had significant influence on number of seeds per row, number of seeds per corn, thousand seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, harvest index and source limitation. Cultivar also had a significant influence on all characteristics evaluated in this experiment and number of rows per ear was also significantly affected by cultivar. Nitrogen reduced source limitation in all cultivars significantly. There was no significant influence of nitrogen and cultivar interaction on the characteristics evaluated in the experiment. The maximum for characteristics of; number of rows per corn, number of seeds per row, number of seeds per corn, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index was related to the application of 150 kg N/ha. Although the application of 150 kg N/ha had the highest thousand seed weight, there was no significant difference between this treatment and 50 kg N/ha. SC 704 cultivar produced the maximum number of rows per corn, number of seeds per row, number of seeds per corn, seed yield and biological yield. Results were not significant in a thousand seed weight between the cultivars MV 524 an SC 704, of which the former had the maximum thousand seed weight. The maximum harvest index and source limitation was related to DC 370. Application of 150 kg nitrogen topdressing per ha and cultivar of SC 704 was determined as the most suitable for this region


In my initial inquiry into the environmental history of the Alemany Farmers' Market in San Francisco, I learnt of a creek – Islais Creek, the largest watershed in the city. I measured and analyzed an 1869 U.S. Coast Survey to establish a representative baseline for the historical character of Islais Creek. Historically water accumulated on the shallow soils of the San Bruno Mountains and flowed into Islais Creek I used additional maps and surveys from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to document the cultural settlement of the watershed and further discuss land use impacts on the creek. For the past one-hundred and fifty years urban expansion and development have severely altered the original character of the creek and disallowed natural fluvial dynamics to persist. Currently the creek serves as the infrastructural backbone to a combined sewer system located underground in concrete pipes and culverts. In this repost I developed a restoration plan informed by an opportunities and constraints analysis of the existing conditions within the watershed. The plan gathers surface flows from a small subwatershed adjacent to the farmers' market site and uses the historical baseline condition to inform creek design. I used the rational method to establish a design discharge and discharge from the 200 acre subwatershed area and employed other standard hydrologic and hydraulic methods to estimate appropriate channel geometry for a two year flow regime. The restoration of Islais Creek as proposed in this report represents an exploration of thought more than classic geomorphologic restoration; the landscape tells the story of the creek and restores its symbolic presence in the urban environment and in the minds of the people living and visiting the space. The proposed creek form builds an understanding of the fluvial process, enhances our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and ultimately enriches our connection to place. We are restoring more than ecological systems, we are restoring our awareness and compassion for nature.


Potential yield benefits from improving within-row plant spacing variability and plant emergence variability in corn (Zea mays L.) production are often questioned by growers. Research was conducted at two locations in south-central Ontario during a 2-yr period to quantify the effects and interactions of plant spacing variability and plant emergence variability on growth and grain yield of corn. Nine treatments were established by hand planting corn rows with repeating six-plant sequences consisting of uniform and nonuniform spacing, even and uneven emergence, and their combinations. Spacing treatments consisted of (i) uniform within-row plant spacing of 20 cm; (ii) one 40-cm gap associated with a double; and (iii) one 60-cm gap associated with a triple in each six-plant sequence. Emergence treatments included uniform early emergence, a two-leaf stage delay, and a four-leaf stage delay for one plant in each six-plant sequence. Only plant emergence variability significantly affected plant height, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation, and grain yield. Compared with the uniformly early emerged plants, one out of six plants with a two-leaf stage delay in emergence reduced yield by 4%, and one out of six plants with a four-leaf stage delay reduced yield by 8%. Whereas corn plants next to a gap demonstrated compensatory growth, plants adjacent to a late emerging corn plant did not exhibit compensatory growth. These results indicate that corn is more responsive to plant emergence variability than plant spacing variability. Variation in plant emergence reduced yield, whereas variation in within-row spacing did not affect yield, and interactions between the two factors were not significant.


For non-collaborative data sources, both cost estimate-based optimization and quality-driven query processing are difficult to achieve because the sources do not export cost information nor data quality indicators. In this paper, we first propose an expressive query language extension using QML 1 syntax for defining in a flexible way dimensions, metrics of data quality and data source quality. We present a new framework for adaptive query processing on quality-extended query declarations. This processing includes the negotiation of quality contracts between the distributed data sources. The principle is to find dynamically the best trade-off between the cost of the query and the quality of the result retrieved from several distributed sources.


In this study, we used imaging and proteomics to identify the presence of virus-associated cellular proteins that may play a role in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) maturation. Fluorescence microscopy of virus-infected cells revealed the presence of virus-induced cytoplasmic inclusion bodies and mature virus particles, the latter appearing as virus filaments. In situ electron tomography suggested that the virus filaments were complex structures that were able to package multiple copies of the virus genome. The virus particles were purified, and the protein content was analyzed by one-dimensional nano-LC MS/MS. In addition to all the major virus structural proteins, 25 cellular proteins were also detected, including proteins associated with the cortical actin network, energy pathways, and heat shock proteins (HSP70, HSC70, and HSP90). Representative actin-associated proteins, HSC70, and HSP90 were selected for further biological validation. The presence of β-actin, filamin-1, cofilin-1, HSC70, and HSP90 in the virus preparation was confirmed by immunoblotting using relevant antibodies. Immunofluorescence microscopy of infected cells stained with antibodies against relevant virus and cellular proteins confirmed the presence of these cellular proteins in the virus filaments and inclusion bodies. The relevance of HSP90 to virus infection was examined using the specific inhibitors 17-N-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin. Although virus protein expression was largely unaffected by these drugs, we noted that the formation of virus particles was inhibited, and virus transmission was impaired, suggesting an important role for HSP90 in virus maturation. This study highlights the utility of proteomics in facilitating both our understanding of the role that cellular proteins play during RSV maturation and, by extrapolation, the identification of new potential targets for antiviral therapy.


Systematically and explicitly addressing the teaching of speaking is an aspect of English language teaching that is often underestimated. While teachers may be presenting various speaking activities in the classroom, such activities may amount to 'doing speaking' rather than 'teaching speaking'. In this article, I argue that being a competent teacher of speaking involves understanding the 'combinatorial' nature of speaking, which includes the linguistic and discoursal features of speech, the core speaking skills that enable speakers to process and produce speech, and the communication strategies for managing and maintaining spoken interactions. The article concludes by presenting a 'teaching-speaking cycle' (Goh and Burns, 2012) that teachers can use to plan tasks and activities that explicitly address these aspects of speaking and that scaffold student learning.


Abstract This work is a model of co-operation between the in vitro diagnostic industry and clinical laboratories for the production of reference values. Thirteen clinical laboratories having an ADVIA Centaur analyser and representing the majority of the geographical regions of Spain have shared the search for reference individuals and the production of reference values for thyrotropin, free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, cobalamine and folate concentrations in serum. All the logistic work has been done in co-operation with the Spanish supplier of the ADVIA Centaur analyser. The reference limits produced in the virtual laboratory are derived from the blend of reference values obtained by each laboratory. The multicentre reference limits were estimated according to the recommendations of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC).


In this article, we present a detailed analysis of the dynamic properties of entangled solutions of semi-flexible, threadlike surfactant micelles. These aggregates were formed by self-association processes in aqueous solutions of cationic surfactants such as cetylpyridinium chloride (CPyCl) or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) after the addition of different amounts of sodium salicylate (NaSal). We performed dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments in combination with rheological measurements in order to investigate the dynamic properties of these viscoelastic surfactant solutions. In all samples, we observed three distinct relaxation regimes: initial monoexponential decay, followed by a power-law behavior at intermediate observation times. A second monoexponential region was detected at very long times, and this terminal regime described the viscoelastic features of the samples. The fast decay mode was induced by local cooperative motions in the gellike network. The intermediate and slowest decay modes point to the existence of quasi-anomalous diffusion processes. These phenomena are characterized by linear-diffusion properties at long times, and they obeyed anomalous logarithmic slow-dynamics behavior at intermediate time zones. The anomalous diffusion properties at intermediate time scales can be induced by the bending motions of the rod-shaped micelles between two entanglement points. This regime, which was more extended at lower temperatures, was described by the power-law form of the correlation function. The power-law exponent depended on the chemical structure of the surfactants and the temperature. The power-law regime shifted toward earlier times as the gellike network evolved. The slowest mode of the correlation function coincided very well with the shear stress relaxation times of the three-dimensional, transient networks. We observed that the temperature dependence of the slowest mode followed Arrhenius laws. This result provides experimental evidence for thermally activated topological relaxation processes of random fluid phases. We obtained activation energies of approximately 30 kcal/mol, and these data coincided well with previously reported literature values, which were determined in similar surfactant solutions. Characteristic "screening lengths", over which viscous effects became important, could also be determined from the activation energy. The elastic modulus G0, calculated from the slowest mode of the correlation function, was in pretty good agreement with rheological data. The light-scattering spectra were consistent with the theoretical model of dynamical coupling of the concentration fluctuations to viscoelasticity. Since only minute sample volumes are required for advanced DLS experiments, this method to extract viscoelasticity is well suited for advanced studies of gellike biomaterials.


In this paper I argue that so-called trans-disciplinary research, that is problem-oriented, non-technological research outside the disciplinary structure, leads to a strengthening of organisational aspects of knowledge production and, particularly, of a change in quality standards. Quality standards are increasingly defined in intra-organisational or project-dependent and procedural instead of disciplinary terms. The paper is based on fieldwork in several environmental consulting companies that perform a broad, non-disciplinary spectrum of research and consulting. Although they perform government-funded research, neither their organisational structure nor their praxis is oriented towards disciplines. Instead their research focuses on social problems and methods that are translated into research without an intermediary disciplinary filtering. Quality has to be accomplished via non-disciplinary standards. These non-disciplinary standards are all procedural: namely quality management, timesheets and accompanying supervisory groups. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.


Gain control of tough conflict situations and transform them into a productive force in your organization. How to Manage Conflict in the Organization, Second Edition, equips you with the strategies, tactics and insights you need to gain control of tough conflict situations. You´ll discover how to spot potential interpersonal conflicts—and defuse them before they flare up. You´ll understand how, when, where and why to apply the five favored conflict-resolution approaches, and you´ll develop the insight and intuition you need to make them work. This book will give you the skills to transform conflict into a positive, productive force by applying the proven techniques of principled negotiation. You will learn how to: • Transform conflict into a positive, productive force • Respond to on-the-job conflicts quickly and effectively • Resolve conflicts positively using proven principled negotiation techniques. • Understand the differences between structural (organizational) and interpersonal conflict • Separate people from issues and focus on interests, not positions • Get beyond immediate tensions and disagreements to the root causes of any interpersonal conflict • Apply five surefire conflict-resolution approaches: avoiding, accommodating, compromising, forcing, and collaborating • Adopt best practices for implementing alternative dispute resolution techniques • Develop strategies for dealing with conflict resolution in electronic communication • Follow guidelines for when to consult with HR about a conflict-resolution situation. This is an ebook version of the AMA Self-Study course. If you want to take the course for credit you need to either purchase a hard copy of the course through amaselfstudy.org or purchase an online version of the course through www.flexstudy.com.


Abstract Recent observations and numerical experiments indicate that during severe downslope windstorms, a large region of slow turbulent air develops in the middle and upper troposphere while strong winds plunge underneath. A mathematical model of this severe wind state is developed using Long's equation. This theory predicts the altitude of the turbulent air, the strength of the winds, and the mountain drag. In the presence of a wind reversal, the theory indicates which wind reversal altitudes will lead to windstorm conditions.


Abstract Objective: To describe parents' experience and views of the postmortem examination after the loss of a baby. Design: Cross sectional survey. Setting: Hospital with a dedicated bereavement counselling service, Newcastle upon Tyne. Participants: 258 women who had attended a bereavement counselling service at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, on at least one occasion after losing a baby during pregnancy or infancy, between October 1996 and October 2000. Method: Self completion postal questionnaire incorporating fixed choice and open ended questions. Main outcome measures: Number of respondents who were asked if they would agree to a postmortem examination of their baby, and number who agreed to a postmortem examination; reasons for agreeing and not agreeing to a postmortem examination; quality of explanation received; number who regretted their decision to give or withhold consent for a postmortem examination. Results: 166 (64%) respondents completed the questionnaire. Of these, 148 (89%) had been asked to agree to a postmortem examination on their baby and 120/148 of these respondents (81%) agreed, most of whom recognised benefits resulting from the examination. 101/117 (86%) respondents believed the findings had been explained appropriately. Nine (7%) of the 120 respondents who had agreed to a postmortem examination regretted their decision. Of the respondents who refused an examination, four (14%) had regrets about their decision. Discussion: Parents viewed the postmortem examination as a useful and necessary tool in helping to discover the reasons why their baby had died. Simplifying the language used to explain findings may further raise parents' understanding of the value of the postmortem examination and ensure that they are satisfied with it. Medical staff involved in consent for postmortem examinations should be fully trained in how to ask for parental consent, the postmortem examination procedure, and how to explain the findings. What is already known on this topic Current literature relates mainly to health professionals' views of the postmortem examination The perceived benefits of having a postmortem examination relate mainly to improving understanding of the circumstances leading to the death of the baby What this study adds Every family should be offered the opportunity for a postmortem examination The benefits and limitations of the postmortem examination should be explained so that expectations of the outcome are appropriate Medical concepts and terminology should be fully explained during follow up and families given the opportunity to ask questions at a later date if necessary


This study proposes a method for improving the estimation of surface turbulent fluxes in surface energy balance system (SEBS) model under water stress conditions using MODIS data. The normalized difference water index (NDWI) as an indicator of water stress is integrated into SEBS. To investigate the feasibility of the new approach, the desert-oasis region in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin (HRB) is selected as the study area. The proposed model is calibrated with meteorological and flux data over 2008- 2011 at the Yingke station and is verified with data from 16 stations of the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) project in 2012. The results show that soil moisture significantly affects ET under water stress conditions in the study area. Adding the NDWI in SEBS can significantly improve the estimations of surface turbulent fluxes in water-limited regions especially for spare vegetation cover area. The daily ET maps generated by the new model also show improvements in drylands with low ET values. This study demonstrates that integrating the NDWI into SEBS as an indicator of water stress is an effective way to improve the assessment of the regional ET in semi-arid and arid regions.


The Total Condylar knee prosthesis was employed at our institution from April 1975 to October 1986; currently the posterior stabilized type is in use. The results of 100 knee arthroplasties using the Total Condylar I prosthesis, 83 of which were reviewed after an average of 7 1/2 years (maximum 14), were rated good or excellent in 82% of the subjects. Three cases were considered failures due to infection or aseptic loosening. According to the survivorship analysis, there is a 14-year success rate of 93%.


History shows there has been no shared view about the purpose of psychiatry between psychiatrists, patients and their relatives. In previous centuries, disagreement by patients was seen as proof of unreason. Now that in most countries patients live mainly in the community, this assumption is not tenable. Current and former patients often lobby and carry out research, some with the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They legitimately claim their own perspectives on care and treatment. Many argue that much of existing psychiatric research is invalid as patients were excluded from its creation.  In the UK, research carried out by academics and NGOs with input from service users demonstrates that acute hospital care is often anti-therapeutic and damaging. Many patients have written about disrespectful treatment when they were in crisis or psychosis and researchers have supported their views that standard treatment and diagnosis on first admission can be unhelpful, even making things worse and leading to long-term patienthood. Studies report that patients do not feel listened to by staff. On the other side of the coin, where staff do listen, this is valued. Professional attitudes to mental illness, diagnostic systems and confinement laws are slow to respond. A diagnosis of mental illness still incurs loss of social status and employability, which discourages seeking help. Critics conclude that diagnostic labels can be counterproductive or unreliable. Some show that a high proportion of patients have undiagnosed trauma or abuse. Others argue that mental health crises are often related to spirituality issues, yet this is overlooked within biomedical discourse of psychopathology. A new trend involving personal/collective self-advocacy can be identified in the work of service users, arguing that life experience is under-rated in biomedical discourse and that real understanding of mental health problems must be based on listening to the views and life histories of patients. Some service users are setting up peer services such as drop-ins and crisis support. Self-advocacy discourse is a profound historic challenge to models based on professional expertise and power. Person-centred psychiatry must take on this conceptual challenge.


This study investigated the perceived impact of entrepreneurship education on career development among undergraduates in south-south universities in Nigeria. To guide the study four research questions were generated and one hypothesis formulated, which was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed an expost facto research design. The population of the study consists of all undergraduates in south-south universities in Nigeria. Sample size consists of 150 students who were randomly drawn and who had undertaken entrepreneurship studies. The main instrument for the study was a questionnaire titled Entrepreneurship Education and career development scale (EECDS). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics for the research questions and t-test for hypothesis. The result showed that there are inadequate facilities and effective teaching and learning of entrepreneurship education in Nigerian universities. Moreover, it was also found that the students were of the view that entrepreneurship education will provide training that would make undergraduates creative and innovative if the programme is properly implemented.


The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) was established to enhance the accessibility of Web resources for people with disabilities. In this article we argue that although WAI's advocacy work has been very successful, the WAI approach is flawed. Rather than WAI's emphasis on adoption of technical guidelines, the authors argue that the priority should be for a user-focused approach, which embeds best practices through the development of achievable policies and processes and which includes all stakeholders in the process of maximizing accessibility. The article describes a Tangram model, which provides a pluralistic approach to Web accessibility, and provides case studies that illustrate use of this approach. The article describes work that has informed the ideas in this article and plans for further work, including an approach to advocacy and education that coins the term Accessibility 2.0 to describe a renewed approach to accessibility, which builds on previous work but prioritizes the importance of the user.


The world´s total expenditures regarding leisure travelling and related expenditures
corresponded to approximately 3000 billions USD in 2010. This substantial value makes the
travelling industry and related markets important in an economic aspect. Data posted by the
WTO states that between the years of 1995-2005 the world's amount of tourism arrivals
increased by approximately 50 %, and additionally UNWTO predicts that this progression is
likely to continue.
This implies that there are good reasons to analyse the economic impacts of travelling
in a global context.
This thesis aims to uncover if international travelling fosters international trade by
analysing if the amount of tourism arrivals in a country has a positive effect on the country´s
value of exports going to the EU15 countries. The time period covered is the years between
1995-2011.
Previous research shows that the causality running from travelling to trade could be
one or two-way, which means that our regression models are likely subjected to
complications related to endogeneity. We attempt to solve this by using two different
variables in order to capture travelling frequency. First we regress with respect to the amount
of tourism arrivals, and additionally with respect to an instrumental variable consisting of the
amount of World Heritage Sites. Our results show that the amount of tourism arrivals has a
positive effect of the value of bilateral trade, while the instrumental variable does not have a
significant effect.


Manuscript Type
Empirical

Research Question/Issue
Companies operating in transition economies encounter a broad range of potential challenges. In the area of tax, firms make direct tax payments but may also encounter unofficial tax costs in the form of bribery or extortion. We focus on institutional determinants, including formal rules, informal rules, and enforcement, to examine conditions under which firms are more likely to encounter these transactions. We operationalize formal rules as rule-based trust and informal rules as dispositional trust.

Research Findings/Insights
Based on a sample of over 5,000 firms representing 20 transition economies, we show that when rule-based trust is high, the presence of tax enforcement activities in the form of visits and inspections by tax officials does not change the relationship between rule-based trust and unofficial payments. However, when dispositional trust is low, unofficial payments are more likely if verification activities occur.

Theoretical/Academic Implications
We adopt a more holistic view and focus on the joint consideration of different institutional determinants and firm outcomes. In doing so, the article demonstrates the complexity of firms' tax environments where enforcement mechanisms can have unwelcome consequences, and, under certain conditions, create conditions for the persistence of corruption.

Practitioner/Policy Implications
This paper highlights the importance of the institutional landscape, especially considering the history of institutional voids in many transition economies. The results have implications for corporate governance and caution regulators and practitioners to consider institutional complexities when implementing reforms or establishing businesses in transition economies.