Author(s): Deger, Tonguc Tolga | Advisor(s): Seed, Raymond B. | Abstract: The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) has been a staple of geotechnical engineering practice for more than 70 years. Empirical correlations based on in situ SPT data provide an important basis for assessment of a broad range of engineering parameters, and for empirically based analysis and design methods spanning a significant number of areas of geotechnical practice. Despite this longstanding record of usage, the test itself is relatively poorly standardized with regard to the allowable variability of specific details of equipment and procedures, and this requires a number of adjustments or corrections to further standardize this "standard" test. In addition, for many engineering purposes, it is also useful or necessary to "normalize" the penetration resistance measured by SPT in order to account for the influence of effective vertical effective overburden stress at the depth where an individual SPT is performed.This research addressed two of corrections and adjustments that can be applied to SPT: (1) normalization of measured penetration resistances to account for effective overburden stress, and (2) corrections of SPT data for the effects of variations in hammer energy successfully transferred into the rods during driving due to "short rod" effects.The development of procedures and relationships for normalization of SPT penetration data for effects of effective overburden stress dates back more than 60 years, and a number of top geotechnical experts of the past six decades have weighed in on this issue. Despite this long history, current normalization relationships are not based on very extensive data sets, and they are based largely on data for clean sands only (SW and SP) and so do not necessarily represent a suitable basis for overburden normalization of SPT for silty soils (SP-SM, SP-SC, SM and ML) which can be of significant interest in a number of problem areas including, but not limited to, soil liquefaction engineering. The approach taken here was to first re-evaluate the important data developed by Marcuson and Bieganousky (1977) based on large-scale laboratory calibration chamber tests of SPT performed on three clean sands. Then the resulting overburden normalization relationships developed were further examined by cross-comparison with several additional sets of field (in situ) SPT data.To extend these types of relationships to silty soils, data were next gathered for six silty foundation soil strata beneath major dams, where the overlying (largely trapezoidal) earthen dam embankments provided the needed broad ranges of effective overburden stresses within foundation strata that were judged to be suitably laterally geologically continuous as to provide a basis for development of these types of relationships. In the end, it was found that the new relationships developed for "silty" soils, with suitable fines adjustments (similar to the fines adjustments currently employed in widely used SPT-based liquefaction triggering correlations), match relatively well with the newly developed relationships for overburden stress normalization of SPT data for cleaner sands.The issue of short rod effects has a shorter history, having first been broached by Schmertmann and his colleagues in the early 1970's. Considerable additional work has followed, and with ongoing advances in both the availability of improved instrumentation (especially high frequency accelerometers) and of analytical methods, it has become clear that earlier measurement and analytical methods developed prior to about the mid-1980's overestimated to some extent the reduction in hammer energy delivery for conditions wherein rods were "short" (less than about 45 feet in length). With improved modern accelerometers, we are now able to fully track the very high frequency accelerations produced by steel to steel hammer/anvil impacts, and as a result it is now no longer necessary to make simplifying assumptions that had been intrinsic in pre-1986 measurements and analyses. It is now possible to trace hammer energy (and wave travel) up and down the rods for multiple cycles of wave travel and to account for additional hammer energy transferred into and out from the rods until the entire "event" had been concluded. Debate has ensued as to the magnitude of actual hammer energy correction that is appropriate now that this improved measurement data is becoming available. The approach taken here was to gather instrumented hammer energy data from SPT performed, under closely controlled conditions, for purposes of "calibration" of automatic (mechanical) hammers. The resulting data show that short rods effects are indeed somewhat less significant then had previously been postulated, but that this reduction in short rods effects is less pronounced that has been postulated by a number of recent papers. An additional finding, also of engineering significance, is that "common practice" with regard to performing of SPT for purposes of calibration of automatic hammers often does not properly account for short rod effects, and that this can produce a conservative bias in SPT data when these hammers are subsequently used for actual engineering investigations. Recommendations are presented for (a) new short rod corrections, and (b) for hammer energy calibration testing of automatic SPT hammer systems.


In recent years, neural networks have fulfilled the promise of providing model-free learning controllers for nonlinear systems; however, it is very difficult to guarantee the stability and robustness of neural network control systems. This paper proposes an adaptive neurocontroller for robot manipulators based on the radial basis function network (RBFN). The RBFN is a branch of neural networks and is mathematically tractable. Therefore, we adopt the RBFN to approximate nonlinear robot dynamics. The RBFN generates control input signals based on the Lyapunov stability that is often used in the conventional control schemes. A saturation function is also chosen as an auxiliary controller to guarantee the stability and robustness of the control system under the external disturbances and modeling uncertainties.


uncontrollably, and was in great pain. Upon reflection later, I realised that there was one other occasion when I felt as cold and the situation was identical. That had been when I was coming out of the anaesthetic after my first laminectomy 16 years ago! It seems to me that the patient on the operating table, although draped, is nevertheless relatively uncovered. Furthermore, when he is paralysed during surgery, he is unable to control his body temperature. Although he will undergo peripheral vasoconstriction to prevent heat loss, he will not be able to generate heat by muscular contraction. His skin will be very cold. His body temperature will drop until the paralysis is reversed at the end of the anaesthetic. And then, of course, he shivers uncontrollably! As well as feeling extremely cold, his movements will cause him pain, and may even cause some damage, such as haemorrhage at the site of his surgery. Is this a common experience? Is my explanation reasonable? Is the anaesthetist aware of this, and can he or she do anything about it? Alan G Moskwa, MB BS 40 Third Avenue St Peters. SA 5069 1. Greenaway JM. The physician as patient. Med J Ausl 1991; 155; 186-187


The teachers are still lack found practice tests that have characteristics such as the Trend in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in Junior High School mathematics textbooks. This study aims to develop a TIMSS test instrument model that refers to the cognitive domain and the content domain for class VIII students. The respondents of this study were 5 people in the expert test, 10 people in the one to one test and 53 people in the small-scale test. This research is development research conducted following the development model of Borg & Gall. This step is only taken until the ninth step with a few modifications. Modifications are made by adding a one to one test copy from Tessmer. In content validity, as many as 5 items out of 35 items developed are not yet valid with a coefficient range of 0.6-0.79. Items were then revised to be tested in the small-scale test stage. One to one test results showed the instrument readability level was 81%. The validity test of the criteria shows a coefficient of 0.84 which means that the product developed is comparable to the original product. Interrater reliability was 0.661 and Alpha Chronbach reliability testing was a small scale at 0.854. The results showed that the instrument developed was valid in terms of content and criteria as well as reliable for use. The benefit of this research is that the developed test instrument can be used as a tool to measure the mathematics abilities of eighth-grade students.


The development of non-aqueous reverse osmosis separations via the use of rigid microporous membrane materials suggests that the flux equations originally developed for swellable polymeric membranes should be revisited. This paper demonstrates that the gradient of the fractional occupancy of penetrant molecules within the micropores of the membrane is the driving force for permeation without requiring assumptions about pressure within the membrane. Flux equations are derived using both Fickian and Maxwell–Stefan approaches, and different behavior in the permeate flux versus upstream hydraulic pressure relationship is shown to arise as a result of differences in the loading dependence of the single-component Maxwell–Stefan diffusivity. Molecular modeling results available in the literature and experimental data obtained from carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes showcase that these loading-dependent changes in the Maxwell–Stefan diffusivity are possible. This loading dependence is separated into three regimes: so-called "weak confinement" diffusion and "strong confinement" diffusion, both of which have been discussed at length in the literature, and a new "hybrid confinement" diffusion, which is introduced here. Furthermore, the separation mechanism of solvent molecules through a rigid bimodally microporous membrane is studied using xylene molecules passing through CMS membranes fabricated under different conditions as examples. Overall, this study provides fundamental insight and guidance into the osmotically moderated sorption–diffusion transport of solvent molecules through rigid microporous membranes.


We propose genuine (k, m)-threshold controlling schemes for controlled teleportation via multi-particle entangled states, where the teleportation of a quantum state from a sender (Alice) to a receiver (Bob) is under the control of m supervisors such that k (k ≤ m) or more of these supervisors can help Bob recover the transferred state. By construction, anyone of our quantum channels is a genuine multipartite entangled state of which any two parts are inseparable. Their properties are compared and contrasted with those of the well-known GHZ, W, and linear cluster states, and also several other genuine multipartite entangled states recently introduced in the literature.


OBJECTIVE Vitamin B12 deficiency is a systemic disease that often affects the nervous system. One of the most prevalent manifestations is subacute combined degeneration (SCD) of the spinal cord. To access the clinical, electrophysiological, and structural abnormalities associated with SCD, a study was conducted in nine patients. METHODS Clinical, electrophysiological (electroneurography, somatosensory and motor evoked potentials), and MRI evaluations were performed in patients before and after treatment. RESULTS The most prominent clinical and electrophysiological findings in all patients were dysfunctions of the posterior column. Corresponding hyperintense lesions in the posterior column of the spinal cord were found in two patients by T2 weighted MRI. Damage to the central motor pathway was identified in four patients. Demyelinating neuropathy was present in one patient and axonal neuropathy in four. All patients showed improvement of their symptoms after treatment with cobalamin. Abnormalities of the spinal cord on MRI disappeared early in recovery. Motor evoked potentials and median somatosensory evoked potentials typically normalised after treatment, whereas tibial somatosensory evoked potentials remained abnormal in most patients. CONCLUSIONS Clinical, electrophysiological, and MRI findings associated with SCD in vitamin B12 deficiency are diverse. Thus vitamin B12 deficiency should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and neuropsychiatric disorders.


Abstract
The concept of distributed leadership within library services is explored in this chapter. It focuses on how this model of leadership, which devolves leadership functions and practice widely throughout organizations, can lead to intra- and interorganizational collaboration as a catalyst for library service development and innovation. The chapter discusses the distributed leadership approach by presenting selected results of a study of team leaders in public and university library services in the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom. The study employed an online questionnaire and individual interviews with library team leaders to identify the level and nature of collaboration taking place in library services and also to ascertain the skills needed for successful partnership work. The interviews focused primarily on how and why collaborations occurred and it emerged that the team leaders had considerable autonomy to establish and participate in partnerships, fitting well within the distributed leadership paradigm. The chapter adds to, and augments the limited literature on distributed models of leadership in libraries by exploring how this approach works in practice. It also proposes and evidences a link between distributed leadership, collaborative working, and innovation. The authors suggest that distributed leadership can help library services innovate and lead service development by freeing up the creativity of employees through a less formal, hierarchical leadership approach. The chapter ends with propositions for a research agenda to establish the best conditions and most appropriate format of distributed leadership in library services.


Wireless communication networks are highly prone to security threats. The major applications of wireless communication networks are in military, business, healthcare, retail, and transportations. These systems use wired, cellular, or adhoc networks. Wireless sensor networks, actuator networks, and vehicular networks have received a great attention in society and industry. In recent years, the internet of things (IoT) has received considerable research attention. The IoT is considered as future of the internet. In the future, IoT will play a vital role and will change our living styles, standards, as well as business models. The usage of IoT in different applications is expected to rise rapidly in the coming years. The IoT allows billions of devices, peoples, and services to connect with others and exchange information. Due to the increased usage of IoT devices, the IoT networks are prone to various security attacks.


The conventional McIntyre carrier multiplication theory for avalanche photodiodes (APDs) does not adequately describe the experimental results obtained from APDs with thin multiplication-regions. Using published data for thin GaAs and Al/sub 0.2/Ga/sub 0.8/As APDs, collected from multiplication-regions of different widths, we show that incorporating dead-space in the model resolves the discrepancy. The ionization coefficients of enabled carriers that have traveled the dead space are determined as functions of the electric field, within the confines of a single exponential model for each device, independent of multiplication-region width. The model parameters are determined directly from experimental data. The use of these physically based ionization coefficients in the dead-space multiplication theory, developed earlier by Hayat et al. provide excess noise factor versus mean gain curves that accord very closely with those measured for each device, regardless of multiplication-region width. It is verified that the ratio of the dead-space to the multiplication-region width increases, for a fixed mean gain, as the width is reduced. This behavior, too, is in accord with the reduction of the excess noise factor predicted by the dead-space multiplication theory.


Some anthropometric measurements are usually used to estimate the nutritional status of dialysis patients. The aim of our study was the comparison of some anthropometric measurements in patients adequately (from the clinical point of view) treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD). The study was performed on 40 chronic dialysis (both: PD and HD), non-diabetic patients, without any inflammatory process. The patients were divided into two groups, 20 patients in each: I peritoneal dialysis patients (PD-pts), II--hemodialysis patients (HD-pts). In each patient body mass index (BMI), total body water (TBW), lean body mass (LBM), fat body mass (FBM), upper limb musculature (ULM), mid arm circumference in tension and in rest MAC-t and MAC-r), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) and dialysis index (Kt/V) were determined. The obtained values were analyzed statistically and compared between the groups. In peritoneal dialysis the patients' higher values of BMI, FBM, MAC and TSF (p < 0.01), as well as higher LBM and ULM (p < 0.05) than those in hemodialysis patients were observed. TBW was not statistically different in the PD and HD patients (p > 0.05). Mean Kt/V values observed were as follows: 2.16 +/- 0.48 in PD patients vs 1.05 +/- 0.35 in the HD patients; (p < 0.01). We conclude that adequately treated, from the clinical point of view the PD patients had better anthropometric indicators of nutritional status than the adequately treated HD patients.


A major goal of metagenomics is to characterize the microbial diversity of an environment. The most popular approach relies on 16S rRNA sequencing, however this approach can generate biased estimates due to differences in the copy number of the 16S rRNA gene between even closely related organisms, and due to PCR artifacts. The taxonomic composition can also be determined from whole-metagenome sequencing data by matching individual sequences against a database of reference genes. One major limitation of prior methods used for this purpose is the use of a universal classification threshold for all genes at all taxonomic levels. We propose that better classification results can be obtained by tuning the taxonomic classifier to each matching length, reference gene, and taxonomic level. We present a novel taxonomic profiler MetaPhyler, which uses marker genes as a taxonomic reference. Results on simulated datasets demonstrate that MetaPhyler outperforms other tools commonly used in this context (CARMA, Megan and PhymmBL). We also present interesting results obtained by applying MetaPhyler to a real metagenomic dataset.


Total contents and components of escin were studied in seeds of Aesculus chinensis, A. chinensis var. chekiangensis and A. wilsonii collected from 8 origins. Results showed that total escin content ranged from 71.43 mg·g to 112.69 mg·g ,with the highest in origin of Mabian, Sichuan Province and the lowest in origin of Kangxian, Gansu Province. It was suggested that escin content was correlated with geological zone to a certain extent. A.wilsonii was richer than that of Aesculus chinensis in escin content.The proportion of 4 types of escin varied dramatically among different origins. Component A in Mabian and Cangwang origin from Sichuan Province, Kangxian origin from Gansu Province, Mianxian origin from Shanxi Province and Xixia origin from Henan Province reached 35%~41% of total escin that was much higher than that of other components, while components D was below 15% that was only 1/3 of component A. Sum of Component A and C was nearly equal in Enshi, Hubei Province and Sangzhi, Hunan Province origins, which accounted for 58% of the total content. Lin'an origins from Zhejiang Province only got (17.17%) of component A while holding much higher proportion of component D. Statistical analysis also approved that the proportion of escin was correlated to geological zone.


True random number generators (TRNGs) are extensively used in cryptography, simulations and statistics. Metastability is a way to generate true random numbers. By using electromagnetic radiation, a flip-flop in a metastable state can be manipulated to a known state. In this work, we introduce and analyze the concept of a randomized bit-cell, being able to simultaneously produce random numbers and detect active nonintrusive attacks. The experimental comparison with a standard TRNG yields an 11.5 times better distribution of zeros and ones while the TRNGs are under attack. The concept is extended by using a corrector. A perfect distribution can be gained at the expense of a delay which is proportional to the quality of the random source.


Background: Genetic variation may partly explain heterogeneity in response to asthma treatment . Recently, the P harmacogenomics i n C hildhood A sthma (PiCA) consortium was initiated to perform large-scale pharmacogenomics studies. Aims: To describe the characteristics of the asthmatic children currently included in PiCA and to assess treatment response definitions within this growing consortium. Methods: An online survey including questions about data collection, patient characteristics and outcome phenotypes was send to the 20 studies included in the PiCA consortium. Results: In total, 14,634 children/young adults (up to 25 years) from 11 different countries are enrolled in the PiCA consortium. Preliminary analysis of patients showed that 60% of the patients are male. PiCA is ethnically diverse: 47% Caucasians, 25% Latinos, 14% Asians, 9% African-Americans, 2% have mixed/other-ethnicity and 3% is unknown. PiCA currently includes data of 2,056 severe asthmatics. Furthermore, PiCA has data of 8,907 short acting β 2 -adrenergic agonist (SABA) users, 7,908 ICS users, 2,054 leukotriene modifier (LTM) users and 1,543 users of long acting β 2 -adrenergic agonists (LABA). Ninety-five percent of the studies have information regarding asthma exacerbations and lung function measurements and 80% have data on asthma symptoms. Discussion: The children within the PiCA consortium are a reflection of the global heterogeneous pediatric asthma population. Different outcome measures reflect different dimensions of asthma. By classifying three commonly used outcome measures using data that are available within the PiCA consortium, we will be able to study distinct response phenotypes in relation to genetics and clinical factors.


The authors review the studies on the criterion and mdieator system of sustainable forest management, the index system of the environmental benefits of forest, the evaluation mdieator system of agroforestry ecosystems, the criterion and mdieator system for the classification of forest as well as the evaluation of the forest as an integrated one, and the evaluation and mdieator system of urban forest. Based on the review the paper analyzes the progress in studies on evaluation mdieator system, and points out the hard position and the directions to which researchers should pay more attention in future.


Single-image layer separation targets to decompose the observed image into two independent components in terms of different application demands. It is known that many vision and multimedia applications can be (re)formulated as a separation problem. Due to the fundamentally ill-posed natural of these separations, existing methods are inclined to investigate model priors on the separated components elaborately. Nevertheless, it is knotty to optimize the cost function with complicated model regularizations. Effectiveness is greatly conceded by the settled iteration mechanism, and the adaption cannot be guaranteed due to the poor data fitting. What is more, for a universal framework, the most taxing point is that one type of visual cue cannot be shared with different tasks. To partly overcome the weaknesses mentioned earlier, we delve into a generic optimization unrolling technique to incorporate deep architectures into iterations for adaptive image layer separation. First, we propose a general energy model with implicit priors, which is based on maximum a posterior, and employ the extensively accepted alternating direction method of multiplier to determine our elementary iteration mechanism. By unrolling with one general residual architecture prior and one task-specific prior, we attain a straightforward, flexible, and data-dependent image separation framework successfully. We apply our method to four different tasks, including single-image-rain streak removal, high-dynamic-range tone mapping, low-light image enhancement, and single-image reflection removal. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is applicable to multiple tasks and outperforms the state of the arts by a large margin qualitatively and quantitatively.


The label invites confusion, for the condition is, of course, essentially prepubertal rather than adolescent. The onset of puberty has always been a variable feast, and fashions change; at the time of writing, the dangerous period in girls (for their hips) may have come and gone by the age of ten or eleven, and once menstruation has started it is most unlikely that a femoral epiphysis will begin to displace. Boys begin adolescence later, but certainly the average age of those affected is younger than it was a generation ago. An endocrine background which has been presumed for many years has still not been fully explained, and the relationship of sex hormone to the ossification of the cartilaginous epiphysis has been questioned: it may be that circulating sex hormone at puberty simply inhibits the anterior pituitary's production of growth hormone and thus indirectly the elongation of the epiphyseal cartilage. (Harris, 1950). The Fr6lich physique is associated with one third of the patients, but mechanical factors are probably more concerned than hormonal ones in the shearing stress through an oblique disc; many of the children are tall, or unusually heavy, or both (Burrows, 1957). It has been postulated, in simple terms, that when the ratio of sex hormone to growth hormone is reduced, from relative lack of the one or relative excess of the other, then the cartilage is especially vulnerable. A child's build, however, may mislead, since a further one-third are children of normal prepubertal physique, and this is one diagnostic pitfall.


MY OWN COUNTRY is the extraordinary story of an Indian physician who settled in a rural town in Tennessee as a young doctor to AIDS patients. This is a book about illness and treatment, about how a small community reacts to the advent of AIDS, about doctor-patient relationships, the body in decline, the ritual of examination, and how Verghese, as a doctor, coped with the inevitability of death. Verghese creates, beyond the jargon of medicine, a lyrical and haunting language unique in this genre, and provides a narrative at once rich, absorbing and above all, moving.


2 Individual Pronunciation Coaching The difficulties experienced while learning the pronunciation of a second language do not only depend on the mother tongue of the learners but also on individual differences between learners. Even students of the same mother tongue and with a very similar learning background show huge differences in their individual pronunciation. Learners also differ in terms of their ability of segmental and prosodic differentiation, articulatory skills, cognitive learning styles, the learning strategies they use, the degree of language awareness, self-monitoring skills, their motivation and their expectations with respect to their pronunciation level.


Background Accidental injuries in non-mobile babies are very uncommon, therefore even minor injuries could indicate serious abuse and require appropriate investigation. In our ED in a large tertiary children's hospital in the UK, any non-mobile baby presenting with a visible injury is considered at risk of abuse and therefore follows a standardised pathway. This involves a multi-agency approach in which checks are conducted with social care and the police to ensure the clinician can make an informed decision about the safety of the child. However, audits in 2016 and 2017 demonstrated that compliance to the pathway was poor (68.6%) with only half of clinicians completing a background check (54.3%) or passing on these results to the GP (51.4%). Objectives Our aim was to identify obstacles to the non mobile baby pathway and address them in order to streamline the process for clinicians, social care and families. Methods A multidisciplinary task group was set up including members from clinical and administration teams. With the assistance of our QI department, we completed process mapping, fishbone analysis and a prioritisation matrix. A questionnaire was then distributed amongst clinicians in order to identify specific obstacles to the pathway, and the results analysed. Results The questionnaire was completed over two weeks in November 2020 by 27 of the medical and nurse practitioner team ranging in experience from 3 months to over 10 years. Results identified that although all clinicians were aware of the process and 93% were able to identify patients who needed to undergo it, only 78% were confident in actually undertaking the process. The time taken to complete the process ranged from 10 to 120 minutes amongst participants and of those who provided numerical responses, over half stated it took over 60 minutes. Half (48%) of respondents found it difficult to locate the phone number to call when undertaking the checks. When asked for areas of improvement within the process, participants most commonly identified; the need for a clear guideline, easy access to phone numbers, leaflets for parents and further training for clinicians and social care. Conclusions We believe that our process for managing injuries in non-mobile babies is fairly unique and has already improved identification of children at risk of significant harm. The feedback gained and subsequent analysis has enabled us to recognise and address specific obstacles which can be targeted for improvement, to ensure a more streamlined process that it is both time efficient and as safe as possible. A simplified guideline and patient information leaflet has been created and approved, along with a poster for our waiting room to explain the procedure to families. We also continue to improve awareness and understanding of the procedure amongst our colleagues through education. In the near future, we also hope to integrate the procedure within our IT infrastructure to allow a more efficient pathway. We believe that our changes enable significant improvement of the non-mobile baby pathway for both clinicians and families, in what can be a challenging and stressful process.


Patient classification systems can be valuable tools for identifying trends in acuity and for justifying budgeted nursing care hours. A valid and reliable patient classification system can greatly facilitate the delivery of cost-effective, high-quality care. However, the more highly specialized the institutional population, the more difficult it becomes to use a standardized system. In this article, the authors address the development of a patient classification system for a postacute rehabilitation pediatric facility. Included is a discussion of the various pilot phases, the implications for clinical nursing practice, and the impact on family-centered care.


The current standards for meeting drug information (DI) requirements in American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited pharmacy practice residency (PPR) programs and the impact of changes in ASHP standards for the DI requirements were studied. In September 2002 a nine-question survey was e-mailed to the directors of all ASHP-accredited PPR programs listed with an available e-mail address on ASHP's residency directory Web page as of August 2002. The program directors were asked to provide information on the demographics of their practice settings, the current methods of completing the DI requirements of their programs, whether the DI requirements had changed between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 residency years, and whether any changes in the DI requirements were anticipated. A total of 178 (49%) of 365 PPR programs responded. Of the respondents, 87% were located in a hospital setting, 33% were affiliated with a school of pharmacy, and 40% had a formal onsite DI center. Half of the respondents fulfilled DI requirements through a longitudinal rotation, 20% through a block rotation, and 27% through both. Eighty-two percent of the respondents were familiar with the revised ASHP DI requirements, and 26% had modified their DI requirements between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 residency years. Seventeen percent anticipated changing their DI requirements in the future. Influences for modifications to the programs' DI requirements were mainly ASHP revisions and feedback from preceptors and residents. A national survey suggested that DI requirements in PPR programs are primarily achieved through a longitudinal rotation design.


In this paper, a salamander-like amphibious robot prototype named Chigon is proposed. The Chigon can realize crawling locomotion on land and swimming locomotion under water, respectively. In order to achieve such two kinds of locomotion, a novel mechanical structure containing four limbs and a multiple segments linked tail is designed. Besides the mechanical modules, on-board controllers are also designed to drive these limbs and the tail. Then, the Chigon may craw on land by turning its four limbs and swim under water by lashing its tail. The corresponding locomotion control law is addressed in detail.


PURPOSE
The suprachoroidal location for a retinal prosthesis provides advantages over other locations in terms of a simplified surgical procedure and a potentially more stable electrode-neural interface. The aim of this study was to assess the factors affecting perceptual thresholds, and to optimize stimulus parameters to achieve the lowest thresholds in patients implanted with a suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis.

METHODS
Three patients with profound vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa were implanted with a suprachoroidal array. Perceptual thresholds measured on individual electrodes were analyzed as a function of stimulus (return configuration, pulse polarity, pulse width, interphase gap, and rate), electrode (area and number of ganged electrodes), and clinical (retinal thickness and electrode-retina distance) parameters.

RESULTS
A total of 92.8% of 904 measurements made up to 680 days post implantation yielded thresholds (range, 44-436 nanocoulombs [nC]) below the safe charge limit. Thresholds were found to vary between individuals and to depend significantly on electrode-retina distance, negligibly on retinal thickness, and not on electrode area or the number of ganged electrodes. Lowest thresholds were achieved when using a monopolar return, anodic-first polarity, short pulse widths (100 μs) combined with long interphase gaps (500 μs), and high stimulation rates (≥400 pulses per second [pps]).

CONCLUSIONS
With suprachoroidal stimulation, anodic-first pulses with a monopolar return are most efficacious. To enable high rates, an appropriate combination of pulse width and interphase gap must be chosen to ensure low thresholds and electrode voltages. Electrode-retina distance needs to be monitored carefully owing to its influence on thresholds. These results inform implantable stimulator specifications for a suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01603576.).


A combination of factors has made formal motivational and reward systems rare in human service organizations generally and virtually non-existent in social service agencies. The author reviews eight of these myths by reference to eight motivational theories which refute them: need theory, expectancy theory, feedback theory, equity theory, reinforcement theory, cognitive evaluation theory, goal setting theory, and social influence theory. Although most of these theories have been developed and applied in the private sector, relevant research has also been conducted in social service agencies. The author concludes with a summary of guidelines suggested by the eight theories for motivating human service workers.


Abstract The unique solution of tidal wave propagation within the thermosphere depends on the boundary conditions of the model. It is shown that the radiation condition leads to such a unique solution. Any other boundary values give rise to deviations from the physical solution with unrealistic physical parameters in the environment of the boundaries. The thickness of these boundary layers with unrealistic solutions is a few scale heights below the upper boundary of the model and a few tens of scale heights above the lower boundary of the model.


Objectives : The aim of this study was to develop the combined medical stimulus system consisted of the PEMFs (Pulsed electromagnetic fields) and LED which are able to stimulate local point such as acupoints and trigger points. Methods : To evaluate the therapeutic effect on the musculoskeletal disorders and the possibility of alternative method on manual acupuncture, we compared the fatigue recovery of two groups by analyzing the EMG and peak torque (non-stimulation and, stimulation group) after strenuous knee exercise. We chose the LR9 as a stimulation point. Results : The median frequency (MF) and fatigue index (F.I) of the stimulation group were recovered faster than those of the non-stimulation group. Also the peak torques of both groups were not restored until after 20 minutes. However, the peak torque of the stimulation group was regained higher than that of the non-stimulation group. Conclusions : We confirmed that the proposed combined stimulus system had useful effects as treatment instrument of musculoskeletal disorder using non-invasive method of PEMFs and LED.


The use of modern pharmacological agents in the treatment of complications of diabetes mellitus does not solve all problems of this severe and diverse pathology, so the search for using of methods of physical therapy and rehabilitation for patients with diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy remains relevant. In addition, an effective combination of medications and physical therapy can accelerate the achievement of diabetes compensation, prevent or cause regression of neurovascular complications. The purpose of the work was to evaluate the efficacy of physical therapy application for patients with diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy in outpatient treatment. Material and methods. We examined 30 patients aged 55-70 years with diabetes mellitus of the 2nd type, complicated by diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the conducting of the proposed physical therapy. A course of physical therapy lasted 3 months and consisted of 36 sessions and relaxation exercises with dosed walking. Dynamic assessment of the severity of manifestations diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy was performed using visual analogue scale and the Questionnaire DN4 (Bouhassira D. et al., 2005). Moderate and severe diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy with the existing pain syndrome, sensory and motor disorders were diagnosed. Results and discussion. The results of the course of physical therapy demonstrated substantial (up to 40%) decrease of severity of diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy symptoms only in patients of the main group. The average subjective pain assessment after a course of physical therapy by the visual analogue scale in patients from the main group was 3.2±1.3 cm, with a variation from 2 to 5 cm. Reduction of pain syndrome as a result of course of physical therapy can be considered objective and significant, because the values of visual analogue scale were different from the previous ones in average of 15.3±1.3 mm. According to the DN4 questionnaire, after the course of physical therapy patients from the main group demonstrated the average values 5.1±0.7 points, with the differences of the score from 4 to 6, which confirmed the presence of a positive influence on the neurovascular complications of diabetes mellitus in patients with diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy. Conclusion. Therefore, an additional prescription of complex physical therapy by its effectiveness demonstrates significant benefits in reducing of the clinical manifestations and progression of diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy in patients with diabetes 2-type in comparison with medical therapy along. The conducted study allowed us to prove the efficiency and to propose the inclusion of complex physical therapy treatment programs for patients with diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy during outpatient treatment


During 2006, new evidence supporting the need to adopt a global approach to the treatment of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients has been reported. It is increasingly clear that it is not sufficient to aim for optimum blood pressure control, which in any case is not easy to achieve, and that it is essential to treat all cardiovascular risk factors by using drugs with proven benefits, even when those benefits are supplementary to the drug's principal effects. In addition, drugs that could have a detrimental effect or that are, merely, less beneficial should be avoided or kept as a last resort. This appears to have happened with atenolol, and with beta-blockers in general, which have been withdrawn as first-line treatment in the recommendations of some professional societies. To lower cardiovascular risk, it is essential to prevent the development of conditions like diabetes, which are known to have drastic effect on the patient's prognosis. Recently, the results of the DREAM study, which are discussed in detail in this article, have been reported. They could lead to a change in therapeutic strategy in patients who are expected to develop diabetes. In addition, this year has seen the publication of substantial data on a new antihypertensive agent, aliskiren, the first oral renin inhibitor. It is awaiting approval by the international medicine agencies (i.e., the FDA and the EMEA), but should provide a very promising tool in the difficult area of high blood pressure management. Despite numerous advances in the pharmacologic treatment of high blood pressure, control is very difficult to achieve, principally in the elderly, in whom the prevalence of hypertension is high. In these patients, social factors and difficulties with treatment compliance also have an influence and must be dealt with by public health measures aimed at improving blood pressure control.


The size of farms has increased considerably during Finland's EU membership. The growth has meant big investments in the new production buildings. The buildings have been switched to big industrialhall- like constructions from small-scale ones which have contained own timber and own work contribution. The objective of the project financed by Farmers' Social Insurance Institution was to improve occupational safety on farm building construction and renovation sites by disseminating current safety practices and by developing ways of action which are better than the prevailing ones. The project consisted of a literature review, statistical analysis, as well as a farmer and designer interviews. In the statistical analysis the MATA occupational injuries insurance claims database on farmers' claims during construction and renovation work for the years 2005 - 2008 was compared with the register of Federation of Accident Insurance Institutions on the construction workers' injuries. In comparing the reasons of the accidents a clear difference was found; poor scaffoldings and ladders are still the main culprits on farm accidents. Farmer interviews were used to assess occupational safety measures on the construction site, occurred injuries and their types, nearmiss situations and the underlying factors which have led to the injuries. Also construction safety deficiencies as well as the direct and indirect costs caused for instance because of the delay in completion of construction project were discussed. Designer interviews aimed to find out how occupational safety and health considerations are taken into account in farm building planning and counseling, and how this experience of the designers should be utilized in order to improve safety at the construction sites on farms. Farmers knew their obligations on occupational safety poorly. The situation was further worsened by the fact that on the site the supervisor tasks were only nominally executed. The designers knew the occupational health and safety legislation better but this did not help the situation on the sites because designers are not generally involved in the actual implementation of the construction project.


THE LOGIC OF WELFARE REFORM: AN ANALYSIS OF THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996 Brianne Russell-Morris, M.A. George Mason University, 2009 Thesis Director: Dr. Nancy Weiss Hanrahan Those involved in creating contemporary welfare reform legislation in the United States have boasted that the legislation, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), has been successful in removing recipients from the cash assistance welfare rolls and thus from the State's responsibility. Yet many analysts believe it has granted the State more invasive control over welfare recipients of cash assistance, even while reducing its role in providing a social safety net for them (Abramovitz 2000;Mink 1998;Neubeck 2006;Smith 2007). This reconfiguration of State regulation of low-income women and children, who are the majority of cash assistance recipients, involves a contradiction between the promotion of dependency on a male breadwinner via heterosexual marriage, or mandatory participation in paternity establishment and child support enforcement, and the promotion of self-sufficiency through low-wage work. This thesis analyzes the logic behind this major change in welfare policy, specifically by examining the legislative process leading up to the 2006 welfare reform reauthorization legislation, to determine if this contradiction has been recognized or not within mainstream poverty discourse. The thesis explores how policymakers and those working with policymakers verbally justified the contradiction in order for it to be written into law by analyzing the State's discourse on poor women leading up to the reauthorization of this reform. An original feminist textual analysis of several Congressional hearings leading up to the February 8, 2006 reauthorization of PRWORA under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 is presented. This feminist analysis focused on an examination of the processes by which a text is produced, such as Congressional hearings, and contains two elements: 1) a critical interrogation and deconstruction of the welfare reform discourse as it might be gendered, racialized, and classed in spite of policymakers' and witnesses' presentation of the welfare recipient as an asexual, disembodied citizen; and 2) an analysis of not only what is there, but what is missing and possibly presumed by the policymakers and polity alike. Most policymakers and hearing witnesses did not perceive these two aspects of welfare reform to be contradictory, but rather to be complementary. As the ideology of the work and family ethics continues to constitute the logic of welfare reform and to infuse its resulting discourse, the reality that work alone or dependency on a male breadwinner alone does not reduce poverty for most low-income women and children leads policymakers and their supporting witnesses to press for both simultaneously.


Pumilio, an RNA-binding protein that contains tandemly repeated Puf domains, is known to repress translational activity in early embryogenesis and polarized cells of non-plant species. Although Pumilio proteins have been characterized in many eukaryotes, their role in plants is unknown. In the present study, we characterized an Arabidopsis Pumilio-encoding gene, APUM23. APUM23 is constitutively expressed, with higher levels in metabolically active tissues, and its expression is up-regulated in the presence of either glucose or sucrose. The T-DNA insertion mutants apum23-1 and apum23-2 showed slow growth, with serrated and scrunched leaves, an abnormal venation pattern, and distorted organization of the palisade parenchyma cells - a phenotype that is reminiscent of nucleolin and ribosomal protein gene mutants. Intracellular localization studies indicate that APUM23 predominantly localizes to the nucleolus. Based on this localization, rRNA processing was examined. In apum23, 35S pre-rRNA, and unprocessed 18S and 5.8S poly(A) rRNAs, accumulated without affecting the steady-state levels of mature rRNAs, indicating that APUM23 is involved in the processing and/or degradation of 35S pre-rRNA and rRNA maturation by-products. The apum23 mutant showed increased levels of 18S rRNA biogenesis-related U3 and U14 small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and accumulated RNAs within the nucleolus. Our data suggest that APUM23 plays an important role in plant development via rRNA processing.


Speaking at the 2012 Labour Party Conference, Ed Miliband set out his vision of 'One Nation'. This article maps the core concepts of Labour's ideology and identifies the narratives used to argue for One Nation social security reform. It locates these narratives within Labour's traditions and demonstrates that they coalesce in the leadership persona of Miliband himself. Though an attempt to respond to a populist 'rhetorical culture', the article contends that this strategy has created a self-enclosed ideology that cannot conceive of an audience beyond itself. Labour therefore needs to overcome this solipsism if it is to secure victory in 2015.


Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who receive anti-tumor necrosis factor (antiTNF) therapy are at increased risk of active tuberculosis (TB), mainly by reactivation of latent TB infection. Methods: A retrospective, case-control, multicenter study was conducted. Patients who developed active TB after the IBD diagnosis were identified from the IBD databases of four hospitals in Northern Spain. Results: A total of 34 cases and 102 matched controls were included, (15 cases associated to antiTNF therapy). In the univariate analysis, hospitalization and exposure to corticosteroids, IMM or anti TNF in the previous 3, 6 or 12 months, were associated to higher risk for active TB; In the multivariate analysis, only antiTNF therapy in the previous 12 months (OR 8.34 [2.46-28.22], p: 0.001), hospitalization in the previous 3 months (OR 6.25 [1.45-26.90], p: 0.014), and albumin level at the TB diagnosis (OR 0.90 [0.82-0.98], p: 0.013), were significantly associated to active TB. IMM therapy in the previous 12 months and extrapulmonary presentation were more frequent among TB cases associated to antiTNF treatment (80% vs 37%, p: 0.017; 63% vs 32%, p: 0.03, respectively). Active TB was diagnosed an average of 13 months after starting antiTNF therapy, and only 47% took place after 12 months of starting antiTNF. Conclusions: In addition to the antiTNF treatment, hospitalization Is associated with increased risk of active TB in IBD patients. Less than 50% of active TB associated with antiTNF occur in the first 12 months after starting this treatment; TB screening should be mandatory after starting treatment with antiTNF.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the correlation between ultrasonic scores, routine blood tests and stages of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and identify non-invasive indexes to establish a diagnostic model for liver cirrhosis.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 428 patients with CHB undergoing liver biopsies was conducted. The patients' hematology, serum biochemical indexes, serum alpha fetal proteins (AFP), serum HBeAg status and ultrasonic scores were statistically analyzed. A diagnostic model was established by stepwise discriminant analysis, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) was used to estimate the diagnostic value.

RESULTS
Partial correlation analysis indicated that platelet, serum albumin, bilirubin, AST, ratio of AST to alanine aminotransferase, prothrombin time and ultrasonic scores were correlated to the stages of liver fibrosis, and significantly differed between patients with and without liver cirrhosis. Logistic regression analysis identified ultrasonic scores, platelet, serum bilirubin, albumin and AST as indexes affecting the diagnosis of compensated cirrhosis. The area under receiver operation curve of model was 0.907. The cirrhosis index (CI) of -0.94 for this model was suitable for screening, with specificity of 85.0%, sensitivity of 81.7%, and accuracy of 84.3%. About 56.2% of the patients' CI was lower than -2.0 with the negative predictive value of 97.0% and the rate of missed diagnosis of 3.0%. About 18.2% of the patients' cirrhosis probabilities were above 0.15, with positive predictive value of 77.3%, and only 2.7% of the patients had mild fibrosis (F2), suggesting that nearly 75% of the patients did not have to receive liver biopsies.

CONCLUSION
This diagnostic model integrates the ultrasonic scores, platelet, serum bilirubin, albumin and AST to enable effective screening and prediction of compensated cirrhosis, and can reduce the number of patients required to undergo liver biopsy by about 75%.


As companies globalize, 'human capital' tends to become a strategic asset; hence, the number of studies focusing on the international mobility of managers. When companies decide to grow internationally, managerial and organizational factors play a key role, together with strategic, financial and commercial factors. The corporate culture, the international experience of managers, knowledge networks, competencies, and the control and coordination of subsidiaries must be taken into account, since organizational structures of multinational companies (MNCs) have become more complex (Meier and Schier, 2005). Managerial and organizational factors influence the way companies make decisions concerning the international mobility of managers and the way expatriates or 'international managers' acquire the competencies they need (Pierre, 2008). In this chapter, we will first describe the competencies expatriates acquire abroad, then we will summarize the results of a field study which was conducted with 40 top managers in three French multinational companies. The study enabled us to identify the factors which facilitate or inhibit knowledge transfer, both on the company and on the expatriate side


THE AIM
The aim of our research was to study the effect of quercetin on parameters of central hemodynamics and myocardial ischemia in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The research involved 85 patients with CHD: stable angina pectoris, FC II, and 30 healthy individuals made up the control group. After 1.5 months of stabilizing therapy (ß-blockers, statins, aspirin) patients with CHD were randomized into 2 groups - the research group (30 people) and the comparison group (55 people). Quercetin at a dose of 120 mg per os daily was added to standard treatment of the patients of the research group (with CHD), patients of the comparison group continued receiving the same treatment. The day before randomization and 2 months after prescribing differentiation therapy to the patients, echocardiography (echo) and 24 hour Holter ECG monitoring were made.

RESULTS
Clinical evaluation of echocardiography revealed that diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) had been found in 100% of patients studied: in 97.6% - in the form of violation of relaxation (type I), in 2.4% of patients - in the form of pseudonormalization (type II). The 24 hour Holter ECG monitoring revealed episodes of myocardial ischemia (10.7+2.7 episodes a day), premature atrial contractions (PACs) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in patients with stable CHD. After a two-month term of therapy in patients of both research and comparison groups left ventricular systolic function in terms of ejection fraction (EF) of LV significantly improved (by 4.5% and 3.2% respectively). LV diastolic function improved in both groups in terms of the ratio of the phases of the transmitral flow E/A, also IVRT significance decreased (p<0.05). DT value dropped significantly influenced by quercetin, in the comparison group it didn`t change. According to the 24 hour Holter ECG monitoring, the total time and number of episodes of ST segment depression decreased with dominative results in quercetin group. PVC number was significantly reduced only by influence of therapy with quercetin (?=0.0022).

CONCLUSIONS
The data have shown cardioprotective properties of quercetin in conditions of CHD.


This project focuses on emergent literacy development. The four-part video series I created for parents/guardians of Kindergarten children provides them information about the importance of early literacy development and offers them suggestions about how they can support their children. Topics addressed in the video series include emergent literacy, interactive read-alouds, the importance of drawing in writing development, and the stages of emergent writing. In Chapter 1 of the project I share background information about personal experiences I have had with Kindergarten parents that influenced my topic selection, provide a rationale for the importance of supporting early literacy development, identify curriculum connections, and provide an overview of the project. In Chapter 2 I outline the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that informed the composing of the videos, and review the relevant literature on emergent literacy development, interactive read-alouds, writing development, and writing pedagogy. In Chapter 3 I describe the essential understandings I want parents/guardians to develop for each video, and provide a description of how the literature review informed the content of the video series. I also offer reflections on the process of creating the videos, make recommendations for pedagogy and future research, and reflect on my journey through the Master's program. The Appendix includes the scripts of the four videos and the references for the images included in the videos.


OBJECTIVE
The Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) programs implemented through Divisions of General Practice (now Medicare Locals) enables general practitioners (GPs) to refer consumers with high-prevalence mental disorders for up to 12 individual and/or group sessions of evidence-based mental health care. The great strength of ATAPS is its ability to target vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations. Several initiatives have been introduced that focus on particular at-risk populations. This study aimed to determine the factors that had influenced Divisions' decisions to implement the various Tier 2 initiatives.

METHODS
An online survey was sent to all Divisions. The survey contained mostly multiple choice questions and sought to determine which factors had influenced their decision-making.

RESULTS
The most common factors influencing the decision to implement an initiative were the perception of local need and whether there was an existing service model that made it easier to add in new programs. The most commonly cited factors for not implementing were related to resources and administrative capacity.

CONCLUSIONS
This research provides valuable insights into the issues that primary care organisations face when implementing new programs; the lessons learnt here could be useful when considering the implementation of other new primary care programs.


The chapters in this dissertation study political economy and development economics topics related to the decline of the Mexican Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), one of the longest-lasting authoritarian governments of the twentieth century. Chapter 1 provides an introduction linking the main topics, hypotheses, and results. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the role of mass media diversity and unsustainable media capture, respectively, in the Mexican democratic transition. Chapter 4 examines how fractured political power across levels of government as a result of the collapse of the PRI centralized state, led to higher violence levels from the war against organized crime launched by the National Action Party (PAN) in 2007. Chapter 5 concludes with a summary of the most important findings and contributions.Using a unique panel dataset that provides local broadcast media coverage and ownership data for each of the 1,556 radio and broadcast television outlets in the country from 1990 to 2012, Chapter 2 studies the effect of media diversity on the PRI and opposition parties' electoral performance as well as on turnout, and shows how local media diversity, particularly in the radio market, contributed to the Mexican PRI authoritarian regime's radical municipal electoral decline. Conditional on time-varying observables and controlling for municipal and year fixed effects, the chapter develops three main sets of results. First, I show that increases in local media diversity, particularly from the local radio market, had a large significant negative effect on mayor municipal voting outcomes for the PRI and a significant positive effect on the electoral performance of the left of center opposition Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). Second, I show that both local radio and broadcast television plurality had a positive effect on turnout, that local broadcast television ownership diversity had a negative effect on turnout, and that media exposure matters more for electoral participation than ideological diversity. Third, my analysis shows that the most popular measure of media diversity used in the literature, media plurality, is an incomplete measure of diversity and/or competition. Ownership is of central importance when studying media's effects on voting behavior. Results hold after controlling for overall media exposure, democratization trends, and turnout and are robust to different measures of media diversity, PRI electoral outcomes, as well as an alternative ownership concentration measure.Chapter 3 develops an extension of Besley and Prat's (2006) canonical media capture framework with a three-period political agency retrospective voting model to understand how new media licenses are granted, when media capture occurs, and the effects it has on political outcomes and voters' welfare. The model shows that it is more costly to capture media when media have a higher commercial motive, when there are regulatory structures that make bribing harder, when the initial number of free media is higher, when there is lower expected media loyalty, and when the cost of rebribing media is higher. It also shows that transparency and efficient news production influence the cost of media capture indirectly, and that media independence, initial media plurality, and media concentration have an ambiguous effect on the cost of capture. Moreover, the optimal number of new licenses and of outlets bribed in period 1 are both functions of the cost of bribing in period 1 relative to the cost of bribing in period 2. The optimal number of outlets captured in the second period is ambiguous, and suggests that the extent of capture when license-granting is possible may be context-specific and needs to be evaluated empirically. In addition, the theoretical results show that the equilibrium with unsuccessful media capture in period 2 yields higher audience-related revenues, turnover, and voter welfare than successful media capture in both periods and lower audience-related revenues, turnover, and voter welfare than without media capture in both periods. The model provides an adequate framework to study license-granting as a additional means of media capture and suggests that media freedom regulatory frameworks, market incentives, and limited direct government ownership, may not be enough to contain capture.Chapter 4 investigates one of the many consequences of the Mexican democratic transition studied in Chapters 2 and 3: institutional coordination failures. The collapse of a centralized state meant that the federal government was no longer able to ensure cooperation from local governments, a key factor to ensure the correct implementation and effectiveness of the war against organized crime launched by the PAN administration at the start of 2007. The chapter studies the role of coordination between federal and state governments in containing violence from the war against organized crime. Within a municipal and year fixed effects framework and controlling for various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, the empirical analysis exploits an exhaustive dataset from 2006 to 2011, and finds that the lack of coordination among levels of government, measured with party alignment, had a significant positive effect on violence. The chapter also surveys various theories that help explain the increase in violence related to organized crime in Mexico, it studies the reasons why political coordination is decisive in the effectiveness of the fight against organized crime, and discusses public policy implications.


Much attention is paid nowadays to software architecture of a system as a set of design decisions providing the rationale for the system design. To document and share proven architectural design decisions, decisions made in concrete development projects are mined and distilled into reusable architectural decision models (a.k.a. guidance models). The available distillation approaches, however, remain ad hoc and biased towards the personal experience of few expert architects. Relationships between distilled decisions are not systematically explored. We propose an approach for distilling reusable architectural design decisions with emphasis on their relationships. Architectural knowledge artifacts (e.g., architecture documentation, interviews) are systematically coded for the occurrence of architectural design decisions and their details. Co-occurrences of coded design decisions are then processed for different relationship types using an established data-mining technique: frequent item-sets. The distilled relationships enter the construction of a reusable architectural decision model and contribute to organizing the design space based on empirical data (i.e., frequency patterns of co-occurrences). We report on distilling design-decision relationships from decision data collected during a three-year project on language architectures of 80 UML-based domain-specific modeling languages.


Intracellular polyamine homeostasis is important for the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis and is necessary for the balanced growth of cells and tissues. Polyamines have been shown to play a role in the regulation of apoptosis in many cell types, including IEC-6 cells, but the mechanism is not clear. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism by which polyamines regulate the process of apoptosis in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). TNF-alpha or cycloheximide (CHX) alone did not induce apoptosis in IEC-6 cells. Significant apoptosis was observed when CHX was given along with TNF-alpha, as indicated by a significant increase in the detachment of cells, caspase-3 activity, and DNA fragmentation. Polyamine depletion by treatment with alpha-difluoromethylornithine significantly reduced the level of apoptosis, as judged by DNA fragmentation and the caspase-3 activity of attached cells. Apoptosis in IEC-6 cells was accompanied by the activation of upstream caspases-6, -8, and -9 and NH2-terminal c-Jun kinase (JNK). Inhibition of JNK activation prevented caspase-9 activation. Polyamine depletion prevented the activation of JNK and of caspases-6, -8, -9, and -3. SP-600125, a specific inhibitor of JNK activation, prevented cytochrome c release from mitochondria, JNK activation, DNA fragmentation, and caspase-9 activation in response to TNF-alpha/CHX. In conclusion, we have shown that polyamine depletion delays and decreases TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in IEC-6 cells and that apoptosis is accompanied by the release of cytochrome c, the activation of JNK, and of upstream caspases as well as caspase-3. Polyamine depletion prevented JNK activation, which may confer protection against apoptosis by modulation of upstream caspase-9 activation.


Background: The Hijra community has evolved to form a unique subculture within the Indian society. They are particularly vulnerable to adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression. They are socially excluded and deprived from social well-being. Objectives: This study examined mental health outcomes, androgyny-related molestation, perceived social support, and predictors of depression among Bengali Hijras of India. Methodology: An exploratory cum descriptive research design with a nonprobability purposive sampling was adopted including the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support to assess depression. Results: Overall, 80% of Hijras reported at least one instance of molestation; around 69% approved depressive omens. Social support emerged as the most significant predictor of depressive syndromes (P < 0.05), whereby Bengali Hijras experiencing higher levels of overall perceived social support tended to approve lower levels of depressive syndromes. Discussion: Contrary to expectations, molestation did not reach statistical significance as an independent risk factor of depression (P = 0.058), whereas some other Hijra-specific predictors were found to be statistically significantly associated with depressive symptoms (P < 0.05). The pervasiveness of molestation, depression, and suicidal attempts represents a major health concern and highlights the necessity to facilitate prosperity-sensitive, health-care dispensation. Conclusion: The study suggests that perceptions of social support among Bengali Hijras have very important implications upon one's likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study may support the implementation of programs or actions to improve the mental health of Bengali Hijras.


Pressure ulcers are characterized by chronicity, which results in delayed wound healing due to pressure. Early intervention for preventing delayed healing due to pressure requires a prediction method. However, no study has reported the prediction of delayed healing due to pressure. Therefore, this study focused on biological response-based molecular markers for the establishment of an assessment technology to predict delayed healing due to pressure. We tested the hypothesis that sustained compressive loading applied to three dimensional cultured fibroblasts leads to upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs), CD44, hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) along with apoptosis via disruption of adhesion. First, sustained compressive loading was applied to fibroblast-seeded collagen sponges. Following this, collagen sponge samples and culture supernatants were collected for apoptosis and proliferation assays, gene expression analysis, immunocytochemistry, and quantification of secreted substances induced by upregulation of mRNA and protein level. Compared to the control, the compressed samples demonstrated that apoptosis was induced in a time- and load- dependent manner; vinculin and stress fiber were scarce; HSP90α, CD44, HAS2, and COX2 expression was upregulated; and the concentrations of HSP90α, hyaluronan (HA), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were increased. In addition, the gene expression of antiapoptotic Bcl2 was significantly increased in the compressed samples compared to the control. These results suggest that compressive loading induces not only apoptosis but also survival activity. These observations support that HSP90α, HA, and, PGE2 could be potential molecular markers for prediction of delayed wound healing due to pressure.


ABSTRACT Hosts of brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) have acquired a suite of behavioral responses against them, including egg rejection and nest defense. Several cavity-nesting species have been shown to exhibit egg rejection, including the Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides). Previous work reported egg rejection rates as low as 20%, under the assumption that they may instead be relying heavily on aggressive interactions to defend their nests from parasitism. In the present study, we evaluated the egg rejection and aggression behaviors of a population of Mountain Bluebirds in western Montana. Results indicate a higher rate of rejection than previously documented, with model cowbird eggs rejected in over 40% of trials (n = 37), compared with 5% rejection of mimetic eggs. In contrast, we found little aggressive response by Mountain Bluebirds toward both an adult cowbird model and a nonthreatening American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) model. Aggression patterns were consistent between sexes, with the most common behaviors including sitting and watching from within 5 m and flying past the models (n = 21). Hovering above the model was observed on a few occasions, and physical contact by bluebirds happened on only 3 occasions toward the goldfinch model. In summary, Mountain Bluebirds in western Montana showed relatively high rates of cowbird egg rejection but little aggressive response toward adult heterospecific nest intruders.


Patient nonadherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is an ongoing challenge, particularly since the advent of drug-resistant TB and complications posed by HIV/AIDS. Some solutions may lie in understanding patient and community perspectives about barriers to TB care and treatment adherence. Using a qualitative framework, we explored community perceptions and beliefs about TB and perceived facilitators and barriers to care in a rural South African community affected by TB. We were particularly interested in capturing cross-cutting themes and the "merged voices" of participants. Interviews were conducted in 2013 and 2014 with 43 participants, including home-based care workers, clinic staff, patients living with TB and community members in and around a primary healthcare clinic. The data were analysed using principles of thematic analysis. The study reveals the complex interplay between contextual factors and community understandings of the disease. Cultural beliefs about causality and treatment-seeking paths were often mentioned in conjunction with biomedical views. There was a strong interface between TB and HIV in this community, and knowledge of TB was often confused with HIV. HIV-related stigma has been extended to those living with TB. The impact of poverty on treatment adherence was a particularly important theme. Other themes related to the role of the clinic in the community. Our study highlights the socioeconomic vulnerability of this community and the fragility of existing care systems. The findings reinforce the need for a community-centred approach to TB care that takes cognisance of lifeworld issues. We discuss some implications of this study for practice and policy.


BACKGROUND
Hirschi recently revised the measurement of self-control to include the number and salience of costs an individual considers in an offending situation. Evidence is mixed on its predictive utility relative to other self-control measures but suffers from different studies operationalising the measure in different ways and mostly examining it with non-offenders.

AIMS
This study aimed to investigate Hirschi's reconceptualisation of self-control. Our research question was whether the number and salience of Hirschi's 'costs' are independently related to offending.

METHODS
Data on self-perceptions of likelihood of driving while drunk and various self-control and social control measures were collected by researchers during an orientation class for convicted offenders newly received into correctional facilities--one for men and one for women--during January to May 2011.

RESULTS
Eight hundred and nineteen men and 194 women completed the ratings. Both attitudinal and situational self-control measures were independently associated with self-rated likelihood of driving while drunk. These findings were confined to the male offenders.

CONCLUSIONS
Findings revealed mixed support for Hirschi's conceptualisation of self-control and its relevance. Situational and attitudinal measures of self-control share some common ground but relate differently to offending according to gender. Further research is needed to find out if these results are generalisable to other crime types and whether race/ethnicity could modify the findings. Even among convicted offenders whose crimes are serious and/or frequent enough to result in imprisonment, high self-control may inhibit offending. This has implications for intervention programmes. This is the first study to compare attitudinal and self-control measures in relation to offending among a sample of incarcerated offenders and across gender.


Abstract. Atmospheric concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) vary diurnally, seasonally and annually. Therefore continuous long-term measurements are needed to properly describe the atmospheric levels of these chemically reactive compounds. We conducted on-line measurements of atmospheric volume mixing ratios of several VOCs in the European boreal region with a proton transfer reaction – mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) over a 15 month period. The measurements lasted from spring 2006 to fall 2007 and were conducted at SMEAR II station in south-western Finland. The measured compounds included for example methanol, acetone, sum of isoprene and 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO), monoterpenes and benzene. The VOC mixing ratios were measured inside and above canopy, during every second or third hour. The PTR-MS was calibrated regularly and background signals of VOCs were measured every second or third hour from the zero air and subtracted from the measured volume mixing ratio. In the continuous measurements at moderate VOC mixing ratios we observed that the PTR-MS has to be calibrated and SEM operation voltage checked regularly, at least twice a month to ensure reliable measurements. Of the measured VOCs, methanol and acetone were the most abundant ones, their volume mixing ratio medians were in the order of 1 ppbv. Volume mixing ratios of methanol, acetone, isoprene-MBO and monoterpenes were high during summer and low in winter indicating mostly biogenic or photochemical local or regional origin. Benzene behaved in the opposite way, while seasonal variation of acetaldehyde and methacrolein-methylvinylketone (MACR-MVK) was less profound. Methanol, acetone, isoprene and monoterpene volume mixing ratios had clear diurnal patterns during summers, while the mixing ratios of other VOCs did not exhibit this behavior. During winter we did not observe systematic diurnal cycles in the VOC volume mixing ratios.


Energy efficiency is a key problem in wireless sensor networks. Keeping only a portion of nodes active and putting the others into sleep mode can conserve energy. In order to maintain satisfactory data quality, we recover the would-be sensed data for sleeping nodes. In this paper, we exploit spatial correlation among densely deployed nodes and use such correlation for data recovery. Loss in data quality caused by data recovery is the criterion for our proposed polynomial-time active nodes selection algorithm. Considering the possible energy consumption unbalance, we further develop a multi-shift scheduling scheme. The multi-shift scheduling is formulated as a constrained mini-max optimization problem. We validate these algorithms using a real-world data set and observe very satisfactory results.


Background Chemotherapy for breast cancer often deteriorates quality of life, augments fatigue, and induces neutropenia. Mistletoe preparations are frequently used by cancer patients in Central Europe. Physicians have reported better quality of life in breast cancer patients additionally treated with mistletoe preparations during chemotherapy. Mistletoe preparations also have immunostimulant properties and might therefore have protective effects against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Patients and Methods We conducted a prospective randomized open label pilot study with 95 patients randomized into three groups. Two groups received Iscador® M special (IMS) or a different mistletoe preparation, respectively, additionally to chemotherapy with six cycles of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and 5-fluoro-uracil (CAF). A control group received CAF with no additional therapy. Here we report the comparison IMS (n = 30) vs. control (n = 31). Quality of life including fatigue was assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Neutropenia was defined as neutrophil counts < 1,000/μl and assessed at baseline and one day before each CAF cycle. Results In the descriptive analysis all 15 scores of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 showed better quality of life in the IMS group compared to the control group. In 12 scores the differences were significant (p < 0.02) and nine scores showed a clinically relevant and significant difference of at least 5 points. Neutropenia occurred in 3/30 IMS patients and in 8/31 control patients (p = 0.182). Conclusions This pilot study showed an improvement of quality of life by treating breast cancer patients with IMS additionally to CAF. CAF-induced neutropenia showed a trend to lower frequency in the IMS group.


Brief hyperventilation is occasionally accompanied by repolarization abnormalities in subjects without apparent heart disease. However, the effect of prolonged hyperventilation on repolarization abnormalities is not clearly defined. We analysed the repolarization abnormalities induced by prolonged hyperventilation, correlated with hyperventilation induced haemodynamic changes and exercise test results and assessed the effect on them of age, gender, smoking and hypertension. Prolonged hyperventilation (overbreathing at least 30 respirations/min for 5 min and 10 min recovery) was performed in 474 healthy volunteers (269 men, 205 women) 42.6 +/- 13.5 years old. The electrocardiogram was analysed for transient ST depression or T-wave inversion. Repolarization abnormalities were observed in 72 subjects, 47 men (17.5%) and 25 women (12.2%). Age, gender, smoking and hypertension did not influence the overall incidence of repolarization abnormalities. ST depression was more frequently observed in women (4.4 vs 0.7%, P < 0.01), while T wave inversion from negative to positive was more frequent in men (8.9 vs 2.4%, P < 0.006). All subjects with ST depression were non-smokers (4.1% of the non-smokers, P < 0.003 compared to smokers). Repolarization abnormalities occurred usually (80.5%), but not exclusively, within the first hyperventilation minute. Subjects with repolarization abnormalities developed higher heart rate change with hyperventilation than those without repolarization abnormalities (29.2 +/- 13.1 vs 24.2 +/- 12.7, P < 0.002). A positive exercise test was observed in 45.4% of subjects with hyperventilation induced ST depression but only in 13.1% of subjects with T-wave changes, P < 0.02. Repolarization abnormalities are not uncommon during prolonged hyperventilation. Hear rate change affects the occurrence of repolarization abnormalities, while gender and smoking influence the type of repolarization abnormalities. ST depression but not T-wave inversion during hyperventilation is associated with a positive exercise test. Increased understanding about hyperventilation-induced repolarization abnormalities could affect use of the method in the clinic, either as a provocation test or as a complement to the interpretation of the exercise test.


The regulation of synthesis of valyl-, leucyl-, and isoleucyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetases was examined in strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. When valine and isoleucine were limiting growth, the rate of formation of valyl-tRNA synthetase was derepressed about sixfold; addition of these amino acids caused repression of synthesis of this enzyme. The rate of synthesis of the isoleucyl- and leucyl-tRNA synthetases was derepressed only during growth restriction by the cognate amino acid. Restoration of the respective amino acid to these derepressed cultures caused repression of synthesis of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, despite the resumption of the wild-type growth rate.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood-derived product that contains platelet concentrations at least 2/3 times above the normal level and includes platelet-related growth factors. The concept of PRP began in the 1970s in the field of hematology to treat patients with thrombocytopenia. In the 1980s and 1990s, PRP began to be used in surgical procedures such as maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery. Since then, PRP had been used in orthopedic procedures, cardiac surgery, sports injuries, plastic surgery, gynecology, urology, and more recently in medical esthetics. Areas covered: This review analyzes the mechanisms of action, current indications, clinical evidence, safety and future directions of PRP in the management of various medical conditions. The literature search methodology included using medical subject headings terms to search in PubMed. Articles used were screened and critically appraised by the coauthors of this review. Expert Opinion: Platelet-rich plasma is a therapeutic option used to treat many medical conditions. PRP could be used alone or in combination with other procedures. The effectiveness and safety of PRP has been demonstrated in many medical scenarios, however there is limited availability of large randomized clinical trials.


Summary. A 69‐year‐old man presented with right neck tumour. Primary thyroid MALT lymphoma occurring in Hasimoto's thyroiditis was diagnosed. He was also diagnosed to have gastric cancer with Helicobacter pylori infection. After subtotal gastrectomy by itself, thyroid lymphoma became smaller transiently. Then the patient was treated with H. pylori eradication therapy, resulting in the complete disappearance of lymphoma. Although H. pylori organisms were not detected in the lymphoma tissue by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it might be implicated in the pathogenesis of extragastric MALT lymphomas.


Using a modified crystal violet sodium polypectate (CVPB) double layer medium with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride and L-asparagine in the basal medium and bromthymol blue in the upper, both containing tryptone, gave red to pink colonies of Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora on a blue green background with cavity formation. The addition of 1.2 μg/ml polymyxin B sulphate to the upper layer inhibited the growth of Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica, while 32 μg/ml erythromycin in the upper layer inhibited the growth of E. chrysanthemi. The addition of 35 μg/ml novobiocin inhibited the growth of Bacillus sp. Non-target bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. marginalis, Ralstonia solanacearum and E. herbicola formed pink, red, yellowish or white colonies without cavity formation. The growth of non-target bacteria on the semi-selective medium was one tenth of that obtained using CVPB medium. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd.


Several hypotheses predict that the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) drives mating preference in females. Olfactory, colour or morphological traits are often found as reliable signals of the MHC profile, but the role of avian song mediating MHC‐based female choice remains largely unexplored. We investigated the relationship between several MHC and acoustic features in the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), a European passerine with complex songs. We screened a fragment of the class IIB second exon of the MHC molecule, of which individuals harbour 4–15 alleles, while considerable sequence diversity is maintained at the population level. To make statistical inferences from a large number of comparisons, we adopted both null‐hypothesis testing and effect size framework in combination with randomization procedures. After controlling for potential confounding factors, neither MHC allelic diversity nor the presence of particular alleles was associated remarkably with the investigated qualitative and quantitative song traits. Furthermore, genetic similarity among males based on MHC sequences was not reflected by the similarity in their song based on syllable content. Overall, these results suggest that the relationship between features of song and the allelic composition and diversity of MHC is not strong in the studied species. However, a biologically motivated analysis revealed that individuals that harbour an MHC allele that impairs survival perform songs with broader frequency range. This finding suggests that certain aspects of the song may bear reliable information concerning the MHC profile of the individuals, which can be used by females to optimize mate choice.


In this letter, we propose a new approach to improve the performance of automatic speech segmentation techniques for concatenative text-to-speech synthesis. Instead of using a single automatic segmentation machine (ASM), we make use of multiple ASMs to draw the final boundary time marks. Given multiple ASMs, the best time mark is chosen among the results provided by the multiple separate ASMs depending on the contextual condition. The experimental results show that our approach dramatically improves the segmentation accuracy


Prior to becoming the most dominant cultural product of the modern age, the film began its history as a journalistic concept. The first films made by the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière in the late 19th century were documentaries. The first film made at the beginning of the 20th century in Serbia was also a type of a newsreel, a documentary. Some of the first cinema owners and cinematographers were journalists. This paper explains the development of documentary film in Serbia, which, in addition to being a film genre, also became a television genre in the second half of the 20th century. The goal of this paper is to show the development path starting from the first feature film and newsreel, to television news - one of the most frequent TV programs of the moment – by using the example of Serbia.


285 Abstract: A two-year old male infant with generalized BCG lymphadenitis is presented. There was no obvious immunodeficiency disorder detected in the patient. BCG vaccine had been given at two months of age, and the lymphadenopathy developed at 21 months of age. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lymph node on Giemsa stain revealed macrophages very similar to Gaucher cells. These cells also resembled macrophages seen in lepromatous leprosy. They were engorged with acid fast bacilli and had streaked or wrinkled cytoplasm. Mycobacterium bovis was cultured from the lymph nodes and the patients improved with antituberculous therapy.


We present optical broadband (B and R) observations of the Seyfert 1 nucleus NGC 3516, obtained at Wise Observatory from 1997 March to 1998 September contemporaneously with the X-ray 2–10 keV measurements of RXTE. The cross-correlation function shows a positive peak when the optical variations lead the X-rays by ∼100 days, and anticorrelation peaks at various leads and delays between the X-rays and the optical. We show that the putative correlation signal at 100 days is entirely due to the slow (≳30 day) components of the light curves. During the first year of this monitoring, smoothed versions of the light curves are nearly identical copies of each other, but scaled in amplitude and shifted in time. However, for the next 200 days, the X-ray and optical variations are clearly different. During the whole period, the more rapidly changing components of the light curves are uncorrelated at any lag. We consider the detection of these lags tentative and the significance of the correlations uncertain. If the 100 day delay is real, however, one interpretation is that the slowly varying part of the X-ray emission is an echo of the optical emission, Compton scattered from a medium located at, or extending, ∼50-100 lt-days from the optical source. We point out that a possibly analogous phenomenon, a lag between hard and soft X-rays for a given variability timescale, exists in Galactic stellar-mass accretors. Remarkably, in both cases the lag corresponds to a light-travel distance of the order of 104 gravitational radii. Alternatively, the lag may not represent a physical size, but some other timescale. For example, it may be the manifestation of an instability propagating inward in an accretion flow, appearing first in the optical and then in the X-rays. In any event, we observe no strong correlation at zero lag, or at the small positive lags expected if the optical continuum were produced by reprocessing of X-rays. An energetically significant reprocessed component in the optical emission of NGC 3516 is thus ruled out by our data.


Abstract Two probabilistic seismic hazard (PSH) maps in terms of macroseismic intensity characterized by an exceedance probability of 10% for exposure time of 50 years are presented and compared. The first map adopts the standard Cornell–McGuire approach and follows the computational scheme developed for the reference Italian peak ground acceleration (PGA) hazard map (MPS04), while the second one is derived through an alternative methodology (referred to here as the site approach) that is based on statistical analysis of the site seismic history (i.e., macroseismic intensities documented for past earthquakes). Because the two procedures make a different use of available information, this comparison provides a new insight about the sensitivity of PSH estimates for the different possible methodological choices. In particular, it is shown that, though basic differences exist between the two adopted methodologies, relevant results appear consistent over most of Italy. However, at a significant number of investigated localities (Italian municipalities), PSH estimates provided by the site approach are larger than those derived from the standard technique. Thus, a detailed analysis has been carried out to evaluate the role played by different choices of computational models and input data. Among these, the use/nonuse of seismogenic zoning seems to act as the key element in determining the pattern of differences observed between the two PSH estimates.