A series of hierarchical activated mesoporous carbons (AMCs) were prepared by the activation of highly ordered, body-centered cubic mesoporous phenolic-resin-based carbon with KOH. The effect of the KOH/carbon-weight ratio on the textural properties and capacitive performance of the AMCs was investigated in detail. An AMC prepared with a KOH/carbon-weight ratio of 6:1 possessed the largest specific surface area (1118 m(2) g(-1)), with retention of the ordered mesoporous structure, and exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 260 F g(-1) at a current density of 0.1 A g(-1) in 1 M H2 SO4 aqueous electrolyte. This material also showed excellent rate capability (163 F g(-1) retained at 20 A g(-1)) and good long-term electrochemical stability. This superior capacitive performance could be attributed to a large specific surface area and an optimized micro-mesopore structure, which not only increased the effective specific surface area for charge storage but also provided a favorable pathway for efficient ion transport.


Highly porous scaffolds with open structure are today the best candidates for bone substitution to ensure bone oxygenation and angiogenesis. In this study, we developed a new route to enhance the compressive strength of porous hydroxyapatite scaffold made of natural bone. Briefly, the spongy bone of an adult bovine was extracted, annealed, and coated by a nanostructure bioactive glass layer to be subsequently sintered at different temperatures. The apatite formation ability on the surfaces of the coated scaffolds was investigated by standard procedures. Our results showed that the scaffold and coating microstructure consisted of the grains smaller than 100 nm. These nanostructures improved the compressive strength and bioactivity of highly porous scaffold. The results showed that with increasing the sintering temperature, the compressive strength of scaffolds increased while their in vitro bioactivity decreased.


Islam teaches to no dichotomy between the world of knowledge with knowledge of the afterlife. however, Islam is more likely to emphasize his people to gain the knowledge to keep both scientific study. this indicates that Islam educate his people to always learn, both in terms of vertical worship to the Creator or social structuring in social life. One of the institutionalization of worship that have educational value of learning in public life is "sholat". In this paper the authors try to find educational value contained in the institutionalization of "sholat", Which was known by some Muslims as a nuanced vertical worship alone.


The motion of the ethanolamine head group in unsonicated lipid bilayers above and below the phase transition is studied by means of deuterium and phosphorus magnetic resonance. For this purpose, dipalmitoyl-3-sn-phosphatidylethanolamine is selectively deuterated at the two ethanolamine carbon atoms. The deuterium quadrupole splittings of the corresponding bilayer phases are measured at pH 5.5 as a function of temperature. In addition, the phosphorus-31 chemical shift anisotropies of planor-oriented and randomly dispersed samples of dipalmitoyl-3-sn-phosphatidylethanolamine are measured at pH 5.5 and 11 by applying a proton-decoupling field. The knowledge of the static chemical shift tensor (Kohler, S.J., and Klein, M.P. (1976), Biochemistry 15, 967) provides the basis for a quantitive analysis of the head-group motion. The nuclear magnetic resonance data are consistent with a model in which the ethanolamine group is rotating flat on the surface of the bilayer with rapid transitions occurring between two enantiomeric conformations.


In this paper we consider nonlinear periodic systems driven by the one-dimensional p-Laplacian and having a nonsmooth locally Lipschitz potential. Using a variational approach based on the nonsmooth Critical Point Theory, we establish the existence of a solution. We also prove a multi- plicity result based on a nonsmooth extension of the result of Brezis-Nirenberg (3) due to Kandilakis-Kourogenis-Papageorgiou (13).


Sign Language is the use of various gestures and symbols for communication. It is mainly used by disabled people with communication difficulties due to their speech or hearing impediments. Due to the lack of knowledge on sign language, natural language speakers like us, are not able to communicate with such people. As a result, a communication gap is created between sign language users and natural language speakers. It should also be noted that sign language differs from country to country. With American sign language being the most commonly used, in Sri Lanka, we use Sri Lankan/Sinhala sign language. In this research, the authors propose a mobile solution using a Region Based Convolutional Neural Network for object detection to reduce the communication gap between the sign users and language speakers by identifying and interpreting Sinhala sign language to Sinhala text using Natural Language Processing (NLP). The system is able to identify and interpret still gesture signs in real-time using the trained model. The proposed solution uses object detection for the identification of the signs.


Mature immunocompetent cells from the stem cell graft as well as early robust immune reconstitution are essential for the graft-vs. -tumor (GVT) effect to eliminate residual malignant cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this prospective study we characterized graft composition of T- and NK cell subsets in 88 recipients of peripheral blood stem cell grafts with multicolor flowcytometry. Our primary aim was to analyze the impact of graft composition on immune reconstitution and clinical outcomes after transplantation. Patients transplanted with graft NK cell doses above the median value of 27 × 106/kg had significantly increased relapse-free-survival compared to patients transplanted with lower doses, HR 2.12 (95% CI 1.01–4.45, p = 0.04) Peripheral blood concentrations of NK cells obtained from donors before G-CSF mobilization were significantly correlated to graft NK cell doses (Spearman's ρ 0.53, p = 0.03). The dose of transplanted NK cells/kg correlated significantly with NK cell concentrations in patients early after transplantation (Spearman's ρ 0.26, p = 0.02, and ρ = 0.35, p = 0.001 for days 28 and 56, respectively). Early immune reconstitution above median values of NK cells was significantly associated with improved relapse-free survival (HR 2.84 [95% CI 1.29–6.28], p = 0.01, and HR 4.19 [95% CI 1.68–10.4], p = 0.002, for day 28 and 56, respectively). Early concentrations above the median value of the mature effector CD56dim NK cell subset were significantly associated with decreased relapse incidences at 1 year, 7% (95% CI 1.8–17) vs. 28% (95% CI 15–42), p = 0.04, and 7% (95% CI 1.8–18) vs. 26% (95% CI 14–40) %, p = 0.03, for days 28 and 56, respectively. The results suggest a protective effect of high doses of NK cells in grafts and during early immune reconstitution and support the perception of NK cells as innate effector cells with anti-tumor effects in the setting of allogeneic stem cell transplantation.


This article is devoted to the investigation of artificial intelligence as a subject of crime and the problems of bringing it to criminal liability. The growth of the influence of self-taught programs in human life and their high rate of development determined the relevance of the study. It is noted that criminal legislation slowly adjusts to the emergence of new relationships. Legislation does not yet contain any formulations of crimes related to committing socially dangerous acts through the use of neural networks, artificial intelligence or artificial intelligence itself. The author analyzes objective signs of committing crimes related to the use of artificial intelligence. Currently, artificial intelligence is able to fully implement the objective side of several crimes provided for by criminal law, but this list will be expanded in the future. The author predicts options for possible illegal activities of self-taught programs. The content of the guilt of artificial intelligence remotely resembles the content of the intellectual and volitional elements of human activity. At the same time, the facts of infliction of harm by artificial intelligence are predominantly characterized by an analogue of human negligence. The study of subjective signs made it possible to form a list of subjects of crimes related to artificial intelligence: program maker; manufacturer or seller of products equipped with artificial intelligence; user of products equipped with artificial intelligence; other persons. It is argued that artificial intelligence is not an independent subject of a crime, but may become it in the future if it is recognized as a person.


Since 1986 there has been much hype about the new high temperature superconductors. However, much work was needed to process these materials into a suitable form. Now that more useful materials are available, it has become clear that properties other than the high current ability of these materials are useful, more specifically it is the hysteretic nature of the magnetisation of these materials which is exploited in the motors described in this work. This paper specifically addresses the measurement and the calculation of the torque speed curve of these hysteretic motors. Three topologies of motor are investigated. Of these the single domain YBCO performs the best, although there is a problem in generating a large applied magnetic field from a conventional stator.


Genus Pseudotrapelus has a wide distribution in North Africa and in the Middle East. In the present study, we modeled the habitat suitability of two Omani species of the genus (Pseudotrapelus dhofarensis and Pseudotrapelus jensvindumi) to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on their distribution. Mean diurnal range and precipitation of wettest quarter are the most highly contributed variables for P. jensvindumi and P. dhofarensis, respectively. The potential distribution for P. dhofarensis in the current time covers the southern coastal regions of Oman, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and Socotra Island, but the suitable regions were reduced in the future prediction and limited to Yemen, Socotra Island, and Oman. There have not been any records of the species outside of Oman. Analysis of habitat suitability for P. jensvindumi indicated that the species is restricted to the Al Hajar Mountain of Oman and the southeast coastal region of Iran, but there are no records of the species from Iran. Because mean diurnal range will not be influenced by climate change in future, the potential distribution of the species is not expected to be changed in 2050. All predicted models were performed with the highest AUC (more than 0.97) using the Maxent method. Investigation to find unknown populations of these two species in Iran, Yemen, and Socotra Island is essential for developing conservation programs in the future.


The problems of school dropouts is like dynamite for Indonesian that never be ended because the number of school dropout rates increases each year, as happened in Indragiri Hulu, especially in BatangCenaku. The numbers of school dropouts in elementary level amounted to 66 students from 4856 students in 2011 while in 2012 the numbers of schools dropouts increased to 188 students from 4951 students.A negative impact for the Indragiri Hulu if the problem can not be solved by the government of Indragiri Hulu. So the researcher formulates what factors are the causes of school dropouts at the elementary level in BatangCenaku? How are the efforts of local government of educational sector in the reduction of school dropouts in BatangCenaku? This is a qualitative research. The location of this study is at the office of District Education of Indragiri Hulu, in Batang Cenaku. In collecting the data the researcher used purposive sampling technique. Purposive sampling is a technique that usedparticular consideration in collecting the data sample, for example, the person considered as most knowledgeable about what to expect, so it will be easier for researcher to explore objects and social situation investigated. To get the data, the researcher used the following methods: observation, interviews, and documentation. To describe the issues discussed, analyzing the data is needed to do. According to the finding research the causes of school dropouts are the economy, family, school, peers, and academic ability. The efforts of the Government of Indragiri Hulu appropriate toauthority possessed by the local government issued a policy of reduction of school dropouts in the form of movement compulsory education of villages based including updating data dropouts or no schooling children, socialization to the people, Assistance Fund, Optimizing Scholarship Education for poor people, and Education Pack Assistance Program.


To explore the structural characteristics of the cochlea in three‐dimensional (3D) detail using 3D micro‐computed tomography (mCT) image reconstruction of the osseous labyrinth, with the aim of improving the structural design of electrodes, the selection of stimulation sites, and the effectiveness of cochlear implantation. Three temporal bones were selected from among adult donors' temporal bone specimens. A micro‐CT apparatus (GE eXplore) was used to scan three specimens with a voxel resolution of 45 μm. We obtained about 460 slices/specimen, which produced abundant data. The osseous labyrinth images of three specimens were reconstructed from mCT. The cochlea and its spiral characteristics were measured precisely using Able Software 3D‐DOCTOR. The 3D images of the osseous labyrinth, including the cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals, were reconstructed. The 3D models of the cochlea showed the spatial relationships and surface structural characteristics. Quantitative data concerning the cochlea and its spiral structural characteristics were analyzed with regard to cochlear implantation. The 3D reconstruction of mCT images clearly displayed the detailed spiral structural characteristics of the osseous labyrinth. Quantitative data regarding the cochlea and its spiral structural characteristics could help to improve electrode structural design, signal processing, and the effectiveness of cochlear implantation. Clin. Anat. 30:39–43, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This study describes the relationship between elementary school students' critical thinking and writing skills. The main objective of this research is to describe students' writing and critical thinking skills through project-based learning models. This study uses a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental type. The research design used was a nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The sample of this study was 50 students who were divided into 25 experimental groups and 25 students in the control class. This research selects 6th-grade students from one school in Bandung. The data collection instrument in this study used a description test to determine students' critical thinking and an assignment test to make persuasive texts to assess students' writing skills. The ANOVA test was used to determine the relationship between critical thinking and students' writing skills. The T-test was used to determine the differences in students' ability to write persuasive texts before and after receiving treatment with the project-based learning model. The results showed a good correlation between critical thinking and students' writing skills. In addition, there is a significant difference in students' writing skills before and after learning using the project-based learning model. It can be seen from the significance value of 0.00 <0.05. Thus the project-based learning model has a positive impact on improving students' critical thinking in learning to write and writing skills for elementary school students.


The proliferation of mobile Internet and connected devices, offering a variety of services at different levels of performance, represents a major challenge for the fifth generation of wireless networks and beyond. This requires a paradigm shift toward the development of key enabling techniques for the next generation wireless networks. In this respect, VLC has recently emerged as a new communication paradigm to provide ubiquitous connectivity by complementing radio frequency communications. One of the main challenges of VLC systems, however, is the low modulation bandwidth of the light-emitting diodes, which is in the megahertz range. In this article, a promising technology, referred to as O-NOMA, is presented, which is envisioned to address the key challenges in the next generation of wireless networks. We provide a detailed overview and analysis of the state-of-the-art integration of O-NOMA in VLC networks. Furthermore, we provide insights on the potential opportunities and challenges as well as some open research problems that are envisioned to pave the way for the future design and implementation of O-NOMA in VLC systems.


Nutrition is an important element in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Herbs and fruits have been used for a long time as an alternative remedy in various diseases
including cancer. In the present study, decoction of Orthosiphon stamineus,Teucrium polium, and Berberis vulgaris and a combination of all three herbs as
synergistic group were studied on hepatocarcinogenic rats to investigate the possible cancer preventive/suppressor effect by these plants. Ninety male Sprague Dawley
rats (age: 8±1 weeks, weight: 248.1±7.21g) were purchased from UPM Veterinary Faculty and were housed in individual plastic bottom cages and maintained in a room at 22o C temperature with a 12h light/dark cycle. All rats had free access to the standard rat food pellet and drinking water during the study. Rats were kept for one week as adaptation prior to cancer induction. After that, 10 of 90 rats were sacrificed to obtain the baseline data and the rest were induced with cancer by means of intraperitoneal injection of 200mg/kg diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) dissolved in normal
saline. This was then followed by 2 weeks feeding on hepatocarcinogenesis promoter diet made from a mixture of standard rat diet with 2-acetylaminofluorene (0.02%
AAF). After this period, the leftover rats (n=60) were weighed again and were randomly separated into five groups of equal animal numbers, i.e., control (NC), O.stamineus (OS), T. polium (TP), B. vulgaris (BV) and the synergistic (SY). Rats were force-feed with the decoction of the herb (0.7ml/100g BW) for 7 months based on their respective herbal treatment group. After the treatment period, the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed for serum and histology analyses of their livers. All data were analyzed using one way ANOVA followed by Dunkan's multiple range post hoc test. Differences between groups were considered significantly different when the P value was less than 0.05. Based on the present study BV decoction showed significantly higher level of total phenolic and flavonoids contents as well as antioxidant activity as compared to other groups (p<0.05). The SY decoction group also showed significantly higher level of TPC and TFC as compared to decoction of both OS and TP (p<0.05). Even though, decoction of TP showed significantly lower level of both TPC and TFC, it showed high level of DPPH scavenging activity similar to OS decoction but lower than decoction of BV and SY. Despite the insignificant difference of body weight between the different groups,liver weight of control group was significantly higher as compared to the other groups (p<0.05). Biochemical assay on alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine minotransferase (ALT) showed significantly lower level of these markers in BV group as compared to control and other treatment groups (p<0.05). BV groups showed significantly higher total serum lipase and total antioxidant status (TAS) than other groups as well (p<0.05), which showed the possible of beneficial effect of BV on the above mentioned markers. Although SY group also showed significantly higher level of TAS as compared to both control and OS groups (p<0.05), this level of TAS did not show any positive effect on the above mentioned biochemical markers. Both BV and TP groups showed significantly lower values of α2MG, alpha fetoprotein, homocysteine, interleukin 6, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and tumor necrosis factor α as compared to other treatment groups( p<0.05). Both BV and TP groups showed significantly higher values of corticosteroid-binding globulin (p<0.05). Light microscopy histological evaluation illustrated that there were significant changes in the lesion score of BV and TP in portal and lobular region compared to OS, SY and control groups. Fluorescence in situ hybridization evaluation of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) showed significantly higher activity of GRs in both BV and TP groups. The present findings showed advantages and disadvantages of the synergistic effects of herbal decoction in cancer prevention or suppression. On the other hand, unlike few previous studies on O. stamineus, even though it showed anticancer properties,the present study could not support strongly the past findings. Overall, the present results showed that the decoction of both B. vulgaris and T. polium has high anticancer activity, which might be due to their either high antioxidant activity or their compounds. Due to these anticancer properties, daily intake of these herbs to prevent cancer in healthy individuals or to suppress and decrease cancer development among patients who are suffering from liver cancer could be recommended.


The SnRK1 protein kinase, the plant ortholog of mammalian AMPK and yeast Snf1, is activated by the energy depletion caused by adverse environmental conditions. Upon activation, SnRK1 triggers extensive transcriptional changes to restore homeostasis and promote stress tolerance and survival partly through the inhibition of anabolism and the activation of catabolism. Despite the identification of a few bZIP transcription factors as downstream effectors, the mechanisms underlying gene regulation, and in particular gene repression by SnRK1, remain mostly unknown. microRNAs (miRNAs) are 20–24 nt RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by driving the cleavage and/or translation attenuation of complementary mRNA targets. In addition to their role in plant development, mounting evidence implicates miRNAs in the response to environmental stress. Given the involvement of miRNAs in stress responses and the fact that some of the SnRK1-regulated genes are miRNA targets, we postulated that miRNAs drive part of the transcriptional reprogramming triggered by SnRK1. By comparing the transcriptional response to energy deprivation between WT and dcl1-9, a mutant deficient in miRNA biogenesis, we identified 831 starvation genes misregulated in the dcl1-9 mutant, out of which 155 are validated or predicted miRNA targets. Functional clustering analysis revealed that the main cellular processes potentially co-regulated by SnRK1 and miRNAs are translation and organelle function and uncover TCP transcription factors as one of the most highly enriched functional clusters. TCP repression during energy deprivation was impaired in miR319 knockdown (MIM319) plants, demonstrating the involvement of miR319 in the stress-dependent regulation of TCPs. Altogether, our data indicates that miRNAs are components of the SnRK1 signaling cascade contributing to the regulation of specific mRNA targets and possibly tuning down particular cellular processes during the stress response.


Volume expansion of 5-10% body weight in dogs was achieved by infusion of 0.9%, 1.2% or 0.4% saline. The average diuretic response for each group was 9.9 +/- 2.1, 5.5 +/- 0.6 and 3.3 +/- 0.9 (mean +/- S.E.) ml/hr/kg respectively. Flow from single hilar lymphatics increased by an average of 150%, there being no significant difference between the groups. A significant (p less than 0.02) positive correlation was found between the increase in hilar lymph flow and thoracic duct lymph flow. No correlation was found between hilar lymph flow and the extent of the diuresis. Control hilar lymph contained higher concentrations of Na+ (L/P = 1.05) and C1- (L/P = 1.12) (p less than 0.001) and lower concentrations of glucose (L/P = 0.86) (P LESS than 0.001) than did simultaneous plasma. The electrolyte lymph-to-plasma differences were maintained despite increases or decreases in plasma concentrations. The results indicate that changes in hilar lymph flow are related to volume expansion rather than to the diuresis, and that the processes responsible for lymph-to-plasma compositional differences are relatively unaffected by changes in plasma levels.


The following work may show that communication is the cornerstone of any organization;
it's humanity development. Today's goal of every business is to look for optimizing
resources; the good communication practices are precisely enabling the organization to
restructure its system fast and efficiently.
That is why organizational communication is booming and is revolutionizing the
contemporary corporate market.


A snow model forced by temperature and precipitation is used to simulate the spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) over a 600 000 km2 portion of the province of Quebec, Canada. We propose to improve model simulations by assimilating SWE data from sporadic manual snow surveys with a particle filter. A temporally and spatially correlated perturbation of the meteorological forcing is used to generate the set of particles. The magnitude of the perturbations is fixed objectively. First, the particle filter and direct insertion were both applied on 88 sites for which measured SWE consisted of more or less five values per year over a period of 17 years. The temporal correlation of perturbations enables us to improve the accuracy and the ensemble dispersion of the particle filter, while the spatial correlation leads to a spatial coherence in the particle weights. The spatial estimates of SWE obtained with the particle filter are compared with those obtained through optimal interpolation of the snow survey data, which is the current operational practice in Quebec. Cross-validation results as well as validation against an independent dataset show that the proposed particle filter enables us to improve the spatial distribution of the snow water equivalent compared with optimal interpolation.


Career education is to be analysed as the factor of lifelong learning which promotes engagement, the adaption of labour force to the conditions of the market, entrepreneurship. It is the process of the acquisition and development  of  career competences  which enables a person to manage his career. appropriate career choices, which have been made, have a great influence over person's successful socialisation. Career expectations, their analysis is a part of career planning which is oriented towards the formation of short-term and long-term career objectives.  The article analyses the career expectations of senior pupils in the context of career education. The analysis of the theoretical concept of career expectations in the context of career education is presented and the analysis of the results of the quantitative study, which reveals career expectations of senior pupils, is introduced. The results of the study reveal the approach of senior pupils to their career and career expectations. The analysis of the study findings revealed that: senior pupils perceive a career in the context of contemporary career concept: as self-realisation, personal development, the sequence of learning and work experiences during life; after leaving school, further studies in the institutions of higher education are still the most popular choice; an extremely important factor of a good job and a successful career is also the reconciliation of hobbies and a job, and an opportunity to get engaged in an activity they enjoy;  the respondents  have career expectations not only with regard to personal development and honest assessment, but also working environment.


Keratinases specifically degrade insoluble keratin waste, thus contributing to environmental protection and sustainable biomass development. However, their industrial application is hindered by inefficient enzyme production and poor biomass generation. In this study, the heterologous expression of keratinase was found to have cytotoxicity and might block host cell growth due to its proteolytic property. To address this problem, an autoregulatory expression system based on quorum sensing was developed to synergistically regulate cell growth and keratinase production in Bacillus subtilis. The growth-dependent promoter PaprE was chosen and shown to be effective in delaying keratinase production while promoting host cell proliferation. Copy number screening and core region mutations further balanced the two states. Carbon supplement optimization indicated that addition of 2% glucose facilitated biomass accumulation during the early stage of fermentation. Cell density increased to 15.6 (OD600 nm) from 8 with keratinase activity raised to 4200 U·mL-1 from 1162 U·mL-1. Keratinase was then utilized in the bioconversion of feather waste to prepare soluble keratins, polypeptides, and amino acids. This study provides a powerful system for efficient production of keratinase and paves the way for keratin waste recycling.


Introduction Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) can be a highly effective technique for the en-bloc removal of complex colorectal lesions, but is technically challenging and associated with a higher incidence of adverse events. In light of this, hybrid knife assisted resection (KAR)1 method has been previously described. We describe a novel technique of snare tip assisted resection (STAR), its indications for use, and our observed outcomes so far. Method All data was recorded prospectively from June 2014 to February 2017. All procedures were performed by a single endoscopist. 'Complex' colorectal lesions were defined as those with features suggestive of early malignancy, recurrent lesions, scarred lesions from previous incomplete resection, and for lesions identified in patients with colitis. STAR was also used to assist snare resection of polyps with flat components. Lesions are lifted with a standard EMR solution. The tip of a stiff spiral snare is advanced by 1–2 mm, and using endocut current a deep submucosal incision is made and subsequently extended circumferentially via a tapping technique. The snare is then opened and engaged within the groove in order to complete the resection. Results STAR resection was used for 51 lesions amongst 50 patients. Lesion size varied from 0.5–7 cm (mean 2.6 cm). Of the 51 lesions, two thirds (34) were felt to have endoscopic features suggestive of early malignancy. Using the STAR technique, en-bloc resection was successful in 19/34 (56%). Upon histological analysis, cancer was identified in 11 (32%) specimens and focal high grade dysplasia in another 8 (24%). Of the cancerous lesions, 9 had complete endoscopic resection, of which 4 had a curative sm1R0 resection requiring no further treatment. Using STAR technique, 10 scarred lesions and 7 lesions with flat components were also resected. At present 1 year follow up data is available for 19 patients and 3–6 month data in 12, and reveals no residual or recurrent lesion occurrence to date. Three patients had adverse events: 2 patients had bleeding complications (one required embolization therapy) and 1 patient had a delayed perforation necessitating surgery. Overall, the significant complication rate was 5.8% Conclusion STAR is a novel technique and this is the first ever Western reported case series. We would suggest that when adopted by endoscopists with significant experience in EMR/ESD, STAR is an effective, inexpensive, and alternative technique for the management of selective complex colorectal lesions. Reference . Bhattacharyya R, et al. KAR of large and refractory colonic polyps at a Western centre: Feasibility, safety and efficacy study to guide future practice. UEG Journal. 2016;4(3):466–473. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


A research thesis submitted in partial Fulfilment of the requirement for the degree
of master of education (Special Education) in the school of Education of Kenyatta
University


The pore fluid salinity level of undisturbed Champlain Sea clay samples were reduced from 19.81 to 0.79 g/L using a leaching apparatus designed for this experimental study. Then the impact of leaching on the compressibility characteristics of the undisturbed, remoulded, and cement-treated clay samples were investigated through constant rate of strain tests. It was found that the compressibility of Champlain Sea clay was affected by the level of salinity in its pore fluid. The reduction of salinity to 0.79 g/L in this study impacted the compressibility of both remoulded and cement-treated clay but did not affect on the compressibility of undisturbed clay. A higher compressibility was recorded from remoulded leached sample compared to the remoulded unleached sample. In cement-treated samples, an improvement in the compressibility characteristics was observed from the leached samples treated with 50 kg/m3 GU cement compared to that of their corresponding treated unleached samples.


This study examined whether men's and women's retirement has a differential impact on equality in marital life, with emphasis on two areas: power relations (as reflected in decision making) and the division of household tasks (feminine, masculine, and general). In addition, the study explored whether equality in marriage is differentially related to marital satisfaction and satisfaction with life among preretired and retired couples. The sample consisted of 469 men and women from Israel, of whom 267 were retired and 202 were approaching retirement. On the whole, the impact of retirement on equality in marriage was found to be similar for both men and women, that is, equality in performance of feminine tasks increased, whereas equality in general tasks usually declined after retirement. Moreover, there was no progression toward equality in masculine tasks after retirement. With respect to power relations, major household decisions became more equal after retirement regardless of which partner retired. However, no appreciable differences were found between retired and preretired respondents with respect to minor decisions and decisions about spending time. The results also revealed that equality in major decisions and in performance of masculine tasks correlated with both areas of satisfaction among preretired and retired respondents. However, marital satisfaction was related to equality in minor decisions and in decisions about spending time, as well as to equality in carrying out general tasks only among the retired respondents.


In this paper we study a family of binary Legendre sequences and its family complexity. Family complexity is a pseudorandomness measure introduced by Ahlswede et.~al.~in 2003. A lower bound on the family complexity of a family based on the Legendre symbol of polynomials over a finite field was given by Gyarmati in 2015. In this article we improve the bound given by Gyarmati on family complexity of binary Legendre sequences. The bound depends on the Lambert W function and the number of elements in a finite field belonging to its proper subfield. Moreover, we present a fast method for calculating the bound.


Most modern high-rise buildings' facades use glasses for esthetics, daylight, and better environmental view through them. However, with the increasing use of a larger area of transparent glasses as walls, the visual privacy preservation of the indoors and heat energy loss through the windows are becoming a rising concern. Recent studies showed that nearly half of the energy consumed in a building goes to heating and air conditioning while approximately 40% of this energy is lost through windows. Windows with tunable optical properties that are generically termed "tunable windows or smart windows or switchable glass" are perceived as a potential solution for these problems. An optically tunable window can adjust the amount of daylighting passing through it, control the heat radiation, and/or change the transparency of the glasses for visual privacy preservation of indoors. Electrochromic glasses, polymer dispersed liquid crystal glasses, and suspended particle devices are available as commercial tunable windows but their high cost, limited optical performance, reliability, and operational complexity are hindering the widespread adaptation. Therefore, several other technologies for low-cost actively tunable windows capable of actively adjusting transparency are increasingly explored. However, most of such new technologies, working based on various optical principles, do not fulfill all the requirements of tunable windows. For instance, some can tune optical transmittance but do not affect energy transmission, and some can adjust heat radiation transmission but has a limited change in visual appearances. To fully take the advantage of the strengths as well as recognize the limitations of such emerging technologies, their optical principles need to be understood in-depth. Here, we review the recent developments in transmittance tunable windows by categorizing them based on the optics involved, namely, light absorption, reflection, and scattering. This in-depth review comprehensively discusses how the tunable window technologies compare to each other and offers insight into how their performance can be improved in the future.


The Ethiopian economy is mainly agrarian. It employs 85% of the population and contributes 45% of the gross domestic product and 90% of the national export earnings but agriculture in Ethiopia is dominated by rainfed farming with low productivity specially dry land part of the country like Somali region. As a result, crops have severe moisture stress through their growth stages. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at Somali region of sandy clay loam soil in the year 2012/13 to assess the effectiveness of different manure applications rate, enhancing soil moisture and thereby productivity. The experiment was arranged in a random complete block design RCBD with three replications; and three rates-of- manure applications 0 tons/ha, 3 tons/ha and 6 tons/ha having a total of nine treatments plot were tested. The analysis of variance for the results of the study indicated that the significant differences were observed in soil bulk density, porosity and available moisture content due to different levels of animal manure applications. Soil moisture content at different soil depths at an interval of 15 days also showed a significant difference due to animal manure. The maximum (35.67%) average soil moisture content was recorded due to 6 tons of manure as compared to the moisture content recorded from without manure (31.10%). Therefore, 6 tons of animal manure may be recommended to reduce the risk of moisture stress and to fetch a good yield in the study area. The application of manure results to high soil infiltration rate and it could be important approach for dry land farmers.


System error registration is an important content of space-time registration, which is the premise of the fusion of multi-source measurement data. Aiming at the complex electromagnetic environment interference, the unrobustness of traditional registration method was verified. A real-time median estimating algorithm of slowly varying sequence based on the sorting of doubly linked list was designed. On the basis of which, a robust system error registration method based on fusion detection and real-time median estimation was put forward. The registration method proposed in this paper, of which the application in time-varying system error processing was also analysed, was tested with measurement data to be effective and robust in engineering application.


A voice-coil motor actuator system is designed to perform a unique disk drive ramp load/unload operation. The design eliminates the necessity of increased material requirements common in ramp load disk drives. Therefore, disk drives with lower cost, higher performance actuators can realize the linear shock protection benefits of ramp loading. This study offers a complete, systematic design procedure together with required analysis for manufacture of a commutational ramp load/unload drive. The actuator is designed and optimized to meet specific move-time performance requirements. When used for ramp load/unload, however, there exists a location where input current has no influence on actuator motion. An input polarity reversal is required within the uncontrollable region to sustain the direction of actuator motion. A magnetic, restorative bias is designed that prevents the actuator from resting in the uncontrollable region while providing resistance to rotational shock effects. A state trajectory is designed that, when tracked, moves the actuator through the uncontrollable set for a successful load onto the disk at the desired load velocity. A ramp load controller is designed to track the trajectory and handle the nonlinear effects from bias and friction torque. The unique disk drive is manufactured and experiments are performed to demonstrate effectiveness of the complete design strategy.


Businesses value online training as a cost-effective, convenient and efficient way of delivering corporate education. The purpose of this report is to examine and analyze models for measuring the benefits and return on investment of corporate training. It is a matter of creating and executing a solid strategy. The results of the report show that measurements, including ROI, are determined by the training and business needs of the company. This report contributes by examining and analyzing the measurement models of Kirkpatrick and Phillips' learning outcomes in the light of eLearning, as well as the methods for assessing the quality of eLearning content. The contribution of the report to research is that it can be used as a basis for exploring a more robust methodology for measuring e-learning outcomes.


The paper presents an integrated and extensible framework for the capture and regurgitation of data that describes the characteristics and location of assets within our communities. The framework, referred to as Real-time Individual Asset Attribute Collection Tool (RiACT), Inventory Repository, and Asset Repository Web Portal, enables the capture by direct field observation of asset attributes, the real-time transfer of these observations to the Inventory Repository and/or the download of attributes of any specific asset of interest to the observer whilst they are in the field. It is envisaged that the data stored within the Inventory Repository would have a variety of potential uses including forming the basis of a reliable asset module for loss modelling projections, pre-event building evaluation rankings (such as those required for earthquake prone evaluations) and/or post-event damage and condition assessments required for any subsequent building safety evaluation surveys. Hence, the Inventory Repository alongside Asset Repository Web Portal will be created in a manner which is an easily accessible platform for data management and sharing with other dataset needed for building or infrastructural evaluations. The methodology of the asset collection tool and inventory repository and website are illustrated, with discussion on the communication protocol between them. Some applications, such as the integration of the Inventory Repository with loss modelling tool, the implementation of building performance evaluation are underway and will also be discussed to illustrate the potential of the integrated framework.


The adequacy of the measurement methodology of the three antenna method of ANSI Standard C63.5 is addressed. The transmit receive pairing of the three antennas, as required in the standard, where one of the antennas is not used to transmit, has been challenged as not providing the most accurate answers. Instead, an alternative pairing has been proposed where all three antennas both transmit and receive. The authors describe a series of measurements that addresses the difference in the standard and proposed measurement methodologies, and determines if a change is needed in the measurement standard. It is found that the measurement methodology of ANSI 63.5 and the measurement methodology proposed as an alternative, where each antenna is used for both transmission and reception, provide virtually identical results. It is concluded that no changes in the methodology of the ANSI standard three antenna method of measuring antenna factors are required.<<ETX>>


A review of the current understanding of how key simulation cueing elements affect ground-based flight simulation has been conducted. The objectives are to develop a broad assessment of current approaches in determining simulator effectiveness and to identify future research directions. The review covers the visual cues and human/machine related topics. For visual cueing relatedlssues, the review focuses on visual transport delay, resolution, scene content, and field-of-view. For human/machine interaction issues, the review focuses on human psychophysical characteristics, pilot models, and motion cueing criteria. Results and suggested future work from past investigations are summarized. Additional recommendations are presented.


BACKGROUND
Fluid resuscitation remains a fundamental component of early burn care management. However, recent studies suggest that excessive volumes of resuscitation are being administered. Overresuscitation results in negative sequelae including abdominal and extremity compartment syndromes. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) has been described as another potentially devastating effect of massive fluid resuscitation in trauma patients. The orbit, similar to the abdomen and extremity, is a compartment, limited to expansion from edema anteriorly by the eyelids and orbital septum, and posteriorly by the bony orbital walls. The purpose of this study was to review the incidence of elevated IOP in a series of patients with major burn injury.

METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 13 consecutive patients admitted to our burn center with burn sizes >25% total body surface area (TBSA). All patients underwent serial IOP measurements for the first 72 hours following admission. Medical records were reviewed for fluid resuscitation volume, IOP measurements, need for canthotomy, and results of canthotomy procedures.

RESULTS
Five of 13 patients had IOP >30 mm Hg and required lateral canthotomy. Canthotomy immediately reduced IOP (p = 0.009). Patients who developed elevated IOP received a significantly larger fluid resuscitation (9.0 cc/kg/%TBSA versus 6.0 cc/kg/%TBSA, p = 0.02). Elevated IOP was significantly associated with delivery of larger fluid resuscitation volume (p = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS
Massive fluid resuscitation following burn injury can result in orbital compartment syndrome requiring lateral canthotomy. Early diagnosis and treatment of orbital compartment syndrome should be incorporated into the management of patients with major burn injury receiving large fluid resuscitation volume.


Whatever the country, nanotechnology features as a key priority of most national research and innovation policies. This focus on nanotechnology is due to the promises of this general purpose technology, this new technological wave. As 'one size does not fit all', policies supporting its development cannot just adopt the 'best practices' of the preceding wave. We argue that specific on-going dynamics of nanoscience and technology production justifies the existence of dedicated nanotechnology policies. It also questions the portfolio of instruments mobilized and their balance. In this article, we discuss policies developed for the preceding technological waves and, based on the characteristics of nanosciences and technologies, propose five dimensions of policies to be taken into consideration for their governance at the country and cluster levels.


Laboratory and field investigations were conducted to compare the compressive strengths obtained for 4 x 8 in. (100 x 200 mm) cylinders with those for standard 6 x 12 in. (150 x 300 mm) cylinders, both made with aggregate having a nominal maximum size of 1 in. (25 mm). In the lab, in addition to the effect of specimen size on strength, other factors as the mold type, aggregate type, and strength level were considered. The results of the laboratory work indicate that the two sizes of cylinders yield equal compressive strength values at a strength level of about 3,200 psi (22.0 MPa). Above this level, the small specimens exhibit higher compressive strengths. The difference in the strength values between the two sizes increases with the strength level. The standard deviation of strength values was higher for the small specimens. For equal precision, more tests are needed for the small specimens than for the larger ones. The field investigation included an examination of the effect of different specimen sizes when different types of mold and capping procedures were used for each size. The results of the field tests comparing specimen sizes were similar to those of the laboratory tests in terms of strength and variability. It is concluded that the results of tests on 3 small cylinders cast in plastic molds and tested with neoprene pads in steel end caps can be used to predict the strengths of A3 and A4 concretes obtained by tests of 2 large cylinders cast in steel molds and tested with sulfur-mortar caps. The variability of small cylinders compared to that of larger ones prepared in the field was slightly higher, even though statistically not significant. Thus, the use of 3 small cylinders rather than 2 larger ones is recommended.


The economies of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) are facing complex challenges. In the eastern part of the region the task of governments is to orchestrate a coordinated crisis response. The collapse of oil revenues and the associated decline in remittances triggered a chain reaction of shocks. Adjustment to these shocks requires a new monetary policy regime, resolution of serious fragilities in banking sectors, fiscal reforms that put government finances on a sustainable path, while guaranteeing fair burden sharing, and facilitation of job creation in sectors that compete internationally. In the western part of the region policy coordination within the European Union is being tested by the refugee crisis and a possible Brexit. Meanwhile the Chinese economy has slowed down and is in the process of fundamental transformation. Also these developments have major impacts on the ECA region. The report analyses all these challenges and points at the opportunities to become more competitive in global markets.


After thirty years of intensive work, nitric oxide (NO) has just started to be characterized as a relevant regulatory molecule on plant development and responses to stress. Its reactivity as a free radical determines its mode of action as an inducer of post-translational modifications of key target proteins through cysteine S-nitrosylation and tyrosine nitration. Many of the NO-triggered regulatory actions are exerted in tight coordination with phytohormone signaling. This review summarizes and updates the information accumulated on how NO is synthesized, sensed and transduced in plants, but also makes emphasis on controversies, deficiencies and misconceptions that are hampering our present knowledge on the biology of NO in plants. The development of non-invasive accurate tools for the endogenous NO quantitation as well as the implementation of genetic approaches that overcome misleading pharmacological experiments will be critical for getting significant advances in better knowledge of NO homeostasis and regulatory actions in plants.


OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture treatment for symptom management in patients with hyper-immunoglobulin E (IgE) syndrome (HIES).

DESIGN
This was a retrospective case series.

SETTING/LOCATION
The study was conducted at the The Clinical Research Center of the National Institutes of Health.

SUBJECTS
There were 8 adult patients with HIES ages 23-56 with varying symptoms in the study.

INTERVENTION
Acupuncture treatments were given from May 29, 2001 to February 17, 2009.

OUTCOME MEASURES
Acupuncture treatment efficacy was measured and evaluated using a 0-10 assessment instrument pre- and post-treatment.

RESULTS
The 8 patients with HIES suffered from a wide variety of symptoms related to the disease. Acupuncture treatments uniformly decreased the self-reported severity of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS
This case series demonstrates that acupuncture is a clinically useful and safe therapy for symptom management in patients with HIES.


ABSTRACT The absolute number of CD4+ lymphocytes in blood is prognostic for disease progression, yet the cell surface density of CD4 receptors or chemokine receptors on a single cell has not previously been found to be predictive of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infectivity outcome. It has recently been shown that human leukocyte elastase (HLE) and its ligand α1 proteinase inhibitor (α1PI; α1 antitrypsin) act as HIV fusion cofactors. The present study shows that decreased HIV infectivity is significantly correlated with decreased cell surface density of HLE but not with decreased CD4 nor chemokine receptors. In vitro HIV infectivity outcome in this study was predicted by the surface density of HLE on mononuclear phagocytes but not on lymphocytes. The set point HLE surface density was in part determined by α1PI. Decreased circulating α1PI was correlated with increased cell surface HLE and with increased HIV infectivity. The correlation of HIV infectivity outcome with surface HLE and circulating α1PI supports the utility of these HIV cofactors in diagnostic analysis and therapeutic intervention.


Despite tremendous progress through next generation sequencing technologies, familial focal epilepsies are insufficiently understood. We sought to identify the genetic basis in multiplex Palestinian families with familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF). Family I with 10 affected individuals and Family II with five affected individuals underwent detailed phenotyping over three generations. The phenotypic spectrum of the two families varied from nonlesional focal epilepsy including nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy to severe structural epilepsy due to hemimegalencephaly. Whole‐exome sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis revealed pathogenic variants in NPRL3 in each family, a partial ~38‐kb deletion encompassing eight exons (exons 8‐15) and the 3′‐untranslated region of the NPRL3 gene in Family I, and a de novo nonsense variant c.1063C>T, p.Gln355* in Family II. Furthermore, we identified a truncating variant in the PDCD10 gene in addition to the NPRL3 variant in a patient with focal epilepsy from Family I. The individual also had developmental delay and multiple cerebral cavernomas, possibly demonstrating a digenic contribution to the individual's phenotype. Our results implicate the association of NPRL3 with hemimegalencephaly, expanding the phenotypic spectrum of NPRL3 in FFEVF and underlining that partial deletions are part of the genotypic spectrum of NPRL3 variants.


As data persistence is very poorly supported by current programming systems, we have initiated a research project to improve this situation. The result is the new programming language Persistent Active Oberon, which directly institutionalizes persistence as a fundamental concept and liberates the programmer from writing complicated code for database interactions.


In this survey, we have successfully genotyped 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 13 cytokine genes for five Malay subethnic groups (Kelantan, Acheh, Mandailing, Minangkabau and Patani Malays) using polymerase chain reaction–sequence‐specific primer cytokine genotyping kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Most of the cytokine genes showed similar pattern of allelic spectra with wild‐type alleles (e.g. ILIa−889/C, ILIB+3962/C and IL6 nt565/G) that represent more than 80% in the studied Malay subethnic groups. These newly observed cytokine alleles and subsequent analyses clearly indicate genetic contribution from Asia in the studied Malay subethnic groups with evidence of admixture from neighbouring populations in Patani Malays. The cytokine data sets for the five Malay subethnic groups deposited in this report can also be used as reference standard for searching suitable donor for allograft transplant and diseases association study. This is particularly relevance as our analyses showed differences between the Malay subethnic groups and other populations screened for cytokine genes.


SUMMARY

1. Periphyton species composition, chlorophyll a concentration, organic matter biomass, and metabolic activity were analysed at a site in a regulated river with low nutrient concentrations to investigate population and community level responses to a spatial gradient in hydraulic conditions. The communities were dominated by diatoms over the full hydraulic range [0.1–0.5m depth, 0.1–1.5ms−1 velocity, and 0.01–1.5 Froude number (Fr)] with Cymbella kappii, Synedra ulna, and Gomphoneis herculeana having the highest relative biovolumes.

2. Unexpectedly, Cymbella kappii and Synedra ulna were abundant or co-dominant at all levels of velocity and Fr. Gomphoneis herculeana was most abundant within the mid-velocity range (velocity = 0.8–1.2ms−1).

3. The physiognomy of the communities changed with a change in hydraulic conditions. There was progressively more diatom mucilage as velocity and Fr increased which resulted in a macroscopic change from relatively thin films (1–2mm) at low velocities and Fr (in pool habitats), to thick (approximately 10mm) mats at higher velocities and Fr (in riffle habitats). Associated with this, ash-free dry mass (APDM) increased strongly, but chlorophyll a concentration did not, resulting in a decrease in % chlorophyll a over the gradient.

4. The results of experiments conducted in an in situ benthic chamber showed no significant differences in gross primary production between two communities of different biomass, but indicated a slightly decreasing trend with increasing velocity (0.14 to 0.38 ms−1). In contrast, community respiration increased greatly with mat biomass and also as a function of increased water velocity. The combined AFDM, chlorophyll a and metabolic results indicated that the zone of photosynthesis was maintained at the surface of the mats, with variable amounts of mucilage being secreted below, depending on hydraulic conditions.

5. The diatom community had considerable physiognomic plasticity through the accumulation of mucilage. It is suggested that this high mucilage secretion may be an active feedback mechanism to help ameliorate environmental stress. If so, present theory on velocity control of periphytic algal development in streams, which is essentially based on passive responses, needs expanding. It is concluded that the response of periphyton to spatial differences in habitat hydraulics in streams is highly complex and it may be difficult to define clear hydraulic habitat preference curves for periphyton communities in nutrient-poor streams.


In November 2018, The New York Times ran a front-page story describing how Facebook concealed knowledge and disclosure of Russian-linked activity and exploitation resulting in Kremlin led disruption of the 2016 and 2018 U.S. elections, through the use of global hate campaigns and propaganda warfare. By mid-December 2018, it became clear that the Russian efforts leading up to the 2016 U.S. elections were much more extensive than previously thought. Two studies conducted for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), by: (1) Oxford University's Computational Propaganda Project and Graphika; and (2) New Knowledge, provide considerable new information and analysis about the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) influence operations targeting American citizens.By early 2019 it became apparent that a number of influential and successful high growth social media platforms had been used by nation states for propaganda purposes. Over two years earlier, Russia was called out by the U.S. intelligence community for their meddling with the 2016 American presidential elections. The extent to which prominent social media platforms have been used, either willingly or without their knowledge, by foreign powers continues to be investigated as this Article goes to press. Reporting by The New York Times suggests that it wasn't until the Facebook board meeting held September 6, 2017 that board audit committee chairman, Erskin Bowles, became aware of Facebook's internal awareness of the extent to which Russian operatives had utilized the Facebook and Instagram platforms for influence campaigns in the United States. As this Article goes to press, the degree to which the allure of advertising revenues blinded Facebook to their complicit role in offering the highest bidder access to Facebook users is not yet fully known. This Article can not be a complete chapter in the corporate governance challenge of managing, monitoring, and oversight of individual privacy issues and content integrity on prominent social media platforms. The full extent of Facebook's experience is just now becoming known, with new revelations yet to come. All interested parties: Facebook users; shareholders; the board of directors at Facebook; government regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and Congress must now figure out what has transpired and what to do about it. These and other revelations have resulted in a crisis for Facebook. American democracy has been and continues to be under attack. This article contributes to the literature by providing background and an account of what is known to date and posits recommendations for corrective action.


Introduction Several studies associated low socioeconomic status (SES) with lung cancer. However, many were not able to consider smoking behaviour appropriately. We took advantage of the international SYNERGY study of pooled case-control studies with detailed information of smoking habits and the occupational history to study the association between lung cancer and occupationally derived SES. Methods Twelve case-control studies from Europe and Canada were included. We estimated SES based on the subjects' complete occupational histories using the International Socio-Economic Index of Occupational Status (ISEI) and the European Socio-economic Classification (ESeC). ISEI was categorised into four equidistant categories comprising the same number of codes and, secondly, according to quartiles of the sex-specific score distribution among control subjects. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) by unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, study, and smoking behaviour, and stratified by sex. Subgroup analyses by lung cancer histological subtype, study region, birth cohort, education, and occupational exposure to known lung carcinogens were also carried out. Result We included 17 021 cases and 20 885 control subjects into the final analysis. There was a strongly elevated association of lung cancer with low SES in the analysis adjusted for age and study. Adjustment for smoking attenuated the associations, however, a social gradient with lung cancer persisted. Comparing the lowest vs highest SES category in men yielded: ISEI OR=1.84 (95% CI: 1.61 to 2.09) and ESeC OR=1.53 (95% CI: 1.44 to 1.63). ORs for women were slightly lower: ISEI OR=1.54 (95% CI: 1.20 to 1.98) and ESeC OR=1.34 (95% CI: 1.19 to 1.52). Discussion Low SES remained an independent risk factor for lung cancer even after controlling for smoking habits.


In this article we presented the issues concerning the measurement of road noise, measurement results, and the discussion pertaining to the methods of limiting the excessive noise in the city of Lublin. Mobile systems, equipped with software which enables editing the measurement data, analysis and presentation of the data in the form of an acoustic map, are used to measure the noise level. Exemplary streets of the city are shown, where the road noise level has been significantly exceeded, and the effects of acoustic screens installation is presented. Moreover, the preventive and educational actions which are carried out in Lublin, meant to popularise alternative methods of transport, are discussed. It was concluded that an effective reduction of the traffic noise in the city can be achieved already at the stage of designing housing estates, along with the planning of access roads and noise barriers.

http://www.jeeng.net/pdf-89920-26798?filename=Monitoring of Road Noise.pdf


Lapuimakuni S, Khumaida N, Ardie SW. 2018. Evaluation of drought tolerance indices for genotype selection of foxtail millet (Setaria italica). Trop Drylands 2: 37-40. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) Beauv) is one of underutilized crop grown for its nutritious grain and its relative tolerance to drought stress. Although foxtail millet has been reported as to be relatively tolerant to drought stress, the drought tolerance level of this crop is varied between genotypes. Thus, breeding approaches to develop drought-tolerant foxtail millet variety is of great importance. This study aimed to: (i) evaluate several drought tolerance indices to determine one or more predictors among studied indices, and (ii) identify the drought tolerance level of the evaluated foxtail millet genotypes. Eight foxtail millet genotypes were planted in a greenhouse with a completely randomized design and five replications under both drought and normal watering conditions. Staggered planting was applied to synchronize flowering time. Water was withheld for 15 days during the flowering period, and then plants were re-watered until harvest time. Multiple indices for drought tolerance were calculated based on the potential yield (Yp) under non-stress and yield (Ys) under stress conditions. Based on the correlation, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis, yield index (YI) and harmonic mean (HM) were considered the best indices for the selection of drought-tolerant foxtail millet genotypes. By using the best indices, two foxtail millet genotypes (ICERI-5 and ICERI-6) were considered as drought tolerant genotypes.


Benzalkonium Chloride (BKC) is a preservative commonly used in eye drops, yet if ≥0.03% of its concentration enters the eye, one must seek immediate medical treatment. Therefore, a validated assay method is required to determine preservative concentration in eye drops. The analysis was performed by using spectrophotometry in visible light region using color reagent. The reagents used were Eosin Y in Silver nitrate, Eosin Y and bromthymol blue. The selected color reagent was Eosin Y due to its selectivity to BKC. The wavelength of 552 nm was shown to be λmax because there was no absorbance of eosin Y reagent. In selectivity validation, Y eosin reagent only reacted with BKC alone, shown by the absorbance of benzalkonium chloride yet the absence absorbance of eosin Y reagent on placebo (Absorbance value obtained was 0.08920) at λmax of 552 nm. In linearity validation, the linear regression equation obtained was y = 0.0039x +0.2042, with correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9996 and Vxo of 1.94%. In accuracy validation, 3 times replication was done on each level of addition placebo into each level. At 50%, 100% and 120% the mean % recovery obtained were 96.24%, 103.44% and 98.31%, respectively, thus the mean % recovery of three was 98.31%. In precision validation, each of six replications were performed a test, with the mean % recovery of 101.17 and the RSD of 0.48%. Interday variation study showed a mean % recovery of 97.90% and RSD of 0.72%. In this study the assayed level of Benzalkonium Chloride in the eye drop preparation of Ciprofloxacin was 0.0061%.


This study investigated the effect of subdivision activity on rhythmic performance skills in high school mixed choirs. Three matched choirs (N = 96) were involved in the ten-week project, with one choir receiving subdivision treatments, another imitation treatments, and the third serving as a control group. The pretreatment test, posttest, interview procedure, and musical activity questionnaire were developed by the investigator. The data were analyzed using the three-way ANOVA and Pearson Product-Moment subprograms in the SPSS. The results indicate significant differences (p ≤ .01) in favor of the subdivision approach for performing rhythms accurately, maintaining one' s own pulse, and maintaining a pulse established by an outside visual source. This was generally true at both fast and slow tempi as well as for all ability strata. Students demonstrating a high degree of rhythmic ability often indicated they used analytical subdivision procedures, although they may not have previously received such instruction. Finally, instrumental experience other than keyboard had the strongest relationship with rhythmic skills. The amount of choral experience was not a good predictor of rhythmic competency.


Abstract : Aspects of the duality theory for semi-infinite programming are here extended to fields with properties of non-Archimedean order. Emphasis is on nonstandard semi-infinite programming problems in Hilbert's Field. The ideas of regularization are generalized to include powers of the relative infinites in terms of the indeterminates.


Abstract Purpose: Parents of disabled and/or chronically ill children are more vulnerable regarding their health compared to parents of healthy children. This study examines how far the burden of care is associated with health-related quality of life (QoL) in parents, across different illnesses and disabilities. Moreover, it is unclear whether and to which extent familial resources can explain the association between parents' care burden and health. Method: Data stem from a survey with the German Children's Network, a self-help umbrella organization of parents and families of chronically ill and disabled children. Data collection was conducted nationwide with a standardized online questionnaire, which included children's diagnoses and severity, burden of care, family and socioeconomic status, health-related QoL (SF-12) and family impact (Impact on Family Scale, IFS). 1567 parents participated. Results: A higher burden of care is associated with higher risks for poor health-related QoL. Especially, social impact and financial burden, which are both associated with care, can help to explain these associations. Conclusions: Future interventions should focus not only on the affected child but also on the whole family system and its social integration, as this seems likely to relief parents from burden of care. Therefore, a sustainable cooperation of health care institutions and professionals with self-help groups and parental initiatives is recommended. Implications for Rehabilitation Parents of disabled and chronically ill children are a vulnerable group regarding their health-related quality of life. A higher burden of care is associated with less social contacts, higher financial burden and higher help-needs in the household, which significantly contribute to higher health risks. Rehabilitation should take these constraints into account and put a stronger focus on the family of disabled and chronically ill children to support their inclusion. A sustainable and formally anchored collaboration with self-help and patient groups is recommended.


Ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramics used in different electromechanical devices are often subject to various source of stresses in their working environment. Experimental results reveal that the electromechanical behavior of these materials can be tremendously altered in the presence of stress. In this paper, we present a theoretical investigation on the effect of uniaxial compressive stress on the electromechanical properties of a PZT based soft piezoceramic using Monte Carlo simulation. The dipole moment for each perovskite cell is treated as pseudo-spin and the sample is treated as a two C?Idimensional array of pseudo-spins oriented in four mutually perpendicular directions. Under the influence of electric field and/or stress, each dipole can undergo either 180o flipping or 90o rotation as governed by a probability. The simulation result exhibits a downward shifting of the strain-electric field butterfly loop upon the application of stress. Moreover, t! he loop area is enhanced when the magnitude of stress is below a critical value, but gradually decreases when the magnitude exceeds this value. On the other hand, both the remnant polarization and polarization-electric field hysteresis loop area monotonically decrease upon increasing the stress magnitude. These phenomena can be attributed to clamping of domain rotations. The simulation result agrees with experimental results satisfactorily.


This paper analyses the main implications of the prohibition of deprivation of liberty on the basis of disability in the field of mental health under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its impact in Qatar's legal system. It shows the contradiction between the specific regimes of deprivation of liberty of persons with psychosocial disabilities and Article 14 of the Convention. The paper also proposes some changes in Qatar's system to ensure that persons with psychosocial disabilities enjoy the right to liberty on equal terms with others.


The structure of quasi-2d solutions of dipolar superballs in the fluid state has been determined by Metropolis Monte Carlos simulations in the absence and the presence of an external field. Superballs are 3d objects characterized by a one shape parameter. Here, superballs resembling cubes, but possessing rounded edges, have been used. Examination has been made for several magnitudes of the dipole moment in three different dipole directions. In the limit of a cube, the directions become (i) the center of mass - the center of a face (001) direction, (ii) the center of mass - the center of an edge (011) direction, and (iii) the center of mass - the corner (111) direction. At a small dipole moment, the superballs are translationally and orientationally disordered, and the dipoles become partially orientationally ordered in the presence of the field parallel to the plane of the superballs. At a large dipole moment, chains of superballs are formed, and the chains become parallel in the presence of the field. The chains remain separated for the dipole in the 001-direction and form bundles for the 011- and 111-directions. The different structures obtained for the different dipole directions are interpreted in terms of how compatible the dipole-dipole interaction is with the cube-cube interaction at short separation for the different directions of the dipole moment. Hence, the structural richness arises from an interplay of the different symmetries of a cube and of the field of a dipole.


Quantum dash lasers were irradiated for the first time, using 31-MeV protons. These novel structures, which show promising performances for 1.55 mum optical communications exhibit better robustness to radiation than quantum well lasers.


Decision analysis provides a set of techniques for structuring and encoding expert knowledge, comparable with knowledge engineering techniques for rule-based expert systems. In order to compare the expert systems and decision analysis approach, each was applied to the same task, namely the diagnosis and treatment of root disorders in apple trees. This experiment illustrates a variety of theoretical and practical differences between them, including the semantics of the network representations (inference net vs. influence diagram or Bayes' belief net), approaches to modelling uncertainty and preferences, the relative effort required, and their attitudes to human reasoning under uncertainty, as the ideal to be emulated or as unreliable and to be improved upon.


A multifrequency algorithm is applied to suppress signals caused by disturbing parameters. This procedure (based on the projection principle in a multidimensional vector space) and the electronics employed in prototype form are described. The prototype operates with up to four frequencies in a wide range (500 Hz to 1 MHz). The frequencies are continuously tunable and are fed into the coil one after the other by high-speed multiplexing. The multifrequency approach yields a read-out value affected only by defects. The defect signals then can be assessed by means of reference defects of known depths giving equivalent indication peaks. The elimination of the disturbing signals chiefly increases defect detection sensitivity. In general, however, the suppression is not total, and, additionally, the original defect signals are reduced to a greater or lesser degree by the application of the projection principle. The testing frequencies used have a strong influence on the projection losses and therefore on the defect detection sensitivity. A computer program system that allows the reaction of the impedance of the coil to be calculated as a function of the electric, magnetic, and geometrical properties of the specimens and the dimensions of the coil itself is used to determine an optimum frequency combination for the given test situation. This procedure is applied to the testing of heat-exchanger tubes, claddings, and welded joints. The results obtained with the optimized test system are presented.


This study investigates the returns spillovers across the equity markets of Asian emerging economies (China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand). To achieve this objective, we used two different spillover methodologies (DY 2012 and BK 2018). Moreover, this study used the daily closing prices of equity indices ranging from 5 January 2005 to 13 November 2021. The empirical findings revealed that the total spillover index using DY 2012, and the short-term frequency index using BK 2018, are close to each other, with values of 46.92% and 43.04%, respectively. However, the spillover index value is high, with a value of 56.25% in the long run. Furthermore, the results showed that the stock markets of South Korea and Taiwan are the major spillover transmitters in the Asian emerging markets. Also, the financial association among all emerging Asian equities is at its peak, subject to the mobility of cash flows across the global economies. The results of this study provide meaningful insight for policymakers and investors to implement an effective strategy to overcome the possible influence of any financial crisis in the future. Our paper provides a potential contribution to the financial literature by examining the transmission of spillovers across the Asian emerging stock markets. Furthermore, it provides in-depth information regarding stock market interdependence.


Background Infectious spondylitis remains frequent in Tunisia and is a common reason for hospitalization in rheumatology. We report the experience of our rheumatology department in the diagnosis and management of infectious spondylitis. Methods This is a retrospective study of 118 cases of infectious spondylitis observed between 1997 and 2015. The diagnosis was based on clinical, biological, radiological and bacteriological data. Results Our population consisted of 76 men (64.4%) and 42 women (35.6%) with a mean age of 59.2 years [18–84]. A supporting ground was found in 27% of patients. This was diabetes in 17.8% of cases, extra-articular history of tuberculosis in 7.6% of cases, hemodialysis for renal failure in 2.5% of cases, recent spinal surgery in 3.4% of cases, visceral surgery in 2.5% of cases and a long-term corticosteroid in 1.2% of cases. Spinal pain was present in all cases and had an inflammatory rhythm in 89.8% of cases. Fever was observed in 48.3% of cases, night sweats in 27.1% of cases and impaired general condition in 50% of cases. Neurological signs, present in 55.9% of cases were: radiculalgia in 55.1% of cases, motor deficit in 20.3% of cases and spinal cord compression in 9.3% of cases. The inflammatory syndrome was absent in 10.2% of cases. Spinal MRI and CT performed respectively in 77% and 47.4% of cases showed an epidural in 52.5%, a soft tissue abscess in 34.7%, soft tissue infiltration in 27.9% and a root canal abscess in 14.4% of cases. The spondylitis was multifocal in 7.7% and multi-stage in 11% of cases. Affected levels were: lumbar spine in 66.6%, the thoracic level in 26.9% and the cervical level in 8.5% of cases. The germ was isolated in 53.5% of cases. The disco-vertebral biopsy (performed in 42.3% of cases) was contributory in 27.2% of cases. A puncture of a soft tissue abscess (formed in 14.1% of cases) was contributory in 85.9% of cases. Blood cultures were positive in 7.7% of cases. The urine culture had found the germ in 6.4% of cases and a skin sample in 1.2% of cases. Wright serology was positive in 20.5% of cases. These germs were: tuberculosis in 44.9% of cases, brucellosis in 20.5% and pyogenic germs in 29.5% of cases. Conclusions The clinical presentation of infectious spondylitis is polymorphic and determination of the causative organism can be difficult. In our series, in most cases it was a spondylodiscitis -specific germ. Support by appropriate antibiotic therapy leads overall to a good clinical outcome. Neurological complications can regress, more rarely from is fatal. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Cellular immunity to HBcAg was studied in hepatitis B virus carrier children and neonates born to hepatitis B virus carrier mothers. A significant proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to HBcAg was found in 5 of 10 children with elevated ALT levels but in none of the nine HBeAg‐positive children with normal ALT levels. HBeAg but not HBsAg was detected in cord blood of 9 of 10 neonates born to HBeAg‐positive carrier mothers, suggesting exposure of these neonates to HBeAg in utero. However, cord mononuclear cells from neonates born to HBeAg‐positive carrier mothers did not show a significant change in the proportion of suppressor and helper T‐cell subsets or proliferative response to HBcAg. Nor did they produce interleukin‐2 receptor after being cocultured with HBcAg. The unresponsiveness of peripheral‐blood mononuclear cells or cord mononuclear cells to HBeAg was not reversed by CD8+ cell depletion. Although cord blood mononuclear cells from neonates born to carrier mothers positive for antibody to HBeAg also did not respond to HBcAg, we encountered an infant, born to a carrier mother positive for antibody to HBeAg, who contracted acute hepatitis B at 2.5 mo of age. The baby's peripheral‐blood mononuclear cells showed a significant proliferative response to HBcAg. These results support the view that transplacental maternal HBeAg probably induces a specific unresponsiveness of helper T cells to HBcAg and HBeAg in the neonates born to HBeAg‐positive carrier mothers. This specific helper T cell tolerance could be maintained throughout the early replicative phase of carrier state but might break someday with the appearance of raised ALT level. (HEPATOLOGY 1992;15:770–776).


The performance of oral, electronically measured body temperature with Craftemp (Astra Meditec) in routine use in medical wards was investigated. Rectal measurement with conventional Hg-thermometer was used as a reference method. The Craftemp method turned out to be unacceptably inaccurate: 30.8 per cent of the measurements of rectal-oral temperature difference were subject to a variation around the mean larger than +/- 0.4 degree C. The standard deviation of the rectal-oral temperature differences was 0.51 degree C, and the range -1.2 degrees C to +3.0 degrees C. Until an alternative method for measurement of body temperature is proven accurate in the clinical routine, the established method of rectal measurement should not be abandoned.


Dielectric barrier discharges were generated under atmospheric pressure at temperatures ranging from room temperature down to 88K. The gas temperature of the plasma generated by the discharges was controlled by liquid nitrogen, and a mixture of helium and air was used as the discharge gas. We found that microdischarges exhibited temperature-dependent specific discharge patterns as the temperature decreased. This transition of discharge patterns was closely related to the change in the gap voltage at breakdown. A possible scenario that may explain the pattern of the transition of the microdischarges is discussed.


This paper provides an overview of the Pythagorean centrality measures, which are the arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic means. Both the evolution of their meaning through history and their geometrical interpretation are outlined. Relevant examples of use cases for each of them are introduced, spanning a variety of areas of knowledge. Their differences and similarities are explored. Finally, the issue of which mean to use in different situations in order to make advantageous predictions is addressed. Keywords: central tendency, Pythagorean means, arithmetic mean, geometric mean, harmonic mean, data selection


Radiation effects analysis on a commercial 90-nm CMOS process has been performed to evaluate hardness potential from a process and design perspective, and to identify techniques to promote radiation hardness enhancement towards achieving suitability for low power space applications.


The majority of the rock paintings in Southern Africa belong to the last six hundred years although crude monochromes were being painted much earlier. The engravings, which include extinct animals, are, in part at least, older than the paintings but they also have continued down to recent times. It has frequently been asserted that the Bushmen could not have been the artists responsible for the rock paintings and engravings because today they do not practise any similar artistic expression. But, apart from those paintings which are undoubtedly attributed to Bushmen during the last hundred and fifty years, there are other forms of Bushman art which are closely related to the rock engravings and paintings and which shed considerable light on their origin.


The pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, is a journey all Muslims are enjoined to make once in their lifetimes. Its purpose is to detach human beings from their homes and, by bringing them to Islam's birthplace, to emphasize the equality of all people before God. Since its inception in the seventh century, the Hajj has been the central theme in a large body of Islamic travel literature. Beginning with the European Renaissance, it has also been the subject for a handful of adventurous writers from the Christian West who, through conversion or connivance, managed to slip inside the walls of a city forbidden to non-Muslims. One Thousand Roads to Mecca collects significant works by observant writers from the East and West over the last ten centuries. These two very different literary traditions form distinct sides of a spirited conversation in which Mecca is the common destination and Islam the common subject of inquiry.


A dynamic call admission control (CAC) and its associated resource reservation (RR) schemes are proposed in this research based on the guard channel (GC) concept for a wireless cellular system supporting multiple quality of service (QoS) classes. The proposed CAC policy selects the resource access threshold according to the estimated number of incoming call requests of different QoS classes. The amount of resources to be reserved is dynamically adjusted by considering neighboring-cell higher-priority calls, which are likely to handoff. The rationale behind our proposed dynamic CAC and RR scheme is to make an efficient resource reservation for priority calls by considering potential handoff calls in the neighboring cells, based on their signal to noise ratio (SNR) information and the traffic profile for each mobile. A comprehensive service model is developed, which includes not only mobile terminals' bandwidth requirements but also their different levels of priority, rate adaptivity as well as their mobility. Simulations are conducted by OPNET to study the performance of our proposed scheme in terms of cost function and system utilization under different traffic conditions.


Plant conservation biology needs a new paradigm to stop ongoing environmental degradation and species loss. This paper provides detailed methodological guidelines for the conceptual integration of conservation biology and restoration ecology through "conservation-oriented restoration" as introduced in a companion paper. Based on the latest theoretical developments in community ecology and vast experience gained by researchers in restoration ecology and conservation biology, this paper provides recommendations, among others, for (i) identification of a reference ecosystem; (ii) making operational species lists for introduction; (iii) choosing optimal restoration in terms of planting design, plant number and density; (iv) collecting, storing and using seeds; and (v) addressing plant–animal interactions.


In order to establish the fire safety design of ship engine room, it is important to understand the characteristics of oil pool combustion, the properties of smoke, the conditions of fire spread and smoke movement with heat diffusion. In our previous study, the oil burning experiment was executed to investigate the distinctive features of pool combustion and smoke. And the experimental and numerical analyses of smoke movement were carried out using the 1.2m sized cubic box as a substitute for simplified engine room model. In this study, the experiment of smoke movement and diffusion in the 1115 scale model of engine room with smoke-producing agent was carried out for the fire safety design on fire detection, fire fighting and evacuation. Moreover, a three-dimensional numerical analysis using kE based CFD model was performed to investigate the situation of smoke diffusion in an engine room. Furthermore, the numerical analyses of smoke and heat diffusion in the full-scale engine room model were executed using the result of oil burning experiment and the numerical method that is already proved the validity to grasp the state of smoke movement. From the interpretation of these results, the phenomena of smoke diffusion in an engine room under several fire conditions can be clarified. By the experiment and the calculation on smoke movement in an engine room, a lot of useful information is obtained for the design of evacuation systems and the arrangements of smoke sensors.


We demonstrate enhanced resolution printing using a variable spot-size laser diode. The near-field spot size of the laser diode can be changed by controlling the refractive-index distribution in the laser stripe through the injected current. The ratio of the minimum-to-maximum spot size is 2.1:1. This technology provides high-resolution printing without increasing the scanning frequency. Smoother character outlines that consist of finer steps are produced with this laser diode. An effective resolution of 1200 dots /in. (dpi) can be obtained by a printer system with 600-dpi resolution.


To assess the abnormalities of insulin receptor in patients with Werner's syndrome, we established Epstein-Barr virus transformed lymphocytes and studied the binding as well as kinase activities of insulin receptor. The insulin binding to both intact cells and WGA-purified insulin receptor preparations was within normal range. Autophosphorylation of the beta-subunit was not altered in patients with Werner's syndrome, and the receptors of these patients phosphorylated an exogenous substrate to a degree comparable to that of the normal participants. Taken together, these findings indicate that insulin resistance in Werner's syndrome likely is caused by a defect that cannot be detected by means used in the present study.


Supervised multi-channel audio source separation requires extracting useful spectral, temporal, and spatial features from the mixed signals. the success of many existing systems is therefore largely dependent on the choice of features used for training. In this work, we introduce a novel multi-channel, multiresolution convolutional auto-encoder neural network that works on raw time-domain signals to determine appropriate multiresolution features for separating the singing-voice from stereo music. Our experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve multi-channel audio source separation without the need for hand-crafted features or any pre- or post-processing.


The load profile at a feeder-head is usually known to utility engineers while the nodal load profiles are not. However, the nodal load profiles are increasingly important for conducting time-series analysis in distribution systems. Therefore, in this paper, we present a pivot-point based, two-stage feeder load disaggregation algorithm using smart meter data. The two stages are load profile selection (LPS) and load profile allocation (LPA). In the LPS stage, a random load profile selection process is first executed to meet the load diversity requirement. Then, a few pairs of pivot points are selected as the matching targets. After that, a matching algorithm will run repetitively to select one load profile at a time for matching the reference load profile at the pivot points. In the LPA stage, the LPS selected load profiles are allocated to each load node on the feeder considering distribution transformer loading limits, load composition, and square-footage. The proposed method is validated using actual data collected in a North Carolina service area. Simulation results show that the proposed method can generate a unique load shape for each load node while match the shape of their aggregated profile with the actual feeder head load profile.


Does a credible source also need a fearful audience? Current evidence is ambiguous. This study assessed the persuasiveness of a message from a high/low credible source, with strong/weak fear content. Over 270 undergraduates provided attitudinal information before and after receiving a warning about breast cancer, incorporating the experimental manipulations. Attitudes improved after message exposure, irrespective of the fear appeal and source credibility. However, the strong fear appeal amplified message acceptance. There was no evidence of an interaction between source credibility and fear. However, aroused fear and perceived credibility reduced resistance. Neither fear nor source credibility affected persuasion after several months. Instead pre-message resistance played a critical role. These findings revisit old debates about the importance of peripheral cues in persuasion.


The Victorian goat meat industry is a significant contributor to export earnings, which is derived largely from the harvest of feral goats. The potential for exports of farmed goat meat into Asian product markets is being developed in a supply chain approach with producers, processors, exporters and Asian importers. Producers have been networked in four locations to improve supply capability and participate in production and economic benchmarking. In the absence of an existing market for premium farmed goat meat, a larger group of producers are cooperating with a marketer to develop a niche market in the Asian food service sector. This presents a challenge to the group in developing commercial relationships and playing a role in the marketing of their goat meat.


The author highlights the various strategies of adaptation generated by the deregulation and uncertainty situation amonst the Russian army since the dissolution of the Varsovy pact. These strategies generate individual profesional reconversions as well as organisational transformations within the military institution. But they also result in transformations of the values that constituted the military institution. These values progressively differ from traditional values. In this context of an imperative adaptation to a new situation, pressure groups emerge, in favour of the military institution. They are part of the frame of survival strategies that progressively transform the institutional Russian landscape.


In this long overdue second installment, we continue to develop the conformal bootstrap program for
N
=
4
 superconformal field theories (SCFTs) in four dimensions via an analysis of the correlation function of four stress-tensor supermultiplets. We review analytic results for this correlator and make contact with the SCFT/chiral algebra correspondence of Beem et al. [Commun. Math. Phys. 336, 1359 (2015)]. We demonstrate that the constraints of unitarity and crossing symmetry require the central charge
c
 to be greater than or equal to
3
/
4
 in any interacting
N
=
4
 SCFT. We apply numerical bootstrap methods to derive upper bounds on scaling dimensions and operator product expansion coefficients for several low-lying, unprotected operators as a function of the central charge. We interpret our bounds in the context of
N
=
4
 super Yang-Mills theories, formulating a series of conjectures regarding the embedding of the conformal manifold—parametrized by the complexified gauge coupling—into the space of scaling dimensions and operator product expansion coefficients. Our conjectures assign a distinguished role to points on the conformal manifold that are self-dual under a subgroup of the
S
-duality group. This paper contains a more detailed exposition of a number of results previously reported in Beem et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 071601 (2013)] in addition to new results.